In this episode, passion meets policy as our hosts tackle some of today’s most controversial issues. From discussing the colonization of the moon and the establishment of a space force to highlighting the complexities of redistricting in the US, we dive into the heart of these debates. We also touch on community perceptions concerning SNAP benefits and the ethical considerations of establishing limitations. This diverse conversation promises to ignite thought and prompts listeners to consider the far-reaching implications of policy decisions made today.
weigh in on the Trump administration’s intention to build a nuclear reactor on the moon. Now you go ahead, Mr. Spaceman. All right, space dork, go ahead and give me all the reasons why it makes sense for taxpayer dollars to fund a nuclear reactor on the surface of the moon. Don’t we have a couple of problems here on Earth?
SPEAKER 02 :
We do, but it’s kind of funny that that was the logic people used when we were on the way. We’ve got problems on Earth. Why are we going on the moon? And by the way, it’s never a bad question.
SPEAKER 01 :
It’s never a bad question.
SPEAKER 02 :
It is a good argument. We’ll never do anything, however. We will always find something in the backyard to pay attention to. How about if we spend money wisely and do things as we certainly are doing with greater efficiency in the era of Trump? But if there are some things that speak of adventure, some things that speak of trailblazing, some things that speak of possible doors to be opened that can be of value. Star Trek theme. Exactly.
SPEAKER 03 :
And for people hearing us nationally and watching us on X right now at Gallagher Show, we love streaming the Eminem Experience. A little history here. The way I love… Find the way I love theater, or the way Mark loves the space program. Find somebody who loves you that much. Exactly right. Because you love everything you have done. And I love that about you, by the way. It might not be exactly my thing, just like theater probably isn’t your big thing, but I love how excited you get. And so I don’t want to throw a wet blanket on this, but honestly, Mark, do we really have a need for a nuclear… How are you going to cool it? Well… Ain’t any water up there, is there?
SPEAKER 02 :
That’s true, but there may be the ability to… What do you need for water? You need hydrogen, you need oxygen, there’s many atoms of that. There are possible mineral reactivities that can make all kinds of industry, all kinds of industrial things, all kinds of construction, all kinds of things for habitats, all kinds of things that could be… It could be of, sure, it could be of value, yes.
SPEAKER 03 :
So somebody told me, a couple people started talking about the colonization issue. And I didn’t even know that was a thing. Obviously, you’re smarter than I am. China, evidently, is committed to colonizing the moon. So we can’t let China beat us. I got an idea. You want to go to the moon, China? Knock yourself out. It’s all yours. It’s all yours. Why do we care about going to the moon?
SPEAKER 02 :
I think you’re having a little, okay, if you’re just having a little fun here, like, hey, China, if you want to go to the moon, knock yourself out and just take it. Really? Do you want to give China an upper hand in the future battlefield that may be space? It’s why we have, are you okay with a space force? This is why we have a space force, by the way. And it’s pretty awesome.
SPEAKER 03 :
And maybe there’s a connection to that. That’s something else that came up yesterday. I’m not kidding you. I mean, this was a very passionate issue. It’s a cool issue in a way because, not for nothing, they’re serious about this. Yes, they are. I mean, this is not like a pipe dream. They want to build a nuclear reactor on the moon, and Mike Gallagher’s official position is that may be literally the stupidest thing I’ve heard in about 20 years.
SPEAKER 02 :
stupidest thing I’ve ever… You’ve heard stupider things this week, I’m guessing. Well, I have.
SPEAKER 03 :
Like the governor of Massachusetts promising to redistrict Massachusetts.
SPEAKER 02 :
That’s a good one. Because what they need in Massachusetts is even more Democrat… Wait a minute. It’s all Democrats in Massachusetts. What was the big hit? Nothing from nothing leaves nothing?
SPEAKER 03 :
Nothing from nothing leaves nothing. You’ve got zero Republican representatives in Massachusetts, and that goofball Maura Healey is saying, we’re going to redistrict.
SPEAKER 02 :
I’ll show you.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, what are you going to do? Are you going to have more zeros? This is crazy. And I’m telling you, I watched this last night with this Texas redistricting thing, and the Republicans better not have egg on their face. Greg Abbott, you better make this happen. Kick them out. Kick them out. What’s going to be the downside if you figure out a way to remove them from office?
SPEAKER 02 :
I continue to believe it’s not going to come to that. What’s the downside if it did? None.
SPEAKER 03 :
They’ll be mad? Exactly. Then they’ll really, really be miffed. They’ll be mad. They’ll really have us on the… I love it when they say, we’re running scared, where they’re literally hiding out in Pritzker’s Hyatt Hotel. Yep. They’re the ones running scared. They’re the ones that are cowards. They’re the ones not doing their job. Beto came up and said this. What was his line yesterday about fell off the couch when I read it? This is the quintessential definition of brave public service, what they’re doing. Yeah, they’re real brave. Real brave, Beto. You keep that up.
SPEAKER 02 :
Speaking of fear, you mentioned it because that is what folks are saying about the Republicans who are backing this redistricting effort is that we are so terrified of the risk of losing the midterms. Listen, I always live in fear of a bad election and I live in anticipation of good elections. As we’ve learned, you never quite know how these midterms are going to go. Remember the red wave? So I wouldn’t say, as Mike Gallagher would say, I like our chances in the midterms, which are a long way off. But the assertion being thrown in our direction is that the reason we’re trying to jimmy with the redistricting in Texas is we’re panicked. We’ve got to squeeze everything we can because otherwise we’re going to lose the House in November of 2026.
SPEAKER 03 :
I’m perfectly comfortable with being as transparent.
SPEAKER 01 :
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SPEAKER 03 :
as possible. I am absolutely worried about the midterms, and I absolutely am committed to hoping that the gerrymandering works and gets us more seats so that our chances improve, because you know what? It is an entirely legitimate process. There’s nothing written that it has to be every 10 years and with every census. And incidentally, you trust the census? You know how many illegals Do you know how many illegals are used in the census the last time around? So guess what? Forget the census. Do it now. Get it done. And get more seats because they cannot win next year. Hey, to borrow a phrase from our buddy Beto, you know, Democrats have to stop being worried about being right. We’ve got to be committed to being in power. He said it. He said it. It’s all about the power. Well, you know what? Two can play that game, Beto. So let’s just let the chips fall where they may, huh?
SPEAKER 02 :
I think and ultimately every day we say this and every day is true. We all know how this movie ends. It’s just an issue of how long the movie is, because when the credits roll, the redistricting vote is going to happen. The Democrats, they will have come back and this stunt will have failed in the midst of this failed stunt. OK, yes. I think it was during, it was right as our show was ending, as we were about to hand things over to you, so I’m sure you heard about it. Some of the Democrats are up there in a hotel in Chicago. And again, who’s paying the freight for that is a good question. The other question I have is, who phoned in the bomb threat? They had a bomb threat. And instantly, a couple of key Democrats, oh, oh. This is what we’re up against. Look at this. Look at what we’re up against. It was an attempt to try to glean some sympathy, to gin up some kind of empathy for this failed stunt. I don’t know it like I know my own name, but this entire thing reeks of an inside job. Either the bomb threat did not happen or one of their own people called it in. A total stunt, a total hoax.
SPEAKER 03 :
After witnessing the silence of the Democrats watching their fellow Democrats burn cities to the ground after George Floyd died, you can spare me any righteous indignation about an anonymous bomb threat who we may or may not ever find out who did it. Democrats have no quarter to stand up and get all upset about. Look. How about the statues being torn down? You saw that Trump is putting statues back up, right? Confederate statues. I did. God, this is what I voted for.
SPEAKER 02 :
This is what I voted for.
SPEAKER 03 :
Put them back up. And here’s a conversation starter. Are you ready for this? Florida is among a few states in America, I don’t know, Texas may be on this list, that have narrowed their list of food eligible for food stamps. Starting next year, over a million families in the state of Florida will no longer be able to use food stamps to buy a box of Little Debbie’s. A liter of Coca-Cola?
SPEAKER 02 :
No.
SPEAKER 03 :
Or a Hershey bar at the checkout?
SPEAKER 02 :
Also known as lunch for me when I’m 12. Those are essential food groups for me.
SPEAKER 03 :
Come on. Please don’t deny me my… By the way, I’ve decided I know what my favorite snack is of all time. Next time I see you, you’ve got to present me with a box of… It hit me the other day. You know what my most satisfying favorite snack is of junk? Milk duds. I love me my Milk Duds.
SPEAKER 02 :
I think my consumption of Milk Dud over my lifetime, which is not out of disfavor. There’s a lot of candy out there, and Milk Duds are but a sliver. Guess where I almost always was while chomping on a Milk Dud?
SPEAKER 03 :
Dr. Pepper?
SPEAKER 02 :
No, where I was. Movie theater.
SPEAKER 03 :
Oh, where you were.
SPEAKER 02 :
Movie theater. It’s a big player.
SPEAKER 03 :
Oh, me too. The snow caps, the little… No, to this day, I go to the movies, first thing I buy is a Diet Coke and a Milk Duds. Because the Diet Coke… Those calories wipe out the calories from the milk, don’t you know? There’s a chemical counter-reaction. It all evens out. But I do. But anyway, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., of course, he encouraged states to restrict SNAP purchases. SNAP, of course, is the food stamps program, Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program. And look at the name, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
SPEAKER 02 :
Nutrition, exactly.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, what’s nutritious about a Little Debbie’s or a Ho-Ho? He’s got a point. But on the other hand. So you think about somebody who’s going through a very tough time. They can barely keep their head above water. And you’ve got a low-income person, maybe a senior, maybe somebody with disabilities who’s on food stamps. Incidentally, I just found out Texas is one of the states approved to restrict eligible food this week. Is it really?
SPEAKER 02 :
Are you about to throw shade at this?
SPEAKER 03 :
Not shade.
SPEAKER 02 :
But is it government’s business question? Yeah. Well, it’s the government’s business. It’s their money. It’s our money. Exactly right. It’s our money. The government doesn’t have money. Is there a taxpayer interest in having a law on the books or guidelines on the books that sort of define and delineate what people can do with government assistance funds? Of course there is.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, the answer is a yes. But then again, you want to spend taxpayer money on a nuclear reactor on the moon.
SPEAKER 02 :
Every dime not spent on milk duds helps us to build a nuclear reactor on the Sea of Tranquility.
SPEAKER 03 :
I’ve got dueling text messages on this on the subject of the nuclear reactor. Dallas, Mike, you’re absolutely right. A nuclear reactor on the moon is ridiculous and just another way to bankrupt an already broke nation. Who wants to live in a spacesuit? Not me. Well, I’ve got the answer. Mark Davis would. You’d love to live in a spacesuit. In a minute. But here’s Wisconsin watching on X on At Gallagher Show. You make it sound like they’re building Three Mile Island, dummy. They’re building the equivalent of a cell charging battery. So it’s not going to be a big hue. What if it’s a nuclear reactor? It’s not going to be the self-charging battery.
SPEAKER 02 :
It is going to be part of, and you and I will probably not be alive to see it come to its full fruition, but there will be colonization and industrialization on the lunar surface with an eye toward perhaps doing so. I’ll be alive.
SPEAKER 03 :
I’ve told my kids I want every means possible to keep me going. Goodbye. Go talk to Senator Cornyn. I love you.
SPEAKER 02 :
Happy Thursday. I can’t wait. We’ll be listening. Mike is ready to roll as soon as we are done. And that is 10 o’clock right here at 660 a.m. The answer. 660 a.m.
