October 27, 2025 • 42 mins
The Lincoln Project’s Rick Wilson examines Trump receiving an illegal $130 million donation from one of his top donors. Then the DLCC’s Heather Williams details how Democrats win.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, I'm Molly John Fast and this is Fast Politics,
where we discussed the top political headlines with some of
today's best minds, and Scott Bessen says he's felt this
pain from China because he's quote actually a soybean farmer
and a one hundred millionaire, a multi hundred millionaire, a
(00:21):
five hundred millionaire. We have such a great show for
you today. The Lincoln Project's owner Rick Wilson joins us
to discuss Trump getting an illegal one hundred and thirty
million dollar donation from one of his creepiest donors. Then
we'll talk to the d LCC's Heather Williams about how
(00:42):
Dems win.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
But first the news, So, Molly, Scott Bessen went on
the Sunday shows, and I have to say there's a
very few appearances that generated more headlights because he said
more ridiculous things that most people do at these But
one of the things he says is that the US
will not lose money on the Argent bailout.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
So I guess we're all going to be eating our
Shetinian steak.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
You know, one of my favorite things about Scott Essen
is not his woodenness on television and it's not him
saying ridiculous dishonest things on television. No, no, those are
my favorite things about seeing them on television. My man,
the US will not lose money on its massive bailout
of Argentina because history is no guide for what happens
(01:25):
in the world, he continued, despite the fact that the currency,
like the dollar, is just going down the tubes. They've
gone all in on President Malay. You know why tell me,
because they want him to win. In order to rescue him,
they have pledged twenty billion dollar currency slop with the
(01:46):
Argentine Central Bank, the largest American bailout of another country
since we bailed out Mexico in nineteen ninety five. Besson
has also organized another twenty billion in aid from the
private sector. By the way, these people are very into
promising big money from the private sector. Usually that doesn't happen,
(02:06):
so we'll see. But I remember many a private sector
deals that never came to fruition. You and I know
this to be true. Donald Trump is always saying that
we're going to get ten gazillion dollars from this or that.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
You're telling me President deals doesn't live up to his brand.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
I mean, by the way. I just am curious, like,
did we get those ninety trade deals? Because it's been
more than ninety days, and I think it's.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Been another ninety days since those ninety days elapsed.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Right, it's ninety million days, That's.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
What every day this administration feels.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Like there iny million years.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
So Senator Lindsey Graham, a man that for as long
as he's been a senator, has been downright giddy. It's
not even the word I want to use for war
because he's so enthusiastic to it you would think that
you wanted to marry it. So he is very, very
excited to announce that Trump's were on Narco Terris is
going to expand the lads strike, which when it's not
in international waters, it kind of sounds like war with
(03:03):
another country, am I right?
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Molly?
Speaker 4 (03:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (03:05):
You know, Congress is supposed to approve wars. Now, I
know I'm lame saying that I think that Congress should
get approval for wars, because that is the way it's
supposed to work. Congress should give approval. But for whatever reason,
that is not what we're doing here, where just Trump
is just going to do whatever Trump wants. And you
(03:26):
know this happens to work for Trump because Mike Johnson
basically is at this point donald Trump's Valey and serves
at the pleasure of Donald Trump. As Donald Trump has
said before, by the way, this is just like this
narco terrorist thing is such fucking bullshit, because like, there's
no this is all completely crazy. Right, Like, we blew
(03:48):
up a bunch of fishing boats. Maybe some had drugs,
maybe some didn't. Most of them weren't heading towards the
United States. They were small boats. Nobody really knows, except
we know that the few survivors were they were so
guilty they were repatriated to their home countries without a trial,
a pretty good sign that they were probably able to testify.
(04:11):
So I'm going to say that clearly what's happening here.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Is fucked Yeah. Sounds very very bad.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Yeah. And also the pushback is coming from one Rand Paul.
Ran Paul Republican says he's been invited to no briefings,
adding a briefing is not enough to overcome the Constitution.
We've had no evidence presented, So at this point I
would call these extrajudicial killings. Good for Rand Paul from
(04:42):
Kentucky for saying what we all know to be true,
which is the United States government cannot just kill people
and then make up a reason for it later one.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Hundred percent Savali. As we know, they're having.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
To really dig through the bottom of the bear of
people who are willing to do this job as an
ICE agent since it's a not good job. And you'll
be shocked to hear they're not fully vetting people about
whether they have criminal records or not.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
I am just shocked. I am so shocked because I
was sure this ICE crew would be really thought, you know,
that people would be interviewed and trained and explained how
rights work and do process and Nope, just kidding. Let's
pull back for a minute and realize that deportation Barbie Ice,
(05:32):
Barbie Christy Nome spells it with an eye because that's
how she thought it was spelled, is just blowing billions
of taxpayer dollars. That is pretty much the good news
in a weird way. And again, you should look at
these videos out of Chicago. We should look at these
videos out of Chicago because Chicago is what this administration
(05:52):
wants for the rest of us. And they are smoke bombing,
they are going into residential neighborhoods. They are passing people working.
Here's what they're not doing anything helpful. Here's what they're
not doing fighting crime. Here's what they are doing. There's
a video of a couple, like a waspy couple. The
(06:13):
husband is in pajama pants and bare feet and they're
screaming at the ICE agents to get out of their neighborhood.
This is what is coming to all of us. This
is what our tax dollars are paying for. This is
what Christy Nome, who has two private jets for one
hundred and seventy five million dollars, and her right hand
(06:34):
hory Lewandowski, are doing to this country.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
So now, because the Democrats are going to make a
database where you can upload ICE's NonStop abuses of power,
and we're trying to put a little fear into these
officers to behave a little better. The Democrats are making
a tracker for this, and Christy Nome is threatening them
because she thinks they should be able to act with
full impunity and ignorance of the law, which is unprecedented
(06:58):
in America.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
Yeah, I mean, look, they are going to push and
they are going to do illegal stuff, and they're going
to do bad stuff, and the only way it stops
is if people say this is enough. And this is
a great example Robert Garcia doing God's work. We've established
in a misconduct tracker to document abuse and civil rights
(07:20):
violations by this administration, including where Ice has detained US
citizens and violated federal law. By the way, that is
what we should be doing. That is what all of
us should be doing. I mean, that's how all of
this is supposed to work. So correct. Good for again,
Representative Garcia. If life ever gets back to normal, I
(07:43):
hope that he will someday be in leadership. Rick Wilson
is the founder of the Lincoln Project and the host
of the Enemy's List. Rick Wilson, Well, I junk fast.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
How are you on this fine day in our so
called country.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
I'm just looking for a mysterious donor to donate one
hundred and thirty million dollars to pay one point three million. True.
I'm not a math genius.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
You know. I kind of do no math. And I
will tell you that math is not, as the kids
like to say, mathing in this case.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Yeah, So we're talking about Timothy Mallan volunteering to donate
one hundred and thirty million dollars, which is a lot
of money to us because we're poor, But to people
like this, you know, a childless billionaire, I think it's jumping.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
I mean, molly, let me, let me say this. He
is donating this money because Donald Trump does not want
Jeffrey Epstein files to be voted on in Congress. That's
why he's voting giving Trump this money. And he's doing
it with like the weirdest conditions and stipulations like you
must find Amelia air Arts. What fuck? And you know what,
(08:56):
It's funny because like a few weeks ago, I was like,
last Trump tweeting about a millionaire hurt? What is going
on here?
Speaker 3 (09:01):
What?
Speaker 4 (09:01):
What could be driving this? And you and I tend
to like no shit, And I'm just like I could
not figure it out. I was like, why is he
obsessed with Amelia Earhart? What is going on? And now
we know Timmothy Mellen wants to find Amelia air Art.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
So if they paid the troops out of this money,
it would be one hundred dollars a troop pretty much period.
So that's one hundred dollars that is, in case you're wondering,
not enough money.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
No case you're wondering that is that is.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Not enough money. Good but good headline for Trump. Go
the headline for Timothy Mellen. For people who don't read headlines,
and I want to go to headlines for a minute
because I want to talk about this gubernatorial race in
New Jersey. Yeah, it's a good headline for Trump. It's
a good headline for Timothy Mallen. For people who are
not paying attention, they think, oh, Timothy Mellen, billionaire. Yeah,
(09:58):
but if you can't actually pay, if it won't actually
pay the troops, then what what Hey, you.
Speaker 4 (10:07):
Know how we could pay the trips. You know, we
could pay the troops tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Tell me more.
Speaker 4 (10:12):
Open the government, stop being stop stop covering up the
Jeffrey Epstein files, and open the government. This is this
is something like like my tolerance for this because you know,
I'm not sure if you know this, but basically, people
in the United States military essentially do not make money. Yes,
it is not a place that people go to just
(10:34):
like racking Kwan.
Speaker 5 (10:36):
Just so like.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
People work in the federal government could be making more
in the private sector.
Speaker 4 (10:41):
Often they do it because they could be.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
They care about the country, which is why Russ Vaught
wants to put them in trauma.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
Quote in trauma in trauma. Yes, And look, Russ Vaught
is having the time. This is the best week of
restaurants that life. He is. He is getting a lot
of the torture of these so called evil bureaucrats that
he wants to apply, right he is. He's really getting
his way with a lot of the damage he wants
to do to these people. And he wants to make
(11:14):
federal service so miserable that they quit.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
Right or that they go.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
And look, a number of them are going to or
already have. But you know, the the the tiny little
inty bitty problems we're having in the country, like air
traffic controllers aren't getting paid, and our military isn't getting paid,
and our veterans benefits aren't getting paid. But who's getting paid.
Christy Noms film crew from Ice is getting paid. So yeah,
they could solve this problem tomorrow. Mike Johnson could say, Okay,
(11:45):
we're back in session, we're passing the cr I'm swearing
to add Grijalva. I give up. But they don't want
to give up because Trump is telling people. As we
saw that coverage of this week from the I think
the Washington Post. Trump enjoys how much a survi little
shipbird Mike Johnson is. How much he makes Mike Johnson obey.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
So there was a good piece in the New York
Times by one Annie Carney, who's been doing a really
good job comm yeah, covering what little converce is doing,
and she actually had this quote that Trump had said
basically that he was the Speaker of the House and
the president, which I think is absolutely right. And in fact,
(12:24):
one of the reasons why they are not able to
make a deal right now is because Democrats don't because
Democrats don't want to make a deal with Mike Johnson
because they know Mike Johnson isn't he doesn't, he is
not the boss.
Speaker 4 (12:40):
It's like running the entire government from it's like the House,
it's to the Senate, to the White House and everything
in between to the Supreme Court. There is no government
but Trump. You know, there is no data, only zuul.
This is Donald Trump. He runs all this. This is
all by his choice. And if Mike Johnson cared about
(13:03):
the House and cared about his members, and cared about
doing the duty that he has as an elected representative,
he would stop this bs, right, but.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
He doesn't have the power. He serves at the pleasure
of Donald Trump. And the thing is, Donald Trump has,
for whatever reason, decided he doesn't care right now about
domestic except because he's working on getting a Nobel Peace Prize.
And he's doing that by going overseas building right, Well,
that's not for the Nobel Peace Prize. That's just for
the Nobel you know, just the fun of cleptocracy.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
The arrogant, kleptocratic bullshit prize.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
Right. But Donald Trump is overseas. He's going to Japan,
he was, He's going to South Korea. He's zipping around
the globe. Even though I think that when you have
tanks in Chicago, you may actually off be getting the
Nobel Peace Prize.
Speaker 4 (14:01):
Discuss I'm gonna tell you from my understanding, tanks in
the streets of your country. I think pretty much anywhere
it might be a disqualifier for the Nobel I mean,
I'm just gonna say, I'm gonna I'm gonna take a
big leap here, Molly and just sort of sort of
sort of make a piece of enforced speculation that Donald
Trump's vibe set is not working for the Nobel Prize
(14:24):
Committee ever, and he's not going to get in this
year because it's already been issued. He's not gonna get
in this year because there is nothing he can do.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Except piss off India. Except piss off India.
Speaker 4 (14:35):
Why not, you know, because he's pissed off everyone else
at this point. That is very much on brand for
Trump at the moment, is to piss off as many
as many humans as possible.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
And this weekend we saw Donald Trump go basically to
again into trade war again with Canada because Canada had
this advertisement he didn't like, which was Ronald Reagan talking
about how he didn't believe in tariffs. Donald Trum got
very offended and said that it was fake news, despite
the fact that while it is a I it is
(15:07):
or no, it's not a.
Speaker 4 (15:09):
It was all this was footage from address Reagan read
on the radio and nineteen eighty seven about trade wars. Now,
what has pissed off the magas is that they didn't
run one line that was in the speech and said
sometimes tariffs for a brief period of time can be
useful and as a negotiating tactic or something like that.
And this was not a speech like how much he
loved tariffs, a speech about how much he hated tariffs,
(15:30):
and what freak Trump and his people out was. There
is still a core reality inside the Republican Party. Even
in today's perverse imitation of the Republican Party, Ronald Reagan
is still more popular rapes and he does not like that.
And this whole thing, this whole thing has become a
kind of pissing contest about now the legacy of Reagan,
(15:52):
who was not a tariff guy. He was a free
trade guy.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Free trader. Yeah, all Republicans have been free traders until
right now.
Speaker 4 (16:02):
Yes, yes, I mean talk, but I do know a
thing or two about this world.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Yes, as we live in the bad place that is
in fact, Oh yes we do. Oh, yes we do.
I want to talk about Donald Trump's poor coal link
for a minute, because I think this is my man
is underwater. Talk to us about those numbers. I feel
like you're looking up numbers right now.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
I'm looking at but I can just tell you Donald
Trump's numbers are shitty and yet visible, terrible and yet
also painfully obviously declining into the health space. The biggest
number you should look at right now is the thing
that subsumes all the other things, and that is the
right track wrong track. And about seventy percent of Americans
(16:48):
say the country is on the wrong track.
Speaker 5 (16:50):
Were united in everything is going to ship.
Speaker 4 (16:54):
Two percent of Americans agree that the cause of that
wrong track is one Donald John Trump. This is a
bad place for him to be in. He is not
he is not a popular president. And I just this
is one thing that in Congress there's a belief, well,
I if we cross Trump, we're going to face all
(17:16):
these political consequences. You might, you might if you let
Trump be the sole creator of the national narrative. And
you are the ones in Congress as Republicans who are
going to take all that radiation and take all that damage.
Donald Trump gets certain exceptions because he was a celebrity
and all the other things We've talked about a million
times about who he is in the culture. Right that's gone. Now, yes,
(17:39):
that do not exist. Ain't that? Ain't this world anymore?
Because of that, these Republicans are going to take absolute
whippings from their voters because you know what, they are
not happy with Donald Trump's performance in office. They are
pissed at the economy. They think the country's off on
the wrong track. They think that the immigration stuff has
(18:00):
gone too far. They think that Harris are a terrible idea.
There's almost nothing he's doing right now that is popular
with the American people, and people have sort of like
kind of ignored that that really fundamental underpinning fact. He
is a bad president and people don't like him. I mean,
I'm trying to put that in words that even the
(18:22):
MAGA listeners can understand. But he's a lot popular.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
Let's talk about what's happening in Iowa, Okay, because I
think that this is a really good example of Iowa
art for Obama twice. Yep, they voted for Trump, and
Trump has done some stuff that has put their their
GDP in a kilspin.
Speaker 4 (18:43):
No, I actually tailspan Limbell the bad place, the bad
he has. He has fucked farmers in this country, in
rural communities like Iowa, in a way that if you
set out to do it, it would be hard to
imagine you could do a more a more damaging job
(19:04):
than what he's done. And so, you know, you see
in the farm belt the realization that we're not going
to sell anybody any soybeans this year. We're not going
to sell anybody any beef this year. The timber industry
is now freaking out that they're that they're slowing down.
It was timber issue was a big export industry in
this country. They're now like freaking out because other countries
(19:25):
are like, no, we'll pass, We'll we'll get something, we'll do,
we'll do, we'll work with somebody else.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
This is from the New York Times. I was GDP
dropped by six point one percent, more than any state
aside from neighboring Nebraska.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
You know how many people are on a snap in Iowa?
Eighteen percent? You know who? He doesn't get snap anymore
in Iowa? Everybody?
Speaker 1 (19:48):
Yeah, because you know why why don't people get snapped?
Speaker 4 (19:51):
Because Donald Trump closed down the government to keep the
Epstein fires from coming out, and Russ Vaud is a sadist.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
And they could have done snap. In fact, previous shutdowns
had done snacks snap, just like just like they carved
out the bunny for wick right women, infant and children
so that you didn't have forty percent of pregnant women
(20:17):
dying starvation.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
These these these starving women in.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
Small Yeah, one weeksa do you see?
Speaker 4 (20:24):
That was a good one, You know, what they can
lift themselves up by their bootstraps, smalling little bootstraps. I
think I've had enough of accommodating these slackers.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Manufacturing, which drives seventeen percent of Iowa's economic output, has
been hit with higher production costs, in part because of guests.
Speaker 4 (20:41):
It would it be terriffs, Why it would be tariffs?
Why the answer would be terriffs.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
But I was told that the other people were going
to pay the tariffs.
Speaker 4 (20:49):
I keep hearing about these other people paying the tariffs,
and yet somehow it still seems to keep being Americans
paying the tariffs.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
It is bizarre. Now, I would like to say, these
people voted for Trump now are starving, but they're gonna
give Trump just one more shot.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
So look, I will say this, they are trust Trump.
There are still people who trust in Trump. There's still
people who believe in Donald Trump as the avatar of
all things, whatever you want, however you want to put it.
But that number is shrinking. The hardcore is now a smaller,
crazier edge, and the people who now understand the damage
(21:30):
he's done to them, that number is increasing, including in
these places where where you think, okay, it's rural Iowa
they're always going to love Trump. They're never going to
walk away from Trump. And what they'll do is many
of them will never walk away from Trump, but many
of them will say, you know what, I don't like
all this libtard blah blah blah, and quietly they're gonna say,
(21:54):
I can't vote for that. I can't vote for Republican X.
It is why you see even people like Ted who's
in a panic right now, there are a lot of
people in that Republican space who are looking at an
outcome for next year if they were not jerrymandered to the.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
Hilt, and even if they are, because and again this
is not to say that jerrymandering is good. They're cheating
and it's very bad. But you can't make votes you
don't have. So if you jerrymander to an R plus
four from a D plus two.
Speaker 4 (22:27):
And R plus four maybe was safe. Maybe in twenty
twenty six on R plus four is a tie ball game,
or on R plus six is a tie ball game. Right,
this is shaping into an election where where unless they
do something really extreme on the other side, you know,
like troops in the streets, I think they know that
(22:48):
their chances of holding onto the house now are absolutely
you know, fading by the minute.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
And that is why they're talking about doing troops in
the streets, and that is why it is going to
be a moment where we're all going to have to
say this is not okay. Like from Susan Collins to
Ted to Ted Cruz to everyone, we know we're gonna
have to be in the streets being like, look, we
have free and fair elections.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
Now.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
I want to move on to something else, which is
a question that has been going around. Steve Bannon sat
on television that Donald Trump is going to run again.
This is a thing people really like to say. The
Sea Pack, they had a third term project again, Donald
Trump pretty again a real danger. But I think that
we have to talk about one thing when we talk
(23:36):
about this, which is how old is Donald Trump.
Speaker 4 (23:38):
Well, let me put this way. I get how old
he'll be when he runs again, eighty eight if he does.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
Yes, at seventy nine, he was the oldest person to
ever be elected president. That is crul older than Joseph
Robinette Biden.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
Yes, also Gus. All right, first off, let's break Bannon
down into two boxes. One, Bannon is the king of
all bullshitter, and he's doing this to get on Trump's
good side and to and to keep himself in the
war room podcast.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
Right, My take is that it's better for Bannett Bannon
wants Trump to see him supporting him.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
That is correct. But I will also say if Bannon
finds a pathway that he can both monetize for himself
his podcast as media companies, bright barred, et cetera, and
he finds a path where where he thinks he can
somehow get the a a thinly argued but potentially Supreme
(24:36):
Court friendly third term lawsuit to the Supreme Court, he
will try to do it. He's not a guy with
a lot of shame. He will put.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
Things All things can be true, right, all things can
be true.
Speaker 4 (24:48):
But, as I like to say, if Bannon does start
to try to execute on this, and I'm gonna I'm
gonna tell my my liberal friends this, you don't have
to fight him just in court. You have to fight
in on every fucking access possible. You have to bring
a level of pain to the Republicans and to the
White House that they have.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
Previously, not a nonviolent pain, non violent pain, but sure.
Speaker 5 (25:09):
No violent.
Speaker 4 (25:11):
That's that's when that's when the Democrats in Congress justations.
That's when they say to the White House, we're cutting
the White House's budget, We're eliminating Russ Vought's salary. Exactly
through every aspect of this where they have to exercise
power in a way that Democrats often hesitate to exercise it.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
For sure, I do want to say, Jake Tapper, where
is your book on Donald Trump's health? Because those cankles.
I was told.
Speaker 4 (25:43):
Presidential health and mental fitness was the central issue of
our time. I would like to see more reporting on that,
from more reporters on that. And then's just saying it,
you know, and not like Biden watched did he stumble
up a staircase today? As opposed to Trump, who goes
into every every cabinet meeting, every presser, every press availability,
(26:07):
on the plane, it's like herbal purple, Shamalalam ding dong,
and he's just saying shit and you don't know what
the fuck is happening.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
Rick Wilson, Yes, ma'am, will you come back?
Speaker 4 (26:19):
Of course I will. You know me.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
Heather Williams is the president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.
Welcome to Fast Politics. Heather, thank you.
Speaker 5 (26:29):
I'm excited to be here.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
So explain to us what you do, because I think
that's important data point.
Speaker 4 (26:35):
Yeah. Sure, So.
Speaker 5 (26:36):
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee is the national campaign arm
for state legislatures. We look across all the legislative races
and find the opportunities for Democrats to build power in
the states.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Yeah, we have a moment when Republicans are using the
states as an atm to get whatever they want. And
I would argue that the worst offender is Governor Greg
Abbott and ken Baxton, but there are certainly other states
where we've seen Republicans do just crazy shit at the
state level. And you could say, maybe it's started with Alec,
(27:09):
maybe it's started with you know, any number of things.
So there's so much anxiety about elections, and with good reason.
So at first, I want you to talk about ways
in which Democrats at the state level can protect our elections,
because elections are supposed to be administered at the state level.
Speaker 5 (27:25):
Yeah, I think, just grabbing on for just a second
onto your note about Republicans seizing power here in the States,
you know, this has been a build for them. They
really came into this in twenty ten with Project Red Map,
and we've been finding our way back since to get
to your point on sort of election security, if you will,
since Trump has been around. You know, we've won ten
(27:47):
legislative majorities and that matters because we have more power
in the states now. As you know, states are where
we determine our election laws. It's where we determine our
voting laws. These folks are on the front line line
and in so many of the battlegrounds where you know
sort of all of this is ground zero. We have,
you know, some lever of power in the states, and
(28:10):
you know that is what is going to carry us
through these next moments as we navigate this Trump approach
to elections.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
So that is.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
Good to hear. So tell me what that looks like.
And also, I do think Trump wants people to be
more scared than they should be. So explain to us
all of this.
Speaker 5 (28:31):
Yeah, I mean, listen, Like, fundamentally, Republicans need to turn
out their voters and they need every mechanism to do so.
Speaker 4 (28:38):
Right.
Speaker 5 (28:38):
They need voters to participate in our democracy through early
vote opportunities, whether that's by mail or in person. We
are seeing this in Virginia. They need folks to turn out,
and they need all those tools in their toolkits. So
the national narrative that the president is spinning and what's
happening on the ground as we work through all of
(29:00):
these election moments just look different.
Speaker 4 (29:03):
Right.
Speaker 5 (29:03):
We've been winning elections already in the States all year long,
and they have really been a democratic process, right, we
flip free Trump districts. They have been safe, secure, honest elections,
even when Democrats have won in places that they shouldn't have.
So I think we must imagine a future where we
think about all the things that could happen, but we
(29:24):
must also be resolved in what is happening so that
we continue to focus on the thing that matters most,
which is winning these elections and putting Democrats in more
power so that we can find our way through this mess.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
That's right, So talk us through what that looks like.
I want you to talk us through the different states
where Democrats have power and how Democrats are using that legislatively.
Speaker 5 (29:47):
Democrats have power over roughly like fifty percent of the
country in their state capitals. This is not obviously a
small number of people. You know, the policies that are
being moved forward in these states matters so much. It's
always matter, but it matters now because this is where
Democrats have power. We sit in the minority federally, we
don't have the presidency. This is where we are getting
(30:09):
things done. And we see both these legislatures, Democrats who
are leading these legislatures move on issues of affordability and
costs and sort of those kitchen table issues that voters
have been asking elected officials to pay attention to, while
also making sure that you know, people can get access
(30:29):
to healthcare and that they're able to tap into the
benefits and or services that they may need, and they're
going to continue to approach it, you know, both ways,
both finding a path forward for a country and in
their community that certainly deserves it, while also filling in
the deep polls that this administration has placed on communities
(30:53):
across the country.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
Right give us a state where this is happening.
Speaker 5 (30:57):
New Mexico is a really incredible example of moving forward
in like these times. They've they just passed some legislation
that helps ensure that New Mexicans can get health care
coverage as the ACA and Medicaid gets pulled back. It's smart,
but it's also very responsive to their community. You know,
(31:18):
we continue to see efforts to move forward policy and
education that ensures that all of our kids can be educated,
regardless of their learning style or learning ability. It's really
remarkable how contrasting it is between Republican state and a
state with democratic leadership delivering on the simplest things like
(31:39):
a budget on time, you know, the things that is
expected from one's state house. We're really seeing, you know,
Democrats lead the way, and we're going to continue to
see them.
Speaker 1 (31:50):
Virginia's a state that has a big off your election.
Just had a debate last night. The Democrat is pulling
to win. The Republicans have fired all the people work
in the state, so that may help the Democrat, I
don't know, but talk us through, like the House of
Delegates is all up. One year, we interviewed every single
(32:12):
person running for the House of Delegates, not every single one,
but many of the people running for the House of
Delegates and the state Senate, right and it was a
fascinating adventure. Talk us through how the state legislature works
in Virginia, because that's up now.
Speaker 5 (32:28):
It is it is. The House of Delegates is up
on November's ballot. There are currently fifty one Democrats, so
we have a majority by one seat. The state Senate
is not up for election this year, so it's just
the House of Delegates. The amazing thing that is happening
in Virginia is these candidates are of their community. They're
super representative. They are not career politicians. They are not
(32:50):
you know, folks that come with sort of that perspective.
They're there to serve their community and to do that
in the best way possible. So we start with really
excellent candidates in every district across the state, and I
think a resolve that the work here is to meet
voters on the issues that they actually care about, which
(33:12):
are these core kitchen table issues.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
Right.
Speaker 5 (33:14):
Virginia has an enormous federal workforce, it has deep federal
economic impact, but it's also a state that has medicated
expansion and rural hospitals and a port and military base,
and veterans hospitals, and the lack of care that Republicans
have for any of those communities, any of those issues.
(33:36):
It's showing up every day. And what we see is
the candidates are on the doors talking to voters every
single day. They're putting their efforts into having those conversations
with Democrats, with Republicans, with independents and making their case.
And you know, we're less than two weeks out. We
feel like they are in a strong position, but we
(33:56):
are by no means in an environment that we can
take anything for granted or assume that we are going
to coast to the finish lines. So everyone's working really hard.
They're going to be persuading voters all the way through
pools close on election day and a win here and
a win.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
In New Jersey, yeah, well, in a win.
Speaker 5 (34:15):
With the governor right means that we will have built
a new trifecta, which will certainly help our path forward
for Democrats.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
It's an interesting moment because in Trump one point zero,
what we saw was there was like people were just
fired up and they were like, Democrats are the vehicle
we are going to use to win power path. This time,
people are mad and they're mad of Trump, but they're
also mad at Democrats for letting them get into this position,
which they got themselves into. But whatever, we're not here
(34:42):
to play the blame game. So talk us through that.
Because we're seeing a map that we're seeing candidates that
you know, Democrats don't have the same power over their
base they did in twenty sixty.
Speaker 5 (34:52):
You know, I feel really strongly that our work is
to get out into these communities and to make the
case for both our party, our values, our path forward.
There is no one who is better to do that
than Democrats at this ballot level, right, state legislators. State
legisative candidates are very much of their community. They are
not career politicians, they are not often even full time politicians,
(35:16):
and they're like deep root in the community and willingness
to engage in just you know, regular dialogue about the
issues that we face, about the state of our community,
of our country, of the world. They're not overly scripted.
They care deeply, and there's so much authenticity in how
they approach things. And you know, when I think about
(35:38):
what you were saying about, you know, how things felt
in twenty seventeen versus how they feel now. We've picked
up ten chambers since then, we've put a bunch of
more Democrats in power, and we haven't lost sight of
the fact that we still have to go out there
every day and make our case clearly, make our case
with you know, a level of understand that this is
(36:01):
not about who is right or wrong, but it's about
how do we come together and create a new future
for ourselves, one that considers everyone. And you know, I
think this year we've seen we've seen some progress, right,
We've been winning elections, and so I feel like we
are certainly the sort of the anchor of the future
(36:22):
as we think about how do we hold space for voters,
for Democrats who are frustrated, who are exhausted, who are scared,
have those real conversations and continue to put one foot
in front of the other as we march our way
towards progress.
Speaker 1 (36:40):
So, you got to get people to vote, You got
to get legislation passed. You got to get it happening
at the state legislature. You got this sort of Medicaid
Obamacare repeal that the Trump administration has pushed through. It's happening.
You got the federal government shut down because it's happening.
(37:00):
Is a way to try to temper it from happening.
The most likely scenario is that Obamacare will in fact
be appealed, a lot of people will lose healthcare. There
is a theory of the case that Democrats should stop
trying to help people and let them lose stuff they
voted for. A lot of people in red states are
(37:21):
going to lose a lot of stuff they did, in
fact vote for Trump, they do, in fact pay lower taxes.
What's your theory about that.
Speaker 5 (37:28):
I saw an interview that AOC did and she said,
I'm here to fight for everyone, regardless of whether or
not you voted for me, regardless of whether or not
you agree with me. We should have healthcare in this
country right amongst so many other things. And I don't
know that allowing people will flee to suffer is the
path forward. I think we need to make sure that
(37:49):
we are running candidates in places that we haven't run before,
that we are reaching communities and voters that may not
be a part of our coalition right now, but are
looking for a path forward. And I believe strongly that that,
you know, we need to go out there and make
our case. Your point, though, is, you know heard that
(38:10):
this administration and this presidency is pushing all of these
decisions and these problems into the states, and they don't
just affect blue states. There are so many people who
are no longer going to be able to afford healthcare
I believe strongly that that is something that we fight
for for everyone, regardless of whether or not they'll vote
for us. I think that you've got an electorate who
(38:31):
still seems to be finding its way through whether or
not this administration, if they voted for them, are delivering
on their behalf, whether or not they need some more time,
you know. I think the more we get bogged down
in that, the less we are out there talking about
the things that we care most about that we know
we can do something about, like lowering costs and making
sure that people have access to clean air and potable
(38:55):
drinking water and good schools and you know, great communities,
And we've got to not just fight Trump, but we
need to show people the vision for the future. And
I'm not sure how we do that if we're allowing
people willfully allowing people to be in pain.
Speaker 1 (39:11):
Right, And it's a real question. I mean, that is
the real question. Candidates are so different, and all of
these states are so different, and legislative priorities are so different.
But give me one piece of legislation that you are
excited about.
Speaker 5 (39:26):
Oh, you know, I'm excited about the constitutional amendments that
the legislature will deal with in Virginia on the other
side of this election, it's marriage, it's voting rights restoration.
These are meaningful things for the state and for all Virginians.
And I think it goes to show that when you
put Democrats in charge, like your rights are expanded, and
(39:50):
they are expanded in a way that is really, you know, thoughtful,
and I think that they're going to do, you know,
really really good things there. The other thing that I
love is the free school lunches for kids. This is
a big thing that happened in Minnesota. It's happening in
a number of states across the country. Our kids are
best served when they can pay attention in the classroom
and they can learn, and they are set up for
(40:10):
success when they have full bellies and access to you know,
good nutrition. And you know, that helps everyone because we
need the next generation to come in and continue to
fight for our country and our values. And I think
those are two things that I'm pretty excited about.
Speaker 1 (40:24):
Yeah, that does sound good, Heather, Thank you so much
for coming on. Thank you. And a moment Rick Wilson, Yes, ma'am,
I have the moment of fuck Gray, did I.
Speaker 4 (40:37):
Let's do it. She's a Maverick a rebel.
Speaker 1 (40:40):
Now she's just a corrupt asshole, the one, the only.
Kristen Cinema.
Speaker 4 (40:48):
Kristen fucking Cinema now a lobbyist for Big Data Center,
saying to the people of Arizona, if you don't do
what I want, I'll have Donald Trump come and make
you do it. The problem is molly fucking believable. She
has always been a transactional, corrupt, ideologically malleable. It's like
a compliment to this woman. She's literally now working for
(41:11):
the AI tech overlords and using Donald Trump as a
threat to make people do what she wants. Unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (41:17):
In case you're wondering, Kristen Cinema, I have trouble thinking
of someone who is more evil and disappointing. I mean
I can because it's American politics.
Speaker 4 (41:27):
Jill Stein.
Speaker 1 (41:28):
Oh yeah, what happened to Jill Stein?
Speaker 4 (41:30):
Oh she's just she's resting. She'll be back to run
as a third party again, like a cicada, Like a
freaking cicada.
Speaker 3 (41:37):
God Almighty, that's.
Speaker 1 (41:39):
It for this episode of Fast Politics. Tune in every Monday, Wednesday,
Thursday and Saturday to hear the best minds and politics
make sense. Of all this chaos. If you enjoy this podcast,
please send it to a friend and keep the conversation going.
Thanks for listening and
Hi, I'm Molly John Fast and this is Fast Politics,
where we discussed the top political headlines with some of
today's best minds, and Scott Bessen says he's felt this
pain from China because he's quote actually a soybean farmer
and a one hundred millionaire, a multi hundred millionaire, a
(00:21):
five hundred millionaire. We have such a great show for
you today. The Lincoln Project's owner Rick Wilson joins us
to discuss Trump getting an illegal one hundred and thirty
million dollar donation from one of his creepiest donors. Then
we'll talk to the d LCC's Heather Williams about how
(00:42):
Dems win.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
But first the news, So, Molly, Scott Bessen went on
the Sunday shows, and I have to say there's a
very few appearances that generated more headlights because he said
more ridiculous things that most people do at these But
one of the things he says is that the US
will not lose money on the Argent bailout.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
So I guess we're all going to be eating our
Shetinian steak.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
You know, one of my favorite things about Scott Essen
is not his woodenness on television and it's not him
saying ridiculous dishonest things on television. No, no, those are
my favorite things about seeing them on television. My man,
the US will not lose money on its massive bailout
of Argentina because history is no guide for what happens
(01:25):
in the world, he continued, despite the fact that the currency,
like the dollar, is just going down the tubes. They've
gone all in on President Malay. You know why tell me,
because they want him to win. In order to rescue him,
they have pledged twenty billion dollar currency slop with the
(01:46):
Argentine Central Bank, the largest American bailout of another country
since we bailed out Mexico in nineteen ninety five. Besson
has also organized another twenty billion in aid from the
private sector. By the way, these people are very into
promising big money from the private sector. Usually that doesn't happen,
(02:06):
so we'll see. But I remember many a private sector
deals that never came to fruition. You and I know
this to be true. Donald Trump is always saying that
we're going to get ten gazillion dollars from this or that.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
You're telling me President deals doesn't live up to his brand.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
I mean, by the way. I just am curious, like,
did we get those ninety trade deals? Because it's been
more than ninety days, and I think it's.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Been another ninety days since those ninety days elapsed.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Right, it's ninety million days, That's.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
What every day this administration feels.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Like there iny million years.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
So Senator Lindsey Graham, a man that for as long
as he's been a senator, has been downright giddy. It's
not even the word I want to use for war
because he's so enthusiastic to it you would think that
you wanted to marry it. So he is very, very
excited to announce that Trump's were on Narco Terris is
going to expand the lads strike, which when it's not
in international waters, it kind of sounds like war with
(03:03):
another country, am I right?
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Molly?
Speaker 4 (03:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (03:05):
You know, Congress is supposed to approve wars. Now, I
know I'm lame saying that I think that Congress should
get approval for wars, because that is the way it's
supposed to work. Congress should give approval. But for whatever reason,
that is not what we're doing here, where just Trump
is just going to do whatever Trump wants. And you
(03:26):
know this happens to work for Trump because Mike Johnson
basically is at this point donald Trump's Valey and serves
at the pleasure of Donald Trump. As Donald Trump has
said before, by the way, this is just like this
narco terrorist thing is such fucking bullshit, because like, there's
no this is all completely crazy. Right, Like, we blew
(03:48):
up a bunch of fishing boats. Maybe some had drugs,
maybe some didn't. Most of them weren't heading towards the
United States. They were small boats. Nobody really knows, except
we know that the few survivors were they were so
guilty they were repatriated to their home countries without a trial,
a pretty good sign that they were probably able to testify.
(04:11):
So I'm going to say that clearly what's happening here.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Is fucked Yeah. Sounds very very bad.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Yeah. And also the pushback is coming from one Rand Paul.
Ran Paul Republican says he's been invited to no briefings,
adding a briefing is not enough to overcome the Constitution.
We've had no evidence presented, So at this point I
would call these extrajudicial killings. Good for Rand Paul from
(04:42):
Kentucky for saying what we all know to be true,
which is the United States government cannot just kill people
and then make up a reason for it later one.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Hundred percent Savali. As we know, they're having.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
To really dig through the bottom of the bear of
people who are willing to do this job as an
ICE agent since it's a not good job. And you'll
be shocked to hear they're not fully vetting people about
whether they have criminal records or not.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
I am just shocked. I am so shocked because I
was sure this ICE crew would be really thought, you know,
that people would be interviewed and trained and explained how
rights work and do process and Nope, just kidding. Let's
pull back for a minute and realize that deportation Barbie Ice,
(05:32):
Barbie Christy Nome spells it with an eye because that's
how she thought it was spelled, is just blowing billions
of taxpayer dollars. That is pretty much the good news
in a weird way. And again, you should look at
these videos out of Chicago. We should look at these
videos out of Chicago because Chicago is what this administration
(05:52):
wants for the rest of us. And they are smoke bombing,
they are going into residential neighborhoods. They are passing people working.
Here's what they're not doing anything helpful. Here's what they're
not doing fighting crime. Here's what they are doing. There's
a video of a couple, like a waspy couple. The
(06:13):
husband is in pajama pants and bare feet and they're
screaming at the ICE agents to get out of their neighborhood.
This is what is coming to all of us. This
is what our tax dollars are paying for. This is
what Christy Nome, who has two private jets for one
hundred and seventy five million dollars, and her right hand
(06:34):
hory Lewandowski, are doing to this country.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
So now, because the Democrats are going to make a
database where you can upload ICE's NonStop abuses of power,
and we're trying to put a little fear into these
officers to behave a little better. The Democrats are making
a tracker for this, and Christy Nome is threatening them
because she thinks they should be able to act with
full impunity and ignorance of the law, which is unprecedented
(06:58):
in America.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
Yeah, I mean, look, they are going to push and
they are going to do illegal stuff, and they're going
to do bad stuff, and the only way it stops
is if people say this is enough. And this is
a great example Robert Garcia doing God's work. We've established
in a misconduct tracker to document abuse and civil rights
(07:20):
violations by this administration, including where Ice has detained US
citizens and violated federal law. By the way, that is
what we should be doing. That is what all of
us should be doing. I mean, that's how all of
this is supposed to work. So correct. Good for again,
Representative Garcia. If life ever gets back to normal, I
(07:43):
hope that he will someday be in leadership. Rick Wilson
is the founder of the Lincoln Project and the host
of the Enemy's List. Rick Wilson, Well, I junk fast.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
How are you on this fine day in our so
called country.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
I'm just looking for a mysterious donor to donate one
hundred and thirty million dollars to pay one point three million. True.
I'm not a math genius.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
You know. I kind of do no math. And I
will tell you that math is not, as the kids
like to say, mathing in this case.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Yeah, So we're talking about Timothy Mallan volunteering to donate
one hundred and thirty million dollars, which is a lot
of money to us because we're poor, But to people
like this, you know, a childless billionaire, I think it's jumping.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
I mean, molly, let me, let me say this. He
is donating this money because Donald Trump does not want
Jeffrey Epstein files to be voted on in Congress. That's
why he's voting giving Trump this money. And he's doing
it with like the weirdest conditions and stipulations like you
must find Amelia air Arts. What fuck? And you know what,
(08:56):
It's funny because like a few weeks ago, I was like,
last Trump tweeting about a millionaire hurt? What is going
on here?
Speaker 3 (09:01):
What?
Speaker 4 (09:01):
What could be driving this? And you and I tend
to like no shit, And I'm just like I could
not figure it out. I was like, why is he
obsessed with Amelia Earhart? What is going on? And now
we know Timmothy Mellen wants to find Amelia air Art.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
So if they paid the troops out of this money,
it would be one hundred dollars a troop pretty much period.
So that's one hundred dollars that is, in case you're wondering,
not enough money.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
No case you're wondering that is that is.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Not enough money. Good but good headline for Trump. Go
the headline for Timothy Mellen. For people who don't read headlines,
and I want to go to headlines for a minute
because I want to talk about this gubernatorial race in
New Jersey. Yeah, it's a good headline for Trump. It's
a good headline for Timothy Mallen. For people who are
not paying attention, they think, oh, Timothy Mellen, billionaire. Yeah,
(09:58):
but if you can't actually pay, if it won't actually
pay the troops, then what what Hey, you.
Speaker 4 (10:07):
Know how we could pay the trips. You know, we
could pay the troops tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Tell me more.
Speaker 4 (10:12):
Open the government, stop being stop stop covering up the
Jeffrey Epstein files, and open the government. This is this
is something like like my tolerance for this because you know,
I'm not sure if you know this, but basically, people
in the United States military essentially do not make money. Yes,
it is not a place that people go to just
(10:34):
like racking Kwan.
Speaker 5 (10:36):
Just so like.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
People work in the federal government could be making more
in the private sector.
Speaker 4 (10:41):
Often they do it because they could be.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
They care about the country, which is why Russ Vaught
wants to put them in trauma.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
Quote in trauma in trauma. Yes, And look, Russ Vaught
is having the time. This is the best week of
restaurants that life. He is. He is getting a lot
of the torture of these so called evil bureaucrats that
he wants to apply, right he is. He's really getting
his way with a lot of the damage he wants
to do to these people. And he wants to make
(11:14):
federal service so miserable that they quit.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
Right or that they go.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
And look, a number of them are going to or
already have. But you know, the the the tiny little
inty bitty problems we're having in the country, like air
traffic controllers aren't getting paid, and our military isn't getting paid,
and our veterans benefits aren't getting paid. But who's getting paid.
Christy Noms film crew from Ice is getting paid. So yeah,
they could solve this problem tomorrow. Mike Johnson could say, Okay,
(11:45):
we're back in session, we're passing the cr I'm swearing
to add Grijalva. I give up. But they don't want
to give up because Trump is telling people. As we
saw that coverage of this week from the I think
the Washington Post. Trump enjoys how much a survi little
shipbird Mike Johnson is. How much he makes Mike Johnson obey.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
So there was a good piece in the New York
Times by one Annie Carney, who's been doing a really
good job comm yeah, covering what little converce is doing,
and she actually had this quote that Trump had said
basically that he was the Speaker of the House and
the president, which I think is absolutely right. And in fact,
(12:24):
one of the reasons why they are not able to
make a deal right now is because Democrats don't because
Democrats don't want to make a deal with Mike Johnson
because they know Mike Johnson isn't he doesn't, he is
not the boss.
Speaker 4 (12:40):
It's like running the entire government from it's like the House,
it's to the Senate, to the White House and everything
in between to the Supreme Court. There is no government
but Trump. You know, there is no data, only zuul.
This is Donald Trump. He runs all this. This is
all by his choice. And if Mike Johnson cared about
(13:03):
the House and cared about his members, and cared about
doing the duty that he has as an elected representative,
he would stop this bs, right, but.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
He doesn't have the power. He serves at the pleasure
of Donald Trump. And the thing is, Donald Trump has,
for whatever reason, decided he doesn't care right now about
domestic except because he's working on getting a Nobel Peace Prize.
And he's doing that by going overseas building right, Well,
that's not for the Nobel Peace Prize. That's just for
the Nobel you know, just the fun of cleptocracy.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
The arrogant, kleptocratic bullshit prize.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
Right. But Donald Trump is overseas. He's going to Japan,
he was, He's going to South Korea. He's zipping around
the globe. Even though I think that when you have
tanks in Chicago, you may actually off be getting the
Nobel Peace Prize.
Speaker 4 (14:01):
Discuss I'm gonna tell you from my understanding, tanks in
the streets of your country. I think pretty much anywhere
it might be a disqualifier for the Nobel I mean,
I'm just gonna say, I'm gonna I'm gonna take a
big leap here, Molly and just sort of sort of
sort of make a piece of enforced speculation that Donald
Trump's vibe set is not working for the Nobel Prize
(14:24):
Committee ever, and he's not going to get in this
year because it's already been issued. He's not gonna get
in this year because there is nothing he can do.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Except piss off India. Except piss off India.
Speaker 4 (14:35):
Why not, you know, because he's pissed off everyone else
at this point. That is very much on brand for
Trump at the moment, is to piss off as many
as many humans as possible.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
And this weekend we saw Donald Trump go basically to
again into trade war again with Canada because Canada had
this advertisement he didn't like, which was Ronald Reagan talking
about how he didn't believe in tariffs. Donald Trum got
very offended and said that it was fake news, despite
the fact that while it is a I it is
(15:07):
or no, it's not a.
Speaker 4 (15:09):
It was all this was footage from address Reagan read
on the radio and nineteen eighty seven about trade wars. Now,
what has pissed off the magas is that they didn't
run one line that was in the speech and said
sometimes tariffs for a brief period of time can be
useful and as a negotiating tactic or something like that.
And this was not a speech like how much he
loved tariffs, a speech about how much he hated tariffs,
(15:30):
and what freak Trump and his people out was. There
is still a core reality inside the Republican Party. Even
in today's perverse imitation of the Republican Party, Ronald Reagan
is still more popular rapes and he does not like that.
And this whole thing, this whole thing has become a
kind of pissing contest about now the legacy of Reagan,
(15:52):
who was not a tariff guy. He was a free
trade guy.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Free trader. Yeah, all Republicans have been free traders until
right now.
Speaker 4 (16:02):
Yes, yes, I mean talk, but I do know a
thing or two about this world.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Yes, as we live in the bad place that is
in fact, Oh yes we do. Oh, yes we do.
I want to talk about Donald Trump's poor coal link
for a minute, because I think this is my man
is underwater. Talk to us about those numbers. I feel
like you're looking up numbers right now.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
I'm looking at but I can just tell you Donald
Trump's numbers are shitty and yet visible, terrible and yet
also painfully obviously declining into the health space. The biggest
number you should look at right now is the thing
that subsumes all the other things, and that is the
right track wrong track. And about seventy percent of Americans
(16:48):
say the country is on the wrong track.
Speaker 5 (16:50):
Were united in everything is going to ship.
Speaker 4 (16:54):
Two percent of Americans agree that the cause of that
wrong track is one Donald John Trump. This is a
bad place for him to be in. He is not
he is not a popular president. And I just this
is one thing that in Congress there's a belief, well,
I if we cross Trump, we're going to face all
(17:16):
these political consequences. You might, you might if you let
Trump be the sole creator of the national narrative. And
you are the ones in Congress as Republicans who are
going to take all that radiation and take all that damage.
Donald Trump gets certain exceptions because he was a celebrity
and all the other things We've talked about a million
times about who he is in the culture. Right that's gone. Now, yes,
(17:39):
that do not exist. Ain't that? Ain't this world anymore?
Because of that, these Republicans are going to take absolute
whippings from their voters because you know what, they are
not happy with Donald Trump's performance in office. They are
pissed at the economy. They think the country's off on
the wrong track. They think that the immigration stuff has
(18:00):
gone too far. They think that Harris are a terrible idea.
There's almost nothing he's doing right now that is popular
with the American people, and people have sort of like
kind of ignored that that really fundamental underpinning fact. He
is a bad president and people don't like him. I mean,
I'm trying to put that in words that even the
(18:22):
MAGA listeners can understand. But he's a lot popular.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
Let's talk about what's happening in Iowa, Okay, because I
think that this is a really good example of Iowa
art for Obama twice. Yep, they voted for Trump, and
Trump has done some stuff that has put their their
GDP in a kilspin.
Speaker 4 (18:43):
No, I actually tailspan Limbell the bad place, the bad
he has. He has fucked farmers in this country, in
rural communities like Iowa, in a way that if you
set out to do it, it would be hard to
imagine you could do a more a more damaging job
(19:04):
than what he's done. And so, you know, you see
in the farm belt the realization that we're not going
to sell anybody any soybeans this year. We're not going
to sell anybody any beef this year. The timber industry
is now freaking out that they're that they're slowing down.
It was timber issue was a big export industry in
this country. They're now like freaking out because other countries
(19:25):
are like, no, we'll pass, We'll we'll get something, we'll do,
we'll do, we'll work with somebody else.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
This is from the New York Times. I was GDP
dropped by six point one percent, more than any state
aside from neighboring Nebraska.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
You know how many people are on a snap in Iowa?
Eighteen percent? You know who? He doesn't get snap anymore
in Iowa? Everybody?
Speaker 1 (19:48):
Yeah, because you know why why don't people get snapped?
Speaker 4 (19:51):
Because Donald Trump closed down the government to keep the
Epstein fires from coming out, and Russ Vaud is a sadist.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
And they could have done snap. In fact, previous shutdowns
had done snacks snap, just like just like they carved
out the bunny for wick right women, infant and children
so that you didn't have forty percent of pregnant women
(20:17):
dying starvation.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
These these these starving women in.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
Small Yeah, one weeksa do you see?
Speaker 4 (20:24):
That was a good one, You know, what they can
lift themselves up by their bootstraps, smalling little bootstraps. I
think I've had enough of accommodating these slackers.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Manufacturing, which drives seventeen percent of Iowa's economic output, has
been hit with higher production costs, in part because of guests.
Speaker 4 (20:41):
It would it be terriffs, Why it would be tariffs?
Why the answer would be terriffs.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
But I was told that the other people were going
to pay the tariffs.
Speaker 4 (20:49):
I keep hearing about these other people paying the tariffs,
and yet somehow it still seems to keep being Americans
paying the tariffs.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
It is bizarre. Now, I would like to say, these
people voted for Trump now are starving, but they're gonna
give Trump just one more shot.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
So look, I will say this, they are trust Trump.
There are still people who trust in Trump. There's still
people who believe in Donald Trump as the avatar of
all things, whatever you want, however you want to put it.
But that number is shrinking. The hardcore is now a smaller,
crazier edge, and the people who now understand the damage
(21:30):
he's done to them, that number is increasing, including in
these places where where you think, okay, it's rural Iowa
they're always going to love Trump. They're never going to
walk away from Trump. And what they'll do is many
of them will never walk away from Trump, but many
of them will say, you know what, I don't like
all this libtard blah blah blah, and quietly they're gonna say,
(21:54):
I can't vote for that. I can't vote for Republican X.
It is why you see even people like Ted who's
in a panic right now, there are a lot of
people in that Republican space who are looking at an
outcome for next year if they were not jerrymandered to the.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
Hilt, and even if they are, because and again this
is not to say that jerrymandering is good. They're cheating
and it's very bad. But you can't make votes you
don't have. So if you jerrymander to an R plus
four from a D plus two.
Speaker 4 (22:27):
And R plus four maybe was safe. Maybe in twenty
twenty six on R plus four is a tie ball game,
or on R plus six is a tie ball game. Right,
this is shaping into an election where where unless they
do something really extreme on the other side, you know,
like troops in the streets, I think they know that
(22:48):
their chances of holding onto the house now are absolutely
you know, fading by the minute.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
And that is why they're talking about doing troops in
the streets, and that is why it is going to
be a moment where we're all going to have to
say this is not okay. Like from Susan Collins to
Ted to Ted Cruz to everyone, we know we're gonna
have to be in the streets being like, look, we
have free and fair elections.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
Now.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
I want to move on to something else, which is
a question that has been going around. Steve Bannon sat
on television that Donald Trump is going to run again.
This is a thing people really like to say. The
Sea Pack, they had a third term project again, Donald
Trump pretty again a real danger. But I think that
we have to talk about one thing when we talk
(23:36):
about this, which is how old is Donald Trump.
Speaker 4 (23:38):
Well, let me put this way. I get how old
he'll be when he runs again, eighty eight if he does.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
Yes, at seventy nine, he was the oldest person to
ever be elected president. That is crul older than Joseph
Robinette Biden.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
Yes, also Gus. All right, first off, let's break Bannon
down into two boxes. One, Bannon is the king of
all bullshitter, and he's doing this to get on Trump's
good side and to and to keep himself in the
war room podcast.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
Right, My take is that it's better for Bannett Bannon
wants Trump to see him supporting him.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
That is correct. But I will also say if Bannon
finds a pathway that he can both monetize for himself
his podcast as media companies, bright barred, et cetera, and
he finds a path where where he thinks he can
somehow get the a a thinly argued but potentially Supreme
(24:36):
Court friendly third term lawsuit to the Supreme Court, he
will try to do it. He's not a guy with
a lot of shame. He will put.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
Things All things can be true, right, all things can
be true.
Speaker 4 (24:48):
But, as I like to say, if Bannon does start
to try to execute on this, and I'm gonna I'm
gonna tell my my liberal friends this, you don't have
to fight him just in court. You have to fight
in on every fucking access possible. You have to bring
a level of pain to the Republicans and to the
White House that they have.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
Previously, not a nonviolent pain, non violent pain, but sure.
Speaker 5 (25:09):
No violent.
Speaker 4 (25:11):
That's that's when that's when the Democrats in Congress justations.
That's when they say to the White House, we're cutting
the White House's budget, We're eliminating Russ Vought's salary. Exactly
through every aspect of this where they have to exercise
power in a way that Democrats often hesitate to exercise it.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
For sure, I do want to say, Jake Tapper, where
is your book on Donald Trump's health? Because those cankles.
I was told.
Speaker 4 (25:43):
Presidential health and mental fitness was the central issue of
our time. I would like to see more reporting on that,
from more reporters on that. And then's just saying it,
you know, and not like Biden watched did he stumble
up a staircase today? As opposed to Trump, who goes
into every every cabinet meeting, every presser, every press availability,
(26:07):
on the plane, it's like herbal purple, Shamalalam ding dong,
and he's just saying shit and you don't know what
the fuck is happening.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
Rick Wilson, Yes, ma'am, will you come back?
Speaker 4 (26:19):
Of course I will. You know me.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
Heather Williams is the president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.
Welcome to Fast Politics. Heather, thank you.
Speaker 5 (26:29):
I'm excited to be here.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
So explain to us what you do, because I think
that's important data point.
Speaker 4 (26:35):
Yeah. Sure, So.
Speaker 5 (26:36):
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee is the national campaign arm
for state legislatures. We look across all the legislative races
and find the opportunities for Democrats to build power in
the states.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Yeah, we have a moment when Republicans are using the
states as an atm to get whatever they want. And
I would argue that the worst offender is Governor Greg
Abbott and ken Baxton, but there are certainly other states
where we've seen Republicans do just crazy shit at the
state level. And you could say, maybe it's started with Alec,
(27:09):
maybe it's started with you know, any number of things.
So there's so much anxiety about elections, and with good reason.
So at first, I want you to talk about ways
in which Democrats at the state level can protect our elections,
because elections are supposed to be administered at the state level.
Speaker 5 (27:25):
Yeah, I think, just grabbing on for just a second
onto your note about Republicans seizing power here in the States,
you know, this has been a build for them. They
really came into this in twenty ten with Project Red Map,
and we've been finding our way back since to get
to your point on sort of election security, if you will,
since Trump has been around. You know, we've won ten
(27:47):
legislative majorities and that matters because we have more power
in the states now. As you know, states are where
we determine our election laws. It's where we determine our
voting laws. These folks are on the front line line
and in so many of the battlegrounds where you know
sort of all of this is ground zero. We have,
you know, some lever of power in the states, and
(28:10):
you know that is what is going to carry us
through these next moments as we navigate this Trump approach
to elections.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
So that is.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
Good to hear. So tell me what that looks like.
And also, I do think Trump wants people to be
more scared than they should be. So explain to us
all of this.
Speaker 5 (28:31):
Yeah, I mean, listen, Like, fundamentally, Republicans need to turn
out their voters and they need every mechanism to do so.
Speaker 4 (28:38):
Right.
Speaker 5 (28:38):
They need voters to participate in our democracy through early
vote opportunities, whether that's by mail or in person. We
are seeing this in Virginia. They need folks to turn out,
and they need all those tools in their toolkits. So
the national narrative that the president is spinning and what's
happening on the ground as we work through all of
(29:00):
these election moments just look different.
Speaker 4 (29:03):
Right.
Speaker 5 (29:03):
We've been winning elections already in the States all year long,
and they have really been a democratic process, right, we
flip free Trump districts. They have been safe, secure, honest elections,
even when Democrats have won in places that they shouldn't have.
So I think we must imagine a future where we
think about all the things that could happen, but we
(29:24):
must also be resolved in what is happening so that
we continue to focus on the thing that matters most,
which is winning these elections and putting Democrats in more
power so that we can find our way through this mess.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
That's right, So talk us through what that looks like.
I want you to talk us through the different states
where Democrats have power and how Democrats are using that legislatively.
Speaker 5 (29:47):
Democrats have power over roughly like fifty percent of the
country in their state capitals. This is not obviously a
small number of people. You know, the policies that are
being moved forward in these states matters so much. It's
always matter, but it matters now because this is where
Democrats have power. We sit in the minority federally, we
don't have the presidency. This is where we are getting
(30:09):
things done. And we see both these legislatures, Democrats who
are leading these legislatures move on issues of affordability and
costs and sort of those kitchen table issues that voters
have been asking elected officials to pay attention to, while
also making sure that you know, people can get access
(30:29):
to healthcare and that they're able to tap into the
benefits and or services that they may need, and they're
going to continue to approach it, you know, both ways,
both finding a path forward for a country and in
their community that certainly deserves it, while also filling in
the deep polls that this administration has placed on communities
(30:53):
across the country.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
Right give us a state where this is happening.
Speaker 5 (30:57):
New Mexico is a really incredible example of moving forward
in like these times. They've they just passed some legislation
that helps ensure that New Mexicans can get health care
coverage as the ACA and Medicaid gets pulled back. It's smart,
but it's also very responsive to their community. You know,
(31:18):
we continue to see efforts to move forward policy and
education that ensures that all of our kids can be educated,
regardless of their learning style or learning ability. It's really
remarkable how contrasting it is between Republican state and a
state with democratic leadership delivering on the simplest things like
(31:39):
a budget on time, you know, the things that is
expected from one's state house. We're really seeing, you know,
Democrats lead the way, and we're going to continue to
see them.
Speaker 1 (31:50):
Virginia's a state that has a big off your election.
Just had a debate last night. The Democrat is pulling
to win. The Republicans have fired all the people work
in the state, so that may help the Democrat, I
don't know, but talk us through, like the House of
Delegates is all up. One year, we interviewed every single
(32:12):
person running for the House of Delegates, not every single one,
but many of the people running for the House of
Delegates and the state Senate, right and it was a
fascinating adventure. Talk us through how the state legislature works
in Virginia, because that's up now.
Speaker 5 (32:28):
It is it is. The House of Delegates is up
on November's ballot. There are currently fifty one Democrats, so
we have a majority by one seat. The state Senate
is not up for election this year, so it's just
the House of Delegates. The amazing thing that is happening
in Virginia is these candidates are of their community. They're
super representative. They are not career politicians. They are not
(32:50):
you know, folks that come with sort of that perspective.
They're there to serve their community and to do that
in the best way possible. So we start with really
excellent candidates in every district across the state, and I
think a resolve that the work here is to meet
voters on the issues that they actually care about, which
(33:12):
are these core kitchen table issues.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
Right.
Speaker 5 (33:14):
Virginia has an enormous federal workforce, it has deep federal
economic impact, but it's also a state that has medicated
expansion and rural hospitals and a port and military base,
and veterans hospitals, and the lack of care that Republicans
have for any of those communities, any of those issues.
(33:36):
It's showing up every day. And what we see is
the candidates are on the doors talking to voters every
single day. They're putting their efforts into having those conversations
with Democrats, with Republicans, with independents and making their case.
And you know, we're less than two weeks out. We
feel like they are in a strong position, but we
(33:56):
are by no means in an environment that we can
take anything for granted or assume that we are going
to coast to the finish lines. So everyone's working really hard.
They're going to be persuading voters all the way through
pools close on election day and a win here and
a win.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
In New Jersey, yeah, well, in a win.
Speaker 5 (34:15):
With the governor right means that we will have built
a new trifecta, which will certainly help our path forward
for Democrats.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
It's an interesting moment because in Trump one point zero,
what we saw was there was like people were just
fired up and they were like, Democrats are the vehicle
we are going to use to win power path. This time,
people are mad and they're mad of Trump, but they're
also mad at Democrats for letting them get into this position,
which they got themselves into. But whatever, we're not here
(34:42):
to play the blame game. So talk us through that.
Because we're seeing a map that we're seeing candidates that
you know, Democrats don't have the same power over their
base they did in twenty sixty.
Speaker 5 (34:52):
You know, I feel really strongly that our work is
to get out into these communities and to make the
case for both our party, our values, our path forward.
There is no one who is better to do that
than Democrats at this ballot level, right, state legislators. State
legisative candidates are very much of their community. They are
not career politicians, they are not often even full time politicians,
(35:16):
and they're like deep root in the community and willingness
to engage in just you know, regular dialogue about the
issues that we face, about the state of our community,
of our country, of the world. They're not overly scripted.
They care deeply, and there's so much authenticity in how
they approach things. And you know, when I think about
(35:38):
what you were saying about, you know, how things felt
in twenty seventeen versus how they feel now. We've picked
up ten chambers since then, we've put a bunch of
more Democrats in power, and we haven't lost sight of
the fact that we still have to go out there
every day and make our case clearly, make our case
with you know, a level of understand that this is
(36:01):
not about who is right or wrong, but it's about
how do we come together and create a new future
for ourselves, one that considers everyone. And you know, I
think this year we've seen we've seen some progress, right,
We've been winning elections, and so I feel like we
are certainly the sort of the anchor of the future
(36:22):
as we think about how do we hold space for voters,
for Democrats who are frustrated, who are exhausted, who are scared,
have those real conversations and continue to put one foot
in front of the other as we march our way
towards progress.
Speaker 1 (36:40):
So, you got to get people to vote, You got
to get legislation passed. You got to get it happening
at the state legislature. You got this sort of Medicaid
Obamacare repeal that the Trump administration has pushed through. It's happening.
You got the federal government shut down because it's happening.
(37:00):
Is a way to try to temper it from happening.
The most likely scenario is that Obamacare will in fact
be appealed, a lot of people will lose healthcare. There
is a theory of the case that Democrats should stop
trying to help people and let them lose stuff they
voted for. A lot of people in red states are
(37:21):
going to lose a lot of stuff they did, in
fact vote for Trump, they do, in fact pay lower taxes.
What's your theory about that.
Speaker 5 (37:28):
I saw an interview that AOC did and she said,
I'm here to fight for everyone, regardless of whether or
not you voted for me, regardless of whether or not
you agree with me. We should have healthcare in this
country right amongst so many other things. And I don't
know that allowing people will flee to suffer is the
path forward. I think we need to make sure that
(37:49):
we are running candidates in places that we haven't run before,
that we are reaching communities and voters that may not
be a part of our coalition right now, but are
looking for a path forward. And I believe strongly that that,
you know, we need to go out there and make
our case. Your point, though, is, you know heard that
(38:10):
this administration and this presidency is pushing all of these
decisions and these problems into the states, and they don't
just affect blue states. There are so many people who
are no longer going to be able to afford healthcare
I believe strongly that that is something that we fight
for for everyone, regardless of whether or not they'll vote
for us. I think that you've got an electorate who
(38:31):
still seems to be finding its way through whether or
not this administration, if they voted for them, are delivering
on their behalf, whether or not they need some more time,
you know. I think the more we get bogged down
in that, the less we are out there talking about
the things that we care most about that we know
we can do something about, like lowering costs and making
sure that people have access to clean air and potable
(38:55):
drinking water and good schools and you know, great communities,
And we've got to not just fight Trump, but we
need to show people the vision for the future. And
I'm not sure how we do that if we're allowing
people willfully allowing people to be in pain.
Speaker 1 (39:11):
Right, And it's a real question. I mean, that is
the real question. Candidates are so different, and all of
these states are so different, and legislative priorities are so different.
But give me one piece of legislation that you are
excited about.
Speaker 5 (39:26):
Oh, you know, I'm excited about the constitutional amendments that
the legislature will deal with in Virginia on the other
side of this election, it's marriage, it's voting rights restoration.
These are meaningful things for the state and for all Virginians.
And I think it goes to show that when you
put Democrats in charge, like your rights are expanded, and
(39:50):
they are expanded in a way that is really, you know, thoughtful,
and I think that they're going to do, you know,
really really good things there. The other thing that I
love is the free school lunches for kids. This is
a big thing that happened in Minnesota. It's happening in
a number of states across the country. Our kids are
best served when they can pay attention in the classroom
and they can learn, and they are set up for
(40:10):
success when they have full bellies and access to you know,
good nutrition. And you know, that helps everyone because we
need the next generation to come in and continue to
fight for our country and our values. And I think
those are two things that I'm pretty excited about.
Speaker 1 (40:24):
Yeah, that does sound good, Heather, Thank you so much
for coming on. Thank you. And a moment Rick Wilson, Yes, ma'am,
I have the moment of fuck Gray, did I.
Speaker 4 (40:37):
Let's do it. She's a Maverick a rebel.
Speaker 1 (40:40):
Now she's just a corrupt asshole, the one, the only.
Kristen Cinema.
Speaker 4 (40:48):
Kristen fucking Cinema now a lobbyist for Big Data Center,
saying to the people of Arizona, if you don't do
what I want, I'll have Donald Trump come and make
you do it. The problem is molly fucking believable. She
has always been a transactional, corrupt, ideologically malleable. It's like
a compliment to this woman. She's literally now working for
(41:11):
the AI tech overlords and using Donald Trump as a
threat to make people do what she wants. Unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (41:17):
In case you're wondering, Kristen Cinema, I have trouble thinking
of someone who is more evil and disappointing. I mean
I can because it's American politics.
Speaker 4 (41:27):
Jill Stein.
Speaker 1 (41:28):
Oh yeah, what happened to Jill Stein?
Speaker 4 (41:30):
Oh she's just she's resting. She'll be back to run
as a third party again, like a cicada, Like a
freaking cicada.
Speaker 3 (41:37):
God Almighty, that's.
Speaker 1 (41:39):
It for this episode of Fast Politics. Tune in every Monday, Wednesday,
Thursday and Saturday to hear the best minds and politics
make sense. Of all this chaos. If you enjoy this podcast,
please send it to a friend and keep the conversation going.
Thanks for listening and
Host
Molly Jong-Fast
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