WTW148: Meet Erin Scavino, the Nepo Hire Purging Woke Art From US Embassies

Transcript

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors — the audio is the record.

0:00:03 Clip: What's so scary about the woke mob, how often you just don't see them coming.

0:00:11 Clip: Anywhere you see diversity, equity, and inclusion, you see Marxism and you see woke principles being pushed.

0:00:19 Clip: Wokeness is a virus more dangerous than any pandemic hands down. The woke monster is here and it's coming for everything, everything, and everything. Instead of go -go boots, the seductress green M &M will now wear sneakers.

0:00:42 Thomas: And welcome to where there's woke, it's episode 148, I am Thomas, that over there is Lydia, how are you doing?

0:00:47 Lydia: I'm doing okay, just another day, exploring the ways that the Trump administration is trying to ruin our lives, and the beauty of this world, how are you?, yeah,

0:00:55 Thomas: Yeah, yeah, plus, you got a lot more work now that our co -host on Dear Old Dads is, you you know, in the hospital. I feel like, yeah, Lydia's a dad.

0:01:02 Lydia: Now I'm a dad, too, okay, yeah,

0:01:05 Thomas: We'd like to announce Lydia is now a dad, uh, boy, poor Tom, going on and

0:01:08 Lydia: I have a lot of roles going on over here, but, I know, poor Tom, happy to step up to help out

0:01:14 Thomas: Somehow you're managing it all. Does she do it?

0:01:16 Lydia: Am I don't know if that's true, but I am grappling with this because we've talked about that on the show. A couple of other points which continue to be evolving. The Trump takeover of the Smithsonian, all the threats that various museums and organizations associated with the Smithsonian are facing in Trump 2 .0. We've talked about the Kennedy Center takeover and fallout there. God, I don't even know the last thing that performed there. I couldn't even tell you. I don't know if it's had performances for months.

0:01:43 Thomas: How's that going? It really is incredible. He's just ruined everything. Thing just love it too because it's like in the end when we can write the story of this um I don't know if that even exists but like it the funny part is him always thinking he's just gonna come in and do like a better version of it that's the funny part it's it'd be one thing if like you know with hitler or whatever where it's like all right shut it down it's like yeah that's fascism but

0:02:13 Lydia: Just like like the doors. But

0:02:14 Thomas: I love that trump dumb enough and he has this weird, I'm not going to say he has any kind of good taste. Don't get me wrong, but he has taste like, like preference. Like he has like Trump, I think, thinks he knows what good art is, is what I'm trying to say. And so like, it's a much different thing where he, yeah, it's gold and it's like musicals from the seventies or something or whatever, you know?

0:02:31 Lydia: Is his answer. It's Les Mis and Phantom.

0:02:36 Thomas: Yeah, exactly. It's like, he thinks he's going to go do that or something, which is so funny to me. Right yeah

0:02:42 Lydia: Yeah. And it's interesting because we didn't really see this particular side of Trump in the first administration. Right. He wasn't really touching art and culture in the same way that he is now in the second administration. It almost feels darker in a way. Yeah, it's just like seeping.

0:02:54 Thomas: Well yeah obviously once you get rid of sauron once but then the hobbits vote sauron back into office you know it's not it's Not gonna be better of a sudden saurons like wow I have a electoral mandate now to go ahead and do everything I was gonna do so okay yeah

0:03:13 Lydia: Me like change all of the history and art and cultural underpinnings of your entire society like that's that's it's going to work out well.

0:03:18 Thomas: I'm getting rid of all man studies man and elf studies

0:03:24 Lydia: Yeah, exactly. Oh, my God. The hold on academia and oh, God, it's it's bad. Today I want to talk about another way in which the Trump administration is trying to seize control over art and culture, but how it's expressed in embassies around the the world so so these are united states embassies we

0:03:42 Thomas: Embassies is a lot of art there yeah I would I would figure it would just be like the type of like hotel art that's like the most generic shit no okay well that's kind of cool actually okay

0:03:47 Lydia: Is no no it's it's amazing it's amazingly amazing yeah um they have a lot of pieces they have various programs and stuff working with like artist exchanges oh

0:04:01 Thomas: If I know the woke libs who have been in charge in the past I'm gonna go ahead and guess that the embassy has interesting art by maybe people of the country that it's in possibly or something you know right

0:04:13 Lydia: A mix or sometimes it's american artists that are painting um after studying with artists from that culture you you know, and there's like a collaboration that's happening. It really depends. But

0:04:22 Thomas: So trump is coming in he's going to be like every single embassy it's just the painting of those two the what's the man with the pitchfork and the woman with the oh

0:04:32 Lydia: It's going to be Scott Lobato paintings of the flag at every single embassy.

0:04:33 Thomas: That yeah you're right that's way worse that's point

0:04:36 Lydia: Trump's art, you I want to talk about this specific story that happened just last month over at the U.S. embassy in the Dominican Republic, where a piece of art was so So scary and woke that it was literally removed from the wall. They posted about it on Instagram, a like a time lapse video of them taking it off the wall and packing it up. And we'll I'll play that for you so you can kind of check it out. And not only that, it was so scary that the State Department, because that's that's what the Art of Embassies is under. They're under the State Departments. We're talking about Marco Rubio.

0:05:10 Thomas: God so there's a whole department of this that's previously that was a super cool department I that would have been cool people

0:05:16 Lydia: Yeah. Yeah, we'll actually get some comments from people who formerly worked there.

0:05:19 Thomas: No it's gonna be so sad these will be the best goddamn people just like with the museums where you're like why why everybody why did we do this to ourselves

0:05:29 Lydia: But this piece was so scary that State the Department is like, we don't even want to keep this. We are exploring options to sell this now, which is crazy because this is a piece that was bought by taxpayer dollars. Like this is

0:05:45 Thomas: Well yeah I mean it all would have to be right yeah

0:05:48 Lydia: Not necessarily because they'll they'll do like long term loans or things like that. But for something to be bought by taxpayers and then the Trump administration basically saying, OK, let's go take it to an auction house, like see how much money we can get for it. That's crazy.

0:06:01 Thomas: That's just good business sense yeah

0:06:04 Lydia: That's crazy. Lazy.

0:06:04 Thomas: That's finally running this country like like a business you know so great except not oh

0:06:06 Lydia: I guess. Yeah. But I want to get into all the meat and potatoes here. We're going to be talking about who's at the head of the art and embassies entity. Is Erin Scavino and some people might recognize that last name.

0:06:21 Thomas: I was gonna say what yeah what is that yeah

0:06:23 Lydia: Well, her husband's Dan Scavino, the person who's in charge of presidential hiring. So, you know, wonder, wonder how. We'll talk about it. They do spend some time commenting on various interviews about why she got this job because I think they're very concerned that, yeah, that people are going to think there's something else going on there.

0:06:30 Thomas: I wonder how she got that job I bet she was is really qualified is probably what it was right stop above nothing yeah oh man cool

0:06:48 Lydia: We'll be be talking about her a bit we'll be talking about the piece itself we'll be talking with the artist sort of the nonsense that happened as this painting was literally ripped from the wall what a country it's

0:06:59 Thomas: Can't wait yeah what a great what a great place I say we should do the shit they're doing if we ever take back power whatever bullshit American flag crap tear down the entire ballroom tear down everything. Like I just I wish we could get the opposite of Trump in or just again, not not the left version of Trump. In most ways, except that we need somebody who's just going to do the anti Trump, like just everything, just be a wrecking ball for good. You know, it won't happen. But yeah, a fella can dream.

0:07:13 Lydia: Gonna be a lot of flags mm -hmm yeah yeah mm

0:07:36 Thomas: Right. Well, let's take a break. And then I'm excited to hear all about that. I can't wait to here about some person's taste that's probably going to be just just exceptional just exceptional taste I'm imagining so hey patreon.com/wherethereswoke if you'd like to support uh having to look into the art tastes of mega and other things

0:07:55 Lydia: Guys I had to listen to Katie Miller's podcast okay so please please us on patreon patreon I

0:07:59 Thomas: I haven't done it I there's stuff like that that I just I have such a hard time with it. There's something about it that I just am like, I don't want to hear that person.

0:08:10 Lydia: Also looked through their freaking wedding photos I love god yeah I have subjected myself to so much garbage please join us on patreon well

0:08:15 Thomas: Oh my God. I hear about that, I'm like, why did they have a wedding? Like, yeah, no, but I just sort of feel like it's, like, no you're not people who partake in human love or joy. Like, so what is, why would, why, you know?

0:08:26 Lydia: Because it had to be at mar-a-lago they had to do it for appearances yeah oh pin in that I have their engagement video I'm gonna make Oh, it's gonna be so fun. It's gonna be so fun.

0:08:38 Thomas: Oh no, no I can't. If you go to patreon.com/wherethereswoke, that's the only way I'll do it.

0:08:50 Thomas: All right. So where does our story begin?

0:08:54 Lydia: Let's go back, actually, before all of this kerfuffle. And Erin, the at time, Erin Elmore, so they weren't married yet, but she was dating Dan Scavino at the same time. They joined Katie Miller on her podcast.

0:09:07 Thomas: Sorry. At the time of what? I don't even.

0:09:08 Lydia: This is Katie Miller's podcast, January 20th, 2026. So this is just earlier this year.

0:09:12 Thomas: So, oh, this is pretty

0:09:13 Lydia: Oh sorry I think they were engaged at this point yes and here she is describing her job

0:09:13 Thomas: Fresh. All right,

0:09:18 Clip: So, you're the director of art in embassies, yes, you got that job before you and dan were dating presumably around the same time, ish, what is that like for you now, and how do you guys make that work him being the new head of presidential personnel you

0:09:30 Lydia: Ish

0:09:27 Thomas: Ish. Yeah you know did you do the quid like before the pro I'm guessing it was before the proc yeah ish oh my god that's so good

0:09:38 Lydia: Ish this this is I think two weeks before their wedding by the way I think they're like trying to get ahead of that yeah yes

0:09:48 Thomas: My God yeah it's a quick quick way to have to play more of this all right he's

0:09:53 Clip: A job in the administration how do you make that and what does being the director of art entail so the director of art embassies is under marco rubio's department of state and there's 190 diplomatic properties worldwide and we provide art for all of trump's ambassadors and their residences and when we're building a new embassy we cultivate that permanent art collection so I often say it's the most fun you can have working in politics because art is a way to bridge people together it's a

0:09:56 Thomas: Just like x -nay on the is so awkward oh my gawd oh I'm sorry what is this bow that she what is what is this outfit it's

0:10:24 Lydia: Know yeah it's like this red and white, like, candy cane striped bow, but only on the right side of her shirt, of her blouse.

0:10:30 Thomas: Like a tie yeah of her weird like

0:10:35 Lydia: Think it's because she needed red in her outfit because she's wearing blue and white striped shirt.

0:10:35 Thomas: It's artist shirt sure so

0:10:40 Lydia: So they were like, we got to get the red in there.

0:10:41 Thomas: Someone's like just tape a tie to her like a this

0:10:43 Lydia: It's like a Christmas bow left over from the gift wrapping box.

0:10:45 Thomas: Is the weirdest thing I've

0:10:46 Lydia: It's very bizarre.

0:10:46 Thomas: Ever seen wow and I the guy is so like the look I hate everything about them well

0:10:53 Clip: Way of communicating when you might have have different languages or different viewpoints and it's the first thing you see you know when you go into an mcu you notice this beautiful building american exceptionalism strength and the art is reflection of that and I I'm sorry I'm just staring at her she's so good and the deliverables on it are just so professional and very like just beautiful and And the deliverance is like. I love Dan. I love how much you love Aaron. It's just, it's incredible. I'm just observing, sitting, watching, because I've seen her on TV since. She's done some TV hits. And even the president says she's amazing on TV and this and that. And I'm sorry to cut you off. But I love this so much. That's basically the point of the job. And that's it, right? Not to cut me off. Not to get you off, but it's. No, but you did it. It was cutting me off to give me a compliment is always okay. Yeah, and the ambassador's lover, her the administration in the sense of like she's a patriot right in the right um just believes in fighting

0:10:58 Thomas: Or just the one what deliverables sorry

0:11:22 Lydia: So weird.

0:11:50 Thomas: I passed out what happened I can't this is too uncomfortable I just woke up where am I no

0:11:53 Lydia: It's terrible. It's terrible. But let's I think I'm going to make you keep listening because.

0:12:00 Clip: For the american people and representing the administration with her best foot forward and there were other opportunities I was going to say the president offered me on the spot in december a very big job let's just say and I turn it down also on the spa because I have a young son and this with with art I can go to galleries in almost any city across the country I can do my work from anywhere in the world and I want to be able to spend as much time with my son as possible and by the way the art nemesis program was started in 1964. this isn't a new thing by president kennedy so it's

0:12:06 Thomas: Just let her talk oh sorry it started at 64 after he died

0:12:32 Lydia: By President Kennedy. Yes. Thank you. She has made this mistake in more than one interview. Folks. President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.

0:12:38 Thomas: That's so funny 1963 yeah

0:12:41 Lydia: So this program predates his assassination because he did start it um he was alive so no

0:12:47 Thomas: So it's not that someone else started it it's that he started it before then okay

0:12:50 Lydia: Yes 1963 I think is actually when he started it like the same year he died yeah as he was in the car yeah he's signing it

0:12:54 Thomas: Like on in the car yeah that's stupid the book suppository

0:13:01 Clip: Been someone that the president appointed and just like

0:13:03 Thomas: It was what is it called book depository it's always the weird repository no depository it's a word that doesn't exist that's what always gets me about where they'll be like yeah he was in the book depository I'm like is that a thing that exists or just that one they're like we have this one and then a president got killed out of it so we never made another one oh I'm an idiot anyway oh

0:13:06 Lydia: No deposit hot depository. It's a very Texas thing. Yeah, yeah, it could be. Been outlawed.

0:13:27 Clip: He's done with the performing arts at the kennedy center he wanted to make sure that I was here to make that our visual arts were not woke we're not dominated by people that had a leftist ideology and it's funny um I am a little bit of a undercover person in the state department that can get people out through art shockingly I had a I'll shout her out anna paulina luna was in romania and

0:13:38 Thomas: Moron get people out yeah

0:13:46 Lydia: All right, pause, pause. Yeah she just said I'm a little bit of an undercover person in the State Department that can get people out through art. So she can basically leverage what's happening like what she's hearing about what's going on with art to get people out. And she's going to give a couple examples.

0:13:54 Thomas: People out what does she mean get people out

0:14:04 Lydia: She's going to give us a couple of examples. So go ahead, press play. We're going to listen to this.

0:14:06 Thomas: Because I like my thinking would be like do you mean like let them out of their shell or something like they're gonna okay what

0:14:13 Lydia: Get them fired.

0:14:15 Clip: She called me said hey girl she said I'm in romania I said that's nice what's going on I was just at the ambassador of romania's residence and there is satanic baby art in the residence so within 15 minutes I'm on the phone with marco's team team, not only having the art removed from art embassies, the art removed from the State Department, out of everything, and that ambassador, she's no longer with us.

0:14:40 Lydia: All right, pause.

0:14:40 Clip: So it's like a good way to learn

0:14:40 Thomas: Died Jesus Christ

0:14:43 Lydia: All reporting has basically said that ambassador had a planned retirement. To whatever this complaint is, she's saying that it's Representative Luna. That's, you know, her recounting of it, there's, no that it was actually her.

0:14:57 Thomas: Representative Luna what is that

0:14:59 Lydia: Paulina Luna um the one that was in Romania and called Aaron and said hey girl I'm in Romania I'm at the embassy and this ambassador put up satanic baby art yeah

0:15:10 Thomas: Baby now was it done by babies or does it feature babies is it satanist babies that are doing do

0:15:14 Lydia: A good question I I think it featured babies and then there was something about like horns like separately there was you animal horns no she She scrubbed it. I don't know. I can't track I it down exactly what it was.

0:15:18 Thomas: You actually know what it is or satanic graveyard okay could this be made up okay

0:15:30 Lydia: Know that it's made up. I mean, it sounds like it of this story might be true. As I said, all the reporting I've seen is that this ambassador had a planned retirement anyway. She wasn't let go because of this accusation of satanic.

0:15:43 Thomas: She's like I'm taking my satanic babies and going going home but did she put it up for sure like who because that's yeah that's what I was wondering too is like isn't this woman right now uh aaron who's now scavino isn't it her job not literally her but whoever was previously in her job who would have done that or something thing

0:15:50 Lydia: No. No. So. So, well, But also the ambassadors do do get like input because it's their workplace essentially. And they don't necessarily know that when they're getting the job, but they do have some control over like, oh, I'd really love a piece that reflects something like this here or like, yeah, like give me some Satan babies and let me put that up here. So I think the do generally contribute to to that choice. But Erin is also overseeing that as well. Ahead and play. She has one more example.

0:16:15 Thomas: I'm really into satanist babies okay okay what

0:16:31 Clip: There was an ambassador to a Latin American country that wanted very fine people Charlottesville art. He's no long with us either. I mean, he's with us in the world. I gotta be real.

0:16:37 Thomas: Very fine sorry very fine people charlottesville art what does that mean

0:16:44 Lydia: The very fine people on both sides thing, but is I and I can't piece this together. Other the I I know if she's if she is trying to play to both sides. I don t think so.

0:16:47 Thomas: But that's that's trump said that very fine people charlotte's ville art I yeah I I don't know do we have any more information about what this was very

0:16:59 Lydia: I'm not sure. No I can't find any more information about that specific story.

0:17:03 Thomas: Fine people huh I like I actually can't think of what she means is itlike jewish people because it was the jews will not replace us chant I don't like I what is she going hold on I gotta hear this again

0:17:16 Clip: American country that wanted very fine people Charlottesville art. He's no longer with us, either. He is with us... I gotta got to be really, really careful. Dan's like, this is great. And it's all true. And again, it's in support of the president's agenda and all our beliefs and values and everything. And sometimes when other parts of the world, some folks that are out there that are just not aligned with the president of the United States. We all serve at the pleasure of the President. We serve atthe pleasure ofthe President. Even Biden's ambassadors. You are the epitome now of the DC power ambassadors.

0:17:48 Lydia: Yeah side note. Miller goes on to say like if this were any other country you if people knew what was right you guys would be on the cover of like Vogue magazine. You guys are the power couple. I was like what Dan and skivina like no absolutely not uh then there's like a tweet in response to their engagement video that's like this is our royal wedding it's like you guys are insane like nobody knows who these freaking people are nobody except for me yeah

0:18:00 Thomas: You're not yeah jesus christ god yeah they're they're trying to make their own version of all of culture but they do they have nothing she has weird bows like like she looks like a kindergarten teacher from the 90s but not in the good way

0:18:29 Lydia: There's another bow there's a second bow do you see that is

0:18:31 Thomas: There's a second bow is it's for trade center I don't know what's happening and like I think here's what I think I believe that she's doing an outfit that is meant to be a play on an artist with an apron and a shirt like a painter do you see that shit

0:18:33 Lydia: That a bow or a pocket I don't know Oh, oh, yeah, because of the white, the white pencil skirt is like, but

0:18:51 Thomas: That's like but it's It's also really long.

0:18:52 Lydia: It looks like an apron.

0:18:53 Thomas: Yeah. And the shirt is like the typical, like painting, kind of, isn't that like an art associated with artists, like painters kind of. You know what I mean? Like, I swear. So like, that's the level of artists we're talking about. Somebody who is that on the nose. She's like, I'm the art lady. I will do an outfit. That's like an artist. She might as well have a beret and the thing with the palette or something, you know, like Like, yeah,

0:18:54 Lydia: Maybe. Yeah. Yeah? Yeah. So she, so you talking about this idea of I get to evaluate if art is too woke in these embassies from the former Biden ambassadors and I get to make decisions about it. And if it's bad enough, I can. This is what she's asserting. I can call and get people fired. You I have that kind of power. So this is something that just lived on the Katie Miller podcast for months.

0:19:46 Thomas: This is seven months old.

0:19:47 Lydia: Seven months old. And then come August, the by Kehinde Wiley, who is known for his Barack Obama portrait. Beautiful piece.

0:19:59 Thomas: It Michelle as well as the Obamas or was it just him?

0:20:01 Lydia: They might have done a couple's portrait. I can't remember.

0:20:03 Thomas: I can't remember. But I do remember the the flowers and stuff, right?

0:20:06 Lydia: Yeah. And Obama's he's seated in a chair and there's flowers and leaves and it's involving nature.

0:20:11 Thomas: Now, am I crazy or did that person end up sucking in some way? Wasn't there?

0:20:16 Lydia: Yeah. So the Trump administration will later come out remind and everybody, hey, he has.

0:20:21 Thomas: Have a Me Too thing?

0:20:22 Lydia: Yeah he has allegations against him. This we'll we'll get there. Yes.

0:20:25 Thomas: It just was remembering it. But it

0:20:27 Lydia: Yes you are not. You are not wrong.

0:20:27 Thomas: Doesn't. The point is, the art was interesting and like it doesn't really change that the art was like And honestly, I did like that. It was very striking. I kind of liked it.

0:20:40 Lydia: Yeah. And what's interesting about this piece that was at the the embassy in the Dominican Republic is this was commissioned by the government, by Obama's administration. Like he they commissioned this art from him. He spent two years working with artists, modern artists in the Dominican Republic to like learn about how they express themselves through art and like their specific culture. He worked with art students there for the posing within the portrait itself. Like it was very connected to the Dominican republic and like that seemed to be very important to him. Like I said, it was like a fully commissioned piece and get into a little bit more too. Like he had awards and various things. On August 11th, the U .S. ambassador to the Dominican Republic posted a video of their embassy staff. There was a tarp put up over the painting in the meantime. Time and when the staff were able to come in and take the painting down officially um decided to film it and post it to instagram with a fun song as the background so here you go

0:22:06 Thomas: We're just playing the song. We're not going to take it anymore for people. Is, they, oh,

0:22:08 Lydia: I I I want to read the caption yeah uh the the painting is being removed from the wall being packed up and we're We're getting the we're not going to take it song. And the caption from the U.S. ambassador says, in the Trump administration and under my leadership, we are turning away from globalist and woke ideologies and instead embracing American patriotism and the beauty of our great country. American flag emoji.

0:22:34 Thomas: Globalist. It's really funny to say that about a fucking embassy we're tired of this ideology that the rest of the world exists being displayed in our checks notes embassies what

0:22:47 Lydia: Yep. Yep, and 10 days later, Aaron, now Scavino, goes on Sean Spicer's show. And yeah he does and I had to watch that too so um she mentions this specific um action that they took and describes the piece in some language that we're going to want to keep an eye on yeah

0:22:56 Thomas: Sean spicer is a show did

0:23:12 Clip: They've worked so hard to get the president elected and in this role I'm here to make them happy I am working with them on their art collection in their ambassadorial residences do they do it does do ambassadors know that when they get there do they go wow I didn't know I got to pick the artwork out or I could veto some of this stuff that's in my residence I think this is one of those things that you find out once you get on the job you're like oh neat this is cool I can't well also I I I look at it in the positive but also the negative you could walk in and say I don't know that I want that hanging in my office or in the front entranceway of the consulate or the embassy? Actually, Leah Campos, who's one of our great ambassadors, she had a piece of art in her embassy that we worked very hard to get taken down. It was very woke. It was by the gentleman who did Obama's portrait. And it was aesthetically terrifying. Why would it be hard? Like, explain to people, why wouldn't Erin Skipper be a

0:24:02 Lydia: You can just pause there. Leah Campos, I think it's interesting that she calls her Leah Campo's because her full name is actually Leah Campose Duffy. And she's married to Sean Duffy, the transportation secretary. So everybody has jobs.

0:24:14 Thomas: I'm well well acquainted yep it's just grift and nepotism this is the whole thing yeah

0:24:24 Lydia: See. We're going to stick with Sean Spicer's show, though. And let's go to. To, yeah, let's

0:24:28 Thomas: I like this show let's stick with tour the way this is inside Trump's America 250 tour of the passport to patriotism exhibition god you fucking clowns

0:24:38 Lydia: You can see it in the background. It's a lot of flags.

0:24:40 Thomas: It's just soldiery flag stuff god you're the most boring fucking people in the world

0:24:48 Lydia: To 1435 we'll get her completely missing the date that her entire department that she's in charge of was founded again yeah

0:24:55 Thomas: Again. And this is three weeks ago.

0:24:59 Clip: Politician? That makes two of us. Okay, so how did this happen for you? So, you know, the haters are going to be like, they created this job for her. No, no. President Kennedy started this program in 1964. So this is not new. And it's a political appointee.

0:25:11 Thomas: After he died.

0:25:12 Clip: So if it's Biden, they get some woke -tard in here. If it's Trump person, you get someone who loves our country and is super mega. Was there a big difference when you started looking at the art? I can tell by the expression on your face. You don't just say woke -tarred out of nowhere. I look around, I'm inspired. I look at these photographs and I think, wow, this is an amazing country. There's amazing patriots.

0:25:24 Thomas: This person. Yeah. Yeah, you

0:25:32 Lydia: A flag.

0:25:34 Clip: When you walked into this job, did you look and go, what were you, like, this isn't America? I had to go through every artist in our repository to make sure that they were in line with the president's agenda. Let's face it, you serve at the pleasure of the president, whether you like that president or not. If they were people that said they are they, thems, that's, our president has declared there are two genders. Right, but when you see some of the way that they depicted America. Oh, yeah. There's got to be some art that you said, no way. I went through our repository, which is where everything is stored, and I went there and I said, no, no, this has got to go. And there was a bigger focus on our failures as a country. Like, of course, I think I'm part Native American. I'm not trying to Elizabeth Warren over here. But I understand the plight of the indigenous. But it doesn't

0:25:36 Thomas: Think the Woketards?

0:26:11 Clip: Have to be something we torture Americans with on our 250th birthday. So, again, let's go back. Day one, you get this up. Did you know?

0:26:13 Thomas: You do. Hmm. Yeah?

0:26:17 Lydia: Pause. A lot there, honestly. I think one one of the things there is just, yeah, this idea of she's saying, like, you serve at the pleasure of our president, which I think she's is indicative of her role, but it almost feels to the artists as well like your expression if it's not aligned with the president's agenda then your art has no purpose I I think she's saying it towards herself like and her team um I don't know how previous administrations have handled what what she calls the repository for their permanent collections and everything um but this focus on culture I just really don't think that has existed in any other presidency in the same way. I be wrong, but I cannot imagine another president.

0:26:42 Thomas: I don't know who she's saying that to, actually. Yeah, the diplomats or something? Yeah, who would she be? Yeah. Yeah. Like, it being super politicized, you mean?

0:27:11 Lydia: Like another president going through and like not even just saying like, we're not going to hang this on the wall, but being like, get this out of here. Like, let's see if we can sell it.

0:27:18 Thomas: It's not even like, oh, I do not like this. It's like, they're so mortally terrified of everything that's not just the cis white, hetero, whatever. Ever

0:27:28 Lydia: Also not just based off of the art and what's being expressed there, but on their gender identity. Like does this artist use they them pronouns okay well then they're not aligned with the president's agenda we will never use any of their pieces yeah uh

0:27:41 Thomas: Does this apply to your uh music tastes you you bozos I better you never be listening or movies you don't get to watch anything other than the faith -based shit movies they do on god awful movies and you don't get to listen to anything other than christian rock that's it that's all you get you don't get to watch frasier I know that fraser's right wing but niles isn't the dad wasn't the dog wasn't no way that dog maris uh uh what's her daphne there's no way I haven't looked it up but I hope not that's no none of those people yeah she's not so can't just be like there's one right wing asshole you you only get the full right wing art that's all you get

0:27:56 Lydia: So yeah Niles is not the dog 100 % was not Maris isn't no we're gonna gonna say she's not we're gonna say she's safe yeah you get whatever Tim Allen has cast himself in with whoever his friends are that's it so let's talk about Kehinde Wiley the artist for a minute because he as I mentioned previously he had received a number of different awards one of those was in 2015 when John Kerry was Secretary of State he gave him the State Department's Medal of Arts he was one of six recipients that year. The other recipients were Mark Bradford, Sam Gilliam, Maya Lin, Julie Zhu Bing, and Pedro Reyes. And then it was for, quote, quote, his longtime contributions to art and embassies and cultural diplomacy. And this was the piece that, you know, was affiliated specifically with that, Medal with of Arts award that he received.

0:28:52 Thomas: Sound like a bunch of di names what

0:29:06 Lydia: The piece that was taken off of the wall.

0:29:05 Thomas: What was the piece that was taken down okay

0:29:08 Lydia: Yeah. I want to do a little exercise. So pull up a browser, you know, I'm going to make you do some searches. Clean browser. I don't know. I guess an open tab.

0:29:16 Thomas: Okay. A clean browser, like private window or

0:29:19 Lydia: It doesn't need to be private. I know.

0:29:19 Thomas: Something. Oh, it's like, what are we doing here? All right. We're thought you were trying to see what the algorithm does or something.

0:29:25 Lydia: To art.state.gov.

0:29:28 Thomas: Okay. Yeah. That was not necessary.

0:29:32 Lydia: I do not know.

0:29:34 Thomas: You've never said that before.

0:29:34 Lydia: Do not lose the tab.

0:29:36 Thomas: Yeah, can't be a tab that you use for anything else. Okay, art. Oh my God, this graphic design is their passion art in embassies in a font that's like I actually can't read it because of the color art in membassies no

0:29:51 Lydia: So art.state.gov. the search bar? Locate it.

0:29:54 Thomas: I I see okay yeah I'm not on a clean tab that's a problem

0:30:01 Lydia: Yeah. Search Wiley, W-I-L-E-Y. What's the result? Okay. Now try Gilliam, G-I-L-L-I-A-M. Yep.

0:30:06 Thomas: Not found sam gilliam okay

0:30:14 Lydia: Okay. You get a hit for him. He was one of the people that received a Medal of Art that same same year. Mehretu, M-E-H-R-E-T-U.

0:30:22 Thomas: Julie several hits for julie what only one they removed was the first one is

0:30:25 Lydia: And then Bradford. So that's everybody else who has received that award that very same year, they only got rid of Wiley. So it's not just taking down the portrait that was commissioned to do by this organization, by this governmental entity that he did, that he was then awarded for his work on, they are removing him from, like, history as it relates to art and embassies. If you go to, well, I guess you don't have to do this specifically, but if you If you go to a website that used to exist or a page within this website that used to exists regarding his specific portfolio as a Medal of Art winner, now it just says it's a 404 error, page not found. And, you this is like the highest honor of art that the State Department offers, that has contributed to this cultural diplomacy program, program which in erin's own words she says is about building bridges art is about building bridges with other cultures right she said that in those interviews she doesn't actually mean that she means as long as you believe what we believe um else still has a live page his has just been completely removed so it's not just them taking his work off of the wall because they think it's too woke it's that they don't want a trace of him at all as being part of the work that has been done through art and embassies which is really sad um stuff was kind of called out pretty early in the new york times um after that had happened initially the state department declined to comment and then eventually they came back around and they're like well listen well listen Like like are allegations that have come up. They have not been investigated. He's obviously denied them. It was at least four men in twenty twenty four. He was accused of sexual assault.

0:31:03 Thomas: Out of clean tabs okay wow yeah well

0:32:27 Lydia: Yeah, major.

0:32:27 Thomas: Then I don't care yeah

0:32:28 Lydia: Right. Has really happened like on the legal side of things. But just want to say specifically, the Trump administration didn't say we're taking this piece of art down because we have concerns about this person's character.

0:32:39 Thomas: They don't give a shit we're really

0:32:42 Lydia: They're saying that now. They're they're saying That now in all of their statements, they're saying we cannot support people who are violent. We cannot support people who take advantage of people in this way. This is somewhat Yeah, yeah.

0:32:42 Thomas: Into me too yeah of course yeah sure about that you sure about and

0:32:54 Lydia: Yeah. Lies. It' It's just complete lies. And multiple things can be true at the same time, right? He could be someone who has committed really terrible things against other people, which also cannot own up to that and says that they're all made up and has served cease and desist letters, which not is great. Also that his painting isn't this weird beacon of woke that they've decided it is and that they to be aesthetically terrifying right

0:33:22 Thomas: He is it doesn't give trump an excuse to do a racism against him or whatever

0:33:26 Lydia: Right gonna stick with Sean Spicer for a little bit longer yeah

0:33:29 Thomas: He's just this show's too good he's too dynamic we can't get away from it

0:33:34 Clip: You know, I obviously knew politics and communications very well. And it was just a huge learning curve. What about art? Everyone always asks, do I have a background in art? And the answer is no. Do you have an affinity for art? I'm learning it now. But that also leads me to another point I think that art like whether it's the smithsonian or some of these classic art institutions they make you feel like you're not welcome they feel like it's a snobby thing and they're better than you I wanted this museum to be accessible to everybody so we can all learn about art together because it doesn't have to be something that's so esoteric and out of the box let's make it you look at something you feel happy you feel patriotic She's

0:33:41 Thomas: Know anything about it man no

0:34:11 Lydia: My god and here's a flag from a number different angles and and here's uh you know close up on it stitching mm

0:34:12 Thomas: It is a flag you that's a flag. Every single portrait behind her, whatever, not portrait. Yeah, every single painting, picture, whatever is a flag. There's just different flags. That's of flags. There is nothing. I love that. Do I have a background in art? No. I get this job just because of the guy I was effing uh definitely not I'll have you know that it was roughly ish the timing on that is not right it's it's ish it's right god what so I to believe that this idiot with no art experience who happens to be married to yeah

0:34:43 Lydia: Ish. Uh -huh. Man. Learning to have an affinity for art too. She, he was like, well, do you have like, you know, a love for art? And she's like, I'm learning to.

0:35:03 Thomas: She's like Like, you know, I can take it or leave it. God, these idiots.

0:35:08 Lydia: She does say, you knows, she has a background in, in business and communications and all that kind of stuff. She does like, she worked, um, QVC. She had some time like in in a newsroom. Actually was on The Apprentice back in 2005 and was fired by him. Yeah, yeah. She ended up working for his 2016 campaign as a surrogate and then 2024 campaign as well. She was a Turning Point USA girly. She wrote, I think, over a thousand articles for them is what I saw. So really, really deep. Friends with Laura Trump. She was appointed to a position coalition with the RNC, but then ended up not taking it because she was going to go serve on the 2024 campaign with Trump instead. As I said, she married Dan Scavino, the man who runs the White House Presidential Personnel Office, the person who decides who gets all the federal jobs. So, you know, that's interesting. And now I'm going to subject you to this.

0:36:06 Lydia: I will, Well, because I know our patrons, I know our audience that has recently become patrons and they've all signed up so that way I can make you watch this and

0:36:04 Thomas: No, I don't want it. Don't want to. Whatever this is, I hate it. It's sorry. It's X. I can't do it. It doesn't doesn't work. She said yes. She's. Oh, my God. She turned around. Oh, no fucking way. Jesus. Christ. I can't even obviously

0:36:36 Lydia: Yeah. So it's so clearly directed. Like they're walking outside of the White House like they're just at work. They go walking outside.

0:36:44 Thomas: And he I guess told her look

0:36:47 Lydia: Look over there.

0:36:48 Thomas: Over there or something because obviously we can't see the dialogue this is this is really funny okay so there's a lot going on she is turning around he gets down on one knee now do you see what's happening to his back shoe

0:36:55 Lydia: She She. I'm looking, I'm looking, his back shoe. Does his foot pop out of it? Oh, no. Yes, I see it. Oh, no.

0:37:09 Thomas: His whole shoe is popped off because he's got like the slip-on loafers or something

0:37:14 Lydia: Before Trump made them all wear the his stupid shoes.

0:37:17 Thomas: That was, yeah. And he's, he's down on one knee and he's got the ring out and he's gotten out. Like, it's kind of awkward. Like I don't know if she was supposed to turn around sooner, but he kind of sits there like, okay, here. Uh, all right. Is this okay? All right. It's out. There's even a cut. Like there's even an edit because like it, it zooms in. Yeah. What was that the other funny thing is there's like a fucking creep in the window like it's or a statue one or the other it's creepy it's creeping me out it's like the ghost the giant head of somebody

0:37:36 Lydia: Like, how long was he waiting? And then there's like the bust over on the right of some Yeah, someone probably involved with government at some point.

0:37:55 Thomas: I yeah I can't tell that would be um but then the fake acting on her her saying yes is just it's so it'sso hammy god it's hammy the music too she goes oh into her like hands into her god it's so fake you're so fake you people the guy is expressionless oh my god last shot get get his comb over like

0:38:06 Lydia: So crazy. Oh, God. I

0:38:38 Thomas: A big big comb over shot

0:38:38 Lydia: Was gonna say, get get a really, really nice nice clean shot into where he's balding specifically. Yeah?

0:38:43 Thomas: And it's that that mega combination of Nazi-esque with comb over you know with just like that that style that's that every time he has almost no expression during this entire thing just almost none

0:38:56 Lydia: Yeah it's crazy. I mean, and this is like being professionally filmed this entirely. It's just so incredibly fake. Like, I like the top comment is, what'd you ask her? It's kind of funny. But then Carrie Lake chimes in underneath. Congratulations, Dan and Erin. This is such beautiful news. Dan, that's the best proposal video I've ever seen. American flag emoji, American flag emoji, American flag emoji.

0:39:14 Thomas: It's not god so dumb

0:39:20 Lydia: And like I said earlier, someone else commented being like, this is our royal wedding.

0:39:21 Thomas: This is a royal wedding yeah

0:39:27 Lydia: Dan Scavino and Erin Elmore. Okay, sure. Side note, she her son in the first little bit that we were watching with Katie Miller. She was married previously for actually, I think it was like 13 years. So was Dan Scavino. He was married previous. I think for 18 years and he has two kids. But her son, she had converted to Judaism when she married her previous husband. So when she had kids, they could grow up with the Jewish faith. And her kid is Jewish. He just had his bar mitzvah. So mazel tov um you're not listening to this because I saw you at the freaking wedding holding a like trump made this happen hat um so that's gross but you're a kid so maybe you'll grow up differently uh I think she may have turned back to christianity and here's one clue that I have here that this is super important but I did a whole erin skivino like deep dive and this is awkward it's

0:40:23 Clip: A great hostess, she does, she hosts professionally everything and she's the best. But now she's probably going to, let's see, is she going to choke?

0:40:29 Thomas: Months ago oh oh god

0:40:32 Clip: Is she going be the opposite of Bryson? Thank you, Mr. President, First Lady, and to everyone, Merry Christmas. Thank you so much for having me, it's an absolute honor. I got to fly here today with Vanessa and all of the kids and you just have such a wonderful family.

0:40:33 Thomas: What

0:40:50 Clip: Everyone is amazing and polite and smart and athletic and talented so you guys have done a truly amazing job and it's a testament to your family thank

0:40:49 Thomas: Is this oh christmas reception oh no dead expressions on trump and melania's face melania is god the the lips have gone a new level she's really her face is just nothing nothing there there's nothing there but but mar -a -lago face and just no thoughts running through her head and meanwhile you got this sycophant they so tired like all they are all they have the sycrophants so don't seem to get tired of it, I guess, but also they are tired of it. I think they know it's nothing, you know, it's like that thing where they need it, but they know, I think, they know what's bullshit. So they're just sitting there dead all the time. Melania is the, what?

0:41:35 Clip: You so much for having me it's an absolute honor I got to fly here today with Vanessa and all of the kids and you just have such a wonderful family everyone is amazing

0:41:37 Thomas: She's just completely dead faced. She's like, yeah, turning off the mic to tell Trump to his bored face. Oh boy. Anyway, what was the point of this?

0:41:49 Lydia: Jack off motion jack off motion uh she just goes on to talk about like the importance of christmas and like how wonderful it is to celebrate family throughout christmas it's

0:41:58 Clip: Politely and smarts and athletic and talented. So you guys have done truly amazing jobs and it is a testament to your family and I think this party is really special because my son is here, my sister is here and the holidays and Christmas are truly about family and thank God that we have a president and a first lady who puts our families first, who puts America first and that's why we get to have this special, amazing, beautiful Christmas season the way that it is and I thank God every day that President Trump won November 5th of last year and I keep making America great again for all of these these people here today are children, are families. So thank you so much for having me. And thank you, President Firstlade.

0:42:36 Lydia: I've just been like trying to figure this out dan scavino is not jewish and so yeah I'm thinking I think she may have converted back which is interesting but gets the date wrong consistently about when the organization that she is the director of yep that's not the only thing that she gets wrong she like also I guess is misleading I won't say she gets this wrong but she's misleading in some of her uh opportunities as well if you go to I think 2219 on that Sean Spicer video yep

0:43:07 Clip: Of the art in the ambassadorial residences, it's alone. So it's not like we're sitting here like, I'm not sitting here with monopoly money buying art. The art that we have at art embassies in our repository has all been donated the art that we get for the exhibitions is alone. So it's not like I'm sitting with a

0:43:24 Lydia: So that that's not Not correct. Is a way that they get art. That is one of the avenues that they get art is that they do long-term loan agreements with artists to have their art appear in exhibits or potentially in the embassies or other sort of diplomatic for a period of time. But they also specifically have a collection. If you go to the history page On her agency's website, it literally says art and embassies is designated as the sole agent for the purchase of art for permanent collections and new embassy complexes. Opportunities where they say this, too, is that there's four and a half million dollars that they are allotted to spend each year for its permanent collection. There is a permanent collection affiliated with art and embassy's. And she's just completely misleading this and saying that it's all loaned. It's not. It's not. And that's also why you have a repository. It is not just the

0:44:21 Thomas: She said that was donated and then the other stuff was loaned for the shows. She said the repository was donated, and the shows are all loaned.

0:44:29 Lydia: That's just not accurate. Like they they pay for items. Mean like I said like with the Kehinde Wiley piece they commissioned it. I can't imagine that they said we're commissioning a piece from you for free. That's not that's not what's going to happen there or we're commissioning a piece from you that we'll keep for three years and then we'll give it back. Like why would Why would an artist necessarily do that?

0:44:37 Thomas: For You get some exposure. Yeah no, that's not how it works.

0:44:51 Lydia: He's getting paid for it, right?

0:44:53 Thomas: Sort of like how she's like I definitely didn't get this job because of my relationship this sounds like I'm definitely paying a bunch of people who suck at art more than I should for the art suck art that they suck flags oh

0:45:05 Lydia: And like the other piece of this too is just like this designation of art being woke and not woke and just sort of evaluating that. Think it was the New York Times article. They interviewed the individual who actually commissioned the Wiley painting. So Virginia Shore. And she established she was in charge of putting together a of the art collections at embassies. She was the director of acquisitions. So, OK, you're acquiring things. You're probably paying for them. And chief curator for the art and embassys program between 2000 and 2017. And the way that she described her work was that it was nonpartisan and there was no precedent for selling embassy artworks. That's not anything that's ever happened. And she said, quote, calling this woke is difficult for me to understand. This is a program validated and financially backed under Bush. There's a science of building trust and empathy across borders. Spicer asks her about in that same interview uh we don't need to keep playing it he asks her why something like this didn't get doged um Elon Musk and she doesn't really have an answer for that she just says go talk to Dan Scavino yeah

0:46:11 Thomas: Because it wouldn't have killed enough kids yeah

0:46:13 Lydia: Also it's her job so I think that Maybe.

0:46:17 Thomas: It's a pretty funny thing to ask her where's

0:46:19 Lydia: I think what this boils down to for me, ultimately, like the key, key piece for me is like, what is art worth keeping? And if you ask Erin Scavino, her position is that the art worth keeping is if it aligns with a president's policies. So we're talking America first, you it's patriotic, that it's on the their side of the culture wars. Right. Would like to hear from Kinde Wiley on like what inspires his art, because I think that personally for me is more aligned with like the world that I would want to live in about what art is worth keeping.

0:46:53 Clip: Young child, never seeing. People who quite looked like me. What you notice is an immense amount of powdered wigs and jewels and lap dogs. There's a pomp and circumstance surrounding the celebration of an individual. What I wanted to do in my own work was to be able to borrow that sense of dignity, that that sense of entitlement where an artist says that you matter.

0:47:19 Clip: I ask each model to go through art history books, to look at the poses, and to choose who they want to be. So in a sense, what you're looking at is not just a depiction of an individual, you're looking at the history of posing, you are looking at what used to be the body language for power and dignity in the art history, but also what resonates with young black and brown men in the streets of New York in the 21st century.

0:47:44 Lydia: Yeah. And so I think my thought there is just, I know, I now. But I that

0:47:47 Thomas: Not been an asshole though yeah I think all that stuff stands but yeah it's just it's unfortunate that people have to suck

0:47:56 Lydia: Are like opportunities to pose in a way that gives you power and dignity for a lot of times communities that are denied that power and dignity. And I don't know. And that's more aligned with the America I want to live in anyway. So I found that a little more patriotic.

0:48:14 Thomas: Yeah and the america that also cancels him when he's a piece of shit I think but that's both of those americas it's both of those things go against trumpism really like the consequences for rapey people and diversity those are both anti-trump uh

0:48:21 Lydia: That could be fine. Yeah, true. True.