In short
Texas Senate race polling and campaign strategy; plus commentary on Trump’s 250th birthday events and related cultural/political backlash; plus Illinois Democrats’ voting-rights fight after Supreme Court action.
Guests and backgrounds
- James Talarico: Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas; former Texas political figure running on anti-corruption and political reform.
- Tommy Vietor: Pod Save America co-host; political commentator.
- Juliana Stratton: Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Illinois and Illinois lieutenant governor; voting-rights advocate.
Key claims (Talarico)
- A Texas Public Opinion Research poll after the GOP runoff shows Talarico leading Ken Paxton 47-44, and 30% of John Cornyn runoff voters would vote for Talarico; Talarico has +7 favorability vs Paxton at -19.
- Republicans’ attacks (claiming Talarico is vegan and not straight) are false and distract from costs and corruption.
- Talarico frames the race as “top vs bottom” and calls for comprehensive political reform: ban corporate PACs/super PACs, overturn Citizens United, stop members of Congress trading stocks, and end gerrymandering.
Notable examples
- Talarico campaign says it released photos of his girlfriend; Paxton is described as amid a cheating/divorce scandal.
- Vietor discusses performers withdrawing from Trump’s 250th event (e.g., Young MC, Morris Day and The Time) and counter-programming festivals (Springsteen/Foo Fighters/Dave Matthews Band).
- Stratton cites the need to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and potentially reform the Supreme Court; she references her father marching from Selma to Montgomery in 1965.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VORepublicans' Challenges in Texas
0:14 to 3:50
Discussion on the current political climate in Texas regarding the Senate race.
“I'm Brian Tyler Cohen and you're listening to No Lie.”
Republicans' Challenges in Texas
3:53 to 5:37
Discussion on the current political climate in Texas regarding the Senate race.
“It was super overwhelming, and every day seemed to introduce a new decision that needed an answer.”
Interview with James Talarico
5:42 to 8:12
James Talarico discusses his campaign and the political landscape in Texas.
“I'm joined now by Democratic nominee for the U.S.”
Corruption and Political Reform
8:12 to 14:01
Talarico addresses issues of corruption and the need for political reform.
“And so we are, you know, for the first time in Texas in a position to actually win statewide, transform this broken, corrupt political system and change American politics in the process.”
Faith and Politics: A Call for Love
14:01 to 19:24
Discussing how faith influences political values and a call for community love.
“It's why I think you're seeing such a backlash to this corruption, because it's everywhere across our country.”
Fighting Back Against Culture Wars
19:24 to 20:14
The conversation shifts to how politics are often focused on culture wars rather than real issues.
“giving their time and their treasure to this movement that we're building.”
The Broken Political System
20:14 to 22:05
Exploring the disillusionment with the current political and economic systems.
“But what does it say more broadly about what your campaign and you have been able to accomplish in such a short amount of time that that your name is included in that conversation?”
Persuasion Across Political Lines
22:05 to 24:21
Discussing strategies to engage with voters whose identities are tied to their political affiliation.
“I'm sure that you've encountered folks in Texas for whom their political affiliation is really completely intertwined with their identity.”
Building a Movement in Texas
24:21 to 25:44
Highlighting the grassroots efforts and the call for participation in the campaign.
“The word Texas comes from that Caddo Native American word for friend.”
Building a Movement in Texas
25:50 to 27:08
Highlighting the grassroots efforts and the call for participation in the campaign.
“when it comes to losing weight, skip the guesswork and get Weight Loss by HIMSS.”
Show all 26 chapters
Trump's Star-Studded Event Backlash
27:21 to 28:05
Discussing the performers dropping out of Trump's event and the counter-programming that emerged.
“as it relates to his big 250th birthday for America celebration.”
Counter-Programming Against Trump Event
28:05 to 29:57
Discussion about artists withdrawing from a Trump event and the implications of counter-programming.
“And that includes Young MC and Morris Day in the Time.”
Political Capital of Entertainers
29:58 to 31:28
Analysis of entertainers and musicians aligning with Trump and the shift in political dynamics.
“We saw all of these people who would, you know, look, you worked in the Obama administration.”
Trump's Vanity Projects
31:29 to 32:58
Discussion on Trump's proposal to put his face on a $250 bill and the implications it carries.
“The president's face is on a$250 bill, but it is actually the Washington Post that's reporting two political appointees from the Treasury Department who have asked agencies to be ready to do that.”
Congress and Trump's Currency Proposal
32:59 to 35:00
Exploration of Congress's potential response to Trump's proposed currency changes and the political climate.
“for what this president in particular represents, like a bill that's only accessible to the wealthiest.”
Implications of Trump's Focus on Vanity
35:01 to 36:38
Examining Trump's focus on vanity projects over pressing voter issues.
“These are people, you know, look, these aren't even like crunchy liberals like Thomas Massey voted with Republicans on everything other than pedophilia.”
UFC Event at White House
36:39 to 38:42
Discussion on the planned UFC event at the White House and its implications for public perception.
“that you are going to, you know, focus all of your attention on heaping more praise and attention onto dear leader while Americans are hurting?”
Trump's Disconnection from Regular People
38:43 to 41:08
Analysis of how Trump's actions reflect a detachment from the struggles of everyday Americans.
“Look, I think Trump was very smart to be buddies with Dana White, to build that relationship over decades, to go to a bunch of UFC events.”
Ending with a Lighthearted Moment
41:09 to 42:01
A humorous exchange about a charity event involving crushing watermelons.
“I was going to end it here, Tommy, but I actually thought, you know, just a few days ago, I was minding my own business, sitting at home and watching my favorite show, Pod Save America on YouTube.”
Lighthearted Banter and Charity Challenge
42:01 to 43:30
Hosts engage in a humorous conversation about a watermelon challenge for charity.
“Yeah, I absolutely won't be doing this at the office with pants on, but I appreciate the opportunity.”
Voting Rights and Redistricting
43:30 to 46:04
Discussion with Juliana Stratton about voting rights and redistricting challenges.
“So I know that you have been particularly outspoken about the Voting Rights Act and especially the Supreme Court decision gutting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, the Calais decision.”
Healthcare Affordability Crisis
46:04 to 48:57
Juliana Stratton shares her views on healthcare reforms and affordability issues.
“And I would look at everything from expanding the court, looking at term limits and whatever we can do.”
Political Will and Government Spending
48:57 to 54:54
The conversation shifts to the political will to fund necessary services versus vanity projects.
“health care is almost number one on one of the issues that I hear from people all across the state.”
Corruption and Accountability in Politics
54:54 to 56:01
Discussion about corruption related to insurrectionists and the political landscape.
“I mean, what it is is another example of him rewarding his cronies.”
Democratic Courage and Responsibility
56:01 to 58:12
Explore the need for Democrats to take a stronger stand on critical issues.
“who are willing to speak out because they have seen what happened to Thomas Massey and Bill Cassidy and John Cornyn goes to show that like these people are solely focused on protecting their jobs.”
Campaigning for Change
58:13 to 58:36
Learn how Lt. Governor Stratton is mobilizing support for her Senate campaign.
“Man, I could run through a brick wall right now.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:01Brian Tyler Cohen:Republicans contend with a fatal problem in the Texas Senate race. And I've got three interviews, Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Texas, James Talarico, Pod Save America co-host Tommy Vietor and Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Illinois, Juliana Stratton. I'm Brian Tyler Cohen and you're listening to No Lie. Republicans have been contending with one problem after another in Texas. So first, James Tallarico, who'd been consistently polling highest against either John Cornyn or Ken Paxton, won the Democratic primary. Then Trump endorsed the worst polling, Ken Paxton, who went on to win the Republican primary.
0:36Brian Tyler Cohen:But it was this latest update that poses a legitimately fatal issue for Republicans' hopes of keeping the Senate seat. According to a new poll from Texas Public Opinion Research, which took place after the Republican runoff, not only is James Tallarico leading Ken Paxton 47-44, but 30 % of Cornyn runoff voters say they would vote for Tallarico in the election. That is untenable if you are Ken Paxton. And lest you think that this was just some poll of, like, crunchy liberals, the same poll has Republican Governor Greg Abbott leading his Democratic challenger Gina Hinojosa 46-41 in the governor's race, which means that many of the same people who are voting for Greg Abbott are also avowed voters for James Tallarico now.
1:20Brian Tyler Cohen:And that all might be owed to the fact that Tallarico has a net positive favorability of seven points, while Paxton's favorability is at negative 19 points. Also worth noting that Beto O 'Rourke, who came within two and a half points of beating Ted Cruz in 2018, was actually trailing Cruz at this point in the cycle by about 10 points. The fact that Tallarico is up by three points is obviously good news if you're looking to flip Texas from red to blue, especially given the fact that this is going to be a very blue election cycle. And by the way, you know that Republicans are getting nervous when the two attacks that they've tried launching against Tallarico is that he's a vegan, which is not true, and that he's not straight, also not true.
2:01Brian Tyler Cohen:They are losing 30 % of Cornyn voters, and they're out here trying to convince Texans, who, like the rest of America, are paying more for everything right now, that this election should actually be a referendum on what kind of meat Tallarico eats and who he's sleeping with. And it's worth noting that as the result of these lies, the Tallarico campaign actually released a photo or a bunch of photos of Tallarico's girlfriend who is an attractive Latina. Probably not a bad thing in Texas and probably not a bad thing with Texas's huge Latino population. And it also inadvertently highlights the fact that Ken Paxton is in the midst of a divorce right now because he cheated on his wife.
2:39Brian Tyler Cohen:So I don't know. If I was a Republican, I would consider maybe not making this election a referendum on the personal lives of the two candidates. But that's just me. Now comes the buzzkill part. I presume some of that 30 percent of Cornyn to Tallarico voters will eventually come home to Republicans and they'll vote for Paxton. That doesn't mean that Republicans don't have a lot of work to do to persuade, which will cost them a lot of time and money and resources. But the question becomes how many of them will stay with Tallarico. I imagine that even if it's 10%, that's a huge coup for the left, considering right now independents are breaking for Tallarico 64-21 and moderates are breaking for Tallarico 72-15.
3:21Brian Tyler Cohen:Even a small chunk of Republicans would likely be enough to seal the deal for James Tallarico in November. But that doesn't happen in a vacuum. That comes as the result of working relentlessly to persuade folks every single day. To that end, James is one of my interview guests coming up, so help him and the rest of our candidates spread the word as much as you all can as we head closer to midterms. Next up are my interviews with James Tallarico, Tommy Vitor, and Juliana Stratton. No Lie is brought to you by Shopify. When I started this podcast, it seemed like I had to figure out everything on my own.
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5:37Brian Tyler Cohen:Go to Shopify.com slash BTC. That's Shopify.com slash BTC. I'm joined now by Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Texas, James Tellarico. James, thanks for joining me. It's good to see you. So, James, first and foremost, as we head toward today's primary election in your state of Texas, Can I have your reaction to Donald Trump's decision to endorse Ken Paxton over John Cornyn? You know, I don't think it really matters what's going to happen in this Republican runoff because we already know who we're running against. We are running against the billionaire megadonors and their puppet politicians.
6:13And that is embodied by Ken Paxton or John Cornyn because both of them are deeply corrupt. Both of them are far more interested in serving their billionaire megadonors than serving the people of Texas. And so our campaign is bringing people together across the state, across the political spectrum to confront this broken, corrupt political system that both Paxton and Cornyn epitomize.
6:38Brian Tyler Cohen:And can you give a little bit of an indication of like some conversations you've had with Republicans or independents or non-voting Democrats, whatever it may be in your state? Because I think, you know, obviously to win statewide in Texas, you're going to need support from across the political spectrum. But I'm just wondering what what people have been saying to you, anecdotal though it may be, that would give an indication of of what the the general feeling among Texans is. Yeah, you know, I've been traveling to every corner of the state, red areas, blue areas, purple areas alike. I've gone from Beaumont in Far East Texas to El Paso in Far West Texas.
7:20I've traveled from Amarillo in the Panhandle all the way down to Brownsville in the Rio Grande Valley and everywhere in between. And we've had tens of thousands of Texans showing up to rally with us at these events. We keep having to move venues because there are so many people interested in this movement that we're building. And I can't tell you the number of people who come up to me at the end of these events and whisper, I'm not a Democrat, like they're in the witness protection program or something. And they all think they're the only one. But after you have, you know, dozens of those conversations at every event, you start to realize that this is a bipartisan backlash against the extremism and the corruption in our government, in our politics.
8:03And so I think we're building something really special here on the ground. And you see it, you know, in the polling results. So it's not just anecdotal. We are seeing, you know, in every public poll that's come out in recent weeks that we're leading both Ken Paxton and John Cornyn. And so we are, you know, for the first time in Texas in a position to actually win statewide, transform this broken, corrupt political system and change American politics in the process.
8:31Brian Tyler Cohen:And what does that look like changing the American political system? Like if Democrats are able to bring about a majority in the House, the Senate, ultimately get control of the White House, what does a new iteration of not just the party, but our system of government look like? What would you want to see done that we haven't been able to accomplish thus far? There are so many issues that we have to tackle once we have a Senate majority. But I would say the number one issue should be comprehensive political reform. It should be getting big money out of our politics, banning corporate PACs, banning super PACs, overturning Citizens United, and banning members of Congress from trading stocks and enriching themselves while they're in public office.
9:17But it also should include going after the forms of corruption that don't involve money. I think we need a national ban to end gerrymandering once and for all so that we can have free and fair elections in every community, red communities and blue communities alike. So I think those kinds of political reforms are necessary to fix the system itself, because until we do that, we're not going to make progress on education, on health care. We're not going to bring down the cost of housing, the cost of groceries, the cost of gas. We're not going to create good paying jobs for the people of Texas, the people of this country.
9:51So political reform, I think, has to be our top priority.
9:55Brian Tyler Cohen:And by the way, that's self-evident because we have so much corruption that the Trump administration and these politicians are swimming in right now. And the results or lack thereof are a testament to exactly what you just said. We don't have better infrastructure. We don't have better health care spending. We don't have any of the things that Trump himself ran on because the corruption kind of prevents you from being able to even do that because there's no legitimate outcomes coming out of this government. To that end, can you speak a little bit about, and I'm just going to kind of make an assumption here, obviously we'll have a better idea tonight.
10:32Brian Tyler Cohen:But can you speak about, while we're talking about corruption, a little bit of what Ken Paxton has been engaged in over the last few years? Yeah, Ken Paxton embodies this broken, corrupt political system that we were just talking about. He was impeached three years ago by his own party for using his public office, his position of public trust to enrich himself and his donors at our expense. And that kind of corruption is the rot at the core of our broken political system. It's why we can't afford anything. It's why we can't get ahead no matter how hard we work, because billionaires buy politicians like Ken Paxton, and then those puppets rig the economy in favor of those billionaires at our expense.
11:22And so if we're going to start to unrig this economy so that it actually works for regular people again, where we can actually afford our gas, our groceries, our insurance, our housing, our childcare, if we're going to be able to do that, it has to start by transforming this broken, corrupt political system. It's getting that money out of our politics. That is the key to making progress on all these other issues that we care about.
11:49Brian Tyler Cohen:James, I've probably spoken to you more than a dozen times over the last few years now, and I'm always so interested in in the issue of religion, especially as it relates to somebody on on the left, because it feels like the right has kind of co-opted that space for at least at least my entire life. Can you speak a little bit about how your reaction to what we have seen thus far, not just with Trump and the right more broadly, their attacks on the Pope, for example, but even just living how they choose to live their quote unquote Christianity in the sense that these people ran on protecting health care and making sure that people were fed and that the little guy was taken care of, that there was housing and rent.
12:38Brian Tyler Cohen:And when they get into office, I mean, we have seen them spend time and money on on a reflecting pool, on repaving the Rose Garden, on building a ballroom for the wealthiest, most well-connected Americans. Right now, they're constructing a UFC stage on the White House lawn because apparently that's where their priority is. We've seen, you know, no money for food assistance or health care, but almost$2 billion to pay out insurrectionists from January 6th. And so just this kind of chasm between what these people say as self-proclaimed Christians, but how they're actually living it. Well, you know, we're living in an era of corruption.
13:22We've talked about our political corruption. We've talked about the economic corruption, where the top 1 % owns more wealth than the entire middle class. On this campaign, we've talked about the social corruption, the fact that these algorithms are tearing communities apart, pitting neighbor against neighbor and sowing division in the very fabric of our communities. But we're also seeing corruption in our religious institutions. We've seen scandals here in the state of Texas of faith leaders preying on kids, on vulnerable people. And so this corruption really infects every facet of American life, and people can feel that.
14:02It's why I think you're seeing such a backlash to this corruption, because it's everywhere across our country. And I hear from Christians all the time who come up to me and thank me for speaking about my faith. Brian, you know that my granddad was a Baptist preacher in South Texas. You know that I'm a Presbyterian seminarian. And my faith is guided by those two commandments that Jesus gave us, to love God and love neighbor. And there should be no limits on that second commandment. We're called to love all of our neighbors, regardless of their zip code, regardless of their skin color, regardless of their religion.
14:40we're called to love everybody in our community. And I think that kind of love is, it's missing from our politics, it's missing from our economy, it's missing from our social life together, and it's also missing from organized religion. And so I think what you're going to see in this election and in the coming years is people coming together to try to take on this corruption and renew, restore, resurrect, to use a term from my tradition, to build something new. Something can come out of the ashes of these broken systems. And I do see the beginnings of that movement all over the state of Texas.
15:21Brian Tyler Cohen:You know, we have seen the beginnings of Republicans try to figure out how they can attack you in this race. One of those talking points they landed on was that you're a vegan. Can I just have your reaction to that? Because I have seen a non-zero number of photos of you eating barbecue down in Texas. That's right. Yeah, our campaign basically runs on barbecue these days. And if all they have is lying about me being a vegan, I feel pretty good about our chances in November. I think it also just shows the extent to which they will go to distract from this disastrous economy. I mean, with the way the price of beef is going up, we all may be forced to be vegans at some point.
16:13So I'm going to keep focusing on lowering costs. I'm going to keep focusing on putting working people first, taking on this corruption so that we can unrig this economy. I think that's what Texans want. They're kind of tired of these games in our politics, the mudslinging and the nicknames and the trolling and the owning. But none of this is going to lower our costs. None of this is going to increase our pay. None of this is going to cut our taxes. And so I think what we're doing in this campaign is bringing people together across all these divisions, standing up to the silliness in our politics, standing up to the corruption in our political system so that we can actually start delivering protections.
16:52Brian Tyler Cohen:I think that that's exactly right. Like this is this is kind of in a way the perfect microcosm for not not just this race, but but kind of our politics more broadly. I mean, we we saw an entire 2024 campaign where it was just basically culture war. I mean, that that was what they had to lean on. We saw the the, you know, Trump is for you. Kamala is for they them was like the the preeminent ad of that campaign. And it was focused on trans athletes and like these issues that don't impact regular people. and that's what Republicans kind of exploited in the 2024 election. I think people are recognizing now that by seeing them try to wield that same playbook against you and focus on this idea of like making this race a referendum on like some bullshit lie about veganism, it's them, like fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me, right?
17:45Brian Tyler Cohen:Like we've been through this before where it was just culture war nonsense and that might've worked in 2024, But now in an era where health care is being cut, food assistance is being cut, costs are higher, gas is nearly at its highest point that it's ever been. I think I think that's going to fall a lot more flat now that people know that this is just a tool they wield to distract people from the real issues. That's right. And people are waking up to the fact that we're all being played, that we're all being pitted against each other by the people at the very top who have rigged the system against us.
18:17I mean, this is, you know, I started off this campaign by saying that the real fight in this country is not left versus right. It's top versus bottom. It's all of us, whether we're a little more progressive, a little more conservative, whether we're black, white, brown, whether we're urban, rural, suburban, gay or straight. All of us are getting screwed by this system, by the people at the very top. And so what we're doing in this campaign is bringing people together across these divisions to stand up to this this culture war nonsense that they keep pushing to just to divide us and distract us.
18:50And I think we're we're seeing the fruits of this movement already. You know, we've recruited more than forty five thousand volunteers who are doing the work, organizing communities all over the state. We have shattered grassroots fundraising records all without taking a dime from corporate PACs. and it's going to take a lot more work to pull this off. So I hope that the people watching your show or listening to your show will go to jamestalarigo.com and sign up to help. Whether they live in Texas or not, we're going to need as many people giving their time and their treasure to this movement that we're building.
19:27And I think if we do that, if we do the work in the months ahead, I think we're going to shock the world by flipping this seat in Texas and electing a senator who's going to serve all of us in the state of Texas, not billionaire mega donors.
19:42Brian Tyler Cohen:You know, James, there has been talk on the left about, you know, we just spoke a little bit about what the talking point is on the right. They're desperate, you know, grasping at straws to paint you as a vegan, even as your campaign is fueled by Texas barbecue. On the left, though, we've heard a number of people float your name, even as people start discussing the prospect of a president, maybe in 2028, maybe beyond. And I'm not going to ask you about about, you know, the prospect of you running for president, because I've heard that question be posed to you before. And you rightfully have said that your focus is on this race.
20:16Brian Tyler Cohen:But what does it say more broadly about what your campaign and you have been able to accomplish in such a short amount of time that that your name is included in that conversation? Well, I think that people really get the sense that there's something broken in this country. Our political system is broken. Our economic system is broken. But even our relationships with each other feel broken. And that's because the most powerful people in the world want it that way. The people who own the algorithms, the people who own the cable news networks, the people who own the politicians fighting on our screens, they want us at each other's throats.
20:56They want us focused on how we're different instead of on how we're the same. And so they divide us by party, by race, by gender, by religion. So we don't notice that they are picking our pockets, that they're closing our public schools, they're gutting our health care, they're raising taxes on all of us while they cut taxes for themselves. It's the oldest strategy in the world, divide and conquer. And everywhere I go across the state of Texas, I just, I feel that people are hungry for a different kind of politics. Not one that's based on fear or hate or division, but one that's focused on love.
21:36On a love for this country, a love for our neighbors, a love for what we can achieve together. And that's what I think our campaign is offering people. It's been a long time since politics has made us feel hopeful. It's made us feel angry. It's made us feel terrified, but it hasn't moved us towards something good and hopeful in a long time. And I think our campaign is starting to turn the page on this politics everybody's sick of.
22:04Brian Tyler Cohen:Last question here. I'm sure that you've encountered folks in Texas for whom their political affiliation is really completely intertwined with their identity. In fact, I think that the political parties have a vested interest in making sure that people can say, you know, I'm a white man, Christian, and a Republican. Like that being as big a part of their identity as their religion or their sex, whatever it may be. How have you found it's been the most effective to persuade folks for whom their political affiliation is their identity? because it's probably not just as, you know, it's not as easy as just being able to say like, hey, I'm an undecided voter.
22:48Brian Tyler Cohen:Whoever has the better ideas, you know, my vote's up for grabs. These are people maybe whose grandparents voted for Republicans and whose parents voted for Republicans and they voted for Republicans their entire lives. I'm sure you've encountered something like that. And so what has been effective in those instances? Yeah, you know, I think a lot of people are feeling disillusioned about politics. A lot of the people in my family, in my community, the people I grew up with that voted for Donald Trump in 2024, they voted for him because they thought he would lower costs. They thought he would end the forever wars.
23:26They thought he would release the Epstein files and drain the swamp. And they've seen in just the first year of this administration that the president has done the exact opposite, that he has raised prices through his crazy tariffs. He has started new forever wars, including the one in Iran. He has redacted and protected the Epstein files and kept them from public view. And he has made the swamp even bigger, bigger than it's ever been before. And so they're starting to question some of what they believed about politics and politicians. And what I'm trying to do is reach out to those people, extend an open hand rather than a closed fist.
24:04I'm not interested in relitigating the 2024 election. If you're sick and tired of this extremism and this corruption, then you have a place in this movement that we're building. And we're speaking to some deeper identities. The identity we all share is Texans. The word Texas comes from that Caddo Native American word for friend. And what's interesting is that they didn't use that word to describe a friend in their own tribe. They used it to describe a friend in a different tribe, friendship across these lines of difference through these differences. And that's exactly what makes Texas so special.
Read the full transcript
24:43We're this big mashup of all these different people and cultures and food and music. And it's why our state is so innovative. Our technology, our industries, our art, it defines the world because of that spirit of friendship. And we're always welcoming new friends and new ideas into our state. And I think we need a senator who's going to honor that legacy, who's going to embody those old school Texas values. And I think the values are going to make a comeback in this race, in this year, in this state.
25:19Brian Tyler Cohen:Well, James, it is a pleasure and an honor watching your campaign. I'm so excited to watch you shock the world just a few months from now. Highly recommend for anybody who's watching. if you're able to contribute to this campaign. I'm going to put the link to his website right here on the screen and also in the post description. If you're listening on the podcast, I'm going to throw it in the show notes and let's get this thing over the finish line. James, thanks so much for taking the time. Thanks, Brian.
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27:28Brian Tyler Cohen:I'm joined now by co-host of Pots of America, Tommy Vitor. Tommy, there were a whole list of performers that Donald Trump had promoted. The best of the best. We're talking some big names like Martina McBride, CNC Music Factory. Don't talk about them in that tone. The Commodores, Bret Michaels, Morris Day and the Time, Vanilla Ice, the list goes on and on. Flo Rida. Flo Rida, but those people can really stand on to themselves. The news now is that a number of these people have opted to drop out once they found out they were actually a part of this event, some not even knowing that they were signing up for Trump's political event in the first place.
28:09Brian Tyler Cohen:And that includes Young MC and Morris Day in the Time. Both are the first ones to immediately announce that they have withdrawn their participation from this event. But it actually gets even worse because we now have a situation where there is some counter-programming. Granted, it's not at the exact same time, but counter-programming that's popped up. Bruce Springsteen, the Foo Fighters and Dave Matthew Band are all going to headline their own festival happening just a few weeks after that. And that's going to be in Maryland, where all proceeds from ticket sales go to the organization's vote riders and the headcount, both voting rights organizations.
28:47Brian Tyler Cohen:So what do you think Trump's reaction is going to be when he finds out that, you know, his not quite so star studded event and even less star studded now is going to have some, you know, not immediate counterprogramming, but some counterprogramming nonetheless from some actual big names. Imagine if Young MC just busted a move over to the Bruce Springsteen event. I'm out of here. Young MC also wrote, co-wrote Funky Cold Medina for Tone Loke. So there's some talent there. That's a big drop. I mean, this list of performers would have been cool in, like, what, 1989, 1990? Vanilla Ice. What are we talking about here?
29:27Brian Tyler Cohen:I was literally born in 1989. That's cool. Vanilla Ice is always at Mar-a-Lago these days. Milli Vanilli, like, I think one of them tragically passed away. Also, they were lip syncing the whole time. Bret Michaels. What are we doing here? This is just, it's such a lame look for the nation. Well, you know, what was surprising about this is we have kind of entered this era where, at least in 2024, where it wasn't so disqualifying for these entertainers and musicians to align themselves with Trump. I mean, we saw these podcasters. We saw all of these people who would, you know, look, you worked in the Obama administration.
30:04Brian Tyler Cohen:I grew up. I remember being in college when Obama was president. It would be social suicide to have, like, sided with, like, Mitt Romney. sign. Like John McCain, like Obama was cool. And regardless of where you were on the on the, you know, socioeconomic spectrum, like everybody who was young was was overwhelmingly in support of Obama. That wasn't the case. You know, if you fast forward to 2024 and yet to be in a position now where once again, the best he could do is vanilla ice really goes to show that like he has just completely decimated every ounce of political capital that he built up. Yeah, it is a really sad list of like also rands and has-beens and one-hit wonders i mean the commodores i don't know if lionel richie is going to perform with them or not i mean i guess they had some talent but yeah it's tough man uh also like you would hope that an event like this would transcend partisanship i mean it's the 250th birthday of our nation presumably if you weren't just the worst president ever and a huge asshole about everything all the time you could have booked some really great acts who would like to showcase their talents in front of i don't know the entire country.
31:12But here we are, milly vanilly and vanillize.
31:16Brian Tyler Cohen:Well, you know, that's not the only way that Donald Trump is going to celebrate our 250th birthday because he's also decided, well, you know what? I'll let Scott Besson explain because I think he can do much better than I could. He's an expert in this field. You said that it's up to Congress. The president's face is on a$250 bill, but it is actually the Washington Post that's reporting two political appointees from the Treasury Department who have asked agencies to be ready to do that. Do you think politically it's a good idea to put his face on a$250 bill when people are struggling to afford gas?
31:47You know, I don't really understand this Washington Post article that who hears from the Post? Yeah, terribly written, terribly edited. Because basically what it says is that Treasury is following the law and that we've created the bill and that it's up to Congress, but that we follow the bill and it's up to. I didn't really understand what the story was. He's such a goober. He looks like a bitchy chipmunk.
32:11Brian Tyler Cohen:Who wrote this? Also, like, grammar, editing is your red line. You're in Donald Trump's administration. The guy doesn't know how to spell anything. He capitalizes random words in the middle of every sentence that he writes. And he tweets like he's having a stroke at all times. Yes, exactly. And so that's the part that he takes issue with. Oh, horrible editing on this story. I'm sorry. Yeah, you wanted the lead up top. What are we talking about here? It's like I could barely jump into the merits of the story because I was so caught off guard by non-use of the Oxford comma. It's amazing that the 250th anniversary of our country will include currency featuring our worst president for the most useless piece of currency I could ever imagine.
32:54When would you ever need a$250 bill? What are you buying?
32:58Brian Tyler Cohen:It's also a really great microcosm for what this president in particular represents, like a bill that's only accessible to the wealthiest. richest people in the country. Yeah, for sure. Yeah. He also apparently put his personal signature on like a series of$100 bills. So I'm sure there's a lot of club promoters in Miami who are psyched to do blow off a Donald Trump signed$100 bill. Great work. Brian, the thing about this is amazing. So the artist who is designing the look for this$250 bill said he spoke to Trump directly about it. And worse, the guy is British. This guy told the Washington Post, quote, He likes to call me his favorite British artist, said Alexander, a former competitive swimmer and DJ who describes himself as a royal portrait artist of Queen Elizabeth II and others.
33:48Brian Tyler Cohen:This is like when Trump promised that his new cell phone would be manufactured in America and slowly that devolved into it would be manufactured with American ideals in mind. It was like a Huawei phone. It's like last year's model of some phone that cost nothing. Body bulk on Timu or whatever. And now they're just, you know, like 6xing the price so that they can. I mean, granted, they haven't delivered a single phone. I think it was they did 590 ,000 pre-orders. So they made$59 million. Not a single phone has been delivered yet. Well done, everybody. Yeah, those are the American values in mind.
34:24Brian Tyler Cohen:That is the value of grifting. By the way, when I was reading about this, I saw that the official who has direct oversight over the U.S. Mint is a former Georgia state senator who, of course, back to the 2020 election lies. So that's how you get a job kind of pushing forward the$250 bill with Trump's face on it. And, you know, the interesting part is Scott Besson is claiming that the ball is now in Congress's court to follow the law and deny this because it's not even not even legal to have a living president's portrait on any on any currency. But I wonder if Congress is even going to have the backbone to do that.
34:59Brian Tyler Cohen:I mean, look what happened to Thomas Massey and and Bill Cassidy and John Cornyn. These are people, you know, look, these aren't even like crunchy liberals like Thomas Massey voted with Republicans on everything other than pedophilia. So so he's pretty damn conservative. The guy sends out Christmas cards every year with his family holding AR-15s. John Cornyn has pictures posted online of him reading the art of the deal. These guys are up Trump's ass farther than most people. And yet even that wasn't good enough for this president. And so you have to imagine if anybody's going to step out of line in this slate of existing lawmakers or senators, then they kind of know what's coming for them because they just saw it happen to Massey, Cassidy and Cornyn.
35:41If I'm John Thune and I get this embarrassing request to make a$250 bill with Trump's face on it, I stick that sucker right in the drawer and I just let it die. Like, fuck him. Why are you going to go out on a limb for him if you're John Cornyn or Bill Cassidy or Tom Tillis? Oh, totally for them.
35:57Brian Tyler Cohen:But what about the other people? What about John Thune recognizing the vote like the voters? Maybe. I mean, yeah. I mean, look, the Trump has shown that what he cares about are his vanity projects. I mean, he has the ballroom. You have the the walkway through the Rose Garden. You have the Rose Garden itself, which was repaved. You have the the Qatari jet that was retrofitted to the tune of a billion dollars that we paid for the reflecting pool, the Trump arch. He has his name on the Kennedy Center. He has his picture on these banners across the Department of Labor and the Department of Justice.
36:28Brian Tyler Cohen:So it's these vanity projects that Trump cares about more than anything. And so, you know, now you're a Republican elected official and you have to decide what's going to be more important. Is it signing on to this thing and sending yet another message, the umpteenth fucking message to your voters, that you are going to, you know, focus all of your attention on heaping more praise and attention onto dear leader while Americans are hurting? or are you going to side with your voters and risk, you know, being on the receiving end of a mean tweet or being on the receiving end of Trump's ire or a primary challenge for a guy who has primary people for less?
37:05Brian Tyler Cohen:It's so dumb. I would just let it die if I were to. Yeah. Well, there is yet another instance of Trump's vanity projects, and that is this new UFC match that they're setting up for on the White House lawn. I think we have a clip here that shows a little bit of the progress as to where we're at. June 14th, we're having a big fight. State banquets, Easter egg hunts, and now cage fighting. President Trump's latest bid for a massive spectacle at the White House is a UFC event in front of thousands of fans on the South Lawn. You can see they're building the arena behind me ahead of the event on June 14th.
37:42Thousands of fans expected. Critics say it's nothing better than human cockfighting. Making the most of all the beautiful historic landmarks here in Washington, D.C., not least right here at the Lincoln Memorial, where they'll hold pre-fight press conferences and the weigh-ins ahead of the fights on June the 14th. No, no, no.
38:00Brian Tyler Cohen:Calm down, Tommy. That's not what they meant by cockfighting. Different cockfighting? Different cockfighting, yeah, yeah, yeah. Why is GB News sending teenagers to cover our White House? It feels disrespectful, no? You can't send us an adult, someone like of drinking age, to cover the Trump administration? Well, in fairness, he's of drinking age in the UK. Oh, right, right, right. So, I mean, just like another... Look, if you were in a writer's room for an after-school special writing about a situation where the president just didn't give a shit about regular people but was focused on these comedy projects.
38:32Brian Tyler Cohen:They have after-school specials about that now? It's so specific. This is what it would look like. I mean, this is so—it's like offensively in-your-face not caring about regular people, out of touch. Yeah, it's a fight. Look, I think Trump was very smart to be buddies with Dana White, to build that relationship over decades, to go to a bunch of UFC events. I just think it helped him politically in 2024, reach an audience. But hosting the UFC on the White House grounds, making this a big thing, when voters are ripshit pissed about gas prices, grocery prices, the prices of everything, it very much risks seeming just like weird and out of touch and like a spectacle that is for elites and donors and VIPs and nobody else.
39:15Because you know this thing is going to be chock full of celebrities and administration officials and people that cut big checks.
39:22Brian Tyler Cohen:Yeah, I mean we might see such names as Bret Michaels or the Commodores or a C plus C music factory there. Or Chris C plus C. Or energy secretary Chris Wright. You know, Tulsi Gabbard, although she just got canned. Probably not her. Yeah. I mean, no, but you're right. I think this is like, this is, look, it would be bad enough if this stuff was happening at the hands of an administration that didn't care about what regular people were contending with. But it's so much worse given the fact that Trump got elected on the back of this idea that Americans couldn't afford daily life in this country.
39:57Brian Tyler Cohen:I mean, he spoke about housing and rent and groceries, that old fashioned word. It's an old fashioned word. You probably don't recognize it. Groceries. It's very old-timey. Old-timey. That was the thing you put in your wagon when you were chopping the wheels to float it. Exactly. I mean, he talked about the price of an egg. And yet now, as soon as he gets what he needs from these people, now he just moves forward. It's party time. Now it's party time. Now it's let's launch a trade war that sends the price of everything surging. Let's cut health care, cut food assistance, make sure that we start a war that we promised would never happen, which sends the cost of gas to almost its highest point ever.
40:31Brian Tyler Cohen:And as for us, what first? Yeah, but first. We got to paint some fountains. But first, daddy needs a plane. Yeah, let's bust a move over to that fountain and paint it blue. And finally, you know, I was going to end here. Milli Vanilli's out. Milli, oh, well, this is breaking news. Milli Vanilli singer Jordi Rocco told the Associated Press that neither she, her sister Linda Rocco, or any of the other group members had been asked to come. How do you announce someone you haven't even asked, invited to this thing? So that makes Milli Vanilli, Young MC, Morris Day, and The Time all dropping out within 24 hours of this thing even being announced.
41:06Brian Tyler Cohen:They didn't have the time to do this. Well, alas. I was going to end it here, Tommy, but I actually thought, you know, just a few days ago, I was minding my own business, sitting at home and watching my favorite show, Pod Save America on YouTube. Y 'all should subscribe if you're not yet subscribed. And I came across this clip right here. YouTube is a tough business. Politics is a tough business right one day you ride that algorithm up the next day it rides you down don't we know it right and it can lead to some tough times um like this
41:55link in my bio i just want to keep as my ringtone Brian's doing some thirst traps too Posting a shirtless thirst trap What is going on? The comment section was popping off
42:04Brian Tyler Cohen:So, Tommy I watched that and I figured It would be so unfair for me to gatekeep That wonderful That wonderful Moment for charity And it is for women's heart health So I figured Why not give you the opportunity as well To make sure that You could crush your own watermelon Oh, thank you so much. Yeah, I absolutely won't be doing this at the office with pants on, but I appreciate the opportunity. Well, don't worry, because we also brought you shorts. And we have a tarp set up right over here, so everything's going to be clean, your pants will be spared, and you'll crush a watermelon for women's heart health, unless, Tommy, you don't care about women's heart health.
42:46I hate to break it to you. I'm a big fan of heart attacks for women, and so I won't be doing this. I'm not going to play your cynical little watermelon fucking game.
42:56Brian Tyler Cohen:Are you not going to crush the watermelon? No. What do we do in this instance? Can't the producer step in here? You want me to take my pants off and crush a watermelon? Yeah, that's exactly what we're trying to get you to do. I don't think so. Do you think that you can't do it? Not even for a second do I think I can't do this. I think this thing will crush me before I crush it. I don't know how you did that. Well, let the record show.
43:26Brian Tyler Cohen:I'm joined now by the lieutenant governor of Illinois and Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Illinois, Juliana Stratton. Thanks so much for joining me. Thanks for having me. So I know that you have been particularly outspoken about the Voting Rights Act and especially the Supreme Court decision gutting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, the Calais decision. And right now, as we look towards states across the country, with this redistricting war having really heated up. We've seen that on the Democratic side, we have had California that redrew its maps successfully. And yet on the Republican side, we've seen Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana, Ohio, Florida.
44:08Brian Tyler Cohen:So a pretty vast asymmetry here. Now, I know that right now you're serving as lieutenant governor and you'll be you're running for U.S. Senate. And so I very much presume that you'll be in that seat. So this wouldn't be exactly your jurisdiction. But as we look at states that have some ability to serve as weapons for Democrats in this redistricting war, what do you think that Illinois should do as we continue to go down this path where Republicans are trying to engineer themselves a permanent majority in the House by redrawing every map to eliminate not just all Black opportunity districts, but any Democratic districts?
44:48Yeah, well, first and foremost, I think that everything should be on the table to fight back in so many ways, because we can't, as you just sort of alluded to, we can't just sort of sit here with our hands tied behind our back. So we're keeping a close look on everything that's happening. We're looking at what's happening in places like Indiana, for example. And what I will say as someone running for the United States Senate and being the Democratic nominee, that I am also keeping a close eye on what I can do when I get to Washington, D.C., because in so many ways, the Supreme Court has just really gutted the Voting Rights Act.
45:24And the whole goal is to dilute black and brown voting power and political power. And in so many ways, that's what Republicans want. And so one of the things that I want to do, of course, is to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. When I get there, I want to do as much as I can to work to strengthen our civil rights protections all across the board. I'm proud of what we've done in Illinois to make sure that we could strengthen voting rights and make it easier for people to vote. I think that's what we should be focused on when we have a federal administration that's trying to roll back those protections.
45:57And like I said, everything should be on the table. And that includes, for me, looking at what we can do to reform the Supreme Court. And I would look at everything from expanding the court, looking at term limits and whatever we can do. And I will not be somebody that will confirm any of this president's nominees to the Supreme Court if that should come up. I should just say this has been very personal to me because my father marched from Selma to Montgomery in 1965 to protect voting rights and to protest voting rights discrimination. And I feel like in so many ways he's passed the baton to me.
46:34I lost my father in November and while I was campaigning for Senate. And I feel like he has passed the baton to me and to all of us really to make sure that we stand up so that people's voices can be heard.
46:45Brian Tyler Cohen:Well, I'm sorry to hear about your father, but I'm, you know, I insofar as I can say that I'm sure he's proud that you are that that you're able to speak to this issue with such clarity. And in fact, that's probably the most refreshing part of all of this is that normally, you know, somebody would say, OK, we have to pass a new Voting Rights Act. And then my next question would be, OK, but we have an existing Voting Rights Act and we also have a Supreme Court that isn't going to allow it to stand. And so how do you reconcile those two things? Would you be in favor of expanding the Supreme Court?
47:13Brian Tyler Cohen:And then it's a lot of hemming and hawing because Democrats are generally not that comfortable with with major changes to institutions that were often way too deferential to. And so to hear you be able to say, no, we actually have to look at the root of the problem because we can pass all the voting rights acts that we want. But at the end of the day, if we have a 6-3 conservative court that isn't going to allow anything to stand, then all of it's going to be moot. It's going to be a symbolic exercise. Absolutely. And we do. And I think that this is a moment that really requires courage and it requires speaking out and it requires saying that business as usual does not work when you're dealing with a wannabe dictator whose authoritarian agenda continues to advance.
47:55Brian Tyler Cohen:Now, on some other issues that I think a lot of people feel like it's time has come. Can you speak a little bit about what you would like to see as far as health care is concerned? Because there has been, look, on the Republican side, obviously, it's a disaster. The closest thing we got to any health care reforms is Donald Trump promising a decade ago that we would have a new health care plan in two weeks. So obviously they just want to entrench a system that either currently exists or go back to what we had before, where health care insurers could kick people off of their coverage if they have pre-existing conditions.
48:30Brian Tyler Cohen:But even on the Democratic side, there has been no meaningful steps forward. and a lot of what we have is just the result of some incrementalism. And so what would you like to see as far as health care is concerned moving forward? Well, first and foremost, I want to see us reverse the cuts that have been made by this administration. But then we have to really work towards something better, because as I travel the state, I think when we talk about this affordability crisis and the umbrella of the affordability crisis, health care is almost number one on one of the issues that I hear from people all across the state.
49:07And I always bring up two things that are from my own personal story. Number one, that I ran for office in the first place back in 2016, when I was the caregiver for my mother, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. And I start by talking about how the state of Illinois and our previous governor was trying to strip away health care. And my state representative of at the time was helping him to do that. And I knew how hard it was to care for my mother. And I believed that vulnerable seniors like her deserved access to care. And that's what led me to run for office in the first place. But fast forward to 2025 and 2026, when my daughter, one of my four daughters who gets her healthcare under the ACA exchange also is living with the fact that she called me and said, mom, let me tell you how my healthcare premiums are going up and how much more it's going to be under the ACA in 2026.
50:02So I'm going to get the plan with the fewest amount of benefits. That is not how anyone should approach getting their healthcare. Not my daughter, no one should not have access to the care they need. I want to see us pass Medicare for all. I'm going to fight for that. I don't believe that we should have people choosing between going to the doctor or paying their rent. I believe that everyone should have access to quality, affordable healthcare. And I also, you know, it ties to the reason why I'm not accepting any corporate PAC money, because too many people in Washington, D.C. are unwilling to fight for Medicare for all because they've been bought by the health care industry.
50:43And that is really hindering our progress. So I'm going to be a strong voice to make sure that we fight for everyone to have access to health care.
50:53Brian Tyler Cohen:I am in complete agreement with you. I've been advocating for Medicare for all for years now, but there are going to be critics on both the left and the right who are going to say that that it's too expensive. And so what would your reaction or your response to those critics on both sides of the aisle be as, you know, this debate takes place in the upcoming congressional terms? Well, we all know and we're seeing it play out right before our eyes when when people want to find money for something, they can find it. And we've heard this president say, well, we don't have money for health care. We don't have money for child care.
51:28But here's how much money I want for a war that no one asked for. So this is really, to me, an issue of political will. And we have to have people again. And I know that this word I've used before, but this is the time to have the courage. The fact that this administration is going to strip so many people of their health care and their Medicaid coverage. And I look at a state like Illinois where there are potentially nine rural hospitals that can close. I look at the black women's maternal mortality crisis that I have led on in the state of Illinois and the impact that that's going to have when 50 percent of our births in this state are to people who are covered by Medicare.
52:07I mean, by Medicaid, excuse me. What I just believe is that every single person is going to be impacted, whether it's longer wait times in the ER, whether it's inability to see a doctor where it's just, you know, what happens to our economy when we have so many people who don't have access to the care they need. This is an issue of political will. And if we believe that people should have the care, have access to quality, affordable health care, and that this is an important issue for everyone, then we just have to have the courage to fight for it. And that's what I'm going to do.
52:41Brian Tyler Cohen:You know, to that end, in terms of being able to find funds to pay for things that that are the the political priority of this administration. I mean, right now there is a UFC ring being constructed on the White House lawn at the same time that Americans health care has been cut for tens of millions of people. Food assistance has been cut. Prices are rising across the country. We have gas that's nearly at its highest point ever. And yet we have this this like dystopian Hunger Games esque ring being constructed at the Capitol. So can I have your reaction to the fact that that whereas there is apparently no, no, no amount of taxpayer funds that could cover the things that people need from the government, there is always, you know, money for stuff like, you know, these vanity projects that Trump wants to see.
53:31Absolutely. And it is infuriating. And we need to speak out and we need to make sure that certainly I know I will do this as a leader in Washington, speak out and use my voice to call it out and to remind taxpayers that this is their money that's being spent on things that no one has asked for. Whether we're talking about this match, whether we're talking about the golden ballroom, Donald Trump has said, point blank, I do not care about the financial situations of Americans. He has made that clear. And we are seeing that every single day. And I can tell you that this administration is not focused on doing what's in the best interest of Americans.
54:16This is not a president who kept his word when he said, I'm going to lower inflation, lower the price of groceries. We have seen, as you said, gas prices where people are going to the pump and where they used to fill up their tank. They're now getting a half a tank for the same amount. That's why people are so frustrated right now that they're watching Donald Trump and his wealthiest friends get wealthier by the day and they're getting left behind. And we need leaders who are going to call it out and say, I'm going to fight for you as the people of Illinois and Americans all across this country.
54:53Brian Tyler Cohen:Is the$1.776 billion slush fund for insurrectionists, convicted insurrectionists, is that a legal exercise? A legal exercise in which way? That's what he wants to do? I mean, what it is is another example of him rewarding his cronies. This is another example of corruption. This I mean, it's ludicrous. And this is one of the most infuriating things that I have seen in terms of Donald Trump's abuse of power. That's what it is to me. I mean, look at this. I mean, and and I you know, I'm glad that at least initially we're seeing a little pause, but I'm telling you, there's no one that should agree.
55:37and I'm calling out the congressional Republicans as well. No one should agree with this president trying to basically reward people who are insurrectionists where we have seen law enforcement officers and others literally get killed
55:52Brian Tyler Cohen:and this president wants to reward them. Yeah, and yet, I mean, you were talking about courage. The fact that we have so few Republicans who are willing to speak out because they have seen what happened to Thomas Massey and Bill Cassidy and John Cornyn goes to show that like these people are solely focused on protecting their jobs. That's it. They are not focused whatsoever on serving their constituents because it doesn't serve their constituents to spend two billion dollars turning each one of the fifteen hundred convicted insurrectionists into millionaires by virtue of of allowing this two billion dollar slush fund to pass.
56:30One hundred percent. And I think that that's where our voices and getting the message out around what we are actually doing and then delivering on it. I think it's a great example of what we've done in Illinois. I mean, I always talk about the Illinois blueprint, how we've been able to raise wages, how we've expanded access to healthcare. We've put Illinois in a path to a clean energy future. We have, you know, protected reproductive freedom and made Illinois an island for reproductive freedom. We've protected workers' rights. I talk about those things, about what we have delivered because Democrats have delivered on the things that matter for everyday Illinoisans and everyday Americans.
57:13And yet we have a president who made all of these promises. And, you know, it took a primary for us to finally see Bill Cassidy take a stand on what's happening with the war in Iran. It shouldn't be that people are afraid to speak out against this president. And to me, honestly, it's too little too late. Like when I say courage is not waiting because, oh, now I'm on my way out. And so let me say something, although good that it's happening, I guess. What made it happen is that we need to speak out as Democrats and we can't rely on the Republicans to do the right thing because as you said, it's coming up at the last minute.
57:55Where is the courage? Where is their backbone? And when are they going to put the people that they represent first? I believe that as Democrats, as I said, we have the message about what we have done, what we will do, what we will fight for. And we need to be stronger and bolder in getting that message out.
58:13Brian Tyler Cohen:Man, I could run through a brick wall right now. So Lieutenant Governor Stratton, for those who are looking to help your campaign for U.S. Senate, where can they go? Go to Julianna Stratton.com. I have a general election and I'm going to be fighting and working hard every single day to make sure that I can take your voices with me to Washington, D.C. and go to the Met fighting for you, the people, and go to Julianna Stratton.com and see how you can get involved. Great. I'm going to put that link right here on the screen and also in the post description. For those who are listening on the podcast, I'm going to put it in the show notes.
58:48Brian Tyler Cohen:Thank you so much for taking the time. Your campaign is a breath of fresh air and looking forward to speaking with you again. Thanks so much for having me. Thanks again to James Tallarico, Tommy Vitor, and Juliana Stratton. That's it for this episode. Talk to you on Wednesday. You've been listening to No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen, produced by Sam Graber, music by Wellesley, and interviews edited for YouTube by Nicholas Nicotera. If you want to support the show, please subscribe on your preferred podcast app and leave a five-star rating and a review. And as always, you can find me at Brian Tyler Cohen on all of my other channels, or you can go to BrianTylerCohen.com to learn more.
From the publisher
Republicans contend with a fatal problem in the Texas Senate race. Brian interviews Democratic nominee for the US Senate in Texas James Talarico; Pod Save America co-host Tommy Vietor; and Democratic nominee for the US Senate in Illinois, Juliana Stratton
Pre-order THE DAY AFTER: https://www.harpercollins.com/pages/thedayafter
Support James Talarico: https://jamestalarico.com/
Support Juliana Stratton: https://www.julianastratton.com/
Written by Brian Tyler Cohen
Produced by Sam Graber
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA
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