Nov 10, 2026 · 1h 44m
Listen from 1:34:40
Listen at 1:34:40
Democrats debate the agenda beyond opposing Trump
From Anti-Trump to Pro-Something (Live from Crooked Con)
The discussion tests whether Democrats can turn resistance into a governing program centered on economic security, health care, peace, and democratic accountability.
- 1Democrats need a concrete economic agenda that lowers costs, protects health care, and delivers visible gains for workers.
- 2Panelists argue that weakly partisan voters respond to authentic candidates and daily economic pressures more than fixed ideological labels.
- 3Elissa Slotkin calls for new leadership, focused accountability, and a first-100-days plan that uses congressional power differently.
Don't miss
Elissa Slotkin lays out a three-part governing test: pass helpful legislation, pursue focused accountability, and reform government to prevent future abuses.
The brief
Recorded live at Crooked Con, the conversation asks what Democrats can offer beyond opposing Donald Trump: lower costs, stronger health care, pro-worker policies, peace, and democratic accountability.
The panel argues that voters are less anchored to party labels than many strategists assume, and that authentic candidates can rebuild trust by addressing daily economic pressures.
Health care becomes a test of ambition, with speakers weighing Medicare for All, a public option, Medicaid restoration, caregiving investment, and regulation of big tech and AI.
The debate widens to shutdown strategy, immigration enforcement, the Iran war, leadership, and whether ideological disagreements should block achievable progress on shared priorities.
Elissa Slotkin’s closing case is for a new generation of Democratic leadership, a concrete first-100-days agenda, and disciplined use of congressional power to rebuild trust.
What was said on this episode
64 statements · 39 positive · 20 negative · 1 mixed · 4 neutral
Democrats should immediately end the Iran war.
“the number one thing we could do right now is end the illegal and senseless war in Iran”
Listen at 4:05
Democrats should reverse Medicaid and ACA tax-credit cuts.
“reversing the cuts to Medicaid and the ACA tax credits”
Listen at 5:20
The modern Democratic Party is pro-worker and pro-peace.
“The modern Democratic Party, is built on being pro-worker and pro-peace.”
Listen at 6:19
Democrats can reshape the electoral map for a generation.
“we have the opportunity to ensure that that map is not just remade for one election, but for a generation to come”
Listen at 7:08
Democrats should force Trump to veto Medicare for All.
“I would like to force Donald Trump to veto Medicare for all.”
Listen at 7:46
- Melat Kiroson Data-center moratoriumPositive7:50
Democrats should force Trump to veto a data-center moratorium.
“I would like to force him to veto a data center moratorium”
Listen at 7:50
Congress should quickly reverse war, tariffs, and Medicare cuts.
“Go get rid of those three things as quickly as possible.”
Listen at 8:49
Congress should ban stock trading by lawmakers.
“banning stock trading, you know, that would be helpful as well”
Listen at 8:54
Democrats should contest elections nationwide.
“Democrats need to show up and fight every single place all over the country.”
Listen at 11:02
Democrats can win in places previously considered uncompetitive.
“many in our party had permanently written off as permanently uncompetitive for us”
Listen at 12:33
No U.S. places are permanently Republican.
“there are no permanently red places in this country”
Listen at 12:44
Candidates should campaign authentically in their districts.
“Let's just have candidates authentically show up as themselves in their values, in their districts”
Listen at 14:25
- Melat Kiroson Populist politicsPositive15:59
Populist politics won broadly in the election.
“I think populist politics won across the board.”
Listen at 15:59
- Melat Kiroson Democratic electoral gainsNegative16:38
Recent Democratic electoral gains will be fragile without policy results.
“These wins are going to be really fickle unless we actually do something to deliver with some meaningful results here.”
Listen at 16:38
Voters mandated action on corruption.
“this is a mandate from voters that are saying their number one issue is corruption”
Listen at 16:44
Most Americans doubt their children will have better lives.
“most people don't think that their kids are going to have a better life than them”
Listen at 19:28
Democrats risk losing voters without authentic, centered politics.
“if we don't show up real and authentic and right, and centered, then we're not going to make the day because they will fire us too”
Listen at 19:47
Congress should vote on Medicare for All.
“we should take a vote on Medicare for all”
Listen at 23:22
Congress should create a public health-insurance option.
“we need at the very least, for goodness sakes, to create a public option”
Listen at 24:18
The U.S. health-care system is failing Americans.
“the health care system is not working for them”
Listen at 24:35
Democrats support universal paid leave and child care.
“we already have the muscle memory as Democrats of voting in favor of universal paid leave, of universal child care”
Listen at 26:01
Government should invest heavily in the skilled-trades workforce.
“we should make historic investments in building the trades workforce”
Listen at 27:59
Big Tech, especially AI, requires meaningful regulation.
“Today, it has to be meaningful regulation of big tech. especially AI”
Listen at 28:35
Congress must prioritize lowering household costs.
“you have to do something to lower my cost”
Listen at 30:15
- Melat Kiroson Single-payer health carePositive31:47
A single-payer system is necessary to address the health-care crisis.
“what is necessary to address the healthcare crisis, it has to be a single-payer healthcare system”
Listen at 31:47
- Melat Kiroson Democratic voters' Medicare for All supportPositive32:23
Eighty to ninety percent of Democratic voters want Medicare for All.
“most of our voters, 80 to 90 percent of Democratic voters want Medicare for all”
Listen at 32:23
Medicare for All would protect the future from Trumpism.
“Medicare for All, to me, is how we Trump-proof our future, how we MAGA-proof our future.”
Listen at 32:49
- Melat Kiroson Democratic electoral controlPositive33:28
Democrats will retake the House, White House, and trifecta by 2029.
“If we take back the House, which we will, the White House in 28, right? We'll have a trifecta in 29 without question.”
Listen at 33:28
- Melat Kiroson Democratic health-care agendaPositive34:03
A Democratic trifecta could deliver universal care, cancel debt, and lower costs.
“we just deliver universal health care. We'll be able to say that we canceled all medical debt. We'll be able to say that we broke up big medicine and drove down those costs”
Listen at 34:03
The U.S. should end unrestricted taxpayer funding for Israel.
“we should end the open american taxpayer checkbook to the government of israel”
Listen at 36:01
Congress should pass the DISCLOSE Act to end secret political money.
“We need to pass the Disclose Act, no more secret money.”
Listen at 36:22
The U.S. should establish public campaign financing.
“we need a public finance system”
Listen at 36:37
Working-person tax relief should be funded by a millionaire surtax.
“funded by imposing a surtax on people who make more than a million dollars every single year”
Listen at 37:18
Populism was the election's winning message.
“I do believe that populism was the message.”
Listen at 38:00
House Democrats have achieved unprecedented floor control as a minority.
“House Democrats have successfully taken over the floor and gotten our priorities voted on on the floor more than any minority in history since the 1930s”
Listen at 41:02
House Democrats should vote on Jeffries's foreign-policy priorities.
“he's outlined some priorities that I believe our caucus should absolutely vote on in a majority”
Listen at 41:50
- Melat Kiroson Melat Kiros's vote for Hakeem JeffriesMixed45:33
Kiros's vote for Jeffries remains conditional on a bold agenda.
“My vote is something that's still up in the air right now because I need to see that agenda”
Listen at 45:33
- Melat Kiroson Kiros's legislative agendaPositive45:56
Kiros wants votes on Medicare for All, data centers, Israel sales, and Iran.
“I want to see Medicare for All voted on. I want to see a data center moratorium voted on. I want to see us ending military sales to Israel. And I want us to end the war in Iran.”
Listen at 45:56
Democrats should block appropriations funding the Iran war.
“Democrats should not vote for any appropriation bills that has any money in it for the illegal war in Iran”
Listen at 54:32
Democrats can extract concessions and reverse Medicaid cuts.
“there is a lot of opportunity over the next several months to extract concessions, to reverse those cuts, to put forward really bold policy”
Listen at 57:24
- Melat Kiroson ICE enforcementNegative58:59
Democrats should risk a shutdown to reduce ICE activity.
“I think we should hold the line on a government shutdown if it means. ramping down what's happening with ICE right now.”
Listen at 58:59
The U.S. should work toward abolishing ICE.
“we have to be working towards abolishing this agency”
Listen at 59:06
ICE is out of control and requires major reform.
“ICE is out of control. ICE is a paramilitary organization. It has got to be reined in and it has got to be changed.”
Listen at 1:02:16
The U.S. needs Medicare for All.
“We do need Medicare for all.”
Listen at 1:05:53
Netanyahu's government used U.S. taxpayer funds in bombing Gaza.
“Taxpayer dollars were used by the Netanyahu government to drop bombs that have devastated Gaza.”
Listen at 1:07:00
Van Hollen will decide on a presidential run in early January.
“I will make a decision sometime in early January.”
Listen at 1:08:34
Landrieu recommends Van Hollen run for president.
“I think you should run. I think you'd be a great president”
Listen at 1:08:46
America is currently behind in winning the 21st century.
“in 2028, we are going to all of us. irrespective of who runs, however many people do, think about how America is going to recapture winning the 21st century because we're behind now.”
Listen at 1:11:13
Voters want bold ideas supporting economic opportunity.
“they want big and bold ideas to support those economic dreams”
Listen at 1:14:45
Democrats should pass legislation on health care and prescription drugs.
“we have to actually pass legislation that helps Americans' lives. I would start with health care and prescription drugs”
Listen at 1:15:57
Democrats should pursue focused accountability cases.
“we should look at these signature cases”
Listen at 1:16:25
Government should be reformed to prevent future presidential abuses.
“how do we Trump-proof the government so no other president, Democrat, or Republican can ever do what this fan did”
Listen at 1:16:57
Presidential allies who violate laws should face accountability.
“no one is above the law”
Listen at 1:18:01
The administration should end the war, cancel tariffs, and address Medicaid cuts.
“the mop-up job to help people's pocketbooks is end the war. cancel many of the really sloppy, stupid tariffs, and figure out what we're going to do about these Medicaid cuts.”
Listen at 1:21:21
JD Vance helped make the decision to enter the Iran war.
“you made this decision to go to war”
Listen at 1:22:56
The White House and MAGA movement have deep internal divisions.
“there are clearly deep divisions within the White House, within the MAGA movement”
Listen at 1:23:27
The Democratic Senate needs a new generation of leadership.
“we need a new generation of leadership”
Listen at 1:25:08
Democrats should use power and messaging differently.
“we need to think differently about the voices we push forward, the things we go for”
Listen at 1:28:24
Slotkin has not ruled out running for Senate majority leader.
“I'm not ruling anything out.”
Listen at 1:30:25
The U.S.-Israel relationship is currently being reset.
“the resetting of the relationship is happening in real time”
Listen at 1:34:40
The U.S. should reduce Israel's dependence on taxpayer-funded defense support.
“How do we graduate from this model of financial dependence of U.S. taxpayer dollars funding huge portions of their defense budget?”
Listen at 1:35:06
U.S. leaders should openly debate Netanyahu and military conduct in Gaza.
“we need to be able to have an honest conversation about the behavior of Bibi Netanyahu and the military in Gaza”
Listen at 1:40:44
Democrats should welcome a large competitive presidential primary.
“we should have a busy, robust primary”
Listen at 1:42:48
Voters should demand substantive policy proposals from candidates.
“we should demand of people like, what are you going to do?”
Listen at 1:43:05
Statements are attributed to the speaker as said on the episode and reflect their view at the time, not PodLume's. They are not advice.
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