There's a secretive Biden executive order that directs federal agencies to use YOUR tax dollars to register voters, including felons. This "Bidenbucks" program, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen argues, is illegal and could sway the 2024 election. AG Knudsen explains why he's suing the administration: "That's not a constitutional power given to the federal government. States regulate their own elections, period."
Transcript
Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors
GLENN: Stu's in a mood today. So he dragged the showdown yet again. He's in a mood. He's not in the same mood I'm in. In fact, his mood is the exact opposite of hi mood. Well, America does not appreciate it, Stu. It's Friday.
STU: I can't see any problems.
GLENN: Right. It's Friday. We're supposed to do what every good American does on Friday, and that is screw off. Okay?
STU: There you go.
GLENN: And then Monday, we have to also screw off a little bit.
STU: Well, recover.
GLENN: Yeah. Recover from the weekend. So you don't put in the full effort.
All we need is Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.
Three shows a week, that are really solid. The rest of them.
STU: And Wednesday is sort of Hump Day.
You can't really be expected to do good work on Wednesday. That's crazy.
GLENN: And you're usually planning fun on a Thursday. So really, a Tuesday you will get a good show, at least once a week. You will get a good show. And today is not that day.
But let me tell you, that we have the Montana attorney general on with us. He's Austin Knudsen.
I think it's -- now, I should have asked. I can't remember. Do you pronounce the K or not?
Austin, are you there?
AUSTIN: It's Knudsen, yes.
GLENN: It is Knudsen. So, Austin, you were going to talk to us about Biden Bucks. So I asked Stu who is really up on things, but he's in a mood, look out. And I asked him, what are Biden Bucks? And he said, that could apply to a myriad of programs they're doing.
This one, specifically goes to the executive order. On getting people out to vote. Can you explain what Biden Bucks are?
AUSTIN: Yeah. I can, Glenn. And thanks for having me on. And a pleasure to contribute to your screw-off show.
GLENN: Okay. Good. Good. Good. Right. So don't worry about the facts. You can kind of get a little bit loose with them today.
AUSTIN: Yeah. Good. It's Friday. We picked the name Biden Bucks, because this is like Zuckerbucks. What you have here is the Biden administration wanting to get involved in what sounds kind of innocuous, right?
They want to get out those votes. We want to make it easier for folks to vote. So the executive order back in '21 did, is Joe Biden and Kamala Harris directed the administration, and all their executive agencies, to every time there was a federal touch on a citizen, to provide them voter registration information.
And ways to get registered to vote. And information about voting. And no directive really, if this was between federal elections. Or state elections. Or local elections.
And some really egregious stuff here. But here's what this comes down to, guys. And you guys know this.
That's not a constitutional power, given to the federal government.
States regulate their own elections. Period.
That's been long-standing federal law. That's been long-standing constitutional jurisprudence.
This is a job that your local election offices and more importantly, your state -- secretary of state's office handles. This is a power grab. This is pure partisan politics.
And it's -- it's bad news.
GLENN: So what are you doing in Montana? To stop this?
And what should we be doing?
AUSTIN: Well, I got with eight of my Republican colleagues, and we sued. It took us a little while to get all the information. And to do the homework on this one. But this was egregious enough that we decided, the only thing we could do was sue in federal court.
Oftentimes, that's the only arrow in our quiver, Glenn.
STU: Yeah.
AUSTIN: But we sued in federal court in Kansas. We've asked the district -- the federal district judge to block this executive order, to enjoin it and, ultimately, to throw it out as unconstitutional.
GLENN: So did you get a chance to actually read -- did you get a chance to actually read the executive order?
Because Congress has been asking the executive order from almost the day that it was issued. Which was the first week in office.
And they won't ever share it with anybody. Did you see it?
AUSTIN: We've seen portions of it. But what we have seen is some of the federal agencies own implementation policies, for this executive order.
And because you're right. I mean, this goes back, all the way back to House resolution one. The federal Congress --
GLENN: Right. Right.
AUSTIN: Has not ever done this. I mean, this is a liberal Democrat panacea. They've wanted this so bad for so long.
But specifically since Donald Trump got elected, that the ideal here with Democrats in DC. Was, well, we'll just take over national elections.
It's never been done. People may not know that. That's a stayed function.
So some really disturbing stuff we've seen in the implementation, probably the scariest one, the Department of Justice. The federal Department of Justice is registering felons to vote.
GLENN: Oh, my gosh.
AUSTIN: Well, the problem with that, Glenn. That's illegal in Montana. We do not allow felons to vote in Montana. We already have a conflict here between this executive order at the federal level and our state law. So we really didn't have a choice here.
GLENN: So, Austin, tell me how this will work out. Because they've stonewalled for so long. And we couldn't find any information on what they've been doing. I mean, I've been on this, since the first week of the Biden administration.
And nobody could get any information. Now, here we are in August. We're, what? Twelve weeks away. By the time you get into federal court, September, maybe? What can be done?
AUSTIN: Well, we're hoping to get a rapid injunction here.
That's the hope. Is that we get this in front of a federal judge. And we can get a restraining order. And an injunction quickly here, before too much damage is done. That's what we're after here. That's why we've moved as fast as we have.
Hopefully, fast enough. But that's what we're asking this federal judge for.
GLENN: Boy, Austin. I have to tell you, it is -- it is really hard to believe in our system of voting. It is really hard.
Because it seems to me, that everything that can be done to -- I mean, if you were designing a program, to -- to convince people, that your vote didn't matter, I think you pretty much do everything that they have done in the last eight years.
You know, we talked about corruption. We were -- we were penalized by social media. Because we six months ago, talked about, hey. Back doors in these voting machines.
And we were penalized and said it was false news. Fake news.
You know, misinformation.
Yada, yada. So they suppressed all of that.
And then the group that always does these -- you know, every year, they do a -- what do you call it, when they get all the hackers into one place. And they try to hack into the voting machines.
And they said, it's easy. And it's happening. And reported the same thing that we reported. But now, conveniently, it's too late to do anything. I'm very concerned about the vote.
AUSTIN: Yeah. The good news about it, Glenn, for me. People are paying attention. Examine people are really concerned about this. I can't do go anywhere. And too any kind of event, a talk, an event, a speech, a rally, it doesn't matter. This is what people are talking about, just wherever I go. People are paying attention. The word is out. There's a lot of concern out there with the American people. Over their vote. Over the security of the election.
And I think that's what is bringing all this attention to it. Now, we -- we have to be diligent.
I mean, we have to keep up the fight. We can't just roll over here. I can't just tell people, well, just trust us. It's all going to be fine.
That's my job. We have to make sure that Montana's rights are not being violated here.
So that's what has led us to do this stuff.
The great thing, it's not just me.
You have a lot of really great Republicans. State attorneys general, who are also fighting this fight.
GLENN: On another unrelated topic.
Can you do anything to arrest Kevin Costner, for not finishing Yellowstone?
AUSTIN: Well, if I'm being real honest.
GLENN: I'm just saying.
AUSTIN: Montana has got tired of that. We're a little tired of that show.
GLENN: Really?
AUSTIN: Well, our legislature, let the movie tax credit spare.
That's why this last season will not even be filmed here.
I don't know. It sounds like Mr. Costner has some of his own personal stuff going on.
GLENN: Yeah, I know. I know. Just look into the arresting thing. Just look into that. I'm just saying. I want the ending.
Okay. All right. You're sick of that.
Because that I think made. Well, I mean, they went over state lines. The train station was over state lines.
So, yes. They might have been killing people in Montana. But they buried them someplace else.
But I think that just made the state look beautiful.
And unfortunately, if I were in Montana, and I would be saying, yeah. It looks a little too beautiful. Now we will get all these -- that will turn into Jackson Hole.
AUSTIN: It's already happened to Bozeman. I don't recognize Bozeman. I went to college there. I lived there when I was a kid. That town is completely, completely Jackson Holed.
GLENN: Jeez. I hate that. Okay. Thank you so much, Austin. I appreciate it.
That's the Montana attorney general, Austin Knudsen.