Democratic Governors are Leading the Fight Against Trump

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Speaker 6 Democratic governors have been on the front lines of defending our democracy from Donald Trump and Doge.

Speaker 9 They've been laying the smack down to Donald Trump.

Speaker 10 We've been highlighting some of their efforts here, but they've been speaking directly.

Speaker 11 They've been speaking to the American people.

Speaker 13 And I think they have been meeting the moment.

Speaker 9 Let me highlight a few.

Speaker 7 Governor Pritzker of Illinois, when he's asked a question by Joe Galena of Call to

Speaker 9 Activism, if you could speak directly to Donald Trump, what would you tell him about what he's doing with Putin? Here, play this clip.

Speaker 15 If you could speak directly to Donald Trump, what would you tell him?

Speaker 16 What does Vladimir Putin have on you?

Speaker 17 See, he's not mincing words. I think that's what the American people want to hear right now.

Speaker 11 Here's Pritzker again in the recent speech he gave for the Center for American Progress.

Speaker 18 Let's play it.

Speaker 16 Americans are experiencing the cruelty that comes with authoritarian rule. Donald Trump has handed over the reins of power to Elon Musk and his fellow Doge bags

Speaker 16 so that they can find trillions of dollars that they need to give themselves a massive tax break.

Speaker 2 Think about that.

Speaker 16 What Musk and Trump are doing isn't about efficiencies or about cost savings. It is about cruelty.

Speaker 16 They're intentionally breaking the system and giving themselves the authority to rebuild it in their own interest.

Speaker 5 Powerful words. Look, I had the opportunity to interview Governor Andy Bashir, for example, of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Speaker 18 Here's what he told me.

Speaker 20 Well, bullying is always wrong and standing up for people is always right. Hate's always wrong and love's always right.
Judging people is always wrong and accepting them is always right.

Speaker 20 But I think what many Democrats are doing is misreading the last election. They're seeing that last ad that was played and and thinking that the last movable voters voted on that anti-trans issue.

Speaker 8 I don't think that they did.

Speaker 20 I think what Donald Trump convinced them

Speaker 20 is that his opponent was distracted by other issues while he was focused on prices and the economy. And so this isn't an either or.
As a Democrat, stand up for what you believe in.

Speaker 20 Stand up for protecting people. But at the same time, the next day, be out there opening that new new factory.

Speaker 20 Be in your community cutting the ribbon on the new clinic where people are going to be able to see a doctor that are right there.

Speaker 20 Be out there making sure that public safety is improving for everybody. You know, we've got to show people that you can stand up for your principles while at the same time.

Speaker 20 Being there every single day for every working family, regardless of their politics. We have to do both and understand that this is not an I.

Speaker 21 And here's Governor Shapiro of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on the Midas Touch Network.

Speaker 22 When Donald Trump took the oath of office, he took the oath of office to be president of the United States and be the leader of the free world, as presidents have been for many generations, stretching back even before Ronald Reagan and the changes that came there.

Speaker 22 He went from being the leader of the free world to now, in just one month, wanting to be a leader of a single hemisphere and leaving China and Russia in charge of the other hemispheres.

Speaker 15 That is deeply, deeply dangerous for America's national security interests. It is deeply troubling to see a president retreat in the face of Vladimir Putin and President Xi.

Speaker 22 We need a president who's going to stand up for America's interests, who wants to be the leader of the free world.

Speaker 22 He has demonstrated nothing but weakness when it comes to national security over the course of his first month in office. Ben, we need to talk about this more.

Speaker 22 America's national security is at risk as a result of these decisions the president has made.

Speaker 5 I could keep showing you more of these. I'll do one more.

Speaker 12 Governor Gretchen Whitmer, incredible governor from Michigan.

Speaker 23 Today we're really proud to announce that enrollment in Michigan's free pre-K program has reached 47,500, which is the highest we've been in over a decade.

Speaker 23 So that's 56% of Michigan's four-year-olds who are now enrolled in Great Start Readiness Program, or GSRP.

Speaker 23 At facilities just like this one, these young Michiganders learn invaluable skills and get on track to start kindergarten better prepared to learn.

Speaker 23 Because of our work, thousands more kids are getting the education that they deserve and their parents have peace of mind to know that they are supported and in safe places, and they're also saving money too, a lot of money, because we know that free pre-K saves parents an average of $10,000 a year for a combined, when you think of all the parents whose kids are now enrolled, $475 million of savings.

Speaker 23 Think about that. Think about what it means for a middle-class family.
A year of rent or bills or a down payment, savings for college or a rainy day.

Speaker 5 I'm joined by Ophiria Heskel Ophira from the Democratic Governors Association.

Speaker 13 Welcome to the Midas Touch podcast.

Speaker 9 So I showed that incredible group of Democratic governors. Frankly, I kept on going on.

Speaker 11 I feel bad. I wanted to keep going on, but I want to get you, want to get your take on it.

Speaker 9 Tell us about the governors right now standing up in the face of the threats by Donald Trump and Doge and Musk.

Speaker 24 Well, I could have watched that for a longer time too, Ben. I think they're really just showing where we should go forward as a party.

Speaker 24 I think they're some of the best messengers because they really speak their values very clearly. And it's why we have Democratic governors in places like Kentucky.

Speaker 24 I think Andy Bashier has been a great governor for the Commonwealth because he's willing to stand up for his values, but he also makes it clear that he's going to deliver for the people of Kentucky.

Speaker 24 And Josh Shapiro, Gretchen Whitmer, Governor Pritzker, all feel the same. And I think this is a moment right now where who your governor is really hasn't mattered more than it does right now.

Speaker 24 They show that, I think, every day. And that's why I'm so motivated by the work we're doing at DGA to keep electing them.

Speaker 24 We have 38 races over the next two years that are going to require a lot of time, energy, and attention. And they're a great example of why these races matter.

Speaker 12 38 races in the next, what, year and a half, two years?

Speaker 11 I mean, what, there are two this year, right?

Speaker 10 Two this year. Next year, there's going to be 36.
So

Speaker 10 that's most of the states right there are going to have these elections.

Speaker 13 And what do you think the main issues are that these governors are going to be talking about?

Speaker 9 I mean, I know people are terrified their Medicaid is going to be taken away. Musk is talking about Social Security's a Ponzi scheme.

Speaker 12 And I mean, I think these governors are on the front lines of protecting people.

Speaker 9 What are you hearing?

Speaker 24 Well, for us, it's been these kitchen table issues. We heard people loud and clear when they said the economy was on their minds.

Speaker 24 And that's something that I think Democratic governors have taken a lot of action to deliver on.

Speaker 24 Governor Moore, I know you had on your podcast the other day, and he was talking about how in just two years, he's delivered more jobs to Maryland than the previous Republican governor.

Speaker 24 I like to call Josh Shapiro Jobs Shapiro because I feel like every other day he's got an economic development announcement that he's sharing about what they're doing in Pennsylvania and could go right on down the list.

Speaker 24 But I think also to your point, Ben, and what we've been discussing, people being concerned.

Speaker 24 Governors are really a backstop against a lot of the chaos that we're seeing from Republicans on the federal level, And they're really a protection against any attacks that we're seeing on fundamental freedoms.

Speaker 24 And I think they use their voices to really stand up for their values and the people of their states and to fight for what's right. So I think.

Speaker 24 again who your governor is really hasn't mattered more than it does right now and that's been how we've been able to elect democratic governors in five of the seven presidential battleground states it's why we've been able to protect so many incumbents i think 26 out of 27 in the past few years and looking to continue that that winning record in the next two years over the 38 races I mentioned.

Speaker 10 You know, one of the races that I'm very focused on

Speaker 10 is Abigail Spanberger's race in Virginia.

Speaker 12 Former congresswoman from Virginia worked in the intelligence agencies, worked her way up through that. Incredible congresswoman, now running for governor of Virginia.

Speaker 12 I had her on the Midas Touch network a few weeks back.

Speaker 11 Here's what she had to say when

Speaker 18 Glenn Youngkin, who's basically

Speaker 10 a Trumper there, but he wears a vest versus a long red tie, says that he's good with all of these federal job cuts. He's fine with Virginians losing jobs.

Speaker 18 Here's what Congresswoman Spanberger told me.

Speaker 25 I think the governor of Virginia has a primary job, and that is to stand up for Virginians and to stand up for Virginia.

Speaker 25 And what is just unbelievable at this moment is that our governor and our lieutenant governor, who's my opponent in our November 2025 race, are doing neither,

Speaker 25 excusing the fact that Virginians who work hard, Virginians who serve our country, that they are losing their jobs, have already lost them and are fearful that tomorrow might be the day they get that fateful email.

Speaker 25 It's just outrageous.

Speaker 11 Can you talk to that race in Virginia?

Speaker 17 And just in general, it does seem like all of these Republican governor candidates are fully embracing the most extreme elements of MAGA, cheering on cuts to Medicaid, cuts to education, cuts to all of the programs in their state that rely on state-federal partnerships.

Speaker 24 Well, even today, you know, a bunch of Republican governors are supposed to join Trump at the White House where he's going to celebrate cutting the Department of Education.

Speaker 24 And that's going to mean a lot of kids and parents in this country see funding to their public school go down. And that's a real shame.
I think we should all be raising our voices against that.

Speaker 24 But to bring it back to Virginia, that's a big governor's race for us this year.

Speaker 24 Looking forward to flipping that state back blue after you mentioned Glenn Young and Winston Sears have just not been standing up for Virginians. They are uniquely impacted by these federal layoffs.

Speaker 24 So it's not just the human impact, but also it really impacts Virginia's economy.

Speaker 24 And if Virginia is going to stay a competitive state, it needs good leaders who are driving the state forward and willing to raise their voice again against the chaos that we're seeing in Washington when it makes sense to do so.

Speaker 24 But also, I want to point out that Winston Sears, the lieutenant governor, his lieutenant governor, has done things like voted against protecting access to contraception in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Speaker 24 And I think that's really out of step with where a lot of Virginians are and want to see the Commonwealth go.

Speaker 24 So we're looking forward to going on offense and putting that state back in our blue column.

Speaker 12 Ophir, where can people find out more about the various races?

Speaker 7 If they wanted to be helpful to your organization, where do they go?

Speaker 24 Well, they can text DemGovs to 30201 and you'll get a lot of information about how you can support our races.

Speaker 24 And like I said, 38 races over the next two years means a lot of time and energy and support for them. And thank you, Ben, for having so many of our governors on your show already.

Speaker 24 I think it's really driven home that a lot of our bench is here in the States. And a lot of them will be up for re-election next year.

Speaker 24 So I want to make sure that we're able to make sure that they're running through the tape and continuing to deliver for the people in their states.

Speaker 10 Well, we'll keep having the governors on because I want to highlight people who are fighting for the people.

Speaker 17 I mean, from my perspective, really, regardless of what political party you're from, I want to see people leading the state who aren't cheering on.

Speaker 11 people losing jobs and losing health care in the state.

Speaker 7 I don't know.

Speaker 21 It feels common sense to me in this moment.

Speaker 9 And you're right. I mean, that image of the Republican governors cheering on the gutting of the Department of Education, where kids in their states are going to suffer.

Speaker 9 Then I go back to what I showed at the beginning of this video with Governor Whitmer and others talking about delivering services to people and giving lunches and helping people.

Speaker 8 Such a contrast.

Speaker 11 Thank you for joining us. We want you to come back.

Speaker 13 You should come back every you know every few months or even less to give us updates on all the great things.

Speaker 19 You'd like, Ben.

Speaker 24 This is really awesome. So, thank you so much.

Speaker 10 We appreciate everybody. Hit subscribe.
Let's get to 5 million subscribers.

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