CSPAN - Washington Journal 04/14/2025

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April 14, 2025 07:00-09:00 - CSPAN

01:59:56

Washington Journal 04/14/2025

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Main

adam goodman

r 19:33

pedro echevarria

cspan 23:16

Appearances

donald j trump

admin 02:00

Clips

bob fletcher

00:05

ken martin

d 00:24

mark adams

00:18

willie nelson

00:06

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john in unknown

callers 00:23

tim in michigan

callers 00:08

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Speaker	Time	Text
unidentified		giving you a front row seat to democracy.
		Coming up on Washington Journal this morning, we'll take your calls and comments live.
		And then Republican strategist Adam Goodman and Democratic strategist Michael La Rosa discussed the Trump administration's first 100 days in office and other political news.
		Also, Francesca Chambers, USA Today White House correspondent, will preview the week ahead at the White House.
		And Politico's Ankush Cardori on President Trump's executive orders targeting law firms and why some of them are reaching agreements with the administration.
		Washington Journal starts now.
		Join the conversation.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		It's The Washington Journal for April 14th.
		Recent polling shows approximately half of all voting age Americans identify either as a Republican or a Democrat.
		That same polling also showing a rise for those who identify as an independent.
		All that data shows who belongs to what party does not say how a person became a member of that party.
		And that's our question to you this morning.
		To start the show today, how did you choose your political party?
		Here's how you can call and let us know your thoughts on how you became the party member that you are.
		202748-8001 for Republicans.
		202748-8000 for Democrats.
		If you are a member of another party, say the Green Party, the Libertarian Party, or something like that.
		202748-8002 is the number you can call.
		You can also text us your thoughts at 202-748-8003.
		If you want to share your thoughts on how you chose your political party via Facebook, several of you doing that this morning.
		Facebook.com/slash C-SPAN is how you do that.
		And on X, that's at C-SPANWJ.
		It was Gallup who put this poll out earlier this year, looking at data towards the end of last year and coming up with how people broke down by party and members of that party.
		Here's the headline from that poll from January.
		GOP holds edge in party affiliation for the third straight year.
		This is what they found saying that America's political party preferences remained closely divided in 2024, with the Republican Party having slight edges for the third consecutive year.
		Overall, 46% of Americans identified as Republicans or independents who leaned toward the Republican Party, compared with 45% who identified as Democrats or Democratic-leaning independents.
		And it was prior to 2002 that Republicans only had a slight edge once before.
		That was in 1991.
		More on that saying that in the past three, the Democratic advantage that was largest was 2008.
		With 12 percentage points, that shrank to zero by 2011 before settling into two to six point range for the next decade.
		In the past three years, which are marked by low satisfaction with the way things were going in the United States, negative evaluations of the economy and low job approval ratings for the then Democratic President Joe Biden, Republicans have held that slight advantage of one to two points.
		And this is from Gallup.
		The Gallup people also asked about independence and where they fell when it comes to where they identify party-wise.
		And just to add that to the mix, saying when initially asked for their political party identification in 2024, Americans were most likely to identify as independents, 43%, with 28% saying they were Democrats, 28% Republicans.
		And pluralities of at least 39% of Americans identified as political independents each year since 2011.
		There's more to that Gallup poll if you want to check it out yourself.
		So for this morning, your thoughts on the member, the party that you belong to and why you're a member of that party.
		We want you to tell us that.
		Again, 202-748-8001 for Republicans.
		Democrats, 202-748-8000.
		If you belong to another party, 202-748-8002.
		And you can share your thoughts this morning also on the social media sites too.
		Jay in Indiana, member of the Democratic Party.
		You're up first.
		Tell us why you're a Democrat.
unidentified		Well, thank you for C-SPAN.
		First of all, I am a Democrat.
		Going back to the Iraq war, it really turned me against the Republican Party.
		And then you combine that right after that with the financial meltdown caused by the housing market.
		I know the Democratic Party, we're a real mess, especially right now.
		We're leaderless.
		But we are the party with a health care plan.
		The other party doesn't even have one.
		And we keep getting hired to clean up the other party's mess.
		Republicans keep destroying things, and we have to come in behind and clean it up.
		And that's why I'm a Democrat.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Jay, let me ask you this.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Have you ever felt compelled to leave the party or change your vote from, say, a Democratic candidate?
unidentified		Oh, I would vote for a Republican candidate.
		In fact, I voted for our Republican governor last time because I thought he did a good job during COVID.
		So I'm not, you know, I'm not a lefty.
		I'm not, I want our party to move more to the middle and be the big, big TID party.
		All are welcome.
		We've got to stop going through the left, the activist groups to get a presidential nominee.
		They have to go through all these groups and have the right answer for these groups on their way to the nomination.
		That's what got Kamala in trouble with that transgender answer.
		We've got to stop pandering to these activist groups and get out and just be for the working people of this country.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Okay.
unidentified		Because it's obvious the Republicans are not for the working people.
unidentified		They're for the rich.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Jay there in Indiana.
		This is Vanessa in Maryland, Republican line.
		Good morning, Vanessa.
unidentified		Hi, good morning.
		I became a Republican in 2008 during that election.
		I was living out of the country.
		I'd never been involved in politics before, never voted before.
		If I had been asked, I would have said I was a Democrat because I was just kind of raised that way.
		But I was channel surfing and I came across Bill O'Reilly's show, the O'Reilly factor, I think it was called back then.
		And whatever it was he was talking about, I stopped and I listened and I realized that I agreed with what he was saying.
		And I kept watching his show.
		And he inspired me to become a Republican and get active and vote.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		You said, and if I heard you correctly, you said you were raised as a Democrat.
		You decided to become a Republican.
		When you made that choice, how did others that you knew you as a Democrat reacted to that?
unidentified		Well, none of my family is really involved in politics at all.
		I think they were a little bit surprised.
		But I'm more of a social conservative than they are.
		So that's where the divide is.
		But other than that, we agree on most everything else.
		But it's the social issues for me mostly that keep me in the Republican Party.
		Okay.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Vanessa, thank you.
		Again, the Democrats, Republicans, welcome to call.
		We've decided to set aside a line for other party members.
		Perhaps you fall into that.
		Maybe you kind of fall on the outside contours of it, such as Eric in Maryland there identifies as an unaffiliate.
		But Eric, go ahead, tell us about your perspective on party membership, so to speak.
unidentified		Well, I was a lifelong Democrat.
		Voted for Bill Clinton in my first election and was basically taught, you know, party line politics and all that.
		But I always decided to vote for the best person for the job.
		I left, well, I was kind of forced out of the Democrat Party in 2018 when my first hint of all this was when I went to meet the new chair, Maryland chair, Miss Rocky Moore Cummings in Federalsburg at a meeting, and she proceeded to tell the entire room of folks that Republicans hated them, wanted to kill them,
		and so much other nastiness that I had my hand raised for about 45 minutes, and it took people in the room telling her, hey, he's been waiting before she would call on me.
		And I just asked her, Do you really believe this?
		And you're telling these own people that their own family members who are Republicans and all that, just because they belong to another party, that they hate them?
		And she said yes.
		And she would not back down from that.
		And we had a conversation after the meeting about it.
		She would not back down.
		She was a very short-lived president.
		And the new president of the Democrat Party never returned a phone call after she got elected.
		And then when I went to run for office, registered to run for office and take the Democrat classes, the minute that I spoke my mind that wasn't to the party line, I was kicked out.
		And that is when I decided to go independent, which in Maryland, there are no recognition of independent parties.
		Basically, you're unaffiliated.
		So we can't vote in primaries.
		We can't vote, you know, for people that we want because they don't allow them to be on the stage with other people during elections here in Maryland.
		And it's a shame that we just have a two-party system to where it has both have fallen from what I remember when I first came to politics.
		And, yeah, it's a big shame.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		But, Eric, would you prefer, do you like being unaffiliated in a sense, or would you rather be a part of a party?
unidentified		Well, I'm not going to be a part of the party that literally tells people falsely that your own Americans want to kill you.
		And then I'm not going to be a Republican because they just blow the boots every time they go to do something.
		They never follow through.
		You guys talk about it all the time.
		Republicans fight with each other too much and they can't.
		Democrats stick together no matter what.
		They'll go down that rabbit hole and just annihilate or hate on every person they can.
		But Republicans, they split up and they never get anything done.
		So I don't know what the fix is, but it certainly isn't the Democrat Party in their current condition.
		Their hatred for America is blatant.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		That's Eric there in Maryland giving us his thoughts on picking a political party and why you're a member of the party you are.
		This is Sam.
		Sam joins us from Louisiana Democrats line.
		Sam, good morning.
		You're next up.
unidentified		Good morning.
		I'm been a Democrat all my life.
		Not a Republican, but a Democrat.
		You know, us Democrats got to stick together through thick and thin.
		No matter how hard the Republicans give us hell, we have to stick it out through thick and thin, you know.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		What made you become a Democrat?
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		What keeps you a Democrat?
unidentified		Well, just watching my mom and dad a long time ago when they were alive talk about the different presidents that they went through and everything, how they made the country run good and everything, and just, you know, different stuff like that.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Sam there in Louisiana giving us his thoughts.
		Several of you posting on our Facebook page, we posted something along this line earlier before the show started.
		Facebook.com/slash C-SPAN is where you can see that.
		You can also make your thoughts known on X. That's at C-SPAN WJ.
		But some of you responding this morning, this is Julie Peplinski saying that I walked away from the Democratic Party when they became all about identity politics.
		Also, I like to have respectful dialogue.
		It doesn't seem that liberals by and large can handle it.
		They always reduce it to name-calling and arguments based on emotion rather than fact.
		This is someone texting us this morning saying, This is Jim in Illinois.
		I want to be a Republican, but I am adamantly anti-MAGA.
		Democrats are way too progressive for me.
		I will call myself a Liz Cheney Republican.
		Thanks for your show.
		That's Jim there in Illinois.
		This is from Oregon.
		Lynn says, I chose the Republican Party based on their stance on pro-life.
		But beyond that, I also believe that more conservative viewpoints of economics and recognize that more persons become dependent on receiving from the government, the less they do for themselves.
		More recently, the stance of the only two genders being one of those factors.
		And then Thomas Manner from Facebook saying, I actually switched parties.
		I am a blue-collar working-class man and thought the Democrats were my party.
		Now it looks like the Republicans are under Trump and MAGA.
		If the Democrats ever try to push policies that address the issues of people like me, I'd be open to voting for them again.
		I don't think that this is a sports game where I hope one team beats another.
		Again, Facebook or X or texting us available to you if you want to give us your thoughts on how you chose your political party.
		You can always call us on the lines too.
		Donald in Missouri, Republican line.
		Good morning.
unidentified		Hello.
unidentified		Can you hear me okay?
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Yep, I can.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Go ahead.
unidentified		All right.
		I'm 69 years old, and I was coming from school.
		And so my folks are different than people were.
		So Donald, I apologize.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		You're cutting in and out.
		Is there a way that you can get by?
		I don't know if you're calling on a cell phone or something, but get by a window for a battle signal or get closer to your phone.
		Could you give it another shot, please?
unidentified		How about now?
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Okay, go ahead.
		Keep trying.
		I can hear you better now.
		So go ahead.
unidentified		Okay, back in high school, I was looking for a Vietnam War candidate.
		And so George McGovern caught my attention back then.
		So I just missed draft by maybe one year or so.
		And also after that, I liked Gary Hart as a Democrat.
		But then I started to know that The Democrats were socially liberal, like abortion and gay rights, which I was opposed to.
		And so I came, first candidate I voted for was Gerald Ford.
		And then Ronald Reagan cut I changed to Republican in 1980 when Ronald Reagan won.
		But then it seemed that he was like a warmonger, which I dislike.
		Before I finish, I want to propose and make a suggestion for the way we choose our political parties.
		So after Ronald Reagan, I was looking at liberal candidates again.
		Then I came in 19 and 2008.
		Well, in 2001, I met Barack Obama on the street in Chicago.
		That was about nine months after 9-11 happened.
		But he I chose him because the other candidate was looking to invade Iraq, full bore.
		I'm always against war wherever I can see another Vietnam coming up the road.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Well, Donald, for the sake of time, you identify as Republican.
		You said you made a suggestion as far as people picking a party.
		What would be that suggestion?
unidentified		All right.
		Thank you.
		I'd like to see us go to a system where everywhere in the country, up and down the ballots, even down to city councils, and at the presidential level, to have a conservative ballot and then a liberal ballot.
		And that way, there'd be no party left out at the end of, you know, where we got, so like anybody who'd like to be on a liberal ballot, they might go, they might be a member of the Democratic Party or the Green Party or the whichever party.
		And the conservative people, the Libertarians and today's Republicans.
		And you choose your ballot, and then you'd have two candidates to choose from at last.
		Okay.
		So nobody would be left out.
		All right.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Donald Derry, Missouri, giving us a thoughts on party, giving us some suggestions.
		Let's hear from Kendra in Virginia on our line for those who are members of other parties.
		Hi, Kendra.
unidentified		Hi.
		So I'm an independent.
		And, you know, growing up as a black person, I was always told that you're supposed to be Democrat for some reason.
		But I changed to independent, I believe, in like 2016 when it was between, it was going to be between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
		I actually didn't like neither one at the time, but I ended up voting for Hillary Clinton that year just because, you know, the media was making Trump look so bad, like he was a racist or whatever.
		So I did end up voting for Hillary that year.
		I have friends that, you know, he and his wife, black couple, they voted, they always voted Republican as of like, I guess back in they changed to Republican back in like 2006 or so.
		And so I always wondered, you know, why are you Republican?
		You're black.
		Why are you voting Republican?
		So anyway, he always voted for Trump.
		And I mean, I didn't understand why he was voting for Trump at the time, but it wasn't a case where I would get angry with him or stop speaking with him like it is now.
		Like now, if you tell someone you voted for Trump, they may stop speaking to you.
		But anyway, yeah, I'm an independent.
		This is the first time in 2024 where I actually voted for Trump because I decided to actually listen to his rallies and see what he wants to do for the Americans and the U.S. citizens.
		So that's when I changed over to voting for him this time in 2024.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Kendra there in Virginia.
		Again, how did you pick your choose your political party?
		The lines 202748-8001 for Republicans, Democrats 202-748-8000.
		If you're a member of another party, 202-748-8002, the number to call you,Gov, and did a poll taking a look at the state of parties and how people identified their thoughts on parties.
		This is how U.S. citizens, 5% of those participating overall saying the Democratic Party, they were enthusiastic about that.
		14% saying the same for Republicans.
		When it comes to Democrats about their own party, 11% of them saying they were enthusiastic about their own party.
		2% of Republicans saying that about their party or Democrats saying that about the Republican Party.
		When it comes to those independents, we've been hearing from this morning, 2% of those saying they're enthusiastic about the Democratic Party, 5% the Republican Party.
		And then Republicans on this level of enthusiasm.
		3% of Republicans who participated in polls saying they were enthusiastic about the Democratic Party, but it was 35% of those Republicans saying they were enthusiastic about their own party.
		More from that, you gov. And we'll show you that during the course of the morning.
		We can take your calls too.
		This is Benny.
		Benny joins us from Kentucky on choosing the political party and how you ended up with that choice.
		Benny, hello.
unidentified		Good morning, Pedro.
		Yeah, I was raised.
		My parents worked the polls.
		They were both Democrats and used to go down to the polls all the time.
		But I just feel like Republicans are disingenuous.
		And I watch a lot of news.
		I watch a lot of Fox News because I want to see the other side.
		But I find myself oftentimes getting upset with them because I think they're peddling falsehoods and exaggerating and just not straight with the American people.
		So I just feel like the Republican Party doesn't care about anything but the bottom line, the finances and things like that.
		And I have voted for a Republican before here in Louisville, Kentucky, but I just think the Republican Party has changed drastically under Donald Trump and back up.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		But you said your parents were a large influence, but what would you say is the staying factor for the reason you stay with the Democratic Party specifically?
unidentified		I think it's the rhetoric that I hear.
		I'm a gay man, and the rhetoric that I hear about I'm an African-American man.
		I hear things like, you know, schools are indoctrinating your kids and transgendering your kids.
		And I know for a fact that's not happening.
		I know there are very minute cases of that, not even the schools doing it, but the schools respecting that this kid wants a different pronoun.
		And I think if the school knows it, the parents should already know it.
		I have a problem with the teachers or whomever letting the parents know, but I don't see it as they're going in and they're coming out as a different gender.
		And that's how they feel it.
		And same thing with sports.
		You know, I agree, even men who are transitioning shouldn't play in women's sports.
		But that's very, very, very small.
		And I think most people who are transitioning or trying to, you know, be the other six, whatever, they wouldn't want to put themselves in that situation.
		So I just think they make a mountain out of a mohill, per se.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		That's Benny there joining us from Kentucky this morning with his thoughts.
		We're going to turn next to Ron.
		Ron's in Pennsylvania, Republican line.
		Hi.
unidentified		Hey, Pedro, how are you doing?
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		I'm well, thanks.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Go ahead.
unidentified		Yeah, I think like a lot of people, you know, initially your political affiliation is determined by the talks you have with your parents around the dinner table when you're young.
		You hear their perspective.
		And my grandparents were both both pairs of my grandparents were Democrats.
		My grandfather was a railroader.
		One was a steel worker in western Pennsylvania.
		And my mom made the switch over to the Republican Party.
		My dad voted for JFK.
		And my first year of voting was in 80 when I voted for Reagan.
		And I've been kind of Republican all the way.
		But I had an interesting lesson from my dad.
		He took me to the voting polls when I was probably eight or nine.
		And I remember walking in with him.
		It was at a school.
		And it was pouring rain.
		And there was a guy out there running for just some local office that was probably not very significant, handed out brochures.
		And we were on the way home.
		My dad said, I voted for that guy.
		I'm like, well, okay.
		Well, he's a Democrat.
		I would probably never vote for someone like that, but he's out there busting his hump.
		And I kind of learned that lesson, you know, and it's opened my eyes to I would vote for a Democrat like a Zelle Miller, if you remember him from Georgia, or Manchin wasn't bad.
		But even Fetterman, you know, who's a Western PA guy who was extremely lucky at the time that he ran, has kind of made some movement to more like some common sense positions.
		And, you know, I could pull the lever for a Fetterman when he reruns in two years or four years, whatever it is.
		But that's how I became a Republican.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		It's Ron there in Pennsylvania, Republican line, giving us his thoughts this morning.
		Mark is up next.
		Mark is on our line for those who are members of other parties.
		He's in South Dakota.
		Hi, Mark.
		Good morning.
		Thanks for calling in.
unidentified		Good morning, Pedro.
		Thanks for taking my call.
		My family came over here prior to World War I.
		And at that time, they were the Republican Party, pick care, the smaller guy, the farmers, stuff like that.
		And I recently switched.
		I know about a month ago, I switched back after I seen Trump fill in his cabinet with incompetent billionaires.
		It seems like they switched, and they don't look out for the little guy anymore.
john in unknown ▲ ● ▼		I've talked to my congressman quite often and expressed my belief that Congress needs to step up and tell these billionaires that you might be have a lot of money, you may be good in business, but you have no reason to be in politics.
unidentified		I'm thinking there should be a limited amount of money spent on elections.
		I don't believe the election should be bought.
		And to me, the last election was bought.
		I was very happy to see the people of Wisconsin had enough sense to tell Trump or Musk that money ain't going to buy an election there.
		And I think that's the way the world should be or the country should be.
		It seems like everything that's going on now is more pro-Russian and having people snatched off the streets.
		No due process.
willie nelson ▲ ● ▼		It just seems like Congress is letting Trump do whatever he pleases.
unidentified		Okay.
unidentified		And that's not the way America is supposed to be run.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Mark in South Dakota there.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Again, taking your calls on how did you choose your political party, Angelo in New York, Democrats line?
unidentified		Yes, hello.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		You're on.
		You're on.
		Go ahead.
unidentified		Okay, yes.
		I'm definitely Democrat.
		Die-hearted Democrat.
		However, before I tell you why, be advised that I'm 65 years old.
		I made a decision after what I felt and still probably feel to this very hour that the best president in my lifetime was Ronald Reagan.
		Nevertheless, I'm Democrat.
		And I'm Democratic for the simple reason I simply, well, I wasn't anything either one party.
		I didn't be any party during the Ronald Reagan administration.
		Nevertheless, I'm Democratic again for one reason for the most part.
		I sincerely believe that Republicans believe in war, believe in protecting their country at all costs, you know, from foreign enemies, at all costs.
		And at all costs could cost the turkey off your Thanksgiving table.
		At all costs could call your kids, you know, for not eating or starving.
		Nevertheless, again, let me be very firm this year.
		Democrat, the reason I feel I'm Democrat is because I believe Democrat adheres to the United States Constitution, adheres to what happened in 1776, the Declaration of Independence.
		I believe that they are more than a blessed helping individual, the peoples, no matter race, creed, color, religion, et cetera, et cetera.
		But it's always with the Republican a condition to help you or prolonging, I think on everything, they filibust everything on the team.
		Nevertheless, Democrat, to me, and I know all parties have their problems.
		No party is perfect, believe it or not.
		No religion is perfect, believe it or not.
		Nonetheless, I think Democrats care for your families, care for the individual, care for the struggle, care for whatever that the people need.
		So I think they are here.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		So Angelo, let me ask you then, thank you for telling us your position, but with that said, why do you hold Ronald Reagan in such high esteem?
unidentified		Well, you know what?
		That was before I made a decision, before I knew anything in actuality about being Republican, Democrat, or Independent, or whatever.
		However, during that time, I felt that he, during the Iranian hostages, I felt that he said when one president said, let's pray for their release, Ronald Reagan said, and that was a big thing back then.
		And he said, let's fight for their release during that presidential year when it was released.
		He said, when I get all who's going to fight for it, I mean, at that time, I felt that we sincerely need a protector, a fighter.
		I need somebody to help me fight.
		I got you.
		Gotcha there.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Angelo there in New York giving us his thoughts.
		We'll continue on.
		Again, the phone line's there.
		How'd you choose your political party, Republicans?
		202748-80001.
		Democrats, 202-748-8000.
		And if you're a member of another party, want to tell us why?
		202748-80002.
		During the congressional break, C-SPAN is going to try to bring you as many town halls as we can for representatives talking to their constituent tonight at 9 o'clock.
		If you're interested in California politics, it's California Democratic Representative Laura Friedman.
		She'll host a town hall meeting with constituents, the expected topics including Social Security, Medicaid, veterans' health care services, and other topics.
		That's at 9 o'clock Eastern.
		You can see that on our main channel, C-SPAN.
		You can also follow along on our app at C-SPANNOW, C-SPAN.org available to you too, if you want to do that.
		And then later on this morning, you've probably heard about this in the news.
		CBS Morning's co-host Gail King, singer Katie Perry, and four others will be the first all-female crewed space flight in over 60 years.
		This is our live coverage of the Blue Origin New Shepherd mission.
		That will be at 9.15 this morning on C-SPAN 2.
		Again, if you're interested in watching, you can do that on the app at C-SPAN Now, also on our website at c-span.org.
		Angela in Virginia, Republican line.
		Thanks for calling.
		Go ahead.
		You're next up.
unidentified		Okay.
		I chose my political party from Brian Lamb on C-SPAN years ago when the lines were conservative, liberal, moderate.
		And I called in on the liberal line.
		And I can't remember the topic, but I expressed my views.
		And Mr. Lamb said, you're clearly a conservative.
		And he hung up.
		And he scolded me and said, call on the proper line and told all the other callers to call on the proper line.
		And then I started considering what he said in my political views, which, you know, you hear a lot of people say when they're talking about the black community that they're very conservative, but they vote liberal.
		And that was true for me until then.
		And so I started voting the way that I believe, which is conservative thanks to C-SPAN and Brian Lamb.
		What keeps you in the party?
		My belief.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Can you elaborate on that?
unidentified		Well, I'm a conservative, and I agree with the political party, with the Republican Party in their conservative views on family, just the way the government is run, small government.
		I definitely agree with President Trump.
		And so I believe there's only two genders, those type of things.
		And so, yeah, my views keep me voting Republican.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		That's Angela Vair in Virginia giving her story when it comes to how she became a member of the party.
		She is.
		It was a recent speech here in Washington, D.C. President Trump himself gave his own assessment of both the Republican and Democratic parties.
		Here's that assessment.
		He made these comments last week.
donald j trump ▲ ● ▼		Meanwhile, approval ratings for the Democrat Party have plunged to the lowest level ever recorded.
		They're at 26%.
		So you tell me about the midterms, right?
		26%, the lowest level ever for either party.
		The Republican Party is a much bigger party now than it was ever before.
		And I must say that it's the biggest now since you heard the name Donald J. Trump running as a politician.
		You heard the name before, but not as a politician.
		I said to my wife, you know, I think I'm going to do this thing.
		Do I have your approval?
		Yes, darling, I think you'll win.
		See, she's a supportive First Lady.
		I don't know if she believed it or not, but she said it.
		She said, yes, darling, I think you'll win.
		How do you think I'll do?
		Oh, darling, you'll win very easily, even though I've never done it before.
		I said, I have one problem.
		I've never done it before.
		She said, that doesn't matter.
		You're so talented.
		I said, thank you very much.
		That's why we get along.
		It's easy to get along like that.
		But we have far more people and far more enthusiasm than the party's ever had.
		I think I could almost say than any party's ever had.
		I don't think any party's ever had more enthusiasm than us and spirit.
		A lot of that's our leadership.
		The Democrats are a broken party with bad policy.
		They've lost so much, and both as politicians and as people, they've lost.
		The stage is set for a monumental victory for the Republicans in the midterms.
		And many of you, I guess most of you, and so many great congressmen and women here, you got some senators here also, but many of you are, all of you are up.
		We've got to win.
		We've got to work really hard, or we've got to win, because there's no way they should be winning based on policy, and it's ultimately about policy.
		We simply have to keep our promises to the people, and we have to very simply put America first.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		On our line for other parties, this is Russ from New York.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Hi there.
unidentified		Good morning, Pedro.
		Thank you for getting me on.
		To all of us in America, we need to find some kind of a middle ground peace where we can live together, not hating one another.
		Just background for me, I'm a college graduate.
		My dad was a lineman on Long Island.
		I was born in the same hospital as our President Trump, me and my brother and sister.
		And we live a very simple life.
		My whole life has been about trying to get out of debt, which I've successfully done, and was blessed in that I have a small pension.
		But this is, I've been on all sides of the fence.
		My first vote, I'm 72, was for Nixon.
		I was very dismayed to know the corruption that had gone on.
mark adams ▲ ● ▼		And in a lot of ways, I think it's apparent that this has been a continuation throughout my whole life, and now culminating with this.
unidentified		I am most concerned that we are heading towards some sort of a Nazi, I don't like to even put a name on it, some kind of regime that does not seem to be able to see where we're heading in this.
		My dad was a World War II veteran, and as German descent, in fact, he spoke German at home.
		It was very painful for him to see what happened to that country.
		And now to see what's happening in our country, I really can't understand the blind trust that we have in Donald Trump.
		And nothing personal, because I think he's the most entertaining president we've ever had.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Okay, that said, but as far as your own party affiliation, what would you define it as?
unidentified		Well, I've been on both sides of the fence, and I usually will in line with one party or the other.
		Presently, last I was with the Democrats, but I did vote for Donald Trump on his first try or his first election.
		Although he didn't carry New York, I did vote for him.
		I have to say, I regret it because I thought it was a promise not kept, was my main concern to get out of the Mideast, get out of that war that was started by the Republicans.
		And it has just dragged on and on.
		And personally, and we'll see what happens, but it looks like we're heading towards World War III now.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Okay.
mark adams ▲ ● ▼		And this is, you know, in our present conditions, with nuclear being what it is, it's very concerning.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Russ, there in New York.
		Let's go to Eddie.
		Eddie's in Illinois, Democrats line.
unidentified		Good morning, Pedro.
		Thanks for taking my call.
		I'm a Democrat.
		My family was for Democrats because my father said it was for the union.
		I voted Republican, and my father kind of frowned upon me.
		But anyway, I've been a Democrat all my life.
		And I thought, and I think the Democrats are for the working man.
		My company was a corporation.
		And the Republicans helped them out.
		They became a billion-dollar company.
		And I think the Republicans is for the corporations and the rich people.
		And I base that on because the Republicans canceled the air traffic controller unions, and unions have been on the down for ever since.
		Everything working for the corporation, everything the union got, the corporation people got, working for the corporation.
		So I think the Republicans is for the rich.
		I voted Republicans one time and one time only.
		And ever since the Republicans get us in war, and the Democrats are for the common man, the common man, rather than corporation and rich.
		That's my opinion.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		If I may ask, who's the Republican you voted for?
unidentified		Ronald Reagan.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		What prompted you to do that?
unidentified		He seemed like he was a fair man.
		He seemed like he was down the middle.
		And unbeknownst to me, when he came in and he became for the corporation, but he was the head of the union out in California.
		And uh, he came in and he started changing everything, and that that that just blew me apart.
		I never told told my dad, he would disown me, probably, but anyway, that's uh, that's Eddie there in Illinois giving us a story this morning.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Thank you, Eddie.
		Thanks for calling in.
		Let's hear from Katie.
		Katie joins us from Michigan, Republican line.
		Hi, Katie.
		Good morning.
unidentified		Good morning.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		You're on.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Go ahead.
unidentified		Pardon?
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		You're on the air.
unidentified		Go ahead.
		Oh, I'm on the air.
		Yes, go ahead, please.
		Thank you for calling, taking my call.
		But you know, I think the Democrats.
		Now, my mother was a Democrat.
		My father was a Republican.
		And the Democrats did nothing for us.
		Look at how long Biden had been in office.
		What did he do?
		Nothing.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		He did nothing but the only one that so Katie, that said, you're talking about the opposing part of the opposite party, but why are you a Republican specifically?
unidentified		Right.
unidentified		You're right.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		But what, but why?
		Tell us why.
		the democrat party was run by obama that's katie there in michigan uh giving us her thoughts and assessments on why she chose the political party She has belonged.
		Albert Alvarado from Facebook this morning saying that when it comes to issues of why he's a member of the Democratic Party, he cites morality and my faith.
		This is Lynne Allen.
		When I was 18, my mother took me to the county elections office to register to vote and told me which party to select.
		Over my years of voting, I voted across political parties, but I have not changed my political party, though she didn't specify which party that was.
		This is Laura Kubit saying the middle and working class make the country run.
		So if we want a healthy country, we need a party who understands this.
		The Republicans are, the GOP is not in touch with the average American anymore.
		A strong middle class equals strong America.
		And then Jeff Autry saying, after close examination of both parties currently available in this country, I choose none of the above.
		I think parties are a huge problem in this country, almost as detrimental as unlimited contributions to campaigns and career politicians who should be restrained by term limits.
		I don't think the founders really meant it to be like this.
		If you want to post on Facebook, you can do that at facebook.com/slash C-SPAN, by the way.
		And you can always post on X at C-SPANWJ.
		It was the head of the Democratic National Committee, Ken Martin, in a recent interview he did on television taking an assessment of his own party.
		Here's a portion of that interview.
unidentified		A new Marquette Law School poll shows 63% of voters view the party unfavorably, and that includes 30% of Democrats.
		So how do you win nationally with a number like that?
		Well, we have the work to do.
		As I said, it's the reason I ran for this job.
		We have to make sure that people know who we are as a Democratic Party, what we're fighting for, and why.
		At the end of the day, we can't just resist Trump completely and exclusively.
		We have to do both.
		I believe we can walk and chew gum at the same time.
ken martin ▲ ● ▼		Can give people a sense that we're fighting back against the excesses and the extremes of this administration and the serious damage that they're doing to the American people with their tariffs, with cuts, with attacks on Social Security and Medicare, while also giving people a sense of who we are as a Democratic Party and the credible alternative, right?
unidentified		What we would do if we're back in power.
unidentified		And that's what we have to do clearly because there are many people who used to work vote for Democrats who now actually have left the party because they don't believe that we're standing up and fighting for them.
ken martin ▲ ● ▼		They don't believe that we're going to deliver on the promises we made.
unidentified		And that's why we can't just campaign against Donald Trump.
unidentified		We have to do both.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		That's Ken Martin.
		Here is Mitch.
		Mitch joined us from New Jersey on our line for other parties.
		Hello, Mitch.
unidentified		Hi, good morning.
unidentified		How are you?
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		I'm well, thank you.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Go ahead.
unidentified		Good.
		I'm nonpartisan.
		I don't believe in any of the parties because right now, the politicians in both parties and even the independents, that's all they're there is to keep their jobs, keep power, and get re-elected.
		They don't even talk to one another.
		It's been proven with the new technology, and they did it during COVID, that they could stay home and do their jobs.
		So I don't believe in these career politicians.
		I think there should be term limits, that there should be more teachers, plumbers, everyday workers, and the politicians.
		It should be only a part-time job because they should work and feel what's out in what's happening every day, and they'll be more realistic to see what's going on with the economy and other issues.
		And they don't even talk to each other.
		That's all they do.
		Even on the floor, they fight.
		And we didn't send them there for that.
		We send them there to help the country.
		And that's why I wouldn't belong to any of the parties.
		And I believe that they should stay home and just be part-time, even with the technology we have today.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Mitch in New Jersey.
		This is Jeff up next.
		And Jeff is from Arkansas, Democrats line.
unidentified		Hi.
		Good morning.
		Good morning.
		How are you doing today?
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Fine, thank you.
unidentified		Great.
		I see Monday morning brings out the craziness, but that's okay.
		I'm a Democrat, true blue.
		Basically, been there all my life.
		I'm 70 years old, retired, and just want to stay with the Democrats.
		I believe that they're for the working man.
		They're also pushing for health care for everyone.
		And that's what I believe should be a priority for this nation.
		We've got to take care of the people.
		The people will take care of the country.
		They all have to be healthy.
		And that's how I feel.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		What do you think about the current state of your party?
unidentified		It's in turmoil.
		But again, sometimes that's good because it needs to shake and rattle the cages to see who falls out.
		And I think people realize that we need some newer, younger blood in there that have fresh ideas.
		And I'm willing to step back and support them.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Okay.
		Jeff there in Arkansas.
		Tim is up next.
		And Tim is in Ohio.
		Republican line on Hodge.
		Choose your political party.
		Hi, Tim.
unidentified		Hey, how are you doing this morning, Pedro?
		Fine, thank you.
		My political party, well, mine started back in the early 70s to about 81, and I did vote Democrat at the time.
		I worked for an aluminum company.
		And in 81, they decided to kick about 2,000 of us out the door.
		And it was a United Steelworkers union.
		But we had two-year recall rights.
		And the union kind of just didn't do anything for us.
		And from then until now, I think the unions have lost their way.
		And, you know, I was always brought up that there was protection with the unions, but not in my case.
		So then I switched parties.
		I went Republican and have ever since.
		And I'm glad I did because the Democratic Party has definitely lost their way.
		I mean, they're not for the working person.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		What do you think about the current state of your party?
unidentified		Well, I think they're on the right track.
unidentified		And like President Trump said, there's going to be some major surgery, a little pain, and I think we'll be okay.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Tim there, in Ohio, Republican line.
		Again, if you want to give us a call and give us a thought on why you chose the party you did in 2027 for eight eight thousand one for Republicans, 202748, 8,000 for Democrats, and Independent, I'm sorry, other party members of other parties, 202748, 8002.
		That YouGov poll, by the way, takes a look at the parties themselves and what Americans who participated said about what those parties care about.
		From that YouGov poll, when it comes to the Democratic Party, most of those respondents said at the top of the list of things they care about, it was immigrants on the top of that list, followed by American women, wealthy Americans, Hispanic Americans, and then Americans born in the United States, top of those with the Democratic Party.
		The Republican Party, 29% of those saying that when it comes to how much you think these parties care about the needs and problems of when it comes to immigrants, 29% said immigrants, 49% said women, 87% said wealthy Americans, 42% said Hispanic Americans and black Americans, 43%.
		There's more there.
		It also adds a couple of party issues.
		It says on Social Security and abortion, Americans more likely to hold positions that align what they perceive to be Democratic positions, but on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
		They're most likely to believe what they think the Republican Party does.
		And then most Americans, 56% of those, want to increase funding for Social Security.
		And more believe this position is held by the Democratic Party than the Republican Party.
		41% of Americans want to increase funding, think the Democratic Party wants the same thing.
		And it's only 21% saying that the Republican Party does.
		Elizabeth in Chicago, up next, Democrats line on why you chose the party you did.
		Elizabeth, hello.
unidentified		Hello, good morning.
		So I grew up in a very small manufacturing town in Illinois, majority, major Republican community.
		And my dad is Republican.
		So I grew up most of my life around conversations that would align with Republican thought.
		And I ended up becoming Democrat because I saw how the policies, Republican policies actually hurt my town and actually hurt people like my dad through cutting taxes for the wealthy, cutting social welfare programs that actually a majority of the people in my community need.
		And probably over the course of about 15 years, I realized that a lot of what Republicans, in my opinion, are doing is it's lip service.
		But what actually happens is they are paying their rich buddies.
		So I don't think that either party is perfect.
		And if I could be middle of the road, I think I would like that the most.
		But it really hurts me to see how Republican policies hurt and have like devastated my community.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Elizabeth Fair in Chicago giving us her thoughts this morning.
		Michael Langweiser from X, adding to the mix, saying I was born into a family of Union Democratic Party members and registered Democrat and voted for Carter in 1976, saying that by 1980, voted for Reagan and in 1982 after moving to becoming a registered Republican.
		So if you want to make your thoughts on X, you can do that too at C-SPANWJ is where you find us.
		Let's go to Dennis Dennis in Alabama, Republican line, how you chose your political party.
		Hi, Dennis.
unidentified		Hey, I'm a Republican all the way.
		I used to be a Democrat when I was young and crazy.
		And then I grew up.
		There's just no difference.
		I mean, the Democrat Party, they seem like they have rabies and they're doing meth and phenomen at the same time.
		You know, they're crazy nuts.
		And I'm married to one.
		But we don't talk about it.
		I believe in there's just so many people here.
		I love everybody.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		And why are you Republican specifically?
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Are there any specifics that stand out to you?
unidentified		Oh, I don't believe in killing these little babies.
		And at the same time, they care so much about the Democrats.
		They care so much about other things.
tim in michigan ▲ ● ▼		But they, you know, I understand it's a big responsibility to man up or woman up and keep your child.
unidentified		But those are precious babies.
		And they're made, you know, they're made by God.
		And think before you go wild, you know?
		There's plenty of stuff out there to keep you from getting pregnant.
		Smarten up.
bob fletcher ▲ ● ▼		Don't be a goofy and just kill these kids.
unidentified		And then there's, you know, about selling the parts, the body parts.
		Anyway, that's just one thing.
		I'm proud of this country.
		I love our country.
		I would die for this country.
		I'm 73 years old.
		If I was younger, I would go fight.
		And I believe that Trump is trying his darndest.
		And the Democrats are trying their darndest to tear this country apart.
		Okay.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Dennis there in Alabama.
		James in Tennessee says, I am a Democrat because the Democrats, and he texted us this morning, by the way.
		Democrats are for the worker.
		Democrats fought for the 40-hour workweek, paid vacation, health care, social security, and many other benefits.
		The rich who are Republican-driven only support for money.
		The ends justify the means.
		I grew up in West Virginia.
		We know the history of mine workers.
		The rich Republican owners screwed the workers.
		The money the miners were paid had to be spent at the company store.
		More there from James giving us some of his thought process behind the party and why he's a member of that party.
		A line for other parties.
		This is Pat.
		He also is, or she here.
		She might also be from Tennessee.
		Pat, go ahead.
		You're next up.
unidentified		Yes.
		I just want to say I'm 80 plus.
		I probably won't be around when all this is over.
		I can remember I was born in the last of the Depression, the last Depression.
		I can remember my mama talking about when my daddy came home from World War II, she had $200 in the bank.
		Well, the banks shut down, went bankrupt.
		She got 20 cents on the dollar back.
		My granddaddy had a big farm.
		And I can remember he plowed up his cotton fields and planted vegetables.
		And everybody in our part of the country back there came and worked in them fields so they would have food to eat.
		Now, I voted, I vote for the person.
		I don't vote for a party, but I hate to see this country, the people who died for us treated the way they're being treated.
		My daddy was in World War II.
		My brother-in-law died from Agent Orange in Vietnam.
		He come home from the service, and when he got off the plane and walked through the airport, he was spit on by people because he had fought for this country.
		He just wiped his face off and walked on.
		It just upsets me.
		The Democrats, I don't want to hear, I hear, I have friends that are all Republicans, and they say, well, the Republicans, this, and my goodness, my four were okay.
		I used to have $50,000 in there.
		I've only got 30 now.
		And I said, look, you got what you wanted, so stop griping about it.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		All right, one more call.
		Gary in Kentucky, Democrats line, your last call on this topic.
		Gary, go ahead.
unidentified		Okay, I chose Democratic Party mainly because in Kentucky at the time in 1965, the Democratic Party was the only party that was in control.
		If you wanted to vote in a primary election, you had to be a Democrat.
		Republicans didn't hold one.
		But anyway, I was sitting across from the courthouse in the Rexall drugstore when my uncle B.D., who was sheriff, came in and said, asked me if I had registered to vote yet.
		I just turned 18.
		And he said, let's go across the street and register.
		And so that's what we did.
		And I've been a Democrat ever since.
		But in 1968, I was in the Marine Corps in California.
		And somehow or another, I wound up voting for Nixon.
		And that's the only Republican I have ever voted for.
		That's all I got to say.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Gary in Kentucky, we'll leave you with this Facebook post from Don Simmons this morning, who finalizes this hour saying, Jimmy Carter made me a Republican.
		George W. Bush and John Boehner made me an independent.
		Thanks for all of you who participated this morning.
		Coming up, a discussion of political news in a day with Republican strategist Adam Goodman.
		He'll be joined by Democratic strategist Michael LaRosa, and we'll talk about a lot of topics relating to current day politics.
		They'll join us next.
		And a little while later this morning, political senior writer Ankush Khadori discusses President Trump's executive orders targeting law firms and why some of them are reaching agreements with the administration.
		Those conversations coming up on Washington Journal.
unidentified		High schoolers, are you planning to take the advanced placement U.S. history exam on May 9th?
		Then join American History TV Saturday at 7 p.m. Eastern as high school history teacher Matthew Ellington and Southern Illinois University History Professor Jason Stacey, co-authors of Fabric of a Nation, a history with skills and sources for the AP U.S. History course, talk about the exam.
		They'll explain how this year's exam is structured and provide strategies for answering questions and analyzing historical documents.
		Listen in on our discussion and be sure to take notes on the High School Advanced Placement U.S. History Exam 2025 Saturday at 7 p.m. Eastern on American History TV on C-SPAN 2.
		5, 4, manage and start.
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		Washington Journal continues.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Two guests joining us to talk about political topics of the day.
		Adam Goodman, a Republican strategist.
		He's the host of the 13th and Park podcast, also Tuft University Fletcher School Fellow, an Edward Murrow Fellow, and Michael LaRose, a Democratic strategist, also the former press secretary to First Lady Joe Biden.
		He served in that position from 2021 to 2022.
		Gentlemen, thanks for giving us your time.
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		Great to be with you.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		We had you on in December.
		Here we are several months later into the Trump administration.
		Let's start with your assessment of the administration so far.
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		Nothing's changed, Pedro.
unidentified		Right.
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		Obviously, the Trump administration decided to get off to a very fast start.
		Part of that is the fact that it's a one-term deal, right?
		So they knew they had to move and move quickly.
		Also, the biggest thing here is they're out to fundamentally transform government fundamentally.
		For so long, the American public, you know, Americans on both all sides of the aisle, have been asking for systemic reform.
		They want the system to get better, to be better.
		They want government to do more, hopefully for less.
		And the only way to do that is going completely full bore into every agency, every man or every part of government, with the fundamental idea that we're going to now question everything for the first time, probably in a generation.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Michael LaRosa, that full-bore approach, what was your assessment of it, do you think?
unidentified		I mean, I think it's a fairly mixed bag.
		Most Democrats would say it's tyrannical.
		The Democratic Party isn't happy with the direction the administration is going in, but that's kind of stating the obvious.
		At the same time, look, the spirit in which he's moving so fast and breaking things, I get it, and I don't disagree with the goal of reducing the size of government or, you know, appropriating government services to maybe an area where the local government or the state government can do it better or the private sector can do it better.
		I'm all for looking at that and making those changes and surely finding the waste, fraud, and abuse that does exist, that everybody, Democrats and Republicans, agree on exists.
		But there's always a difference between disrupting something and breaking something.
		And I think that's where they got to be careful.
		Bill Clinton, you know, look, Bill Clinton tried to do something very similar.
		And I think that's why it's important for Democrats not to be knee-jerk or impulsively opposed to everything this president does because in spirit, Democrats have been supportive of this kind of downsizing of the government in the past.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Mr. Gobi, you said the difference between changing something and breaking something.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		What do you think of that assessment?
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		Well, of course, it's coming from my good friend, Michael Arosa, the Democrat.
		It's interesting, you said two things, Michael.
		One is that local and state government, they're going to have to adjust too.
		We've had a number of mayors actually on our show, and they're all saying the same thing.
		We have to now take ourselves a different look at how we're doing things, possibly with less funding.
		And they're going to have to adjust to that.
		And in terms of, you know, Bill Clinton, obviously he was the last president of the United States who presided over a balanced budget.
		Low those days, right?
		That seems so long ago.
		But the only way to get kind of back in control again is to do things that are going to be seen as a little bit more draconian.
		However, the American people, on the one hand, really have been asking for this again for a long time.
		On the other hand, I think, Pedro, we have a calendar here.
		There's a bit of a calendar or a ticking clock.
		And I think the Republicans understand they don't have unlimited time to start showing results.
		And I think that's the rub here.
		And you see polls that are talking about, well, people like what they're trying to do, but not how they're doing it.
		The bottom line is the polls don't matter right now.
		What does matter is can they deliver?
		If they deliver, the polls will take care of themselves.
		If not, the midterms become very interesting.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Let me ask you both then, what's different about the president's approach this time around than his first term?
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		Learned a lot.
		He learned a lot after his first four years.
		He learned that when not everyone's squared in with the mission, it gets much more difficult.
		He didn't really understand Washington.
		He was a true outsider.
		This time, he's an insider with an outsider's perspective.
		And I think he's doing this with a team that says we're all in.
unidentified		They've been incredibly strategic and incredibly intentional.
		And I have to give them credit for that, from their planning during the transition to their nominees who all mostly got through the Senate.
		They did an incredible job with those nominees of sort of training them for media combat and some very problematic nominees, nominees in some cases that should not have, that would not have sort of a leg to stand on to be running some of these agencies.
		But they managed to get through those very smoothly because of the really outward communications strategy that they have with the American people.
		I mean, even the president has been remarkably and historically accessible to the American people to be able to watch him be president and sign these EOs and take so many questions unprompted multiple times a day, sometimes multiple days a week.
		It's sort of an accessibility to the presidency that we're not used to seeing.
		And I give them a lot of credit for that.
		And so, like I said, I think they've been just incredibly more intentional and efficient in terms of what they set out to accomplish than they were in the first term.
		I don't agree with everything that they're doing, but I have to give them credit for their organization.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Let me pause real quick to invite the viewers in.
		If you want to ask our guests questions, it's 202-748-8001 for Republicans, 202-748-8000 for Democrats, and Independents 202-748-8002.
		If you want to make your thoughts known on text, it's 202-748-8003.
		You said not necessarily you agree with everything.
		Let's talk on a specific topic.
		And Mr. Goodman, you can weigh in too.
		When it comes to efforts on trade, this is what we've been hearing for the last couple of weeks.
		USA Today has this headline: is he doing too much too fast in this area?
unidentified		Probably.
		I think that's evident through the market and the volatility.
		It seems like that they were sort of moving even in spite of sort of market reaction to the tariffs, but the bond market was really the thing that drove them to start these pauses.
		And I think we're going to start seeing more exclusions going forward, like we just saw with electronics.
		Look, in my view, historically, tariffs, even as I say this as a Democrat, look, protectionism has not worked throughout history.
		It just hasn't.
		I think McKinley, if you go back to McKinley when he started a massive trade war, trying to save the sort of dying agriculture industry for this new industry, manufacturing, in the end, you know, several Republican presidents doubled down on that.
		The last being Herbert Hoover doubled down even more with Taft Hartley, and it led us to the Great Depression.
		Donald Trump in his first term tried tariffs, and it really negated a lot of the deregulation that the private sector was so excited about and the tax cuts.
		And so there was a huge slump in manufacturing employment before COVID because of his tariff policy.
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		Mr. Goodman, don't disagree with the history lesson, but I do disagree with this.
		When you talk about trade, and you hear the two words, right, free trade and fair trade, free trade feels good, but when free trade is not fair, it's not right.
		And that's what I think the president is calling other nations on the carpet about.
		What he's doing now is he's signaling serious intent.
		He's going after this, right?
		I mean, don't take this as a headline or as a photo op.
		I'm going after this.
		Of course, as we know, the president has been on the idea of tariffs and reforming tariffs for decades.
		That goes way back with Donald Trump.
		So do Americans want fair trade?
		Absolutely.
		Do they want to crash the market?
		Absolutely not, right?
		The question is: what would this lead to?
		Now the world knows the President of the United States is ready to come to the table and he wants to negotiate down.
		If the end result of this is that we can lower tariffs across the board across the world, that is great news for America, for American manufacturing, and American consumers.
		But the bottom line in all this, the one that's the buzz in town here, right, is is this all about one nation, China?
		And I think that's a good argument.
		This could really have been an intentional kind of confrontation with China over the future and control of the future.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Mr. LaRosa?
unidentified		Well, there's a lot still to be seen, right?
		I mean, China buys a large part of our debts.
		I mean, we'll see if they keep buying our debt after this.
		You know, making them angry isn't necessarily a great global strategy either.
		But I think because Adam mentioned how consistent Trump has been on tariffs, the Chinese were kind of ready for this.
		I think private sector in many ways have been sort of ready for this because he's been talking about it so much.
		But at the same time, it's almost like he's stuck in this 1980s mentality where we were sort of having trade war with Japan back in the 80s.
		We're not there anymore.
		And the things that we are ahead of the curve on in terms of tech, I'm sorry, the tech industry and where we're leading the globe, he's going to hurt our competitive edge by doing this.
		You know, McKinley launched the trade war to open up markets.
		We are closing the United States to markets.
		And in the end, free trade with other nations helps prevent war.
		It keeps us safer.
		We're protecting our vital interests abroad.
		And nothing good comes from isolation.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		I suppose that strategist, you are also concerned about how things are messaged.
		And Mr. Goodman, then what's the message of the administration specifically on trade?
		Here one day, here the next, whatever.
		Is that a problem in your mind as far as how they're doing that?
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		Well, it's funny.
		You had the expression, who's going to blink first, and we're talking about China and the United States.
		It's actually, will the American public blink before either one of them blinks, right?
		It's how far we're willing to take this, right?
		I think that the administration has to clarify more than they have already exactly what the end game is here and how we're going to get there, as opposed to we're in the playbox on the playground.
		And if we're going to see who can win the game of marbles, right?
		It's not good for anybody.
		It's not good for the markets.
		But ultimately, Pedro, if their approach here succeeds in ultimately bringing down tariffs and bringing down prices, it's a dead sure winner for the administration and for the American people.
unidentified		And that's the trick.
		Tariffs have historically been inflationary and recessionary.
		And so we have to, I do agree with you, Adam, that this will depend on sort of the patience of the consumer and how much pain they're willing to take when costs were already high.
		And that was not the sole impetus for Trump's reelection, but it was a big part of that, that the Biden administration, my former administration, couldn't necessarily bring prices down.
		And they blamed our policies, our big spending in the beginning.
		When we came into office in 2021, the American Rescue Plan and then the Infrastructure Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.
		Our side would argue that that was absolutely necessary in reaction to a once-in-a-lifetime global crisis and our economy, while not perfect, was sort of better off and envious of the rest of the world.
		Now, yes, did it bring about inflation and a supply chain issue?
		I think it probably did.
		But this isn't going to help that.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Michael LaRosa, that's who you just heard from.
		He's joined by Adam Goodman for this discussion.
		Ronald joins us as well.
		He's from South Carolina, Democrats line.
		Ronald, thanks for calling in.
		You're on with our guest.
unidentified		Yes, I appreciate both of y'all being here today.
		I think both the Republicans and Democrats are not seeing the real story with President Trump and the tariff thing.
		I think it's just a rouge.
		He's going to get these tax breaks for the bulky millionaires first.
		See if that's what he wants.
		The tariffs he'll backdrag.
		He'll make more.
		He'll pull them back.
		That's all a rouge to get the tax services that he wants for his multi-millionaire people.
		And the Democrats, I'm against certain things they've been doing for a long time.
		They need to not be on the full right anymore or the full left, liberal.
		They need to be in the middle, period.
		Anything they make a decision on should be the middle of the people's income, not for the rich, not for the poor.
		You got to keep the middle best or everything else goes.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Ronald there in South Carolina.
		Thanks for calling.
		Thanks for the segue because I wanted to switch this.
		This is the headline from the Wall Street Journal this morning.
		Now with the budget bills on both sides of the House and Senate done, the issue of taxes comes up.
		Adam Goodman, what does the president face?
		What do Republicans face as they try to sell tax cuts?
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		Well, tax cuts is not an unpopular idea, right?
		And it does fit hand in glove with what they're trying to do in reducing the cost of government.
		Remarkably, I think Michael might agree, remarkably the House, which has not the largest margin in the world, seems to be very much in lockstep with where the president's going thus far.
		And I think they're going to be there for tax cuts too.
		I think they're going to be able to succeed in continuing the tax cuts as a way of keeping the American people, you know, kind of in play and extending their patience to let everything else play out.
		Because if he doesn't get that, I think that the calendar becomes much shorter for him to be able to show something in terms of success.
		And let me go back to terrorists for a second.
		It's going to take, Pedro, probably a break.
		So I think we got a sense of that when Netanyahu was in recently meeting with the president in the White House and talked about we're going to get to a zero basis in terms of our trade deficit, right?
		Because there is a trade deficit with Israel.
		We're going to get it to zero.
		We're not just saying that we're going to get there and quickly, right?
		A couple more countries start to break and their negotiations will, I'm sure, have already started.
		The rest of the world doesn't want to be left behind.
		I think they're going to come on board.
		And to the caller's question, by the way, and go GameCon.
		So I hope you're not a Clemson fan.
		I like the GameCons.
		To the caller's question about whether it's going to benefit millionaires, if that's all it benefits, then the administration's in trouble.
		If it benefits the American people, it's something actually that the American people will cheer for.
		And the Democrats, no offense to the Democrats, who are still struggling to get message.
		What is their message then if this thing kicks in and starts to work?
		I don't know.
unidentified		Mr. LaRosa.
		Yeah, I mean, tax cuts are popular when they are tax cuts for the individual and when they are permanent, when they are not just tax cuts across the board for corporations.
		Though I would say, you know, corporations are the main driver of employment.
		And so it's important to make sure that the job providers are also given a fair shake as well.
		And I agree with Adam.
		Like, I think that Democrats need to remember that it's important to be on, not to be opposed to Trump on everything, but to be on the side of change.
		Every election since, except maybe like 2004, has basically been a change election.
		And that's going to help the Democratic brand.
		And when there is a midterm and there's not a presidential election, you're not comparing two personalities' strengths and weaknesses.
		This is not going to be, this can't be about one message for the Democrats, and it can't be about one messenger.
		It has to be about 25 to 50 House seats that we need to target and try to pick up at least 15.
		That's what it's going to take to bring back Democrats want subpoena authority.
		Democrats are going to want to stop Trump.
		The only way to do that is if we show that we are also on the side of change.
		And that has to be stronger on the border.
		It has to be for maybe Medicaid work requirements, perhaps.
		Maybe that's an area where we can work with Republicans on.
		Also on tax cuts.
		Bill Clinton made government the most popular it had ever been.
		I think in 1996 was the height of popularity for government because he was on the side of change.
		He was trying to bring down the waste fraud and abuse at these agencies and trying to shrink the size of government.
		He was trying to be a change agent even after he was elected.
		And it's important that Democrats realize that they just can't be opposed, knee-jerk opposed to everything Trump does, but they have to show that they are for a change because if you're defending the status quo, we're just going to lose.
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		Michael, the change you're talking about, it can't just be changing out Donald Trump.
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		It's got to be changing the way we do things.
unidentified		Correct.
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		Everyone's on board with that.
		The question is, is this kind of change that we now have in place?
		Is that what Americans want and will it work?
		But it can't be a personality parade and it can't be Democrat.
		I think my opinion is Democrats have to look to the outside.
		It's not an inside Democrat who's suddenly going to get the message and start talking to change, even though Governor Newsom is very much trying to go there.
		I do think that's the kind of Democrat who people will listen to.
		And as strange as it is, with AOC and Bernie Sanders out there, Pedro, right, doing their rallies, it's fascinating television, by the way.
		Great television, right?
		Even though they're inside, they have an outsider's message.
		So I'm agreeing, change is still what people want.
		But it can't be a personal personality change.
		It is a systemic change.
unidentified		And that's why I was saying we have to be stronger on the border.
		We have to be, we have to work with Democrats, I'm sorry, with Republicans on things like Medicaid, work, requirements.
		We have to make deals and show that we are serious at coming to the table and not just opposing everything, but coming with solutions.
		And that involves working with the other side.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Let's hear from Ray.
		Ray's in Minnesota, Republican line.
		Hi, Ray.
unidentified		Terry, how are you doing?
		Liam, I want to address this Michael, this Democratic strategist.
		First thing up, he says that we didn't have good candidates.
		We didn't know how to run.
		You had a nursing home patient for your first candidate and a DEI for your second candidate.
		Couldn't string two sentences together.
		All your people in office, they don't like a Doge.
		They're bad mouthing Elon because USAID, he got into them and found out they're giving money to NGOs overseas who then again are kicking it back to the Democratic politicians to help them get hired.
		So, I mean, you guys are the worst of the worst.
		So I don't think anything to say about Republican candidates.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Okay.
		Mr. LaRosa, you can start off.
		Sure, I see your question.
unidentified		I'm not sure what I had said about any Republican candidates.
		I don't disagree that Democrats face candidate challenges in 2024 at the top of the ticket.
		But what I would say to the gentleman is that, yes, they might have rejected the Democrat at the top of the ticket.
		But if you look at all seven swing states, all seven swing states that President Trump won on the very next line, they all voted for Democrats.
		This was not a mandate for the Republican Party.
		In Michigan, in Wisconsin, in Nevada, in Arizona, and in North Carolina for governor, they all chose Democrats for the Senate and Democrats for governor, and with the exception of Pennsylvania.
		So six out of the seven all voted Democrat down the ballot.
		That is not a mandate for the Republican Party.
		And if it was, I would say they would have much bigger majorities in the House and the Senate.
		But Democrats did fairly well in the 2024 elections from a candidate perspective.
		Again, with the exception that we had a problem at the top of the ticket.
		And I think that has been remarkably documented.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		We don't want to go too far back in time, but he did bring up Elon Musk.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		And what do you think about Democrats using him consistently in their messaging as well?
unidentified		I've never thought it was a big winner.
		Look, it seems like his relationship with the president or his time as a special government employee is coming to an end.
		Elon won't be around forever.
		Democrats just can't be waiting for mistakes or they should certainly capitalize on President Trump's mistakes or people like Elon on Musk, who is a billionaire trying to tell a lot of Americans what they should and should not do or want in government.
		But that said, we have to be more proactive rather than reactive to some of these things.
		And Elon Musk is certainly a character in this whole first year, but I don't know if he's going to be a main actor.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Mr. Goodman, then it's up to the Republicans to decide whether they're going to take Mr. Musk's recommendations or not.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Where do you think the party is taking them wholesale, or do you think they're going to be picked apart once the recommendations do come?
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		Great question.
		Elon Musk was absolutely necessary to doing what the Trump administration is setting out to do.
		You needed a bad cop, good cop.
		It is a kind of funny thing that the good cop in this scenario is Donald Trump, right?
		And the bad cop is Elon Musk.
		And Elon is, look, he's an incredible innovator.
		He's an incredible success story.
		The way he's pushing boundaries on and beyond Earth, right, are really amazing.
		But they needed someone like that with a total, I don't care, attitude in terms of getting the job done, I don't care how people think about me and getting the job done.
		That's what he's doing.
		He's a lightning rod.
		He is the absolute lightning rod.
		But the lightning behind it is Donald Trump.
		So Donald Trump can moderate some of the things that maybe Elon chainsawed a little too far on.
		But on the other hand, you don't get massive systemic change by politicians talking about it.
		You need it to be adopted by the private sector as well.
		And Elon's been, I think, a real bell cow here for a lot of people, a lot of industrial leaders and tech leaders on the outside to get behind this.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Let's go to Ron.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Ron in Michigan, independent line.
unidentified		Hi.
		Yeah, it's I'm calling in large part because I'm a day trader on the stock market, but I pulled most of my money out of the market because of the situation that Trump is creating and changing his mind left and right.
		It appears to me that as time goes along, most of my people that I work with, so it's just a group of Strategists in the stock market, both Republicans and Democrats, most of us are pulling our money out of the market in large part because we're going to wait until midterm to see exactly what happens going forward.
		At this point in time, there are too many questions, too many questions not only by Musk, but also by Trump, including Trump's administration.
		What I don't understand, I just want to make a special comment regarding the market.
		But this idea the other day of the Russians killing the 34 people in Ukraine blows my mind.
		It doesn't appear that Trump wants to take any side whatsoever.
		He's going to let it continue.
		Until that stretches, the market and people in general are going to be really concerned about Trump moving forward into his third year, as he claims, which I don't think is going to be possible.
		But I hope that everything turns out all right, and we're going to wait until midterm.
		In the meantime, the way Trump is talking, all he's doing is diluting the Republican Party the way I see it.
		And that may be one of the best voting years that I've seen in a long while.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Gotcha, gotcha, Ron.
		A lot there to work through.
		Mr. Government, he started with this idea of the tariff policy.
		Is there a sense from at least the perception of that person and others that when it comes to the way the administration approaches, it's almost like a winging it effect.
		It's almost because of the changes day by day.
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		Well, I'm glad we got a question about those who trade in the market, right?
		The day trader.
		Some are arguing this is the best buying opportunity you're ever going to have, right?
		Volatility is often something that's welcomed by people on the market as they try to find opportunities that might not have been there not long before.
		But he talked about the 34 that were killed in Ukraine.
		What is the end game, you might ask, of the president's interactions with Vladimir Putin?
		I mean, that's a big deal, right?
		I believe the end game actually includes and maybe is principally about Iran.
		That for us to be able, because everyone's focused on peace in Ukraine, and I think actually the president is going to get there.
		And others who are coming to the table, we're going to have peace in Ukraine, thank God.
		And they need it, by the way.
		That's vital for the administration in terms of its bona fides and foreign policy.
		But Iran is really, I think, the goal here.
		What to do about Iran, who is very close to having full nuclear capability.
		I think that's what this is about with Vladimir Putin, to get him to pressure Iran to back off and make the deal they should have made with this country years ago, which was not a good deal, I would argue.
		It just wasn't a good deal, to preserve the peace, not just regional peace, but peace around the world.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Are you optimistic with talks starting last week?
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		Right.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Continuing on into this week, reportedly.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Where do you think the administration goes from there?
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		In terms of the talks, they need to bring it in for a landing.
		And of course, all this stuff is still involves to some degree Gaza, what we're going to do about Gaza.
		And I think the president who's going to make a trip very soon to Saudi Arabia and two other countries in the Middle East, it's a big deal.
		Saudi Arabia, think about the evolution of that nation into becoming one of the great mediators of peace in the world.
		That trip is vital.
		It was only going to be about economics, about the $600 billion plus I think Saudi Arabia has pledged to investment in America.
		Now I think it takes on an even greater importance as the road to peace.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Mr. Larosa.
unidentified		You know, a lot of people in my party say I give too much credit to this president, and I do like to think that I should give him credit when credit is deserved.
		But it is fascinating to me that there is this blind faith in Donald Trump as a negotiator and a deal maker when he really hasn't proven to make any deals, I think.
		The USMCA in his first term, which was a tweak to a three-country, a trilateral trade agreement made in the 90s.
		It wasn't even his deal.
		So I don't know what deals he's been able to get done that really gives everybody all this faith in his ability to bring both sides together or to bring global trade together, especially his own businesses went under in the 90s.
		He hasn't proven to be very effective at running businesses, and government is not a business.
		And I think that's where there is a little bit too much faith in this breaking things and going fast.
		I get it, the government does not run the way the private sector runs.
		And maybe we would like it to, but it just doesn't.
		And I think that's why you have seen the private sector come to government for bailouts when they've been in trouble in the past.
		The other thing I would say is regarding Iran, I mean, Iran is closer today to developing a nuclear weapon than they were when Donald Trump took office the first time when we did have a deal in place.
		And they did commit to not going forth with their nuclear programs.
		When he ripped that deal up, it put everything back in play.
		So, and now it's still in play.
		Uncertainty isn't great for anybody.
		Our allies, our relationships around the world, for the American people, the consumer.
		It just feels like he has brought a lot of uncertainty to the world.
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		But talk about Iran.
		Let's talk about Iran.
		It's not just about nuclear capability, Michael.
		It's about their funding of terrorism, especially throughout the region to start and stop with the Houdis, right?
		And all the ways that they have terrorized commerce along and the shipping lanes.
		They are funding terrorism.
		And the more we're able to isolate, to back them off and isolate them from the rest of the world, I think the better.
		And I think Donald Trump, talk about what he really wants to achieve.
		I think this is one of, it's like very close to the top of the list.
		Looking back, how do I want to be seen beyond the Nobel Peace Prize, which I know is very high on this chart?
		I think the Iran situation, in a kind of ironic way, as opposed to Ukraine, as opposed to Gaza, that may be almost number one.
unidentified		But here's the problem.
		If Ukraine, if this war between Russia and Ukraine ends on Putin's terms, that's a win for China.
		China would love nothing more than for Vladimir Putin to take more land from the Ukraine.
		Look, we made a promise to Ukraine if they were to give up their nuclear weapons in the 90s that we would protect them.
		And I would say George W. Bush and Barack Obama failed to live up to those agreements.
		And I think we're failing to live up to that today.
		I'm really proud of what President Biden tried to do by expanding NATO, making it harder for Vladimir Putin to imperialize Eastern Europe.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Two guests joining us.
		This is, you just heard from Michael LaRosa, Democratic strategist.
		Adam Goodman joining us as well, Republican strategist.
		You can call in on the lines if you want to ask some questions.
		Like Jeff in Indianapolis, Democrats line.
		Hello there.
unidentified		How are you doing, Pedro?
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Fine, thank you.
		You're on with our guests.
		Go ahead.
unidentified		Yes, sir.
		You know, I heard the reference to good cops, bad cops.
		Well, right now, the Democrats are the Keystone cops, and the Republicans are the Manson family.
		You know, when we talk about terrorism, you know, the Democrats have a great bench.
		Right now, the governor of Shapiro of Pennsylvania, he might have been a victim of domestic terrorists.
		And, you know, we got Gavin News, who had a lot of hope for, but then he sat down with Steve Bannon and Charlie Kirk, a couple of right-wing lunatics.
		You know, and I'm so proud of AOC and Bernie Sanders for what they're doing.
		You know, Cumlin Harris didn't lose.
		Bigotry and misogyny won.
		This was truly an election where so many voted against their best interests.
		Working class white, Hispanics, and Arab Americans because they didn't want to support a black woman.
		And as far as Elon Musk is concerned, really?
		The man should be drug tested.
		And, you know, this was not about politics.
		This was about culture.
		Until Democrats deal with the culture, we're going to lose.
		Okay.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Okay, Jeff, we'll leave it there because I want our guests to pick up on that, that last statement particularly.
unidentified		Respectfully to the caller, I just don't believe that you can blame the 2024 election on racism and misogyny.
		I mean, I'm sure it plays a role the way he has always played a role in anything.
		But again, I go back on the same ballot that the voters of Michigan and Wisconsin and Nevada supported Donald Trump.
		They supported a woman for the Senate, a Democrat over the white male Republican in Wisconsin, in Nevada, and in Michigan.
		And in Arizona, they chose a Latino over a white woman.
		And in North Carolina, they chose a Jewish American to be governor.
		I just don't believe that we can keep playing the cultural and racial identity card every time we lose.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Let me have to follow up then.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		As you're going to 2026, which you both have referenced, then what's the course correction for the Democratic Party, do you think?
unidentified		Course correction is making sure that candidates are tailoring their there can't be one national message in a midterm race.
		You have to tailor your message to your district.
		You have to be on the side of change, but you have to show that you are willing to work across the aisle.
		Democrats cannot win congressional elections and majorities in the House or the Senate without bringing in the moderates.
		The moderates are how we make majorities in this country.
		The left has only lost elections.
		The further left we go, the more losses we endure.
		The left lost the Democratic primary in 2020.
		They lost the Democratic primary in 2016.
		We've got to stop leaning on the left because their message and their sometimes their tactics and their behaviors are turning off moderate mainstream voters.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Mr. Goodman, what's the state of the moderate within the Republican Party these days?
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		I think a little endangered.
		But this administration that's leading the charge, it's not about ideology.
		It's about the attempt to achieve, right?
		It's not ideology at all.
		And it's interesting, we talk about the Democratic message.
		Let's talk about that for a second.
		What is the message?
		I mean, it's interesting and entertaining when you see AOC and Bernie and others out there.
		What is the message?
		Their message is we don't like what's going on, right?
		Most of the rest of the Democrats are struggling with any piece of the message, but it has to be a positive affirmation of some manner of change.
		Again, my prediction is in 2028, the Democrats are going to end up with a candidate for president we don't yet know.
		I think this person is not on the radar yet.
		It's not the obvious players.
		It's not the governor of Illinois.
		I think it looks like a caricature of politicians.
		It's not Gretchen Whitmer in Michigan.
		It's not Gavin Newson trying to retool himself and reimage himself.
		I think it's someone completely different.
		But that person is going to have to give Americans what they still want more than ever, a shot in the arm, a motivation that what they're selling, what they're talking about, their vision, actually will improve the quality of life.
		And if they don't do that, and that's a change message to Michael's point from earlier, if they don't do that, it doesn't matter who the candidates are.
		It really doesn't.
		You've got to have the message that gives people a sense that the change we all want is one we can control and one that we like.
		And if, again, the Trump administration succeeds, I think it's a much higher hill to climb for Democrats.
		If not, Katie bar the door.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Republican is in power, but would you recommend any course corrections for the party itself?
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		I think, you know, getting things done, getting the job done, trumps everything else.
		The politics carries everything.
		I always go back to my days with Rudy Giuliani when he was mayor.
		And, you know, 5-1 Democratic City, Pedro, right?
		I said, how do you survive as a Republican?
		He said, it's very simple.
		You get the job done, and you don't worry about what people are saying.
		You don't worry about what the press and media are doing to critique you.
		He said, if I get this job done in transforming New York, the politics take care of itself.
		And darn if he didn't do that.
		If he didn't do that, it didn't matter how much he placated, how much he pandered, wouldn't work in that city.
		That's a good roadmap for everyone in public life.
		Don't worry about the nattering nabobs of negativity, as Spiro Agwe once said.
		Worry about what is in front of you and show people you don't only mean what you say you're going to do, but you get it done.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Let's go to Mike in Ohio.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Hi there.
unidentified		Hey, good morning, everybody.
unidentified		How are you?
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		You're on with our guests.
unidentified		Go ahead.
		Okay.
		I do want to agree with the last gentleman.
		I thought that was very eloquently said and stated and very pragmatic and realistic.
		As a voter, I'd like to hear what programs and ideas any person who is trying to be voted into office has for our communities.
		As someone said, one of your callers, I'd like for maybe both of them if they want to comment.
		I think President Trump has a very large, incredibly large task on his hands by dealing with these leaders of the world, Russia and Ukraine, in a war.
		He has to deal with both of them.
		He cannot force his opinion, even though everybody thinks he's a bully.
		I really don't think you can go around the world and just tell people what to do.
		And in regards to China, China has been doing everything to us for decades that President Trump is now trying to do to him, to Xi.
		And what I mean by doing to him is playing with money, taking whatever they can, not playing on a level field.
		I'll take my answer offline.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Mike, there on Ohio, Mr. Goodman.
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		I love that.
		I love the question and where he's going.
		He said something in particular, that the president has a large task on his hands.
		I'd argue it was made larger by the previous administration, who you could give credit to Michael on certain fronts, but largely, I think, was disappointing, that's to say, to be kind about it.
		And he's getting it on every front you can imagine, because he was getting on it in terms of security on the border, which is not just about how many people come across that imaginary line that seems to be imaginary, but fentanyl and gangs and the cartels and everything else.
		And he hasn't, you know, he inherited, he inherited the war in Ukraine, right, and everything that was going on in Gaza.
		It's a huge monumental task.
		And for that reason, I would beg the American people to have a little more patience to allow him to try to bring some of these in for a landing.
		Because if not, if we're going to react every day, every week, every month to, oh, well, what does the report card look like?
		How are we doing?
		We're closer to peace in Ukraine.
		Are we closer to the price of eggs coming down?
		If that's the way we're going to judge it, we'll get nowhere.
		One thing you have to credit China for is that they look at the future in terms of 25 years.
		A quarter is like a quarter of a century.
		They plan for 25 years out.
		We plan for like three months out.
		That's like a quarter of a quarter of a year.
		We have to think a little bit longer term.
		We have to give the leaders that are in play a chance to succeed because if they don't, and we decide, oh, we don't like that, we're going another way.
		And the other way has an even larger task, perhaps, on their hands.
		There's no one, even the greatest optimists out there.
		They're going to say, I feel good now.
		We're going to get this done finally.
		We've got to bring some of these things in again for Atlanta.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Mr. Larosa.
unidentified		Well, I would just say you mentioned inheriting.
		I mean, I have to remind people, because I don't think actually my old boss and their team did an effective job at this.
		But speaking of inheriting, I mean, we inherited a massive global crisis on a scale that no one has ever seen.
		Not even FDR inherited the national crisis that President Biden inherited.
		He was tasked to vaccinate an entire country, over 300 million people of all ages and all income brackets and all demographics.
		And he did that in the first 100 days.
		And he brought this country back from where it was when he took office.
		A half a million people had died of COVID.
		This was a pandemic unlike we had ever seen.
		And I'm not blaming President Trump for that, but his inability to manage a crisis.
		I mean, that is the one test we expect of our leaders, is to manage a crisis and to bring it to a close.
		And President Trump couldn't do that.
		It took President Biden to do that, to reopen our economy, to get our kids safely back in schools in a safe way, to reopen businesses and to get the American economy and the American sort of mainstream of culture back to normal.
		And we did that.
		And he had to make a lot of hard choices.
		So we inherited quite a bit.
		And I would just say that, you know, look, this isn't our war in Ukraine.
		President Trump didn't inherit it.
		I mean, we all inherited the problems of the world.
		That's the job of the commander-in-chief of the United States.
		I mean, no, it's not our war.
		But we have major national security interests in making sure that Ukraine is successful.
		I don't remember the last time a president wanted the Russians to be successful.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Let me pivot, though, quickly on that front, the relation of the United States with the European Union, because Ukraine is becoming a pivot point on that front.
		How would you describe it currently?
		What's your concern about the state of the relationship between the US?
unidentified		I mean, my concern is that we're not being a team player.
		Again, the Europeans and the United States have a major national self-interest from a security perspective and an economic perspective to make sure that Ukraine is successful.
		This is the promise we made in the 90s when they got rid of their nuclear weapons.
		The other entity, Russia, kept theirs.
		We need to make sure that we not only live up to our promises, but that we work with our friends and our allies to make sure that we see this through and that Ukraine is successful and we keep our own interests at play.
		Disconnecting from the world, disconnecting from the European Union and our European allies is not the way to keep America safer.
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		Mr. Goodman, succeeding.
		You talked about Ukraine.
		Succeeding with Ukraine is ending the war.
		All we were doing was continuing to fund more and more arms and weaponry going into Ukraine as Russia in response did the same and started to recruit Chinese and others onto the battlefield.
		Success is that, Michael.
		It's not just continuing to fight as long as we possibly can.
		But the other thing about the EU relationship, Donald Trump was very clear with NATO that it wasn't right, that we were putting so much more than most countries into the pact for mutual defense.
		He called him on that, and now you have more and more.
unidentified		We are the only country that has ever had to use NATO in our defense.
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		But more and more, he called him on that, and you see Germany and others that have really bellied up to the bar.
		And the other part of this, of course, with the EU, come back into, again, fair trade.
		It's okay, even with friends, to have disagreements.
		It's okay to say, you know what, what you're doing isn't right.
		Let's sit down and let's talk about it.
		You might not like the way that the president has gone about that discussion, opening the conversation, but I think it was a conversation that had to be had.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Let's go to Patrick.
		Patrick joins us from New Hampshire Republican line.
		Good morning.
unidentified		Good morning, gentlemen.
		So I just want to know Adam saying basically every point he keeps stealing my points to Michael about the war.
		Like, what is success?
		Like, the success was three and a half years of Russia owning 20% of the land and there being no movement.
		It was just a stalled war.
		And it's Russia's, you know, they're meant to run a war slow and steady and just chew up men and chew up men.
		And it's just like, where was it going to end?
		This is why we voted for change.
		Thank you.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Mr. LaRosa?
unidentified		Yeah.
		I would just say that there was a reason why the first Trump administration was continuing to send military aid to Ukraine when they weren't extorting the president of Ukraine for dirt on their political enemies here.
		But I would just say there was a reason for that.
		And that's because our country, you know, we can't sit by idly as one superpower tries to take land indiscriminately from a weaker neighbor.
		That's just, that's everything we stand against.
		And working with our allies to make sure not one American loses their life.
		First of all, that should be paramount.
		But also, this has significant consequences.
		If Russia can just keep taking land, what is next?
		Who is next?
		Is it Romania?
		Is it Poland?
		Well, we don't know.
		All we know is that history has taught us every time a dictatorial ship government, dictatorial government, has tried to increase their power by invading sovereign countries, it hasn't ended well.
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		I just offer this very short idea.
		Isn't it ironic that President Trump, who got all sorts of guff from a lot of people in America about being a threat to world peace, might actually be the one who brings it home for a landing?
		He's the one.
		He's the one that wanted to get out of Afghanistan.
		I mean, what the hell were we in Afghanistan for for all those years?
		What did we achieve?
		And of course, our exit was an absolute national embarrassment.
		But it's an irony that the one person people were worried about having his fingers close to the button is the one I think actually is going to bring peace to more peace than ever to the world.
unidentified		We'll see what that is.
		I mean, is peace having the Russians do whatever they want, taking whatever land they want?
		Are there no repercussions for invading a sovereign country and committing these mass genocides that they're committing?
		I mean, they're paying a significant price, but they are the invaders.
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		The biggest price that's being paid is in the lives of Ukrainians and others.
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		And loss of life, that should be paramount for our foreign policy.
unidentified		But it's unacceptable to the Ukrainians to keep allowing this to happen every couple of years, that the Russians can just run roughshod over the Ukrainian territory and take whatever they want.
		That's not acceptable to the Ukrainians.
		It's not acceptable to Europeans.
		It shouldn't be acceptable to us.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		This is from John.
		John is in Maryland.
		Independent line for our guests.
		John, go ahead.
unidentified		Good morning.
		Good morning, C-SPAN listeners, and good morning, America.
		I am so stoked right now to be an independent because I am listening to these two guys and I can actually hear them talking.
		They're not bickering against each other.
		They're not accusing each other.
		They're actually having a conversation about things that are actually going on in America.
		And I feel so good right now just listening because I've just picked the president and vice president of our next election.
		Man, these guys are hitting all the points, man.
		We are Americans.
		We need to look at each situation in its own gravity and not keep bickering against each other.
		Thank you guys so much.
		I'm not going to stay on it that long because I want to hear some more stuff you guys talk about.
		Thank you so much.
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		Hey, John, that's why Michael and I are on this show.
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		And not just that.
unidentified		Thank you, C-SPAN, for that.
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		Yeah, because we're all on set.
		I mean, C-SPAN is, I think, one of the very few places that Americans can still go where they really kind of get opinions from both ends.
		But generally, it is not trying to outpoint one another.
		It's trying to find out where the common ground is.
		And we need more of that, John.
		I applaud you for how you see the world, and we need more of that.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		You probably heard the story of the talk show host Bill Maher having dinner with the president and talking with him, getting a lot of criticism from those who would perceive him as a progressive.
		What do you think of that story of willing to talk to him?
		And what do you think of the bigger idea of hearing out someone else who may have political ideas differently?
unidentified		I don't like the idea that Gretchen Whitmer went to the Oval Office.
		I don't like the idea that she tried to then try to own the fact that she was there and tried to hide her.
		I think that was a self-inflicted wound.
		And I don't know if that's recoverable, not because she was meeting with Trump, in my view, but because she was trying to hide the fact that she was.
		I like it.
		That's what I want to see.
		I think that's what everybody wants to see more of.
		You can be, I'm sure there's a lot that Bill Maher and Donald Trump disagree on, but the fact that they're talking, that's a big deal.
		And I would just say, I mean, go ask Governor Whitmer and her team how many times she had a one-on-one in the Oval Office with the Democratic president.
		I bet we'd be surprised to find out, even though she was a national campaign chair of his presidential campaign.
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		Well, as you know, for those listeners that don't know the story, of course, Bill Maher had had his staff come up with all the things he had said that were antithetical to President Trump.
		I think they came up with 65 or something things.
		And then, of course, the president signed it when they were together.
		That is where we should go.
		Those are people that can fundamentally disagree on all sorts of fronts.
		But when you're invited to the White House and you have an exchange with the president, whoever that president is, whatever the party, it should be with a sense of the import and the significance it represents.
		And the biggest strength we have, Pedro in America, is the diversity of opinion.
		It's our biggest strength.
		Our biggest threat is dismissing those opinions.
		And that's, I think, for the last couple of years, one of the reasons I think the Democrats, I think, got into some kind of hot water.
		There was a sense of intolerance that was kind of being telegraphed on that party.
		We have to be more tolerant of each other.
		And I hope there are much, I hope we find many more moments like the one we just.
unidentified		Absolutely.
		I totally agree.
		I think, I mean, for my own party, I want us to get, we are, we pride ourselves on being a diverse party, but that has to mean diversity of opinions, diversity of thought.
		It can't just be this lockstep group thing, just following each other over the cliff like lemmings.
		There has to be a way that we can have hard conversations, uncomfortable conversations.
		And I would just say to the Democratic Party that if we were having uncomfortable, tough conversations in 2022 or 2023, we might not be where we are today.
		We could have possibly not a Trump 2.0.
		It could have been a new person that we're not talking about today.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		That's the advice.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		To what extent do you think the Democratic Party is willing to take that advice?
unidentified		We'll see.
		I think that's, look, I was a competitive swimmer for 17 years.
		I don't put the finals before the prelims.
		You have to win prelims to get to the finals.
		And the prelims for the Democratic Party is getting power back in Congress.
		You can't just fight to be right on the merits.
		You have to actually win elections in order to govern and to carry out the values to which you want to be governed.
		But you have to win first.
		And winning will take some compromising, whether it's on cultural issues like biological men playing in women's sports.
		It's going to take working with Republicans on maybe some work requirements for Medicare or Medicaid.
		I don't know.
		I'm sorry, Medicaid.
		It's going to take some supporting tough border bills.
		But that's how you bring the party back to the mainstream and you make people make voters who are disenchanted with the Democratic Party going too far left.
		That's how you bring them back.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		Advice for the Republican Party, and do you think they'll listen to it?
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		Advice on what?
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		In a general sense, any advice going forward.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		I know you've talked a lot about their influence under the president, but what advice else would you give them?
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		Two things.
		One, stick with the plan.
		Go forth and conquer.
		Stick with it.
		See it through to the end.
		But two, communicate more, I think, more openly to the American people about what the plan is and where we want to get to when it's all said and done.
		I think that's still a little murky for a lot of Americans, which is why there's some degree of unrest out there.
unidentified		The voters have been giving the president a lot of grace on a lot of things, and I think they want to believe that there is a plan.
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		And if we do that, we'll get to a point where Michael was almost to, which is the Olympics.
adam goodman ▲ ● ▼		It will be an Olympic moment for the American people.
pedro echevarria ▲ ● ▼		It's two guests joining us for this conversation this morning.
		You heard from Adam Goodman.
		He's a Republican strategist.
		He's the host of the 13th in Park podcast.
		Also, I'm Edward Murrow Fellow at Tufts University.
		Michael LaRose, a Democratic strategist, former press secretary to the First Lady Joe Biden.

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