Dems get behind new rising star to fix problems with men; new Econ data; Europe revisits appeasement

Summary

10 Minute Drill – July 31, 2025 Episode Summary

Hosted by Matt Whitlock

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The latest episode of 10 Minute Drill, hosted by veteran political strategist Matt Whitlock, delivers a comprehensive and engaging rundown of the most pressing news and political stories. Covering a spectrum of topics from economic indicators and trade deals to political dynamics and international strategies, Whitlock ensures listeners are well-informed with insightful analysis and notable quotations.

1. Economic Rebound: Promising GDP Growth

Matt Whitlock kicks off the episode by highlighting fresh economic data indicating a robust rebound in the American economy.

Host [00:36]: "Yesterday morning, we got new data showing that the American economy is rebounding."

An Economic Analyst enthusiastically confirms the optimistic outlook:

Economic Analyst [00:40]: "This is an amazing number, by the way. I predicted we'd get to 3% growth. I just didn't think it would happen so quickly. We're seeing lots of jobs. We're seeing tame inflation. It is really a beautiful picture."

Despite the positive indicators, Whitlock points out the mixed reactions from Democrats regarding the current administration's economic performance.

Political Commentator [00:54]: "The Democrats, of course, as you pointed out, really don't want to see the current administration have some success. But there's no doubt that this is some success."

2. Historic Trade Deal with the European Union

A significant portion of the episode delves into the recently announced historic trade deal between the United States and the European Union. Whitlock outlines the deal's key components and its implications on the global trading landscape.

Host [01:02]: "This comes just days after a historic new trade deal was announced with the European Union."

Trade Expert Isabel provides an authoritative perspective:

Trade Expert [01:08]: "The bottom line is this is the biggest trade deal in President Trump's effort to effectively reshape the global trading order that has been one of his central priorities since taking office in January."

Key elements of the deal include:

• 0% Tariff on U.S. Goods
• Hundreds of Billions in Military Gear
• $600 Billion in U.S. Investment in European Countries
• $750 Billion in U.S. Energy Purchased by Europe

Whitlock emphasizes the strategic importance of Europe's shift away from Russian oil and gas dependencies, highlighting President Trump's focus on energy sources.

During the negotiations, President Trump notably criticized wind energy:

Donald Trump [01:53]: "And you see windmills all over the place. It's a horrible thing. It's the most expensive form of energy. It's no good. They're made in China, almost all of them."

However, the deal leaves out critical issues such as the digital services tax, which the European Union imposes on American companies to compensate for the lack of domestic innovation. Whitlock notes that this tax remains unresolved and continues to pressure American businesses.

3. Democrats' Declining Approval Ratings

Whitlock shifts focus to the political arena, discussing the stark decline in Democratic approval ratings as revealed by recent polls.

Harry Enten [04:10]: "Whoo. I mean, my God. You know, we mentioned cnn. We had that poll come out a little while ago on their net favorable rating. They were 26 points underwater. You think that's low enough? How about we go even lower? We'll go to this side of the screen. I'm going to walk over. Here we go to the Wall Street Journal. Minus 30 points, 30 points underwater."

The Wall Street Journal poll indicates that Democrats are experiencing their lowest favorability ratings ever, with only 33% of Americans viewing the party favorably. This decline is attributed to several factors:

• Loss of Young Male Voters: Focus groups reveal that young men, especially men of color, feel abandoned by the Democratic Party. They cite economic struggles and perceive a lack of empathy from the left, which they believe dismisses their legitimate economic concerns.

• Biden Administration's Priorities: Criticism is directed towards the administration's focus on green energy tax credits and selective student debt relief, which many working-class voters feel did not address their immediate economic needs.

Political Commentator [06:58]: "When you look at these Joe Biden priorities that Democrats in the House and Senate focused on when they had all the power in the world, why normal working class people and young male voters might feel like the party abandoned them."

Additionally, there is a perception that the Democratic Party lacks masculine leadership, further alienating young male voters.

Participant [07:26]: "I think being a masculine leader is like outlawed in the Democratic Party right now, one participant said. Come on now."

Despite these challenges, some Democrats are attempting to adopt more traditionally masculine traits, although responses are mixed.

4. Europe's New Strategy and Macron’s Recognition of Palestine

The episode also covers Europe’s shifting stance in international politics, particularly focusing on French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent decision to recognize Palestine as a state.

Emmanuel Macron [08:19]: "True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the state of Palestine. The urgency today is to end the war in Gaza and to provide aid to the civilian population."

A Trade Expert criticizes this move, arguing that it undermines efforts to quell terrorism by emboldening Hamas.

Trade Expert [08:36]: "Well, it's a very foolish thing to do because all it's doing is setting back any hope that Hamas is going to give up. This emboldens them, and that's what Macron is doing."

President Trump responds dismissively to Macron’s announcement:

Donald Trump [09:06]: "He's a different kind of a guy. He's okay. He's a team player pretty much. But here's the good news. What he says doesn't matter."

Whitlock draws parallels to historical instances of appeasement, suggesting that Europe might be repeating past mistakes by trying to placate violent groups without addressing underlying conflicts.

Donald Trump [09:43]: "You could make the case that you're rewarding people that you know you're rewarding Hamas. If you do that. And I don't think they should be rewarded."

5. Funding Challenges for Climate NGOs

In the "You Can't Make It Up" segment, Whitlock addresses the financial struggles faced by climate-focused non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as federal funding diminishes and private donors are hesitant to fill the gaps.

Host [09:53]: "Climate NGOs are facing funding shortfalls as federal dollars dry up and donors are unlikely to fill the gaps. So some have laid off staff and are searching for other ways to cut costs."

Whitlock critiques these organizations, suggesting that their dependency on government funds questions their non-governmental status and points to potential misuse of funds for political purposes.

Host [09:53]: "Rewiring America is part of the Power Forward Communities Coalition, a newly founded nonprofit with no financial history that received 2 billion green energy handout from the Biden administration."

He further connects this issue to broader concerns about political corruption and the diversion of taxpayer money to politically motivated NGOs, highlighting the need for transparency and accountability.

6. Looking Ahead: The Midterm Election Landscape

Concluding the episode, Whitlock discusses the upcoming midterm elections, emphasizing the Republican Party's potential to capitalize on the current political climate.

Guy Benson: "Republicans have a chance to defy history in the midterms."

With Democrats grappling with unprecedented low approval ratings and Republicans steadily improving their standing, the stage is set for a potentially historic midterm election. Republicans are strategically focusing on passing their agenda, raising funds, and shifting the national narrative in their favor.

Conclusion

Matt Whitlock wraps up the episode by reinforcing the interconnectedness of economic performance, political approval, and international strategies, underscoring the complexity of the current political landscape. Listeners are left with a clear understanding of the multifaceted challenges and opportunities that define the present moment in American politics.

Host [09:53]: "That is all the time we have for today. Thank you for joining us for our second consecutive on the road episode of 10 Minute Drill."

Stay informed and ahead of the curve with 10 Minute Drill, your go-to source for quick, insightful political analysis every Tuesday and Thursday.

Transcript

[Host]

Media has found a brand new Democrat rising star. We have new GDP numbers about the strength of the American economy. A new historic trade deal. And Europe has a new strategy for dealing with terrorists. But it might be the same as their old strategy. All that and more today on 10 Minute Drill. Everybody get up. Get up.

[Donald Trump]

The story of America is the story of an adventure.

[Economic Analyst]

I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. We are a nation under God, and I believe God intended for us to be free.

[Host]

Yesterday morning, we got new data showing that the American economy is rebounding.

[Economic Analyst]

This is an amazing number, by the way. I predicted we'd get to 3% growth. I just didn't think it would happen so quickly. We're seeing lots of jobs. We're seeing tame inflation. It is really a beautiful picture.

[Host]

There's lots of discussion about how Democrats are reacting.

[Political Commentator]

The Democrats, of course, as you pointed out, really don't want to see the current administration have some success. But there's no doubt that this is some success.

[Host]

This comes just days after a historic new trade deal was announced with the European Union. Isabel.

[Trade Expert]

The bottom line is this is the biggest trade deal in President Trump's effort to effectively reshape the global trading order that has been one of his central priorities since taking office in January.

[Host]

Some of those details, 0% tariff on U.S. goods. Hundreds of billions of dollars in military gear. $600 billion in U.S. investment. European countries. $750 billion in U.S. energy will be bought by Europe. This is an incredibly important point because Europe so far, for the last several years, has been buying so much of their oil and gas from Russia and prolonged the war in Ukraine, which has been a tragedy for all of Europe. President Trump used that opportunity, meeting with the leader of the European Union, to talk about one of his favorite topics. Windmills.

[Donald Trump]

And you see windmills all over the place. It's a horrible thing. It's the most expensive form of energy. It's no good. They're made in China, almost all of them.

[Host]

However, there are a few key components that were left out of this initial deal. One of the biggest being the digital services tax. We've talked about that quite a bit here. This is the tax that European countries put on American companies that want to sell in their markets. The reason for this has been the European Union does not have a lot of innovation and a lot of companies of their own. So they've tried to bilk American companies for money. Scott Besant talked about this and said this was gonna be a priority for this deal. We will see if they find a way to continue to put pressure on this critical issue that is hurting American companies. The media has a new star. Meet Jasmine Crockett. The Daily Caller's Amber Marie Duke highlighted a few key points of this profile that I thought were particularly funny. Her phone lock screen is a photo of herself. She thought she deserved to be the top Democrat on House Oversight Committee because of her social media following. She tried to shut down the profile after the reporter called a number of her colleagues in the House. I think that she makes a very interesting face for Democrats because so much of the consultant commentary after losing the 2024 election was they need to use more profanity. They need to be more brash and direct in their messaging, which a lot of us know was not their problem in 2024. The problem was voters rejected their ideas and Kamala Harris was a terrible candidate. One reason that Crockett wanted to shut down this profile, though, was her House Democrat colleagues didn't always have a lot of nice things to say about her. Maybe because of these things, y' all.

[Jasmine Crockett]

Know we got governor hot wheels down there. Come on now, Ms. Crockett, I'm just curious just to better understand your ruling. If someone on this committee then starts talking about somebody's bleach, blonde, bad built, butch body, that would not be engaging in personalities. Correct. The fact is, ain't none of y' all trying to go and farm right now. We done picking cotton.

[Host]

Feels like once a week here on 10 Minute Drill, we've highlighted another clip or poll showing that Democrats approval ratings remain at historic, historic lows. We continue to expect that to shift in some way, but it's not. Here is our favorite CNN's Harry Entin.

[Political Commentator]

Whoa.

[Harry Enten]

Whoo. I mean, my God. You know, we mentioned cnn. We had that poll come out a little while ago on their net favorable rating. They were 26 points underwater. You think that's low enough? How about we go even lower? We'll go to this side of the screen. I'm going to walk over. Here we go to the Wall Street Journal. Minus 30 points, 30 points underwater.

[Host]

Now, Enten and others have been highlighting this Wall Street Journal poll showing the Democrats favorability rating is the lowest of all time. It's important to track the trajectory of this. Back in 2017, Democrats held a modest but clear favorability lead. That entered a steady decline in about 2020 around the pandemic, sliding below 50%. But then through the election, and by early 2025, that favorability hit historic lows, which with unfavorable views as high as 57% right now. As we've talked about with that polling, just 33% of Americans hold a favorable view of the Democrat Party. Why could that be? The Washington Post has some ideas. They had an opportunity to review focus groups that showed exactly how Democrats have lost young male voters. In particular, Republicans won young men last year, while 55% supported Democrats. In 2020, support dropped to 46% in 2024. Young men of color in particular swung toward Trump, with Republicans seeing noticeable gains among Latino and Black men aged 18 to 29. These focus groups asked a lot of these young men exactly why they abandoned the Democrat Party. Their responses were very interesting and very important. Young men in swing states say the Democrat Party abandoned them, leaving them feeling helpless in providing for their families as prices rose and jobs evaporated. They felt no sympathy from the left, who they say brushed away their legitimate economic woes by citing their male privilege. They they acknowledge historical patriarchy but assert that doesn't make them invincible in a job market where graduate unemployment is concentrated among young men. Now I always like to tie this back to what Joe Biden focused on when Democrats are in power and what that told the rest of the country about what his priorities were when he had the White House, the House and Senate. They didn't do anything to lower prices of goods or create new jobs. They put their entire focus on green energy tax credits, one of the largest investments in electric vehicle tax credits, in solar and wind tax credits. The other thing that they focused on was bailing out student debt for doctors and lawyers. You'll remember that they had an opportunity to make that debt bailout go to working class people who needed it. They didn't want to do that. They wanted to go all the way up the scale, which means that working class people who either didn't go to college or found other ways to pay off their student debt would see their taxes go up to pay off the student loans of other people. So it's easy to see when you look at these Joe Biden priorities that Democrats in the House and Senate focused on when they had all the power in the world, why normal working class people and young male voters might feel like the party abandoned them. Another key note that came back was these young male voters don't believe that Democrats have any masculine leaders, several saying Democrats don't have a masculine politician except for Obama. I think being a masculine leader is like outlawed in the Democratic Party right now, one participant said. Come on now. What about our friend Tim Waltz? Wait, you're saying this isn't masculine because.

[Guy Benson]

They dare to insult a president. I see people who want mergers suddenly think that they have to pay tribute to this president.

[Host]

That's not to say that some Democrats aren't trying really, really hard to be masculine.

[Guy Benson]

I should be working right now. Instead, I'm pumping iron at the gym.

[Host]

This sets up what could be a historic midterm election. Guy Benson wrote about the Republican opportunity facing these dynamics. Republicans have a chance to defy history in the midterms. Now, what Guy's focusing on here is obviously the Democrat lack of favorability, but also Republicans continuing to improve their own approval ratings, pass their agenda, raise money, and do all the things needed to try and shift the historic tides against the party in power in a midterm election. Just days ago, Emmanuel Macron in France announced they would be recognizing a Palestinian state.

[Emmanuel Macron]

President Macron of France apparently is thinking about recognizing Palestine as a state, saying that true to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the state of Palestine. The urgency today is to end the war in Gaza and to provide aid to the civilian population.

[Trade Expert]

Well, it's a very foolish thing to do because all it's doing is setting back any hope that Hamas is going to give up. This emboldens them, and that's what Macron is doing.

[Host]

Hamas quickly thanked Macron in France for this. We see it as a positive step in the right direction, supporting their legitimate right to self determination and the establishment of their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital. You'll remember one key victory of President Trump's first term was establishing Israel's capital in Jerusalem. I can't imagine he's taking very kindly to this. Let's see what he had to say.

[Donald Trump]

He's a different kind of a guy. He's okay. He's a team player pretty much. But here's the good news. What he says doesn't matter.

[Host]

The UK followed suit just days later. You might think that the European countries haven't learned anything from their past history of trying out appeasement with violent leaders, terrorists, totalitarians. But a lot of people have pointed to the fact that this in a lot of ways gives the terrorists what they want. Hamas attacked Israel with one of the most brutal slaughters. And now, just within years, European leaders are trying to give them everything they want while they still hold hostages. Here's President Trump on that.

[Donald Trump]

You could make the case that you're rewarding people that you know you're rewarding Hamas. If you do that. And I don't think they should be rewarded.

[Host]

For our you can't make it up segment. Today we have this headline from Bloomberg. Climate NGOs are facing funding shortfalls as federal dollars dry up and donors are unlikely to fill the gaps. So some have laid off staff and are searching for other ways to cut costs. Now if a non government organization goes belly up when they lose government funding, it's worth considering whether or not they're actually a non government organization. Another dynamic at play here is these are dark money groups and dark money mega investors are seeing them as a bad investment because in the last four years, with all the money in the world to push climate change, they've only made the climate fight less popular. Here's Americans for Public Trust. Don't be fooled. Rewiring America is part of the Power Forward Communities Coalition, a newly founded nonprofit with no financial history that received 2 billion green energy handout from the Biden administration. We've Talked extensively at 10 minute drill about this Power Forward Communities Coalition, the group that received $2 billion for Stacey Abrams, who has no experience fighting climate change, to lead. This is where it has become so important for President Trump, Doge Elon Musk and everyone to shine light for our taxpayer dollars are going to political groups under the guise of fighting climate change, things like that. And as we see these groups going belly up, it's a positive thing that our tax dollars are not funding more political campaigns. But this is where things tie back to examples like California's missing Wildfire relief. You look at $100 million of donor money that was intended for direct relief that has gone to these political NGOs in California, which one of the biggest, most important efforts of this entire Trump administration is to get people to follow the money and highlight that corruption so that people can get their tax dollars extricated from this terrible mechanism that forces their tax dollars to be used against them for political purposes they did not vote for. That is all the time we have for today. Thank you for joining us for our second consecutive on the road episode of 10 Minute Drill. I am coming to you live from Evanston, Wyoming. Have a great day. We will see you next Tuesday.