The Matt McNeil Show

Trump downplays human toll of Iran war; Jeff Stein’s Wednesday appearance; how money has perverted youth sports; racist Rochester incident goes to trial; gas prices; agriculture.

Jeff Stein of KXEL/Waterloo and the Iowa Politics Report joins Matt every Wednesday at 3:30 to cover national politics.

Mitch McConnell; foodborne illness; Brian Lemek of Defend the Vote; reflecting pool saga; Brett and Matt talk about Peggy Flanagan’s rally; Patrick Coolican is back this week; Rochester woman in court over racist verbal attack on a child; youth sports issues; Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate drops out.

Brett was joined by the editor-in-chief of the Minnesota Reformer, Patrick Coolican. They talked about the Bernie Sanders-Peggy Flanagan rally at First Av, reaction to trump endorsing Mike Lindell and Patrick’s column on combating election interference from the feds. Read more about what they talked about at:

https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/07/15/mike-lindell-was-elated-after-president-trump-endorsed-him-for-governor-heres-what-he-said/

https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/07/20/bernie-sanders-headlines-rally-for-peggy-flanagan-at-first-avenue-in-contentious-senate-race/

https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/07/17/the-blueprint-for-fighting-trumps-attempt-to-sabotage-the-election-drawn-up-in-minnesota/

Brian is the President and Executive Director of Defend The Vote and Defend the Vote Action Fund. At both DTV and DTV Action Fund, Brian draws on his long-standing relationships on Capitol Hill and State Houses across the United States to serve as a top convener, hosting briefings on legislation, facilitating conversations with key groups and allies, and providing partners with support. DTV has grown into one of the nation’s largest and most influential electoral pro-democracy organizations in less than two full cycles, and continues to grow in impact and footprint.

Brian’s launchpad into politics began as a Founding Member and Executive Director of BradyPAC, focused on electing gun violence prevention champions and to fund a multitude of on the ground democracy initiatives. His prior life focused on human rights and conflict resolution initiatives in the United States, Southern Africa, and the Middle East. His experience bringing higher education to young women, working to end poverty in vulnerable populations, and providing life skills and after school initiatives to children in post and existing conflict zones shaped his appreciation for healthy democracies.

Brian is a proud board member of Elect Democratic Women Action Fund, as well as the founder and board director of Stop Gun Violence. In 2025 he was appointed by Leader Jeffries to serve on the United States Election Assistance Commissions Board of Advisors. He has appeared on television and in print regularly, including CNN, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CBS News, PBS and more. A proud son of Providence, RI, he resides in the Washington, DC suburbs.

Matt goes to see Rush in Chciago; World Cup final; war updates; Jessica Denson of Remove the Regime joins to discuss the personal sacrifices of Air Force Maj. Jason Watson; Andy Burnham is the new UK prime minister; Ely cancels blueberry festival amid wildfire tragedies; Tom Homan denies mistakes were made by ICE; Mike Lindell; State Sen. Erin Murphy calls in; government claims Taylor Farms may not be responsible for lettuce issues.

Erin Murphy assumed office in the Minnesota State Senate on January 5, 2021. She previously served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2007 to 2019. She was a 2018 Democratic candidate for governor of Minnesota, but lost in the primary.

Murphy was born March 13, 1960. She received a Bachelor of Science in nursing from the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh in 1984 and her Master of Arts in organizational leadership in health care at the College of St. Catherine in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 2005. She attended the Humphrey Institute at the University of Minnesota from 2005 to 2006 as a policy fellow.

Murphy is a registered nurse and a former executive director of the Minnesota Nurses Association. She previously worked as legislative director for former Minnesota Attorney General Hubert H. Humphrey III and as community relations director for the Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning. She also previously served on the board of directors of Citizens for a Safer Minnesota, as a member of the board of trustees of the American Nurses Association political action committee, and as an executive board member of the Minnesota chapter of the AFL–CIO.

Bruce Klopfleisch, host of Politics Matters, fills in for Matt today. On the show:

Recapping trump’s “speech”; tech costs spiking thanks to AI; signs of authoritarianism; yet more ICE shootings; thoughts on trump endorsing Mike Lindell; 103 Democrats vote against giving financial aid to Israel; the feds are finally releasing evidence to MN after ICE shootings earlier this year; do we have co-equal branches of government according to the constitutions; problems with the shadow docket at SCOTUS

Philip Anthony and Austin fill in for Matt. Trump plans address on “election security”; Matt from Downright Upright calls into the show; fallout from Lindsey Graham’s death; E. Jean Carroll receives money from Trump judgment; wildfire smoke; stomach bug.