"A lesson from Talarico's senate campaign"

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Say Donald Trump has not paid enough attention to the country's most important problems. This afternoon, a stunningly low number in a brand new Quinnipiac poll, Donald Trump's approval rating now stands at 32% with 58% of all Americans saying they disapprove of Donald Trump. That 32% is an all-time low for both of Donald Trump's terms in the history of Quinnipiac's polling. Donald Trump and the GOP not focused on the nation's most pressing issues is where we begin the hour with some of our favorite experts in friends. New York Times opinion writer and host of the Fast Politics podcast, Molly John Fast is here. Charlie Sykes is back. He's the author of The To-The Contrary Newsletter. And joining me at the table, Democratic Strategist and Chief Communications Officer for the Political Organization Move On, Joel Payne is here. Charlie Sykes, let me start with you. I know the... The call and response is he doesn't care about politics because he's trying to cheat. Not caring about politics is something that affects every voter, right? Every voter sees him fixated on potentially manufacturing intelligence to satisfy his bruised ego from this defeat in 2020. But rigging the election is still sort of a Hail Mary. I mean, what do you make of the disproportionate response to political fortunes that are falling by the day based on all polls? Well, this is extraordinary. We've been talking about this for years, but I've never seen this kind of tone deafness from the president who ran, of course, as a populist. You said that CNN poll, which says, you know, 73% of adults say he hasn't paid attention to the most important issues. But around three quarters of Americans now say that Trump is not in touch with the problems ordinary Americans face in their daily lives. And what does Donald Trump's administration do? They say, hold my beer. We're going to cut subsidies for senior citizens for their drug prices. And we're going to let them all know right before the midterm elections. Who thought that was a good idea? I suppose we ought to also note that this is the subset of voters most likely to turn out in a midterm election. So we're seeing this pattern where Donald Trump, who has in the past had what I've described as the reptilian instinct for public opinion. opinion seems increasingly isolated from these issues. And although it looks like he doesn't care, look, we know that Donald Trump is obsessed with not losing, you know, not being defeated. But he keeps handing one crap sandwich after another to the Republicans who were on the ballot. And this is one of those stories when I first saw it earlier today. I thought, no, this can't possibly be true. They can't possibly have thought this was a good idea to do this at this moment. You know, and you mentioned all the other things they're talking about relitigating. The American people are watching.

Donald Trump obsessing about his ballroom, his reflecting pond. They're watching Donald Trump obsessed with his own ego, his various vanity projects while the cost of living continues to rise. And what does he do? He puts a big exclamation mark on it with this particular move. It really is kind of amazing for this administration. I mean, Molly Dornfast, I raised this issue with a little bit of trepidation. But Steve Bannon, who I think... He was pardoned once for felony fraud charges. I think he went to jail for obstruction of Congress. So I'm not holding him up as anything other than perhaps the source of what we perceive to be Donald Trump's reptilian political sensibility. But he seemed to have the role of keeping alive the real life experiences of the MAGA voter. the cost of health care, the cost of gas, the promise to never embroil the United States of America in a forever war. He's either been exiled or kicked off the island or he's in on the oligarchy. I mean, I don't know which it is, but there is clearly no one around Donald Trump who can even make Donald Trump pretend to care about his own base of voters. Yeah, you know who another person like that was Marjorie Taylor Greene. And remember, this division started, look, inflation is for sure a real issue, and people vote on the price of gas and the price of groceries and the price of eggs. And you'll remember Donald Trump had this weave where he talked about lowering the price of bacon. So he did run on making things cheaper. But I think it's worth remembering that part of the Steve Bannon, Marjorie Taylor Greene split comes from the Epstein files. comes from the fact that Donald Trump ran on this idea that he was going to end QAnon. I mean, remember from 2016 that he was going to end all of these terrible crimes that may or may not have happened. And then he's confronted with probably the largest sex trafficking ring in American history. And he pivots and says there's nothing to see here. And in fact, you know, goes back and forth about releasing the files. So he has had. these instincts that were populist, but then in the end, he sort of, you know, pivoted back to a very unpopularist instincts of not wanting to release the file, so they do ultimately get released, sort of, and not being focused on affordability. But again, it's important to remember the president is always blamed for the economy. What rightly or wrongly, in this case, I think he did have quite a lot to do with the inflation that we're seeing. Let me show you what voters are saying, Joel, in their own words. We need to reinvest in America. And I do think under President Trump, a lot of those things have been accomplished. For the 90% of Republicans and well over 70% of Democrats believe that it's not too much to ask to show an ID when you vote.

On July 4th, 2025, President Trump signed the one big beautiful bill. My biggest gripe with you and fellow Republicans is your compliance with this president. He imposed tariffs. Congress imposed terror, not the president. You did nothing. He attacked Iran. He didn't confer with you. You declare war, not the president. He talks about taking over Greenland, Canada, Cuba. You know when very few people have spoken in, my question is, why are you so compliant with this man? Are you afraid he was going to run a nag a guy against you or what? So that was Republican Congressman Mike Flood. This is the interesting thing about the midterms, as deeply unpopular as all of Trump's policies are. There's a lot of statewide polling that picks up even more anger at the members of Congress for both the deeply unpopular policies and their fecklessness and weakness in going along with them. And it started, I think it started with the immigration overreach. You know, why don't you speak up? Why don't you say something about ICE rushing into our cities and states in a militarized fashion? Yeah, if you observe this and, you know, looking at that town hall, there's this like, ritual flogging of Republican members of Congress that Donald Trump's been doing, frankly, since he's been on the public scene, since he's been president the first time and this time. And they will fetch and beg to whatever he tells them to do. Voters are different. And it kind of seems like what he's doing right now is he's almost challenging Republican voters. It's like he's daring them to not go along with the bit. He's doing it on every issue. He's doing it on immigration by overreaching. He's doing it by the priority he's focusing on. I'm focused on a ballroom. I'm focused on a pond. I'm not focused on the one thing that all the data tells us that we know he was sent to Washington to do, to make people's lives more affordable. So this tactic that he's used with Republican members of Congress, he's trying to do it with his base of voters, and it seems like they're rebelling. I mean, that 32%. number that you cited earlier. I mean, as Sarah Longwell, the bulwark likes to talk about it, the Bush line, which is essentially the place, the break point where you will probably start to see Republicans make the decision that Donald Trump's legacy is not worth them losing their jobs. I mean, that's where we all right now. The last thing I would say, Nicole, is, you know, this is somewhat related with someone unrelated. If you think about that White House correspondent's dinner the other day, And the terrible jokes and whether they were offensive or not, obviously they were, but how poorly they were received. And it seemed like it was the first time he had actually tested the material out. And it seemed like the first time he had tested the material out outside of his small cadre of advisors and sycophants and people who love everything he says. And that actually seems connected to every single thing Donald Trump says. It seems like the first time...

He is out in public talking about these things. It's the first time he is considered that people outside of his base will challenge him. And that's a very dangerous place for a president to be. Well, I'll deal with the elephant in the room. I was there when Bush was at 32%. And my personal feelings about him aside, I can tell you how hard it is to... be engaged in politics at 32%. It's hard to find districts where you can land Air Force One. It's hard to find places to do events. It's hard to find people to come on stage with you. Now, I know we talk about all the ways, Charlie Sykes, that Trump has perverted and changed our politics. But the question now is, will Republicans identify their own inter- reptilian survival skills and do anything to try to... you know, grab onto the raft or the piece of wood floating when the Titanic hits the iceberg. Probably not because they haven't in the past. We're going to get a good clue tomorrow when we see the vote on Todd Blanche because that's as clear a vote to embrace everything Donald Trump is doing that you can imagine. So we'll see what John Cornyn will do, what Thom Tillis will do. But for a lot of these Republicans, look, they're just simply along for the ride. And they know that if they break with Donald Trump prematurely, they will not only lose their jobs, but they will be excommunicated from that entire Republican world, that entire. ecosystem so many of them may think I may lose my job but I can become a lobbyist or I can get an appointment if you break with Trump you might be looking down the barrel of the Department of Justice so I don't anticipate it happening before the election however you know if if in fact there is a shalacking Donald Trump's lame duck status becomes more dramatic I would like to say that that would be a light at the end of the tunnel but as we all know The weaker Donald Trump gets, the more dangerous he gets. And I think Joel made a very, very interesting point that you are increasingly seeing. somebody who has created this hermetically sealed bubble around himself where he's not getting the kind of input from the outside. That's an Achilles heel for any authoritarian. You know, any Roman emperor was constantly told that, you know, he was absolutely wonderful and that he should write more poetry, you know, and that he was, you know, the best-looking man in the entire empire. These are not strengths. These are real vulnerabilities, particularly in a democratic society. And I think that does explain. a lot of this tone deafness from Donald Trump. That if Stephen Miller likes it, it must be okay, right? I'm going to run this by Karoline Leavitt and his other aides. And then you step outside that room and the rest of the American public, including many Republicans, are just like, what is wrong with you? Or horrified by all of it. And I think you are seeing that.

And the authors of regime change chronicle how it happens. I mean, how it's been operationalized, that a woman, I forget her name, prints out, positive. They're not even articles anymore. They're like posts on some weird social media platform that I'm sure none of the four of us are on. I want to share one more piece of political news. President Obama has... Enter the chat. This is from the New York Times. Molly, former President Barack Obama will hold a fundraiser in late August for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, a fresh sign that Democrats intend to continue their aggressive push to gerrymander congressional districts ahead of the 28 election. While Democrats have exhausted all their options for new maps before the midterm elections, their focus on the 2028 election still requires investment in crucial state-level elections this fall. Democrats hope to protect or build trifectas in various states, single party control of both chambers of legislatures, plus the governor's office, or democratic supermajories that would allow them to override a hostile governor's veto. This ability, I think, of President Obama is to see and try to fix the structural asymmetry is one of the most important things sort of happening beneath the surface. Yeah, I think that Obama still is like one of the most popular. I'm not sure exactly the poll, but he's one of the most popular political figures. He still has that magic that a lot of political figures don't necessarily have in this partisan environment. So to have him come back and to have him focus on state legislatures, I mean, even at this moment, if you think about... the, like, how much state legislatures matter and how much redistricting matters. Remember, Republicans have redistricted before this midterm in ways that have made it so that it's much harder for Democrats to win back the House. And they're going to have to win more districts. They're going to have to win by more. There's a real Republican structural advantage now. And that is really important to see Obama focus on that. And remember, part of the superpower of these celebrities like Obama is to be able to break through the noise, to break through the algorithm, and to get attention to things that might otherwise not get attention. And so this is deeply meaningful, super important, and I think ultimately will mean that there'll be more money brought to it and more focus. And focus really is when it comes to things like state legislatures. and redistricting, which are sort of not such sexy topics, it's really important to get voters and donors focused on that stuff. All right, no one's going anywhere. When we come back, there's more Obama news to tell you about. He's back in the game and on the basketball court, trying to flip a seat in the United States Senate. We'll show you his newest video and endorsement next. Also ahead. There are fears that Donald Trump's war of choice in Iran is expanding, and Donald Trump himself is doing nothing to suggest otherwise. His profanity-laced rant on what he's vowing to do next is later in the hour for us.

Also had a special tribute to a beloved baseball coach who was one of the first people in this country to stand up to ice and the hundreds of lives he'd changed. Deadline White House continues after a quick break. Don't go anywhere. Nothing beats tradition, like weekly game nights at Mom's House and Tostitos. Crafted with Maza made the traditional way, starting with whole corn kernels, with flavors worth gathering around, like a hint of lime and Mexican street corn, and no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. That's the Tostitos way. Bring Tostitos to your next game night, and you'll be winning either way. Tostitos, Tradition Matters. You better eat your Wheaties today because there's a lot of news to cover. Money. Time for the business. All eyes on the new Fed chair. The economic fallout from the war is a temporary power. The president is now a major crypto industry operator. Is this White House for sale? Politics. Is there an energy to respond to this aggressive gerrymandering? It has never been more important to be informed and engaged. Money power politics with Stephanie Rule. Weekdays at 9 a.m. Eastern on MS. Now.

Speaking of President Obama, he was the last Democratic presidential candidate to win Iowa. He won the state's caucuses back in 2008, and then went on to win the state in both general elections in 2008 and 2012. Now he is putting his... Hefty political weight behind Iowa's Democratic candidate for Senate, Josh Turrick, hoping to turn that state blue once again. His endorsement came in the form of something near and dear to both Obama and Turek playing basketball. Take a look. Well, again. Who's got next? I got it. You ready for me, Josh? I'm ready. Let's go. We're playing horse or what? We're playing Iowa. I know a little something about winning Iowa. Alright, here we go. Are we ready? You know when it's in. Come on, I'm not going to just give it away. All right. I think it's silky smooth. Thousands of hours of practice. You were the shooter? Four-time Paralympian, two-time gold medalist. Back to back. Oh, I thought I had that one. That's Iowa right there, buddy. A lot of people have heard me say this. Of all the things I've done in politics, Iowa was my favorite thing. There was just a magic. about regular folks showing up in gyms. Like this? Like this. And just talking out. How do we move our state forward? How to move the country forward? I've seen enough. Not only did I get whooped, but you've got here a man of character. Somebody who knows how to win. Now the ball's in your court, Iowa. Let's make sure that we send Josh Turrick to the United States Senate. Tell you what, he's a good shooter. I was impressed. He's a great ad. It's a great race to cover. We're back with Molly, Charlie, and Joel. Joel, your thoughts. Yeah, it's hard not to smile with that ad. President Obama, I mean, like, he's the best. He also looked a little better there than he looked at the WMBA All-Star game where I think John Quill Jay Jones gave him some work on in the Post. But be that as it may. Whenever I see Obama in Iowa, look, this is going to be a boon for Josh Turrick. This is the exact type of person that you want to be. you know, side by side with you. I think about that 208 campaign where Obama cut his teeth on the national political stage. And I had a bird's eye view. I was there. I was working for the Edwards campaign, a rival campaign. And I remember. Obama was able, you know, the story gets told oftentimes, he brought together the coalition of like young voters, Latinos, black voters. But first, the first challenge Obama met was with independent voters and some Republican-leaning Democrats, Reagan Democrats. And frankly, a lot of people in the middle of the country who I think maybe don't fill the kind of traditional democratic constituency checklist that we think of, Obama is.

excellent at appealing to those types of folks. And that's exactly the category of voters who Turek is going to not just need to win with, but really overperform with to be successful. So having President Obama right there with him will be excellent. The other thing I will just say really quickly, Rob Sand is the gubernatorial candidate in Iowa who is going to be an excellent candidate. I think it's among the best chances Democrats have had to take that seat back since Chet Colver some 20 years ago. And what I would say is similar how in Texas, Ken Paxton is going to drag Republican energy down and be such a negative drag. Rob Sand is going to help with the Josh Turrick to be a rising tide lifting all boats in Iowa for Democrats. And that's a real advantage Democrats having to state that I don't get. don't think it's talked about enough. Well, the piece about independence is so important. I obviously was on the McCain campaign. This is the day of my elephants in the room taking a seat at the table. But the power he had with independence was rooted in two really three things. One, people just liked him, right? Like they just liked his, they liked his message, they liked him. Two, It was 2008 and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were raging on. They were deeply unpopular. People were exhausted by them and deeply opposed to them. And three, we were, you know, in an economic calamity. I mean... All of those dynamics are present right now. Yeah. And the type of coalition that's durable for not just the primary, but for two general election campaigns, I mean, yes, it's black voters. It's young voters. In Iowa, you have a lot of college-educated voters, both college-aged and older, and again, independence. So having someone who knows how to put that kind of coalition together on the ground, you know, that's an excellent endorser for Josh Turek. And I think he'll get a lot of money. I watch out of that ad. I mean, choice takes, what's interesting to see Obama enter the campaign season is that there is no, you know, Trump used a combination of fear, celebrity, and riches. All three of those things are deeply unpopular now politically. What is your sense of how Republicans counter this? Well, first of all, I mean, I was on the opposite side of, you know, in 2008 and 2012, but I'm watching this ad and I'm feeling a sense of real nostalgia for what politics used to be like. that politics was not always so ugly. It was not a matter of trolling and trying to upset the opposition. There was a fundamental decency and seriousness about it. So you watch that ad and you remember, you know, it wasn't always like the way it is right now. And maybe there's a time in the future where it's not going to be like this. And I think that's kind of the, it feels like it kind of transcends the partisan political divide. The other thing about ads like this, and you, you played the ad from Texas. Look, Texas and Iowa. both their reaches for Democrats. If Democrats win in Iowa and Texas, you know that it's been an absolute wave. But what's also, I think, illustrated in these ads is that you have candidates that are actually dealing with the concerns of voters and that are laser targeted on voters in Iowa and voters in Texas, as opposed to what we talked about earlier, where you have an administration that doesn't seem to be

focused on voters anywhere. So, you know, these are, it is kind of interesting that at this, at this particular point, they're bringing out these kinds of candidates. Clearly, Democrats in Iowa have gotten their act together. Democrats in Texas seem to be getting their act together. I wish that was the case in every single state, but these are, these are remarkable stories. If I'm a Republican and I'm looking at that, I'm going, whoa, we, you know, this is going to be a really difficult year and watching that makes even more difficult for them. I think that's right. Joel, Charlie, Molly, thank you so much for starting us off to be continued, I'm sure. When we come back, Donald Trump is now vowing a massive escalation of that deeply unpopular war with Iran. We'll bring you that reporting next. Can I just quickly say hello to you? For me, being a part of this place has always been about the people, not about the politics. Why are you holding this sign? You ever been to a protest before? Be safe. People that we cover who allow us to enter their lives. How's everybody doing? Everybody doing okay? How long has been in line? I love human beings. To spend time connecting with them is the biggest blessing that I could ask for. From the field to the studio, Jacob is finding the heart of the story. Connect with Jacob Soberoff. Weekends at 10 a.m. Eastern on MS. Ciao.

Fears of a wider war in Iran are growing today as the United States and Saudi Arabia attacked Iranian proxies after a pause in fighting. New York Times is reporting this, quote, American and Saudi fighter jets attacked Iranian-linked militias in Iraq on Tuesday, and Iran fired missiles at military bases in Jim Jordan and oil tankers. The latest strikes further widened the war in the Middle East, trying Iran-alide groups in Iraq and Yemen and potentially Lebanon into the fighting. Their involvement raised the question of whether Iran could be encouraging its proxies to open additional fronts in a war that threatens to embroil more countries in the region. Donald Trump shows zero signs of A, caring, or B, trying to quell the growing escalation, telling Fox News this, quote, we're going to beat the effing S out of them. We'll be hitting them hard. They're going to get a beating, end quote. Trump also said that Iran's attack on a military base in Jim Jordan came as a complete surprise. The question remains how much longer the Republican Party will allow Trump and his administration to continue to operate and escalate this war without oversight from Congress. Let's bring into our coverage, Margaret Donovan. She served in the U.S. Army and was a captain in the JAG Corps. Also joining us, Paul Reichoff. He's the host of the Independent Americans podcast and the founder and CEO of Independent Veterans. of America. Margaret, the only thing that I'm sure polls worse than the war in Iran, which is currently polling at a 62% disapproval from the American people, is a widening war in the Middle East involving more countries. Yeah, I think one of the most fascinating things about what you just said, Nicole, is that this is the president just sort of musing as to whether or not he's going to expand the war. And I think this is just an important point to remember, and I know I beat this drum a lot, and it's worth beating again. War is not meant to be started in the United States by a single person. On February 28th, the entire country woke up and learned that one man took us into war. That scenario is precisely, precisely, what the framers wanted to avoid when they wrote the Constitution. They vested war powers. It is shared in between the legislative branch and the executive branch, but they specifically vested the power to declare war. And that verb, declare. That was actually discussed to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. What verbs should we use when we're talking about the power to start a war under our new republic? And they settled on declare specifically because they realized that war, as we're seeing, is a runaway train. It can cost you resources. It will cost you lives. And it is completely out of your control once it has begun. And so that is why in Article 1 of the Constitution, the power to declare war vests with Congress, also the power to fund the military. Article two puts, of course, the president is the commander-in-chief once we're there. But that allocation of powers in the Constitution reflects exactly the perils of when one person brings us into war. And I think that the war powers votes that we're seeing going on right now is an embodiment of we the people speaking for what they will and will not stand for through their elected representatives. That they will not abide. I mean, Paul, you always ask, you know, what are they doing about it? All Democrats. Almost all Democrats are voting to stop this. And the news seems to be that increasingly Republicans are joining them. Yes, because it's getting worse.

I've called it a sucking chest wound. And it just keeps pulling in more and more resources, everything from our military resources to our economic strength, to the lives of our sons and daughters, to now Trump's polls. I mean, he's at historic lows, I think, around 35%, which is as low as he was around January 6th. And among independents, it's 24%. So that's a massive alarm bill for Republicans, which I think is starting to move Senate Republicans. They're finally standing up to him. They're finally breaking on Iran. going back to their districts this summer and they're hearing about how unpopular this war is because it is unauthorized. I would argue it's unconstitutional, but it's so deeply unpopular across every political background. And now it's expanding. The Saudis are getting involved. The Egyptians are getting involved. And it's beyond our control. That's why I think the Saudis cut that nuke deal last week because they want an insurance if Trump and America have to pull out because we know America doesn't have the stomach for long protracted wars. But our president's keep getting us into it. Let me show you what Lindsey Graham said in footage that the Wall Street Journal obtained about how we got into the war in Iran. It's the best thing I've ever done. He loves, he loves blowing stuff up. So, you know, there are a lot of people inside didn't want to do it. So I've had my challenges, but President Trump. When he gets into the zone, he listens, he asks good questions, you know, no tweeting. He hasn't tweeted much at all. No drama. He's been a great wartime president. I said last night that Trump and Beebe are like Roosevelt and Churchill. I mean, they're the right two guys to confront this evil.

Again, the late Senator Lindsey Graham was free to his opinions and to sharing them. But the American people do not agree with that assessment, just 33% approve of the war. And as Paul Rykov said, the numbers among independents and Democrats are dramatically lower than that. Yeah, I mean, that's surprising. Lindsey Graham, of course, is a former JAG officer. And I know many people that worked with him and found him very enjoyable to work with and had very nice things to say about him. But the fact of the matter is that when you go to war, it costs you things. It costs you lives. It costs you resources. And we are going to see the effects of that. for, you know, years to come, if not generations to come, in terms of our stockpile reductions. And there are Americans who are no longer with us because of what we've started. So, you know, I just, one more point I'd like to make. I hear a lot of chatter about, you know, you're not supporting the troops if you're not supporting this war as a two-time combat veteran. It is not not supporting the troops to demand that there is a coherent plan. You are supporting the troops by saying that you don't want them sent aimlessly into a battle at a dangerous place without a thought-out plan for how you're going to use them and use that precious resource. So, you know, I just certainly hope that the people are able to speak again through their elected representatives to stop this. How does it land when a president is so erratic in their public statements? Well, it is certainly not good for stability. And you can imagine how much that might undermine our authority to our enemies abroad. But I think speaking to people in the service, I think for the most part, people who are on the ground still wearing the uniform, they are looking to their leaders within. And so there is some amount of blocking out politics in general when you're servings, particularly when you're serving overseas. So you just hope that there are enough good leaders left in the military to properly lead those still in uniform. Margaret, thank you for being here, being part of this conversation. Paul sticks around for something really special and important to both of us when we come back, remembering Yeoman Wilder. He's a beloved baseball coach who famously shielded his young players when ICE agents showed up at his practice in the early days of the second Trump term. That's next.

What did the bystanders do? They were, I'm a New York of Bone and Bone, and we're tough people here, but we, I saw cowards. And I hate to say that as somebody who loves the city. It's okay. They're kids. Yeah, tell me. Tell me, what did you want to see and what, and what, what disappointed you? Obeding to authoritarianism, to authority that was out of line, pissing on the Constitution. They came up like, I don't care. I don't care. A little over a year ago, we introduced you to that man. That is New York City baseball coach, local legend, Yoman Wilder. We met Yoman after he protected some of his baseball players and informed them of their constitutional rights when ICE agents showed up at their practice and attempted to ask his players where they were from and where their parents were from. So, we were terribly sad to tell you today that Yeoman Wilder passed away earlier this month. Yeoman founded the Harlem Youth Baseball Academy, which for more than two decades developed young baseball players both on and off the field in the New York City area. Yelman Wilder is responsible for helping more than 400 young men earn college baseball scholarships, including developing... multiple major league baseball players. His family describes him like this, quote, Yeoman stood up against injustice and was a beloved brother, uncle, and brother-in-law to many. His family extended throughout the neighborhood, and his impact was felt far and wide. He was the glue that kept our family together and was always there to help any of us when he could. With Yeoman's death, the baseball community has lost an iconic and now famous coach and mentor, and this country has lost a patriot who used America's pastime to show what this country looks like at its best. For me, Yeoman was the first person, Paul, who I saw. do something that the powerful people refused to do in that first year of Trump's presidency. Yeoman stood up against ice when law firms were capitulating basically by the day, when universities were cutting deals basically by the week, when Republicans were falling in line behind military troops in the streets of American cities, behind ice raids that were sweeping up American citizens, behind detentions of young children at the Dilley Detention Center, and Yeoman Wilder. stood up to ice. Yeah, Coach Yeoman Wilder was a hero. And he led by example. He showed with courage and integrity and community and real patriotism.

is all about. He's a legend in New York City and the baseball community. And now his legend will grow around the country and I hope around the world. As you know, my kids both play baseball in New York City and it's a small community. And every baseball community was worried and continues to be worried about ice threats and something like this happening. But Coach Yeoman Wilder stepped up and he showed his players what real leadership is all about. And he built not just a generation of baseball players, but a generation of leaders who can follow his example, who can lead heroically, and meet this moment. And I think that's going to be his legacy. As so many young men and women who are inspired by his example, we're going to step up because we're going to need more leaders in the days ahead. Mr. Rogers used to always say, look for the helpers. Coach Owen Wilder is an example of one of those helpers that ran in when others were running out. I think he also highlighted in that interview two things. One, how most people weren't doing that. Like, these were kids, right? These were kids at practice. And he described New Yorkers who he said were tough people as being the most generous, I guess, explanation is they were too afraid, too afraid to do anything. And I think he forced people to answer the question, what would you do? And I wonder if you had that reaction to him. I did. He was like a thunderbolt of courage and conscience in a time when we needed it. And that's why I went viral because he was so real and so true. And, you know, I've had this conversation with the coaching community and all the sports my kids play in basketball and football. And they've had to run scenarios. What do we do of ice cups? That's actually a scenario that sports programs have to think about, especially at a time when there are so many migrant kids who come to sports for community, for stability, for leadership, for safety. A lot of these programs provide vital child kids. care. And when I started targeting kids, they needed someone to step up. And Coach Yon was like a real-life superhero. And I hope the mayor recognizes him. The governor recognizes him. The president should because he's the kind of leader. We need to amplify and show as an example. Our young men, especially in this country, I think, are really starving for leadership that they can follow and they can look up to. And Coach Tom Homan Wilder is that kind of leader that we want our kids to look like and be like. I also think Yeoman is sort of a test for who has courage in this moment. I mean, Major League Baseball should wrap their arms around Yeoman Wilder and support his program and support his players as well. Yeah, there it is. It's out there. Come on Major League Baseball. Yankees, Mets, everybody in the tri-state area, especially, this is a man whose legacy will inspire generations. We all have to do all we can to amplify it. And remember that, you know, this is still the environment our kids are living in, and we've got to protect our kids first. And that starts by showing courage in that moment and meeting the moment. And there'll be other moments that'll come. And if you need some guts and you need some inspiration, think about Coach Yelman Wilder.

Paul Reichoff, thank you for sticking around for this conversation. One more break. We'll be right back. If you really listen to the people who made the choice to spend their lives and devote their careers to public service, many of them say that you never really stop serving your country. Sue Gordon is one of those people, a former deputy director of national intelligence who spent decades at the CIA. Sue told me on this week's episode of The Best People podcast that the health struggles that she's facing right now have not diminished her desire to serve or the love she feels for our country. My eagle-eyed viewers have tracked your health journey, and they will be upset if I don't ask you how you're feeling and doing. Well, I think, one, great, I'm here, and I think there were early days of the diagnosis. that if you believe the internet, and if you ever get sick, don't believe the internet because they're not talking about you. But if I had believed the internet, I didn't have much time. And thanks to just a lot of things, look at me, I'm here. It's still a journey for anyone who's been on this one, they know the truth, is it steals some of your innocence. And you fight every day, so my doctors would love it if I would stop being special. But I'm good and here. And I haven't lost an ounce of passion for who we are. Not one. And I don't hate America when I say harsh things about us. That is the best love that there is. We are a great country. We have so many strengths, so many things that we have not lost. So if I am harsh on leadership, it's because I believe the only responsibility of leaders is to preserve the opportunity for women and men to get where they need to go. She's extraordinary to listen to the rest of what she had to say. Scan the QR code on your screen or download the best people wherever you get your podcast. As always, please let me know what you think of this one on Instagram or Blue Sky. Quick break. We'll be right back. Thank you so much for letting us into your homes tonight. We are grateful. Ever since I was young, I've watched people working hard, chasing opportunity, making sacrifices, doing everything they can to build a better life. And now, we're shining a light on what matters most. Our economy, our national identity, our democracy, our future. The stakes have never been higher. It's all on the line. On the line with Alicia Menendez. Weekdays at 12 p.m. Eastern on MS now.