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Jane Coaston: It’s Wednesday, November 12th. I’m Jane Coaston, and this is What a Day, the show that is excited to introduce you to the latest Trump administration nepo baby, Finn Kennedy, son of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He’s a board member of a company called Maha Holdings, and would you be surprised to know that the 28-year-old will have a speaking slot at the big Make America Healthy Again summit today in DC? No? You’re not surprised at all? Huh? [music break] On today’s show, blimey. The United Kingdom has stopped sharing intelligence with the US about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea. And rejoice, by the year 2075, you could be a proud homeowner under President Donald Trump’s new mortgage proposal. But let’s start with the government shutdown. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court extended an order that blocked states from distributing full federal benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Of course, the Trump administration could simply disperse those funds instead of denying food assistance to millions of Americans, but here we are instead. And the shutdown is inching closer to an end. Today, members of the House of Representatives are back in Washington. 

[clip of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries] Let me first welcome House Republicans back to the Congress after their seven-week taxpayer-funded vacation. These people have been missing in action, absent without official leave. 

Jane Coaston: That was House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries lauding the return of the House GOP. It’s like Return of the Jedi, only no Ewoks, no space battles, not nearly enough Harrison Ford and way too much House Speaker Mike Johnson. The House is expected to vote on a bill to end the government shutdown this week after eight Senate Democrats voted with Republicans to advance a budget package on Monday night. The package includes funding for the government until January and would also reinstate federal employees laid off during the shutdown. Now if you’re a person who listens to this podcast, you know that the budget package does not include an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies that make health insurance more affordable for millions of people. And there’s also a small chance that fiscal hawks in the GOP, like Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie, could stop the bill in its tracks, as Speaker Johnson can only lose two votes. But it’s Democrats who are furious at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Who voted against the bill but is widely viewed by many as letting his caucus abandon the fight for the ACA subsidies. Here’s California Representative Ro Khanna on CNN explaining why he views Schumer as responsible for the eight senators defecting. 

[clip of Representative Ro Khanna] Yes, he voted no, but eight senators who said they consulted him daily ago and vote yes, one of those people is his number two. He’s not going to do that without Senator Schumer’s sign off. And then conveniently all eight of those senators aren’t up for reelection in 2026. 

Jane Coaston: So to talk more about the potential end to the shutdown with no answers on healthcare, I spoke with Delaware Democratic Congresswoman Sarah McBride on Tuesday afternoon. Congresswoman McBride, welcome to What a Day. 

Sarah McBride: Thanks for having me. 

Jane Coaston: So you tweeted earlier this week that you will be voting no on the deal that eight Senate Democrats reached with Republicans. There are a lot of objections to this package, but what are your main ones? 

Sarah McBride: Well, my main objection is that there is no reason why we can’t reopen government and address this healthcare crisis all at the same time. In fact, we do not have the luxury of waiting. Thousands of my constituents are logging on to healthcare.gov and finding their healthcare premiums increasing 100, 200, 300%. We need to urgently address this health care crisis and this budget was our best and likely only avenue to bring down healthcare costs facing my constituents. And because this deal, especially in the House where we are far from guaranteed a vote on this deal. This deal does not meet that basic and straightforward goal that we had, which was to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. And for that reason, I just simply cannot give them my vote. And while we shouldn’t be in an indefinite shutdown, while that is an untenable situation, I do think that we should have guaranteed that there was a bit more time for things to unfold. We had a good week in the elections last week. People were just waking up to the premium crisis. There was increasing pressure that was happening on Republicans. It might not have changed their negotiating position, and we would have maybe had to have some difficult conversations and decisions then. But I do think it was premature to strike this deal when the dust had not even really settled on the last election and when people were just tuning in to the to the premium increases. 

Jane Coaston: Some of your Democratic colleagues have called on Chuck Schumer to step down as Senate minority leader. Do you still have confidence in his ability to lead Senate Democrats? 

Sarah McBride: Look, one of the things I know is that unless you are in the caucus room, you don’t have a full picture on whether a leader is effectively leading their caucus. I will say I am very excited about some of the next generation of leaders in the United States Senate, people like Brian Schatz and others, who I think understand how to communicate in this moment, meet this moment, lead in this movement, um and I’ll leave it up right now to my colleagues in the Senate on who is best capable to lead them and whether there needs to be a change or not. Um. But I will just say there are a lot of people who I’m super excited about in the Senate. But I think the folks in the senate caucus are probably better able than I am with the vantage points that they have to determine whether a change needs to be made right now or maybe in the future. 

Jane Coaston: I know that there’s nothing that media, and I include myself, love talking about more than Democrat on Democrat in fighting, but it is also odd because it’s taking place less than a week after an election that was fantastic for Democrats, all kinds of Democrats. Like, if you if you are a type of Democrat, there was a winner for you. What lessons are you hoping party leaders take from those electoral victories? 

Sarah McBride: Well, I think all of the candidates who won on Tuesday, especially the highest profile ones, MikieSherrill, Zohran Mamdani, Abigail Spanberger, all of them employed three kinds of politics. The first is the politics of affordability, a hyper focus on lowering the cost of living for working people in this country, and that includes addressing the health care crisis and the housing cost crisis. The second is that they employed a politics of curiosity and not judgment. They met voters where they are, they had conversations across disagreement, and they built big tents. The third is that they employed the politics of place. All of them were running with a deep sense of identity in the state or the community that they were running in. And I think that that is an approach, a politics of affordability, a politics of curiosity, and a politics of place. That whether you’re a progressive or a moderate, whether you are running in a big city or in a rural area, whether you’re running in a red state or a blue state, every candidate can employ those politics and employ them successfully to win. 

Jane Coaston: I also thought it was very telling that in Virginia, the Republican candidate for governor, Winsome Earle-Sears, lost after basing her entire campaign on anti-trans messaging. You know we saw a lot of anti-trans fear-mongering in 2024. And we’ve seen that, especially in down ballot races for the last couple of years, because we live in hell. But do you have any thoughts as to why her fear-mongering didn’t work? 

Sarah McBride: I think there are three things that we can take away from the Virginia gubernatorial election. The first is that candidates can be principled and pragmatic. You can stay true to your values and meet voters where they are at the same time. You can employ effective strategies and effective messages. Sometimes they don’t feel totally viscerally comforting to the community that is being attacked, but they effectively defend that community. And I think Abigail Spanberger really did that effectively in her campaign. The second thing we learned is that you can’t stick your head in the sand. You have to engage, you have to respond, you have to be proactive and anticipate these attacks. Abigail did that, she put money behind ads that really reinforced her bona fides on the issue of public safety, the fact that she’s committed to safety for all Virginia students. And then the third is that, you can go on the offense. What is so clear is that Winsome Earle-Sears, like the rest of the Republican Party, is actually the one that’s extreme on LGBTQ rights. She does not believe in marriage equality. She does believe that we should ban discrimination in employment against LGBTQ people. In fact, she said all of that is not discrimination. And, indeed, as we saw with her spend, 54% going to trans-focused ads. She, like the rest of the Republican Party, are the ones that are actually obsessed with trans rights. They are the one that are fomenting cultural wars and obsessed with culture wars. Abigail Spanberger was running on the politics and policies of affordability. And I think when you do all three of those things, you’re principled and pragmatic, you meet voters where they are, you’re proactive, and you pull the curtain back on the fact that the Republicans are the once that are obsessed with these issues. I think that is a way of effectively engaging on these issues that both defends the trans community and wins at the ballot box. 

Jane Coaston: Something I am kind of obsessed with is how people who write about politics, think about politics, work in politics. We have a real bad case of recency bias. Like we do this thing of being like, you know, all we’re going to be talking about for the next 12 months is going to be this shutdown or this event that took place over the last couple of weeks. When, as we know in the era of Donald Trump, things that took place in September feel like they happened 3000 years ago. But what issues do you think Democrats need to focus on heading into the midterms, which are somehow not that far away. 

Sarah McBride: They aren’t. I mean, look, I know it’s become a cliché at this point, but I do believe that we have to be hyper-focused on affordability. That doesn’t mean at the expense of everything else we have be very clear that we stand in opposition to the absolute attack on freedom that we are seeing, the attack on the rule of law, the attack on due process. And we have to be able to connect all of those things. I do think that one of the things we saw in the 2025 elections is that in New Jersey and Virginia, we can still persuade voters that I would call Trump tolerant. Mikie Sherrill, for instance, didn’t win by the margin she won by simply by mobilizing Democrats or independent leaning Democrats. She was able to convince a number of communities, a lot of voters who had voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 election to switch and vote for her. And a lot of that has to do with the fact that people feel like Donald Trump has broken his central promise to them, which was to bring down the cost of living. And now Donald Trump is not only renovating a bathroom off the Lincoln bedroom and building a ballroom after destroying the East Wing of the White House, he’s doing all of that while quite literally saying, I don’t want to hear about affordability. And if we reach those voters, if we meet those voters with curiosity and grace, and really focus in on what is top of mind for them and all voters of every background across the diverse working class, then we can build the kind of coalition necessary to not only win in places like Delaware and New Jersey and Virginia, but also be able to compete in redder areas of this country so that we can win the House and God willing, win the Senate in 2026. 

Jane Coaston: From your lips to God’s ears, Congresswoman McBride, thank you so much for joining us. 

Sarah McBride: Thanks for having me. 

Jane Coaston: That was my conversation with Delaware Democratic Congresswoman Sarah McBride. We’ll get to more of the news in a moment, but if you like the show, make sure to subscribe, leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, watch us on YouTube and share with your friends. More to come after some ads. [music break]

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Jane Coaston: Here’s what else we’re following today. 

[sung] Headlines. 

Speaker 9 Hi friends! I told you if I had an update I would let you know. So it looks like I’m going to get sworn in this week. After seven weeks of waiting, I almost can’t believe it’s true. 

Jane Coaston: U.S. Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva is set to be sworn in as a member of Congress when the House returns. Grijalva, a Democrat, won a special election in Arizona at the end of September, but House Speaker Mike Johnson has refused to swear her in, blaming the shutdown. Democrats argue he had other motives for stalling. Grijalva has said she’d sign a petition that would force a House vote to release files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which for some reason is controversial all of a sudden. But Johnson told CNN Monday night that it’s now a quote, “moot point” because the Oversight Committee had been releasing documents related to Epstein. So Johnson’s gonna swear her in. Right?

[clip of House Speaker Mike Johnson] Yeah, just as I promised, as soon as we get back to legislative session, so, I mean, before we have this vote that we’re talking about, she’ll be administered the oath. [indistinct]

[clip of unnamed CNN news reporter] After the House gavels in, but before the vote. 

[clip of House Speaker Mike Johnson] Right, yeah, sure, sure. As soon as soon we get started, yeah. 

Jane Coaston: Those goalposts sure are moving quickly. A judge has allowed the continued deployment of more than 300 West Virginia National Guard members to Washington, D.C. And why are West Virginia national guard troops in the nation’s capital? To patrol the streets as part of President Trump’s push to send the military into Democratic-run cities, whether the cities like it or not. Hint! They don’t like it. A judge ruled Monday after hearing arguments in a lawsuit by a civic organization. It argued that West Virginia Republican Governor Patrick Morrissey exceeded his authority when he authorized the Guard’s deployment to D.C. in August. But the judge said, quote, “This court believes that the federal law allows for the request made by the president to the governor.” Better news on the National Guard front in Oregon. A judge ruled that the administration violated the Constitution when it sent troops to Portland. Friday, the judge found that the Administration failed to meet the legal requirements for deploying troops because Trump did not establish there was a rebellion, or a danger of a rebellion, or that he was unable to enforce the law with regular forces. 

[clip of Cedric Leighton] The British relationship, the intelligence-sharing relationship that we have with the Brits really goes back all the way to World War II and even before that to some extent. So this is a very significant break in that relationship. 

Jane Coaston: Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton spoke to CNN about its new report that the United Kingdom has stopped sharing intelligence with the U. S. about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea. Sources familiar with the matter told CNN the UK believes the U S. Military strikes are illegal and it does not want to be complicit. The intelligence pause reportedly started over a month ago. CNN’s Natasha Bertrand reported the UK has been helping the U.S. find vessels suspected of carrying drugs in the region for years.

[clip of CNN’s Natasha Bertrand] Previously, the UK had been happy to help the United States locate and interdict vessels that were transiting the Caribbean that appeared to be trafficking drugs. But the key difference, of course, is that it was helping the Coast Guard intercept those vessels, arrest those on board, seize the drugs, and allowing these individuals to have some semblance of due process. 

Jane Coaston: But in September, after the US launched a campaign of deadly strikes against vessels in the region, the UK grew understandably uneasy. According to CNN sources, British officials don’t want any part in the strikes, which they think violate international law. US officials have so far confirmed 19 strikes on suspected drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The strikes have killed more than 70 people. Many American hits begin with the number 50, 50 shades of gray, 50 cent, 50 ways to leave your lover. But how about 50 years to pay off your mortgage? That last one is exactly what President Trump briefly floated this weekend. The ordeal started when Bill Pulte, the federal housing finance agency director, showed up at Trump’s Palm Beach Golf Club with a giant poster comparing Trump to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. On it, quote, “30-year mortgage under an image of Roosevelt,” and quote, “50-year mortgage under an image of Trump,” with the headline, quote, “great American presidents.” According to the Associated Press, roughly ten minutes after meeting with Pulte, Trump posted the idea on Truth Social. It’s worth noting that Bill Pulte is the grandson of William Pulte. The founder of Pulte Group, a major home builder. He previously served on the company’s board, which would directly benefit from the expanded mortgage demand. Unfortunately for Mr. Pulte and Mr. Trump, many people did not think this was such a great idea. Conservative influencers from Laura Loomer to Georgia Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene skewered the idea across social media. Fox News’ Laura Ingraham confronted Trump about the MAGA backlash to the loan scheme in an interview Monday night. 

[clip of Laura Ingraham] Is that really a good idea? 

[clip of President Donald Trump] It’s not even a big deal. I mean, you know, you go from 40 to 50 years and whatever it is– 

[clip of Laura Ingraham] 30 to 50. Yeah.

[clip of President Donald Trump] –is you pay. You pay something less from 30 that some people had a 40 and then that now they have a 50. All it means is you pay less per month, you pay it over a longer period of time. It’s not like a big factor. 

Jane Coaston: It is like a big factor. A $350,000 mortgage at about 6% interest would cost you roughly $422,000 in interest over 30 years, but nearly $787,000 over 50 years. In other words, stretching the loan to 50 years means paying about $365,000 more in interest for a slightly lower monthly payment, which basically means your mortgage could retire before you do. And that’s the news. [music break] One more thing. I don’t know how to tell you this, but President Donald Trump thinks you’re full of shit. Yes, you. Sure, you’re struggling to make rent or having difficulty paying for groceries. Maybe because both rent and grocery costs have gone up since Trump took office. But have you considered that maybe everything in the economy is actually totally awesome? Here’s the president speaking to Laura Ingraham on the Ingraham Angle Monday night. 

[clip of Laura Ingraham] Why are people saying they’re anxious about the economy? Why are they saying that? 

[clip of President Donald Trump] I don’t know that they are saying that, I think polls are fake. We have the greatest economy we’ve ever had. We have close will have over 20 trillion dollars come into our economy, and it’s largely because of my election, but it’s also largely because of tariffs. 

Jane Coaston: Now, yes, according to ABC News, two-thirds of Americans think the country is on the wrong track. And nearly half of Americans who make under $50,000 a year think that the economy has gotten worse under Trump. But that’s just what those dastardly television anchors want you to think, according to President Trump. 

[clip of President Donald Trump] More than anything else, it’s a con job by the Democrats. They’re saying, they just have to say, you know, they put out something. Say today, costs are up. They feed it to the anchors of ABC, CBS, and NBC, and a lot of other, and, you know CNN, et cetera. 

Jane Coaston: Seriously, this is so, so stupid. Not just because Donald Trump is almost reflexively unable to process any news that does not make him look good, but it’s because the entire conceit of the 2024 election, the entire thing was that Donald Trump won because President Joe Biden didn’t do enough to battle inflation and the high cost of living. Remember the eggs? In fact, back during Trump’s first term, analysis from Vox showed that it was the promise of his economic performance that played a big role in how he won in 2016, and his actual economic performance helped him stay viable with voters up until 2020. And yet now it’s Trump with low marks from voters on the economy, and even die-hard MAGA acolytes are noticing. But does he care? Nope. Not Donald Trump. Instead, the Marie Antoinette of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is just going to keep on working on making the oval office look even more like the third nicest suite at the Bellagio. 

[clip of President Donald Trump] One thing with gold. 

[clip of Laura Ingraham] Why not? [?] 

[clip of President Donald Trump] You can’t imitate gold, real gold. There’s no paint that imitates gold. 

[clip of Laura Ingraham] So these aren’t like from Home Depot or something? 

[clip of President Donald Trump] No, this is not Home Depot stuff. 

[clip of Laura Ingraham] No, not stuff you buy. 

[clip of President Donald Trump] This is not home depot. 

Jane Coaston: Sure. [music break] Before we go, thank you to everyone who came to CrookedCon and made it possible. Attendees, speakers, sponsors, we couldn’t have done it without you. I got to meet so many of you, people who listen to the show every morning and stay plugged into politics through all of this because you believe in something better. From panel conversations to run-ins in the lobby, it was a fantastic experience. If you couldn’t make it and want to hear the conversations, panels, and all the other fun stuff we got into, head to crookedcon.com. We’ll be posting a whole lot of live from CrookedCon content there. You can also hear these panels on the What a Day podcast feed or on our YouTube channel. Sign up to crookedcon.com for all the details on our next Crooked Con, coming to you in 2026. Just in time for midterms! [music break] That’s all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe, leave a review, don’t gamble on sports, and tell your friends to listen. And if you’re into reading, and not just about how with controversy surrounding gambling in pretty much every sport, including a new federal indictment against two pitchers for the Cleveland Guardians, it’s pretty clear that maybe, just maybe, it is best to just not gamble on sports, like me. What a Day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and subscribe at Crooked.com/subscribe. I’m Jane Coaston, and seriously, do you really think your life is going to be improved by betting on a regular season baseball game? [music break] What a Day is a production of Crooked Media. It’s recorded and mixed by Desmond Taylor. Our associate producers are Emily Fohr and Chris Allport. Our video editor is Joseph Dutra. Our video producer is Johanna Case. We had production help today from Greg Walters, Matt Berg, Caitlin Plummer, Tyler Hill, and Ethan Obermann. Our senior producer is Erica Morrison, and our senior vice president of news and politics is Adriene Hill. We had help today from the Associated Press. Our theme music is by Colin Gilliard and Kashaka. Our production staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America East. [music break]

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