Hey, everybody, welcome to the Jim Acosta show.

And it's another day that ends in wine and Trump's assault on American democracy.

Today, he even said a lot of people in America want a dictator.

So there it is out in the open, everybody.

My big guest today, there he is.

My old pal, John Avlon, my old partner in crime from my old place. John, great to see you. How are you? I'm doing great, man. I'm doing great. I was thinking back to some of our early campaign trips together to South Carolina for a primary, probably 2012, maybe even before. Oh, my gosh. That's a long time ago. Are we that old?

I, you know, I refuse to accept it. You know, you've got, you know, you're, I think you're Cuban of descent. I've got some Greek genes going on. I don't know. There you go. Very good. He's got his

joiner die mug there. He's feeling very revolutionary. I remember when it was

the Trump people who thought it was fashionable to say it's 1776 all over again. I don't know,

maybe folks who care about democracy need to say it's 1776 all over again. John, I mean,

you wrote this amazing substack today. It was kind of one of the reasons why I wanted to get you

going. But, you know,

there's a lot going on. I mean, the National Guard carrying weapons now in Washington, D.C.,

that's been authorized. That has begun. I was going up and down 14th Street, which is a popular

spot here in D.C. over the weekend. And, you know, they had National Guard soldiers stationed

outside of a diplomat of all places.

You know, our baguettes are safe, ladies and gentlemen.

We don't need the National Guard here.

But it is, it is something different, John, when you see National Guard troops carrying weapons in the nation's capital for really no goddamn reason.

I mean, yes, there's crime in D.C. There are crime in lots

of cities, also a lot of cities in red states. But I want to jump into your substack in just a moment,

but your thoughts, you called it a doom scroll summer that folks are in a doom scroll summer right

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