The top thing Dana Perino thinks we might be missing heading into the midterms

Summary

---

Podcast Summary: 10 Minute Drill

Episode: The top thing Dana Perino thinks we might be missing heading into the midterms
Host: Matt Whitlock
Guest: Dana Perino
Date: May 5, 2026
Duration: ~17 min

Episode Overview

This episode delivers a fast-paced rundown of current political news, including major developments with Iran, the sudden collapse of Spirit Airlines, congressional debates over hospital affordability, and California’s ongoing economic woes. The centerpiece is the conclusion of an interview with Dana Perino, focusing on what key issues are being overlooked ahead of the midterms and presidential elections. The conversation stands out for Perino’s nuanced observations about education, political activism, and the AI tech divide.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Project Freedom, Iran, and U.S. Foreign Policy

• President Trump has announced Project Freedom to guide neutral vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, aiming for de-escalation with Iran but threatening retaliation if U.S. ships are attacked.

• Despite some indications of Iranian concessions, no substantive progress on peace has been made.

• Domestic impacts include concerns about gas prices and economic volatility; polls show a large majority of Americans think the U.S. is “winning” against Iran.

  Notable Quote:

  • "If the Iranians try to target US Ships in this area, they will be, quote, blown off the face of the earth." (Host quoting Fox, [01:22])

2. Spirit Airlines Bankruptcy: Blame Game & Regulatory Fallout

• Spirit Airlines abruptly shut down after failed bailout talks. Democrats and Republicans are trading blame, with references to the blocked Spirit-JetBlue merger and Biden-era antitrust enforcement.

• Elizabeth Warren is called out for shifting explanations: originally claiming blocking the merger protected consumers but later blaming Trump’s conflict with Iran for Spirit’s failure ([02:00–03:30]).

• Guest voices like Pete Buttigieg and Neera Tanden weigh in on whether blocking mergers led to harsher consequences for families and job losses.

  Notable Quote:

  • “If you want robust competition, shut down the mergers and let the airlines fail on their own. How is that looking for competition, Pete?” (Host, [04:38])

3. Hospital Affordability & Fraud Exposé

• The House holds hearings on how hospital business models and opaque pricing are driving healthcare costs up, focusing in part on exploitation of the federal 340B drug discount program.

• Minnesota hospitals and other nonprofits are highlighted for profiting from subsidies and stashing funds offshore, echoing past scandals.

• Calls for policy changes around tax status and price transparency.

  Notable Quote:

  • “We’re spending five and a half trillion dollars, basically $5.3 trillion in health care and we’re getting sicker. That’s gotta change and change now.”
    — Rep. Jason Smith, [05:58]

4. California's Economic and Political Paradoxes

• California Governor Gavin Newsom faces criticism for touting stats on economic size while companies and people are leaving the state and cost-of-living is climbing ([08:24–09:55]).

• High-speed rail remains a controversial “boondoggle,” with budget overruns and lack of real progress despite Newsom’s claims.

• Host underscores the disconnect between progressive policy rhetoric and ground realities.

  Notable Quotes:

  • “Under Gavin Newsom, the economy of California is shrinking. Large companies are leaving…he’ll cite the number of Nobel laureates…even though, again, everyone is leaving.”
    — Host, [08:33]
  • “You gotta let that train go. It’s up to $231 billion.”
    — Bill Maher, [09:42]

---

5. Dana Perino: Sleeper Issues for the 2026 Midterms

a) Crisis in K-12 Education

• Perino identifies poor national performance in basic education as a ticking time bomb.

• Only around 38% of third graders can read at grade level.

• She argues that fixing K-12 is much more urgent than debates about free college.

• Despite being treated as a “local” issue, she stresses that education is, in reality, a vital national concern.

  Notable Quote:

  • “Before anybody asks me to pay for free college, we better figure out K through 12.”
    — Dana Perino, [11:54]

b) The Rise of Democratic Socialists

• Warns that Democratic Socialists (DSA) are highly organized, with growing influence at all levels — city, congressional, and possibly Senate races.

• Notes the social and communal strength of weekly DSA meetings, likening them to religious gatherings.

• Mainstream Democrats like Chuck Schumer are struggling to keep pace with far-left energy.

  Notable Quote:

  • “I believe the Democratic socialists are on the march…They are on the march and they are coming to a city near you and they possibly are coming to at least Congress, maybe the Senate.”
    — Dana Perino, [12:15]

  • “It’s almost like…I met my church singles group every Wednesday. The DSA meets every Thursday.”
    — Dana Perino, [13:19]

c) Unease Over AI and Technology

• Americans fear losing ground to China in AI, but simultaneously hold deep unease about AI’s social and cultural impact—especially on kids, the arts, and originality.

• Points out the tension between wanting tech leadership and resenting the pace and reach of technological change.

• Real-world conflicts playing out over data centers, energy infrastructure, and eminent domain in rural America.

• Dana personally avoids AI tools like ChatGPT to protect her own creative voice.

  Notable Quotes:

  • “People don’t want to lose to China on AI but they don’t like AI...they don’t want to lose humanity…”
    — Dana Perino, [14:33]
  • “I don’t use it because I don’t want to lose my voice.”
    — Dana Perino, [15:09]

d) Tensions in Rural America and Policy Disconnect

• Rural communities face repeated assaults from policy changes and energy infrastructure projects.

• National media is disconnected from local grassroots dynamics, especially on issues like data centers, eminent domain, and land use.

  Notable Quote:

  • “Rural America is always under assault, Always. So those are the issues that I’m paying attention to.”
    — Dana Perino, [16:18]

---

Memorable Moments

• Bill Maher and Gavin Newsom’s “train” debate: Maher bluntly tells Newsom to drop the bullet train project—a moment that epitomizes the tension between big promises and grounded realities ([09:34]).
• Perino’s sharp focus on education: Her call for national attention to literacy and K-12 outshines more typical electoral punditry ([11:39–12:06]).
• Behind-the-scenes of activism: Perino’s description of the “community” and weekly meetings fueling Democratic Socialist energy ([13:19]) provides a rare look at organizational dynamics.
• Personal touch: Perino’s own discomfort and rejection of AI-generated work ([15:09]) makes the abstract technology debate relatable.

---

Key Timestamps

• [01:22] – Trump’s threat to Iran: “blown off the face of the earth”
• [04:38] – Host critiques Pete Buttigieg’s competition rhetoric for airlines
• [05:58] – Rep. Jason Smith on U.S. healthcare spending and outcomes
• [09:42] – Bill Maher on California’s bullet train project
• [11:39] – Dana Perino begins deep dive on sleeper election issues
• [12:15] – Perino details DSA’s rising influence
• [14:33] – Perino raises alarm about U.S. AI anxieties
• [15:09] – Perino on not using AI to write her books
• [16:18] – Perino on rural America’s underappreciated struggles

---

Conclusion

This episode weaves together breaking news, stark economic critiques, and a standout interview with Dana Perino. Perino’s focus on overlooked issues—failing education, the disciplined rise of left activist groups, and national tech ambivalence—breaks the mold of standard election-year talk, injecting urgency and personality. The 10 Minute Drill remains fast, lively, and unafraid to press hot-button topics with a mix of wit and skepticism.

Recommendation:
Listen for a high-speed yet thoughtful catchup on 2026’s political undercurrents—and don’t miss Dana Perino’s views on what really matters heading into the midterms.

---

Transcript

[Host]

President Trump announces Project Freedom to secure the waterways around Iran as we work on a peaceful solution. Spirit Airlines goes under, which means an end to a lot of viral fighting content on airplanes. And we have got the second part of our conversation with Dana Perino. All of that and so much more today on 10 Minute Drill.

[Audience/Chorus]

Everybody get up. Get up.

[Host]

The story of America is the story of an adventure.

[Jason Smith]

I can hear you.

[Audience/Chorus]

The rest of the world hears you.

[Gavin Newsom]

We are a nation under God, and I believe God intended for us to be free.

[Host]

On Sunday night, President Trump announced Project Freedom to safely guide vessels out of restricted waterways in a humanitarian process as US Representatives have very positive discussions with Iran. Now, President Trump has been trying to basically do everything possible short of actually attacking Iran as they continue to try and work out a peace deal. As we've repeatedly said here on 10 minute drill, there's been no indication that things are actually moving towards substantive processes. But there have been reports of some, some concessions from Iran that might get them to the table. But in the meantime, President Trump is again securing the waterway and letting out any neutral countries ships out of the waterway. And he has severely threatened Iran should they fire on anyone. This from Fox.

[Audience/Chorus]

He talked about Project freedom and the U.S. efforts to guide vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, issuing a new warning to the Iranian regime, saying if the Iranians try to target US Ships in this area, they will be, quote, blown off the face of the earth.

[Host]

So the conversation around Iran has shifted to a lot of different things here at home, including things like gas prices, concern about rising costs, and what this means for the entire global economy as the stock market sort of waves back and forth just a little bit. But one new poll had some really interesting nuggets on how people think we are doing in the war in Iran. Harvard Harris poll found that 74% think the US is winning in the war with Iran, including 60% of Democrats, 91% of Republicans, and 70% of independents. So we're clearly winning in this war and the American people are feeling that. But what President Trump is trying to find out is what is our exit strategy? How do we get Iran to the table, ensure that there's no future for their nuclear program and then get out safely in such a way that doesn't create more instability in the region. All eyes continue to be on potential peace talks coming. Late last week, Spirit Airlines announced that they were going completely bankrupt and closing Spirit Airlines ceasing operations overnight after bailout talks with the White House broke down. Now, there's been a lot of conversation about why this happened. The Democrats are trying to blame this on President Trump, but if you rewind just a few years, Spirit had an opportunity to survive when there was a discussion of a potential merger with JetBlue. But the Biden administration, along with a number of high profile far left Democrats worked against that and blocked it. This from Elizabeth Warren. I've warned for months that a JetBlue Spirit Airlines merger would have led to fewer flights and higher fares. The Department of Justice Antitrust Division and the U.S. department of Transportation were right to stand up for consumers and fight against runaway airline consolidation. This is a Biden win for Flyers. But compare that with Elizabeth Warren on the announcement that Spirit was shuttering. Spiking fuel prices from Trump's war was the nail in the coffin for twice bankrupted Spirit Airline. For what it's worth, JetBlue merger failed because a judge appointed by Ronald Reagan said the deal was illegal. Republicans are desperate to shift blame from higher costs hitting families. So she was happy to take credit for blocking the merger, but now she says that the reason that Spirits failed completely was because of Trump's war in Iran. But she's also been called out for other inconsistent messages on the airlines. The the big four airlines, American, Delta, Southwest and United control 75% of the U.S. market. Fewer choices equal higher prices for you. Now, once again, one of the reasons that there are fewer choices is because people like Elizabeth Warren blocked Spirit from becoming more competitive and creating more choices when they could have merged with JetBlue. Another great voice who really weighed in here heavily was at the time Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. Americans deserve robust competition and affordable airfares. U.S. department of Transportation supports the Department of Justice's antitrust law and we plan to deny the JetBlue spirit request for an exemption on their merger deal. If you want robust competition, shut down the mergers and let the airlines fail on their own. How is that looking for competition? Pete? One person who's recognizing the Democrats might have failed on this is the user of the Biden auto pen, Democrat adviser Neera Tanden. Given the news today that Spirit Airlines is shuttering and thousands of people are losing their jobs, I think we should honestly assess whether the Garland DOJ stopping the JetBlue merger with Spirit Airlines was the right call. Perhaps it was. But any analysis must consider as part of the equation the loss to so many families to decide. This is the result of having sort of academia, staff, lounge politics and policy that doesn't really take into account the experiences of real people. Now thousands of Families who'd planned vacations on Spirit Airlines are having to cancel those because the airline's gone under and trying to rebook on another airline is significantly more expensive. So I'd love to know if Elizabeth Warren thinks her crusade just a few years ago was worth it for what it's doing to families now. Last week we talked about a blockbuster hearing going on in the House of Representatives about hospitals and the role that hospitals are playing in the affordability crisis.

[Vern Buchanan]

And open ended taxpayer subsidies, manipulated by sophisticated hospitals have become a key part of a business model that fuels ever larger systems, eliminates competition and drives higher prices.

[Host]

So what Jason Smith is talking about there is these schemes like taxpayer subsidized hospitals that are taking those tax benefits and making massive windfalls that aren't actually helping their patients at all. Another member, Vern Buchanan from Florida, put it quite well.

[Jason Smith]

We all have a responsibility. We're spending five and a half trillion dollars, basically $5.3 trillion in health care and we're getting sicker. That's gotta change and change now.

[Host]

So that hearing went over a number of programs like the 340B program, which was built to give lower income patients discounts for their medications. But what we've seen in so many hospitals across America is that hospitals are taking those discounts, charging their patients full price in some cases through their insurance, and taking that windfall and getting incredibly rich. One insane example of this came from a Washington examiner article from a hospital in Minnesota. Now anytime you hear Minnesota now, I, I imagine you're thinking about fraud. You're not wrong. To Minnesota nonprofit hospitals generating fortune off of government programs spent millions overseas. Now that will sound familiar. Just like the Somali fraud scandals that used hospice centers, child leering centers, all the different sort of fake daycares to take that money and then send it back overseas, in many cases to terrorists in Mogadishu. This is a very similar structure. Minnesota based hospitals funded by 340B, a federal drug discount program that has drawn concerns from conservatives together generated at least 1.34 billion in net revenue through the program's reimbursement system in 2024, according to a February report from the Minnesota Department of Health. Simultaneously, these same so called community hospitals collectively spent billions abroad, primarily stashed away in offshore accounts scattered about the Caribbean, Central America and Europe. What we're seeing in Minnesota is very similar to what we've previously described here in places like Cleveland Clinic and University of Miami. These completely opaque programs that essentially throughout all rules and beliefs in price transparency, have A corporate model that allow them to hide just how much they're actually charging patients and insurance companies creating these windfalls. And in cases like Minnesota, allowing them to invest over a billion dollars in overseas accounts in what should be a nonprofit hospital intended to help needy patients. And it's a major problem that Congress is looking at through a number of lenses, whether it's about their tax status that's allowing them to do this and use these crazy loopholes, or the price transparency issue, because if hospitals were forced to post real prices for care and everything that they're doing, including drugs, it would be much harder for them to use this sort of shell game structure to profit while not actually helping their patients. Over the weekend, California Governor Gavin Newsom went on Bill Maher and had a little bit of trouble defending himself.

[Bill Maher]

The other side. What they're gonna say, though, is. But have you seen the stats from California?

[Gavin Newsom]

Good.

[Audience/Chorus]

What?

[Bill Maher]

Well, fourth largest economy.

[Gavin Newsom]

Let's go.

[Host]

Fourth largest economy. Let's go. Now, anytime you hear Gavin trying to defend his record, he will use stats that he has nothing to do with. He'll say, fourth largest economy. Look at us. As if he built it. Under Gavin Newsom, the economy of California is shrinking. Large companies are leaving. He'll cite things like the number of Nobel laureates that live in the state as if that's an accomplishment of the governor, even though, again, everyone is leaving.

[Bill Maher]

Well, are they going to say good about gas prices? Are they going to say good about how high the rents are? So many people, I mean, there's a whole litany. I mean, the train, Gavin, you got to get rid of the train.

[Host]

You got to get rid of the train. Everyone knows now, going through that from Mar. What he pointed out were things like rent prices, cost of living, gas. Gavin can do what every Democrat is saying and say the war in Iran is driving up gas prices. But that's not making California's gas prices about $2 higher than the rest of the country. That is Gavin's policies that's requiring them to do things like get gas through the Bahamas. Bizarre, absurd, but it's true and it's real. But I love that Bill Maher gets to the train.

[Bill Maher]

You gotta get rid of the train.

[Gavin Newsom]

The train.

[Bill Maher]

I say this as a friend. You gotta let that train go.

[Jason Smith]

Let the train go.

[Bill Maher]

It's up to $231 billion.

[Gavin Newsom]

It's not. That's just nonsense. It's not. We're doing $119 million segment. We got it back on track. It goes back three administration. I inherited a mess. We put it back on track. All the environmental work is behind us. We're actually laying the track.

[Host]

Now that's a lie. They're not actually laying the track. Gavin Newsom held a ribbon cutting ceremony just a couple months ago for a facility that will build track. So again, they're starting to build a facility that will eventually build track. But Gavin is hoping that you see that as we're laying track and this is making progress when as Bill Maher pointed, this is a $231 billion boondoggle that Gavin is going to wear around his neck because it's representative of everything under his leadership. Spend more, take more tax dollars, have success and performance actually drop. But I do hope Gavin keeps doing interviews where he does crazy things like talk with his hands like a lunatic.

[Gavin Newsom]

Right now I feel strange. It's interesting. I've been on a journey like most people, feeling great, feeling stressed.

[Host]

That reminds me quite a bit of this ultimate favorite from the Internet.

[Audience/Chorus]

Happy birthday, Grandma. You rock.

[Host]

If you tuned into our special episode on Friday, you got to hear from Dana Perino about her new book, Purple State. We had an extended discussion and to keep this somewhat close to the normal 10 minute drill structure, we broke that up into two pieces. So today, the second half of our conversation with Dana Perino about how she views the world.

[Interviewer (possibly co-host or guest host)]

I want to ask you two other questions just generally about you because I think that people really love to hear how you see the world.

[Host]

Okay, first, what is the biggest thing,

[Interviewer (possibly co-host or guest host)]

the biggest factor going to the election, the midterms and then the presidential that

[Host]

you don't think people are paying enough

[Interviewer (possibly co-host or guest host)]

attention to the dynamic behind the scenes that you think is going to be the sort of sleeper issue that will decide how the midterms go, how the general election goes, things like that.

[Host]

Because you have such great sort of

[Interviewer (possibly co-host or guest host)]

breadth of coverage between the five and between America's newsroom, you're seeing a little bit of everything. And I always feel like you have such interesting ideas.

[Dana Perino]

Well, personally, for me, what I think people should be alarmed at is the K through 12 education problems in this country.

[Interviewer (possibly co-host or guest host)]

Absolutely.

[Dana Perino]

When you have third graders, I think it's, I think the statistic is something abysmal. It's even embarrassing to say it out loud. It's like 38% of third graders can read at a grade level and we are in an international competitive situation. And before anybody asks me to pay for free college, we better figure out K through 12.

[Interviewer (possibly co-host or guest host)]

Absolutely.

[Dana Perino]

So I feel like that should be a bigger issue. It never is. I'VE wanted that since I was in college. And it just happens to be more of a local issue. And it's unfortunate because really I don't think Democrats see it that way. That is a national issue. Actually, the education issue is the big issue in the presidential campaign in Purple State. So I don't think that will be the issue. I think there are two main things that I'm paying attention to right now. This could change. One of them is I believe the Democratic socialists are on the march and Zoran Momdani and the lady from Seattle and others. I think you have one in D.C. that's running for mayor right now. They are on the march and they are coming to a city near you and they possibly are coming to at least Congress, maybe the Senate. And that is something, as you mentioned, Graham Platner of Maine, he is an oyster farmer with a Nazi tattoo and some pretty out there ideas. But that's where the energy is. And I think that even though Senator Chuck Schumer is an establishment guy, but he's trying to play the role of a progressive guy and it's not working. And their voters are seeing right through it. So Republicans are going to have to deal with that. And not just in 26, but in 28. One thing that's very interesting is how the DSA groups, do you know that they meet once a week? It's almost like I said, like I met my church singles group every Wednesday. The DSA meets every Thursday.

[Interviewer (possibly co-host or guest host)]

They make politics their religion, but it's effective.

[Dana Perino]

Yes. And they have their snacks and there's elocution lessons, there's chants. And it's also, it's community.

[Host]

Yep.

[Interviewer (possibly co-host or guest host)]

And that's where I think they have an advantage.

[Dana Perino]

Yes.

[Host]

We go home to our families.

[Interviewer (possibly co-host or guest host)]

We go through our lives.

[Audience/Chorus]

We.

[Interviewer (possibly co-host or guest host)]

When you see these like viral reels of the women singing songs about, like, how we're empowered lesbian women, like, it is like the culture that's what has

[Host]

motivated them and turned them into such

[Interviewer (possibly co-host or guest host)]

a powerful force in politics is that's

[Host]

become their religion and their culture.

[Dana Perino]

And so this fight against the wealthy, that's going to continue because now it's not just the DSA community meeting, it's in California at the state government level. It's Bernie Sanders, who apparently he's like tireless, this guy, because he flies private. Then the other issue. Yeah, the other issue that I think I know it gets some attention, but it's not getting enough attention, at least on the national level, is that people don't want to lose to China on AI but they don't like AI.

[Host]

No.

[Dana Perino]

And they don't like these data centers, and they don't like what it's doing to children, and they don't want to lose humanity and all of these. I tried to follow the AI stories for a while. It was like, this guy's on top. No, now this guy's on top. Every day it was something different. And I finally said, forget it.

[Interviewer (possibly co-host or guest host)]

And they're all knifing each other.

[Dana Perino]

I'm not going to follow it. I dabble a little bit in Googling, using ChatGPT for Google. There was one time when I was thinking about the second book that I was like, oh, what would happen if I did this? And then chat spit out an outline. I was like, oh, I can't use this, delete it off that app or off my computer. I don't use it because I don't want to lose my voice.

[Interviewer (possibly co-host or guest host)]

I think that's important.

[Dana Perino]

And I don't know how you articulate that from a policy standpoint, but I feel like there's a general unease amongst people. You see, those are my two issues.

[Interviewer (possibly co-host or guest host)]

You see it in the arts.

[Host]

You see people in movies, theaters saying,

[Interviewer (possibly co-host or guest host)]

we need to rein in what AI is doing because you're losing originality, all these things.

[Host]

But another part of that I think

[Interviewer (possibly co-host or guest host)]

is really interesting is in your podcast with Rich Zioli, you guys talked about

[Host]

data centers, and you. Or you talked about the how. In the book, there's the example of

[Interviewer (possibly co-host or guest host)]

eminent domain on the farm, on the family farm right now in Virginia, there's this crazy dynamic where you've got rural counties that are going to have giant power lines going through them, from solar farms that they're building in rural America to power data centers in Northern Virginia. And it feels like Ayn Rand could have written this. Like, this is like the most.

[Dana Perino]

Well, and then also, there was a new. In Pennsylvania, there's a big fight. And in Maine, the governor just said, no, you can't have a blanket moratorium on all data centers because the community where they. Where the data center would be in Maine, like, that particular community, a majority of people want it there. And I don't think that. I don't think that the national media fully understands what's happening at the grassroots level.

[Host]

And.

[Dana Perino]

And rural America is always under assault, Always. So those are the issues that I'm paying attention to. But that could change. I mean, if gas continues to be at this level, I don't know how tolerable that is.

[Interviewer (possibly co-host or guest host)]

I agree. I agree. Well, it's gonna be a wild year for the midterms. It's gonna be a wild time between now and the president.

[Dana Perino]

Thank goodness we have 10 minute drill which is more like 13 minutes.

[Host]

Now it's like 13 to 15 and

[Interviewer (possibly co-host or guest host)]

it's like three to five days a week because President Trump keeps us all on.

[Dana Perino]

There's so much to cover but I really love it and I use it for information gathering. I always tell people to listen.

[Interviewer (possibly co-host or guest host)]

You're the best. Thank you for that. Thank you for joining us here.

[Host]

This is so much fun. Everyone make sure you buy Purple State.

[Dana Perino]

Thank you.

[Interviewer (possibly co-host or guest host)]

Follow Dana and thank you so much for being with us.

[Host]

That is all the time we have for today. Thank you so much to Dana Perino again for joining us by her book Purple State. She is a wonderful leader of this program and we'll post the full version of our conversation with her as it's own episode as well. Thank you and have a great day.