Featuring Matthew Cooke, writer-director of How to Make Money Selling Drugs, a documentary film that criticizes the war on drugs in the United States, and Survivors' Guide to Prison, about the prison system. Cooke also often serves as his own narrator, editor, cinematographer, and visual effects artist.

We learn about the importance of researching the origins of our perspectives, creativity, storytelling, and the political climate, among other things.

We're six days into what could spiral into World War III, and only 20 members of Congress think maybe Trump shouldn't have unilateral war powers. Meanwhile, Democratic leadership keeps pushing the same losing "moderate" strategy.

In this episode, I explain why the anti-war position IS the moderate position Democrats should embrace. Trump's base is already splitting over potential war with Iran - Tucker Carlson and Steve Bannon are warning it would "end Trump's presidency." But instead of capitalizing on this, Democrats are following AIPAC scripts and proposing bailout funds for a healthcare system that's bleeding us dry.

If Democrats want to stop losing to convicted felons, they need to become the party that delivers for working people - not the party that delivers bombs and corporate bailouts.

We also dive into the healthcare crisis (projected $77 trillion in spending over the next decade), why privatization has failed, and what it would actually look like for Democrats to present a vision of government that works.

Live from the No Kings protest in Knoxville, I join Steve Schmidt to report on something I didn't expect to see in East Tennessee - 5,000 people in the streets, including Trump voters who feel betrayed.

In this conversation, I share what protesters told me on the ground:

• Trump voters saying "this isn't what I voted for" as ICE raids hit their neighbors
• A WWII vet on a walker saying he's fighting fascism again
• Why even bodybuilders and construction workers showed up
• The fear spreading through Latino communities that make up 12-13% of our towns

Steve and I dig into the bigger picture:

• Why the Democratic Party is still less popular than Republicans (even now)
• How Tennessee went from 5 Democratic House members to the worst delegation in Congress
• Why I told Steve the only way Democrats win in Tennessee is by running AGAINST the Democratic establishment
• The party's lack of identity beyond "not Trump"

We also talk about what Tennessee used to be - a state built by federal programs like TVA and the Manhattan Project. Programs that actually built things. Oak Ridge is 10 miles from my house, still prosperous because of government investment. But I'm 44 and haven't seen the federal government build anything lasting here since the interstate system.

My take: Democrats have become a decline management party. We need to stop managing decline and start building again. There's nothing inherently incapable about us as a people - we built the TVA, we won WWII with American manufacturing, NASA developed the tech SpaceX uses.

The MAGA movement needs to be defeated and buried. But the mechanism we have to do that - the Democratic Party - is broken in places like Tennessee.

This is about more than one protest. It's about whether we're going to rebuild something meaningful or just keep managing the decline.

Recorded January 2025 from Knoxville, Tennessee.

What happens when a Lincoln Project founder sits down with a progressive organizer? More agreement than you'd expect.

Rick Wilson (Republican strategist turned Trump critic) and Corbin Trent (Bernie 2016, AOC architect) find surprising common ground in this no-BS conversation about America's broken systems. Two veteran political communicators from opposite sides of the aisle cut through partisan talking points to expose what's really destroying American democracy.

Topics covered:

• Federal troops in cities: The dangerous normalization
• Why Democrats can't message on immigration
• The working class exodus from both parties
• How automation/AI will devastate jobs (and politics)
• Bipartisan corruption: "Both parties are trading stocks"
• Healthcare's $77 trillion catastrophe
• Gavin Newsom's media mastery vs Trump
• Why retraining promises are political fairy tales
• The competition crisis killing American markets

Key revelations:

• Why Hispanic voters are fleeing Democrats
• How insider trading corrupts both parties
• The healthcare cost bomb about to explode
• Why working class voters trust neither party

This isn't red vs blue theatre - it's two political professionals diagnosing a system in crisis.

#RickWilson #LincolnProject #BipartisanDialogue #PoliticalStrategy #WorkingClassPolitics #HealthcareCrisis #AIAutomation #PoliticalCorruption #ImmigrationDebate #DemocraticStrategy #CrossPartyConversation #InsiderTrading #EconomicPolicy #PoliticalCommunications #AmericanPolitics

Two Democratic operatives from different wings of the party hash out what went wrong and where we go from here. Mike Nellis (White Guys for Kamala founder, 20-year Democratic strategist) and Corbin Trent (former AOC comms director, Bernie 2016 organizer) find surprising common ground despite their establishment vs. progressive divide.

From their shared Bernie 2016 origins to their current split on strategy, they tackle:

• Why Democrats keep losing working-class voters
• The $77 trillion healthcare disaster no one's addressing
• Consumer debt crisis: Americans financing groceries with Klarna
• AI's threat to manufacturing jobs (and who will own the robots)
• The Democratic Party's fatal communication problem
• Should we primary Hakeem Jeffries? (They disagree)
• Why primaries make Democrats stronger
• Building a Marshall Plan for America

Key revelations:

• Tennessee had 5/9 Democratic House members when Obama won
• Bottom 80% of Americans spend over 100% of income on essentials
• 50-60% of consumer spending comes from the top 1%
• Half of Congress in 1950s didn't have college degrees

This isn't your typical left vs. center shadowboxing - it's two strategists who want to win having an honest conversation about how.

Republican Congressman Tim Burchett (TN-02) sits down for a surprisingly candid conversation about what's really broken in Washington - and it's not what you'd expect from a typical partisan interview.

In this eye-opening discussion, Rep. Burchett breaks ranks to discuss:

• How MAGA differs from traditional GOP politics
• The lobbyist stranglehold on BOTH parties
• Why healthcare costs are spiraling toward catastrophe
• Military contractor waste and corruption
• When government should compete with private sector
• The deep state bureaucracy blocking real accountability
• Finding common ground across party lines

Burchett doesn't pull punches about corruption in his own party or the Democrats, offering rare honest insights from inside Congress. Whether discussing unsustainable healthcare spending, military-industrial complex influence, or the need for real government reform, this conversation proves that substantive dialogue across party lines is still possible.

This isn't your typical left-right shouting match - it's two people who care about fixing America's problems having a real conversation about solutions.

#TimBurchett #BipartisanPolitics #MAGAMovement #HealthcareReform #LobbyingReform #MilitarySpending #GovernmentAccountability #TennesseePolitics #RepublicanReform #PoliticalCorruption #CrossingTheAisle #CongressionalReform #FiscalResponsibility #PoliticalPodcast #GovernmentWaste

Legendary political commentator Chris Matthews joins us for a no-holds-barred discussion about why Democrats can't seem to connect with American voters - and keep making the same mistakes.

In this live conversation, we dig into the harsh realities facing the Democratic Party: an increasingly insular Congress, tone-deaf messaging, and a fundamental misunderstanding of what voters actually want. Matthews brings decades of political insight to explain why Biden's personal brand worked in 2020 but why that formula can't be replicated.

Key topics covered:

• Why Democrats haven't learned from electoral losses
• The dangerous disconnect between DC and Main Street
• How ignoring half the country backfires spectacularly
• Why real-life experience matters more than credentials
• The economic erosion destroying voter trust
• What authentic leadership actually looks like
• Why voters want fundamental change, not tweaks

Matthews doesn't pull punches on either party, offering sharp analysis on why traditional political strategies are failing and what it really takes to win in modern America.

Whether you're a political junkie or just trying to understand why nothing seems to change, this conversation cuts through the spin to deliver real insights on American politics.

#ChrisMatthews #DemocraticParty #PoliticalAnalysis #VoterDisconnect #2024Election #BidenAdministration #ElectoralPolitics #WorkingClassVoters #PoliticalStrategy #AuthenticLeadership #AmericanPolitics #ElectionAnalysis #PoliticalCommentary #DemocratsInCrisis #VoterOutreach

Your dad bought a house with 5 years of work. You need 10. Healthcare took 2 weeks of wages in 1950. Now it's 4 months. This isn't progress - it's decline.

In this eye-opening episode, Corbin Trent exposes the biggest economic lie we've been told: that each generation is better off than the last. Using his "Years of Work" metric, he strips away the statistical tricks economists use to hide our declining standard of living.

Discover why a single income in the 1950s could support a family, house, car, and comfortable life - while today two incomes barely keep families afloat. Learn how "hedonic adjustments" make economists claim you're richer because your car has airbags, even though it costs twice as much work to buy.

From his uncle who bagged groceries and owned a Camaro to his papaw who went from sharecropper to homeowner, Corbin shares real stories that expose the American Dream's collapse.

#EconomicReality #YearsOfWork #CostOfLiving #WageStagnation #AmericanDecline #EconomicTruth #MiddleClassCrisis #GenerationalWealth #HousingCrisis #HealthcareCosts #RealWages #EconomicPodcast #FinancialTruth #NAFTAImpact #WorkingClass

33% of US healthcare costs go to administration. Japan? 1.6%. This is just one shocking stat that exposes how broken our economic system really is.

Join Congressman Ro Khanna and Corbin Trent for a no-BS conversation about the real state of America's economy. While official statistics claim wages are rising, Corbin's "basket of essentials" analysis shows why working families are drowning.

Discover why Apple pays $50 million/year to train Chinese workers while claiming manufacturing can't return to America. Learn how Medicare for All could save American businesses 25-30% on employee costs. Understand why separating design from production was America's biggest economic mistake.

Rep. Khanna shares insider perspective on:

• Why Democrats are too risk-averse to fight for real change
• How healthcare costs are destroying American competitiveness
• The real reason manufacturing left (hint: it wasn't just cheap labor)
• Why China is beating us at our own game
• How to rebuild American industry without just raising tariffs

Plus: The shocking truth about real wages, why businesses should champion Medicare for All, and what it really takes to compete with China's infrastructure miracle.

In this episode of America's Undoing, Corbin Trent shares his journey from a general contractor to a political activist, discussing the economic realities faced by working-class Americans. He reflects on personal stories that highlight the changing landscape of opportunity and the impact of political decisions on everyday lives. The conversation delves into the decline of America and explores potential solutions for a brighter future.