BREAKING: Trump's midterm INFILTRATION plan gets EXPOSED

It looks like we might have some maga. infiltration here where there absolutely. should not be some. I'm joined now by. Sam Stein who works at The Bulwark. Sam, you wrote a great article um which is. titled I'm going to throw it right here. on the screen. Did maga infiltrate the. Green Party in Michigan? So, this caught. my attention in a big way. The reporting. was outstanding. Talk about this. phenomenon that's otherwise completely. flying under the radar. >> Yeah, so um what happened here was that. there was a piece I forget what it was. in. It might have been Punchbowl or or.

somewhere else where they noted that. there's this weird phenomenon where. Green Party candidates are popping up on. the ballot and there's some question. about whether they're actually Green. Party members. You know, they seem like. not. And so, I I asked a colleague of. mine Brendan Hartnett at at The Bulwark. to start looking at other filings in. different states. Just sort of. suspicious like maybe if it's happening. in Pennsylvania, maybe it's happening. elsewhere. And Brendan comes back to me and he's. like, "I think I found a I think I found. a good one." I was like, "What are you. talking about?" He's like, "Well, this. is guy in Michigan.

in the 7th Congressional District which. is like the tightest. House race this cycle. Decided by one. percentage point in 2024. uh or went for Trump by one percentage. point. He's like, "This guy, his name's. Shane Dietrick. There's nothing on this. guy. I I can't find anything on it. He. came out of nowhere." He's like, "I. looked into him a little bit and he's. given two donations or something like. that. Both are to Republicans. He has no. social media presence whatsoever like. limited. There's a Twitter account but. he doesn't follow anyone. But, the.

people that does follow, one of them is. looks like a Republican operative.". And so, we started looked into it. Started digging around a little bit and. and it just became like more and more. curious, right? So, Shane Dietrick. 25, 26-year-old from Michigan in the. district does follow this one Republican. operative who follows him back. Uh this person her name is Parker. Maddock. She's the daughter of two very. prominent Republicans in the state. One. of whom was the state party chair for. Republicans in Michigan. She was.

embroiled in the 2020 election scandal. there, but she went off. She got off. clean. Um and then we started calling. around and we started looking for more. breadcrumbs and it was just very weird. and then. I got to I got to be honest, the. craziest thing we found was we we we. managed to find the actual Green Party. uh nomination process cuz you know, you. sort of wonder how did he manage to get. on the ballot? And Brian De Brink, this. this nomination process sort of blew my. mind at how. flimsy it was, how easy it was to just.

get your name I had no clue you could. just get your name on a ballot this. easily, but I'm happy to explain to you. if you have any questions about that. That was part of the story. >> Talk to me about this uh this nomination. process. >> Okay. I'm not joking. Like this is how it. works. Or this is how I discovered it at least. So, the Green Party actually of Michigan. actually sent us the the video of their. convention, which is what this happens. It's all taking place over Zoom. There's. one room with like, you know, it seems. like 30 people in it all Green Party.

members, but a lot of people are dialed. into Zoom. And about 2 hours into the convention. uh Shane Dietrich, our guy, raises his hand not like literally. because he's his camera's completely. off. He does the hand raise emoji. And they call on Shane and he never. turns his camera on. Like never. He's. just in the dark. He's like, "Hi, I'd. like to be the Green Party candidate for. the 7th Congressional District.". And the Green Party people are like, "Okay, uh.

who are you?" And he's like, "Ah, you. know, I'm I'm just I'm from the area. Uh you know, I do this. I do that. I. haven't really been involved in politics. that much." So, like, "Well, how did you. how did you hear about us?" He's like, "You know, just started like looking around. Felt. like Tom Barrett, the sitting. congressman Republican is not doing a. good job. Didn't like the two moderate. Democrats. There's actually a third. Democrat who won, not the moderate. >> Right, who's who's decidedly not. moderate. Who Who's very much one of the. co-founders of the Sunrise Movement. [laughter]. >> Well, that's the irony of this. And we. can talk about whether this all matters. in a bit, but so Diederich Ballin is.

like, I didn't like the moderates. I. don't think they're standing up to Trump. enough. And it's all going sort of weirdly. Like, you know, people are like, well, are you registered as a Green Party. member? He's like, nah, but I can get. the paperwork to you. They're like, can. you authenticate your who you are? He's. like, yeah, I can get you an affidavit. And at one point, like almost 15 minutes. in, someone just is like, all right. I. I'll give you a I'll I'll forward your. nomination. And then someone seconds it. And then very, very abruptly, someone's. like, wait a second. Hold on.

Should we vet this guy a little bit. more? And then another guy is like, you. know, I'm a little bit nervous this is. rushed. Like, what if this guy's a MAGA. plant? And Diederich's like, >> [laughter]. >> you know, I guess that's probably a good. thing to, you know, consider. But he. never really denies it. And then they keep going. They go back. and forth. They're debating the bylaws. At one point they're wondering if Tom. Barrett's even running, which he is. It's a whole It's a mess. It's like a. complete shambolic mess. And then honestly, I kid you not, someone's like Googling him in real.

time. Woman says, it looks like you. played ice hockey. He's like, yes, I. did. And that's it. And then 33 minutes. after he first digitally raised his. hand, uh a woman's like, all right, it looks. like we have a consensus. And then two. people forward it and and confirm it. And he is made the Green Party's. congressional nominee in one of the most. critical House races this cycle. It's. that It was that quick. That's it. >> All right. So, I think it's worth asking. here first and foremost, as the result. of your reporting, obviously there's.

going to be looking into by by the Green. Party. Actually, some some real vetting. besides just we Googled you and it looks. like you played ice hockey. So, [laughter]. is there any way to go back on on what. they've done? Or once they've they've. allowed him to become the nominee under. their banner, that that's it. >> So, we asked him So, what we did is we, you know, we did our reporting. We we. did our due diligence. We called all the. people. We called the, you know, before. we we called Parker Maddux. We called.

her parents. We called Shane Diedrick. We called like everyone we could. Uh and obviously we had talked to the. Green Party cuz they sent us the. convention video. But once we got everything uh or once. Brendan, I should say, got all the. reporting done, then we went back to the. Green Party and we said, "Look, this is. what we discovered. What Can you tell us like what happened. here? Like why why wasn't there more. vetting? Do you know anything about this. guy? Did you know that he had donated to. Republicans? Did you know that he had. this connection. to uh this conservative operative? Like.

did you know any of this?" And they're. like, "Uh, you know, I. They kind of were a little bit caught. off guard.". Um the communications manager, that's. his title, said, "Well, you know, if if. it I'm going to I'm going to probably. reach out to. to to Diedrick after this and have a. one-on-one, which seemed a little bit. sort of after the fact, you know? [laughter] It's like, "Maybe you should have probably done. >> Good idea. >> Yeah, yeah. Uh maybe talk to him before. you nominate him. Yeah. Um. But he did say um.

I'll read the quote. "There's some possibility that he's a. Republican plant, but based on the uh. strength of that evidence, I would say. there's also, you know, some sort of. possibility that he's had an evolution. of his of his views and values. Maybe I'll try to call him and see if he. has any comment, maybe." They did raise. the possibility that they could disavow. his candidacy, uh that they could pull. the endorsement. I don't know the. technicalities about getting him off the. ballot. He is on the ballot currently. He is listed on the ballot on the.

Secretary of State's website. Um I have. no idea what the legal or political. processes are for pulling that. Um and. maybe it happens and we are certainly. keeping tabs on whether or not um. you know, the Green Party acts on this. >> So, talk to me a little bit about two. things here in conjunction because I. think they're important. What does the. Green Party represent and what does it. represent that would be different from. the current Michigan 7 nominee on the. Democratic line because that is one of.

the most progressive and dare I say it. green candidates that we've ever had? >> Right. So, I I think a lot of people. look at this and be like, okay, well, you know, he's not going to take that. many votes away if any from from this. guy who's been nominated because, you. know, this guy founded the Sunrise. Movement. He's obviously a progressive. This is William Lawrence who is the. Democratic Party nominee. Um and that's. probably true. It's probably true. Um the other reason. to not be um. too worked up about it, although I am.

pretty worked up about it, is that um. traditionally people who support the. Green Party are. not really that gettable actually for. Democrats even though there might be a. lot of. overlap in the. uh Venn diagram uh on the issues. One of the things that the Green Party. really does represent is this idea that. the duopoly of our parties system needs. to go. And so, they are voting not just. because they care about the environment, which is their one of the key pillars. They're voting because they believe. political parties as currently. constituted are. um need to be broken up uh and can't be.

trusted. And so, anyone who. supports the Green Party probably is not. going to cross over and vote for a. Democrat. That being said, um that's not true of every voter. There. are going to be some voters who look at. this and say, okay, you know, I might go. with the Green Party. And having someone. on the ballot um does complicate to. degree. the election. And in a district like. this where, again, Trump won the. district by one percentage point. Elissa. Slotkin. uh won it in her Senate race, but.

obviously Tom Barrett won in the. congressional race. It is like literally. one of the few. truly jumpable districts. >> Yeah. You know, we're talking about like. a couple hundred votes potentially. deciding thing and I you know. it's it's it's kind of crazy to think. that the Green Party could be spoiler. nominating a candidate that they vetted. for 33 minutes barely at all. >> Well, I think look I I appreciate I. don't agree with but I appreciate the. idea that the Green Party will exist for. people to have an outlet who don't like. the duopoly of the two-party system. I.

get that but but it undermines the whole. point of it if you have. potential Maga spoiler who's there to. actually entrench the two-party system. just to do it in in deference to. Republicans. >> Right and and this was the point made by. other people when they were pointing on. the the Pennsylvania Green Party. infiltration things like that. What's going to happen is there's going. to be and this is not true of everyone. in the Green Party. I don't want to. paint too broad a. brush here but. the people who go there are going to do. things like rail against data centers.

They're going to say this is awful. We. can't have data you know these data. centers that you can't build them. They're going to sap our environment. They're going to waste our energy. and they're going to end up electing. Republicans. who will be supportive of data centers. And look I have plenty I have plenty of. experience talking to third-party. candidates through the course of my time. in journalism and trying to have this. type of conversation with them and it's. not persuasive to them. They it's very rare that you actually. get someone who's committed third-party. candidate on the environmental side.

especially who's like yeah, you're right. like we have to play the long game. We. have to work within the system because. to them it's the system that's the. problem and they don't think the system. will ever change. unless. you know, you prove that a third-party. is somewhat viable or something like. that. So. you know, it it is what it is to a. degree and I hate to say that but rarely. do we see them being so susceptible to. infiltration. That's the story here and. I guess I had never really actually. you know, done a deep dive into how they.

nominate their candidates And this was. just jaw-dropping to me. >> Yeah, could could could probably use. some reform. >> Maybe a little tinker here and there. >> What about people who are going to be. watching this and say, "Look, you know, Jill Stein served as a spoiler in the. most consequential election of our. history and so this isn't like a. one-off. This this may very well be par. for the course for the Green Party. And. so what do you say to those folks?". >> They're right. I mean, this happens, right? Like this happened with Jill.

Stein. Obviously, Ralph Nader's the big. one from 2000. Um. they would say the margins don't really. tell the story that the people who voted. for Jill Stein were never going to vote. for Hillary Clinton. And the people who. voted for Ralph Nader really were never. going to vote for Al Gore. And I, you know, I'm not. I would say to that, "Sure, but that's not you don't have you can. also think differently through different. prisms about our politics and that, you.

know, electing George Bush in 2000 was. detrimental to the Green Party's other. key pillars beyond the duopoly and the. and the problems with it. That electing. Donald Trump obviously was detrimental. to the Green Party's key pillars beyond. the duopoly. And at some point you have. to sort of be strategic about it, uh. pick your races more responsibly, maybe. even try to work within the system a. little bit more aggressively. Um but. that's not their MO and and I don't. imagine that this exposé as great as I.

think it was is going to change how they. think. >> It it And by the way, for those who are. watching right now, it was phenomenal. It was great reporting. Highly recommend. for anybody who's watching and listening. right now. I'm going to put the link to. that piece in the post description of. this video. Read the piece, sign up for. the Bulwark, you will not regret it. Excellent job. I want to ask one last. question in the in the minute that we. have here at the end. And that is for. your reaction to on a a separate topic, your reaction to the fact that we got a. no from Susan Collins on Todd Blanche.

We got a new no from Lisa Murkowski on. Todd Blanche. But, wouldn't you know it, Bill Cassidy came forward and said that. he would vote in favor of Todd Blanche, which means he just squeaks by by one. vote. So, let me get your your reaction. to the fact that it just so happened. that Todd Blanche had exactly the amount. of votes that he needed to get through. and no extra votes, especially for. people who just so happen to be running. for re-election in a tough state this. year. >> Well, yeah, first let me take a point of.

personal privilege cuz you brought it. up. Thank you for the compliments for. the reporting and for anyone who's not. familiar with The Bulwark, would. encourage you to to sign up. You can. sign up for free if you just want to. take a a gander. And then you can sign. up to be a paid member. It helps support. reporting like this, so we appreciate. that. As for Blanche, we're recording. this like what, Friday, 11:45. Eastern. So, he just. Bill Cassidy. spoke like an hour ago. And. you know, I I was this is not a a. non-surprise to me. This is how it.

usually works. Um I. I first of all, I never expected Cassidy. to really show much courage on this. vote. Um I also expected that they would. line it up so the people they needed to. take those votes. against Blanche, the two, would take the. votes. I think Murkowski probably is the. interesting one because in theory, I. guess, you know, she could have voted. yes, but she probably was like, "I'm not. going to do that." Um here's my thoughts. on it. One is. you know, we need to stop waiting for. profiles in courage from congressional. Republicans. They don't come. It. happened once in McCain. That's it.

You're not going to get more. It is what. it is. Two is um. it's you know, Collins gets to say she. voted against. Blanche, but I'm sure that Cassidy did. her any favors necessarily here because. the MO and the knock on Collins is that. she only votes no when it's. inconsequential that's exactly what. happened here. I just got to throw out a third thing. here, which is I don't think this gets. appreciated enough. I I wonder how much Cassidy did this. because he wants to help John Thune. And it's not really about Trump. I don't.

think I mean I don't think Cassidy cares. all that much about Trump at this. juncture. I think he cares about Thune and I think. he wants Thune to not have to deal with. Trump and have some success as majority. leader. And he looks around and he's. like, "Okay, like Thune's got to be able. to show that he can get things through.". And I'm guessing Thune leaned very. heavily on him to say, "I need you to do. this so that I can get Trump off my back. and I can maintain my post and you don't. want like a Rick Scott in here, right?". And I think that was probably more. persuasive to Cassidy than anything.

Trump would have said. Cassidy made a. point in in in the hearing that I think. is. you know, I could see it a little bit, which is that you know, Blanche is going. to be serving no matter what. But here's. my response to that. Like if Blanche is. serving as an acting attorney general. versus a confirmed attorney general, yeah, he's still serving, but you're. giving him the the stamp of approval. >> Right. The mandate of the Senate. >> Yeah, a mandate to do what you want him. to do. And or what he wants to do. And. that means something. I mean that does. mean something. And I found the whole I.

found the whole thing to be just sort of. smoke and mirrors, right? Like this. whole "Oh, we're getting rid of the. weaponization fund." No, it's not dead. The immunity like the IRS immunity deal, like it's still there. So it it we we. walk through these shows uh often and we. try to build up the drama, but to me. this outcome was pretty pretty big. >> Honestly. We'll leave it there. Sam Stein from The. Bulwark. Again, for those who are. watching, please subscribe to The. Bulwark. That link is right here on the. screen and also in the post description. of this video. Sam, appreciate your. reporting. Thanks for taking the time.

>> Hey Brian, thanks for having me on, man. Appreciate you. >> [music].