Governor Josh Shapiro
Appearances
The MeidasTouch Podcast
New York Gov Hochul Responds to Trump’s Disastrous Policies
They're the ones that are working to do research, to have cures, to save our lives and make sure that we don't die from the next pandemic. So these are essential people and they're treated as if they're like disposable tissue. They don't care about them. So here in New York, I started a campaign.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
New York Gov Hochul Responds to Trump’s Disastrous Policies
In fact, we have digital ads right now in Union Station in Washington, as well as in Moynihan Station in New York saying, you know what? Doge doesn't want you. They say you're fired. We say you're hired. Come up to New York. I have almost 7,000 open jobs, great jobs throughout the state. I want you to come to New York. So screw that. I'm sorry about what happened to you. It's painful.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
New York Gov Hochul Responds to Trump’s Disastrous Policies
Well, this is just another devastating policy from the Trump administration. Just a couple of hours ago, I convened a roundtable of farmers from New York who are desperately fearful that this is going to kill their livelihood. They export most of their products to Canada. They get a lot of supplies. Their fertilizer all comes in from Canada.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
New York Gov Hochul Responds to Trump’s Disastrous Policies
I sat down with federal workers yesterday and they're so traumatized. They don't know what hit them and they didn't deserve this. So here in New York, we're saying we appreciate you. We value. Come on. We've got a job for you.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
New York Gov Hochul Responds to Trump’s Disastrous Policies
A lot. First of all, you're absolutely right about the impact on our rural communities. A lot of people think of New York City as just Manhattan and the city. Most of our landmast, 25% agriculture. A lot of it is really small towns and we have rural hospitals that'll absolutely collapse under the weight of this if they lose the Medicaid dollars.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
New York Gov Hochul Responds to Trump’s Disastrous Policies
I was in a hospital in Queens just a couple of days ago and we went and saw a hospital that's caring for the most, the sickest kids you'd ever see. They're not gonna make it home, so many of them. And I went there and many of them are on ventilators and their parents, a little two year old sitting in a wheelchair, maybe never going to go home.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
New York Gov Hochul Responds to Trump’s Disastrous Policies
And I said I was so angry to think that these Medicaid cuts could hurt families like these. They've got so much stress. And I said, Republicans from New York, come on down here and look in the eyes of these children and their parents and tell them you're going to cut Medicaid.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
New York Gov Hochul Responds to Trump’s Disastrous Policies
And if you can do that and go back to Washington, then you've got the most callous, cruelest hearts of people ever walked this earth. I hit him hard and I said, families, you need to start marching to these Republican offices and demanding that they stop what they're doing. They voted for this. They own this. And she said, what are we going to do?
The MeidasTouch Podcast
New York Gov Hochul Responds to Trump’s Disastrous Policies
I'm going to make sure everybody knows who did this to them. So that's what we're going to do here in New York. Make sure he will know that elections have consequences and there's one way to fix it. In 2026, we're going to make sure that we continue our sweep of elections. We won five out of seven battleground seats in Congress last year. We worked really hard.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
New York Gov Hochul Responds to Trump’s Disastrous Policies
And I'm going to make sure we can make Hakeem Jeffries the speaker next. to create a firewall against the insanity that has been unleashed on Washington.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
New York Gov Hochul Responds to Trump’s Disastrous Policies
Weird, it's next level insanity. And when I saw that post, I thought, did someone hack into his account? He didn't just call himself the king, did he? And then I thought my staff, I thought maybe one of them had made the picture of Donald Trump with the crown on. And it turned out it was the White House that posted it. So I went right down to the subway. I was so pissed off.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
New York Gov Hochul Responds to Trump’s Disastrous Policies
The sawdust that they use for their animals comes in from Canada. So I don't know what they're thinking in Washington, but this is going to crush the livelihoods of people who supported them. These are your supporters you're killing. So it makes no sense. And to say that it's short-term pain for long-term gain, like people want relief now.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
New York Gov Hochul Responds to Trump’s Disastrous Policies
I marched in there and I said, we have not labored under a king for 250 years and we sure as hell are not starting now. So what I also said, here the Republicans say that states should be the ones who determine control and whether or not a woman can control her own bodies, right? Reproductive freedom. They want to be able to control women's decision making.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
New York Gov Hochul Responds to Trump’s Disastrous Policies
But I in New York can't control my own damn traffic. Who are you kidding here? So we're fighting this, the end of congestion pricing, which has worked incredibly successful. The traffic is down. The quality of life is up. And who are you to tell us we can't do this? This is managing our traffic, for God's sake. Go worry about solving the crisis in the Middle East and Ukraine.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
New York Gov Hochul Responds to Trump’s Disastrous Policies
Figure out something more useful to do and stop doing so much harm to New York.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
New York Gov Hochul Responds to Trump’s Disastrous Policies
Stop hurting America. A lot of people put their faith in you. They believed that you would actually reduce prices the day you got sworn in. They believed you, that you'd create all this, all these great things were gonna happen. And it hasn't happened. Things are off the charts. The anxiety levels of families, when you're talking about taking away healthcare, that covers little kids or seniors.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
New York Gov Hochul Responds to Trump’s Disastrous Policies
Your parents and grandparents are nursing homes. You know what's going to happen if Medicaid can't cover their costs? They're going back right home in your guest room. You're going to be able to take care of them? That's the reality of America today. He can stop this. President Trump can stop this. He did a lot.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
New York Gov Hochul Responds to Trump’s Disastrous Policies
I would say just pull it all back and start thinking about, are you really going to keep hurting your voters? I will talk about a place like Long Island. Offshore wind is big for us. A lot of people, union members, trained hard to be able to get these good paying jobs as we transition to clean energy economy. But guess what? Long Island voted for you. These guys voted for you.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
New York Gov Hochul Responds to Trump’s Disastrous Policies
And then one of the first things you do is you kill the industry. So I would say, look at the people who voted for you and stop hurting them.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
New York Gov Hochul Responds to Trump’s Disastrous Policies
Oh, I represent the largest Ukrainian population outside of Ukraine. You know, we go to the Ukrainian restaurants. We go to the, you know, we interact with individuals all the time. And this is so painful. The way that he just tried to embarrass a brave, courageous individual who's leading this country through some of the most traumatic times you ever could imagine.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
New York Gov Hochul Responds to Trump’s Disastrous Policies
They were promised relief from high prices on inauguration day. Still waiting for that one. And now this is going to make it more expensive for average families. So it makes no sense at all. We have to shut this down.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
New York Gov Hochul Responds to Trump’s Disastrous Policies
Republicans ought to hang their heads in shame about how they are cozying up to one of the most villain, vile people. who's in Russia, Putin, who's been doing nothing but hurting us, undermining us and compromising our own security. We have to walk away from people like that and embrace people like Zelensky and praise him for what he has done and give him more money. Don't starve him.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
New York Gov Hochul Responds to Trump’s Disastrous Policies
It's a shame that he has to run in the arms of Europeans and not get that kind of comfort and support that he had all these years. The last three years, he's had that from us. And now to just say it's gone, they don't know what's hit them. So let's stop the craziness. Let's stop the insanity and say, let's really look at who our friends are and stand with them.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
New York Gov Hochul Responds to Trump’s Disastrous Policies
I just wish Washington would do what we're doing here in New York, which is focus on affordability. My budget has plans to put upwards of $5,000 back in the pockets of hardworking New Yorkers, $1,000 child tax credit, middle-class tax cuts, and inflation rebate. You know what? Here in New York, because inflation was so high for the last few years,
The MeidasTouch Podcast
New York Gov Hochul Responds to Trump’s Disastrous Policies
We collected $3 billion more in sales tax revenue. And I said, that doesn't belong to us. Let's put that in the pocket of New Yorkers so families are going to get a $500 rebate. So I've added up countless ways to address what we heard loud and clear. Democrats heard this in the election, that people want some kind of relief. Someone who's listened to them, understands their pain.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
New York Gov Hochul Responds to Trump’s Disastrous Policies
Now listen, I didn't start here. My parents used to live in a trailer park. We bought our clothes at used clothing stores and ate spam sandwiches for dinner a lot. So I know what they've been through, and I want them to know that we are going to not just listen to you, we're gonna do something about it. Washington has the same power. They should be doing this, but until they do,
The MeidasTouch Podcast
New York Gov Hochul Responds to Trump’s Disastrous Policies
Other states, my friends, Democratic governors, and they are just extraordinary leaders, are working hard to just say, we'll take care of you. And I think there's going to be a backlash like we've never seen in the 2026 elections for the House and the Senate. And then we finally get the checks and balances, the firewall that is so essential that is not there right now.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
New York Gov Hochul Responds to Trump’s Disastrous Policies
They're killing us. First of all, the poor people who are dedicated public servants who could make a lot more in the private sector. These are talented individuals. They're lawyers, they're engineers, they're social workers. They're people that make sure the planes land safely. They're the ones who keep an eye on the nuclear code.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
And I don't say that because I'm a Democratic governor and he's a Republican president. I say it because it's solely his fault. Every economist is saying, don't do it. It's slowing down our economy. It could lead us into a recession. You inherited an economy that was growing more than most in the world and you're tanking it. you're wrecking it.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
And people in my state are going to pay more than most because our number one export target is Canada. And so whether it's Kentucky bourbon or our aerospace exports, we get hit and we get hit hard.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
Oh, Medicaid cuts would be devastating for Kentucky, but really all of rural America. So Medicaid covers the people that we love the most, our parents and our kids. Half of Kentucky's kids are covered by Medicaid. 70% of our long-term care costs for our seniors are covered by Medicaid. So what happens when you cut Medicaid? Kids see the doctor less.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
Our parents and grandparents aren't with us as long, don't get the same level of care. But Medicaid and expanded Medicaid are critical to rural healthcare. If they go through with these cuts, virtually every rural hospital will close. That's typically the second largest employer behind the public school in so many of these rural communities.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
And so think about it from the job loss, but think about it from this way. It's not just those on Medicaid. It's everybody else who is going to see the doctor in their community when their rural hospital closes has to drive two hours to a bigger city to see the same doctor who had to move because they lost their job. This will be... devastating, devastating across the country.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
And it'll make a country that needs to get more healthy, less healthy.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
I think it's three things. It's focus on the core concerns that Americans wake up with in the morning. It's talking to people like they're real people, not using all the sanitized language that's been out there. And third is sharing your why. So if you start with focusing on people's everyday worries, when most people wake up in the morning, they're not thinking about politics.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
They're thinking about their job and whether they make enough to support their family. They're thinking about their next doctor's appointment for themselves or their parents or their kids. They're thinking about the roads and bridges they drive every day. They're thinking about the public school they drop their kids off at, and they're thinking about how safe they feel in their community.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
Now, if you don't feel secure in all of those areas, it's really hard to reach another issue or cause no matter how much you care about it because you're worried about your family. So for me, listen, I always stand up for my beliefs. I've vetoed a lot of nasty discriminatory bills. but I'm always out there trying to create that next job, trying to make healthcare more accessible.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
When we built a road in Eastern Kentucky, it cut down the commute for some families by 20 minutes both ways. People underestimate the impact on somebody's lives, 40 more minutes with your family. And so it's making sure that 80% of what I or what the Democratic Party should be talking about should be those core concerns. but how you talk about them is important too.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
I mean, we've gotten to a point where we use language that doesn't mean anything. We use the term substance use disorder instead of addiction. Well, the folks I know that have gone through addiction, they call it addiction or food insecurity. When people are going hungry, it makes us sound like professors as opposed to talking to people as people.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
And then the words lose their power and their meaning. But the last piece may be the most important. And that's I think we as leaders need to explain our authentic why, why we make decisions, why we do these jobs with everything you got to put up with, why we put our families through it. And for me, it's my faith.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
And so, for instance, when I vetoed the nastiest anti LGBTQ plus bill during my election year, in Kentucky. You know, I explained it, why I did it. And that's that my faith teaches me that all children are children of God. And I wanted those children who are being hated on by their General Assembly to know their governor cares for them and loves them.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
And my faith tells me that that's my job to do, to stand up for them. And so I'll never forget, I think the next day, a guy walks up to me and I thought, oh, you know, what's coming now? And he said, Andy, I'm I don't know if I agree with you, but I know you are doing what you think is right.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
And so if we can explain our why, we can create hopefully the grace and the space to have some disagreements that are out there. But people still understand what you're doing each and every day and how you're going to make their life better.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
Kentucky and the rest of the United States cannot possibly reach its full potential unless our people feel supported to be themselves. Discrimination against our LGBTQ plus community is unacceptable. It holds us back. And in my Kentucky accent, it ain't right.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
Well, bullying is always wrong and standing up for people is always right. Hate's always wrong and love's always right. Judging people is always wrong and accepting them is always right. But I think what many Democrats are doing is misreading the last election. They're seeing that last ad that was played and thinking that the last movable voters voted on that anti-trans issue.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
Well, first, April 2nd is actually the day after my wife and my anniversary because we got married on April Fool's Day. I'm told that means I can forget it once for a couple of hours before I fix it. But in seriousness, this is the Trump tax day or the super inflation day. Tariffs, especially on Canada, lead to increases in the price of gas. How much they lead to that increase is the Trump tax.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
I don't think that they did. I think what Donald Trump convinced them is that his opponent was distracted by other issues while he was focused on prices and the economy. And so this isn't an either or. As a Democrat, stand up for what you believe in. Stand up for protecting people. But at the same time, the next day,
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
be out there opening that new factory, be in your community cutting the ribbon on the new clinic where people are gonna be able to see a doctor that are right there. Be out there making sure that public safety is improving for everybody.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
You know, we've gotta show people that you can stand up for your principles while at the same time being there every single day for every working family, regardless of their politics. We have to do both and understand that this is not an either or.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
Well, first, congratulations to y'all on all this success and for being out there speaking truth and making sure people get real information. For me, I think our country is right now at a test of our humanity and a test of our empathy.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
The idea that tens of thousands of Americans are getting laid off from civil service, many of them veterans trying to continue their service, and Donald Trump and Elon Musk are lying to them, saying it was because of their performance. You can think that the government's too big, but have the humanity and the empathy to be concerned about these families, many of which have young kids.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
Have the humanity and the empathy to say it's wrong to lie to people about why they're losing their job. You know, I think that we've got to make sure as a country that we as leaders are setting the right example while at the same time we are pushing back. What's happening through this president and out of Washington, D.C. is wrong. It is wrong in so many different ways.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
And it sets such a bad example for our kids and for the people of America. But I'm convinced that we as Americans are better than this. And if we are reminded of our humanity and who we are, that we can rise above this. See, I see it after every natural disaster that hits my state. We've been hit by 13 federally declared disasters since I became governor. And what do you see?
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
You see people pulling up into each other's driveways, introducing themselves for the first time and saying, how can I help? You see somebody sitting on their neighbor's porch while the waters rise because their neighbor doesn't want to leave until the neighbor's ready and then carrying them out. Now, we may have folks out there that thought that Donald Trump was going to be focused on prices.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
They're seeing right now he's focused on anything but. We deserve a president and we deserve a government that always puts our people first and recognizes that those basic needs shouldn't be partisan.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
So just imagine a federal administration that every day is trying to create more jobs for Democrats, Republicans, and independents, trying to make healthcare more affordable for every American, trying to have safe roads and bridges for every state and everyone who's out there that believes in public education instead of trying to tear it down.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
and wants to improve public safety in every single community. Now the answer to where we go is something that won't just win elections, but it's good for all Americans and hopefully can help us find some common ground. So I know we're going through a tough time, but I certainly haven't lost my hope and I'm in this fight because I refuse to leave a broken country to my kids.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
You're paying it solely because of the president. Tariffs on places like Mexico increase the price of groceries, which are already too high. The extra amount you pay is the Trump tax. The tariff on lumber, that's out there. It's gonna increase the price of new homes that are already so tough for that couple trying to buy their first home. That increase in price is the Trump tax.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Andy Beshear on Winning as a Dem in a Red State
They deserve to have a strong, solid America that's governed by the rule of law. And I'm going to make sure I do everything I can so they get that country.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
MeidasTouch Full Podcast - 4/1/25
let me show you the josh let me show you the josh wheelhead i'm josh wheel and i approve this message randy fine a violent corrupt politician so radical and dangerous he supports the effort to cut 880 billion for medicaid devastating disabled children and those in nursing homes fine is so unhinged and anti-american he supports the idea that social Security is the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
MeidasTouch Full Podcast - 4/1/25
He wants to cut 700 billion stealing from your retirement. Randy Fine, unhinged, un-American.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
If you could speak directly to Donald Trump, what would you tell him?
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
Stand up, speak out, show up. This is how we're going to change things. It's clear Democrats can't. I mean, you can't outvote Republicans in Congress. We don't control the executive branch in Washington. States can't change the trajectory of the federal government.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
But all of us can use our bully pulpits or our own feet and voice and show up because I'm telling you, Congress people who work against the will of the American people are gonna feel it. If you show up, and I mean, even if there's not a town hall meeting, go to their office, bring five friends with you, show up with signs, make sure people know you're going. That is how we're gonna defeat them.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
That's how we're gonna stand up to them. It's how we're gonna slow down the damage that they're trying to do and aim toward the November elections in 2026. We have to retake at least one, if not both houses of Congress. And we have the ability to do that if people will speak up, stand up, show up.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
Well, I will say, at least for me, I expected it. I think we're living in a kleptocracy now. It's clear that Elon Musk is trying to benefit himself while he's also exercising powers that he was never supposed to be granted. The Constitution certainly doesn't give someone unelected like that the amount of power that he's got. And you're watching as he benefits himself, harms his enemies.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
And I'm talking about just Elon Musk. Then you've got Donald Trump, who is enriching himself. We've seen him already selling meme coins that are worthless, taking people for all that they're worth sometimes. And then at the same time, You know, he said that on day one, he was going to bring down prices for people across America. Right.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
That you could go to the grocery store and you'd know that inflation was gone. Well, he's done the exact opposite. That was supposed to be day one. You know, day 62. We've seen prices at the grocery store are going up and 25 percent tariffs. on tomatoes and lettuce and barley from Canada and aluminum cans. You go to the grocery store, your beer is costing you more.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
Your tomatoes, your lettuce, et cetera, costing you more. Automobiles costing you more. Housing, lumber costing you more. This is what Donald Trump's all about. And and what's what does he get out of all of it? The ability to cut taxes for the wealthiest people in the United States, the people who don't need it.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
He's taking money from people who are suffering, people who are just trying to get by and giving that money to, again, the wealthiest and the biggest corporations.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
Yeah, and I think we could talk about, you know, why that was obscured during the campaign, but I am beginning to see it and look at, you know, I wish it was sooner, earlier that everybody was waking up, but here's what I'm seeing.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
Veterans across large swaths of my state, we have about a half a million veterans in Illinois, in the southernmost district, congressional district of Illinois, represented by Mike Bost as the congressman. who is the chair of the Veterans Committee.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
That district has a lot of veterans in it, and those veterans are already seeing that their services are being taken away, that it's taking longer to get an appointment at the VA. There are homeless veterans that aren't getting the kind of services and help that they need to get shelter over their heads, to find the the food, the basic necessities that they need. And so they're showing up.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
They're speaking out. These are not Democrats, many of them. Many of them are Republicans. But they are outraged. They can't believe many of them that, you know, they voted for Mike Bost and they voted for Donald Trump. And now this is being done to them. And so I think that's just one example of a group of people who are waking up and speaking out.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
Well, Ben, we know who this guy is, right? I was governor back in 2019 and 2020 when he was in his first term. And I can tell you that my experiences back then and, of course, the man's history would tell you that he doesn't live up to his promises, that he doesn't give a darn about really any of the people that he represents.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
But so many of us who revere veterans are also outraged by what's happening to them and speaking up and speaking out about it. I'll tell you one quick other story. We have many Head Start programs and I've been for decades. decades now involved in early childhood education and development.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
And those Head Start programs are hugely important to especially middle class and working class families across our state. Well, the uncertainty that was created and has still persisted across Illinois about whether those programs are going to get funded
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
has led many parents to wonder whether they can even keep their jobs because they no longer have a place that they can rely upon to take their child. So when you think your job is at stake and you're worried about whether you can leave your child in a good location while you go to work,
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
I mean, you can imagine there are people thinking about, you know, they may have to quit their job or they're going to be laid off because they're going to have to take care of their child at home and not be able to go to work. So these are the kinds of things that are happening for people. And those people are showing up, speaking up and speaking out.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
It's a it's a gathering storm against Donald Trump and Elon Musk. But it's getting more and more intense every day.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
Well, let's start with an underlying problem that, you know, you can't point fingers exactly about this. And that is there was high inflation and people were feeling it. And so they're living in an environment where they were feeling like things have been bad and it's you know, it's hard to recover from that.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
You know, in a political environment, there are folks who say that by June of an election year, if people are not feeling like the economy is going to improve or like inflation is under control, by November, they're going to vote for the non-incumbent, for the opposition party in that election. in this case was Donald Trump and the Republicans.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
So that is a problem that was, you know, just a baseline issue for Democrats in 2024. Add to that, of course, the uncertainty of of the president decide President Biden decided not to run for reelection. Never in my lifetime have we had anything like that, where the incumbent who's running for reelection decides not to after the primaries.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
And then replaced by the vice president who, as much as people may like her, she wasn't very well known. And just people don't know the vice president. They still don't know J.D. Vance, too. And so, you know, she took his place, but all of a sudden she had to introduce herself. So in 108 days to run the.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
OK, so that's the part that I think where, you know, it's hard to point fingers exactly about some of those things. But but let's just be clear that. It also was a messaging problem that in those 108 days, there were challenges, you know, the attacks that were coming on Kamala Harris. I think the Harris campaign had difficulty responding to.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
And I knew that we had to start on day one as Democrats to rebuild and remind people who we are as a Democratic Party and what we stand for. Because he sort of during the election obscured so much of what he really is about. Somehow the campaign last year just wasn't able to get across what our fundamental values are as Democrats. So that's why I was immediate about it.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
They didn't directly go after or even respond to some of those attacks. And I think that was a mistake. You really can't let any time go by in this 24-7 media world. where you're getting attacked and people don't know what your response is. So that stuff can stick.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
And especially, like I said, in an environment where people are very uneasy and they feel like going to the grocery store is a disaster every time because prices are going up. So, you know, those are a lot of things that I've said.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
But just to be clear, what we should have been focused on every single day is and every minute of every day is on the things that matter to your life at the kitchen table. Like, can you pay your bills? Can you buy the the tomatoes, the eggs, the groceries that you need for your family? Can you afford those things? You know, which under Donald Trump has gone up in price significantly.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
Just things that matter to you in your everyday life. One more thing about this. You know, Biden gave a speech in in January of 2024, I think, at Valley Forge about democracy. Everything he said was accurate and democracy was on the line in that election. But.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
The problem is if you go door to door, and I've done a lot of door to door, door knocking for votes, and you talk to people at the doors, people don't understand what it means when you say democracy is at risk. And you could explain it all you want, but people are used to a system that just works for them. They've never seen democracy that goes away, right, in your entire life.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
And so it's hard to make that case to people. But you can make the case that we Democrats, we're the ones who are providing childcare for families that need to go to work and leave their child in a quality environment. We're the ones who are funding education and believe in funding education, not just K through 12, but also being able to go to community college.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
We're the ones who are standing up for Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid. And Those cases really weren't made very well during that last election. So we need to, you know, laser-like focus on those issues.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
And if I had to pick one thing that I wish that Kamala Harris had talked about, because I think it's such an easy thing for us to point out to the American public, the Republicans are opposed to raising the minimum wage at $7.25. $7.25 an hour, $14,000 a year. You can't live as a single person, let alone raise a family. So we should have been talking about the minimum wage.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
Here in Illinois, we raised the minimum wage to $15. We should be talking about that, doing that nationally. We should be talking about the idea that we want higher wages for people. Republicans want lower wages. There are many Republicans, if you just survey the Congress, they're opposed to raising the minimum wage, and many of them would like to get rid of the minimum wage.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
So I think just messaging was a little off, maybe a lot off in 2024, and I think lesson learned by a lot of folks. But for me, it's what we've been doing in Illinois for the last six years.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
Yeah. You know, I was asked the other day if I could say something to Donald Trump, you know, one question, what would it be? And I said, what does Putin have on you? Because Donald Trump has literally changed our alliances entirely, switching sides. You know, we used to be the country that stands up for the good guys, that stands with our allies. Ukraine is our ally.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
The fact is that the lies have cost so much for the American people even already. What are we, 62 days into his administration? And I think people are finally, finally waking up. But it was important to me to sound the alarm.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
Europe, Western Europe, all of Europe, really, those are our allies. Why did Donald Trump switch sides and choose not the good guys, but the villain, Vladimir Putin? And everybody understands, everybody rational understands that Vladimir Putin is trying to put together the old Russian empire. And he has been feeling that and wanting to do that since he took power many years ago.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
And Donald Trump is literally handing it to him when he hands him the power to control the peacemaking with Ukraine. And I'm Ukrainian-American. I have to say my family escaped being killed in Ukraine by Russians. And this country offered us the safety and security that so many refugees have been able to obtain by coming to the United States.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
And we have stood with Ukraine for more than 10 years in their battle for democracy. And the question I guess I would ask is, if you're willing to hand the keys to Europe over to Vladimir Putin, what's next? Where does this end? And how does the United States retain its leadership in the world when essentially he's retreating entirely to the borders of the United States.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
He's even made enemies now of the Canadians. I mean, I can't imagine anything more telling than, you know, having such a close relationship, probably one of our closest allies in the world, certainly in the Western hemisphere. you know, we now are, you know, we've now made enemies of our friends. Europe is going it alone and trying to figure out how to deal with Putin. What happened?
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
What happened? And so Donald Trump, all I can say is he must, you know, have read the wrong books, listened to the wrong people, and certainly misunderstands the importance of leading in a, you know, in a world that needs a leader of a free world.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Fights Back Against Trump
And Donald Trump wants to lead just the United States when we need to provide leadership and human rights leadership and strength to so many allies across the world.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Wes Moore on Trump's Economic Chaos
the way this administration does and changing numbers every day. And I mean, that leads to a level of uncertainty that I think drives not just markets crazy, but drives all business influence crazy. I mean, the thing that we are trying to do in our state is we have really been focusing on focusing on economic growth.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Wes Moore on Trump's Economic Chaos
on giving certainty to industries because that can lead to greater levels of employment, it leads to greater levels of economic growth, and also it allows us to diversify our economy off of Washington. And if you're looking at what's happening in the state of Maryland, it's actually working, even contrary to the headwinds that we're getting from Washington.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Wes Moore on Trump's Economic Chaos
where we just announced, if you look at the most recent job numbers, we have now added more jobs in Maryland over the past two years since I've been the governor than the previous administration and the previous governor got during eight years, during two terms. Right.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Wes Moore on Trump's Economic Chaos
So our focus on things like investing in child care, our focusing on things like investing in apprenticeship programs and trade programs, our focus on the service year option, which is getting more young people into the workforce. Like these things are actually working to drive growth, particularly private sector growth.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Wes Moore on Trump's Economic Chaos
But it is without a shadow of a doubt, the kind of craziness that we have seen from this new administration is definitely making it harder for our nation's chief executives and not easier at all.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Wes Moore on Trump's Economic Chaos
For what? This is not a game. And you're playing with people's lives. And I think about where our largest trade partner is Canada, for example. We've got $3 billion of exports that we do with Canada every single year. This past weekend, I was speaking with a Canadian ambassador and almost doing essentially my own independent diplomacy.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Wes Moore on Trump's Economic Chaos
With our trade partner, because that level of diplomacy coming from the federal government is now non-existent and it's now almost playful. This is serious stuff because this is impacting our businesses, which turns around and impacts our neighborhoods, which turn around and impact our families, which turn around and impact our children. This is not a game.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Wes Moore on Trump's Economic Chaos
And the really frustrating thing about it for me is we have people who are in very serious positions who are not serious people. And this has very real consequences on the states that we run and in the communities that we are vowed to protect and that we will protect.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Wes Moore on Trump's Economic Chaos
Well, a lot of what we're seeing is you're seeing some of the direct impacts on things like the port of Baltimore. which is one of our nation's largest ports. And also you're seeing how trade, where the Port of Baltimore really serves as a real vessel for larger trade all across the country, which has been directly impacted.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Wes Moore on Trump's Economic Chaos
But who we're also hearing it from is things like chicken farmers on the Eastern Shore. who rely on trade from Canada and Mexico, and both import and export. We're also hearing it from people who are like developers who are working on housing.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Wes Moore on Trump's Economic Chaos
I'm very aggressive when it comes to the opportunities to create more housing inventory, because I believe that creating more housing inventory will also drive down housing costs. And so we've been very aggressive on things like transit oriented development and density bonuses and creating incentives for more housing.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Wes Moore on Trump's Economic Chaos
But when materials are more expensive now because of these arbitrary trade wars we're putting on board, it makes it more complicated for our developers to be able to predict what becomes the cost that we're going to have for our trade. And so the thing that we're just continuing to lean on our partners and our international partners is basically showing them that here you have consistency.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Wes Moore on Trump's Economic Chaos
Here you have a measure of soberness in the way that we think about the work. And here you have people who are going to put together policies that actually defend our people and not policies that end up actually impacting and hurting
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Wes Moore on Trump's Economic Chaos
You know, a big thing for me is we just follow the data. That if you look at the data, you talk about things like the suicide rates. We talk about the fact that college attainment levels for young men and boys were the same now as they were in 1964. Our young men and boys are falling behind. And the problem is, is that I think for so long, we've also just been deeply ignored.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Wes Moore on Trump's Economic Chaos
And for me, it's not just a it's not a, you know, some data conversation. It's personal. Right. I'm a kid who grew up and was raised by an immigrant single mom who did not get her first job until with benefits until I was 14 years old. And I'm also a kid who had handcuffs on my wrist by the time I was 11.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Wes Moore on Trump's Economic Chaos
I'm a kid who was who was who was sent to a military school when I was 13, joined the army when I was 17 years old, went to a two year college, was a person who came up in communities that were over policed. And we knew it and we knew that the way they oftentimes dealt with young boys was simply by criminalizing us.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Wes Moore on Trump's Economic Chaos
And so this is a very personal thing for me and something that I knew that people can't just wake up to this because they look at election rolls. If you're looking at an election, you caught it too late because that's the tale. We have young men and boys who feel deeply disillusioned by this system because the system has left them behind.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Wes Moore on Trump's Economic Chaos
And so as a state, we're making a very deliberate effort to be able to address this. I've actually ordered all of my cabinet secretaries and all of my agency heads where this is now a performance indicator for them about what are they doing in their own areas to be able to impact the prospects for young men and boys.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Wes Moore on Trump's Economic Chaos
Where we are doing things like putting a core focus of getting more men inside of the classroom.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Wes Moore on Trump's Economic Chaos
putting a focus on getting more men inside of nursing, the nursing industry in places where we know there's been a dearth and a pullback from men, doing more when it comes to job training and apprenticeship programs, doing more to be able to help the young men who are involved in our juvenile justice system.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Wes Moore on Trump's Economic Chaos
Because if you look at the juvenile justice system in the state of Maryland and around the country, it is predominantly dominated by young boys. So we've got to get serious about this. And if you care about the growth
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Wes Moore on Trump's Economic Chaos
of your communities, if you care about the growth of families, if you care about having more people who are who are who our daughters are going to have the opportunity to be able to have as partners, get young boys right. And that's what I think this country has deeply, deeply missed.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Wes Moore on Trump's Economic Chaos
And so that's why I'm just unapologetic that in the state of Maryland, we're going to make this a real focus about how we think about our work going forward.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Wes Moore on Trump's Economic Chaos
I appreciate you so much. And congrats again.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gov. Wes Moore on Trump's Economic Chaos
Yeah, the only certainty we've gotten from this new administration is uncertainty. Right. And I think people are just looking for basic predictability. They're just like, tell me what the situation is and we can find ways to adapt and to adjust on it. But when it changes every day and when you are using tools like tariffs, which are tools and using it as an ideology.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Dems Finally Smack Down the GOP Over Trump Disaster
I hope that you're I think your viewers know this is there's no plan behind this. Donald Trump doesn't know how anything works. Donald Trump is this caricature that had a reality TV show that pretended like he knew how to run businesses. The reality is he doesn't. As a governor, we have to make these things work.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Dems Finally Smack Down the GOP Over Trump Disaster
Local school districts have to understand what are the impacts going to be when you lay off 1300 experts who are there to make sure that every one of our children get an equitable education. It's chaos.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Dems Finally Smack Down the GOP Over Trump Disaster
with them. If trade is so bad with Canada, he was the guy who signed the deal. It defies logic. But look, I think this is how he ran business. He stiffed contractors. He stiffed workers. He doesn't pay his bills. He declares bankruptcy. The one thing is, his claim that he's the business president, he is the worst possible business executive that I have ever witnessed. And I hope
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Dems Finally Smack Down the GOP Over Trump Disaster
You know, this is what we need. I need the business community to speak up. The Wall Street Journal, thank you. Thank you for saying this is the stupidest trade war because I've been saying it. And so now I can go back to my constituents, Republican constituents, and say, this is the reality of what you're facing.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Connecticut Governor Lamont responds to Trump Tariff Disaster
I think Howard Lutnick is whistling by the graveyard. I think that this incredible uncertainty is a real drag upon the economy. I think investors have spoken. You see that with the market reaction today. People don't know if they should invest or not because they don't know what tomorrow is going to bring.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Connecticut Governor Lamont responds to Trump Tariff Disaster
The herky-jerky style with the tariffs is just symptomatic of this administration where every day is more incoming. And that's bad for the economy.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Connecticut Governor Lamont responds to Trump Tariff Disaster
What we're doing in Connecticut is working through our budget as best we can based upon the fiscal 24 numbers. We get about a third of our revenues from the feds. But we have a reserve in case there's a lot of incoming. Let's say they want to cut $800 million out of Medicaid in our state. We're modeling right now in terms of who gets impacted, what we can do to soften some of those impacts.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Connecticut Governor Lamont responds to Trump Tariff Disaster
But I got to remind people, there's no way the taxpayers of Connecticut could ever make up for all the federal if they pull it back as dramatically as they're talking about.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Connecticut Governor Lamont responds to Trump Tariff Disaster
Not so much. I don't think I can blame tourism here in Connecticut on the president. Most of our tourism is the greater region. Look, if you're down in Naples, Florida, Canadians have stopped coming. I know that story. Here, we've had more tourists visiting the state of Connecticut in the last three years than ever before in our history. But most of that is regional. A lot of that is cars.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Connecticut Governor Lamont responds to Trump Tariff Disaster
I'm hearing that Doge says we're just getting rid of waste, fraud and abuse. That's nonsense. All they're doing is pushing costs onto the state. We've already had. Well, we get cuts. We don't get any notice. All of a sudden, the portal turns off and they stop paying for daycare. They stop paying for health department services. They stop paying for education.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Connecticut Governor Lamont responds to Trump Tariff Disaster
And we have a pretty substantial rainy day fund, about 18% of our budget. So we're able to manage a lot of the smaller items as they come along, at least for the near term. What worries us is the big items. Medicaid could be enormous, and there's no way we can manage that by ourselves.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Connecticut Governor Lamont responds to Trump Tariff Disaster
Talk to us. Say, I'm going to have work rules for Medicaid. Okay, I understand that. We're going to phase it in over the next 12 months, and this is what you can expect. We think SNAP benefits are going to be trimmed back. Don't do it tomorrow. We'll do that over the next six months. I'm a little different than the senators and congressmen. Every day they just, you know, bang President Trump.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Connecticut Governor Lamont responds to Trump Tariff Disaster
I also try to work with red state governors. I talk about how Medicaid cuts will hurt my hospitals. It'll really devastate your rural hospitals in Tennessee and Kentucky. Maybe this is an issue we can work together on.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Connecticut Governor Lamont responds to Trump Tariff Disaster
My deal with the legislature here is no surprises, and I wish our deal with the federal government was the same way. It's been a partnership going back a long time. I understand President Trump won the election. There are going to be changes. Now let's work that through so it's the least harm for people.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Connecticut Governor Lamont responds to Trump Tariff Disaster
And by the way, Liberation Day, really, the only thing you're going to do is liberate my consumers' wallets of about $200 or $300 a month. That's what's going to get liberated.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Connecticut Governor Lamont responds to Trump Tariff Disaster
Well, A, we have to have an honestly balanced budget. We have to have a balanced budget. That's very different than the federal level. You know, unlike a lot of Democrats, I put a big emphasis on growth. So a lot of the investments we're making are to keep our economy growing. That solves an awful lot of problems.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Connecticut Governor Lamont responds to Trump Tariff Disaster
We're making the biggest commitment, for example, to daycare and childcare in history. I love it because, you know, we Democrats like it. It gives kids the very best head start in life. The businessman in me likes it because it allows people to get back to work. So those are the type of investments we're trying to make.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Connecticut Governor Lamont responds to Trump Tariff Disaster
And we also have some powder in reserve just to take care of the unexpected as it comes from Washington. These are like unguided missiles that come in every day or two.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Connecticut Governor Lamont responds to Trump Tariff Disaster
History. You just mentioned Smoot-Hawley, 1930.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Connecticut Governor Lamont responds to Trump Tariff Disaster
probably two-thirds of world trade ground to a halt over the succeeding year we already were moving into a depression it made it more severe and longer and uh why are we making picking fights with our friends if you want to do um more tariffs against russia god bless you but why are we doing canada you know fire brett whitney we make jet engines here in the state of connecticut
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Connecticut Governor Lamont responds to Trump Tariff Disaster
They probably import $3 or $4 billion a year of parts from Canada to build our jet engines here in East Hartford. All of a sudden, the price of a jet engine is going to go up by $200,000. Who is that helping? And by the way, we get our fruits and vegetables this time of the year. They all come from Mexico.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Connecticut Governor Lamont responds to Trump Tariff Disaster
So, you know, if you want to have a guacamole dip with your chips to watch the Yukon Huskies on Friday night, better buy it soon because it's got a lot more expensive.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Connecticut Governor Lamont responds to Trump Tariff Disaster
Well, you have a case to be worried. Connecticut is better positioned than most because we have the reserves. But talk to your red state governors. Talk to your red state congresspeople. Make sure, this is what I'm doing, make sure folks know how these changes, these cuts, and they are cuts, they're not just waste, fraud, and abuse. These are cuts being pushed on the backs of your state taxpayers.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Connecticut Governor Lamont responds to Trump Tariff Disaster
Make sure they know how that will impact Tennessee and Kentucky and Alabama. Let's work together, at least to soften the blow.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Connecticut Governor Lamont responds to Trump Tariff Disaster
Thanks, everybody.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Demented Trump Has Most Shameful Day in U.S. History
It's almost inconceivable. And look, Chris, I don't know. You almost have to be an amateur psychologist on this. It's like Trump is stuck in the 80s. His music, his clothing, his thinking. He has been on this tariff thing forever. And every economist, conservative or liberal, will tell you they just simply don't work.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Demented Trump Has Most Shameful Day in U.S. History
We use them strategically, but he doesn't fundamentally understand how trade works. It goes back to what I continue to say. I think the biggest myth perpetuated on this country is that Donald Trump understands anything about business. He's bankrupt every single one he's been into, and now he's bankrupting this country. So I appreciate you talking about this.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Demented Trump Has Most Shameful Day in U.S. History
This is a tax on working people that we've not seen in any of our lifetimes, and it is going to have dramatic effect.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Trump Gets Destroyed by Dem Govs in Public
I understand that right now with all the chaos Donald Trump has brought to bear over these first 17 days of his administration, the way he's attacked certain people in our community because of what they look like or where they come from, who they love, who they pray to, who they are. I understand how that can make people feel uneasy and worry. And I understand how that can make some people retreat
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Trump Gets Destroyed by Dem Govs in Public
and not engage? I think the answer right now is to engage directly, is to show up, is to make your voice heard, is to let your congressman and your senator know just how important these issues are to you as a Pennsylvanian and encourage them to do their jobs. and actually be a check on the president. I think it is very, very important that Pennsylvanians stand up and speak up.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Trump Gets Destroyed by Dem Govs in Public
I think it needs to be done in a constructive and peaceful and safe manner. And that is what I would encourage Pennsylvanians to do. Stand up, speak up, and allow your voices to be heard.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Dem Candidate for Florida Special Election Surges (Josh Weil Interview)
When they pulled the Stefanik nomination, you know, it was earlier in the day. And, you know, we looked at, you know, my team and I, we looked at each other right away and we said, you know, this isn't a move you make when you're scared. This is a move you make preparing for a loss like you. You think it's done. You think that you've lost this race.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Dem Candidate for Florida Special Election Surges (Josh Weil Interview)
If you were scared, you would wait until Wednesday. You'd wait until the day after the election. And, you know, you'd probably call Representative Stefanik now and be like, listen, on Wednesday, we might be having a. Difficult conversation. But they pulled the trigger five days out. And then like four hours after that, we saw the polls.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Dem Candidate for Florida Special Election Surges (Josh Weil Interview)
And, you know, the polls are I mean, they confirm what our internal polling has been saying. But, you know, the polls show it's not just that we're leading. It's that they have him only at 41 percent.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Dem Candidate for Florida Special Election Surges (Josh Weil Interview)
the republican candidate is only at forty one percent uh... which you know i don't know how big your you have to have a margin of error of ten points to get him over fifty percent uh... which is what he would need to wait uh... It's he's so far behind in support that, yeah, we feel fantastic.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Dem Candidate for Florida Special Election Surges (Josh Weil Interview)
But just like you said, we have to continue driving out the vote every single day because there are a lot of Republicans in this district. And, you know, anything can happen until they call this race 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Dem Candidate for Florida Special Election Surges (Josh Weil Interview)
We're seeing historic Dem turnout. We're still at about 40% of total voters in this election are Democrats in a district where 27% of registered voters are Democrats. So we're seeing incredibly elevated voter turnout. And
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Dem Candidate for Florida Special Election Surges (Josh Weil Interview)
We're seeing in Volusia County, the largest county in this district, more Democrats have voted than Republicans, which was historic when it happened on the first day of early voting because there hadn't been a single day of that in like 30 years. And now it's held. It's held for an entire week throughout early voting here.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Dem Candidate for Florida Special Election Surges (Josh Weil Interview)
The closing messages were almost there. Our message is resonating with people in this district. I mean, we just the local Fox 30 Fox affiliate just did a pair of side by side interviews, you know, myself and Randy Fine separately. And, you know,
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Dem Candidate for Florida Special Election Surges (Josh Weil Interview)
it's wild because you know we watched him speak this entire time and he doesn't mention the voters of the people wants his entire matches is either just about how terrible i am or how great trumpets and you know i'm answering the same questions i didn't know what find it said at the time when i was in the studio and you know we're talking about the people you know that the people
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Dem Candidate for Florida Special Election Surges (Josh Weil Interview)
They rely on these systems. They rely on Social Security. They rely on Medicaid, Medicare. They rely on the VA. These are essential systems for people living and they need someone to fight for that. They need someone to represent their interests. And, you know, that's that's what they want. And if he's not even trying to sell it, which is just wild at this point because we're four days out.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Dem Candidate for Florida Special Election Surges (Josh Weil Interview)
So for the next four days, we just have to keep we know we have the support, but having the support and having the votes are two different things.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Dem Candidate for Florida Special Election Surges (Josh Weil Interview)
I went to Stony Brook.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Dem Candidate for Florida Special Election Surges (Josh Weil Interview)
I grew up down here in Orlando, but my family is up in Long Island. And so I went up there for college. I lived with my uncle in St. James.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Dem Candidate for Florida Special Election Surges (Josh Weil Interview)
Yeah, 700 points down that day. That was one of the better days that week. He had like four days in a row where it crashed over 1,000 points.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Dem Candidate for Florida Special Election Surges (Josh Weil Interview)
these are people's retirement we have desantis here and uh super majority because of horrible gerrymandering super majority republican legislation that had made it impossible to live in florida people cannot afford to live in florida we're in a housing crisis we're an insurance crisis you know we had the inflation that the entire nation was suffering we felt here as well and there are a lot of people on fixed incomes whether it's their retirement funds that just
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Dem Candidate for Florida Special Election Surges (Josh Weil Interview)
went in the wrong direction hard under the Trump administration, or whether it's their social security or their veterans benefits. And all of those are at risk. And I can't tell you how many people have looked at me. It's just the anxiety, the not knowing.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Dem Candidate for Florida Special Election Surges (Josh Weil Interview)
They never thought they'd be in a place where they didn't know if their next social security check was going to come through or what they would do if it doesn't.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Dem Candidate for Florida Special Election Surges (Josh Weil Interview)
Yeah, follow us at joshwheel.us, J-O-S-H-W-E-I-L.us. You can keep track of our events, where we're going to be. We have mobilized links up for phone banking. No matter where you are in the country, you can jump on for just two hours if you want. Make phone calls, dial, get a hold of voters in our district. There's two days left for them to vote. Early voting is 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Dem Candidate for Florida Special Election Surges (Josh Weil Interview)
on Saturday, and then it's election day, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and that is it. So we've got to drive as many voters to the polls over these next four days as possible. But we are there. It is within our grasp. We just can't fumble the bag. That's it.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Uh Oh! Dems Torch the GOP in Their Own Turf
Play this clip. Look, I got asked that question. I got asked the question, who's in charge? Who's the leader of the Democratic Party, Governor? And I said, the people are. And for three days on Fox News, they're like making fun, you know, the bungholes that are in the morning, like talking, oh, Walls doesn't even know who the leader of the party is. Well, you know why? They sure know where it is.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Uh Oh! Dems Torch the GOP in Their Own Turf
They know who their leader is because Chaplin from butt kissing one person. So demand it. There's... There is not going to be a charismatic leader ride in and do this. It is going to be people coming out on a beautiful Friday afternoon, demanding change and holding people accountable. Governor Walz, again, let's play it.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Uh Oh! Dems Torch the GOP in Their Own Turf
But this issue around healthcare and the issue around Medicare and the things we're talking about, we've got people now that are exactly like this story, worried about basic human right of healthcare and decency in their life. And I own this. The idea that millions of people stayed home because they didn't think there was any difference between Donald Trump, Kamala Harris and myself on the ticket.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Uh Oh! Dems Torch the GOP in Their Own Turf
They didn't. They didn't think that. And we we need to acknowledge that. I think one of the reasons is, is that when Democrats have been in power, we've been timid about passing things that make a difference on their lives. And why? Why do we have citizens that are in this piece of, in this situation?
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Uh Oh! Dems Torch the GOP in Their Own Turf
Why are we at that point when we are the richest nation on earth and yet our outcomes are 41st and we spend twice as much as any nation next to us? We should demand a redo of this system in a way that makes a difference on that because I think it's very hard that we have to win elections but Good politics follows good policy. And the ACA was an improvement.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Uh Oh! Dems Torch the GOP in Their Own Turf
And again, I got to be honest with you. They hate public education. I think they hate it for the reason we all know in here. It's easier to run an authoritarian government if you don't have a population that knows. So again, obviously I don't have all the answers, but I think it's appealing to people's sense of decency. I should be careful about that.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Uh Oh! Dems Torch the GOP in Their Own Turf
But let's be honest, the ACA is still a pain in the ass to get things paid, to get things done. It's important protection like pre-existing conditions, but it's still too expensive.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Uh Oh! Dems Torch the GOP in Their Own Turf
And so what I would say to you is we need to tell your son that we need a health care system that he doesn't have to worry that one election could throw him out and into the streets, that one election would make a difference.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Uh Oh! Dems Torch the GOP in Their Own Turf
I thought a message that we should value all people and we should have an immigration policy that adheres to the law but adheres to humanity. And they talked about eating dogs and cats and they won. And so I myself am soul searching when I hear this, how in God's name of all the money that's being spent and all the tax cuts they're giving, we can't fund
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Uh Oh! Dems Torch the GOP in Their Own Turf
You hear what people are irritated about. And I would argue that Democratic officials should hear the primal scream that's coming from America is do something, damn it. This is wrong. This is wrong. And independence. And there's nothing conservative about about an unelected South African netball baby firing people at the VA.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Uh Oh! Dems Torch the GOP in Their Own Turf
And for our Republican neighbors, now all of a sudden they're like, I wanted my 401k to go down. I wanted this, you know. This idea that you would be okay. Can you imagine if President Barack Obama had brought his unelected African friend to cut
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Uh Oh! Dems Torch the GOP in Their Own Turf
Those interventions that we know make a difference in millions of children's lives, I can't believe America wouldn't go for that.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
And so I talked to the federal government and said, yo, y'all can't do this. You've got to give us the money that is owed to us. Remember, a deal is a deal. They refused. And so I had no other choice but to take them to court. I sued them, but I kept talking to them during that process.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
and ultimately made very very clear i wasn't going away pennsylvania was going to get its fair share of federal funding and what's been promised to us and we were able to get them to unfreeze all 2.1 billion dollars that had been taken away from pennsylvania i'm really proud of that and i'm grateful to the people whose voices were raised up demanding that the federal government do what they were legally
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
Hey, Ben, it's great to be with you. And by the way, I just want to say thanks for having me back on. I know you're Mr. Big Time now, but you remember who was there in the beginning. Now you all are number one. Congratulations. I'm so proud of you and your brothers. But I'm glad you didn't forget us little people.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
You know, literally, Ben, just a couple hours ago, I was up in what we call the northern tier of Pennsylvania. You can't get any further north. Otherwise, you're going to be in New York. And these are really conservative Republican voting communities. A lot of voters. voted for me there. But by and large, these are communities that overwhelmingly supported Donald Trump.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
And two things were brought up to me by folks there, folks in the media and folks just when I got pulled aside who were wanting to talk to me. One, they said, thank you for protecting us. Thank you for making sure that we are seen. This was a member of the LGBTQ community who came over to me and said that. The other thing is people are really worried about
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
about the impact of these federal cuts on their communities. Let's talk just for a moment about Medicaid, right? They're talking about cutting Medicaid in Washington. I get $30 billion a year coming to Pennsylvania to pay for Medicaid. There are 3 million Pennsylvanians who get healthcare through Medicaid. There are 13 million total Pennsylvanians 3 million of them are on Medicaid.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
And by the way, Ben, a high percentage of them are in these rural communities where I was just a few hours ago. I've made clear to our federal officials that a cut to Medicaid directly hurts your constituents here in Pennsylvania, it would have a devastating impact on these rural communities.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
I'm gonna do everything I can to both educate our lawmakers, to help them understand that cuts to Medicaid are gonna harm our citizens, especially in rural Pennsylvania, and hold them accountable if they make those cuts.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
If they even cut 10% out of Medicaid, that's a $3 billion hit, and that's something that is gonna be very difficult for us to make up here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through our state budget. Now, there might be some people out there going, well, I mean, the federal government What's their role in sending money to Pennsylvania or any other state? Well, here's the thing.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
Folks in that rural community where I just was, they pay federal taxes and they want that money to come back to our state. Nearly every state in the nation gets somewhere between 30 and 40% of their overall annual budgets from federal tax dollars, from federal money that comes back to their states. The idea that that's going to be cut
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
and we're going to make it harder to build roads and bridges, cover kids with autism, protect our veterans, just to name a few things, that is really, really concerning to me. And we've got to push back on that. And so if Mike Johnson thinks that this is just
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
made up or astroturfed or whatever you said, how about he shows up in some of these rural communities in Pennsylvania and actually listens to the real concerns on people's minds? By the way, the people that voted for a Republican representative who made Mike Johnson speaker, the people who voted for Donald Trump to make him president, they don't want to see their communities be harmed.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
And these cuts that they're talking about would be really devastating.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
Are you hearing that? Yeah, and look, protecting privacy is a fundamental responsibility I have as governor in overseeing a government that serves the needs of 13 million Pennsylvanians. Protecting people's privacy, their health, their safety, and ensuring that we have proper protocols in place to protect their interests. You know, look, I hold the president accountable.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
He decides who he's going to surround himself with. He decides who he is going to empower. And I want to make sure the people he surrounds himself with, the people he leans on to help lead this nation, are people who actually give a damn about the American people, protecting their privacy, protecting their interests, looking out for their needs. That's what I want to see.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
And I hold the president accountable to that.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
Yeah, look, you know what it is? It's common sense. You go out there, you talk to moms and dads and caregivers, you talk to business owners, you talk to chambers of commerce and labor unions, and you talk to them about the concerns they have about workforce, right? Who's going to do the jobs we need, not just today, but well in the future? And you ask them, what's holding you back?
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
well for many it's child care you know if parents don't have a safe and reliable place that they can drop their kids off at and go to work well they're not going to go to work because they're going to be home caring for their kids or making other arrangements we know that if we can build out a child care system that is available to all we talked about rural communities before especially
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
in those rural communities, we know that we can have greater economic productivity. Let me offer, I'll nerd out on you here for a quick second. We have the need to put about 25,000 more kids in childcare in Pennsylvania. This is a need that parents have identified. Well, to do that, we need to fill 3000 open early learning teaching slots.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
And so my budget does a common sense thing, which is to say we're going to give $1,000 stipend to childcare workers to either retain them or attract them into this really important field. This is something that's been endorsed by Republicans and Democrats alike.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
And it builds on the work we've done on childcare by tripling our childcare tax credit to reduce the cost for families trying to avoid childcare and actually giving businesses a tax write-off when they pay for their employees' childcare costs. So we're trying to come at this in a bunch of different ways.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
funding the providers, putting money back in parents' pockets to be able to afford childcare, and helping businesses support their employees. This is a common sense thing we can do to attract more people into a really, really necessary field. It's going to help us grow our economy and have really good outcomes for our communities.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
Yeah, we won. Look, I mean, this really comes down to a simple thing that our kids learn in middle school, right? A deal is a deal. That's it. The federal government made a deal with Pennsylvania to invest $2.1 billion in our commonwealth. A whole lot more than that, but that's what was frozen.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
It does. So let me address, you know, on both of those fronts. Pennsylvania is proud, the proud home of nearly a million veterans. And these veterans deserve better than what they're getting from the Trump administration. Veterans are getting laid off and veterans are going to see their programs that they rely on for health care and
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
Other things get cut back on as a result of the budgets that are going through Washington right now. Veterans deserve better. And by the way, here in the Commonwealth, we are looking to hire some of those laid off veterans for really critically important jobs that we have.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
From a broader national security perspective, and Ben, we could spend hours on this, but I think this is a critically important point that we need to start talking about more. I don't hear enough people talking about this.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
When Donald Trump took the oath of office, he took the oath of office to be president of the United States and be the leader of the free world, as presidents have been for many generations, stretching back even before Ronald Reagan and the changes that came there.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
He went from being the leader of the free world to now in just one month wanting to be a leader of a single hemisphere and leaving China and Russia in charge of the other hemispheres. That is deeply, deeply dangerous for America's national security interests. It is deeply troubling to see a president retreat in the face of Vladimir Putin and President Xi.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
We need a president who's gonna stand up for America's interests, who wants to be the leader of the free world. He has demonstrated nothing but weakness when it comes to national security over the course of his first month in office. Ben, we need to talk about this more. America's national security is at risk as a result of these decisions the president has made. And I'm very, very concerned.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
I'm concerned about how he's treating our veterans, and I'm concerned about our national security going forward.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
And understand, Ben, this was money that was going to things like fixing old abandoned minefields where we were having sinkholes. We actually had a woman die in Western Pennsylvania who fell into a sinkhole. It was capping orphan wells that were leaking methane into our communities, which was speeding up climate change and having really adverse health risks in the community and so much more.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Governor Shapiro on Big Court Win Against Trump
Thanks, Ben. Great to be with you. And sincerely, congrats on all your success. I'm really proud of you guys. And, you know, thanks for remembering us little people who were there in the beginning.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Democratic Governors are Leading the Fight Against Trump
Well, bullying is always wrong and standing up for people is always right. Hate's always wrong and love's always right. Judging people is always wrong and accepting them is always right. But I think what many Democrats are doing is misreading the last election. They're seeing that last ad that was played and thinking that the last movable voters voted on that anti-trans issue.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Democratic Governors are Leading the Fight Against Trump
I don't think that they did. I think what Donald Trump convinced them is that his opponent was distracted by other issues while he was focused on prices and the economy. And so this isn't an either or. As a Democrat, stand up for what you believe in. Stand up for protecting people. But at the same time, the next day, Be out there opening that new factory.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Democratic Governors are Leading the Fight Against Trump
Be in your community cutting the ribbon on the new clinic where people are going to be able to see a doctor that are right there. Be out there making sure that public safety is improving for everybody. We've got to show people that you can stand up for your principles while at the same time being there every single day for every working family regardless of their politics.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Democratic Governors are Leading the Fight Against Trump
We have to do both and understand that this is not an...
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Democratic Governors are Leading the Fight Against Trump
When Donald Trump took the oath of office, he took the oath of office to be president of the United States and be the leader of the free world, as presidents have been for many generations, stretching back even before Ronald Reagan and the changes that came there. He went from being the leader of the free world to now, in just one month, wanting to be a leader of a single hemisphere,
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Democratic Governors are Leading the Fight Against Trump
and leaving China and Russia in charge of the other hemispheres. That is deeply, deeply dangerous for America's national security interests. It is deeply troubling to see a president retreat in the face of Vladimir Putin and President Xi We need a president who's going to stand up for America's interests, who wants to be the leader of the free world.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Democratic Governors are Leading the Fight Against Trump
He has demonstrated nothing but weakness when it comes to national security over the course of his first month in office. Ben, we need to talk about this more. America's national security is at risk as a result of these decisions the president has made.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Democratic Governors are Leading the Fight Against Trump
Today we're really proud to announce that enrollment in Michigan's free pre-K program has reached 47,500, which is the highest we've been in over a decade. So that's 56% of Michigan's four-year-olds who are now enrolled in Great Start Readiness Program or GSRP.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Democratic Governors are Leading the Fight Against Trump
At facilities just like this one, these young Michiganders learn invaluable skills and get on track to start kindergarten better prepared to learn. Because of our work, thousands more kids are getting the education that they deserve and their parents have peace of mind to know that they are supported and in safe places, and they're also saving money, too, a lot of money.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Democratic Governors are Leading the Fight Against Trump
Because we know that free pre-K saves parents an average of $10,000 a year for a combined, when you think of all the parents whose kids are now enrolled, $475 million of savings. Think about that. Think about what it means for a middle-class family. A year of rent or bills or a down payment, savings for college or a rainy day.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Democratic Governors are Leading the Fight Against Trump
What does Vladimir Putin have on you?
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Democratic Governors are Leading the Fight Against Trump
Americans are experiencing the cruelty that comes with authoritarian rule. Donald Trump has handed over the reins of power to Elon Musk and his fellow Doge bags so that they can find trillions of dollars that they need to give themselves a massive tax break. Think about that. What Musk and Trump are doing isn't about efficiencies or about cost savings. It is about cruelty.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Democratic Governors are Leading the Fight Against Trump
They're intentionally breaking the system and giving themselves the authority to rebuild it in their own interest.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Democratic Leaders Destroy Trump in Red Districts
Let's play this clip. When Donald Trump took the oath of office, he took the oath of office to be president of the United States and be the leader of the free world, as presidents have been for many generations, stretching back even before Ronald Reagan and the changes that came there.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Democratic Leaders Destroy Trump in Red Districts
He went from being the leader of the free world to now, in just one month, wanting to be a leader of a single hemisphere, and leaving China and Russia in charge of the other hemispheres. That is deeply, deeply dangerous for America's national security interests. It is deeply troubling to see a president retreat in the face of Vladimir Putin and President Xi
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Democratic Leaders Destroy Trump in Red Districts
We need a president who's going to stand up for America's interests, who wants to be the leader of the free world. He has demonstrated nothing but weakness when it comes to national security over the course of his first month in office. Ben, we need to talk about this more. America's national security is at risk as a result of these decisions the president has made.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
The Florida Special Election That Has MAGA Terrified (Josh Weil Interview)
Yeah, people are excited. We have a real race here. We've known from the beginning that this is a district that has been neglected by the state and national party for a long time. And you know, if we were able to handle our business, get our fundraising right, you know, build the right campaign, that we'd be able to get a real response from people.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
The Florida Special Election That Has MAGA Terrified (Josh Weil Interview)
And, you know, then January 20th happened, then, you know, we've got all of the executive orders, the fast and furious barrage against, you know, the infrastructure of our nation, public services that residents here rely on. It's a district that's 25%, age 65 plus, You know, they're not happy about massive cuts to the Social Security Administration.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
The Florida Special Election That Has MAGA Terrified (Josh Weil Interview)
They're not happy about cuts to veterans benefits, you know, Medicaid, Medicare. They're feeling the impact immediately. And, you know, we've been here with them the whole way, making sure that they have someone who will fight for them to preserve those systems in Congress.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
The Florida Special Election That Has MAGA Terrified (Josh Weil Interview)
Oh, they hate each other.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
The Florida Special Election That Has MAGA Terrified (Josh Weil Interview)
Oh, yeah. So when DeSantis was running for president, Randy Fine was the first Republican to jump off and you know, support Trump instead. And they've had this just furious relationship ever since we've seen it. He called like three special legislative sessions earlier this year, right leading up to the main legislative session that started earlier this month.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
The Florida Special Election That Has MAGA Terrified (Josh Weil Interview)
A big part of it was just he wanted an excuse to not be in this district campaigning, which is great for us. But, you know, he spent most of the time, you know, they were fighting over which which immigration, which horrible immigration bill you know, that they wanted, the one that Trump recommended or the one that DeSantis was putting forward.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
The Florida Special Election That Has MAGA Terrified (Josh Weil Interview)
And he's been the most outspoken critic of Ron DeSantis. He calls him Ronda Rhino. And a lot of people, a lot of Republicans here like Ron DeSantis, so they don't take that kindly. You know, there's two types of people here in District 6. There's people who don't like Randy Fine, and there's people who haven't heard of Randy Fine. So...
The MeidasTouch Podcast
The Florida Special Election That Has MAGA Terrified (Josh Weil Interview)
Yeah, I mean, look, it was a plus 30 Trump area because we had no real Democratic campaign here in the last three cycles. One of them, there was no Democratic nominee for this seat. And the other two, the congressional candidate was unable to raise more than $35,000 over the entire two-year stretch.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
The Florida Special Election That Has MAGA Terrified (Josh Weil Interview)
So, you know, it's really, it's like more like an R plus 14 when you look at the current voter registration data, which is a lot more winnable. You know, it's not that our message has been rejected in the past, it's that there was no one here getting the message out. Messaging isn't free.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
The Florida Special Election That Has MAGA Terrified (Josh Weil Interview)
you got to be able to build a real campaign to get out and talk to people and you know not only have we been able to do that but in his arrogance randy fine felt that he didn't have to he spent months not campaigning last month he was interviewed by a newspaper and they asked him
The MeidasTouch Podcast
The Florida Special Election That Has MAGA Terrified (Josh Weil Interview)
know what are the issues most important in the district and he's like i don't know he goes it doesn't matter he goes because i'm here to serve donald trump i don't need to know what issues are important to the people there you know he he took two months off um raised no money which i mean honestly we were surprised by we knew we were going to have out raised him because we were handling our business and getting our work done but
The MeidasTouch Podcast
The Florida Special Election That Has MAGA Terrified (Josh Weil Interview)
He didn't even try raising money for a future war chest for 2026. I mean, he did absolutely nothing. No outreach, no messaging, no building of a campaign, just hiding out in Tallahassee from the voters. And now he's scared. Now he's struggling. And we feel really good about it. I mean, look, there's a lot of Republican voters in this district, right? If they
The MeidasTouch Podcast
The Florida Special Election That Has MAGA Terrified (Josh Weil Interview)
There's definitely enough that if they overturn out, they can take this thing back from us in seven days. But right now we feel really good about where we're at.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
The Florida Special Election That Has MAGA Terrified (Josh Weil Interview)
Early voting goes through this Saturday, the 29th. You can learn more about the campaign at joshwheel.us, J-O-S-H-W-E-I-L.us. We have links to sign up. We have volunteers from all over the country who've been doing phone banking for us, reaching out to voters. We have, if anyone's local or nearby, canvassing. Right now, it's just about getting out there, knocking on doors, driving out the vote.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
The Florida Special Election That Has MAGA Terrified (Josh Weil Interview)
And we're... All the money that we raise going forward is going to, you know, help increase what we're on TV because the Republicans poured like $3 million into the final eight days for television. So, you know, we're making sure that we're keeping pace on TV, that we're scaling up our campaign team as much as possible to make sure we drive out the vote.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
The Florida Special Election That Has MAGA Terrified (Josh Weil Interview)
You can donate, you can sign up to volunteer, or you can learn more about me all at our website.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
The Florida Special Election That Has MAGA Terrified (Josh Weil Interview)
Appreciate you. Thank you.