Make no mistake but we are in the midst of a surge of political violence from the horrific killings of the former Speaker of the Minnesota House and her husband to increasing clashes with ICE agents. Trump wants this violence to excuse him to impose even more authoritarian control over his enemies. We dive deep into it this week as he threatens to send thousands of Federal agents and the military to Chicago. A city that is literally over three times larger than his practice exercise in Washington D.C. Fred speaks with Dr. Robert Pape from the University of Chicago and director of the Chicago Project on Security and Threats (CPOST) as well as Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth a combat veteran of the National Guard herself. We must act now to stop this illegal deployment that will undoubtedly lead to more violence, stripping of our rights, and damage to our military’s reputation for decades to come.  

Trump spent the week musing about being a dictator and picking fights with governors over his sudden interest in law and order…even as he refuses to release the Epstien files. There is a real sense that we are the proverbial frog in the pot as the water keeps heating up and millions of our fellow citizens seem to be missing it. Many in the pro-democracy space are baffled by the increasing open authoritarianism of Trump and how so many including the media seem to be completely missing the point. Fred sits down with content creator and journalist Steven Beschloss to discuss the moment. Beschloss has created award-winning content, as a writer, journalist, editor and filmmaker. Consistent in this work is a passion for writing and a belief in the transformative power of story. He applies that in a dozen different ways to our fight for our democracy today and especially through his newsletter ‘America, America’ focused on politics and society, democracy and justice.
Subscribe to Steven’s Substack at: https://www.americaamerica.news/

Trump and his Republican minions have been hard at work this last week making sure he can stay in power and keep the House. From redistricting mid-decade to attacking mail-in voting, they have a rotten plan to suppress Democratic voters. The fight is on thanks to Democratic leaders not taking it laying down. But, what’s next? One of the biggest complaints many have about the Democratic Party is that they are not offering a vision for the future other than being anti-Trump. Many of the party leaders are stepping up to lead the way on countering that narrative and recently Ohio Congressman Greg Landsman offered a multi-step Pledge to America as a path to a more prosperous and secure future for all Americans. Representative Greg Landsman is a father and husband who is proud to call Southwest Ohio home. Prior to his time in elected office, Greg was a public school teacher and worked in education advocacy. Greg earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science from Ohio University and a master’s degree in Theology from Harvard University. In Congress, Representative Landsman serves on the House Committee on Small Business and the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
You can learn more about Congressman Landsman’s campaign: https://www.landsmanforcongress.com/

As the military descends on Washington D.C., and the Border Patrol just randomly showed up at Governor Gavin Newsom’s press conference in LA, it’s increasingly clear that the Trump Administration wants us to be intimidated and scared. How about if we don’t? Their games aren’t fooling veterans who know what it really takes to militarize a nation. Fred sits down with his friend Patrick Murphy who was the first Iraq War veteran to get elected to Congress. He went on to serve as the 32nd Under Secretary of the Army. Today, as an entrepreneur and advocate, Patrick harnesses the power of the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to help veterans find jobs, start businesses, and secure quality health care and mental health services. He and Fred dive into the issues of these deployments, how veterans can lead the charge for Democrats, and more.

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Fred Wellman is solo this week to discuss the dismantaling of our Department’s of Defense and Veterans Affairs by the Trump Administration. You’ve heard the rumors about Pete Hegseth and his religious extremism but we are seeing it unfold in real time with his attacks on women leaders and transgender service members. Over at the VA Doug Collins is acting like he is fixing the second largest government agency and largest healthcare provider in the U.S. when he is truly breaking it apart. Shocking new reports this week show how they are losing doctors and nurses faster than they can be replaced and sending veterans to unqualified civilian mental healthcare providers. All of it is right in line with Project 2025’s goal to all but privatize the VA and enrich the insurance industry at the expense of those who have served. Watch it all and see the facts!

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The Republicans have decided the only way they can win in 2026 is to cheat. It’s clear their policies are alienating millions of Americans and the Big Ugly Bill has landed like an anchor around their necks. So King Donald has asked his minions to rid him of this meddlesome election and Texas Governor Greg Abbott is happy to roll in to save him. With help from the thoroughly corrupt Department of Justice they are trying to do a rare mid-decade redistricting to get rid of majority minority districts and hand the Republicans five seats in the House. Our host Fred Wellman sits down with Texas House District-49 Representative Gina Hinojosa, chair of the progressive redistricting caucus, to discuss what is happening during what is supposed to be a Special Session about the devastating July 4th flash floods that killed dozens. Follow her on social media at @GinaForAustin.

Trump and his minions have been implementing Project 2025 at a breakneck pace with some estimates saying they are already over half way there in just six months. A major part of their mission is dismantling any regulatory barriers to letting their billionaire and corporate backers make more money and steal from the American people. Destroying the independent regulatory bodies like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Federal Communcations Commission (FCC), and many more is foundational to their efforts. Fred Wellman has the amazing opportunity to sit down with one of the fired FTC Commissioners, Alvaro Bedoya, who is on a mission to show how this effort by Trump is destroying our government, our democracy, and truly hurting average Americans who deserve a break from price gouging to scams. Bedoya is working to raise awareness about how the administration is purging important watchdog agencies and what it means for consumers and the American people. Alvaro Bedoya is now a Senior Advisor at the American Economic Liberties Project. He was appointed by President Joe Biden to serve as a Commissioner at the Federal Trade Commission in May 2022 and served in that role until his resignation in June 2025. At the FTC, Commissioner Bedoya focused on how antitrust law could do more to protect workers and labor unions, and warned against rapidly advancing workplace surveillance technology.

To say that people are absolutely losing their minds of Zohran Mamdani’s win in New York City’s Democratic Primary would be the understatement of the century. They are going nuts from continuous Fox News coverage to insane AI videos attacking him. In the end he won that race by being genuine, loving where he lives, talking to the people he wants to lead, and coming up with proposed solutions to their problems. Revolutionary isn’t it? That win has sparked a lot of interest in running for local offices. Run For Something is dedicated to helping young people and others learn how to run and win. Our host Fred Wellman sits down with Amanda Litman the President and Co-founder of Run For Something to talk about Mamdani’s win, why folks should run, and how the Democratic Party needs to change to meet the moment. Amanda has been in the political world for a while starting back as Hillary Clinton’s campaign email director. Charlie Crist’s digital director when he ran for governor in 2014 and as one of the first employees at Organizing for Action as deputy email director. She was also the email writer for Barack Obama’s re-election. She is a Northwestern University graduate and author and currently lives in Brooklyn. Her new book is called, "When We're in Charge: The Next Generation’s Guide to Leadership" and is a guidebook for millennials and Gen Z on how to be an effective leader. 

Learn more about Run For Something at: https://runforsomething.net/

The Big Ugly Bill squeaked into law last week and we are still unpacking all of the ugly stuff buried in it. It’s not just what is in this massive package of benefits for the rich but the timing of the pieces. With the healthcare and nutrition cuts timed to start after the midterms and the much touted no taxes on tips and overtime timed to end after the next Presidential one. Oddly none of the breaks for the super wealthy start later or ever end. Fred dives into the madness in D.C. from RFK’s Jr.s lies about vaccines and autism to how the Republicans are playing hide the ball on their plans. He’s joined by the brilliant junior Senator from Delaware Lisa Blunt Rochester to discuss how she is fighting back and what is ahead for Democrats. LBR as she is known was just elected to the Senate this past year after serving as Delaware’s one member of Congress since 2017 after a lifetime of public service in government and nonprofit work. Don’t miss this great conversation.

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The Republicans passed their monstrous bill, and they did it on the back of lies and smears of average Americans. It’s also July Fourth weekend and we know that Trump is going to pummel the airwaves and Washington D.C. with his nationalistic fake patriotism. We are going to have the flag waved in our face and military members rolled out for display as he takes credit for their bravery. The truth is that his Administration is working hard to screw average Americans, veterans, servicemembers, and their families in every possible way. This week Fred is solo to dive into the truth behind Republicans' lies about their bill and Trump’s lies about ‘supporting the troops and how what is really happening is some of the worst attacks on their well-being in decades. Find out how he is dismantling the Department of Veterans Affairs, stopping the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau from enforcing rips offs, and more. They rely on lies because the truth is so bad.
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