In short
Episode topic: Two-part discussion. First, “Is he dead or alive?” speculation about Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s prolonged absence after a fall and pneumonia, focusing on lack of public video/audio and alleged home medical equipment. Second, Hillary Clinton’s advice to Abdul El-Sayed on winning Michigan, including how to counter “communist” attacks and win crossover voters.
Guest backgrounds
No separate guests are interviewed in the transcript. Hosts are Sagar and Crystal (Breaking Points). Hillary Clinton and John Thune are discussed via clips.
Key claims
McConnell was discharged from a Washington rehab hospital to Kentucky without public video; reporters cite only still images and no confirmed sightings. The hosts argue staff stonewalling and lift-chair/home-aide footage suggest poor condition and possible political cover-up. For Michigan, Hillary claims Republicans will frame the race as “communist/socialist,” and Democrats must counter it.
Notable examples
McConnell’s alleged lift devices at his Louisville home; a proxy-vote attempt that reportedly failed in committee; John Thune saying he can’t update on McConnell’s condition. Hillary advising El-Sayed to reassure Haley Stevens voters and independents; El-Sayed responding to Trump’s “two Americas” post and “full of s—t” remark; discussion of crossover voting and Rogers’ “home with us” ad.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOMitch McConnell's Health Update
0:42 to 1:29
Discussion on Mitch McConnell's recent health issues and his absence from the Senate.
“They were awesome with the Samsung Ranger microwave we bought last year.”
Mitch McConnell's Health Update
1:53 to 3:19
Discussion on Mitch McConnell's recent health issues and his absence from the Senate.
“We need your help to build the future of independent news media and we hope to see you at BreakingPoints.com.”
Media and Public Interest in McConnell
3:19 to 4:38
Analysis of media coverage and public interest regarding McConnell's condition.
“That absence began in June when he was hospitalized after falling unconscious at his home.”
Independent Journalists vs. Mainstream Media
4:38 to 6:50
Comparison of independent journalists' efforts to cover McConnell's story versus mainstream media.
“Do you know about Mitch McConnell or his?”
Questions About McConnell's Condition
6:50 to 8:13
Discussions on the secrecy surrounding McConnell's health and the implications.
“Also, this is not even a job that you can work from home.”
Thune's Response to McConnell's Situation
8:13 to 11:18
Examining comments from Senate Majority Leader John Thune on McConnell's condition.
“There were no photos of him being discharged because you've had reporters there, very few from the mainstream outlets.”
Political Implications of McConnell's Health
11:18 to 14:01
Discussion on how McConnell's health affects Senate votes and political strategies.
“And of course, it's a story about an aging, declining empire ruled by a bunch of geriatrics, some of whom don't even know, you know, what time it is, what day it is, and that they're even United States senators anymore.”
Mitch McConnell's Condition and Political Representation
14:01 to 18:20
Discussion on Mitch McConnell's health and the implications for Kentucky's representation.
“So it's easier to just say, oh, I have no idea.”
Mitch McConnell's Condition and Political Representation
18:54 to 19:18
Discussion on Mitch McConnell's health and the implications for Kentucky's representation.
“And they have a bunch of GE options in stock.”
Hillary Clinton's Advice to Abdul El-Sayed
19:56 to 28:00
Analysis of Hillary Clinton's recommendations for Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan's political landscape.
“Hillary Clinton has emerged to give Abdul El-Sayed some advice about how to win the state.”
Show all 15 chapters
Political Strategies for Abdul's Campaign
28:00 to 33:20
Discussion about Abdul's campaign strategies, endorsements, and challenges in winning over voters.
“I mean, yeah, it's kind of admirable to be honest.”
Trump's Influence and Abdul's Messaging
34:45 to 42:00
Analysis of Trump's attacks on Abdul and the contrasting visions for America presented by both.
“I mean, they're just leaning into like, oh my God, he's a Muslim and he's scary.”
Analyzing Abdul's Political Strategy
42:00 to 48:38
Explore the coalition-building strategy of Abdul and the dynamics of Democratic unity against Trump.
“At the end of the day, I think there's a lot of delusion among the Republicans that because the primary was close, that means there's a lot of dissatisfaction with Abdul as the nominee.”
Voter Sentiment and Candidate Quality
48:38 to 49:11
Discuss the impact of voter sentiment on election outcomes and the perceived importance of candidate quality.
“when the stakes are not high at the federal level.”
Voter Sentiment and Candidate Quality
49:31 to 50:27
Discuss the impact of voter sentiment on election outcomes and the perceived importance of candidate quality.
“Apple Vacations From relaxing beach days to unforgettable moments with the people who matter most, your next vacation starts here.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human.
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2:00We need your help to build the future of independent news media and we hope to see you at BreakingPoints.com.
2:08We have an update in the Is He Dead or Alive saga that is Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Let's put this up on the screen. So allegedly, he has now been discharged from that rehabilitation center in a hospital here in Washington, D.C. This has been a nearly eight-week medical absence, all caused by what him and his office are claiming was a minor fall with no significant injuries. And yet here we are two months later, having only received two still images that could easily be AI. I'm not saying they are AI, but they easily could be AI. No video, no audio, no nothing. And now with no actual sightings of him, he has allegedly been moved from this hospital rehab center in D.C.
2:55to his home in Kentucky. He said in a statement, On the advice of my doctors, I'll maintain an intensive regimen of physical therapy from home during the state work period. I'll continue to engage with my staff and colleagues on important Senate business. A spokesman did not say whether the senator would return to the Senate when the chamber, which is scheduled to begin a five-week break starting Monday, returns to session in September. That absence began in June when he was hospitalized after falling unconscious at his home. In July, he broke a long silence saying he had suffered from a fall in a mild case of pneumonia and had since been transferred to a rehab center to continue his recovery.
3:35Let's put D2 up on the screen. Here was the original statement from the Office of the Attending Physician. Just so you can recall, what we were told happened two months ago, and yet he still is not being seen in public whatsoever. Senator McConnell experienced several falls throughout the year that have been attributed to his post-polio condition. He was admitted to the hospital four weeks ago after falling at home and sustaining minor injuries. A comprehensive evaluation by a multidisciplinary team determined he had no fractures, no cardiac abnormalities, stroke, tumor, or hemorrhage, which is different, by the way, than what was reported in that 911 call from his home.
4:13Early in his hospitalization, he developed pneumonia, which responded rapidly to antibiotic treatment. The remainder of his hospital stayed focused on physical therapy strategies to reduce his risk of future falls. He's been medically cleared to continue fully participating in his intensive physical therapy program. We've got some eagle-eyed reporters outside of McConnell's home in Louisville, Kentucky, that spotted some medical devices there. Let's go ahead and take a look at this. Do you know about Mitch McConnell or his? So what you can see there in those boxes is some sort of a device that is intended to help lift elderly people from their recliner chairs.
4:52So indicating apparently that he is unable to easily at least stand up from just a seated position. Shout out to these short-ups, man. I love these people. This is old school. This is the real stuff. We're zooming in. We're taking pictures of lifts. We're covering the right stories. Seriously, nobody else is going to do it. It's easy to go up on Capitol Hill and shove your phone in a live senator's face. But to actually see what's going on with these people that, you know, there's very few who are actually on the on the on the beat. And I do want to emphasize part of the reason is, is that on Capitol Hill, speaking the way you and I are now, it's de classe.
5:30It's uncomfortable. The staffers will freeze you out. McConnell's staff, they're all over the building. They can still be like, oh, I can't believe he would be so disrespectful to the former Senate majority. So that's why it's really only independent journalists that are really hammering the story and are asking it in a very difficult way. Like, is he able to climb the stairs? Yes or no? Why is CNN or all these other people? They have all the money in the world. They could do it if they wanted to, but they're not, right? And I think that's very important. You also saw that a lot of their staff are now, again, being chased down by some of these independent journalists.
6:03One of them here, Nicholas Ballacy, I want to make sure I give him credit, has been following around the McConnell chief of staff just being like, hey, how's your boss? Let's take a listen. I read that McConnell's been discharged. Are you guys gonna release a video of him, though, just to kind of quell any of the speculation or any of the rumors online? You probably read everything that's going on, so just wondering what you're gonna do next.
6:35You never see that on the Hill. It's like unspoken. You're not supposed to make the staff the story. Why not? As he points out, the man makes$226 ,000 a year and won't say why McConnell has not released a short video of his absence passes some seven weeks on Capitol Hill. It's nuts. Also, this is not even a job that you can work from home. We were trying to figure this out yesterday. McConnell tried to vote, which is insane, in this Senate Agricultural Committee, I believe, by proxy. So he tried to get one of his elderly buddies in the Senate to vote for him by proxy. It turns out that in that specific Senate committee, you're not allowed to vote by proxy.
7:11So his vote didn't count. But who is making that call? Like, remember Dianne Feinstein when, what was it, Amy Klobuchar leans over and is like, just vote yes. I mean, is that what's happening, right? Like, is he all there? There's been no video of him talking, of him walking, of his estimate of coming home. He spent two months in the hospital. I mean, you and I both know the hospital, the last thing they, they don't want you there. They want to kick your ass out so they can get somebody else in there. Now he's got home health care aides who are at home, lift devices. Look, he's a very, very rich man because of his wife, who's like a half a billionaire or something.
7:45So I'm not saying he's not getting good care at home. But it's obvious now with the machines and being where he is. He's been missing now for quite some time. If he was able to talk, they would release a video. Of course. They have to at this point. And it's like they still won't do it. That's what's so crazy about it. The lift chair and we're going to show you home health aid have convinced me he is he is alive. No, he's alive. I'm convinced of that much at least. But I'm also convinced that he's in very poor condition because there was no they smuggled him out of this hospital, presumably in the dead of night.
8:18There were no photos of him being discharged because you've had reporters there, very few from the mainstream outlets. But, you know, Desiree, who we had on the show, there's a handful that are like staking out the hospital to try to catch any potential movements. So they waited till the time then there was nobody there. They ushered him out. I assume they took him because there were no sightings of him at either the D.C. airport or at the Louisville, Kentucky airport, which is not all that large. Someone would have spotted him. He is obviously very famous, individual, well-known, very easily recognized, etc.
8:49So presumably he probably took a private jet to get home to escape any kind of scrutiny, which again, if he's in great condition and he's having 20-minute phone conversations and sharp as a tack and better than ever and just had a little fall, don't worry about it. You would want to release some video evidence. You wouldn't be afraid of cameras catching you as you're going to the airport to continue recovery at home, etc. So I think he's alive, but he's in very, very bad condition because that's the only thing that explains the complete cover-up of any sort of visual or audio evidence of him being in sound mind and body.
9:23And with the Senate so closely divided, obviously his vote makes a big difference on a lot of different things. You know, Todd Blanche was confirmed over the weekend because they were able to get basically all of the Republicans, save for a couple in line. Cassidy, who was very reluctant, embarrassing that he ends up caving to Trump after Trump, you know, did all sorts of things to make sure that he was defeated in his primary. But in any case, they narrowly got that over the finish line. But there's a whole host of issues like that that could literally come down to McConnell's vote. Are they going to figure out how to have him vote by proxy while we have no idea whether he even knows that votes are going on or that he's a United States senator or what day of the week it is?
10:05It's so completely insane. Put D6 up on the screen. This is the again, Nicholas Ballacy tweeted this out. I like that his last name is almost ballsy. This is a home health care aide who was coming and going from McConnell's residence. You can see this is her leaving. She's hurrying, you know, not answering any questions into a waiting car so that she can get away. What's interesting is there's another video of her when she's coming in. She's very chatty. She doesn't give away any information that's particularly relevant, but she's engaging with the reporter very friendly. And then this, I think, is the attending physician who is also leaving and also completely stonewalling, won't answer any questions, et cetera.
10:47So in any case, that's what we've got. And it's a story about this man who's incredibly important and powerful. It's also a story about the complete lack of curiosity and media interest from the national media, which to me is astonishing. It's a story of the fact that you have this tight knit club here in D.C. that encompasses both Democrats and Republicans, because I guarantee you there are a lot of people in this town who know exactly what is going on. Some of them in the press corps, by the way, who are saying absolutely nothing. And of course, it's a story about an aging, declining empire ruled by a bunch of geriatrics, some of whom don't even know, you know, what time it is, what day it is, and that they're even United States senators anymore.
11:32Yeah, 100 percent. Did we play the John Thune clip? Because that one is very important. Let's let's take a listen here. John Thune, who is the Senate majority leader, they said, have you been able to visit him? Like, have you talked to him? Do you know anything about when he's going to be back? Nothing. Take a listen. Mr. Leader, do you want to see Mitch McConnell put out a video of some sort? What's that? Put out a video, Mitch McConnell. Has he? You should. Has he? Or should he? Well, I think that's up to you. We're trying to meet. Sir, so do you think McConnell needs to put out some sort of video to show this condition to the public, McConnell?
12:08Oh, again, that's a decision between him and his staff. Have you visited him in the hospital? Senator, have you been able to visit McConnell in the hospital? What's that? Have you been able to visit him in the hospital? I have not, no. You have any update on his condition? Do you think he's going to be back? Is he going to give him an ultimatum to come back to vote since you have a slim majority? I would give that information to be safe. I mean, look at that. He's got nothing to say. It's so crazy. It's absolutely nuts, in my opinion. Like, you have the Senate Majority Leader, have him visit him in the hospital, and he goes, oh.
12:45Yeah. When he figures out what he's being questioned, he's like, oh. He's shocked, stunned, uncomfortable. Like locks up. And also, like, we're not aware of any of these people visiting him. No. Which is interesting, you know. They're all super rich. They got PJs. They can fly around. We could be there in and out in an hour or so. Well, and plus he's been in D.C. the whole time. Up until just now when he got moved to Kentucky again in the dead of night. So, number one, they must not care that much about him. Because he must not really like him as a human being because someone you know, you go visit him in the hospital.
13:21But yeah, number two, they're worried about being spotted and then having face questions, et cetera. So they've all just stayed away. The only person we know of who's gone to visit him is his own wife, who when he initially fell ill and was in the hospital, first thing she did was fly to China. I mean, it's the most inspiring love story of all time. It really is. It's exactly what you want. You can see the way his friends and family, loved ones are really coming through for him. When you get married, you're just like, you know what I want whenever I'm deathly ill is for you to fly halfway across the world to conduct a routine business meeting with the vice premier of China.
13:52One of us can only hope for that type of relationship. But I think – see, I think it's not that they don't like him. It's that if you see him, then you have to say what his condition is. So it's easier to just say, oh, I have no idea. I haven't talked to him. His wife says he's fine. It's one of those where you don't check up because if you know the – people would know because they're reporters. There are some people who are staked out. if you visit it. If you visit, you could say, can he talk? What's his condition? How's he look? By the way, John Thune is lying. He knows what the condition is because it's his job to know.
14:23Because he's the majority. He has to know who, where am I getting the votes from? For whatever agenda items, whatever things need to pass, the SAVE Act, whatever their priorities are, you have to know, are my senators alive or dead? Are they capable of being here in person to cast a vote. So he's 100 % lying when he says he has no idea about his condition and really has nothing to offer. He does know. Now, he, I think, probably is honest about not visiting him in the hospital because of the political peril that would require, et cetera. But he definitely has, he's spoken with the white. He knows what the true condition is.
15:00He just doesn't want to say and is participating in this cover up. Here's the thing. We have got a full month till we find out even more because the Senate's out. August recess is here. They're not back until September 14th, right? So literally 33 or 34 days away from today. So he's got 34 days to rehab at home before maybe he'll show up. From his minor no big deal fall. But that's the thing is that August recess could not have come soon enough for him because now he doesn't need to be in the chamber and there's no vote. So it's one of those where I think, honestly, I would hope that at least some decision has to come to a point back in September, because at that point, I mean, we're talking about total insanity.
15:39I guess they could just continue to weaken and Bernie's this thing from September because he's not running for reelection. Yeah. Just let him go off in the sunset. We'll just have no idea. Here's the other thing. Andy Beshear, really, governor of Kentucky, step up to the plate, bro. I mean, you had two entities, according to a podcast appearance that told you this man was dead and there's no sign of life. He's provided you as governor of the state with no evidence that he is of sound mind and body whatsoever. So fill the seat and then take it and then let it be challenged in court and have a discovery process.
16:13Like just move forward. Say, OK, this man is no longer able to serve. I'm filling the seat and then let the courts challenge it and fight it out. And that way, at least you're going to, number one, look like you're doing something you care and you're a fighter and number two have some ability to force transparency because otherwise this game is just going to continue indefinitely you're talking about the politics of it i talked about this during feinstein it would always just enrage me like i'm sorry there are 4.6 million people who live in kentucky like they deserve some sort of representation senators don't just sit around doing nothing like if you've got if you're a veteran you got a problem with your va benefits the easiest way to get something done is have a united states especially a powerful united states senator call on your behalf like that's a big deal and they did not vote for that staffer who is now doing presumably everything for this office.
16:56And Mitch McConnell is not just any old senator. He is one of the most senior, powerful members of the Senate with all sorts of seniority and what that entails. So yeah, for now, they just only have Rand Paul as their only representation. They're missing in action one of their senators. And yeah, that is not right. It's not right. When you have a real senator who can actually make stuff happen for you, I've seen it up close. If you are a powerful constituent, it shouldn't always be this way. But if you're a company or something like that, you can usually get your senator on the phone. And they can get stuff moving.
17:27And that stuff matters. If you have a tax problem, VA benefits. McConnell's famous for that, actually. Of course he is. The way that these guys who are very unpopular always get themselves reelected is they entrench themselves with the business community and they lean heavily into constituent services. But when you're gone and you literally maybe are unable to completely speak, you can't do that. So that's the part that bugs me more than anything is I just know there's four and a half million people out there without the representation that they deserve in the United States Senate. It's bullshit.
17:55It's just we all just sit around and we're like, oh, OK. You know, like like Dianne Feinstein, who represented the most populous state in the union and nobody ever said a single word about it. It's insanity. Total democracy failure. Total democracy failure. It should not be allowed to persist. There have to be some sort of competency requirements, requirements to take questions, be it town halls, disclose what your true condition is. Like, this is insanity. Can't continue. All right. Let's get to Michigan. Apple Vacations, where your story starts. The Summer Savings Event is here at Apple Vacations.
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19:03And they have a bunch of GE options in stock. Oh, that's great. We've always had good luck with GE appliances. This one looks perfect. Scheduling for tomorrow. Gosh, Grand really makes it easy. Another crisis averted by the team at Grand Appliance. Visit GrandAppliance.com today. Grand Appliance, appliance experts since 1930. My name is Arnold Bogarty, and prior to me, I enrolled in Rasmussen to become a nurse. I spent 16 years in the military, 12 in Special Forces as an Army Green Beret, and I was recommended to Rasmussen by a former student. She said she loved the culture. It was a family atmosphere.
19:39I went to visit the campus. The facilities were amazing. I knew before I left that that was the school that I was going to attend. Rasmussen University. Are you ready to be your own hero online and on campus? Learn more at rasmussen.edu. So in the wake of his victory in the Democratic primary in Michigan, Hillary Clinton has emerged to give Abdul El-Sayed some advice about how to win the state. Let's take a listen. You're not going to convince Republican voters in Michigan. And the real fight will be how do we make sure that people who voted for Haley feel comfortable voting for Abdul El-Sayed?
20:18And how do we get independents to feel comfortable? And you can see that it's not just about Michigan, but the Republican messaging is communist, socialist. It's going to be a very effective attack. And so people on the left have to be prepared to to answer that and to be effective at answering it. Do you think communist is an effective attack in 2026? Well, all I know is that's the attack that Trump is leading with. And I assume they've tested it. And I assume that they have reason to believe that it's effective or they wouldn't be beating the drum on it because now it's not just him. Vance has done it.
20:58Others are doing it. they are trying to, you know, bring back scare tactics about our candidates. And, you know, it didn't work in New York. Mamdani was elected and there was a lot of money spent against him. When you have an effective candidate on the left, it still is going to be a close race. I love, Sakura, even the concept of asking Hillary Clinton, who very, very, very famously lost Michigan twice, was in a shock upside to Bernie Sanders in the primary. Two shock upsets. And then a shock upside to Donald Trump in the general election, what the best course of action is to win in the state of Michigan.
21:35I feel like I'm taking crazy, Phil. The only Democrats since, what is it, 1988? No, I'm thinking Wisconsin. It might have been longer than that when somebody who had won Michigan. What is going to, or to lose Michigan, which was considered - The blue wall. If you're young and you weren't there, that was the most— Everyone knew Pennsylvania has always kind of been the blue wall, famously. Pennsylvania was always a toss-up, always has been in my lifetime. But Wisconsin and Michigan, especially Michigan, which I believe Trump only won by 10 ,000 votes in 2016, that was the shock of all shocks on election night.
22:15And so, yeah, I remember when she lost to Bernie, everyone was like, oh, it's whatever. You know, it's like it's a shock thing. It doesn't matter. At the end of the day, the Democratic voters. It was inconceivable that this woman would lose Michigan, except to like Debbie Dingell or whatever, who was like, I don't know. I'm a little worried about this. Yeah, I mean, that's just what to me is like this is a problem with our media, the way that we venerate these types of politicians. And then we're about to just talk about Obama. But, you know, Hillary just said something there where she said it's impossible to win Republicans.
22:46I completely disagree with that. Wall Street Journal has a story out this morning that you have Republican Party is losing its edge with voters on the economy. In the first term, Trump's net approval of handling on the economy at its absolute low point was minus three. Today, it sits around minus 40. So we are talking about a 40 percent delta to the first term, which, as you know, the first term, it wasn't popular. But a lot of people had the, you know, I mean, you remember this and under Biden, all the boomer Republicans had the Joe Biden. I did that stickers with gas and sure could use some mean tweets right now.
23:23This was like if you have a boomer grandpa who's a Republican, like he almost certainly had that bumper sticker. I don't see the bumper sticker around anymore. You know, I don't see anybody putting that type of cope anymore. So, sure, you've got a few Fox News boomers and others who are on board. But, I mean, I looked at the data in Michigan. You got a lot of young people and you got to also, you know, one thing she's also, again, wrong about is just about Haley Stevens. No. The reason why Trump won Michigan and Slotkin also won is there was a literal crossover vote of people who, by definition, voted Republican for Donald Trump and did not vote for a list or and voted also for Slotkin.
Read the full transcript
24:01Over Mike Rogers. Over Mike Rogers. Right. So it's like that person exists right now. Of course you can win them over. Trump won a lot of people who voted for Joe Biden in 2020. That is exactly how you win an election, especially in a battleground state like this. That's what Abdel should—that's what any candidate should be doing, frankly, is you have to win crossover vote. I mean, think about what a powerful lane he can occupy and is occupying. You can oppose data centers, oppose the war, and run on the economy and affordability. Those are—on all of those issues, you're going to find a lot of discontent with, yes, some Republican voters who had voted for Trump.
24:37I mean, we talked about the Trump-Momdani voters. Like, this is a thing. And I'm not saying you're going to win them all over. But certainly the sort of like independent Republican voters, some of the people who aren't absolute partisan diehards. But I do think you're right to sort of hone in on that comment from her, because to me, it's very emblematic of typical Democratic elite thinking. And how she lost in the first place. That's right. And where they just they assume that certain groups are with them when you shouldn't. Right. They assumed, oh, Latinos will be with us, period. End of story.
25:07We don't really need to do anything. They assumed that, you know, basically 100 percent of black voters would be with them forever. They assume young voters, you know, and young men would be with them forever. And so there are these assumptions that certain groups will lockstep stay with them that are not true. And there's also an assumption on the other side that you can't then win back once the state is gone. It's gone. Oh, Iowa. it's just gone. We Ohio, we just can't win it anymore. It's over. End of story. When my experience has been, I think all of our experiences have been over the past several elections, you actually have a broader swing electorate than has been portrayed.
25:41And again, partisanship does run deep. You have some people who are very locked in and there's nothing you can do. And the only question is whether they're going to show up or not. But there is actually a large demographic that is open in a moment of incredible tumult and change like this. So I think that's a really important point. And I do think that Abdul has positioned himself smartly. You know, the other thing on the communist point, I'm not going to say that attack doesn't have any power behind it and that there isn't a reason why they're leaning into this. It's also the same attack that they use in literally every election, no matter who is right.
26:16They said the same thing about Obama and about Biden and so about Hillary. And they're saying it again. Again, I think it has some impacts. But at a time when Trump is like taking stakes in a lot of companies and what used to be verboten in American political political discourse has been brought into the mainstream. I think they're going to have to do better than just he's a scary commie in order to be Abdul and other capable candidates like him. Like with Trump and the dictatorial fascism stuff didn't land in 2024, you know, maybe land now at the time it didn't land. And look, obviously, that was a failure in messaging.
26:51And at the end of the day, most people either voted with a wallet or whenever it came to immigration in order to they were like, look, maybe, but we're going to roll the dice. That's how people will feel whenever it comes to the communists and the socialist attack. You've also got Obama out here, our favorite E2 up here on the screen. Obama reached out to both Senate candidates in Michigan. The emphasis in his calls was unifying Democrats after a difficult primary. And so I don't know. I never know what to make of this, you know, the vaunted Obama from on high coming down, putting his blessing upon these two candidates.
27:25But it always seems to be in such a way where he's trying to he's trying to recreate the same thing he did in his presidency, where he came in. And even though he had no reason to do so, decided to give a huge amount of power to these like Bill Clinton. He literally hired Hillary as the secretary of state. He always is trying to push these more insurgent candidates who, again, follow some of the playbook that he laid out to do the same thing, even though his strategy was a total and a complete failure. I'm not saying Abdul El-Sayed doesn't necessarily have to reach out to Haley Stevens voters.
27:55But Haley Stevens herself endorsed him and is like, look, I'm all in behind it. Yeah. She's been very gracious. Yeah. I mean, yeah, it's kind of admirable to be honest. It is. It's like, you know, you very rarely see it in politics today. But what I found here in this warm and encouraging discussion to unite Democrats to win Michigan in November is they're always trying to tamp down the reason why he won in the first place. That's kind of how I look at it. I mean, I will just say, look, as much as I have plenty of complaints about the Obama era, he is the most popular politician in America. Sure.
28:30That is reality. Shouldn't be that way. And Abdul needs to earn trust with especially older black voters in Michigan and make sure they are turning out in numbers that, you know, that are going to be important to get him across the finish line. And there was a, you know, a smear campaign that was run to convince them that he hates Michelle Obama and he's sexist and all these sorts of things and that Obama endorsed Haley Stevens. So if Obama does decide to actually get involved in this race and campaign for Abdul, I do think that that will be an important marker. I think the sort of fake Obama endorsement of Haley Stevens is a big part of the reason why she was able to make it as close as she ultimately was able to make it.
29:13And then also these ads that were running suggesting, again, that Abdul hates Michelle Obama and is sexist against her or whatever. So I think we have to keep that in mind. Kamala endorsed him as well. I think this also, you know, again, as much as we have a critique here, it is undeniably the fact that E3 up on the screen is undeniably the case that many black voters have very warm sentiments towards her and favorable opinion of her. I've seen I don't know, Sagar, you probably didn't see this. There's all kinds of lefties who are like mad about him accepting her endorsement. Like, do you want to win or not?
29:44It's not like he abandoned his principles to come to her. She came to him. He's not endorsing her, although he did vote for her, but he's not endorsing her. She is coming to him. I mean, this is addition, right? You need to make sure that you've got the entire Democratic base behind him, all of that, and then appeal to the winnable independents, the winnable Republicans, based on what is a very strong populist message. So I think, obviously, he's going to accept Kamala Harris's endorsement. It would be so—can you imagine if he rejected her endorsement? The chill that would put into like the black voters who were skeptical of him in Detroit and went for Haley Stevens, et cetera.
30:25That would be political suicide to do something like that. Sorry, leptoids. You're retarded. OK, I can say that again now. It's 2026. There is a fashion that just doesn't want to win. You know, like we have to live in political reality here. It's like being a Republican who doesn't want Trump's endorsements. Like, yeah, good luck. That's like shooting yourself in the heart. Do you want to win or not? I mean, yeah, I don't know. That is beyond stupid. But the bigger question actually is whether he's going to win. that's honestly the more interesting question. I probably would bet on him right now.
30:52Just because of the national climate. Just because of the national mood. He's also, I mean, he is a talented candidate. I think people are seeing that he is very quick. He's very confident. He's very forceful. And he has, this is another thing that some leftists were mad at. He called himself a capitalist. I don't care what he calls himself. Look, the reality is that, yes, if you poll the general population, socialism is still unpopular. He's running in Michigan and he's trying to win. You know, he's not compromising on his principles, But if he's going to compromise on like the label he calls himself, I don't know why we would complain about that.
31:22I first of all, obviously, again, this is all just too much Twitter brains. I'm like, get over it, people. Like, do you want to win or not? But beyond that, yeah, sure. Don't listen to me. You don't have to. But my more my bigger point for Abdul and why I think I would probably would bet on him is if Alyssa Slotkin, who I sat across from, is frankly one of the most unimpressive politicians I've ever met. Sorry, Alyssa. It's true. Just in terms of your ability to communicate, if that lady can beat Mike Rogers in a wave red election, I'm sorry. Like how exactly is Mike supposed to win? Yeah. Especially with the national mood.
31:58To use the Hillary example, if Mike Rogers can't win with the back of these young voters, these uncommitted voters, all these people who are either not voting for Trump or depressing the vote for the Denver, if she can win in that environment, how the fuck is he supposed to win? whenever you've got a bunch of disaffected Republicans who are not coming to vote, period. I mean, look, it's fine to get people to vote when they're scared, but it's just not really how it works. Like, you know, you've got to have something positive. That's largely why Abdul, again, in my opinion, his campaign is very intelligent, is its hopeful campaign.
32:33It's a very Zoran-esque, like, look, we're fighting against, oh, you know, whatever, fascism, etc. But we're also doing health care. We're talking about affordability. We're talking about spending more money here than overseas. what is Mike Rogers running on? Abdul is a bad? I mean, it's just not enough. Like I've seen this story too many times in politics. It can work, don't get me wrong. The Trump 2020 campaign was the closest that it ever came actually to working, which is basically like Joe Biden is a tool of defund the police. And he still lost at the end of the day. So that shows that even with, you know, you had the most intense culture war since the 1960s.
33:09And you still weren't able to win the election. Just with that. But how are you going to win today with the economy where it is? That's a great, that's a really great point. Apple Vacations, where your story starts. The Summer Savings Event is here at Apple Vacations. It's the perfect time to bring everyone together for the getaway you've been dreaming about. Book between July 24th and August 27th and enjoy up to 55 % instant savings. From relaxing beach days to unforgettable moments with the people who matter most, your next vacation starts here. Travel through July 31st, 2027. Start your vacation today at AppleVacations.com.
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34:24It was like a bomb had just been dropped in my life. I reached out to Rasmussen. They immediately were like, Rosa, take what time you need. You can come back when you're ready. We are cancer-free today, and I'm just so grateful for Rasmussen for all of their support throughout my journey and for my own village. Rasmussen University. Find your seat and start now at rasmussen.edu. I mean, they're just leaning into like, oh my God, he's a Muslim and he's scary. Did you know his full name is Abdul Rahman Muhammad al-Sayed? And so Abdul responded to that. And then Trump had also put out this post that showed like him and Melania in formal wear.
35:03And then Abdul and his wife, who's wearing a hijab at like a diner and said something like two different Americas. And of course, again, I had Abdul Rahman El Saeed. So he responded to both of those things, one at the unity rally that they held in Michigan. The other one was on a Sunday show. Let's go ahead and take a listen to how he's tackling those. Speaking of President Trump, last night he posted on social media a photograph of him and First Lady Melania Trump in formal attire next to a photograph of you and your wife. You appear to be in a restaurant booth or something. Your wife is a psychiatrist.
35:37She's wearing a hijab. The caption was two very different Americas. What was your response when you saw that? Yeah, he's right. One in which your overlords are two people who don't like each other, but joint in the interest of making billions of dollars off of you or two people who genuinely like love each other, enjoyed some pancakes together, want to come together to build the kind of America where they can raise a family and know that that family is going to have the good thing. So, yes, you've got two different visions of America. Donald Trump's vision is the one you're living in right now.
36:10Can you afford your gas? Can you afford your groceries? Do you believe, when you look your kids in the eye, that they're going to have a better future than you did? And Sara and I are running, because when we look our daughters in the eye, Amelie and Sirin, we want them to believe that they're every bit as able to have a better future than the one that they could have had under the Trump administration, that they can live together with their sisters and their brothers in America in a way where they lock arms to build the good things that they deserve together, where they know they'll have the health care that they need and good jobs and that they don't have to go 15 minutes and know that there are kids who live 15 minutes away whose lives are very, very different than theirs because we've been for far too long okay with a level of inequality in this country.
36:52I want them to live in an America where they can breathe clean air and drink clean water. And actually, Sara and I like each other. I don't know about the First Lady and the President, but from what I've heard, it's a bit of a rocky road. Abdel, Donald Trump seems to think you're a gift to the Republican Party. What do you say to that? I'm a gift to the state of Michigan, God willing, and hope to win this election. And he says, if you pardon the language, you're full of s**t. What do you say to that? At least I don't let mine go in the middle of the Oval Office. Very Zoran-like ability there with the Donald Trump attack to immediately turn it to, yeah, you're right, two visions of America.
37:23One that's for the oligarchs. You know, do you like this vision of America that you're living in right now? Or are we going to try to make things more affordable and go a different way? immediately back to, you know, not doing the like, oh my God, that's so racist and it's not fair and making it about him. Instead, he immediately turns it to his core campaign message. Well, in the words of a very successful politician who I remember covering a lot, not me, us, right? It's a common slogan. Look, they're gonna try. Maybe it's just me. I don't think that this type of stuff is gonna work all that well in Michigan, especially when you have one of the largest Muslim populations in the United States.
37:55That's where I'm like, look, maybe in Maine, maybe in you know like a super white lily state but here like in in michigan where you know trump actually courted a significant part of the muslim vote i mean his own people remember the hamatrack mayor and others were endorsing trump like there's look i've talked to some of the people on the trump campaign they acknowledge that the the kamala gaza and the no wars in the middle east was the only reason that they won that state they know it for sure and people like grinnell and a few others who were on the ground were instrumental in getting the Hamitrack mayor and a lot of the other Muslim community leaders to outright endorse Trump over Kamala at that time.
38:32That's why when I see this type of stuff, I'm like, look, I mean, why do you think Rogers lost? He wasn't willing to do it. If you, uh, if Kamala had won the Arab American vote at the levels that Abdul won in the primary, she would have won the state. I crunched the numbers. We were talking about, uh, who was Hillary earlier, if the same amount of blacks vote in the city of Detroit in 2016 that they did for Obama, she wins the election. But she took blacks for granted, and that's why she lost. Yeah, that's right. So Mike Rogers is doing this whole like, oh, he's the moral centrist now, and he's reaching out to disaffected Democrats who think Abdul is too extreme.
39:10He recorded this video with his wife. This is clearly going to be sort of a core strategy for them. Let's take a If you're among the majority of Democratic voters that woke up on Wednesday feeling, well, hopeless, because the person who won does not represent your values, well, just know there is still hope. Michigan deserves a senator who is ready to sit with you, hear from you, and represent you. The parents across Michigan who want an education system that sets up their kids for success. You have a home with us. To grandparents across Michigan who are heartbroken from watching their kids and grandkids leave the state, you have a home with us.
39:48To young people who are looking for real solutions to solve our housing affordability crisis, you have a home with us. To working families who don't want higher taxes and lower paychecks, well, you have a home with us. And to the vast majority of people across Michigan who do not want to throw their support behind a campaign filled with anger, divisiveness, calls for violence, and the views that are out of touch with your values, well, you have a home with us. The fight is far greater than just left versus right. The fight is for the very soul of our nation. Over the next 90 days, I'm going to work hard to earn your trust, to earn your support, and earn your vote.
40:29We have a state to save Michigan. and let's get to work. This actually feels like a Hillary Clinton ad from 2016, right? Yeah, and I look at the data. So the data actually tells us, because it feels like this is like country club reach out, right? And that's actually kind of what happened. So if you look at the data, who voted for Abdul El-Sayed? Who voted for Haley Stevens? People who voted for Haley Stevens are predominantly people who are either much wealthier or make over a few hundred thousand dollars a year or are traditional black Democrats. in the state who were kind of convinced by the Obama, like the Obama fake ad campaign by AIPAC and its allies.
41:07The people who voted for Abdul, predominantly much more college educated, white. I mean, it's kind of the traditional DSA, downwardly mobile, college educated coalition. Okay. But what you could see with Rogers is he's still trying to get some of those people who are distaste, like they find Trump distasteful, but they find higher taxes a lot more. So he wants those voters to kind of come into it actually doesn't make sense. But again, coalitionally, I do think he's going to have a much more difficult time. That's what that's, by the way, another reason why they're going to hammer this Israel thing until the kingdom come, not just for the money that it comes over, but they want to strip away any of the traditional Jewish democratic vote who normally two thirds of Jews vote them.
41:46So they want all those people to come over to Rogers kind of in an interesting sign up, but a lot of it is going to be a lot of it will come down to this education where the republicans need high low they need the educated rich and they also need the uneducated but uneducated rich but they also want like the more working class white uh to be with them the dsa and abdul type candidate is going to need a downwardly mobile white college educated democrat and they need those traditional black democrats and other parts of that coalition to come in for them which is why you know his strategy with obama it makes total sense because those people revere Obama.
42:22Yeah. Yeah. I mean, look, here's the thing. At the end of the day, I think there's a lot of delusion among the Republicans that because the primary was close, that means there's a lot of dissatisfaction with Abdul as the nominee. And I think just from all of the rallying around him, you've got Pete coming in, you've got Kamala, they did this unity rally. Haley Stevens has been very gracious. I think you can already see that that was a delusion. Democrats, whether they love Abdul or whether they got some issues and concerns, they are very united in not handing Trump more power. And Mike Rogers at the end of the day is number one, an unreconstructed neocon who's never seen a war he didn't like, and a deep state op, by the way.
43:03And number two, a robber stamp for Trump, who started engaging after criticizing Trump after January 6th, then flipped on a dime when it was politically useful to him and started doing the same election conspiracy bullshit that he knew would be required to get Trump's support. This is who this guy is. Also, by the way, Abdul's made a big deal of the fact that he immediately, Mike Rogers, after he lost his last campaign, immediately moved to Florida and has now moved back to himself as Michigan. Well, Abdul's rich too. I'm sure he is. But in any case, last piece here, this is from the unity rally.
43:39I referenced this earlier. Rogers and others making a big deal out of like, oh my God, did you know what his real name is? Let's go ahead and take a listen to how Abdul is responding to that. Now, Mike, I'm just going to remind you, if you don't know how to say the name, keep the name out your damn mouth.
43:59Or just call me Abdul. But I got some opinions about his name. See, it's very fitting for him, Rogers. Because that's his answer every time a corporation or Donald Trump tells him to do something. Mike, we need you to put a data center in the backyard. Roger. Mike, we need you to hike their prescription drug prices. Roger. Mike, we need you to rubber stamp this war we shouldn't be fighting. Roger.
44:36mike this one's donald trump i need you to lick these boots roger they ate that shit up let's call it what it is that's an obama that is an obama ripoff that's also code switching and i'll call it for what it like sorry like what the fuck are we doing what do you mean come on it's like a black cent obama type thing this is how he talks no it's not i've interviewed the man many many times no no this is i i think it's but it does sound like obama i will just say like it's kind of a corny as hell line and he kind of pulls it off so people are people ate it up in that room yes the women i mean that was the quintessential democratic woman like 55 years old with the kooky glasses i mean look i mean no hate you know we're all in this country together but sure i'm sure she ate it up i i'm not just to me i found it corny as fuck but i mean he ate in that clip i i could i i i'm sure you think so uh didn't work for me i think he's doing an Obama impression.
45:32Look, I put all of this aside. You have to admit, though, he is a very talented politician. I've always thought he was good. Yeah, very charismatic, very quick on his feet. That clip we played where they were like, oh, Obama says, what was it? Obama says you're a piece of shit or whatever. And he was like, oh, well, at least I don't let mine go in the Oval Office. Trump says you're a piece of shit. Yeah, exactly. Sorry, sorry, Trump. I mean, to come up with that on the fly like that, to me, it's impressive. Look, he's battle tested. He did lose previously to Gretchen Whitmer. He had some problems.
46:02I just think this is also where the candidate thing, like I was talking about with Slocken, if Alyssa Slocken can beat Mike Rogers in a wave election, like I don't even know if it matters. Like we're talking about a few percentage points. I kind of agree with that actually. Genuinely, like I really believe at this point candidate quality is like a plus or minus two points. I don't really believe in it anymore whenever it comes to national elections. We have had too much evidence whenever it comes to national, national stakes where people will put aside everything. Yeah. Whenever it means you're going to vote the right way.
46:32Like it's just Democrats are pissed off. I think if you have a D next to your name in the state of Michigan, I think you're going to win. I kind of agree with that. I always come back to the guy who's attorney general of Virginia, J. Jones. Yeah, right. Who had those text messages that come out that were – they were like, I want to murder my opponent. And he won. His children should win. And he won. People were like, eh, but he's a Democrat. And you're talking about statewide, right? You're talking about statewide where the stakes aren't, frankly, let's be honest, it's not that fucking high. We're talking about vote in the United States Senate, plus or minus.
47:01Like for most people, I'm saying this has always been the case since Tea Party, even more so today. The candidate quality, like I just don't think it matters that much anymore. Unless you're, I don't know, who was the guy who ran in North Carolina? I don't even remember the guy's name. Roy Cooper? No, who ran against him. The preacher who had all these weird pornographic fantasies. I sort of forgot about that. These people come and go. Roy Moore. It takes somebody like that to tank your— It matters a lot in a primary. It mattered a lot for Zoran in his primary. It goes from 1 % to winning. It mattered for Abdul in his primary, who is up against the whole machine,$60 million, etc.
47:37But I do think in a general election, you're right that the national mood is more important than anything else. It matters. It can't manage it statewide. That's actually why. I think we're going to talk about Hong tomorrow. I think Hong might be in trouble statewide whenever it comes to governor. It's just people vote very differently whenever it comes to the stakes that are there. Andy Beshear, good example. Dem governor, Republican. You know, what do these Republicans win by whenever it comes to the nationwide election, like plus three? Oh, in Kentucky? Yeah, it's bonkers. But then they'll vote for a Democrat.
48:04So, you know, I wouldn't underestimate that. So I actually, I'll say candidate quality matters more in a statewide election. But when it's nationwide, the stakes are just too high. When we saw Virginia and New Jersey, those were state-level elections. Good point. than both Abigail Spanberger and Mike Sherrill. It was the first time you could react. That's true. That's a point. I mean, look, it's complicated. Obviously, we'll see. I still wouldn't say that it wouldn't hurt to have a wave of Democrats in an election where everybody's just kind of voting and pissed off. It definitely wouldn't hurt to be statewide in that.
48:35But people are much more willing to go with a different party when the stakes are not high at the federal level. At the end of the day, for Abdul and or Mike Rogers, it's like, are you going to vote for Trump or not? Right. Like that's an up or down question of expression of disapproval or whatever. Whereas with, you know, with statewide elections, it's much more complicated property tax data centers. I mean, I think it matters a ton. Don't get me wrong. But there's so much evidence now for how people vote in that way that I would just I would want to D next to my name in any potential swing state.
49:06There's just no way around it with the that's just the national climate right now. That's the that's the reality. OK, I hope you guys enjoy the show. We're about to do our AMA. So we'll see you then.
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