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Bev Turner and Ben Leo have taken a tour of Washington D.C., bringing GB News viewers the full tourist experience by riding an open-top bus around the US capital.The hosts visited the city’s most famous landmarks, from the huge Washington Monument to the grand Lincoln Memorial.
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0:00
So excited that we're doing this, Ben, because I think one of the most surprising aspects of Washington for me is how beautiful it is
0:09
I didn't know it was going to be so scenic. It's just so attractive as a city
0:15
And a big part of that is the amazing architecture. So we're going to see some of the best architecture in the world today
0:21
It's not your typical big city, is it? It's not like New York
0:24
Yeah. It's very low rise. Well, there's a law. There's a law that any buildings in D.C. cannot be higher than..
0:32
Is it the capital, I think? No, I think it's the Washington Monument. But I think we should try and answer that question while we're on our tour today
0:39
Because I did say that to an American once. They said, no, you've got that wrong. It's a different building on one of the streets
0:43
It can't be higher than... But what it means is you can basically look up into the sky and you can see the sky
0:49
as opposed to New York where you're surrounded by concrete jungles. It's definitely beautiful
0:54
Yeah. Not sure about safety. I was woken up the other night with six gunshots outside my apartment
1:01
and some guy got shot in the face. Yeah, but they are trying. That's right
1:05
They're trying to... Do you remember when we first got here, one of the first few nights, we got to a restaurant
1:10
and there were council workers painting the manhole covers black, like Christine to the inch
1:16
Yeah. The flower beds are beautiful, the bins are empty, the trees are nicely trimmed
1:21
like we just we'd love to just show you around and see how amazing this city is
1:25
and also i don't know if you've noticed but there are workers always everywhere there are workers
1:31
for the car parking garages there are staff sometimes what are the common traffic officers
1:37
directing traffic there's always somebody from the council or say the metro you just been to yeah
1:43
yeah unlike i'd say the uk where really you're kind of left to your own devices you might if
1:49
If you're lucky, you'll be able to access an app that won't work. What is it? 34 degrees
1:54
34 degrees here. So it's over 90, isn't it? And silly me came out in my studio
2:01
Couldn't get the memo. So that's the Ford Theatre where Lincoln was assassinated
2:09
One of the actors came off stage and shot him at close range
2:13
And then he was taken across there. Lincoln's wobble shot. Yeah and he died the next day
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Bit of a perilous task being president, otherwise trying to get assassinated
2:24
Were you at GB News Radio wasn't it? Sadly not. Oh it was Martin Dorfman
2:30
He's welling up again. So that's Freedom Plaza and it was named that in the 80s after Martin Luther King and apparently
2:41
you stand there you're directly between the White House and the Capitol building
2:46
right at the point yeah and behind us there the Capitol and it's grand
2:53
and you can see the Capitol building from so many different places within
2:58
Washington DC and that's kind of the point about these low-rise buildings
3:02
it's extraordinary that you can stand here and we must be what a couple of
3:06
miles away and you can just get the most perfect view of the Capitol building
3:10
from so many different directions. That just sort of demonstrates how unbuilt up this city is
3:16
Viewers and listeners, you'll see from this trip just the abundance of American flags
3:20
Yeah, make a point. Big one there. Obviously, you're all lying down there
3:28
Maybe scrambling to take them down if that was in England. Do you know why it's called Freedom Square
3:36
Here? Yeah. Is it because Martin Luther, Someone said Martin Luther King
3:42
We just heard it. Yeah, Martin Luther King wrote his freedom speech in that hotel, in the Willard Hotel
3:49
I have a dream. I guess that. He drafted it in there. I have a dream that one day we'll be judged on the contents of our character and not the colour of our skin
3:59
Who? Has that happened? So there's the Treasury Building. There's the Treasury Building and those cranes in the background
4:06
That's the White House Ballroom going up. And this is where, Bev, you probably won't care about this, this is where UFC will take
4:15
place in tonight. Oh yeah, I do care, I think it's really disturbing
4:19
I don't like it. Trump's going to erect a massive UFC, which is cage fighting arena in the south corner
4:26
of the White House and they're going to scrap it out in the garden of the White House. Are you excited about that
4:30
If I had a ticket, yeah, but I don't. You can go and film that then, I can live without watching that
4:36
And then that's got your name on it. The Washington Memorial that we're going to look at now, when it was built it was the biggest building in the world
4:47
36,000 bricks and no mortar. No mortar! The monument? No mortar. It's just on top of each other
4:57
And it was stopped in 1858 because they ran out of money
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and then there was the Civil War and if you look you can see the different colours in the bricks
5:07
because 23 years later it started and they didn't have the same colour brick so they had to do in a
5:14
different colour. So they built that sort of quarter, stopped for years and then when the war
5:19
ended they rebuilt it? Yeah. We've got on another bus now, we've hopped on to another route because
5:25
we want to take you to the really the the greatest hits of architecture around Washington DC. I love
5:31
personally i love the jefferson memorial i think it's amazing yeah um how about you uh the lincoln
5:38
yeah lincoln memorial do you feel safer in dc i mean touch wood phenomenally safe there's always
5:48
police cars there's always sirens there's always some sort of emergency services nearby the national
5:54
guard are very visible i feel as a woman i've never felt safer in any other city than i do here
6:00
I feel safer here, but somebody on X shared data with me the other day showing that the
6:05
murder rate here is much higher per capita than London. But it doesn't feel like that
6:10
It's going to be though, because they've got guns. It's much easier to murder people when you have guns
6:14
State the obvious. And there probably a lot of you know there be a lot of robberies like shootings some gangster But hang on everyone a lot of the sort of left people say that the National Guard is an obstruction on civil liberties it martial law on the streets
6:34
The thing is, I don't understand why they feel like that. So if you imagine Starmer introduced the army on the streets now, on say weekends like Unite the Kingdom
6:45
I would be happy if I feel like the boot of the state preparing to stamp on my head every time I walk down the road
6:53
That's because we don't trust our Prime Minister. We don't trust his authoritarian instincts
6:58
So for people who really don't trust President Trump, I understand why they see the National Guard as a symbol of national, state, federal overreach
7:07
They would say, we are a state, we don't need you sending in the National Guard just in case what
7:13
in case the people rise up against the government. I don't see that
7:17
I don't feel that here. That's because I think, because I see this government in a very different light
7:23
I think they're freedom loving and I know not all Americans feel like that
7:28
National Museum of American History. Yeah. Oh, that's the other thing as well
7:32
So many, everything's free. The zoo. I took the kids to the zoo the other week
7:37
That was amazing. Free. Museums, free. I went to the air and space museum by myself the other day although when the
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government shut down they were all closed but yeah true and of course it's
7:54
the 250th anniversary of America on the 4th of July so there's lots of symbols
8:00
of that celebration of their history I mean it's very I think what they've
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achieved in 250 years pretty bloody impressive isn't it Have you been to the Air and Space Museum
8:11
No, I haven't done that yet. Very cool. They've got Neil Armstrong's space suit he wore on Apollo and Everett
8:18
You are. I know what you're thinking. Did they have that moon buggy made out of tinfoil as well
8:25
With the slightly wooden wheels. They've got his space suit in there
8:31
They've got the lunar module, the capsule. You'll have to take me
8:36
Convince me. I've been to the spy museum that's very cool. Oh you would love that. Was it James Bond style
8:43
James Bond style and it's got all the little like spy inventions like the
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umbrella with a knife that comes out and you know like a radio. The gun pen. Yeah and
8:54
like radio that we put in the bedrooms of visiting Russian politicians with a
8:59
listening device in. All these amazing little places that they could hide
9:03
listening devices it's really cool yeah you'll love it it's really good how many states are there 50
9:10
50. how is that why it's called hawaii see intellectual expansion all around here today i've got a good quiz can you name
9:27
If I read you the state, you know the two characters of each state, so for example New York is NY. Yeah
9:35
I'll go through them and see which ones you can get. Go on
9:38
All right. AL. Atlanta. No, it's a city. Atlanta, Georgia. Oh yeah
9:45
That's a good start. Great start. AL. Okay, so I'm looking for a state. Alabama. Alabama. CA. California. CO
9:55
Colorado yeah D.E. Detroit no it's the city oh I've done it again
10:10
I need to stop and think okay D.E. Denver is in Colorado D.E. Joe Biden's from there Delaware
10:22
yeah i'll start with an easy one dc districts of columbia fl florida ga georgia il illinois
10:38
i.n indianapolis indiana indiana i.a i.a indianapolis no no you just i.a indiana no i.a yeah
10:58
i.a what iowa oh ks KS
11:12
kiss... not kiss to me K... not the y. KS? Yeah. What? Wizard of Oz was set there
11:25
Kansas? Yeah. What do you think about DC drivers? I think that I'm terrified every
11:31
night because obviously I don't have a car here so I have to get Ubers and Lyft
11:35
Here's the other one here all the time. I don't like it. I don't like it
11:39
I find them, they're okay on normal roads, but when you get on that I-95 that we fly down
11:45
as a big, very busy dual carriageway, I'm terrified. They're very aggressive drivers in Washington, D.C
11:53
It sort of fortune favours the brave in a way. They're pushed out. They're very aggressive. Nobody stops to let you go
11:58
When I've hired a car here, I'm like, why is everyone so angry? Such a chilled out city
12:03
they drive like maniacs one thing that does do my sweet about dc is you can't you know in england
12:08
you can just pop into a tesco express oh i know what you're gonna say like a corner shop and get
12:13
a drink none of that here no shops to pop into oh i thought you meant about having to go oh maybe
12:21
it was just my mind i think it's about buying buying booze because it's a liquor store oh i
12:25
I don't really drink, so. I don't really drink. I don't really drink
12:32
Yeah, you do. That's such a lie. Rarely. Oh, yes you do
12:36
I don't go into liquor stores and buy drinks, you do that. You're saying that's what you do
12:41
My point is, I'll go to the supermarket and want to buy a bottle of wine with my weekly shop and I not got my driving license with me because everyone wants your ID and I like I like I clearly over 21 yeah well that not the point
12:55
you just got to show your ID it's better I hate it it's not recording my ID you're just showing it
13:00
though I got ID for a Red Bull in the UK when I went back last week oh just stop showing up
13:05
you've got to be 16 stop showing you've got to be 16 you've got ID for Red Bull so if I read
13:09
But where? Ben. What were you wearing? A school uniform? My backpack, my tie
13:16
I think there's a big TV building here. So in there is Fox News and NBC, News Nation
13:25
CNN. CNN, I think, are in there. All in that one big building
13:30
I mean, they're quite successful, but they're not TV news, are they? No one's ever heard of that
13:34
They ain't the people's channel. Let me tell you that. actually on a serious point i was watching uh one of our promos today and it was the katherine
13:46
in the promo saying we are unique because nobody no other channels have that interaction with the
13:52
viewers like we do yeah and it's true even in america cable news they don't they don't
13:57
i argue you have that connection with viewers they don't speak to viewers read comments out
14:01
sun cream I'm okay it's just my neck that's burned. You sure
14:09
I'll have a little bit. A little bit. What's your favourite thing about DC
14:14
Um, I mean there's a lot that I love about this city
14:22
It feels very sparsely populated. It is genuinely like you can, I've been on two platforms on the metro and there's not
14:31
another person there in the middle of the day and i'm like has there been a zombie apocalypse and nobody's told me there's hardly any people like if you look you know if you're in london there are
14:40
always i mean hundreds of thousands of people every pavement every platform in the tube every tube
14:45
carriage we're so densely populated in london and this is the capital city of the world arguably
14:53
and yet where is everybody i love that maybe i just don't like people well the and also the
14:58
the clientele of DC is very transient everybody is a government worker on it
15:03
yeah everybody works for the government everybody works for some sort of
15:08
quango there isn't there's actually there isn't that much tourism which I
15:13
think is a shame because I think it's an incredible city to come on holiday to my
15:18
families have had a great time when I brought them out here now we've got the
15:22
Bureau of Engraving here don't know about you but that seems high on my list of must-see
15:27
Oh, there's a lot of people getting off. Maybe the Bureau of Engraving is very popular
15:32
Oh, it's the Royal Mint. When they say the Bureau of Engraving is a little misleading
15:38
That's where all the money is printed. I think they're making a Trump point. $900 million every day is printed there, apparently
15:46
Inside there. So Washington's built on a swamp, and there was a huge flood at some point
15:51
I think it was about 100 years ago. And they had to drain this
15:56
and then the drained swamp so when president trump talks about draining the swamp metaphorically
16:02
dcs had to do that before and then it was filled with water and the result is this beautiful
16:08
i brought my parents here in the autumn my dad's just turned 90 and it was so thrilling and he just
16:14
stood in there just looking at it and i've got these brilliant photographs of him looking around
16:18
it was so lovely right let's go and have a little wander this is so beautiful this is my favorite
16:25
monument in Washington and it partly because it's by water and I'm always drawn to water
16:30
but you've got to have a look inside it's so atmospheric and I think all the words on the
16:36
walls as well it's just very very very moving here very inspiring yes it's so lovely up here
16:44
you get the breeze all the way through and if you look all the way down there you've got the White House it's absolutely stunning with the Washington Monument yeah yeah that's amazing
16:53
You can see the White House from a pedalo. I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man
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I can hard relate. I love that. Engraved on the giant walls of this amazing memorial are extracts from the Declaration of Independence
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which of course Thomas Jefferson authored. I love this one here, which is about slavery of course
17:21
God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed the conviction
17:27
that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just
17:35
that his justice cannot sleep forever. Commerce between master and slave is despotism
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Nothing is more certainly written in the Book of Faith that these people are to be free
17:47
Establish the law for educating the common people. this it is the business of the state to affect and on a general plan and actually I lie I think
17:56
this is my favorite extract from the declaration of independence remember that Will Smith film
18:01
the pursuit of happiness one of my favorites it's based on this we hold these truths to be
18:06
self-evident that all men are created equal that they are endowed by their creator with certain
18:11
illanible rights among these are life liberty and the pursuit of happiness that to secure these
18:18
rights governments are instituted among men we solemnly publish and declare that these colonies
18:24
are and of right ought to be free and independent states and for the support of the declaration
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and for the support of this declaration with a firm reliance on the protection
18:34
of divine providence we mutually pledge our lives our fortunes and our sacred honor
18:41
i love it among these are life liberty and the pursuit of happiness Yeah
18:46
It's amazing. Yeah, the kids are a bit loud. Yeah. Where are you guys from? Alabama. London. Okay
19:02
Your first time here? I live in a place called Bryson. South coast
19:08
Nearer France than anywhere else Yeah Well I do Thank you Thank you I know You about to be on TV if you not careful I on a barman Huh I on a barman
19:20
No, no, all good. Thank you. How friendly are American people
19:30
Oh, amazing. It never fails to amaze me how friendly everybody is
19:34
I mean, I love a chat. It's like basically being in Manchester
19:38
Very welcoming. Very welcoming. Always asking questions. Always have a natter. Always have a natter
19:42
Stop and have a natter. Honestly, I think that might be one of the reasons I like it so much as well
19:48
Because it feels a bit northern. It doesn't feel like that in London
19:52
Although, there is that accusation that Americans are... I don't believe it, but you know when they say
19:57
oh, have a good day. Oh, it's a bit of faith. I know it's a bit of faith. I don't see it. I think I've made friends here that I'll have for life
20:03
I genuinely mean that. Thank you. Because of the American dream. and the idea that anybody can be successful if you work hard enough
20:13
There's no resentment. So I sometimes find, it's quite a London thing as well
20:17
it's not a northern thing, but I sometimes find in London people are quite guarded because they're sort of sussing you out
20:24
There's a bit of like, we have like a class system in the UK and people are working out, what school did you go to with that accent
20:30
Where did you grow up with, you know? And they just don't have that here. Yeah
20:34
They just don't see it. I think maybe it's because I'm British but I don't see it. I think it helps that we are Brits
20:40
with a British accent because it's like a light to a mosquito
20:45
it really is you'll be in the supermarket and say where's the milk please
20:49
and I'll say oh my god are you British or I'll say can I have a bottle of water
20:53
and I have to say it 15 times because they have no idea what I'm asking for water
20:58
oh you want some water I feel this sense of positivity here
21:03
but do you think if we spoke to Americans they would say that the American dream
21:07
still exists that you can work hard buy your own house improve your life i think it's getting
21:14
harder there's this big political push at the moment about home ownership and same as the uk
21:19
where young people can't buy homes but i think so speaking to taxi drivers uber drivers who are
21:24
from all parts of the world from europe from south america they all came here because of
21:29
the american dream because you can do and have and be anything you want elon musk
21:33
as a South African immigrant, he came here, allegedly illegally, maybe, maybe not, but you can do anything you want
21:41
I think so. But also, I think that should apply to the UK as well
21:44
You can, we should have that same sense of, of you can achieve anything, there's no limits
21:51
But the Americans do it better. They project that message better. I think there's much less, there is much less bureaucracy here
22:00
I know that some people would, Americans would say, Are you joking? But that's because they don't understand how much bureaucracy there is in the UK
22:06
I think it's much easier to set up a business here. I think it's easier to employ people here
22:11
Also easier to fire. I'm not saying it's a good or bad thing. But yeah, correct
22:15
You don't have to give them reasons. You don't have the same employment protections
22:20
Yeah. Right, so we've got one more greatest hit of architecture to go see
22:25
and that's the Lincoln Memorial. Let's go. Let's do it. Where you guys from London
22:33
Yeah. I'm so jealous. My wife has been to London and I'm still trying to get beer
22:38
They won't have me on front. The storm's coming. Welcome to Twister 3
22:45
The storm's coming into D.C. I spent a lot of my life looking at Bosma swimming pools
22:55
I'm not sure President Trump has picked the right shade of blue. Wow, he's a real estate guy
23:00
Look at that, that's extraordinary. The pictures show it being quite bright
23:04
swimming pool style, whereas he blames Obama and Biden for it being quite algae and green and mucky
23:10
You've got the Lincoln Memorial here. And look at our view, the monument. All the way down
23:14
The Capitol. Washington Monument, Capitol at the end. It's stunning, it's absolutely gorgeous
23:21
And then we had a little press release this morning, like we do, the White House telling us
23:25
about President Trump's dream to restore pride and beauty to America's capital
23:33
It's really genuinely important to him, this, isn't it, that it looks good. Because he said the nation's capital was allowed to decay
23:39
marred by crime, graffiti and crumbling infrastructure amid a bureaucratic acceptance of decline as inevitable
23:47
Sounds like London. Yeah. And President Trump rejected that surrender from day one
23:54
under his leadership the trump administration has demonstrated decline is a choice and he said
23:58
it's much more than just water and landscaping it's about rekindling national pride in a city
24:04
that represents the american republic i love it so he's basically installing hot tubs and jacuzzis
24:10
gold plates in the memorial pool there yeah gold plate saunas it was like uh your great granny's
24:18
pond at the bottom of the garden which hadn't bless her hadn't been attended to for a couple of
24:23
decades right let me go up there let's have a quick look at abraham lincoln there this is just gorgeous
24:29
magnificent he is the iconic if you speak to anybody who doesn't know much about american
24:33
history me included yeah he is the iconic u.s president he is for me as well of history
24:39
yeah he is he's a big old lad isn't he because he was born in a like a shack like his family
24:45
literally had nothing he was so poor and he grew up to be the president of the united states
24:50
And he was assassinated downtown. Few Lincoln facts for you here. He was born in a log cabin
24:56
He was super poor. He was the first Republican president and the 16th president of America
25:03
And before he was president, he was an excellent, almost pro wrestler
25:07
So there we go. Little slice of life behind the scenes here in D.C. Great city
25:11
And what's so amazing about it is everything such as this memorial, the other memorials are so easily accessed
25:16
You can spend a couple of hours on a bus and you get so much in return. Yeah
25:19
We've been so lucky today, it's been so lovely to share this with you
25:25
And keep supporting us on GB News. Let us know what you think, of course, of our America content
25:30
because we enjoy it and we hope you do too. You've got to do a show. In 90 minutes, better dash
25:35
Good luck
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