June 19, 2025 • 30 mins
What drives a pediatrician with nearly two decades of experience to challenge one of the Senate's most powerful Republicans? In this compelling conversation, Dr. Annie Andrews reveals the moment she realized "nobody was coming to save us" and decided to take on Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.
From hospital rooms to campaign trails, Dr. Andrews shares how treating vulnerable children transformed her understanding of America's broken systems. She recounts heartbreaking stories of families making impossible choices between medication and necessities, parents worrying about insurance coding while their child lies critically ill, and her own six-year-old casually describing active shooter drills with disturbing normalcy. These daily realities fueled her transition from medicine to politics.
"I'm a mom, of course I fight. That's not political, that's instinct," explains Andrews, contrasting her motivation with career politicians who prioritize donors and power. Her candidacy represents something increasingly rare in American politics—authentic leadership driven by genuine concern rather than ambition. As she puts it, "We're not just going to stop Donald Trump; we're going to fight for you."
Dr. Andrews offers a refreshing perspective on political engagement, emphasizing that fighting for democracy shouldn't mean sacrificing joy. "If we lose our joy, we won't remember what we're fighting for," she reminds listeners, a philosophy that guides both her medical practice and political campaign.
Want to support a pediatrician taking on Lindsey Graham? Visit https://www.DrAnnieAndrews.com to join a movement focused on healthcare access, children's welfare, and rebuilding a system that works for everyone, not just the powerful.
The Jack Hopkins Now Newsletter https://wwwJackHopkinsNow.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello and welcome to the Jack Hopkins Show podcast.
I'm your host, Jack Hopkins.
Dr Annie Andrews is apediatrician and a mom, not a
politician.
She spent her entire careerserving South Carolina families,
not donors and lobbyists, andshe's running for Senate because
kids and parents across thestate are getting screwed by a
(00:21):
system designed to work for thepowerful but not the rest of us.
After nearly two decades inchildren's hospitals, Annie saw
how Washington's failures reachall the way into her exam room
every day Kids shot in their ownneighborhoods, Parents forced
to ration medication, Familiesunable to find mental health
care.
(00:41):
So she got involved in advocacyand policy, and what she saw in
the halls of power appalled her.
She's running to defeat SenatorLindsey Graham in November and
I'm honored to have her as myguest today on the Jack Hopkins
Show podcast.
I think you're going to like DrAndrews and her vision for the
future as much as I did.
(01:02):
Okay, welcome, Dr Emmy Andrews.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Thank you so much, jack.
I'm so happy to be here Okaywelcome, dr Annie Andrews.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Thank you so much, Jack.
I'm so happy to be here.
Well, fantastic, I've beenexcited about having you on, and
I'll get straight to the point.
You are running to defeatSenator Lindsey Graham, and I
don't think for most peoplelistening why that is, it won't
be a big mystery.
But I'm going to let you talkabout some of your specific
reasons.
But I want to start with somethings that you've said in the
(01:30):
past that I found particularlyinspiring.
But I know there's more to thecomment.
There's a bigger backstory andI'll let you talk about that.
One thing I realized nobody wascoming to save us, and I think
most of us have had that feelingby now.
If not, they've probably beenunder a rock somewhere or in a
(01:51):
cave.
But tell me about the contextof your personal reason.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Yeah, happy to Thank you so much for this opportunity
.
I'm not a career politician.
I never planned to get involvedin politics.
I'm a mom of my own threeincredible children and I'm a
pediatrician.
And I actually decided to be adoctor when I was four.
I told my preschool teacherwhen I grow up, I want to be a
doctor and a mommy with threekids, and I set myself on that
path.
(02:16):
I never wavered from that pathand I love being a pediatrician.
But most people don't have theprivilege of spending their days
inside the walls of achildren's hospital, and what I
saw there for nearly two decadesis what drove me into politics.
Because as a pediatrician in achildren's hospital, I take care
nearly every day of childrenwho are hungry and don't know
(02:37):
where their next meal is comingfrom.
Children who are beingdiagnosed with a new chronic
disease like asthma or diabetesand their parents aren't sure if
they can afford theirprescription drugs.
Children who are in the throesof a mental health crisis and,
despite their best efforts,their families can't find mental
health resources for them.
And far too many children whohave been shot.
(02:59):
So, day after day, hospital roomto hospital room, I grew
increasingly frustrated andconcerned about America's
children.
So I started looking upstream.
I looked to my state capital inColumbia, South Carolina, and I
looked to Washington DC andwhat I found appalled me.
Far too few of our leaders arefighting for America's children,
and a big problem there is.
(03:20):
We have career corruptpoliticians like Lindsey Graham
who will sell our kids out aslong as it means they can hold
on to power.
So I realized the system wasbroken.
These broken policies werehurting kids and families long
before they ever showed up atthe children's hospital and,
like you just said, no one wascoming to save them.
So I got off the sidelines andI got involved.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Fantastic.
Let me ask you something.
I was a hospital corpsman inthe Navy and I later got out and
did some nursing before I tookthe psychology track.
But as a hospital corpsman Iwas a senior corpsman on an
oncology floor for about a yearand I know what it feels like to
be giving care to somebody thatyou know is not going to live,
(04:05):
and I know how helpless that is,especially when they're very
young.
So I know that.
What I don't know, what I can'tget my hands around but I have
a feeling you can is how itfeels to know that may be true
for your patient, because themoney's not there, that you
could prolong their life or youcould do something for them, but
(04:26):
the funds are not available andyou know right then, and there
you're not going to be able todo what you could otherwise do.
What's that like?
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Yeah Well, first, thank you for your service to
this country.
It's heartbreaking, and a lotof people, when I'd made the
decision to go into pediatricsspecifically, a lot of people
said how can you work in achildren's hospital, isn't it so
depressing?
And I have found the oppositeto be true, because children's
hospitals are filled withfamilies in their darkest days,
but they're also filled with somuch hope and love and empathy
(04:59):
and bravery.
And standing at the bedside ofa child who is being diagnosed
with a fatal condition or achild who has experienced a near
fatal accident, like a caraccident or a gunshot wound,
that stuff stays with you and itmoves me to do this work every
single day.
I've been in the health caresystem as a provider for nearly
(05:19):
20 years and our system isbroken.
Too many patients cannot accessquality, affordable primary
care and therefore they comeinto the emergency department
with advanced stages of diseaseor uncontrolled chronic diseases
that will impact their abilityto contribute meaningfully to
society.
It is morally and ethicallywrong for us to continue to live
(05:42):
in a country where so fewpeople have access to the
quality and affordable healthcare that they need and deserve,
and here we are on theprecipice of this horrific bill
that is being championed byRepublicans like Lindsey Graham
that will completely gut ournation's Medicaid program.
Medicaid is the largest insurerof children in South Carolina
(06:03):
and in the United States.
We're going to rip away healthcare from the most vulnerable
members of our communities ourchildren who are growing up in
poverty, pregnant women,disabled people and people on
Medicare.
It's not okay.
At the same time, they're goingto cut Medicare and they're
going to slash the NIH budget.
Things will shutter.
It'll start in rural areas andthen it'll come to our large
(06:25):
health centers, our academichealth centers.
They cannot keep their doorsopen.
This is a coordinated attack onour nation's health care system
and on our public healthinfrastructure that will take
decades to recover from, andthis is one of the prime reasons
I decided despite my bestinterests probably to get in
this race to run against LindseyGraham.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Fantastic.
Something else you said.
I kept seeing the same storyand for further context, I
wasn't just treating sick kids,I was watching a system fail
them, and the more I watched,the more I knew I had to do
something.
Now this goes back and kind ofunderscores what you just said.
Could you talk just a moment?
I know this is something mostpeople, at least on the side
(07:07):
fighting for democracy get, butthis doesn't just hurt Democrats
, this cuts across both parties.
Can you talk just a momentabout that?
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Yeah, I mean, health care is something we all rely on
, red or blue, and the fact ofthe matter is red states quote
unquote red states like SouthCarolina that continue to send
Republicans to Washington DC aregoing to be more negatively
impacted by these Medicaid cuts.
We have a higher proportion ofour population on Medicaid than
other states.
We rely on these programs.
(07:39):
And the other thing is somepeople might think well, you
know, no one in my family is onMedicaid, so I don't need to get
involved in this conversationwhen you cut our largest insurer
of children and the insuranceprogram that pays for 50% of
deliveries in South Carolina,that's going to crowd our
emergency departments.
Because when your child losestheir health care and you don't
(08:00):
have anywhere to turn, you waitfor them to get sicker and then
you finally show up in anemergency department to seek the
care that you should have beenable to seek in a primary care
office.
And so that means when my kidfalls off the monkey bars and
breaks the wrist and I show upto the emergency department,
that emergency department isgoing to be overcrowded with
people who could not accesshealth care anywhere else.
(08:22):
It is going to crowd ouremergency departments.
It is going to raise the costof health care for all of us,
and this is while our hospitalscan afford to stay open.
But when you have uninsuredpeople showing up in an
emergency department, thosepeople receive care because that
is the duty of the emergencydepartment, and those costs get
passed on to those of us withprivate health insurance.
Our premiums rise to overcomethe uninsured patients who are
(08:45):
showing up.
So this negatively impactsevery single one of us, no
matter what type of health carewe have.
So if the moral argumentdoesn't move you, then the
economic argument certainlyshould.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
Absolutely.
My oldest daughter is an ERnurse right, and I live in a
rural area.
Seven out of 10 people votedfor Donald Trump in the last
election.
A big portion of the people whovoted for Donald Trump and I
know this for a fact are onMedicaid right Now.
My daughter made a comment Imean heartbroken because she
told me and you know this betterthan anybody when people aren't
(09:20):
feeling well and have somethingthat probably is an emergency
and they probably should come tothe ER, they are not going to
and some of them will die, youknow, so let's I like this one.
He said I'm a mom, of course Ifight.
I fight for my kids everysingle day.
That's not political, that'sinstinct.
You know.
(09:40):
That's such a refreshing thingfor me to hear and, I think, for
a lot of the listeners.
For this reason, we have fartoo much politics where
everything is cut and dry, blackand white, there's no gray area
, there are no feelings.
That's not political, that'sinstinctual.
Tells me that you just aren'tthinking numbers, you are
(10:02):
thinking feelings, emotions,lives, families.
Expand a little bit on thatthought of you know, of course
I'm a mom.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Yes, you know people don't believe me when I say this
, but I am an introvert.
I am not a joiner, I am a rulefollower.
But I shed every singleinsecurity I had about what
spaces I may or may not belongin when I became a mother,
because the stakes just changed.
You know, I have threebeautiful, amazing children and
(10:32):
I do this work for them, and itdoesn't matter if I feel
uncomfortable in these spaces orI need to learn how to be an
effective public speaker.
Raise my hand and run againstone of our nation's top
Republican villains.
I'm doing it for my kids becauseI have no choice, because we
have one political party in thiscountry that wants to keep
child care unaffordable, thatwants to rip away health care
(10:55):
from children, that cares moreabout the gun lobby than
children's safety in theirclassrooms and really does not,
frankly, give a damn aboutAmerica's children.
It is not about red or blue forme, but I am a proud Democrat
because I see the Democratsfighting to lift children out of
poverty, to provide them withhealth care, to provide them
with a quality education, toaddress the climate crisis, so
(11:17):
our children and grandchildrencan enjoy this beautiful planet
we call home.
And so, yes, it's my mama bearinstinct that lit this fire
inside of me that keeps me goingevery single day, and I want
people to understand my story sothey can see that agency within
them, because there are so manypissed off moms and dads and
grandparents but they don'tnecessarily feel like they're
(11:40):
capable of doing the things thatI've done.
But I was just like them.
I was essentially a checked out, busy mom, busy working mom.
But I see the stakes.
I found my own agency and myown voice and I have put myself
out here in the biggest, mostdramatic way possible to fight
for the things I believe in.
And everyone else has the powerto do that as well.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
Now tell me, correct me if I'm wrong, but at one
point you had actually put yourpractice on hold to get involved
in some very important work.
Can you tell me a little bitabout that?
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Yeah, you know I was a full-time pediatrician working
in the Children's Hospital herein Charleston, south Carolina,
for nearly 15 years when Idecided to run for Congress in
2022 against Nancy Mace andduring that election cycle, you
know she played really dirty notsurprising and made it a lot
about the issue of genderaffirming care, because she sees
(12:36):
that as a cultural wedge issueto divide our communities and,
of course, she doesn't careabout throwing vulnerable
children under the bus.
And it got very heated and Iworked at the public institution
here in Charleston, southCarolina, and there was a lot of
vitriol being shared online andso ultimately, I did take a
leave of absence towards the endof that campaign for my own
personal safety, for my family'ssafety, but also for the safety
(13:00):
of the sick and injured kidsand their families in that
children's hospital, because Ididn't want what Nancy Mace was
saying online about me to leadto someone showing up at that
hospital looking for me, lookingto do harm A very public
statement that I will not be inthat building anytime between
now and the election.
And it was to protect myselfbut, more importantly, to
protect the kids and families inthat hospital, because they
(13:22):
will play so dirty they don'tcare who they're endangering.
And enough was enough, and yes,so I took a leave of absence at
that time.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
And there again, is that motherly instinct?
Right, you said it somewhat foryour personal safety, but your
body language betrays that alittle bit, because I can tell
it was about the kids, right, ifthere would have been no kids
involved, it would have been adifferent thing.
Again, I just want to emphasizethat motherly instinct.
(13:50):
For this reason I'm 59 yearsold Now.
My mother just passed away inOctober, but prior to that, when
you have some heartfelt thing,some emotionally complex thing,
who do you go to?
Most of the time you go to mom,right, because she's got that
(14:11):
blend of understanding of, she'snot got this macho ego she's
trying to protect and she canthink from a different place.
Right, my patients taught mehow to lead.
I don't come from politics, Icome from pediatric exam rooms
where I learned what realstrength looks like.
Where did that come from?
Speaker 2 (14:32):
It goes back to what I was saying about what it's
like to have the privilege ofworking inside of a children's
hospital, and when you take careof children who are battling
cancer, children who have justhad brain surgery, children who
are in and out of the hospitalall year long because of their
chronic disease, it reallyshifts your perspective on the
battles that people are facingand what really matters.
(14:53):
Those sick kids and theirfamilies are leaders, they are
advocates and they are fightingfor their own children, their
families and, many times, for abetter healthcare system for all
of us.
So when you compare that to thechildish behavior that we see
from so many of our electedRepublicans currently, it's just
it's hard to take themseriously and you realize what
(15:16):
matters, and that's why I'm notafraid to fight against someone
like Lindsey Graham.
He doesn't scare me.
I'm fighting for sick childrenand their families.
I'm fighting for the mostvulnerable members of my
community and I am certainlystrong and brave enough to stand
up to a bully, whether it'sNancy Mace or Lindsey Graham.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
And let's point out something that is very clear you
are fighting for children.
Lindsey Graham is fighting forDonald Trump.
The difference couldn't beclearer.
That's right.
I've got some questions for younow.
What have your children taughtyou about leadership?
That no medical degree orpolitical campaign ever.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
I love that question.
I learned so much from my ownchildren and from the children I
have the privilege to care for.
They've taught me that peopleare always watching and it
matters less what you say andmore what you do, and we must
always set a good example.
You know, I said this a lot inmy last election cycle.
I want to not have to turn theTV off when my kids walk in the
(16:16):
room because our president is onand I'm worried what he's going
to say.
That flies in the face ofeverything I taught my children
about what it means to be a goodand decent human being.
We need to get back to leadersthat our children can look up to
, whether they're red or blueand whether we're red or blue.
We should expect our leaders toset a good example for our
children.
(16:36):
Yet we expect more from ourchildren.
You know you talk about what weexpect from our children and
what I've learned from mychildren, and I think this is a
really important point to make.
I talk a lot.
I travel around the country totalk a lot about the gun
violence crisis and gun violenceprevention, and one of the
points I always make is we mustbe braver than we expect our
(16:57):
children to be.
My youngest child, when she camehome from her first day of
first grade, I was in thelaundry room folding laundry.
She ran in and she said oh mom,school was so great.
I have twin girls in my class.
I love my teacher and we don'thave a bathroom in our classroom
, so that means when a bad manwith a gun comes in the building
, we hide in the corner.
But it's okay, because ourteacher bought lollipops and
(17:19):
those are in the corner and weget a lollipop and that'll help
us stay quiet while the bad manis in the building, and then she
just like went on with the restof her afternoon.
We have normalized this for ourchildren.
We expect our children, asyoung as preschool, to hide from
bad men in their classroom,robbing them from their sense of
physical and psychologicalsafety, and we expect that of
(17:41):
every child in America.
But we can't be brave enough tostep up and use our voices and
fight for this democracy.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
What a fantastic point, wow, yeah, when they can
say that and then just skip tothe next subject and there's not
even a blip, it tells you howwrong things have gone.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
Wow, A single treatment.
We know things usually don'twork that way, but if you could
prescribe single treatment tocure what's broken in American
politics, what would it be andwhy?
Speaker 2 (18:11):
That's a very great question and a serious question,
but I'm going to start bymaking a joke, and what Lindsey
Graham needs is a very stronglaxative because, as I said in
my launch video, he iscompletely full of you know what
?
Speaker 1 (18:25):
Right, that's beautiful.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
We need.
Our country is in desperateneed of authentic leadership.
We have a broken politicalsystem that's been broken for
some time but has been expeditedby the complete Republican
Party collapse under the reignof Donald Trump, and it has
shown a big bright light on whatis broken with this system.
On both sides of the aisle, wehave career politicians who are
(18:49):
frankly in it for themselves andnot in it for the folks who
voted to have them representthem.
It's no longer seen as aprivilege by most people to
represent them.
It's seen as a careeropportunity.
We have so many electedofficials that are enriching
themselves.
We need to find a way forcandidates like me, candidates
who are driven to get involvedbecause of the problems they see
(19:12):
in their day-to-day life, intheir job, in their career, and
who raise their hand, are braveenough to step into this fight.
We need to support thosecandidates when they show up and
we need to do everything in ourpower to get them elected and
keep them in those seats,because until we start electing
a different kind of person,we're going to see the same
problems over and over and overagain.
(19:34):
I've spent a long time workingin academic health centers and
the thing that I hate to hearthe most when I'm in meetings is
well, we've always done it thisway, so we're just going to
keep doing it this way, or wetried that once and it didn't
work.
We need to start thinkinginnovatively.
As a Democratic party, as apolitical system, we need to run
different kinds of candidates,we need candidates to sound
(19:54):
differently, we need to put ourcandidates in different places
so that we can meet people, andwe also need to start thinking
about things that inspire people, because we're so caught up
playing defense right now andtalking about how we're the
anti-Trump party.
We're the choice if you don'tlike Trump, if you don't like
Lindsey Graham, but we fail tosell what we're selling, and
what we're selling is a brighterfuture for everyone in this
(20:15):
country.
We need voters to understandthat we're not just going to go
up there and stop Donald Trump,but we're going to fight for you
.
We're going to fight for anexpanded and permanent child tax
credit.
We're going to fight for lowerprescription drug prices.
We're going to go to bat foryou.
Voters lose sight of thatbecause we're so stuck in this
rut of playing defense.
We just need a different kindof leader that inspires people
(20:36):
to get out and vote, and then wecan finally see the change that
we and our children sodesperately need and deserve.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
Wow, wow, perfect.
I really like what you saidabout you know, if we keep doing
the same thing, look, someonewith diabetes can go and get the
top of the line insulin andtreatment protocol right.
But also, if they continue todrink a 12 pack of Pepsi every
day, if they do the same thingthey've always done, even when
(21:04):
they're trying to treat it,you've got to do something
different, right?
Yes, and boy, I know we don'thave the time, but I could talk
to you forever on that.
Next question During a nightshift at the hospital which I
assume you've not had to dothose for a while and probably
happy about that but was thereever a moment that made you
(21:25):
consider not running for officeand what changed your mind when
you were doing your, you know inmedical school, right, if we
have to go that far back fornight shifts, and again the
question is, was there ever amoment that made you consider
not running for office?
What changed your mind?
Speaker 2 (21:42):
So when you're talking about night shifts, it
brought up a memory that Ihaven't talked about in a while,
but it actually everything Iever saw, even when I didn't
realize it was informing thisfuture career path of mine.
Everything I've seen since Istarted working in hospitals has
informed the things I fight fortoday.
I was working overnight as aresident in Cincinnati, ohio,
(22:04):
where I did my residency on NewYear's Eve and this very sick
boy came in.
He was previously healthy buthe came in with jaundice, so his
skin was yellow, his lab valueswere all out of whack, his
liver was inflamed, his bloodcounts were off.
He was clearly very ill from ayet-to-be-determined serious
disease.
Lots of subspecialists gotinvolved.
(22:26):
I was the doctor working in theemergency department.
He got admitted to the ICU.
He got lots of doctors at hisbedside, lots of tests being run
.
Ultimately they diagnosed himwith a rare blood condition that
required a bone marrowtransplant.
But I had been working in the EDthat night taking care of this
boy.
Several days later I waswalking in one of the hospital
units and I saw his parents andthey stopped me and they said
(22:47):
doctor, do you remember if yousigned his admission order
before or after midnight.
And I said I don't know, likethat question totally took me
back.
I'm like why?
Why do you need to know that?
And he said well, we've been onthe phone with our insurance
company and if you signed itbefore midnight, we're going to
owe like hundreds of thousandsof dollars more because we had
already met our deductible forthat calendar year.
(23:07):
But if you signed it in the newyear, then we're not going to
have to pay as much.
And I'm thinking these parentshave a critically ill child in
the ICU and they're having tospend even a moment of their
time on the phone with theirinsurance company to figure out
if they're going to go intocomplete debt over this.
I mean, what a shamefulindictment on our healthcare
system.
(23:27):
And that's just one story fromone night in the emergency
department.
But it just tells you howbroken this system is.
We do not have apatient-centered healthcare
system.
We have a profit-motivatedhealthcare system and it is not
serving patients and, frankly,it's not serving the providers
either.
Right?
Speaker 1 (23:45):
Wow.
Stories like that.
They're just nuts, you know, Imean, that's all you can say.
They're just nuts and there'sno heart, there's no emotion
involved.
It's data.
Before I forget, because I'vewanted to say this, like I said,
I've seen you on TV in multipleplaces talk shows and I've got
to say, right now in politicsand you utilize it not
(24:05):
intentionally but veryunconsciously and effectively
you've probably got the bestsmile in politics right now.
So when you are just talkingabout something lighthearted,
you're projecting a feeling thatthis nation really needs right
now.
Look, we've got to talk aboutthe serious issues.
(24:26):
We've got to know when to beserious, but we also can't lose
sight of some enjoyment in ourday and to be able to laugh and
to be able to smile.
So I just want to say I likehow that just naturally kind of
falls into the conversation withyou and I think that's a real
strong point.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (24:45):
Tell our viewers, our listeners, how can they help
you and where can they go to dothat.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
Yes To the point you just made, though you're exactly
right.
We cannot let them steal ourjoy.
That is, you know, a veryimportant part of the fascism
playbook to steal our joy,because if we lose our joy we
won't remember what we'refighting for.
So it's okay to still makejokes, it's okay to laugh, it's
(25:11):
okay to tune out for an eveningand go do something that you
enjoy with your family or yourfriends, and we cannot lose
sight of that.
That is such an important partof our shared humanity.
But if people want, go ahead.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
No, that's a slogan.
If we lose our joy, we won'tremember what we're fighting for
.
Dr Annie Andrews, that capturesit all.
So I'm sorry to interrupt you,but yes, no, that's okay.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
But I need support from every corner of this
country if we're going to holdLindsey Graham accountable.
So I'm putting myself out thereto do this big, scary thing,
putting my professional life onhold, taking time away from my
kids, and I'm doing it because Ibelieve so deeply that we need
folks like me to step up and runin these races.
But I need support fromeveryone to do that.
(26:00):
And you don't have to be aSouth Carolinian to invest in
this race to support mycandidacy.
And what an incredible feelingit would be to wake up the
morning after the election andhaving a Democrat win statewide
in South Carolina and send avillain like Lindsey Graham home
.
So if they want to be a part ofwhat I'm doing, they can go to
Dr Annie Andrews dot com.
(26:21):
Sign up to join our email list,sign up to be a monthly donor.
Every dollar helps and that iswhat fuels these campaigns.
I don't like that.
Money has such a big role inour politics, but that is just
the playbook that we have rightnow.
It's just a fact yes, it's justa fact.
I spend so much of my time onthe phone asking people for
(26:41):
donations, and the more peoplewho get involved, the stronger
this campaign will be, and wewill force Lindsay to take me
seriously.
We'll force the GOP to spendmoney and time in South Carolina
that they'd rather be spendingin Michigan or Pennsylvania, and
we can really give Lindsey arun for his money and honestly
give him hell for the next 18months, but I need people with
(27:03):
me to do that.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
If you are watching, if you're listening.
Look, I often have people when I, when I will put out somebody's
link right for their campaign.
I often have people tell me,jack, I'm retired and I'm on a
fixed income.
And my answer to them, veryrespectfully, is that's exactly
why you should give.
If you are riding so razor thin, that when your freedom, when
(27:26):
your democracy, when yourlivelihood, healthcare is on the
line and you don't have anydiscretionary income to give,
that should speak to a largerproblem in this country, and
that's why you've got to findsomething, even if it's $5, find
something that's anon-essential this month, cut it
out and donate it to somebody.
(27:48):
And then when they say, youknow I can't donate to everybody
, I find a lot of people usethat as a reason to donate to
nobody, right, and so I say youdon't have to donate to
everybody.
Pick someone who's on the sideof democracy, who's fighting for
you, and give.
And, like you said, it's justthe way it is.
(28:08):
It's how politics runs today.
If you don't have the money,then you aren't running as
effectively as you could be withmore money.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
In closing, let's do this I want to know something
about you personally, because Ilove to know about the people
I'm voting for.
What are some hobbies of yours?
What are the things that you?
It doesn't sound like youprobably have a whole lot of
free time, but when you do, whatkind of stuff do you love to do
?
Speaker 2 (28:40):
Well, I did say that I'm an introvert, so in my free
time sometimes I stare at a wall, because that is how I recharge
from having to be on all thetime and be in these rooms with
people who are so excited tomeet me.
I love to be outside as much aspossible.
I live in the low country ofSouth Carolina, which is one of
the most beautiful parts of thecountry.
I sit on my side porch in theevening with my children watch
them play soccer.
I'm also a Peloton girl.
(29:01):
I know that I need to keepphysically active to make and I
love to read.
I don't have a lot of time toread right now, but I am so
focused on the task at hand.
But I also have a rule with myteam that I'm not going to do
this if it's not fun.
So it's good vibes.
Only, you need to rememberagain why we're doing this, and
(29:22):
it's because we want to get backto a time when we can enjoy our
lives without worrying aboutthe fall of American democracy.
So I do have a lot of fun in myday-to-day life, but I also
spend some time quietly sittingalone in my bedroom at the end
of a busy day.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
And I understand that .
You know people might assume,because of what I do, that I'm
an extrovert.
I'm not, I'm an introvert.
And so when I'm not doing this,I'm not out with big groups of
people or, you know, having aswarm of people over to the
house for a barbecue, of peopleover to the house for a barbecue
(29:57):
I'm being quiet, right.
So, no, that's fantastic andthat you are able to bridge that
gap because of what you realizeneeds to be done in this moment
.
Dr Andrews, it has been apleasure and I want to extend an
open invitation to you to comeback anytime between now and
November.
If there's anything going on orwhatever the case, you just
(30:17):
reach out and we will do itagain.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
Thank you so much, Jack.
It's been really such apleasure to talk to you today.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
Likewise, I'll talk to you again, hopefully soon.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Yes, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
All right, bye-bye, bye.
Hello and welcome to the Jack Hopkins Show podcast.
I'm your host, Jack Hopkins.
Dr Annie Andrews is apediatrician and a mom, not a
politician.
She spent her entire careerserving South Carolina families,
not donors and lobbyists, andshe's running for Senate because
kids and parents across thestate are getting screwed by a
(00:21):
system designed to work for thepowerful but not the rest of us.
After nearly two decades inchildren's hospitals, Annie saw
how Washington's failures reachall the way into her exam room
every day Kids shot in their ownneighborhoods, Parents forced
to ration medication, Familiesunable to find mental health
care.
(00:41):
So she got involved in advocacyand policy, and what she saw in
the halls of power appalled her.
She's running to defeat SenatorLindsey Graham in November and
I'm honored to have her as myguest today on the Jack Hopkins
Show podcast.
I think you're going to like DrAndrews and her vision for the
future as much as I did.
(01:02):
Okay, welcome, Dr Emmy Andrews.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Thank you so much, jack.
I'm so happy to be here Okaywelcome, dr Annie Andrews.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Thank you so much, Jack.
I'm so happy to be here.
Well, fantastic, I've beenexcited about having you on, and
I'll get straight to the point.
You are running to defeatSenator Lindsey Graham, and I
don't think for most peoplelistening why that is, it won't
be a big mystery.
But I'm going to let you talkabout some of your specific
reasons.
But I want to start with somethings that you've said in the
(01:30):
past that I found particularlyinspiring.
But I know there's more to thecomment.
There's a bigger backstory andI'll let you talk about that.
One thing I realized nobody wascoming to save us, and I think
most of us have had that feelingby now.
If not, they've probably beenunder a rock somewhere or in a
(01:51):
cave.
But tell me about the contextof your personal reason.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Yeah, happy to Thank you so much for this opportunity
.
I'm not a career politician.
I never planned to get involvedin politics.
I'm a mom of my own threeincredible children and I'm a
pediatrician.
And I actually decided to be adoctor when I was four.
I told my preschool teacherwhen I grow up, I want to be a
doctor and a mommy with threekids, and I set myself on that
path.
(02:16):
I never wavered from that pathand I love being a pediatrician.
But most people don't have theprivilege of spending their days
inside the walls of achildren's hospital, and what I
saw there for nearly two decadesis what drove me into politics.
Because as a pediatrician in achildren's hospital, I take care
nearly every day of childrenwho are hungry and don't know
(02:37):
where their next meal is comingfrom.
Children who are beingdiagnosed with a new chronic
disease like asthma or diabetesand their parents aren't sure if
they can afford theirprescription drugs.
Children who are in the throesof a mental health crisis and,
despite their best efforts,their families can't find mental
health resources for them.
And far too many children whohave been shot.
(02:59):
So, day after day, hospital roomto hospital room, I grew
increasingly frustrated andconcerned about America's
children.
So I started looking upstream.
I looked to my state capital inColumbia, South Carolina, and I
looked to Washington DC andwhat I found appalled me.
Far too few of our leaders arefighting for America's children,
and a big problem there is.
(03:20):
We have career corruptpoliticians like Lindsey Graham
who will sell our kids out aslong as it means they can hold
on to power.
So I realized the system wasbroken.
These broken policies werehurting kids and families long
before they ever showed up atthe children's hospital and,
like you just said, no one wascoming to save them.
So I got off the sidelines andI got involved.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Fantastic.
Let me ask you something.
I was a hospital corpsman inthe Navy and I later got out and
did some nursing before I tookthe psychology track.
But as a hospital corpsman Iwas a senior corpsman on an
oncology floor for about a yearand I know what it feels like to
be giving care to somebody thatyou know is not going to live,
(04:05):
and I know how helpless that is,especially when they're very
young.
So I know that.
What I don't know, what I can'tget my hands around but I have
a feeling you can is how itfeels to know that may be true
for your patient, because themoney's not there, that you
could prolong their life or youcould do something for them, but
(04:26):
the funds are not available andyou know right then, and there
you're not going to be able todo what you could otherwise do.
What's that like?
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Yeah Well, first, thank you for your service to
this country.
It's heartbreaking, and a lotof people, when I'd made the
decision to go into pediatricsspecifically, a lot of people
said how can you work in achildren's hospital, isn't it so
depressing?
And I have found the oppositeto be true, because children's
hospitals are filled withfamilies in their darkest days,
but they're also filled with somuch hope and love and empathy
(04:59):
and bravery.
And standing at the bedside ofa child who is being diagnosed
with a fatal condition or achild who has experienced a near
fatal accident, like a caraccident or a gunshot wound,
that stuff stays with you and itmoves me to do this work every
single day.
I've been in the health caresystem as a provider for nearly
(05:19):
20 years and our system isbroken.
Too many patients cannot accessquality, affordable primary
care and therefore they comeinto the emergency department
with advanced stages of diseaseor uncontrolled chronic diseases
that will impact their abilityto contribute meaningfully to
society.
It is morally and ethicallywrong for us to continue to live
(05:42):
in a country where so fewpeople have access to the
quality and affordable healthcare that they need and deserve,
and here we are on theprecipice of this horrific bill
that is being championed byRepublicans like Lindsey Graham
that will completely gut ournation's Medicaid program.
Medicaid is the largest insurerof children in South Carolina
(06:03):
and in the United States.
We're going to rip away healthcare from the most vulnerable
members of our communities ourchildren who are growing up in
poverty, pregnant women,disabled people and people on
Medicare.
It's not okay.
At the same time, they're goingto cut Medicare and they're
going to slash the NIH budget.
Things will shutter.
It'll start in rural areas andthen it'll come to our large
(06:25):
health centers, our academichealth centers.
They cannot keep their doorsopen.
This is a coordinated attack onour nation's health care system
and on our public healthinfrastructure that will take
decades to recover from, andthis is one of the prime reasons
I decided despite my bestinterests probably to get in
this race to run against LindseyGraham.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Fantastic.
Something else you said.
I kept seeing the same storyand for further context, I
wasn't just treating sick kids,I was watching a system fail
them, and the more I watched,the more I knew I had to do
something.
Now this goes back and kind ofunderscores what you just said.
Could you talk just a moment?
I know this is something mostpeople, at least on the side
(07:07):
fighting for democracy get, butthis doesn't just hurt Democrats
, this cuts across both parties.
Can you talk just a momentabout that?
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Yeah, I mean, health care is something we all rely on
, red or blue, and the fact ofthe matter is red states quote
unquote red states like SouthCarolina that continue to send
Republicans to Washington DC aregoing to be more negatively
impacted by these Medicaid cuts.
We have a higher proportion ofour population on Medicaid than
other states.
We rely on these programs.
(07:39):
And the other thing is somepeople might think well, you
know, no one in my family is onMedicaid, so I don't need to get
involved in this conversationwhen you cut our largest insurer
of children and the insuranceprogram that pays for 50% of
deliveries in South Carolina,that's going to crowd our
emergency departments.
Because when your child losestheir health care and you don't
(08:00):
have anywhere to turn, you waitfor them to get sicker and then
you finally show up in anemergency department to seek the
care that you should have beenable to seek in a primary care
office.
And so that means when my kidfalls off the monkey bars and
breaks the wrist and I show upto the emergency department,
that emergency department isgoing to be overcrowded with
people who could not accesshealth care anywhere else.
(08:22):
It is going to crowd ouremergency departments.
It is going to raise the costof health care for all of us,
and this is while our hospitalscan afford to stay open.
But when you have uninsuredpeople showing up in an
emergency department, thosepeople receive care because that
is the duty of the emergencydepartment, and those costs get
passed on to those of us withprivate health insurance.
Our premiums rise to overcomethe uninsured patients who are
(08:45):
showing up.
So this negatively impactsevery single one of us, no
matter what type of health carewe have.
So if the moral argumentdoesn't move you, then the
economic argument certainlyshould.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
Absolutely.
My oldest daughter is an ERnurse right, and I live in a
rural area.
Seven out of 10 people votedfor Donald Trump in the last
election.
A big portion of the people whovoted for Donald Trump and I
know this for a fact are onMedicaid right Now.
My daughter made a comment Imean heartbroken because she
told me and you know this betterthan anybody when people aren't
(09:20):
feeling well and have somethingthat probably is an emergency
and they probably should come tothe ER, they are not going to
and some of them will die, youknow, so let's I like this one.
He said I'm a mom, of course Ifight.
I fight for my kids everysingle day.
That's not political, that'sinstinct.
You know.
(09:40):
That's such a refreshing thingfor me to hear and, I think, for
a lot of the listeners.
For this reason, we have fartoo much politics where
everything is cut and dry, blackand white, there's no gray area
, there are no feelings.
That's not political, that'sinstinctual.
Tells me that you just aren'tthinking numbers, you are
(10:02):
thinking feelings, emotions,lives, families.
Expand a little bit on thatthought of you know, of course
I'm a mom.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Yes, you know people don't believe me when I say this
, but I am an introvert.
I am not a joiner, I am a rulefollower.
But I shed every singleinsecurity I had about what
spaces I may or may not belongin when I became a mother,
because the stakes just changed.
You know, I have threebeautiful, amazing children and
(10:32):
I do this work for them, and itdoesn't matter if I feel
uncomfortable in these spaces orI need to learn how to be an
effective public speaker.
Raise my hand and run againstone of our nation's top
Republican villains.
I'm doing it for my kids becauseI have no choice, because we
have one political party in thiscountry that wants to keep
child care unaffordable, thatwants to rip away health care
(10:55):
from children, that cares moreabout the gun lobby than
children's safety in theirclassrooms and really does not,
frankly, give a damn aboutAmerica's children.
It is not about red or blue forme, but I am a proud Democrat
because I see the Democratsfighting to lift children out of
poverty, to provide them withhealth care, to provide them
with a quality education, toaddress the climate crisis, so
(11:17):
our children and grandchildrencan enjoy this beautiful planet
we call home.
And so, yes, it's my mama bearinstinct that lit this fire
inside of me that keeps me goingevery single day, and I want
people to understand my story sothey can see that agency within
them, because there are so manypissed off moms and dads and
grandparents but they don'tnecessarily feel like they're
(11:40):
capable of doing the things thatI've done.
But I was just like them.
I was essentially a checked out, busy mom, busy working mom.
But I see the stakes.
I found my own agency and myown voice and I have put myself
out here in the biggest, mostdramatic way possible to fight
for the things I believe in.
And everyone else has the powerto do that as well.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
Now tell me, correct me if I'm wrong, but at one
point you had actually put yourpractice on hold to get involved
in some very important work.
Can you tell me a little bitabout that?
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Yeah, you know I was a full-time pediatrician working
in the Children's Hospital herein Charleston, south Carolina,
for nearly 15 years when Idecided to run for Congress in
2022 against Nancy Mace andduring that election cycle, you
know she played really dirty notsurprising and made it a lot
about the issue of genderaffirming care, because she sees
(12:36):
that as a cultural wedge issueto divide our communities and,
of course, she doesn't careabout throwing vulnerable
children under the bus.
And it got very heated and Iworked at the public institution
here in Charleston, southCarolina, and there was a lot of
vitriol being shared online andso ultimately, I did take a
leave of absence towards the endof that campaign for my own
personal safety, for my family'ssafety, but also for the safety
(13:00):
of the sick and injured kidsand their families in that
children's hospital, because Ididn't want what Nancy Mace was
saying online about me to leadto someone showing up at that
hospital looking for me, lookingto do harm A very public
statement that I will not be inthat building anytime between
now and the election.
And it was to protect myselfbut, more importantly, to
protect the kids and families inthat hospital, because they
(13:22):
will play so dirty they don'tcare who they're endangering.
And enough was enough, and yes,so I took a leave of absence at
that time.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
And there again, is that motherly instinct?
Right, you said it somewhat foryour personal safety, but your
body language betrays that alittle bit, because I can tell
it was about the kids, right, ifthere would have been no kids
involved, it would have been adifferent thing.
Again, I just want to emphasizethat motherly instinct.
(13:50):
For this reason I'm 59 yearsold Now.
My mother just passed away inOctober, but prior to that, when
you have some heartfelt thing,some emotionally complex thing,
who do you go to?
Most of the time you go to mom,right, because she's got that
(14:11):
blend of understanding of, she'snot got this macho ego she's
trying to protect and she canthink from a different place.
Right, my patients taught mehow to lead.
I don't come from politics, Icome from pediatric exam rooms
where I learned what realstrength looks like.
Where did that come from?
Speaker 2 (14:32):
It goes back to what I was saying about what it's
like to have the privilege ofworking inside of a children's
hospital, and when you take careof children who are battling
cancer, children who have justhad brain surgery, children who
are in and out of the hospitalall year long because of their
chronic disease, it reallyshifts your perspective on the
battles that people are facingand what really matters.
(14:53):
Those sick kids and theirfamilies are leaders, they are
advocates and they are fightingfor their own children, their
families and, many times, for abetter healthcare system for all
of us.
So when you compare that to thechildish behavior that we see
from so many of our electedRepublicans currently, it's just
it's hard to take themseriously and you realize what
(15:16):
matters, and that's why I'm notafraid to fight against someone
like Lindsey Graham.
He doesn't scare me.
I'm fighting for sick childrenand their families.
I'm fighting for the mostvulnerable members of my
community and I am certainlystrong and brave enough to stand
up to a bully, whether it'sNancy Mace or Lindsey Graham.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
And let's point out something that is very clear you
are fighting for children.
Lindsey Graham is fighting forDonald Trump.
The difference couldn't beclearer.
That's right.
I've got some questions for younow.
What have your children taughtyou about leadership?
That no medical degree orpolitical campaign ever.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
I love that question.
I learned so much from my ownchildren and from the children I
have the privilege to care for.
They've taught me that peopleare always watching and it
matters less what you say andmore what you do, and we must
always set a good example.
You know, I said this a lot inmy last election cycle.
I want to not have to turn theTV off when my kids walk in the
(16:16):
room because our president is onand I'm worried what he's going
to say.
That flies in the face ofeverything I taught my children
about what it means to be a goodand decent human being.
We need to get back to leadersthat our children can look up to
, whether they're red or blueand whether we're red or blue.
We should expect our leaders toset a good example for our
children.
(16:36):
Yet we expect more from ourchildren.
You know you talk about what weexpect from our children and
what I've learned from mychildren, and I think this is a
really important point to make.
I talk a lot.
I travel around the country totalk a lot about the gun
violence crisis and gun violenceprevention, and one of the
points I always make is we mustbe braver than we expect our
(16:57):
children to be.
My youngest child, when she camehome from her first day of
first grade, I was in thelaundry room folding laundry.
She ran in and she said oh mom,school was so great.
I have twin girls in my class.
I love my teacher and we don'thave a bathroom in our classroom
, so that means when a bad manwith a gun comes in the building
, we hide in the corner.
But it's okay, because ourteacher bought lollipops and
(17:19):
those are in the corner and weget a lollipop and that'll help
us stay quiet while the bad manis in the building, and then she
just like went on with the restof her afternoon.
We have normalized this for ourchildren.
We expect our children, asyoung as preschool, to hide from
bad men in their classroom,robbing them from their sense of
physical and psychologicalsafety, and we expect that of
(17:41):
every child in America.
But we can't be brave enough tostep up and use our voices and
fight for this democracy.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
What a fantastic point, wow, yeah, when they can
say that and then just skip tothe next subject and there's not
even a blip, it tells you howwrong things have gone.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
Wow, A single treatment.
We know things usually don'twork that way, but if you could
prescribe single treatment tocure what's broken in American
politics, what would it be andwhy?
Speaker 2 (18:11):
That's a very great question and a serious question,
but I'm going to start bymaking a joke, and what Lindsey
Graham needs is a very stronglaxative because, as I said in
my launch video, he iscompletely full of you know what
?
Speaker 1 (18:25):
Right, that's beautiful.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
We need.
Our country is in desperateneed of authentic leadership.
We have a broken politicalsystem that's been broken for
some time but has been expeditedby the complete Republican
Party collapse under the reignof Donald Trump, and it has
shown a big bright light on whatis broken with this system.
On both sides of the aisle, wehave career politicians who are
(18:49):
frankly in it for themselves andnot in it for the folks who
voted to have them representthem.
It's no longer seen as aprivilege by most people to
represent them.
It's seen as a careeropportunity.
We have so many electedofficials that are enriching
themselves.
We need to find a way forcandidates like me, candidates
who are driven to get involvedbecause of the problems they see
(19:12):
in their day-to-day life, intheir job, in their career, and
who raise their hand, are braveenough to step into this fight.
We need to support thosecandidates when they show up and
we need to do everything in ourpower to get them elected and
keep them in those seats,because until we start electing
a different kind of person,we're going to see the same
problems over and over and overagain.
(19:34):
I've spent a long time workingin academic health centers and
the thing that I hate to hearthe most when I'm in meetings is
well, we've always done it thisway, so we're just going to
keep doing it this way, or wetried that once and it didn't
work.
We need to start thinkinginnovatively.
As a Democratic party, as apolitical system, we need to run
different kinds of candidates,we need candidates to sound
(19:54):
differently, we need to put ourcandidates in different places
so that we can meet people, andwe also need to start thinking
about things that inspire people, because we're so caught up
playing defense right now andtalking about how we're the
anti-Trump party.
We're the choice if you don'tlike Trump, if you don't like
Lindsey Graham, but we fail tosell what we're selling, and
what we're selling is a brighterfuture for everyone in this
(20:15):
country.
We need voters to understandthat we're not just going to go
up there and stop Donald Trump,but we're going to fight for you
.
We're going to fight for anexpanded and permanent child tax
credit.
We're going to fight for lowerprescription drug prices.
We're going to go to bat foryou.
Voters lose sight of thatbecause we're so stuck in this
rut of playing defense.
We just need a different kindof leader that inspires people
(20:36):
to get out and vote, and then wecan finally see the change that
we and our children sodesperately need and deserve.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
Wow, wow, perfect.
I really like what you saidabout you know, if we keep doing
the same thing, look, someonewith diabetes can go and get the
top of the line insulin andtreatment protocol right.
But also, if they continue todrink a 12 pack of Pepsi every
day, if they do the same thingthey've always done, even when
(21:04):
they're trying to treat it,you've got to do something
different, right?
Yes, and boy, I know we don'thave the time, but I could talk
to you forever on that.
Next question During a nightshift at the hospital which I
assume you've not had to dothose for a while and probably
happy about that but was thereever a moment that made you
(21:25):
consider not running for officeand what changed your mind when
you were doing your, you know inmedical school, right, if we
have to go that far back fornight shifts, and again the
question is, was there ever amoment that made you consider
not running for office?
What changed your mind?
Speaker 2 (21:42):
So when you're talking about night shifts, it
brought up a memory that Ihaven't talked about in a while,
but it actually everything Iever saw, even when I didn't
realize it was informing thisfuture career path of mine.
Everything I've seen since Istarted working in hospitals has
informed the things I fight fortoday.
I was working overnight as aresident in Cincinnati, ohio,
(22:04):
where I did my residency on NewYear's Eve and this very sick
boy came in.
He was previously healthy buthe came in with jaundice, so his
skin was yellow, his lab valueswere all out of whack, his
liver was inflamed, his bloodcounts were off.
He was clearly very ill from ayet-to-be-determined serious
disease.
Lots of subspecialists gotinvolved.
(22:26):
I was the doctor working in theemergency department.
He got admitted to the ICU.
He got lots of doctors at hisbedside, lots of tests being run
.
Ultimately they diagnosed himwith a rare blood condition that
required a bone marrowtransplant.
But I had been working in the EDthat night taking care of this
boy.
Several days later I waswalking in one of the hospital
units and I saw his parents andthey stopped me and they said
(22:47):
doctor, do you remember if yousigned his admission order
before or after midnight.
And I said I don't know, likethat question totally took me
back.
I'm like why?
Why do you need to know that?
And he said well, we've been onthe phone with our insurance
company and if you signed itbefore midnight, we're going to
owe like hundreds of thousandsof dollars more because we had
already met our deductible forthat calendar year.
(23:07):
But if you signed it in the newyear, then we're not going to
have to pay as much.
And I'm thinking these parentshave a critically ill child in
the ICU and they're having tospend even a moment of their
time on the phone with theirinsurance company to figure out
if they're going to go intocomplete debt over this.
I mean, what a shamefulindictment on our healthcare
system.
(23:27):
And that's just one story fromone night in the emergency
department.
But it just tells you howbroken this system is.
We do not have apatient-centered healthcare
system.
We have a profit-motivatedhealthcare system and it is not
serving patients and, frankly,it's not serving the providers
either.
Right?
Speaker 1 (23:45):
Wow.
Stories like that.
They're just nuts, you know, Imean, that's all you can say.
They're just nuts and there'sno heart, there's no emotion
involved.
It's data.
Before I forget, because I'vewanted to say this, like I said,
I've seen you on TV in multipleplaces talk shows and I've got
to say, right now in politicsand you utilize it not
(24:05):
intentionally but veryunconsciously and effectively
you've probably got the bestsmile in politics right now.
So when you are just talkingabout something lighthearted,
you're projecting a feeling thatthis nation really needs right
now.
Look, we've got to talk aboutthe serious issues.
(24:26):
We've got to know when to beserious, but we also can't lose
sight of some enjoyment in ourday and to be able to laugh and
to be able to smile.
So I just want to say I likehow that just naturally kind of
falls into the conversation withyou and I think that's a real
strong point.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (24:45):
Tell our viewers, our listeners, how can they help
you and where can they go to dothat.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
Yes To the point you just made, though you're exactly
right.
We cannot let them steal ourjoy.
That is, you know, a veryimportant part of the fascism
playbook to steal our joy,because if we lose our joy we
won't remember what we'refighting for.
So it's okay to still makejokes, it's okay to laugh, it's
(25:11):
okay to tune out for an eveningand go do something that you
enjoy with your family or yourfriends, and we cannot lose
sight of that.
That is such an important partof our shared humanity.
But if people want, go ahead.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
No, that's a slogan.
If we lose our joy, we won'tremember what we're fighting for
.
Dr Annie Andrews, that capturesit all.
So I'm sorry to interrupt you,but yes, no, that's okay.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
But I need support from every corner of this
country if we're going to holdLindsey Graham accountable.
So I'm putting myself out thereto do this big, scary thing,
putting my professional life onhold, taking time away from my
kids, and I'm doing it because Ibelieve so deeply that we need
folks like me to step up and runin these races.
But I need support fromeveryone to do that.
(26:00):
And you don't have to be aSouth Carolinian to invest in
this race to support mycandidacy.
And what an incredible feelingit would be to wake up the
morning after the election andhaving a Democrat win statewide
in South Carolina and send avillain like Lindsey Graham home
.
So if they want to be a part ofwhat I'm doing, they can go to
Dr Annie Andrews dot com.
(26:21):
Sign up to join our email list,sign up to be a monthly donor.
Every dollar helps and that iswhat fuels these campaigns.
I don't like that.
Money has such a big role inour politics, but that is just
the playbook that we have rightnow.
It's just a fact yes, it's justa fact.
I spend so much of my time onthe phone asking people for
(26:41):
donations, and the more peoplewho get involved, the stronger
this campaign will be, and wewill force Lindsay to take me
seriously.
We'll force the GOP to spendmoney and time in South Carolina
that they'd rather be spendingin Michigan or Pennsylvania, and
we can really give Lindsey arun for his money and honestly
give him hell for the next 18months, but I need people with
(27:03):
me to do that.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
If you are watching, if you're listening.
Look, I often have people when I, when I will put out somebody's
link right for their campaign.
I often have people tell me,jack, I'm retired and I'm on a
fixed income.
And my answer to them, veryrespectfully, is that's exactly
why you should give.
If you are riding so razor thin, that when your freedom, when
(27:26):
your democracy, when yourlivelihood, healthcare is on the
line and you don't have anydiscretionary income to give,
that should speak to a largerproblem in this country, and
that's why you've got to findsomething, even if it's $5, find
something that's anon-essential this month, cut it
out and donate it to somebody.
(27:48):
And then when they say, youknow I can't donate to everybody
, I find a lot of people usethat as a reason to donate to
nobody, right, and so I say youdon't have to donate to
everybody.
Pick someone who's on the sideof democracy, who's fighting for
you, and give.
And, like you said, it's justthe way it is.
(28:08):
It's how politics runs today.
If you don't have the money,then you aren't running as
effectively as you could be withmore money.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
In closing, let's do this I want to know something
about you personally, because Ilove to know about the people
I'm voting for.
What are some hobbies of yours?
What are the things that you?
It doesn't sound like youprobably have a whole lot of
free time, but when you do, whatkind of stuff do you love to do
?
Speaker 2 (28:40):
Well, I did say that I'm an introvert, so in my free
time sometimes I stare at a wall, because that is how I recharge
from having to be on all thetime and be in these rooms with
people who are so excited tomeet me.
I love to be outside as much aspossible.
I live in the low country ofSouth Carolina, which is one of
the most beautiful parts of thecountry.
I sit on my side porch in theevening with my children watch
them play soccer.
I'm also a Peloton girl.
(29:01):
I know that I need to keepphysically active to make and I
love to read.
I don't have a lot of time toread right now, but I am so
focused on the task at hand.
But I also have a rule with myteam that I'm not going to do
this if it's not fun.
So it's good vibes.
Only, you need to rememberagain why we're doing this, and
(29:22):
it's because we want to get backto a time when we can enjoy our
lives without worrying aboutthe fall of American democracy.
So I do have a lot of fun in myday-to-day life, but I also
spend some time quietly sittingalone in my bedroom at the end
of a busy day.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
And I understand that .
You know people might assume,because of what I do, that I'm
an extrovert.
I'm not, I'm an introvert.
And so when I'm not doing this,I'm not out with big groups of
people or, you know, having aswarm of people over to the
house for a barbecue, of peopleover to the house for a barbecue
(29:57):
I'm being quiet, right.
So, no, that's fantastic andthat you are able to bridge that
gap because of what you realizeneeds to be done in this moment
.
Dr Andrews, it has been apleasure and I want to extend an
open invitation to you to comeback anytime between now and
November.
If there's anything going on orwhatever the case, you just
(30:17):
reach out and we will do itagain.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
Thank you so much, Jack.
It's been really such apleasure to talk to you today.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
Likewise, I'll talk to you again, hopefully soon.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Yes, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
All right, bye-bye, bye.
Popular Podcasts
Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club
Welcome to Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club — the podcast where great stories, bold women, and irresistible conversations collide! Hosted by award-winning journalist Danielle Robay, each week new episodes balance thoughtful literary insight with the fervor of buzzy book trends, pop culture and more. Bookmarked brings together celebrities, tastemakers, influencers and authors from Reese's Book Club and beyond to share stories that transcend the page. Pull up a chair. You’re not just listening — you’re part of the conversation.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!