Ever since the inauguration two weeks ago, MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle has apparently had little else to do with her time but complain bitterly about virtually every step the new Trump Administration took. During Monday night’s airing of The 11th Hour, she and former GOP staffer Reed Galen, who is now president of The Union (an apparent subgroup of The Lincoln Project) and host of The Home Front podcast, railed incessantly against the administration’s latest moves, acting as though the world were coming to an end.
True to form, though, they seemed to take some comfort in their conviction that they were right, and know so much better than all those stupid, ordinary, everyday Americans who voted Trump back in.
On the administration’s strong Republican support in Congress, Ruhle asked Galen: “Are they okay with giving up their power as a co-equal branch of government?” “Yes. 100 percent,” Galen replied. “You know, without question, they are - let's see - 270 walking rubber stamps.”
He then went on to single out Senator Susan Collins of Maine for her support of Trump’s pick of Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence, saying, “She knows better, but she's always known better. I guess after all these years, they still haven't learned their lesson. But, Collins has, which is, she's going to get in line now that that's in her best interest.”
The topic then turned to the dismantling of USAID, begun under the auspices of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, and the two could not hide their vitriol for Musk, his plan, or any ordinary person who might take a more favorable view. “If you are an individual American,” Galen asked rhetorically, “Do you know what USAID is?” “What it does?” or “How does it affect your life?” “No,” Ruhle replied flatly as if to represent Americans.
So, according to them, average Americans were too stupid and ignorant to even know how their own government worked or where their tax dollars went. They were not, in Galen’s words, “worried about the game of thrones that Elon and Trump…are playing,” and unfortunately, “that's the thing that Republicans have been very clear on.”
Things took a turn for the laughable when Galen asserted that part of the problem was that Democrats “have always had an uncomfortable relationship with power. They've been very unwilling to utilize it, they've been un- very unwilling to do the things they could when they have it.”
He went on to demand Democrats ask themselves: “now you have to say, are you going to bear the consequences of utilizing whatever slivers of power you have?”
“This is not to turn into a therapy session for you and me, Stephanie- but like- there is some, you know, boundaries you have to put up for yourself, right?” Galen intoned. “But the last piece is,” he concluded, “and again, this is more philosophical than anything else- we must be convinced that at the end of this, whatever else happens, we will prevail. But it's going to be pretty tough in the meantime.”
“You just have to stay in the light,” agreed Ruhle.
One might suppose that MSNBC could at some point stop obsessing over every action of a president and an administration they happen to dislike, and patting themselves on the back for their own purported moral and intellectual superiority, and simply report the news.
The transcript is below. Click "Expand" to read it
MSNBC The 11th Hour
02/03/2025
11:50 PM
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: RASKIN ON MUSK-WE’RE GOING TO STOP HIM]
STEPHANIE RUHLE: Reed Galen joins us. He worked on a number of GOP campaigns. He's now the president of jointheunion.us and host of the- the Homefront podcast.
Reed, can we start with Republicans? Republicans in Congress. We are not hearing much from them. And what I want to understand, are they okay with giving up their power as a co-equal branch of government?
REED GALEN (JOINTHEUNION.US PRESIDENT): Yes. 100 percent. You know, without question, they are - let's see - 270 walking rubber stamps.
I saw a pathetic excuse for an explanation from Susan Collins of Maine today, about why she was now comfortable with Tulsi Gabbard being the Director of National Intelligence. She knows better, but she's always known better. I guess after all these years, they still haven't learned their lesson. But, Collins has, which is, she's going to get in line now that that's in her best interest.
(…)
11:52 PM
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: IS CONGRESS GIVING UP ITS POWER TO TRUMP AND MUSK?]
GALEN: And then lastly, look, we have to be very clear. If you are an individual American, one, do you know what USAID is?
RUHLE: No.
Galen: Two, if you do, do you know what it does? And three, if you do, one, are you okay with that? And two, how does it affect your life?
And that's the thing that Republicans have been very clear on, is that the individual American who is trying to get through the day is not worried about the game of thrones that Elon and Trump and Jamie Raskin and everybody else are playing.
11:53 PM
GALEN: Democrats, Stephanie, have always had an uncomfortable relationship with power. They've been very unwilling to utilize it, they've been un- very unwilling to do the things they could when they have it.
Look, they have a history. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi's always understood it. LBJ going back, Harry Reid- like, there are Democrats who've understood it.
But now you have to say, are you going to bear the consequences of utilizing whatever slivers of power you have?
(…)
11:54 PM
RUHLE: So what do you say to people out there? There are voters who feel angered, they feel paralyzed right now, they're saying, “I did not vote for Elon Musk. I don't want this.” What should they be focused on? What should they do?
GALEN: You- Look, there's not a great answer to this, unfortunately. The one thing I can say- and this is not to turn into a therapy session for you and me, Stephanie- but like- there is some, you know, boundaries you have to put up for yourself, right?
I was talking to somebody, a dear family friend just a little while ago- said “I'm just positively depressed, just watching things all day every day. How could this possibly happen?” They then followed up with “are my social security checks going to stop coming?” So that's a legitimate concern. But, again, there is a difference between paying attention, keeping your eyes and ears open, and diving deep, deep, deep into the crazy pool all day, every day.
There are plenty of things around us, right? In our communities, in our neighborhoods, in our kids' schools, whatever it is, that need help and are going to need more help over the coming days, weeks and months. And that's not to say that we should ever be okay with what Musk and Trump are doing. But we also have to understand: One, the reality of our situation, but two, understand that if we do the work, that's unglamorous, it's unsexy, that ev- involves those individual Americans, one, who either feel disconnected or two, stayed home last November, right? Then we will be able to have some green shoots when the time comes.
But the last piece is- and again, this is more philosophical than anything else- we must be convinced that at the end of this, whatever else happens, we will prevail. But it's going to be pretty tough in the meantime.
RUHLE: You just have to stay in the light.
(…)
