March 21, 2025 • 18 mins
In this episode, we grapple with balancing staying informed without falling into despair from constant news consumption. We then delve into the roles of Trump's nominated cabinet members such as Linda McMahon for Secretary of Education and Brooke Rollins for Secretary of Agriculture, scrutinizing their qualifications, histories, and the potential impacts of their appointments on education and agriculture policies in the U.S. The discussion covers issues like tariff implications, agricultural labor reliance on undocumented workers, and the broader consequences on food supply and farming subsidies.
00:00 Introduction and Catching Up
00:28 Balancing News Consumption and Mental Health
04:20 Impact of Cabinet Members on Daily Life
05:53 Linda McMahon's Background and Role
12:50 Brooke Rollins and Agricultural Policies
18:13 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Mandy (00:07):
We're back.
We're doing another one.
be the only get out,
Katy (00:13):
ha It's good.
I know we do have a long list ofactual episodes we need to to so
it's don't worry, it'shappening.
And I am very grateful to youbecause I do not want to dig
into the news still.
I'm still in a self imposedeverything but basic headlines
moratorium because it's, again,I feel guilty about it.
(00:37):
I don't know if that's the rightthing to do right now.
But.
I just am trying to payattention to local stuff that's
happening and
Mandy (00:48):
Well, there's just such a difficulty balancing not getting
completely overwhelmed andcrushed in this despair of
Everyday news cycle information,not getting distracted by all
the little bullshit things thatgo on so much so that we can't
actually mount a response toanything that matters and
(01:09):
keeping your sanity.
It's hard to find what thehealthy
Katy (01:12):
I think for me it is to focus on just like the same way
that performative justice workdoesn't really do much to be
like, I changed my profilepicture, like I, I, the flip
side of that is just consumingtons of news and being angry is
(01:32):
also not helpful to anyone.
So just trying to stay reallyanchored in being informed
enough to know where to show upand when to show up and then
like actually showing up andbeing part of.
Movement work and organizing andbeing informed so that my
(01:55):
organizing is strategic andmakes sense.
Does that make sense?
Mandy (02:00):
Mm
Katy (02:00):
Cause it, you can just doom scroll and then start to
just, feel awful.
And that doesn't do a whole lot.
And I'm in a position where noone in my immediate.
family of four, plus my dog thatI'm not planning on murdering in
the backyard, unlike KristiNoem.
That because none of us in thisexact moment are on like
(02:22):
heightened alert for our ownphysical safety, then I feel
like, okay then I will bebroadly informed with the
organizing work that I want todo.
And go from there.
I don't, it, that all soundslike, oh sure, easy to say but
hard to do.
I just like, I don't, I guess Iwant to read enough news and
(02:42):
stay informed enough to know,but not start to get sucked into
these deep dive despair handwringing, like that just doesn't
do any good.
It doesn't do any Do that.
Okay.
And it pretends, by the way,that like everything was super
awesome two weeks ago.
Mandy (02:58):
Or for the last four years,
Katy (03:00):
Or for the last
Mandy (03:01):
also
Katy (03:02):
years like it not so it's okay, stay focused on that and
go, even though course, thereare some like very immediate,
terrifying concerns.
I was just working on thisresource for teachers about how
to inform educators about whattheir rights are and what they
(03:23):
don't have to do in order toprotect undocumented students
and families.
so just
Mandy (03:29):
for healthcare workers.
I've things that have come outbecause now there used to be
protections, for where ICE couldgo.
And there were certain protectedplaces like schools and
hospitals, and those have beentaken away.
So now ICE can go into schools,they can come into hospitals.
And so there are resources outthere about as someone who works
(03:49):
in those places, what yourresponsibilities are, what you.
Don't have to do, the way youshould respond if you're asked
questions And I think that thosesorts of things are super
Katy (03:59):
Super super, super helpful.
And in fact, we can link tothose in the show notes because
like that, again, that's thekind of work I would rather be
invested in is like spending myonline time, looking at those
resources and putting thosetogether and disseminating them.
And, then another op ed pieceabout why this is all shit.
It's yeah, I get it.
I'm moving on.
Anyway, tell me about
Mandy (04:20):
one of the things I feel like these cabinet ladies
interestingly Will impact oureveryday Operations and so they
are more important than what youwould think Secretary of
Education, Linda McMahon,obviously if you have kids in
schools or you care about yourcommunity educated, this makes a
(04:41):
difference.
So her impact I think is morenoticeable maybe, but one that
I've never thought of, not oncebefore in my whole entire life,
but I think that will be veryimpactful in this current
situation is the agriculturecabinet member.
Katy (04:56):
so interesting.
You never thought it because youare from Iowa.
Mandy (05:01):
a farm state, I I've never, I mean, can you name one
past Ag Secretary?
Katy (05:06):
Tom Vilsack, our former governor.
but I also,
Mandy (05:10):
I failed as an Iowan, I've
Katy (05:13):
also from Iowa.
The only two I can Iowans, bythe way, but I have
Mandy (05:17):
course, are the only two that matter.
Katy (05:19):
there.
Yeah obviously, but it isactually fascinating the
programs that are housed underthe Department of Ag that you
wouldn't necessarily think arelike
Mandy (05:27):
Like SNAP.
Katy (05:28):
Yes, SNAP, exactly,
Mandy (05:29):
mm hmm,
Katy (05:30):
and the also regulations about sustainable farming or the
lack thereof, and so I thinklike our food supply, yeah, for
sure it definitely matters.
So I can't wait to hear aboutthe horrors that await us.
Mandy (05:41):
it.
Katy (05:41):
The hor, horrors.
Mandy (05:42):
I thought, I was like, what?
Katy (05:47):
horrors.
Yes.
Mandy (05:51):
Yep.
Okay.
Katy (05:52):
Mm hmm.
Mandy (05:53):
Linda McMahon, you said that she may be the only one you
know a little bit about.
What little do you
Katy (05:59):
I, just that she has some ties to like world wrestling and
I don't know, WWE, WWF, I'm notlike up to speed on the
distinction, but just that shewas somehow involved in that
Mandy (06:12):
Yeah.
Yes, so yeah, I'm not sure.
It used to be WWF, but I thinkthey had, there was like some
sort of name lawsuit, whatever,where there's also like some
wildlife,
Katy (06:25):
yeah.
The World Wildlife Fund.
Mandy (06:27):
World Wildlife Fund, and they had WWF first, and sued the
wrestling WWF, and so then theyhad to change to WWE,
Katy (06:35):
Oh, interesting.
Okay.
Okay.
Mandy (06:38):
Linda McMahon was married to Why am I blanking on his name
Katy (06:43):
I want to say Ed McMahon, but I know that's not right.
He's one who's like sweepstakesguy.
Mandy (06:49):
that up at your door.
Katy (06:52):
I've not thought about that guy in a long time.
Mandy (06:55):
Not a long time.
Vince McMahon.
That's who it is.
So he was like the.
wrestling promoter for WWE.
And when Trump was doing TheApprentice, they had some part
of The Apprentice show in 2007,where they were working with
Wrestlemania with thecontestants.
(07:17):
during that season, Trump wenton to A WWE event and shaved
Vince McMahon's hair in themiddle of the ring, was the big
thing the two them and then theywere best friends from there
Katy (07:32):
That's how we met, actually, in elementary school
was.
In the middle a wrestling ring,shaving each other's heads.
Mandy (07:38):
So Linda was also involved in the WWE.
She was like one of theirexecutives too but she left the
WWE to get into politics, andI'm not really sure what her
motivation in that was, but shedid run for U.
S.
Senate twice in 2010 and in2012.
She was, this was inConnecticut, and she was
(07:59):
defeated both times by theDemocrats in that, so she never
actually held a Senate seat.
And then she moved on after shelost those to running PACs and
conservative think tanks andraising millions of dollars to
help Trump get elected.
So in 2016, she apparently wasresponsible for a 6 million
(08:23):
donation to Trump's candidacy.
And then it's like even morethis time because there's a
conservative think tank that sheactually founded.
With Brooke Rollins, who is theAg Secretary nominee that we're
going to talk about these twoare very close with each other.
She is nominated now forSecretary of Education.
(08:44):
And you may ask, what are herqualifications?
Katy (08:49):
I do have that question actually.
Like at least Betsy DeVos isheinous, but at least she has
like a long track record oftrying to influence school
policy through her, whatfoundation or whatever to the
DeVos family has tried toinfluence charter schools for a
long time.
So it's I think her policies aregarbage and I think, that's,
(09:10):
that all sucked, but at leastthere's.
Like a semblance of aconnection.
Mandy (09:15):
Yeah, so the only things that McMahon has in her
background is that she was onthe board of trustees for
several years for a privatereligious university called
Sacred Heart University inConnecticut, and then she was
appointed in 2009 to be on theConnecticut Board of Education,
(09:38):
but she was only on that boardfor a year, and then she stepped
down.
So she was some private schooltrustee
Katy (09:45):
Ugh.
Mandy (09:45):
a while.
One year on the ConnecticutBoard of Education, and then she
told lawmakers when she wasnominated for the Connecticut
Board that she had a lifelonginterest in education and at one
point had planned to become ateacher.
And then she got married andthat goal went by the wayside.
To me, this sounds like if youput me as I don't know, some
(10:07):
sort of I would even say likeSurgeon General, which actually
Katy (10:10):
you have PS I would vote for you, confirmation.
Craig, you are a medicallytrained professional who's
worked in hospitals for almosttwo decades.
Yeah,
Mandy (10:19):
say, okay, so say it'd be like putting us on like the
board of like space explorationor something, if that because
when we were a kid, we wanted tobe an astronaut.
Katy (10:29):
yeah.
But then you got
Mandy (10:31):
equivalent, but then I got married and that, then, of
course, all career aspirationswent away
Katy (10:37):
No, it's,
Mandy (10:38):
anyway.
That's
Katy (10:38):
I, it's
Mandy (10:39):
That's it.
Katy (10:40):
sure.
That's what you wanted.
Don't say that at a hu like.
It offers nothing and actuallymakes me think you're very
stupid.
Mandy (10:48):
Yeah, I wanted to be a teacher.
That's it.
all she's got.
It's Yeah, she wasn't Trump'sfirst presidency.
She was involved, like I said,donated a bunch of money.
But then Trump also appointedher to be the leader of the
Small Business Administration.
Katy (11:05):
that makes more sense.
It still is not awesome, but itmakes more, it attracts a little
bit harder.
I, probably because he haspromised to get rid of the
Department of Education, maybeat a certain level it doesn't
matter.
But we'll see what happens.
I'll be super fascinated becauseso many parents were posting in
the aftermath of the electionwait, what?
(11:27):
My kids special educationservices are being threatened
because of the Department of Edpotentially going away, which I
would say that's something youshould find out before you vote
when that is a pressing concernfor your family, especially so
well, it's one of those campaignpromises that I'll be interested
to see what actually happensbecause I just, I think there
(11:50):
could be a lot of his supportersthat Think that wouldn't be good
for them.
So who knows but if you aregoing to abolish an entire
agency you could put Baron incharge of that who cares or
what's the daughter's name thathe doesn't care about?
put her Who cares?
Mandy (12:13):
We will see what happens with her.
She, so the PACs that she ranwas first in 2020 in the re
election that he lost to Biden.
He lost.
people he lost.
Katy (12:25):
Allegedly
Mandy (12:28):
she was the chair of the America First Action Super PAC.
And then for this last election,she helped to start the America
First Policy Institute, whichhas been called like the White
House and waiting and isbasically all the people who
are.
really going to be running theWhite House and Brooke Rollins,
who is our next one, and we'vefive
Katy (12:49):
Great.
Good.
Mandy (12:50):
her as United States Ag Secretary.
So she is from Texas.
She, her parents, or at leasther mom is in politics.
Her mom's elected to the TexasHouse of Representatives just
this last
Katy (13:04):
Oh, wow.
How old is she?
Mandy (13:06):
Rollins was born in 1972.
So her mom's to be like
Katy (13:12):
like late 70s at the
Mandy (13:15):
seventies.
I think I read something thatsaid that she was the oldest
freshman representative in the
Katy (13:23):
so now I'm very curious about her mom.
I can go down that rabbit holelater, but interesting.
Okay.
Mandy (13:28):
So she went to Texas A& M University.
She was the first woman to beelected student body president
at Texas A& M.
Interesting.
And she was an attorney.
She graduated from law school.
She's worked at a law firm.
Katy (13:44):
so far by the way I totally get Ag.
She is reading
Mandy (13:48):
coming across.
She grew up on a farm.
Katy (13:50):
4 H
Mandy (13:52):
what it She
Katy (13:53):
She thought about being a farmer one time.
Mandy (13:56):
Yeah she worked, she's worked with a lot of Republicans
in Texas.
She worked a lot with RickPerry.
Katy (14:05):
About him.
Mandy (14:06):
I know, right?
Katy (14:07):
Yeah.
Yeah
Mandy (14:12):
She's done a lot of like conservative think tanks kinds
of things.
In 2011 she was named one of the25 most powerful Texans.
Which is saying somethingbecause there is a lot of rich
Katy (14:25):
Yeah, and I've never heard of her but I'm not like, the
who's who of but yeah, okay
Mandy (14:31):
So in Trump's first presidency, she was acting
director of the United StatesDomestic Policy Council there
was some involvement or somestatements that she made at the
George Floyd murder,
Katy (14:44):
That we're insightful and
Mandy (14:45):
to like, yeah, of course, yeah, of course, just trying to
bring the country together Shedid say everyone needs to rise
above the division and divideand come together working
bipartisanly, because thathappened after And then she
founded the America First PolicyInstitute.
She's leader of the Save AmericaCoalition.
(15:05):
And then she just got nominatedfor Secretary of Agriculture.
So the interesting things I wantto point out from her hearing
really quick It's just that herjob may become pretty difficult
because of the tariffs thatTrump is imposing and because of
the mass deportation he has do,both of which hugely affect
(15:26):
agriculture.
Last time Trump was in officeand he imposed tariffs the
countries that he imposestariffs on retaliate by imposing
tariffs against us, which mainlyaffects our agricultural
community because that's one ofour main exports is ag and so in
order to make up for thosetariff retaliations, then we had
(15:49):
to subsidize farmers and hadover like a billion dollars in
subsidies that went to farmersbecause they were Affected by
these huge tariffs that othercountries put in which is bound
to happen again one we're justgonna have to pay out more and
more money to farmers tosubsidize them And then it came
up in the hearing that we knowthat at least 40 percent of
(16:12):
America's agricultural workersare undocumented and percent and
a number that she did notdispute and when people are
asking so what is gonna happento the agricultural industry
When 40 percent of the workerscould get deported and all she
came back with was just that shesupports Trump's deportation
(16:34):
efforts and people have to comeinto the country the right way
quote unquote and you know thatthis will just make America
stronger and We'll
Katy (16:44):
So what hear saying
Mandy (16:46):
and avocados and strawberries go down
Katy (16:49):
canned goods just stockpile canned green beans
right now is what I
Mandy (16:54):
yeah, it'll get it should get interesting.
So we will see how she Managesthat.
Katy (17:02):
It's also just one of those things that I don't
understand.
I guess people, have likedifferent reasons that they vote
for candidates, but that wassuch a clear campaign promise,
like a very consistent platformthat he ran on.
And then to have people whoselivelihoods and pocketbooks are
going to be very negativelyaffected, like whatever your
(17:24):
xenophobic, racist ideas are,like at the end of the day, you
would think that would Track forpeople, but maybe not.
That's a lot.
That's a lot of people.
Mandy (17:35):
yeah, so we'll see how the ripple effects of all of
that come down to everyone withour grocery bills with our foods
chain supply.
And then, of course, like youwere saying, there's also a
bunch of other things that thisdepartment does set standards
for school meal nutrition doesprovide programs like WIC and
SNAP.
Katy (17:54):
The FDA?
Mandy (17:55):
things are not
Katy (17:56):
No, I'm also wondering if the FDA is part of that agency
or like food like regulations offood safety.
Mandy (18:04):
a good question.
I think, I mean it has to
Katy (18:07):
I'm gonna go eat a giant meal that will last me several
years and hope for the best,
Mandy (18:13):
and we'll get into more of it next time.
our quick little wrap up.
Katy (18:17):
thank you for those.
I know I don't have anythingpithy and quippy to say about
these two, but they just they'reall so sad and bad.
where I'm at.
Mandy (18:26):
Yep.
All right, guys.
Talk to you soon.
Katy (18:30):
a good week.
Love you.
Bye.
We're back.
We're doing another one.
be the only get out,
Katy (00:13):
ha It's good.
I know we do have a long list ofactual episodes we need to to so
it's don't worry, it'shappening.
And I am very grateful to youbecause I do not want to dig
into the news still.
I'm still in a self imposedeverything but basic headlines
moratorium because it's, again,I feel guilty about it.
(00:37):
I don't know if that's the rightthing to do right now.
But.
I just am trying to payattention to local stuff that's
happening and
Mandy (00:48):
Well, there's just such a difficulty balancing not getting
completely overwhelmed andcrushed in this despair of
Everyday news cycle information,not getting distracted by all
the little bullshit things thatgo on so much so that we can't
actually mount a response toanything that matters and
(01:09):
keeping your sanity.
It's hard to find what thehealthy
Katy (01:12):
I think for me it is to focus on just like the same way
that performative justice workdoesn't really do much to be
like, I changed my profilepicture, like I, I, the flip
side of that is just consumingtons of news and being angry is
(01:32):
also not helpful to anyone.
So just trying to stay reallyanchored in being informed
enough to know where to show upand when to show up and then
like actually showing up andbeing part of.
Movement work and organizing andbeing informed so that my
(01:55):
organizing is strategic andmakes sense.
Does that make sense?
Mandy (02:00):
Mm
Katy (02:00):
Cause it, you can just doom scroll and then start to
just, feel awful.
And that doesn't do a whole lot.
And I'm in a position where noone in my immediate.
family of four, plus my dog thatI'm not planning on murdering in
the backyard, unlike KristiNoem.
That because none of us in thisexact moment are on like
(02:22):
heightened alert for our ownphysical safety, then I feel
like, okay then I will bebroadly informed with the
organizing work that I want todo.
And go from there.
I don't, it, that all soundslike, oh sure, easy to say but
hard to do.
I just like, I don't, I guess Iwant to read enough news and
(02:42):
stay informed enough to know,but not start to get sucked into
these deep dive despair handwringing, like that just doesn't
do any good.
It doesn't do any Do that.
Okay.
And it pretends, by the way,that like everything was super
awesome two weeks ago.
Mandy (02:58):
Or for the last four years,
Katy (03:00):
Or for the last
Mandy (03:01):
also
Katy (03:02):
years like it not so it's okay, stay focused on that and
go, even though course, thereare some like very immediate,
terrifying concerns.
I was just working on thisresource for teachers about how
to inform educators about whattheir rights are and what they
(03:23):
don't have to do in order toprotect undocumented students
and families.
so just
Mandy (03:29):
for healthcare workers.
I've things that have come outbecause now there used to be
protections, for where ICE couldgo.
And there were certain protectedplaces like schools and
hospitals, and those have beentaken away.
So now ICE can go into schools,they can come into hospitals.
And so there are resources outthere about as someone who works
(03:49):
in those places, what yourresponsibilities are, what you.
Don't have to do, the way youshould respond if you're asked
questions And I think that thosesorts of things are super
Katy (03:59):
Super super, super helpful.
And in fact, we can link tothose in the show notes because
like that, again, that's thekind of work I would rather be
invested in is like spending myonline time, looking at those
resources and putting thosetogether and disseminating them.
And, then another op ed pieceabout why this is all shit.
It's yeah, I get it.
I'm moving on.
Anyway, tell me about
Mandy (04:20):
one of the things I feel like these cabinet ladies
interestingly Will impact oureveryday Operations and so they
are more important than what youwould think Secretary of
Education, Linda McMahon,obviously if you have kids in
schools or you care about yourcommunity educated, this makes a
(04:41):
difference.
So her impact I think is morenoticeable maybe, but one that
I've never thought of, not oncebefore in my whole entire life,
but I think that will be veryimpactful in this current
situation is the agriculturecabinet member.
Katy (04:56):
so interesting.
You never thought it because youare from Iowa.
Mandy (05:01):
a farm state, I I've never, I mean, can you name one
past Ag Secretary?
Katy (05:06):
Tom Vilsack, our former governor.
but I also,
Mandy (05:10):
I failed as an Iowan, I've
Katy (05:13):
also from Iowa.
The only two I can Iowans, bythe way, but I have
Mandy (05:17):
course, are the only two that matter.
Katy (05:19):
there.
Yeah obviously, but it isactually fascinating the
programs that are housed underthe Department of Ag that you
wouldn't necessarily think arelike
Mandy (05:27):
Like SNAP.
Katy (05:28):
Yes, SNAP, exactly,
Mandy (05:29):
mm hmm,
Katy (05:30):
and the also regulations about sustainable farming or the
lack thereof, and so I thinklike our food supply, yeah, for
sure it definitely matters.
So I can't wait to hear aboutthe horrors that await us.
Mandy (05:41):
it.
Katy (05:41):
The hor, horrors.
Mandy (05:42):
I thought, I was like, what?
Katy (05:47):
horrors.
Yes.
Mandy (05:51):
Yep.
Okay.
Katy (05:52):
Mm hmm.
Mandy (05:53):
Linda McMahon, you said that she may be the only one you
know a little bit about.
What little do you
Katy (05:59):
I, just that she has some ties to like world wrestling and
I don't know, WWE, WWF, I'm notlike up to speed on the
distinction, but just that shewas somehow involved in that
Mandy (06:12):
Yeah.
Yes, so yeah, I'm not sure.
It used to be WWF, but I thinkthey had, there was like some
sort of name lawsuit, whatever,where there's also like some
wildlife,
Katy (06:25):
yeah.
The World Wildlife Fund.
Mandy (06:27):
World Wildlife Fund, and they had WWF first, and sued the
wrestling WWF, and so then theyhad to change to WWE,
Katy (06:35):
Oh, interesting.
Okay.
Okay.
Mandy (06:38):
Linda McMahon was married to Why am I blanking on his name
Katy (06:43):
I want to say Ed McMahon, but I know that's not right.
He's one who's like sweepstakesguy.
Mandy (06:49):
that up at your door.
Katy (06:52):
I've not thought about that guy in a long time.
Mandy (06:55):
Not a long time.
Vince McMahon.
That's who it is.
So he was like the.
wrestling promoter for WWE.
And when Trump was doing TheApprentice, they had some part
of The Apprentice show in 2007,where they were working with
Wrestlemania with thecontestants.
(07:17):
during that season, Trump wenton to A WWE event and shaved
Vince McMahon's hair in themiddle of the ring, was the big
thing the two them and then theywere best friends from there
Katy (07:32):
That's how we met, actually, in elementary school
was.
In the middle a wrestling ring,shaving each other's heads.
Mandy (07:38):
So Linda was also involved in the WWE.
She was like one of theirexecutives too but she left the
WWE to get into politics, andI'm not really sure what her
motivation in that was, but shedid run for U.
S.
Senate twice in 2010 and in2012.
She was, this was inConnecticut, and she was
(07:59):
defeated both times by theDemocrats in that, so she never
actually held a Senate seat.
And then she moved on after shelost those to running PACs and
conservative think tanks andraising millions of dollars to
help Trump get elected.
So in 2016, she apparently wasresponsible for a 6 million
(08:23):
donation to Trump's candidacy.
And then it's like even morethis time because there's a
conservative think tank that sheactually founded.
With Brooke Rollins, who is theAg Secretary nominee that we're
going to talk about these twoare very close with each other.
She is nominated now forSecretary of Education.
(08:44):
And you may ask, what are herqualifications?
Katy (08:49):
I do have that question actually.
Like at least Betsy DeVos isheinous, but at least she has
like a long track record oftrying to influence school
policy through her, whatfoundation or whatever to the
DeVos family has tried toinfluence charter schools for a
long time.
So it's I think her policies aregarbage and I think, that's,
(09:10):
that all sucked, but at leastthere's.
Like a semblance of aconnection.
Mandy (09:15):
Yeah, so the only things that McMahon has in her
background is that she was onthe board of trustees for
several years for a privatereligious university called
Sacred Heart University inConnecticut, and then she was
appointed in 2009 to be on theConnecticut Board of Education,
(09:38):
but she was only on that boardfor a year, and then she stepped
down.
So she was some private schooltrustee
Katy (09:45):
Ugh.
Mandy (09:45):
a while.
One year on the ConnecticutBoard of Education, and then she
told lawmakers when she wasnominated for the Connecticut
Board that she had a lifelonginterest in education and at one
point had planned to become ateacher.
And then she got married andthat goal went by the wayside.
To me, this sounds like if youput me as I don't know, some
(10:07):
sort of I would even say likeSurgeon General, which actually
Katy (10:10):
you have PS I would vote for you, confirmation.
Craig, you are a medicallytrained professional who's
worked in hospitals for almosttwo decades.
Yeah,
Mandy (10:19):
say, okay, so say it'd be like putting us on like the
board of like space explorationor something, if that because
when we were a kid, we wanted tobe an astronaut.
Katy (10:29):
yeah.
But then you got
Mandy (10:31):
equivalent, but then I got married and that, then, of
course, all career aspirationswent away
Katy (10:37):
No, it's,
Mandy (10:38):
anyway.
That's
Katy (10:38):
I, it's
Mandy (10:39):
That's it.
Katy (10:40):
sure.
That's what you wanted.
Don't say that at a hu like.
It offers nothing and actuallymakes me think you're very
stupid.
Mandy (10:48):
Yeah, I wanted to be a teacher.
That's it.
all she's got.
It's Yeah, she wasn't Trump'sfirst presidency.
She was involved, like I said,donated a bunch of money.
But then Trump also appointedher to be the leader of the
Small Business Administration.
Katy (11:05):
that makes more sense.
It still is not awesome, but itmakes more, it attracts a little
bit harder.
I, probably because he haspromised to get rid of the
Department of Education, maybeat a certain level it doesn't
matter.
But we'll see what happens.
I'll be super fascinated becauseso many parents were posting in
the aftermath of the electionwait, what?
(11:27):
My kids special educationservices are being threatened
because of the Department of Edpotentially going away, which I
would say that's something youshould find out before you vote
when that is a pressing concernfor your family, especially so
well, it's one of those campaignpromises that I'll be interested
to see what actually happensbecause I just, I think there
(11:50):
could be a lot of his supportersthat Think that wouldn't be good
for them.
So who knows but if you aregoing to abolish an entire
agency you could put Baron incharge of that who cares or
what's the daughter's name thathe doesn't care about?
put her Who cares?
Mandy (12:13):
We will see what happens with her.
She, so the PACs that she ranwas first in 2020 in the re
election that he lost to Biden.
He lost.
people he lost.
Katy (12:25):
Allegedly
Mandy (12:28):
she was the chair of the America First Action Super PAC.
And then for this last election,she helped to start the America
First Policy Institute, whichhas been called like the White
House and waiting and isbasically all the people who
are.
really going to be running theWhite House and Brooke Rollins,
who is our next one, and we'vefive
Katy (12:49):
Great.
Good.
Mandy (12:50):
her as United States Ag Secretary.
So she is from Texas.
She, her parents, or at leasther mom is in politics.
Her mom's elected to the TexasHouse of Representatives just
this last
Katy (13:04):
Oh, wow.
How old is she?
Mandy (13:06):
Rollins was born in 1972.
So her mom's to be like
Katy (13:12):
like late 70s at the
Mandy (13:15):
seventies.
I think I read something thatsaid that she was the oldest
freshman representative in the
Katy (13:23):
so now I'm very curious about her mom.
I can go down that rabbit holelater, but interesting.
Okay.
Mandy (13:28):
So she went to Texas A& M University.
She was the first woman to beelected student body president
at Texas A& M.
Interesting.
And she was an attorney.
She graduated from law school.
She's worked at a law firm.
Katy (13:44):
so far by the way I totally get Ag.
She is reading
Mandy (13:48):
coming across.
She grew up on a farm.
Katy (13:50):
4 H
Mandy (13:52):
what it She
Katy (13:53):
She thought about being a farmer one time.
Mandy (13:56):
Yeah she worked, she's worked with a lot of Republicans
in Texas.
She worked a lot with RickPerry.
Katy (14:05):
About him.
Mandy (14:06):
I know, right?
Katy (14:07):
Yeah.
Yeah
Mandy (14:12):
She's done a lot of like conservative think tanks kinds
of things.
In 2011 she was named one of the25 most powerful Texans.
Which is saying somethingbecause there is a lot of rich
Katy (14:25):
Yeah, and I've never heard of her but I'm not like, the
who's who of but yeah, okay
Mandy (14:31):
So in Trump's first presidency, she was acting
director of the United StatesDomestic Policy Council there
was some involvement or somestatements that she made at the
George Floyd murder,
Katy (14:44):
That we're insightful and
Mandy (14:45):
to like, yeah, of course, yeah, of course, just trying to
bring the country together Shedid say everyone needs to rise
above the division and divideand come together working
bipartisanly, because thathappened after And then she
founded the America First PolicyInstitute.
She's leader of the Save AmericaCoalition.
(15:05):
And then she just got nominatedfor Secretary of Agriculture.
So the interesting things I wantto point out from her hearing
really quick It's just that herjob may become pretty difficult
because of the tariffs thatTrump is imposing and because of
the mass deportation he has do,both of which hugely affect
(15:26):
agriculture.
Last time Trump was in officeand he imposed tariffs the
countries that he imposestariffs on retaliate by imposing
tariffs against us, which mainlyaffects our agricultural
community because that's one ofour main exports is ag and so in
order to make up for thosetariff retaliations, then we had
(15:49):
to subsidize farmers and hadover like a billion dollars in
subsidies that went to farmersbecause they were Affected by
these huge tariffs that othercountries put in which is bound
to happen again one we're justgonna have to pay out more and
more money to farmers tosubsidize them And then it came
up in the hearing that we knowthat at least 40 percent of
(16:12):
America's agricultural workersare undocumented and percent and
a number that she did notdispute and when people are
asking so what is gonna happento the agricultural industry
When 40 percent of the workerscould get deported and all she
came back with was just that shesupports Trump's deportation
(16:34):
efforts and people have to comeinto the country the right way
quote unquote and you know thatthis will just make America
stronger and We'll
Katy (16:44):
So what hear saying
Mandy (16:46):
and avocados and strawberries go down
Katy (16:49):
canned goods just stockpile canned green beans
right now is what I
Mandy (16:54):
yeah, it'll get it should get interesting.
So we will see how she Managesthat.
Katy (17:02):
It's also just one of those things that I don't
understand.
I guess people, have likedifferent reasons that they vote
for candidates, but that wassuch a clear campaign promise,
like a very consistent platformthat he ran on.
And then to have people whoselivelihoods and pocketbooks are
going to be very negativelyaffected, like whatever your
(17:24):
xenophobic, racist ideas are,like at the end of the day, you
would think that would Track forpeople, but maybe not.
That's a lot.
That's a lot of people.
Mandy (17:35):
yeah, so we'll see how the ripple effects of all of
that come down to everyone withour grocery bills with our foods
chain supply.
And then, of course, like youwere saying, there's also a
bunch of other things that thisdepartment does set standards
for school meal nutrition doesprovide programs like WIC and
SNAP.
Katy (17:54):
The FDA?
Mandy (17:55):
things are not
Katy (17:56):
No, I'm also wondering if the FDA is part of that agency
or like food like regulations offood safety.
Mandy (18:04):
a good question.
I think, I mean it has to
Katy (18:07):
I'm gonna go eat a giant meal that will last me several
years and hope for the best,
Mandy (18:13):
and we'll get into more of it next time.
our quick little wrap up.
Katy (18:17):
thank you for those.
I know I don't have anythingpithy and quippy to say about
these two, but they just they'reall so sad and bad.
where I'm at.
Mandy (18:26):
Yep.
All right, guys.
Talk to you soon.
Katy (18:30):
a good week.
Love you.
Bye.
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