Greg Belfrage Podcasts

President Trump on Thursday reacted to reports that more than 1,000 migrants are heading toward the U.S. from Mexico, which he connected to sweeping Republican losses in the midterms. A Chiapas state government source told Reuters that around 1,500 people, including several families with small children and strollers, left the Mexican city of Tapachula by Guatemala’s border on Tuesday. “Here we go again! With the perceived loss by the Republicans in the Midterms — I WAS NOT ON THE BALLOT — the INVASION of our Country is taking place again,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Huge CARAVANS are forming and beginning their illegal march through Mexico.” He directed a warning toward Mexico, saying the country’s government must stop the caravan or the “Tariffs on Mexico will be IMMEDIATELY DOUBLED.” “MEXICO, THE GOVERNOR OF TEXAS, THE VERY LIBERAL NEW GOVERNOR OF TEXAS, OUR GREAT BORDER PATROL, & ICE, HAVE BEEN SO INFORMED,” the president’s post concluded. “There will be no leniency!” Many of the migrants, coming from Central America, told Reuters and other outlets that the Democratic victories last week could open new opportunities for them in the U.S. “There might be a light at the end of the tunnel, a way for us to ​get in,” Cesar Sandoval, a 47-year-old Nicaraguan migrant who the U.S. deported a few months ago, told the outlet. “We believe the Democrats will help us … with God’s help.” They are looking to reach Mexico City to receive help from the federal government and protection against detainment at the U.S. border, according to Reuters. Honduran migrant Billy Noe Martinez, who survived the 2010 massacre of 72 migrants in Tamaulipas, said he hoped Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum would be moved by the their situation “and allow us to move forward,” the newswire reported. Trump made migrant caravans a key message ahead of the 2018 midterms with unfounded claims that Democrats were seemingly behind the movement. The president even claimed that there were Middle Eastern migrants and terrorists mixed in with the groups, before admitting to a reporter that there was “no proof of anything” when asked about the rhetoric. This messaging was mirrored prior to the 2026 midterms amid student protests across Europe, notably in France.

ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith debriefed his White House interview with President Donald Trump on “Hannity” Thursday and warned that Democrats face a challenge from the party’s far-left side, the New York Post reports. “I definitely think that right now, the Democrats have a challenge on their hands because clearly there’s a lot of people out there that view the Democratic Party as a divided party,” Smith told Sean Hannity. “Now they will tell you they’re a very big tent and there’s room for everybody, but I think that the progressive left has shown you there isn’t room for everybody.” “If you’re not willing to capitulate to their desires, their wishes and their ideological beliefs 100%, then they got a problem with you,” he said. Smith said the pair discussed “devastating” GOP midterm losses during a 40-minute, wide-ranging interview. Trump held his ground on the midterms. “[Trump] was just very rigid and immovable in his thinking that it was blown by the people who lost and that the candidates on the Republican side simply were not good enough. It was not about him,” Smith said. Smith also addressed speculation that Trump offered him the role of White House press secretary. “That was absolutely hilarious,” he said. “Evidently, they don’t know about the life that I live and the kind of affluence that ESPN and Disney have blessed me with.” “I wouldn’t take that pay cut for almost anything but the presidency,” Smith said. “That ain’t happening. Press secretary? Please.” Smith called out Democrats who have declined interviews and expressed gratitude that Trump agreed to sit down with him. “I give him credit,” he said. “I asked a question, and he answered, and he didn’t run from anything.”

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Nvidia's Jensen Huang resigned yesterday after admitting to an affair with a woman U.S. intelligence believes is a Chinese spy. Alice Huang, no relation, worked at a Singapore company that bought billions in Nvidia chips. Officials suspected those chips were being diverted to China. They also concluded she was feeding information to China's Ministry of State Security and had a close relationship with Huang. He admitted the affair, the board opened an investigation, and he later resigned after reports of a second affair inside the company. China denies she is a spy. Nvidia makes the chips that matter most in the AI race, and the U.S. has been trying to keep the best ones out of China's hands. 

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Stacey Andernacht sat down with Greg to talk about Feeding South Dakota's upcoming Thanksgiving Meal giveaway. 

Stacey explains everything you need to know if you are in need of help during this holiday season. 

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A video of Scott Pressler being turned away from the South Dakota GOP convention dinner is making the rounds again this morning.It is not new. Pressler posted it again yesterday after Senate Republicans voted to keep John Thune as Minority Leader. He is using the old footage to argue that nothing has changed on the SAVE America Act.Here is what actually happened. Pressler had a paid ticket to the dinner in Rapid City this summer where Thune was speaking. He was stopped at the door. He started filming himself outside. The sergeant at arms told him to leave because he was posting about it. That same night, South Dakota GOP Chairman Jim Eschenbaum apologized. He said the handling was wrong, the sergeant at arms was removed, and he owned the decision to deny Pressler entry.

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In Belf's News Gallery, Greg Belfrage goes over the latest in trending news.

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Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland has announced he will challenge New York's Chuck Schumer for the job of Senate majority leader, pushing the party into a fresh debate over its future just days after sweeping victories in the midterm elections. Van Hollen made the announcement on Thursday, saying voters sent a clear message in the midterms — that they want "change from the status quo." "It's now on us to meet this moment, and to do that we need new leadership," Van Hollen said in a statement. "This is not about any one person — it's about answering the call of the American people. That is why I'm running for Senate Majority Leader."

Democratic state Sen. Cindy Holscher has narrowly won Kansas’ race for governor, NBC News projected Thursday, extending the party’s hold on the office in the red state. Holscher defeated Republican state Senate President Ty Masterson, who was backed by President Donald Trump, to succeed two-term Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. While Trump carried Kansas — a state where registered Republicans outnumber registered Democrats nearly 2 to 1 — by double digits in the latest three presidential elections, polling had shown a close race down the stretch due mostly to voter frustrations with Trump and his handling of the economy. Democrats also benefited from increased attention on the traditionally conservative state as its Senate race tightened.

The US intelligence community is still working to understand the relationship between a Chinese businesswoman who had an affair with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and the Chinese government, with multiple sources telling CNN that the intelligence collected on her to date does not prove that she was acting as a spy for Beijing. There is disagreement among US officials about the strength of the evidence that Alice Huang was recruited by the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS), the Chinese equivalent of the CIA, to spy on Jensen Huang — and, by extension, on US policymakers. The FBI has been investigating Huang’s affair for at least a year. But Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Thursday that there are still “no conclusions reached by the Department of Justice, or by me, or by [FBI] Director Patel around who she is or is not.” President Donald Trump also hedged Thursday on whether the US had determined she was a spy, when commentator Stephen A. Smith asked whether Huang was right to have stepped down as CEO.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth awarded the soldier who reprimanded him and members of his staff at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier a Joint Service Commendation Medal on Thursday. “We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist,” Hegseth said in a post on social media. “Carry on Patriots.” A Pentagon official confirmed that Hegseth welcomed the 3rd Infantry Regiment, known as The Old Guard, to the Pentagon “where he proudly awarded Specialist Iglesias the Joint Service Commendation Medal for the execution of his duties at the Tomb of the unknown Soldier on November 11, 2026.” Hegseth, his wife, chief of staff Ricky Buria, deputy chief of staff Patrick Weaver and senior adviser and deputy assistant Tami Radabaugh were taking photos in front of the tomb after a Veterans Day ceremony on Wednesday at Arlington National Cemetery when some in the group were heard laughing and chatting after the photos were taken. The soldier patrolling in front of the tomb, Spc. Thomas Iglesias stopped walking and faced the group. “All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times,” Iglesias called out.

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U.S. Senator Mike Rounds joins us to discuss his re-election and thank South Dakotans for their continued support. 

We also talk about his decision to cast the lone Republican vote against advancing the permitting reform bill, what Republicans hope to accomplish in the coming months while they maintain control in Washington, and other key issues facing Congress.

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Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris is telling John Thune to deliver something before Republicans lose the Senate in January.Harris and the Freedom Caucus sent Thune a letter on what they want done in the remaining weeks: border measures, spending held at current levels, no year-end omnibus, and another vote on voter ID. Harris said he hopes Thune got the message from the election that you actually have to deliver something. On amendments slowing a third reconciliation bill, Harris told Thune to suck it up. That is the legislative process.Thune is still the Senate Republican leader until January. He says the Senate will stay as long as needed. The Freedom Caucus is saying the remaining agenda is on his desk and the clock is running out.

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In Belf's News Gallery, Greg Belfrage goes over the latest in trending news.

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President Donald Trump observed Veterans Day at Arlington National Cemetery Wednesday.The president laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown soldier to honor the nation's veterans before delivering remarks at the amphitheater.Trump's motorcade took a different route to the revered burial ground instead of traveling over Memorial Bridge and around a traffic circle where he wants to build a triumphal arch.Trump's appearance at the cemetery comes a day after nine Kennedy family members joined several lawsuits seeking to block construction, saying the towering 250-foot arch would cast a shadow over their relatives' gravesites there.Trump told veterans gathered in the amphitheater that service members "are indeed our protection in battle."He says military families "are amazing" and are "among the very best of our nation."

Trump also recognized individual veterans and asking them to stand, including a 103-year-old who served in World War II.

Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus said Wednesday they plan to spend the last 53 days of Republican congressional control working around the clock to achieve their agenda of less spending, less government and less taxes. On Monday, the group of GOP representatives sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority John Thune, R-S.D., urging them to strip Democrats of legislative leverage before they assume the majority in January. "We think we're the only ones right now with the plan to finish the job, and we hope it'll be accepted," House Freedom Caucus Chair Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., said during a news conference with 14 members of the group on Wednesday. "Republicans should not leave town until these priorities are completed and Democrats are denied every possible leverage point." The group outlined eight priorities for the Republican-controlled Congress before Jan. 3, when Democratic majorities are sworn in to both the House and the Senate, following resounding wins in last week's midterm elections. The group is calling on Congress to pass a reconciliation package that would fund the modernization of the U.S. military, decrease Americans' healthcare spending and reduce government spending by $1 trillion to begin chipping away at the country's $40 trillion in debt. It also calls for banning so-called sanctuary cities that either limit or refuse cooperation with federal immigration authorities, passing legislation that requires voter IDs in federal elections and only reauthorizing federal programs if they are fiscally responsible and reduce consumer prices. "The bottom line is the American people sent a pretty clear message: They want Congress actually to do something, and we still have almost two months to get that done," Harris said. The group of ultra-conservative Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives was founded in 2015 by nine lawmakers, including Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, who served as its first chair and on Tuesday was voted in to lead the House minority next year. The group has not publicly released its list of members, but some of its known and current members were voted out of office either during the primaries over the summer or during last week's midterm elections, including Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Rep. Chip Roy of Texas and Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania. "Last week was not a good week for Republicans, but many of us saw it coming," House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., said Wednesday. "Many of us had conversations behind closed doors about how things were going, and how this Congress was sleepwalking after we passed the Big, Beautiful Bill, and not getting done what the American people sent us here to do." He said Democrats flipping more than 40 House seats and seven Senate seats last week was "humbling" for Republicans, who paid the price for not doing everything they set out to do when they had the majority. "We face a choice: Secure our victories or wave the white flag to the radical left," House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., said Wednesday. "The left is determined to fundamentally transform our nation, but we must be even more determined to preserve it." Democratic Congressional leaders say they are committed to addressing affordability and accountability when they are sworn in and become the majority in early January. House Democratic Caucus leaders said on Tuesday they plan to reverse Medicaid cuts and restore the Affordable Care Act tax credits ended by the Trump administration. "It's going to be endless impeachments. It's going to be endless regulations. It's going to be endless judicial fights," Norman said. "We're getting ready to see a test of our will." Norman said there's no better time for Republicans to "deliver on less government, less taxes, less regulations. I think we can do that — to not look in the rear-view mirror but to look ahead. We can change this country for the betterment. If we don't, we're going to lose this country." Harris said he believes it is possible for the caucus to work with Democrats, including on a bipartisan stock trading ban. He said the group is willing to negotiate with Democrats on an expected debt ceiling increase but only if they get something in return, such as legislation to enact a voter ID requirement in federal elections. Before the Democrats are seated, Harris said he is hoping the Republican-led Senate will work with the House on "areas of common interest, but in the end, it's gonna be Mr. Thune's decision," he said of the current Senate majority leader who will continue leading the Republican minority next year. On Thursday, Thune said the Senate GOP is "committed to being here to do whatever it takes to get as much done as we can" before the Democrats have the majority. "That means extending the calendar here, the number of days we're here, the number of hours we're here, the number of votes we may end up taking," Thune said. "But we are going to finish this legislative session strong."

And so much more...... 

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