Brian Schatz, the senior U.S. senator from Hawaii, is known for his candid political insights. He tackles Trump's tactics, criticizing the politicization of recent tragedies and cautioning Democrats against getting sidetracked. Schatz discusses the ramifications of potential appointments like RFK Jr. to HHS and the challenges of vaccine skepticism on public health. He also shares fascinating tidbits about attending the same high school as Barack Obama and emphasizes the necessity for genuine leadership during crises in today's tumultuous political landscape.

Marjorie Taylor Greene says she would’ve organized a more successful coup, Kevin McCarthy still cant find 218 votes for speaker, and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema leaves the Democratic Party. Then, Sen. Brian Schatz stops by to talk about democracy, the debt ceiling, Twitter, and Hanukkah. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.