Podcast Summary: Senator Alex Padilla: How Democrats Can Win in 2026

Podcast: Hasan Minhaj Doesn’t Know
Host: Hasan Minhaj (with Aziz Ansari as guest interlocutor)
Guest: Senator Alex Padilla (California)
Date: December 10, 2025

Overview

In this vibrant, candid episode of Hasan Minhaj Doesn’t Know, comedians Hasan Minhaj and Aziz Ansari interview Senator Alex Padilla of California. The discussion is wide-ranging and unsparing, focusing on the Democrats’ strategy (and missteps) in the face of a government shutdown, evolving immigration policy, party leadership rumblings, and the high-stakes political climate headed into 2026. The tone is irreverent, honest, deeply personal at times, and peppered with dark humor—even on weighty issues like mass deportations, ICE raids, and party infighting.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Democratic Strategy & the Recent Government Shutdown

Timestamps: 07:23–15:40

• The “WTF Happened?” Recap: Aziz bluntly asks why Democrats caved after the shutdown, failing to secure healthcare subsidies despite an electoral sweep.
  • Senator Padilla clarifies that Republicans held the majority and chose to "decimate health care," forcing the shutdown. Some Democrats broke ranks to end it without further concessions ([08:15]).
  • “The big bullshit bill is what I call it. Right? Gutting healthcare spending way back then. All for what? To give billionaires bigger tax breaks.” —Padilla ([10:28]).
• Promise of a “Future Vote”:
  • Padilla expresses skepticism: "A dollar a vote later to reopen the government now. Why? This crew of people have proven themselves to be untrustworthy time and time and time again." ([11:23]).
• The Eight Senate “Fold”:
  • Padilla admits disappointment and calls for intra-party reckoning, but insists the true adversary is still Trump and the GOP ([14:39]).

2. Calls for Party Leadership Change

Timestamps: 15:40–19:08

• Aziz broaches the idea of a leadership challenge to Senator Chuck Schumer.
  • The “Katniss Everdeen moment” for Padilla is jokingly suggested.
  • “I can tell you there’s a number, number of members that are getting their weapons ready. But it’s not to turn them on ourselves. It’s to turn them on the folks that are standing in our way for making progress for working people…” —Padilla ([18:10]).
• On Moral Clarity:
  • Aziz and Hasan argue that the country is hungry for “moral clarity,” noting that the Mamdani moment in NYC (a reference to politician Zohran Mamdani) showed voters respond to authenticity over talking points.

3. Proposition 50 & Countering GOP Power Plays

Timestamps: 19:08–22:14

• Prop 50 explained: Special election in California to redraw congressional lines in response to Trump’s power grabs in Texas. Padilla likens this to previous efforts by Trump to "find" votes and describes it as essential guardrails against anti-democratic maneuvers.
  • “They know that their record, their agenda, is so not just unpopular, but damaging… unless they rig it before it starts.” —Padilla ([19:17])
• Democrats' Historical Caution:
  • “We cannot unilaterally disarm ourselves…times we’re living in are so extreme, so dangerous, that we have no choice but to fight fire with fire.” —Padilla ([21:58])

4. Immigration, Party Cowardice, and “Changing the Weather”

Timestamps: 22:14–33:04

• Change the Weather vs. Weatherman:
  • Padilla credits colleagues like Bernie Sanders for changing the discourse, not just following it.
• Padilla’s Personal Investment:
  • He recounts growing up as the child of immigrants, bringing context—and urgency—to his belief in a humane path to citizenship ([24:30]).
• Intra-Party Frustration:
  • Padilla admits that many fellow Democrats shrink from the immigration debate, shifting quickly to “secure the border”—and often echoing Republican rhetoric ([26:37], [32:20]).
  • “When it comes to voting rights, when it comes to labor rights… that’s all firm. But when it comes to immigration—‘oh, well, I don’t know, in my state, the polls say this..’ like, that’s bullshit. That’s bullshit.” —Padilla ([32:52])

5. ICE Raids & Mass Deportation: Impact and Resistance

Timestamps: 33:04–41:47

• Padilla’s Confrontation and Arrest:
  • Padilla describes being handcuffed for questioning DHS Secretary Christine Ulm—underscoring the climate of intimidation ([33:24], [34:14]).
• Escalating ICE & National Guard Action:
  • “This is the playbook, folks…try to quell dissent.” ([34:14])
  • Examples abound of ICE targeting churches, schools, and citizens—“No less than 170 US citizens detained, including veterans.” ([35:23])
• Grassroots Response:
  • Chicago and LA communities organize “whistle defense” networks and rapid response (like rings of people around schools) as acts of nonviolent resistance ([47:50]).

6. Voter Apathy and “Pulling the Ladder Up”

Timestamps: 41:47–47:21

• Immigrant Voting Dilemmas:
  • Aziz and Padilla discuss why some second-generation immigrants voted for Trump or disengaged, citing economic anxiety and scarcity mentality.
  • Padilla says: “We can’t be so pissed off at the cousin that voted for Trump that you’re never going to talk to them again, because that’s never going to bring them back.” ([42:33])
• Scarcity, Empathy & Community:
  • Immigration gets tied to broader feelings of scarcity—Padilla invokes his upbringing:
    “In Spanish, my mom used to say, ‘le echamos mas agua a los frijoles,’ just add more water to the pot of beans…That’s in most people’s heart.” ([47:15])

7. Communication, Listening, and Political Empowerment

Timestamps: 50:07–52:17

• Padilla describes his method: First, genuinely listen to constituents, then share his fight, and finally, invite people to join in—whether it’s donating, showing up, or voting.
  • “If they feel like they’re being heard, they’re going to be more receptive to what you may share…” ([51:01])

8. The Spectacle of Public Safety & the Cruelty of Policy

Timestamps: 52:17–54:49

• Public Reactions to ICE/National Guard:
  • Some Americans feel safer; others are horrified by the spectacle and cruelty.
  • “Crime in most major cities in America is significantly down… but everybody, or most people… are seeing the cruelty of this administration.” —Padilla ([53:10])
• Cruelty as Policy:
  • Cuts to healthcare, SNAP, and an emphasis on billionaire tax breaks are called out as acts of cruelty ([54:19]).

9. National Guard Deployments & “Spectacle over Safety”

Timestamps: 58:07–60:25

• Padilla recalls the chilling effect of seeing National Guard patrol streets—something their parents “fled” from—as political intimidation, not public safety ([58:26]).
  • “If you talk to (the Marines), they’ll tell you, this is not what they signed up for.” ([59:07])

10. California As America’s Future?

Timestamps: 60:25–67:10

• California’s Innovations & Diversity:
  • Padilla and hosts play up California’s economic dynamism and diversity, calling it a microcosm of America’s potential ([61:08]).
  • The paradox of multicultural innovation vs. narratives by opponents (esp. online):
    “Many of those companies, if not the actual technology itself, brought to you by an immigrant or a child.” ([64:33])
• Confronting Homelessness:
  • Padilla details housing affordability crises, homelessness fixes (wraparound services, supply, rental assistance), and ongoing attacks on these programs by GOP ([65:35]).

11. Closing on Venezuela

Timestamps: 67:10–68:32

• Are We Going to War with Venezuela?
  • Padilla: “Not as far as I can tell by the book. But in practice, it certainly has approached that fine line.”
  • Worry over Iraq-style pretense for oil intervention: “Let’s hopefully have learned from it by now.” ([68:00])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "The big bullshit bill is what I call it. Right? Gutting health care spending way back then. All for what? To give billionaires bigger tax breaks."
  —Sen. Alex Padilla ([10:28])

• "We cannot unilaterally disarm ourselves. … Times we’re living in are so extreme, so dangerous, so perilous that we have no choice but to fight fire with fire."
  —Padilla ([21:58])

• "When it comes to immigration. Oh, well, I don't know. But see, in my state, you know, the polls say this. Like— that's bullshit. That's bullshit."
  —Padilla ([32:52])

• "We can't be so pissed off at the cousin that voted for Trump that you’re never going to talk to them again because that's never going to bring them back. So we have to have that conversation."
  —Padilla ([42:33])

• "In Spanish, my mom used to say, le echamos mas agua a los frijoles. Just add more water to the pot of beans… That's in most people's hearts. We just have to pull it out of each other."
  —Padilla ([47:15])

• “If that’s what this administration will do to a senator with a question, then you can just imagine how they are treating…so many people across the country when the cameras aren’t there.”
  —Padilla ([33:40])

• "It's not to turn [our weapons] on ourselves. It's to turn them on the folks that are standing in our way for making progress for working people..."
  —Padilla on intra-party fight ([18:10])

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------------|-----------------------------------------------------| | 07:23–15:40 | Government Shutdown, Democratic Strategy | | 15:40–19:08 | Schumer Leadership Challenge, “Katniss” Moment | | 19:08–22:14 | Proposition 50, Countering Republican Gerrymandering| | 22:14–33:04 | Immigration, Weather-changing Politicians | | 33:04–41:47 | ICE Raids, Mass Deportation, Community Response | | 41:47–47:21 | Immigrant Voting, Pulling Up the Ladder, Empathy | | 52:17–54:49 | Spectacle of Public Safety, Cruelty | | 58:07–60:25 | National Guard Deployments, Spectacle Not Safety | | 60:25–67:10 | California as a Model, Homelessness, Policy | | 67:10–68:32 | Venezuela, War Rhetoric |

Episode Tone & Final Thoughts

With biting humor and a striking lack of talking points, this episode pulls back the curtain on Democratic frustrations, the emotional toll of the immigration fight, and the high-stakes gamesmanship ahead of 2026. Padilla shines not just as a party loyalist or policy wonk, but as an advocate for changing the moral and practical “weather” of the country. The conversation is a must-listen for anyone seeking insights (and catharsis) about current American political dynamics, immigrant realities, and the prospects—and challenges—facing Democrats nationwide.