00:00:00
For people don't know who Rick Caruso
00:00:01
is, he's a great developer. You walk
00:00:03
into one of Caruso's places and it's
00:00:06
safe, it's clean, you want to bring your
00:00:08
kids.
00:00:08
Ideology did not save the palisades.
00:00:11
Competency would have running this city
00:00:14
is running a business for the benefit of
00:00:16
the residents. You've got to make good
00:00:18
business decisions. It was predictable,
00:00:21
Bill. What's predictable is preventable.
00:00:23
Rick Caruso now has a golden road in the
00:00:26
governor's race if he wants it. What's
00:00:29
happened to LA over the last decade is
00:00:32
just tragic. It's sad to watch.
00:00:34
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome
00:00:37
Rick Caruso.
00:00:39
[Music]
00:00:48
Great to see you, brother. Thank you for
00:00:50
coming.
00:00:51
Thank you very much.
00:00:53
All right.
00:00:53
Make my rounds. Thank you.
00:00:55
Good to see you.
00:00:56
Good seeing you. Hello everybody.
00:01:00
All right, Rick. Um, we're nine months
00:01:04
out from the tragic fires. So much has
00:01:07
happened. So much has happened. Karen
00:01:09
Bass,
00:01:11
so incompetent. Such a disgracad
00:01:18
my my Italian brethren in here. But when
00:01:21
you when you look at it in all
00:01:23
seriousness, you know, you had some
00:01:25
properties there and you've always been
00:01:27
an innovator. Everybody knows the Grove.
00:01:29
I spent so much time there with my
00:01:31
beautiful daughter Lotus and and my my
00:01:33
beautiful wife, um, Jade. Just
00:01:36
what a gift you've given so many times
00:01:38
over to this amazing city. And then you
00:01:41
watched this horrible incompetence. And
00:01:44
yet you innovated and you had these
00:01:47
incred this incredible insight that when
00:01:49
the fires were coming, you would get
00:01:51
water in trucks and bring it to the
00:01:55
Pacific Palisades. And then you found
00:01:57
this unique group of innovators called
00:01:59
firefighters and you also brought some
00:02:01
of them. What did you see in this
00:02:05
incredible moment of clarity that when
00:02:08
the fires were coming that Karen Bass
00:02:10
didn't see?
00:02:11
Well, the first thing I did is I stayed
00:02:13
in town. Um, which
00:02:18
I I I think
00:02:19
you didn't abandon the city.
00:02:20
I think when you want to be a leader,
00:02:22
you should probably be present. But, uh,
00:02:24
good start.
00:02:25
That's a good rule. Listen, we learned a
00:02:27
lot when we were building our resort up
00:02:29
in Monaceto in Myiramar. Uh we had fires
00:02:33
there that were threatening the
00:02:35
construction site. We were just under
00:02:36
construction. And I had a very smart guy
00:02:39
still do on the team name is Banyan. And
00:02:43
he's the one that said, "We can bring in
00:02:45
private firefighters. We can bring in
00:02:47
our own water trucks. We can bring in
00:02:49
retardant." And listen, here's another
00:02:52
rule that's really important when you're
00:02:54
in the commercial side of the business.
00:02:57
You want the firefighters that are
00:03:00
working for the city or the county first
00:03:02
and foremost to protect the homes. And
00:03:05
we know that they should be doing that.
00:03:07
So, we want to have resources to protect
00:03:10
our buildings so the resources aren't
00:03:12
taken away from the residential areas.
00:03:15
That's just I think being a good
00:03:16
citizen.
00:03:18
So, fast forward to Palisades. We know
00:03:21
we're in a fire zone. We built it with
00:03:23
all non-combustible materials. We
00:03:26
designed it so there was no open vents
00:03:28
that an ember can get into. About 90% of
00:03:31
the homes in the Palisades and Aladena
00:03:34
burned from the inside out.
00:03:37
So, these wind warnings came, and I'm
00:03:39
sure you all saw them to the point that
00:03:42
I didn't even believe that they could be
00:03:43
true. catastrophic
00:03:46
life-threatening winds and our team
00:03:50
rallied. We had our firefighters,
00:03:53
our water, our retardant station there
00:03:56
two days before the fire and we were
00:03:58
ready to go. And I'm really proud of my
00:04:01
team because they not only saved the
00:04:03
village, but we saved the whole block uh
00:04:07
of properties. And we were actually on
00:04:10
the 7th loaning equipment to LA Fire
00:04:13
Department who was running short of
00:04:14
equipment. And we were actually loaning
00:04:17
water cuz we were bringing in our water
00:04:18
tanks when the water hydrants failed to
00:04:21
work.
00:04:22
Rick, it's been 8 months, I guess, since
00:04:23
these fires. Um, how much of it is being
00:04:26
rebuilt now?
00:04:28
Not enough. I was out there last night.
00:04:30
Um, it's slower than it should be.
00:04:33
And what is slowing it down?
00:04:35
slowing it down is an enormous amount of
00:04:37
red tape. I mean, the previous speaker
00:04:39
is talking about red tape in the state
00:04:40
of California. We have red tape in the
00:04:42
city of Los Angeles and the county.
00:04:44
That's ridiculous. But let me just give
00:04:46
you an example. Since co
00:04:49
we have still not, we being the city has
00:04:51
still not called back workers to city
00:04:54
hall. So plan checkers in LA city are
00:04:58
working from home. You just lost 7,000
00:05:02
homes.
00:05:04
You would think the first thing the
00:05:05
mayor would do is say, "You 10 plan
00:05:08
checkers are now out in the palisades in
00:05:10
a construction trailer where the people
00:05:13
need you." They're still working out of
00:05:14
a home.
00:05:15
Why did the people Why? I want to know
00:05:17
why.
00:05:17
Yeah. Why?
00:05:18
That makes me angry.
00:05:19
You'll have to call 1800.
00:05:23
What's What's your I've I've tried to
00:05:25
call that number a number of times. What
00:05:27
is What is your sense of the incentives
00:05:29
there? What is driving that? Is it a
00:05:32
union thing? Is it uh you're going to
00:05:34
get unelected because this voting block
00:05:36
wants to work from home? What is the
00:05:37
incentive for that? Incompetence makes
00:05:39
no sense.
00:05:40
Okay, I think this is what it is. I I
00:05:43
think there's a level of incompetence
00:05:46
that's combined with literally a
00:05:49
stagnation and there's no urgency to do
00:05:52
anything. So there's no decision-m and
00:05:55
all of us have been in situations in
00:05:58
business or whatnot where you meet
00:06:00
somebody that is just not well equipped.
00:06:02
And so what happens when you're not well
00:06:04
equipped to make decisions and either
00:06:07
easy situations or complex situations,
00:06:09
you sort of freeze up.
00:06:11
So the kids run the class.
00:06:13
Yeah. I'll throw out a theory and get
00:06:14
your reaction to it, which is California
00:06:16
is a one party state and Karen Bass
00:06:19
doesn't really need to serve the people
00:06:21
because historically we haven't really
00:06:22
had competitive elections. What's
00:06:24
important is that she satisfies this
00:06:26
political machine that keeps her in
00:06:28
office. She wasn't a particularly
00:06:29
distinguished candidate or anything like
00:06:31
that. She' just been around the block
00:06:32
for a long time.
00:06:35
And frankly, we had the best candidate
00:06:38
to ever challenge Karen Bass, which was
00:06:40
you, a successful businessman.
00:06:42
Unbelievable.
00:06:43
And and the proof of that is that
00:06:46
I love this crowd, by the way.
00:06:48
This crowd is intelligent.
00:06:50
Yeah. Yes, they are.
00:06:50
Yeah. And and the proof of that was was
00:06:52
in the fires because I think it's pretty
00:06:53
obvious that the Palisades wouldn't have
00:06:55
burned to the ground if you had been the
00:06:56
mayor because you would have made sure
00:06:58
that there was water in the fire
00:06:59
hydrants.
00:07:00
David, what's amazing to me is, and
00:07:02
we're waiting for this action a uh
00:07:04
afteraction report, which is incredible.
00:07:06
We don't even have it yet, but I am I
00:07:09
was convinced nine months ago. I'm more
00:07:11
convinced today that fire was completely
00:07:14
preventable. And if you think I'm wrong
00:07:16
and it wasn't completely preventable,
00:07:18
the damage could have been significantly
00:07:21
mitigated.
00:07:22
The fire department was never
00:07:24
pre-eployed. Where the fire started is
00:07:27
the same exact place that there was a
00:07:28
fire 7 days before. I think what we're
00:07:31
going to see is the fire department did
00:07:34
not put that original fire out. It
00:07:37
smoldered and reignited.
00:07:40
When it reignited, the winds were not
00:07:42
here yet. The smoke was going straight
00:07:44
up. We had the largest reservoir not
00:07:47
filled with water.
00:07:49
I mean, I got the call at night. The
00:07:51
family was together. Your daughter's
00:07:53
home is burning down and the
00:07:55
firefighters, their hoses have stopped.
00:07:58
There is no more water in the fire
00:08:00
hydrants. And I said, "How can that be?
00:08:02
We're the second largest city in the
00:08:03
country. Impossible." But listen, I
00:08:07
think all of it is fixable. So, I'm an
00:08:10
optimist and with the right kind of
00:08:13
leadership and I'm not saying it's me.
00:08:14
I'm just saying in general in this
00:08:16
state, in this city, and this country,
00:08:19
with the right kind of leadership that
00:08:22
is competent, eager, and willing to make
00:08:25
decisions
00:08:27
because they want to do what's best for
00:08:29
the people they serve and not worrying
00:08:31
about getting reelected,
00:08:33
great things can happen. And that's my
00:08:34
hope for the
00:08:35
Why is this happening around the nation?
00:08:37
When you look at Portland, Seattle,
00:08:40
Chicago, New York, these cities around
00:08:43
this country, we're seeing similar kind
00:08:45
of systems of decay and degradation. But
00:08:49
is it No, but what did you say?
00:08:50
No, he said they're blue.
00:08:52
But I I I want to like is that is that
00:08:54
really what's going on or is there a
00:08:56
social thing that's going on or a
00:08:58
societal thing that's going on that's
00:09:00
causing people to say let's let these
00:09:02
cities kind of decay? Let's stop doing
00:09:03
our jobs. let's keep kind of ballooning
00:09:06
the the budgets but not delivering any
00:09:08
results. What is it that's going on?
00:09:10
I have a little bit different take. I
00:09:11
have a different take that I think
00:09:12
there's been a a sense of apathy. I
00:09:16
think people have not gotten engaged.
00:09:18
Not enough people vote and get involved
00:09:20
and we don't hold our elected officials
00:09:22
accountable. Uh people now that run for
00:09:25
office believe they have an office for
00:09:26
life. And I think that's very dangerous.
00:09:28
That was never the intent of our
00:09:30
founding fathers. It was to serve and
00:09:32
then go back to your private life.
00:09:34
That's right.
00:09:34
And and now what we have is people just
00:09:37
they cycle through it. And what we need
00:09:39
to do is get more people active. I don't
00:09:42
care what your political persuasion is.
00:09:45
Get out and vote. And but what we have
00:09:47
seen particularly are extremes that are
00:09:51
very motivated to vote and they're
00:09:54
moving these uh elected officials that
00:09:57
are ideologues into positions. And this
00:10:00
ideology, which may be well intended,
00:10:03
has not had good results.
00:10:05
Have the people of Los Angeles seen
00:10:06
enough, do you think, to have the common
00:10:09
sense to put competent leadership in?
00:10:12
I hope so.
00:10:12
Have they seen enough?
00:10:14
We're going to find out in about a year.
00:10:15
What do the politicians mean when I
00:10:17
mean, I think I've heard Karen Bass say
00:10:19
this. I think I've heard uh Gavin
00:10:20
Newsome say this that they see
00:10:23
that what happened in the Palisades as
00:10:25
an opportunity to reimagine. What are
00:10:27
they imagining there? Uh, and how is
00:10:31
that different than just letting people
00:10:32
rebuild their homes?
00:10:34
I I I can't I can't see.
00:10:35
I mean, I think they're talking about
00:10:36
turning large parts of the Palisades
00:10:38
into low-income housing or something
00:10:39
like that. Is there I mean, should
00:10:41
people be worried about this?
00:10:43
I don't think so. I I think there's
00:10:45
probably fringe people who would like to
00:10:48
see zoning changes. I don't believe that
00:10:50
there should be zoning changes on the
00:10:53
backs of people who have lost their
00:10:54
homes and their businesses. If you want
00:10:56
to do that, you want to have that
00:10:57
discussion, do it in an orderly fashion,
00:11:00
but do everything you can to get people
00:11:02
back into their communities, back into
00:11:04
their homes. And I, this city and
00:11:07
government has got to have this culture
00:11:09
that we've got your back. We're here for
00:11:12
you. And we don't have that.
00:11:14
And you're not going to get people to
00:11:16
reinvest in their own homes, and their
00:11:17
own community unless they think the
00:11:20
city's going to be there with them. How
00:11:21
uh how much of the ineptitude of Los
00:11:24
Angeles is derived from the ineptitude
00:11:27
of the state of California?
00:11:29
Well, I think it's part and parcel, you
00:11:31
know, to be honest. But I also believe
00:11:34
that
00:11:34
so is Gavin Newsome helpful. Has he done
00:11:37
stuff to help? Like when you when all
00:11:39
the people in LA who are still, you
00:11:41
know, dispossessed and out of a home
00:11:43
called him, is he able to apply pressure
00:11:45
to the city of California or is it just
00:11:47
city of LA rather? Or is it just chaos?
00:11:50
I don't think it's chaos. I think
00:11:51
actually Gavin has done some good
00:11:53
things. Waving SQA, waving the Coastal
00:11:56
Commission. Those are really smart
00:11:58
things that he's done. I'd like to see
00:11:59
him do more.
00:12:00
Well, what would you want him to do?
00:12:03
What he could do is he could demand
00:12:05
changes very quickly. Um, and if not, he
00:12:09
could exert
00:12:10
independent California authority to make
00:12:13
changes. Th the these communities,
00:12:16
Altadena and Malibu and Palisades, they
00:12:19
need completely new infrastructure. They
00:12:21
need all the power lines underground.
00:12:23
They need new water systems. All of that
00:12:25
has to be done. He's got the power to
00:12:27
really make that happen. And frankly,
00:12:29
we've got to figure out a way to get the
00:12:31
federal government to help financially.
00:12:33
And I think name calling uh probably is
00:12:36
not a good way to build a relationship
00:12:39
to get billions of dollars into the
00:12:41
state of California. So, I'd like to see
00:12:43
that stop. Where can you be more
00:12:45
effective as mayor or governor of
00:12:47
California?
00:12:49
I think they're very different. Um, but
00:12:52
I think either one of them. I really do.
00:12:55
I think I think either one.
00:12:57
But I think they have different They
00:12:58
obviously have different authorities and
00:13:00
different powers, but I think either one
00:13:02
can be very effective.
00:13:03
You You'd be great. You'd be great in
00:13:04
either one. And um, it'd be it'd be
00:13:07
great. You
00:13:07
really would be great in either one.
00:13:09
Thank you. It'd be great. It'd be great
00:13:11
to get a to get an outsider, someone,
00:13:13
you know, in into politics. The thing I
00:13:16
I I worry about is in California, you've
00:13:19
got ballot harvesting is legal and
00:13:21
checking someone's voter ID is illegal.
00:13:25
And I just wonder if the combination of
00:13:27
those two things makes it impossible for
00:13:29
someone outside the political machine to
00:13:31
get elected. What do What do you think?
00:13:33
Well, you know, it may, David, but I may
00:13:36
I may give that a try. So, we'll see.
00:13:38
We'll see if it works. Let me go the way
00:13:41
it wanted to last time.
00:13:42
Let me hold on. I got I got to follow up
00:13:44
on this one. You're I know the people
00:13:46
who have been having some of these
00:13:48
conversations with you. There's one camp
00:13:49
that's pushing you to governor and the
00:13:51
other camp is pushing you to mayor. How
00:13:54
do you make that decision? When are you
00:13:55
going to make that decision? We've got 8
00:13:57
minutes and 53 seconds left here. Can we
00:14:00
get it done now?
00:14:01
Can I get it done in 8 minutes?
00:14:03
All right, let's start. Mayor, clap.
00:14:06
Governor. Who wants him to go for mayor?
00:14:07
And now governor. Governor.
00:14:10
Wow.
00:14:10
Whoa.
00:14:12
Wow.
00:14:13
You I just want to let you know right
00:14:14
now, you have the full support of the
00:14:16
all-in platform for whichever one you
00:14:19
choose.
00:14:20
The level of confidence you and I have
00:14:23
developed a bit of a friendship. We talk
00:14:24
on text and I every time I go to one of
00:14:27
your facilities and we talk about the
00:14:29
detail the detail that you have at the
00:14:33
Grove Pacific Palisades this incredible
00:14:36
Monteito property that I got to stay at
00:14:39
recently.
00:14:40
That attention to detail
00:14:43
is what for free nights.
00:14:47
This is not what he want. This is not
00:14:49
the attention to
00:14:52
I want you to talk about where did that
00:14:55
where did this attention to detail
00:14:59
the understanding of customers and
00:15:02
consumers in your private sector life
00:15:04
where did it come from?
00:15:06
I love what I do. And if if you go to
00:15:09
the root of what we do as a company and
00:15:12
you ask anybody in the company, what is
00:15:13
your business? Everybody in our company
00:15:16
is going to say to bring joy and enrich
00:15:18
people's lives. It sounds corny, but if
00:15:22
you do that, it gives you a platform in
00:15:25
business that gives you permission to do
00:15:27
things that your competitors are not
00:15:30
allowing themselves to do. It gives you
00:15:33
permission to build a place called the
00:15:34
Grove, which you and I talk about, and
00:15:37
you get to run a trolley through the
00:15:39
middle of it.
00:15:39
Is it really that simple? Like, you're
00:15:41
building a business and you're like, I'm
00:15:42
just going to enrich the lives of my
00:15:44
customers and make them happy. And your
00:15:46
competitors literally don't do that. Are
00:15:48
they
00:15:49
My competitor is building an indoor mall
00:15:51
with no trees or light and an escalator.
00:15:54
And
00:15:55
so, you're just shaking your head like,
00:15:56
how is this how is this even possible?
00:15:58
Well, don't you want to be in a place
00:16:00
that feels good, makes you happy? You
00:16:02
see trees, you have water, you have
00:16:04
flowers, there's nice music. Nobody's
00:16:07
feels like the perfect platform
00:16:09
or or a stadium. So, that's where that
00:16:12
platform gives you this incredible power
00:16:15
and authority to go do things. I mean,
00:16:18
you look at the Rosewood Miramar, our
00:16:20
resort. We have a full train running
00:16:23
through it. Everybody stayed away from
00:16:25
that property. And when I announced
00:16:27
we're going to build a five-star hotel,
00:16:28
everybody said, "You're crazy. You got a
00:16:30
train running through it." We made the
00:16:32
train an amenity,
00:16:33
right?
00:16:34
We built a bar next to it with a bell
00:16:36
that gets rung when the train comes by
00:16:38
and people celebrate it.
00:16:40
Yeah.
00:16:40
So, that's enriching lives. I I just
00:16:43
love watching people
00:16:46
enjoy their life and that's what fuels
00:16:49
my public service and it's what I really
00:16:51
enjoyed when I worked for three mayors
00:16:54
when I worked for Tom Bradley and Dick
00:16:55
Re and and Jim Han. You can actually
00:16:58
make changes in public service that
00:17:01
makes people's lives better.
00:17:03
How great is that?
00:17:04
That's great. People don't know this
00:17:06
widely uh but tomorrow is the 175th
00:17:09
anniversary of the state of California
00:17:11
and Governor Nuomo uh it's a great state
00:17:14
and um it's an amazing place.
00:17:17
Governor Nuome is giving his state of
00:17:19
the state tomorrow morning. If you were
00:17:21
in that seat, what would you say at the
00:17:23
state of the state tomorrow? What's your
00:17:25
read on the state of the state of
00:17:26
California?
00:17:27
I think the state of California should
00:17:29
lead the nation in everything that we
00:17:31
do. I think the state of California
00:17:33
should have the best housing. It should
00:17:35
have the best school system, the lowest
00:17:37
crime rate. We should not have homeless
00:17:39
living on the streets. We should have
00:17:41
opportunities for people to grow a
00:17:43
business, raise their family, feel good
00:17:45
about life, be enriched, and we should
00:17:49
be in the top of every category that you
00:17:53
want to measure quality of life. If if
00:17:57
you say we're the fourth largest economy
00:17:59
in the world, which our elected
00:18:02
officials say very often, then act like
00:18:06
it. And the people of California should
00:18:08
be benefiting from being the fourth
00:18:10
largest economy in the world.
00:18:11
How would you deal with homeless? You
00:18:13
got these encampments. We're driving
00:18:14
around here downtown LA.
00:18:16
It had such a renaissance for a short
00:18:18
period of time. It feels like it's
00:18:19
devolved again.
00:18:21
It has. And it just seems to me that
00:18:23
there just should be zero tolerance for
00:18:25
camping on the street. Yet here we are
00:18:28
again with encampments everywhere. What
00:18:31
would be your approach?
00:18:33
Well, my approach was simple when I ran
00:18:35
is you can't allow encampments on the
00:18:37
street, but you've got to give people
00:18:39
who are on the streets an opportunity to
00:18:41
have a productive life. So give them the
00:18:44
services they need, build the housing
00:18:46
that they need. We are spending in the
00:18:50
city of Los Angeles
00:18:53
$900,000
00:18:56
per person that they're
00:18:58
removing from the streets.
00:19:00
$900,000
00:19:02
per year or
00:19:03
Yeah.
00:19:04
Oh my god.
00:19:05
There's billions and billions of dollars
00:19:07
wasted. redirect that to organizations
00:19:10
that have incredible track records of
00:19:12
being successful in Los Angeles of
00:19:14
housing people, giving them the services
00:19:17
for mental health and drug addiction.
00:19:19
And the first thing you do is you do not
00:19:20
allow the sale of drugs on the street
00:19:22
right now. We do I mean this that's a
00:19:25
crime. It's illegal. Don't allow it.
00:19:27
It is a crime.
00:19:28
Yeah. I
00:19:29
I mean if you look at fentinol, it is
00:19:31
just a different category of drug. We've
00:19:33
seen the president who you don't agree
00:19:35
with everything on, but he's taking a
00:19:37
pretty hardline stance to the point at
00:19:39
which he's activating the military.
00:19:41
Pretty controversial. What's your take
00:19:43
on that?
00:19:44
I think we should actually have secure
00:19:46
borders and shut down the drugs 100%.
00:19:50
Absolutely.
00:19:51
So, in full agreement with the
00:19:52
president?
00:19:53
Yeah. I I don't know how you can say I
00:19:56
want to have a livable society, a
00:19:58
quality of life, allow people to build a
00:20:00
business, raise a family, and then at
00:20:02
the same time, you allow drug dealing to
00:20:03
go on the streets. You just can't do it.
00:20:06
We have an area out here called the
00:20:07
Seulva Basin. I got a call from a
00:20:09
resident yesterday, and this poor
00:20:12
resident that lives out in Enino was
00:20:14
talking about the amount of encampments
00:20:16
in Seulva Basin. And what they have done
00:20:19
now, the homeless, he's telling me, is
00:20:21
they've made these booby traps and
00:20:25
connected homemade bombs to them.
00:20:27
Oh my god.
00:20:28
So when the police of the fire
00:20:29
department try to go in there, this one
00:20:31
firefighter was severely injured, lost
00:20:33
an ear because it hit a trip wire
00:20:36
and he had called the mayor. The mayor
00:20:38
said, "Well, it's very complicated to
00:20:41
try to figure out how to get in there to
00:20:42
clean it up." It's not complicated. You
00:20:44
go in there and clean it up.
00:20:46
Period. Full stop.
00:20:47
Period. full stop. We just got to do
00:20:49
that.
00:20:51
So,
00:20:52
one of the complications here is the
00:20:55
Democrats don't seem to want to clean up
00:20:57
these cities. The president has
00:21:00
checkmated them by saying, "If you don't
00:21:02
clean it up, I'll clean it up." Seems
00:21:04
like a midterm driven approach. What's
00:21:06
your take on the National Guard being
00:21:09
sent into these cities? Because if Karen
00:21:11
Bass won't clean it up, if JB Pritsker
00:21:13
won't clean it up, is there an argument
00:21:15
for the president to send the National
00:21:18
Guard, it seems like overreach in one
00:21:20
way, but we're sitting here talking
00:21:22
about absolute incompetence and a
00:21:24
refusal to deal with this issue. The
00:21:26
people who are affected by it are like,
00:21:28
"Yeah, send the National Guard in if
00:21:30
that's what it takes." What's your take?
00:21:32
Well, my take on it is sending in the
00:21:34
National Guard in Washington DC is a
00:21:36
very different situation than sending
00:21:38
the National Guard into LA or Chicago
00:21:41
because Washington DC is a federal
00:21:43
territory. So, that's different. What I
00:21:47
think should be done is we should hold
00:21:49
our elected officials accountable to
00:21:51
have a police department that's fully
00:21:53
engaged and given the authority to
00:21:55
enforce the laws. And we're not doing
00:21:58
that. You're not backing They're not
00:21:59
backing up the cops.
00:22:02
They are not backing up the cops. The
00:22:03
cops are not allowed to clean up the
00:22:05
streets. The cops are not allowed to
00:22:07
hold people accountable for selling drug
00:22:09
on the streets. There's a whole bunch of
00:22:11
protocols in the city of Los Angeles
00:22:13
that do not allow the cops to do their
00:22:15
job. The any kind of federal
00:22:18
interference, I think, should be the
00:22:20
very very last resort. So, I don't
00:22:22
support that. I don't support it. But I
00:22:25
do support a fully engaged leadership
00:22:28
system that require that the laws be
00:22:31
enforced and give police the opportunity
00:22:35
and not only that demand that they
00:22:38
enforce the law.
00:22:39
Ladies and gentlemen, the next governor
00:22:41
and mayor
00:22:43
of California, Los Angeles, Rick Russo.
00:22:47
Thank you. That was fantastic.
00:22:49
Great. Thank you very much. That was
00:22:50
great.
00:22:52
My gosh. Appreciate you, brother.
