Trump's Sneaker Launch and Taylor Swift's Political Power: Navigating Pop and Politics

WEBVTT

1
00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:13.839
Callaroga Shark Media today on ballot Donald
Trump has a new sneaker line and why

2
00:00:13.880 --> 00:00:21.480
taking on Taylor Swift would be a
mistake. Donald Trump found himself in the

3
00:00:21.600 --> 00:00:26.600
unique position of juggling two criminal trials
at once, one in New York over

4
00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:32.039
allegations of falsified business records and another
in Georgia focused on charges of election interference.

5
00:00:33.000 --> 00:00:37.719
Stephen Colbert couldn't help but remark on
the day's proceedings, noting an insane

6
00:00:37.799 --> 00:00:42.960
day for America because it's a regular
day for Donald Trump. He highlighted the

7
00:00:42.960 --> 00:00:47.320
breadth of legal challenges facing Trump,
including not only the trials in New York

8
00:00:47.359 --> 00:00:52.280
and Georgia, but also a civil
fraud trial the January sixth trial in Washington,

9
00:00:52.359 --> 00:00:56.799
d c. The classified documents case
in Florida, efforts in Colorado to

10
00:00:56.840 --> 00:01:00.960
disqualify him from the ballot due to
insurrection, and is appeal in the e.

11
00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:04.359
Gen Carrol defamation case where Trump was
found to have committed sexual assault by

12
00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:11.239
a jury. Colbert expressed disbelief at
the situation, stating, and yet despite

13
00:01:11.239 --> 00:01:15.840
all this, people want to hire
this maniac to be president. I know

14
00:01:15.879 --> 00:01:21.120
how numb we've become, but it's
not normal. No other candidate for the

15
00:01:21.120 --> 00:01:25.000
presidency has ever had to pause his
campaign to defend himself in multiple courts.

16
00:01:25.760 --> 00:01:27.560
And I like to point out that
in all seven of his cases, no

17
00:01:27.599 --> 00:01:33.439
one, no one doubts that he
did these things. We're just sitting around

18
00:01:33.480 --> 00:01:37.120
patiently waiting to find out if the
wheels of justice will grind fast enough for

19
00:01:37.159 --> 00:01:41.239
there to be any consequences. And
the media is covering it like it's any

20
00:01:41.280 --> 00:01:45.719
other political story, like it's all
horse race. But in this horse race,

21
00:01:46.079 --> 00:01:49.239
one of the horses is old,
while one of the horses is old,

22
00:01:49.599 --> 00:01:53.519
has hoof and mouth disease and keeps
quoting horse hitler. Jimmy Kimmel joked

23
00:01:55.040 --> 00:01:57.799
Don Trump was back in the warm
embrace of the American judicial system, the

24
00:01:57.840 --> 00:02:04.079
only place that truly and appreciates him. This is his version of uniting the

25
00:02:04.079 --> 00:02:07.280
country. Criminal trials in the North
in the South. Jimmy Fallon nailed it

26
00:02:07.319 --> 00:02:12.120
with it's never good when you're summoned
to court and you're like, I can't

27
00:02:12.360 --> 00:02:16.879
I have court. At Philadelphia's Sneaker
con, Trump unveiled the Trump Sneakers,

28
00:02:17.240 --> 00:02:22.719
introducing the never Surrender high top sneaker, priced at three hundred and ninety nine

29
00:02:22.759 --> 00:02:28.840
dollars. These golden sneakers quickly became
the event's showstopper, with Trump boasting this

30
00:02:28.919 --> 00:02:31.080
is something I've been talking about for
twelve years, thirteen years, and I

31
00:02:31.120 --> 00:02:36.039
think it's going to be a big
success. As Trump eyes the twenty twenty

32
00:02:36.039 --> 00:02:39.840
four Republican nomination and a possible face
off against Joe Biden, this move marks

33
00:02:39.840 --> 00:02:45.280
his latest venture into the business world. By the evening, the website listed

34
00:02:45.319 --> 00:02:49.599
the three hundred and ninety nine dollars
sneakers as sold out, indicating all one

35
00:02:49.639 --> 00:02:53.240
thousand pairs had been snapped up.
The site also features two other sneaker designs

36
00:02:53.240 --> 00:02:58.199
emblazoned with T and forty five,
retailing for one hundred and ninety nine,

37
00:02:58.479 --> 00:03:04.159
alongside Cologne and Perfume ninety nine each. The website clarifies that these products are

38
00:03:04.199 --> 00:03:09.719
associated with CIC Ventures LLC and notes
Trump Sneakers are not designed, manufactured,

39
00:03:09.759 --> 00:03:14.800
distributed, or sold by Donald J. Trump, the Trump Organization, or

40
00:03:14.840 --> 00:03:20.479
any of their respective affiliates or Principles
forty five Footwear, LLC uses the Trump

41
00:03:20.599 --> 00:03:24.400
name, image, and likeness under
a license agreement. The sneakers prompted the

42
00:03:24.439 --> 00:03:29.719
late Bot a character on the Daily
Comedy News podcast to quip, have you

43
00:03:29.759 --> 00:03:32.800
heard Donald Trump is launching his own
line of sneakers. They're designed to get

44
00:03:32.800 --> 00:03:38.240
over any obstacle, unless that obstacle
is releasing your tax returns. The sneakers

45
00:03:38.280 --> 00:03:44.879
are said to be incredibly durable.
They claim to withstand impeachment processes, subpoenas,

46
00:03:45.199 --> 00:03:49.520
and even the occasional capital riot.
The Biden campaign was quick to critique

47
00:03:49.560 --> 00:03:53.719
Trump's foray into sneaker sales, with
spokesperson Michael Tyler quipping Donald Trump showing up

48
00:03:53.719 --> 00:03:58.319
to Hawk bootleg off Whites is the
closest he'll get to any Air Force ones

49
00:03:58.360 --> 00:04:02.560
ever again, for the rest of
his life. Despite some spinning a narrative

50
00:04:02.560 --> 00:04:08.439
that pop sensation Taylor Swift is secretly
on a government mission to bolster Joe Biden's

51
00:04:08.439 --> 00:04:14.400
reelection campaign, polling suggests attacking Swift
might be a misstep. She's among America's

52
00:04:14.479 --> 00:04:18.519
most adored celebrities, and the notion
of her being a government puppet isn't resonating

53
00:04:18.560 --> 00:04:25.839
broadly. Recent polling from Monmouth University
paints a clear picture. Swift enjoys a

54
00:04:25.879 --> 00:04:30.480
thirty nine percent favorable rating, with
only thirteen percent viewing her unfavorably and forty

55
00:04:30.519 --> 00:04:35.480
three percent neutral. Among those who
have formed an opinion, a wopping seventy

56
00:04:35.480 --> 00:04:41.720
five percent see her in a positive
light. Even within Republican circles, Swift

57
00:04:41.759 --> 00:04:46.199
maintains a more favorable than unfavorable image, with twenty five percent favorable against eighteen

58
00:04:46.240 --> 00:04:51.879
percent unfavorable ratings. Among Republicans who
expressed an opinion, fifty eight percent view

59
00:04:51.920 --> 00:04:58.519
her favorably. These figures align with
a Marris College poll from December showcasing similar

60
00:04:58.560 --> 00:05:03.120
popularity levels for Swift, starkly contrasting
with Trump's ratings. Trump, in comparison,

61
00:05:03.319 --> 00:05:09.160
holds a forty five percent favorable against
a fifty five percent unfavorable rating among

62
00:05:09.199 --> 00:05:14.160
those with an opinion, lagging behind
Swift by twenty five to thirty points depending

63
00:05:14.199 --> 00:05:18.399
on the poll. Trump has notably
refrained from fueling the conspiracy theories about Swift,

64
00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:25.560
perhaps acknowledging her widespread appeal. Swift's
popularity rivals that of any current national

65
00:05:25.560 --> 00:05:31.639
politician. Drawing comparisons to Oprah Winfrey's
influence, CNN's Michael Smerconish likens Swift to

66
00:05:31.680 --> 00:05:36.680
Winfrey, particularly noting Winfrey's significant endorsement
of Barack Obama in two thousand and eight,

67
00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:44.199
which arguably contributed to Obama securing the
Democratic nomination. While Swift hasn't officially

68
00:05:44.279 --> 00:05:48.759
endorsed Biden for twenty twenty four,
her past political engagements, including promoting voter

69
00:05:48.879 --> 00:05:55.040
registration in twenty eighteen, have been
impactful. That year, she was linked

70
00:05:55.040 --> 00:06:00.000
to over thirty thousand new voter registrations
after urging people to sign up with DAT.

71
00:06:00.079 --> 00:06:02.759
Sixty eight percent of Americans supporting her
call to vote in the upcoming election.

72
00:06:03.399 --> 00:06:09.759
Swift's endorsement of democratic causes and her
boyfriend Travis Kelsey's pro vaccine advertisements might

73
00:06:09.800 --> 00:06:14.120
explain why some Trump supporters target her. Yet the leap to believing in a

74
00:06:14.120 --> 00:06:18.360
covert government operation backing Swift is a
stretch for most Americans. Only eighteen percent

75
00:06:18.399 --> 00:06:24.480
of Americans entertained the conspiracy theory about
Swift, while a vast majority seventy three

76
00:06:24.519 --> 00:06:30.079
percent rejected. Such beliefs predominantly emanate
from the right, with thirty two percent

77
00:06:30.079 --> 00:06:33.959
of Republicans suspecting a government plot to
elevate Swift in stark contrast to just six

78
00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:40.639
percent of Democrats. The reality is
most Americans with an opinion of Swift hold

79
00:06:40.720 --> 00:06:46.680
her in high regard with no significant
backlash detectable. Swift's influence has seemingly boosted

80
00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:50.639
the popularity of those around her,
including Kelsey's podcast and a spike in NFL

81
00:06:50.680 --> 00:06:57.000
Super Bowl ratings among young women,
a demographic Swift resonates with. For Republicans,

82
00:06:57.319 --> 00:07:00.199
opposing Swift could prove to be a
strategic blunder. Don't go anywhere,

83
00:07:00.360 --> 00:07:03.519
because you know all too well,
we've got a blank space ready to fill

84
00:07:03.560 --> 00:07:18.199
with more captivating stories back in a
minute. The New York Times profiled the

85
00:07:18.199 --> 00:07:23.720
fatigue being felt by the Trump opposition. We're kind of like crises, it

86
00:07:23.759 --> 00:07:28.680
out, quipped one Democrat, capturing
the mood of fatigue pervading the liberal camp,

87
00:07:29.839 --> 00:07:32.639
The looming prospect of a Trump Biden
rematch is viewed less as a political

88
00:07:32.680 --> 00:07:38.839
contest and more as a dumpster fire. Max Dower's dollar seventy eight T shirt

89
00:07:39.000 --> 00:07:43.800
featuring Biden and Trump as aging combatants
captures the current mood, a mix of

90
00:07:43.839 --> 00:07:47.959
satire and resignation. As American navigates
from one crisis to another, Voters like

91
00:07:48.040 --> 00:07:53.720
Dower express a desire for positive motivations, a stark contrast to the do this

92
00:07:53.839 --> 00:07:58.279
or else messaging of past campaigns.
This Saturday marks the grand finale of the

93
00:07:58.279 --> 00:08:03.560
early Republican nominating contest, with the
South Carolina Primary capping off a series that

94
00:08:03.639 --> 00:08:09.399
included the Iowa caucuses, New Hampshire
Primary, and Nevada's electoral showdowns. In

95
00:08:09.480 --> 00:08:13.120
South Carolina, the doors are open
to all registered voters, regardless of party

96
00:08:13.160 --> 00:08:18.639
lines, but if you've already cast
your vote in the Democratic primary, you're

97
00:08:18.639 --> 00:08:22.759
sitting this one out. Heavyweights Donald
J. Trump and Nicky Haley are the

98
00:08:22.800 --> 00:08:28.800
ones to watch. Underdogs Ryan Binkley
and David Stuckenberg are also in the mix.

99
00:08:28.439 --> 00:08:33.159
Chris Christi, Ron DeSantis, and
Vivek Ramaswami, though they've bowed out,

100
00:08:33.480 --> 00:08:37.120
we'll still make an appearance on the
ballot due to timing. Voters will

101
00:08:37.159 --> 00:08:41.440
also weigh in on three policy questions, giving the GOP a pulse on where

102
00:08:41.480 --> 00:08:46.360
its base stands, though these results
won't dictate policy directly. For Nicki Haley,

103
00:08:46.720 --> 00:08:52.240
it's due or die time. South
Carolina, her political stomping ground,

104
00:08:52.480 --> 00:08:56.399
might be her last chance to shake
up the race. Despite her local cred

105
00:08:56.679 --> 00:09:01.240
poles suggests she's trailing Trump by a
significant margin. A strong showing could propel

106
00:09:01.279 --> 00:09:03.919
her into Super Tuesday with some wind
at her back. A week performance might

107
00:09:03.960 --> 00:09:09.200
signal game over. Post South Carolina, all eyes turned to Michigan for its

108
00:09:09.240 --> 00:09:13.320
February twenty seventh primaries. The GOP's
delegate distribution will be a bit unusual due

109
00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:18.080
to some party rule intricacies, with
a chunk of delegates up for grabs in

110
00:09:18.120 --> 00:09:22.240
the primaries and the rest decided by
party insiders later on. After Michigan,

111
00:09:22.559 --> 00:09:28.120
the campaign blitzkrieg known as Super Tuesday
awaits on March fifth, where the race

112
00:09:28.200 --> 00:09:31.559
truly goes national, and that's where
we tie the laces on today's episode.

113
00:09:33.159 --> 00:09:37.159
Thanks for striding along with us through
a journey of sneakers, the Swift political

114
00:09:37.200 --> 00:09:41.320
arena, and all the beats in
between. If Taylor Swift's ever changing discography

115
00:09:41.360 --> 00:09:46.000
has taught us anything it's that there's
a tune for every moment, and today

116
00:09:46.440 --> 00:09:50.279
we matched our steps to those rhythms. Make sure to hit the follow button

117
00:09:50.519 --> 00:09:54.519
so you're always in step with our
latest episodes. Loved what you heard,

118
00:09:56.039 --> 00:10:00.320
leave us a review or share your
thoughts. We're all ears, especially if

119
00:10:00.320 --> 00:10:03.919
you've got a story that combines politics, pop culture, and perhaps a pair

120
00:10:03.960 --> 00:10:07.639
of high tops,