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Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome.
Welcome, Welcome home, y'all. This is episode sixty eight of Native Lampod and I'm gonna tell you why. I'm so happy because my co hosts are here in person with me, and for a change, they are in uniform. You know, they're always out of uniform.
And finally for the disinformation, it's.
A bomb everywhere.
Thank you to doctor Yelvin.
Yeah, oh yeah, Well I gotta do the personal side. This is my mother in law or my mother in love, I say or, and you feel the sentence for me, help you, Doctor Caroline Yelding coming to us from the great city of Daphnet, Alabama. Down in Baldwin County, Alabama. Jay's mom. I love her not just because she's my mother in law. I love her as a human, just as a person. But she thought about it us as she watches every episode, maybe more than once, I'm not sure,
just as my mother does you. I love love you, Tom. But when we did the whole nomination and you know, going for these awards, she was very kind to go and have these awesome sweaters made, y'all.
I want to ask her, does she think I'm this color? I think you should have got.
This, you know what. She didn't even say that.
He just like randomly put.
Him in a bag and mailed it. I didn't. I was like, oh, this is the same size.
No, yeah, so ours were the same. He just mailed it. The thank you to your mother in law honestly, because we really appreciate it. Was so kind and it's that nice family and there all right. I don't want to keep the folks waiting because every week it's a jam packed show, and I just think that's what happens during this administration. They flood the zone and we are yet again to catch confetti. So what you got, Andrew?
What we're talking about, Well, it's already been a while week. I know we won't spend a bunch of time on it. But once about Joy Reid, our good friend, and then of course from.
The TV all well not yet, no, I'm saying, because we're happing with Joy.
I'll messing with you. And then finally, would love to get into some of these budget numbers and this ridiculous package is the Republicans just past what you got in.
Well, I want to talk about that budget too. I want to talk about what's going on on Capitol Hill. I want to talk about if Democrats in Congress should be going to the State of the Union to watch a fascist lie to you for an hour, or if they.
Should be doing their own thing.
YEA, that's a good question. I want to talk about this week, Donald Trump met with his cabinet for the first time, and there was an uninvited guest I should say, an elected member of the cabinet at the cabinet meeting. And obviously I have a lot to say about my dear sister friend joy Reid leaving, so we'll get into that. And last week we promised you that we were going to talk about local elections. We got a great question on that, so we're going to get to you all
your questions too. H So a jam packed show, stay tuned, guys. So yeah, I think we want to since we're gonna start with the budget. I remember you saying that you want to talk about medicaid, and I know I have questions for you about that, as you know, my mother's on medicaid, and I think you pulled some sound for us. So let's it's a dim pressor is that what it is?
Yeah? So Democrats how to press it right after or actually this was right before the budget vote? And also which part of the budget vote?
Because there were some nonsense in bnanigans that happen, like what's really going on Capitol Hill.
This is not a reality show, this is not a joke. This is not politics as usual. It's a matter of life and death, right, and so we will stand with the American people. Stand with them today, stand with them tomorrow, stand with them next week, stand with them next month, stand with them this year, stand with them next year. Stand with the American people. Until victory is one, this
budget is defeated and America is restored. So it's our honor as House Democrats to be joined today by three incredible Americans whose quality of life depends on all of us stopping this reckless Republican budget, which is a betrayal of the American people.
My name is Mary Beth Kofran, and I'm from Campton, North Carolina, where I'm still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Colleen in September. I'm a proud member of a Mom's Rising and a prestentiate of Representative Chuck Edwards. I have custody of four of my grandchildren, ages ten, twelve, fifteen, and sixteen, as their parents couldn't care for them due
to addiction, domestic violence, and homelessness. I'm here today to urge lawmakers to put families over billionaires and reject any cuts to.
The program's club working families like mine rely on.
Republicans in Congress are looking high and low for ways to pay for another round of tax handouts for billionaires like Elon Musk. Yes, and their eyes are locked.
In on Medicaid.
Millionaires and billionaires do not need any more handouts, and federal lawmakers should not be entertaining the thought of ripping healthcare away from millions of people like me in order to pay for this upside down tax plan. Virginia is one of nine states with automatic trigger language that says if the federal government goes back on its promise and reduces funding for Medicaid expansion even by one percent, then the entire program ends and everyone in the expansion population
loses our health care. That is not only wrong as a matter of public policy, but it is also cruel.
Wow.
Yeah, I had a lot of questions for you.
Well, I appreciated the speakers who basically kept reiterating, you have a stereotype of who you think are the beneficiaries of this healthcare, but people like me. That first speaker began by saying, but people like me, And she was intentional with those words because I think as a constituent, she knows as well what they're trying to communicate, which is they think it's a bunch of broke black folk who make bad health decisions and consume far too much,
you know, greasy food. But the statistics tell us that one in every five persons in this country is a beneficiary of Medicaid that's expansive across these United States, and of that fifth percent, four in ten children eight and ten children who are poor are recipients of this program, y'all. When it comes to our seniors who are in assistant living facilities, over sixty percent of them are relying on Medicaid to take care of the expenses associated with it.
So what's crazy is is that those stealing from these people and taking away their health care is one thing, but now you're going to relocate that cost onto their children. So you're not going to talk about You're not talking about just elderly folks who are out of the system. Now you're taking parents out of the workplace, out of the school place, to now tend to needs that are no longer met by by the Medicaid coverage. This is
a sham. They ought to be ashamed of themselves, but they are part of bey on shame right now.
But here's my issue, Angela. I just feel like these people who are going to get harmed by this, they a lot of them voted for this. And so my challenge with this, even though I have people in my family who are going to be directly impacted by this, my challenge with these people. You wanted somebody else to feel that way, you know, you were fine for somebody else to make that sacrifice. The challenge comes when it
knocks on your front door. And so now we're seeing, you know, clips of these town halls across the country where they're being impacted, and I just want to scream, what the F word did you think? I didn't say the actual word because your mother in law is watching, but honestly, I mean, with all my spirit, what the F did you think was going to happen, and shame on you for being okay with it happening to other people.
Yeah, yeah, it is remarkably frustrating.
I think, you know, bringing in the spiritual component of this, we also can't wish harm on other people. Like I want people to learn their lesson, but I don't want them to be harmed, because I know them being harmed mean We're going to be harmed so much worse. So it's just like I wish that people would just consider their neighbors when they're considering who they're going to support.
So when we talk about these programs that are going to be impacted for these tax cuts, we're talking an eight hundred and eighty billion dollar cut to Medicaid that goes to serve seventy two million people in this country. That's one in five Americans. Snap the Supplement on Nutrition Assistance program, We're talking a two hundred and thirty billion dollar cut, which helps forty two million.
People, or more than one in eight Americans. And these are cuts that are going to adversely impact millions of children who didn't have anyone to go and vote or.
Couldn't go vote for them, so they relied on everyone else to go and vote on their behalf. And I think that's the thing that we have to remember. So we were just looking up these numbers before we started the show. It's the top ten percent of income and earners in this country that we will be receiving a tax break. I think the irony here is the top ten percent only make two hundred and twenty eight thousand dollars.
There's some parts all over the country where that is rich in New York and DC and Seattle, in LA that is San Francisco. That's not enough to really make a dent in much. But for people who are just barely making it on minimum wage, a below livable wage job, and trying to make ends meet by relying on government assistance, I can only imagine the sister that talked about what would happen in Virginia if there was even a one
percent cut. That eviscerates that program. And I think that we have to have we have to continue to educate people even when the thing doesn't knock get their front.
Maybe compassion will knock at their friend door.
Yeah, but gets squeezed.
I'm trying, damn p I, but honestly, we have to start feeling that way. I think a lot of people don't. I think you're right because a part of me is I'm stealing this from Dave Chappelle when he talked about how we're getting all because he said, we're getting a really good look at each other. And he said, you know, with the opioid crisis, like wow, we're really getting a good look at each other. Because he said, I look at these you know, white people, at these drugs, and
I don't care either, you know. And he was talking about how they looked at our communities when we were being ravaged by cocaine, right exactly. And so we can't keep saying, well, white folks, y'all vote ward. That's what y'all get. You know. It's like.
Beginning of time though since the beginning of time people have been civilization period that you look out for you, you first yours in your own and.
Then be on for us because we get hurt the work. I completely get the benefit from and.
My argument on the reason why public health ought to be public greater public policy for the nation is because your sickness can impact my well being. So for instance, you don't get measle shots or you know, you're an anti bax Or. You don't get those things, but your children are sitting next to mine in the schools. Yeah, and so then I get sick. Are you coughing? You're not doing it the appropriate way and not coming so germs are are are moving through the through the through
the air, and then I get sick. So it's one thing for you to make a decision, and you be the only person impacted by your bad judgment, if that's what we want to call it. But in this case, what you do directly impacts me completely.
And I wonder when I'm looking at this budget, wonder how they want to pay for these things. I promise you I thought this was the most ridiculous thing this week. Donald Trump has pretty much opened the gates to everybody who wants to come. All you need is five million dollars. Take a lesson million dollars. Take a listen.
We're going to be selling a gold card. You have a green card. This is a gold card. We're going to be putting a price on that card of about five million dollars, and that's going to give you green card privileges. Plus it's going to be a rap to citizenship, and wealthy people will be coming into our country by buying this card. They'll be wealthy and they'll be successful, and they'll be spending a lot of money and paying a lot of taxes and employing a lot of people.
And we think it's going to be extremely successful.
So you know who has five million dollars? Embezzlers, drug dealers, people in child sex trafficking.
I guess.
Eighty eight failony count.
Trump's right right, exactly.
But the thing is, what I think that everyone needs to know is a mayor because for sale, Yes, America is for sale. What's happening right now is that there's not some revolution happening where you know Doge, where Doge is doging and like, and he's going in to find all these cuts. He's lying about the cuts he's finding. He's had to retract the things that he's finding. And Donald Trump is telling you on every side that this thing is for sale. Will you say, Clarence Thomas is
a Ucci. It turns out America's now to Ucci, right, America's na Aahucci, And and the people who call him out on it are in harms way because he's decided he's going to be the chair or the de facto chair, well, the real chair of the Kennedy Center, the de facto chair of the FDC, the FCC, and the SEC. So now people that are regulated by the FCC, I don't know, Like our friend Joy reed.
Right right now, all of a sudden, you're in harm's way.
If you hold this administration accountable, you're on the chopping block. You will not be supported or uplifted by your network.
You're they're going to turn the TV off on you. So we're going to turn the TV off on y'all and.
Deciding who can cover you. Which that okay, that's incredible.
Crazy one when they take the Associated Press out of the White House.
Then because they call Golf of Mexico Golf of.
America, of America, right, which is utterly ridiculous. And the fact that he's controlling the FTC, FCC, SEC, we are f u C cade okay, because we are going to build a direct impact, and I do. I'm glad you brought up Joy Angela because honestly, as as awful as this is, and as a double middle finger to the networks for not supporting her, I have to say a part of me breathes a bit of a sigh of relief. I'm concerned about her being on air at this time.
You know, if Joy were on air because Donald Trump and his minions.
Of the States by Trump, yes, and say.
That the right wing people. I've been attacked by right wing folks, Tucker Carlson, Meghan Kelly, all those people, and the network did not offer me any support, any security. I don't know that they would have really honored and protected Joy. Read the way that she was disrespected by them, it's a great indication. Don't watch where you wouldn't be hired. So I don't think it's h Yeah, turn off the TV.
You're saying, turn the TV off. Like the Kendrick song after he said, must have what I really want to I hope we can dive in here for.
Just a moment. Yeah, you guys.
I have been so frustrated by the people who have said, why would you turn the TV off?
When we still have people who look like us there.
Who Well, there are people on every network, on every major network, on every major network, they're not like us. And I think, to me, we cannot be so self serving that we're self sabotaging what I want to make sure that we as a people understand right now, is that in order for you to survive and to maintain your voice, you gotta build your own.
You just do so. I really believe our highest.
Service, for your highest good is telling you you are not safe.
You are not safe America, you are not safe. And anybody on a platform on a major network, you're not safe. You're actually next. If you're speaking truth to power, you are next.
Yeah.
So I want to make sure that our folks know it's not about like or dislike, or if you say what I would say or not. I love you enough to say you are not safe. Start building your own.
Yeah, I agree with that.
And yeah, turn the TV off, Like I'm not gonna make a caveat for if there's one program or the other, or if there's one commentator or the other.
We are living in a fashions society. Yeah, that doesn't even make send to me. Go somewhere where you can tell the people the truth.
They do make a difference to me. It does make a difference to me who the people are in, what position they occupy at a place I don't have the same reaction to, for instance, some of the other you know, one of the other cancelations that have taken place. The reason I take issue with this one is because Joy was living, doing, breathing, and putting out into the world for our own digestment the truth. She was the bringer of truth right on television, and there's not a lot
of that. And the public, the public way in which they did what they did to Joy is a shot over the bow to anyone else who thinks that they may want to act free on TV. Don't get it. Twistedom is still in charge. They've never relinquished their power. Right, the corporate.
Boardroom isn't in charge because they would do what makes sense for advertisers. What who is in charge is the de facto chair of the FCC. That is why Donald Trump would tweet her post on social media finally about Joy. They are trying to bend to the will of Trump, yes, because they think it makes business sense.
They're also not being pressed very hard to do that bending. I mean some of them. He said, he blue glue, he blue. Then they were a house of cards and they came tumbling down, which also tells me, and we ought to be clear about this to your point around build your own bill, these folks are not invested in us at all. They're invested toward an end, and that end you best believe is going to be in their best interest, or they wouldn't be there.
You're there and don't make sense to them anymore. You're there until you get unsafe for them. You're there until you make them uncomfortable.
Key, that's it.
If youse any piece of what they feel that they have a credit to themselves, you're out and there's no second guessing it. If you take from me, you.
Know, Andrew, I want to say this too, and Tiff, I don't know if you guys saw this piece, but our friend Ellie missed Out who's been on our show, wrote this amazing piece about Joy Reid and the nation. And what I appreciate about that piece so much is how earnest he was. He talked about feeling like he needed to cut his hair to be on TV, and Joy told him, no, you keep your beautiful black hair.
He's like, obviously, it's great, but so she's talking about this AFRO and the other thing that he talked about was her making him feel like he was safe on air and that he didn't just have to come on to talk about black issues. He said, there aren't a lot of posts and folks like joy. That is one
thing that we absolutely have to understand. And the other thing that I really want to say is people've got to know that in this environment, if you're going to get up and say you're speaking for the culture, no strings attached, No, no, what am I trying to say? No caveats like you're unabashedly yourself and you're an anchor at a host on one of those networks.
It's just a lie. You have to Joy with herself. Like we'll attest to this, there are certain things they wouldn't let her cover, So don't act like what we're saying is far fetched. There are standards and practices, there are things that make this there plenty.
Thing they literally would go comb through after Tucker Carlson attack me, they would comb through my show. I was told I couldn't mention Tucker's name on my show before. There are stories that I couldn't cover. And the challenge is, I just want to take a second and say, this isn't even if you just take personality out of it, because it's not even this to anybody, But if you just look at that seven o'clock hour. This is a
twenty four hour news channel. Okay, so god forbid there is breaking news in the seven o'clock hour, because there is not a single journalist who will be able to cover it. Let's just say that. The Lensky yields and says, Okay, we're going and he's having a press conference. The NBC and MSNBC have split, so you're not going to a
foreign correspondent. Now you are solo on that desk with millions, maybe millions by one, hundreds of thousands people watching, and you have to walk them through a very complicated set of what's happening on the Eastern Block. Your opinion, your commentating is so less important if you are not a bona fide journalist who has navigated a newsroom, who was aware of what's happening domestically and across the globe that you can walk your viewers who are tuning into you
to trust you to do that. Joy would do that beautifully and brilliantly. She was able to give her opinion, and she was also able to inform people. I certainly tried to do that on my show. You know, every Saturday, and there was breaking news on Saturday mornings. Oh, Tiffany, you had this whole show plan, but an apartment building just collapsed in Florida. We got to go to that reporter live. It takes training to know how to do that, to walk people through that, and they don't have it.
So that says to me, not only do they not care about us, they don't care about none of y'all. They don't even care about the viewers. And that's not a diss to anybody like Michael Steele, he knows like cooll Alicia Mendez like she you know, she's my former coworker, So it's not a dis to either of them. But it's just a classic observation of what news has become. It has become entertainment. They have people on air discussing
things they have no business. You have never worked in politics, you have never worked on a campaign, you've never covered a campaign, but you are on a political panel discussing domestic policy and foreign policy.
I wish you felt the kind of way about it.
Well, speaking of feeling a kind of way, I think the other thing that we got to address is this joint session that is normally a state of the Union if it's before March. But since this is going to be delivered on March fourth, at the invitation of somebody speaker Mike Johnson, Donald Trump is going to deliver a State of the Union address, and we're just talking about Joy. Joy will be sorely missed on that panel where she breaks things down. But at the same time, I'm worried
about the objects of that chamber. I don't know what he's gonna say, but I know most of it's not gonna be true. I won't say I know, because you know they're a little litigious, Saul say, I will bet my bottom dollar that most.
Of them, I mean, based on evidence before.
But I think what I'm really wrestling with right now, y'all know, the CBC is where I grew up professionally, and I am hoping that the Congressional Black Caucus, that the Progressive Caucus, that the Hispanic CAUCAUS, that the KA, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and the Democratic Caucus overall do not go to sit to be lied too point hour and let a fashion tell him what he's gonna do.
I really like, I cannot, I want to, I can't.
I want to see a half empty change the old chamber.
If they had any dignity about the offices that they hold, all four hundred and thirty five of them, yep, And they would never have extended an invitation to this man in the first place to come and speak before the first branch of government, the legislative, which existed before the executive. They wouldn't have had him come there. They have They lack self respect, they lack failty to the Constitution, and quite frankly, they can't be They can't be in any
way respectful of their voters. As has been shown through these town hall meetings. Many of them are out of sync with the people who sent them there all because their only goal right now in life, it seems, is to have been the need of Donald Trump. But but, but, but I'm mad mostly at the entirety of the Congress, because when your branches attack, you fight back.
What do you guys think he's gonna say.
A bunch of lives for sure? Presume what do you.
Think he's gonna like tout?
The Grant said, gotten.
I think that this is the thing about the United States, when when at this joint session, when he is speaking, he's not just speaking to that chamber. He's not just speaking to America, He's speaking to the globe. And I think his global message is America first, America strong, we are dominating. So he will present a fantastical imagery of America, which we know something about, just a fallacy of what's happening here. So I think he's going to present an
image of strength. He's going to talk about even though he got his ass handed to him with with these turfs. I think he's going to tout that as though it's a victory. I think he's going to tout all of these draconian policies he's introduced to executive orders that the Republican Caucus has greased the wheels for him to usher through. He's going to tout this budget. I think he will attempt to show some muscle with China. I think he will genuflect to putin the fact that he has completely
reversed US policy on the war in Ukraine. And this is one you're listening, Angela, and Andrew just got in a fist fight.
Throw it down.
He's reverse the US policy. So I wonder if there were Republicans in the Chamber will stand up and applaud that.
Of course they will.
They've been they've been speaking out against that. Well, that's not our policy, and it's like, yeah, but y'all gonna be the knee.
I don't think he will go substantively into it. I think he will say I think he will harp on the mineral rights and the fact we've got a bargain or a deal that is upcoming. But the substance of that fight, of that Russia's war against Ukraine is that he won't give it the time of day because it it will not sell to any to the majority of Americans ears the story that he wants to tell about Ukraine. I think he sees it as a transaction, a deal, money to be made. This dude is so let's see
like a gangster. Yes, he's dealing with God as the as if he's a gangster, Like, Hey, you give us fifty percent of your country richest mineral rights, then we'll talk about this whole securing you from Russia.
So let me let me, let me do that.
This Why haven't the Republicans said much about how fraud sweeping these executive actions are? Like this man, Now, not only are the executive actions broad sweeping. But as of well when we recorded this podcast yesterday, he has violated He was told he violated court orders.
Three different courts.
In an hour and a half told him he was in violation. I haven't heard any Republicans speak up to say something about it. So not only are they bending like bowing down, bending the knee, all of that being rubber stamp, they're also not pushing back on things that we can the legislative branch.
If they won't defend themselves, they're definitely not going to push back against this executive exertion of executive power. Problem is is that this is a genie you will not put back in the bottle. When that power is it is given to the presidency, future presidents perceive it as their power to and they'll point to their predecessors exercise of it as being legitimate for their exercise of it.
This is the but their lack of pushback is also weakening the judicial brand.
But they don't share I understand. Do I think they believe in the in the principle of co equal unless a Democrat is in the White House.
Or one of the branches a Democrat in the White House, They're like you're actually lesser than us.
What I'm saying, I think they will. They speak with fork tongue and they act with fork tongue.
But even the idea that tongue is I appreciate it.
Yes, even the idea that this week we saw three separate judges, you know, hold the line. I just again will keep reiterating, I do not think the courts are going to hold you know. I do think we are looking at the judiciary erode.
And if it rose, then we are looking at an all powerful executive and the idea of checks and balances will cease to exist any longer. Because if the legislative branch cannot hold accountable and can't defend their turf, and can't make the president do anything because his principle, what will throw us into the crisis system saying send your army to enforce it, and yourself, the legislature, you send your army to enforce how I spend this money?
So, Andrew, I got to ask him this to this's an elected official question. Andrew, you are the only one here who's been an elected office. Right now, it's a hot debate on Capitol Hill on whether or not any city Democrats should go to the State of the Union.
Would you go to the State of the Union.
That's a good question.
I really I would not, but I would, But I would have also been off the boat several weeks ago to appropriateness, decorum, bestowing the normal respects of the office. And why do I say that the moment that the President decided that he was going to approach upon the legislative branch's ability to manage the country's purse, and he decided money that was passed and signed into law that he will withhold, redirect, demolish entire departments. You've now come
on our side. You've crossed that red line, and the only way it gets held is that we will draw your agenda to a close before you've even gotten started, until you recognize this difference and reinstate what has been passed under law.
So, based on what you're hearing, the American people say, Democrats aren't doing enough, They're not holding the line, they're not doing da da da. Somebody posted the other day this is mild tangiment, not much. Somebody posted the other day, it's interesting that a moment ago they were just two sides of the same. But now you know exactly where to go to call on for help. Absolutely, And I was like, that's a really good point.
Should Yeah, Leonard, who you know.
I fight with bout stuff all the time, was like, but that shouldn't mean that they can't be held accountable. So to that end, the people in Democrats districts and Democratic districts, when they're saying I don't see you fighting for me, you seem like this as politics as usual. What do you think they're getting wrong? And what would you say to Democrats on the hill to do differently?
I said that Donald Trump talks and acts with four tongue. The Democrats are appearing to act with four tone, which means this is the greatest threat to democracy. On one hand, but on the next hand, y'all skinning and grinnin the evening's reception. There's photos of you all acting like the day didn't happen and yesterday didn't happen. So if you want the American people the public to believe you what you say, then I need to believe that she believe it.
And if when I look at you, you don't look like you believe what you just told me, or else you would have comported yourself differently. People aren't stupid, not by a mile. They may not understand the mechanations of the process all the way through, but they know what truthful looks like. They know what a lie is, whether
it's spoken or whether they visually observe it. So I just think where we are failing, where the party is failing, where democratic leadership is failing is not, and where their heart is and where their advocacy is and where they would have come down on these issues. Where we are failing at is you're communicating that we are in our last days, but you're acting like it's just another day on the job.
That'day, can we practice something that we said we were gonna do it?
We didn't.
You didn't give us. We didn't know we were ready yet know because it's look okay.
You supposed to do it.
Wait okay, but tif so Andrew answered as elected official, elected official advising like colleagues, when you look at what's happening, I know regularly you're saying, I am overwhelmed by this is too much, Like I think it's already too late. What do you expect for people that you paid as a taxpayer. Some of you may have voted for some you may have support another way. Some of you may have just platformed because you agree with them on one
issue but not everything else. Or you disagree with them, but just in the role they're in.
What are you expecting for them, Like, what is the thing they need to do that is markedly different than what they're doing right now? I mean the Democrats, well, unless you talk we want to talk about Republicans what they need? No, I mean because honestly, people have asked me this before, and I'm like, if you say Democrats to me, if you say midterms to me, like, I don't I because to me, the system is part of the problem. The infrastructure of this system is part of
the problem. I am not interested in repairing, restoring, working with the Democratic Party. I am only interested in harm reduction for the people. And if that means.
Obliterate, blow up this whole system to rebuild something new, I'd be okay with that. Don't dis anybody. But I'm okay if the Democratic Party falls completely like because then
that means then we have to build something new. And as you've often reminded us, Angela, white supremacy is bipartisan and so I think that right, I think the message that they took from these last elections were is, you know, we were messing around with these in words and the LGBTQ community, and the the trans community, and you know, all the other people of color, and we need to go back and try to get these white conservatives again, Like they just have such a hard on for that group.
They didn't walk away and think, Oh, we should have drilled down. We should have danced harder with the folks who brung us. We should have given the up and coming voter, the aspirational voter, something to latch onto. You know, we should have inspired them. We should have led with our convictions. They didn't do that. They walked the middle of the road and became political roadkill. So I am not so interested in uplifting them. I am completely open
to ideas. Angela's leading the charge for us to try to figure out ways for us to work together to make sure that all people are not subject to the harm that's gonna come out of this administration. And I gotta tell y'all, you watch the Game of Thrones, you'll understand it's gonna be the long night, Like this is not going to be a bad four years and then we go back. I think this is going to be
a long night of generation devastation for us. So I don't know that I look at the Dems for that, but I want you to see me and you bias. I want to know your opinion on this too. I think if you were so ed of the rest of Black calou because I know you would tell them, no, don't go. Absolutely yeah, I would say I would do
a couple of things. One is, I would tell them to platform their guests, so you know the state at the City of the Union for those watching at home or listening at home or wherever you listen for.
Those who don't know this.
At the State of the Union, members of Congress normally bring a guest with them, and their guest is normally central to something that's happening right now. So I'm sure a lot of the members are going to be bringing federal workers who were laid off or who took the payout, you know, a kid or yes, a kid who I don't even know what the other side be doing. That'd be like I brought somebody that arrested the last time.
Oh yeah, definitely a January sixth partner. And then also I brought the one, this this man from ice who sorry about his accent, but that's what came to me. I brought this man from eyes who put that last illegal who broke all them laws, and go on town to obay and you're gonna celebrate it. But the Democrats will likely bring someone who's been impacted by these crazy cuts, and so I would tell them, don't just bring them
and put them in a press release. Go somewhere else and put them in position for the world to hear their stories, because and tell people hear how these things impact humanity one story at a time. People just don't care. They're aloof they're overburdened by all the crazy news. It's just like whatever, it's too much. I'm like tip drinking out five. I'm just overwhelmed. So we have to figure out a way to cut through the overwhelm. And I think the only way you do that is with empathy.
You have to tap into people's empathy. And I'm just I got a hold on the hope because if I don't, I'll die. The people still have that, and I think the last thing I would say is definitely don't go.
And wherever you go, I.
Think you either wear a red because it's a code red, or you wear black because it is the funeral.
Of democracy solemn.
You know, I say people gonna watch, don't I don't know that people are gonna watch.
I think there will be folks who absorb it because of the entertainment value.
You talk about the social media.
But but Donald Trump is a performer and a lot of folks follow him to go to the show. They want to see the show. What what I hope that Democrats who would do is not seed all of the time. Yes, Donald Trump takes to up a lot of space. But if people don't hear what the alternative view and vision is, they'll drink from a you know, a mirage because somebody's offering something. But if you're not offering anything, people won't
quote you, hook line, sinker on your policy. But when you're explaining what it is that you're intending to do, they're gonna get a feeling. And that feelings are going to be this guy's looking out for me and he sees me, or this dude's on another planet. He's not for us, he's not like us, he's not whatever is.
Voters make those decisions in a moment's time, right, but all the time with elected officials with their quote unquote leaders and so I just we have to believe what we're saying, and if we believe it, then we got to act like we believe it.
I wonder if some of this is psychological, like if well me, I mean like the inability to respond, like oh my god, Like for me, I'm just like my humanity is like, oh my god, this can't be happening, Like this really can't be happening, Like we might lose every platform, ability to communicate with people. We need to mobilize, Like they're like, we really could be in a really, really bad situation, Like we are in the best situation,
but it can get much much worse. So I think some of what they're doing cycle it's like a subconscious If I treat this as.
Normal, maybe you don't go back to normal. Yeah, let's just get through this budget reconciliation.
Process we're gonna have.
They're responding like the average American is allowed to respond. But when you sit at the helm and you'll look to for leadership, when your moment of leadership shows, you better be there to meet it. And unfortunately, I think you know people have gotten the wrong idea around what public service is and what you're actually there to do. That they're putting their tea leaves, you know, their finger up to the wind, see which way is going, and then that informs how it is you choose to show up.
I think, or you have the pedestrian instinct where the attacks are coming from so many places. I'm just gonna go turtle, and when I come out of it, it will it will be different. That is a survival mechanism. We have that as humans as as as umo sapiens.
But leaders have to exercise something different. Doesn't mean that you won't be reacted by what happens, and you won't have a very human reaction, but your rebound time that'll be a hell of a lot quicker because we don't have days times hours to waste to figure out a message or to get over your hurt feeling. Because the activists are demanding you do more. They're afraid it's the people too.
And the other thing is on this I want people at home who are watching to know Andrew is not just former former elected official, He's also a former organizer and a damn good one. He started his solo pods this week, and his solo pod was on how to organize. He's gonna do a whole.
Because we don't know how y'all gonna be able to organize at home, but he's gonna make sure that you have all the tools and.
The ones that are in your lane. You're uncomfortable this way there. We want to unvelop the multitude of ways in which you can get but there will be no excuses.
He's on one speaking of because you're talking about organizing and a lot of people are concerned about, like what do you do with the grassroots. We got a great question that we didn't get to last week, and we promised we'd get to that this week. So thank you for your question. Let's roll the question on a local elections because I thought that was a really good one.
Hey, Native Lampard, my name is Andrea. I am in Fort Worth, Texas, originally from Cleveland, Ohio, shout out to the land, but living in Fort Worth for about nine years now.
And my question is this.
The city of Fort Worth is the fastest growing city, the fourth largest city in Texas and the twelfth largest city in America. Our local elections are coming up this
means city council, mayor, and the school board. And my question is what should our asks, what should our demands be of our locally elected officials to impact change and reduce the harm that's going on in Washington, d C. Is there anything that we can ask of our locally elected officials, so our city council, our mayor, school board.
I love, love, love that question, and I think this is a great panel to answer that question. Andrew. I want to come to you on this because I think your best position to answer this, but I just want to give the audience a little context about why this matters. So, voter turnout in local elections is actually really small, and not just I hate when people say off election years, because there are never any off election years. There are
always elections happening. So voter turnout in the United States is much lower anywhere than any other than most other countries. So we have around sixty percent voter participation in presidential elections, forty percent in mid term elections, and turnout sores up to ninety percent in countries with mandatory voting, and reaches around seventy percent in overall developed countries. So we are lagging behind and we're seeing suffering the consequences of that now.
After decades of political polarization, jerry mandering, voter suppression, et cetera. Most of the people elected now did not face a competitive election. So this is I've looked at an analysis, as the New York Times did, and this is just on Congress. More than nine thousand congressional and state legislative primaries elections were held last year. On average, just fifty seven thousand people voted for politicians in the US House
primaries who went on to win the general election. So that means a small fraction of the more than seven hundred thousand Americans. Each of those winner now represents that tiny bucket, so we're going through minority rule. Addition, precisely a third of the current members of the House, this Congress that we're dealing with right now ran unopposed in their primary, so they didn't even have someone to run
against them. The lawmakers who do face primaries, as you all have witnessed bore witness to, they are partisan hacks, They are right wing extremists, they are magacultists.
And so those people actually.
Find a path I e. Marjorie Taylor green Ie Lauren Bobert. They find a path to have a direct impact on what our life looks like. Only fifteen to twenty seven percent of voters across the country cast a ballot for their local elections in twenty eighteen, and that number has continued to go down. Voter turnout in twenty twenty two for elections was the second highest for a non presidential election year, because I think people were you know, it
was coming off of your COVID, people were inside. But my point is this is still talking about right, and this is talking about congressional elections. When you get to city council and for work, they're over thirty five people running for the city council for a ten city seat. The numbers of people who cast ballots for that are
even fewer. So my point is that is where you have a unique opportunity to make your needs and you're once heard because you're dealing with a smaller pool of people, and you can be the loudest voice in the room to make sure those candidates hear you. I worked on a campaign in Baltimore, and there's an extremely high number amount of returning citizens who live in the state of Maryland, and so a lot of the formally incarcerated individuals who
prefer to be referred to as returning citizens. They're so powerful in number that if you're running for the City of Baltimore, you have to pass through them. They hold a candidate's forum and it's very organized and they are active, and so I really appreciate that and honor that. But to her question, because I don't want to go, you've answered.
It and beautifully.
The value to ask, well, that was where I kind of fall back.
Ask for what you feel helps to create the beloved community for you and the people who you care about in love. And if that means school's being funded at equity equitable levels for your kids and the kids who live on the other side of the tracks and the folks who are on the opposite side of that, then that becomes your demand and that power is the movement.
If it is environmental justice that you mad that the majority minority neighborhoods don't have grocers grocery stores with healthy food options and the same, then that becomes the thing that you go and you do. But I will tell you it isn't just your local, you know, garden variety issues. It's also we have the tenth Amendment to the Constitution that carves out the rights of states, and within states the jurisdictions and municipalities they'rein appertaining who also have their
own set of rights. And so if you and your community wanted to say we're going to be a sanctuary place, or we're excited as going to do reparations, and we value diversity and inclusion in the city because we all do better from it, those are all values that can be stated, advocated, done, and become local law.
And states might be our last hold out. You didn't give up on the court. States might be it. And speaking of holdout, we ain't got no more time to hold out. Soder Now Podcast, we gotta wrap it and then we're gonna get time.
Oh okay, welcome, welcome, welcome, Welcome, welcome, welcome.
Or a final question, Oh yeah, we do have this, maybe we should answered if you were a question on the mini pod our mini pods drop once a week, so be sure to well, just check it'll be dropping.
Out new series on Monday.
Yeah, yes, but constantly check our channel. Make sure you're subscribed to Native Land because then you'll be alerted when there's a new content updated there. If you guys don't have cts, I have a CCA. Okay, here's my CTA. When you're in public, I don't want to hear your phone conversation. Please use your ear butts. Like I hate when people are walking down and you're like, yeah, he's saying it was gonna be boo boo boo boom. Please, if you don't mind.
I would like. I don't like it. That's how you hear the whole. I mean people are walking through grocery stores.
Please.
My call to action is use your ear butts. I don't want to hear you know it's walking through. I just don't like it. That's my only one.
I call to action is if you don't answer text messages or phone calls, Tiffany Andrew, you don't.
Get to have no damn.
It. Just in my own time.
Action for y'all and for the people at home is tell your members of Congress don't go sit there behind in that chamber on Tuesday to watch the State of the Union.
That's my call to action. I really want to talk about Jamal Oh.
Okay, so on the mini pod, we didn't get a chance of talking to for you in but essentially a Fox News personality misrepresented Pastor Jamal Harris Bryant. And anyway, we're going to get into that on the Mini Pod. So if you're watching this on Thursday, be sure to tune into the Mini Pod because we're going to talk about media and the violence that is promoted from the increasingly extreme right zealots who are being encouraged for this
kind of violence. And eventually, I believe it's going to come knocking at our front door as it did with our friend of the show and our personal friend, Pastor Jamal Harrison Bryan.
So well, yes, so we'll get.
Into that on the Mini Pod and any other announcements that we have for the folks we love.
You know what we need to do.
That was my whole point in bringing up what support your own, Let's build our own. We are in a space that Tiffany occupies every Wednesday now that is held and owned and operated by Roland Martin, and he has the blueprint for what it looks like to build your own.
So one we can thank you.
So much exactly for the people, by the people, and the truth remains unfiltered. Roland Martin Unfiltered films here every every day and he let us share his space, so.
That that is what the network.
Yes, then that is that is what supporting black people looks like.
We're going to be supporting our own because you know what, we turn the TV off, turn the TV off.
I didn't need to interrupt you, but I definitely didn't want to be here.
I think we didn't knowledge. Yes, we appreciate in the studio y'all can't see, but it's so nice. It's so nice anyway, just another reminder to please leave a review and subscribe to Native Lampard wherever you get your platforms.
And thank you from from the show. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank.
You on every other side of the world.
Image Awards were three months ago, like that's almost.
Years ago.
But Derek Johnson, President here Y's chief of staff. Everybody who voted, no matter how many times you voted, we've.
Been appreciated and congratulates as a Joy Reid who also won imag right right, so we know that you all value her, even if the network doesn't value her and by associations, they don't value you because you voted for her show. So we appreciate.
Shout out to everybody else who is in our category.
We honor your everybody. We appreciate you and honor you. And Joel takea edie just because I love Josecau.
She won, she was.
And vice president here. Yeah, President, we're rolling through.
Did you say the President? Who should want know?
The President? The President's Award?
President who should have won?
We got to get out of here because we got another and you want to make sure you know. New episodes drop every Thursday, with special solo pods every Monday and Tuesday. As Angela said, Andrew started his don't forget to follow us on social media, subscribe to all of our our text or email on our website at native landpod dot com. Thank you all so much for uplifting us and tuning in every week voting for us. We cannot do and I know a lot of you all say it's cross talk and we can't hear you, and
it's better when you're in person. We're all in person, which means there was a little bit of less cross talk. And the more that you all support us, the more often we can be in person together. So please be sure to tune in because it costs money for the show.
Yes, tune in and makes you subscribe to our you two yes, Don Leomon got up to five hundred thousand subscribers.
We want to meet done.
We don't want to beat down. We want to meet down.
Yeah.
Yeah, and congrats Don, there are Besif you're fourteen days until mid term elections. We are your host. I'm Tiffany Grosse here with Angela Ran Andrew Gillay. We will see you next time.
On Home everybody.
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