IHIP News – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Dems Slam Schumer for Betrayal; Is He Helping Trump?
Release Date: November 15, 2025
Hosts: Jennifer Welch & Angie “Pumps” Sullivan
Guest: Peggy Flanagan, Lt. Governor of Minnesota

Episode Overview

In this lively, opinionated episode, Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan welcome Peggy Flanagan—Minnesota’s Lieutenant Governor and the highest-ranking female Native American in state government—to dissect recent Democratic Party dynamics, progressive frustrations with Senate leadership, and what’s at stake for 2026 and beyond. Flanagan shares insight from her run for U.S. Senate, gives an inside look at Minnesota’s progressive policies, and discusses her refusal of corporate and AIPAC money.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Representation and the Missed Opportunity for a Native Governor

• Jennifer reflects on her hopes to see history made with a Native governor, expressing disappointment with the election results (00:22).
  • "I did not realize that the United States had never had a native governor... add it to my list of disappointments with the election." – Jennifer Welch (00:22)
• Peggy reframes the moment, highlighting ongoing opportunities for representation:
  • She announces her intent to be the first Native American woman to serve in the U.S. Senate (00:53).

2. Rejecting Corporate Influence & AIPAC

• Peggy clarifies her fundraising ethics:
  • "I don’t take corporate PAC money... It’s the rest of us who need it." (01:35)
  • She explicitly states her opposition to receiving AIPAC funding and her vocal criticism of Israeli policy:
    "I made the decision to speak out... to say that we're not going to have offensive weapons going to Israel when children are starving... I can call out Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in the same way I can call out the Trump administration." (01:35–02:30)
  • Notes that her progressive stance has resulted in AIPAC supporting her opponent.

3. The Crushing Weight of Campaign Finance in Post–Citizens United Elections

• Hosts express frustration that doing the right thing is so financially punishing given current campaign finance laws (03:00).
  • “Since Citizens United has put people that really want to do the right thing in a terrible position…” – Jennifer Welch (03:00)
• Peggy underscores how eye-opening it’s been to run for Senate, revealing that people want boldness and big solutions:
  • “People want us to do the right thing. People want us to be courageous. Simply nibbling around the edges isn’t getting us anywhere.” (03:21)
  • She frames her campaign as not just for 2026, but for long-term party transformation—emphasizing the need to move beyond “defensive crouch” politics.

4. Schumer, Senate Democrats, and “Capitulation” on the Government Shutdown

• Hosts vent frustration over Senate Democrats caving, attributing it to old, corporate-aligned leadership (04:28).
• Peggy’s blunt response:
  • "I was pissed, frankly, and so incredibly disappointed." (04:56)
  • Blames the defeat squarely on a lack of boldness and what she calls “capitulation to Donald Trump and the congressional Republicans, and it’s bullshit.”
  • Frames the setback as a wake-up call for the party and voters:
    "We have to really call it out for what it is. It’s capitulation… That is why we are in this very position... folks just aren’t willing to stand up and fight." (05:30)
  • Emphasizes the need for new, younger voices and representation in the Senate:
    “Democracy works best when it accurately reflects the community it seeks to represent. And it is bentime... There’s only four women, four moms with kids under the age of 18 who are serving in the US Senate.” (06:38)

5. Economic Justice: Minimum Wage and the Working Poor

• Hosts decry the “absurd” $7.25 federal minimum wage and detail how this drives reliance on government benefits (07:08).
• Peggy leverages her background with the Children’s Defense Fund:
  • Highlighted her leadership pushing Minnesota to raise and index its minimum wage.
  • Calls for a federal minimum wage of at least $17.
    “A $7.25 minimum wage that hasn’t been increased in 16 years is completely unacceptable. So I believe that we need to fight for at least a $17 minimum wage.” (07:49)
  • Rips into major employers like Walmart and Amazon for their low pay: "We are subsidizing these companies because they do not pay their folks a wage that is high enough… It’s outrageous." (08:40)

6. Corporate Responsibility: The Case for an Infrastructure Tax

• Hosts float the idea of an “infrastructure tax” on corporations like Amazon and Walmart that use public goods but don’t pay proportionately (09:14).
• Peggy’s supportive reaction:
  • “Right now the folks who are working at Amazon... are paying a higher tax rate than the very corporation itself. That’s not right.” (10:18)
  • She denounces campaign contributions from Amazon, insisting voters are smart enough to see through politicians who claim to stand against corporate power—while still taking corporate money.

7. What Makes Minnesota a Progressive Model?

• Jennifer notes Minnesota’s reputation for happiness and robust social safety nets (11:29).
• Peggy touts specific policies:
  • Universal school meals: “Where we are simply feeding kids breakfast and lunch at school, no questions asked... that’s a total game changer.” (11:53)
  • Paid family and medical leave, the state child tax credit, and broad access to reproductive healthcare.
  • Links these policies to a philosophy of neighborliness and collective well-being:
    "Our whole philosophy has been we want to make Minnesota the best place in the country to raise a family... If you move into the neighborhood, we're going to bring you a hot dish." (11:53–13:00)
• Hosts echo the hope that this collective mindset can spread nationwide (13:24).
  • “I hope it spreads like a virus through the United States. Instead of individualism, we become collective.” – Jennifer Welch (13:24)

8. Closing Appreciation

• The hosts and Peggy end with warm words about the value of organizing, joy in politics, and an open invitation for Peggy to return (13:32–13:40).
  • "Thank you so much for having me. I love this podcast. It is so fun to be a part of it." – Peggy Flanagan (13:40)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Democratic Leadership’s Failings:
  • "We somehow... were able to clutch defeat from the jaws of victory." – Peggy Flanagan (05:05)
  • "It’s capitulation to Donald Trump and to the congressional Republicans, and it’s bullshit." – Peggy Flanagan (05:45)
• On Campaign Money:
  • "People want us to be courageous. Simply nibbling around the edges isn’t getting us anywhere." – Peggy Flanagan (03:30)
• On Corporate Taxes:
  • “Right now the folks who are working at Amazon... are paying a higher tax rate than the very corporation itself. That’s not right.” – Peggy Flanagan (10:18)
• On Progressive Governance:
  • "You get what you fight for and get what you organize for." – Peggy Flanagan (12:30)
  • "We give a damn about our neighbors." – Peggy Flanagan (12:15)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:04 – Peggy Flanagan Introduced
• 01:35 – Rejecting AIPAC and corporate PAC money
• 03:00 – Money and campaign finance frustrations
• 04:56 – Reaction to Senate’s government shutdown capitulation
• 07:49 – Raising the minimum wage & economic justice
• 09:14 – Host pitches infrastructure tax; Peggy endorses equity
• 11:53 – Minnesota’s model social policies
• 13:24 – Spreading the “Minnesota collective” ethic nationwide
• 13:32 – Closing thanks and mutual appreciation

Overall Tone and Takeaways

This episode is a spirited, deeply frustrated, and pointedly funny conversation about the crossroads facing the Democratic Party. The hosts and Flanagan make no secret of their exasperation with establishment politics and call for bold, unapologetic progressive leadership. The episode’s tone is both urgent and hopeful, peppered with quips, plainspoken anger at political betrayals, and a sincere belief in grassroots action and community-centered policy.

Listeners come away with an insider’s perspective on running for office as a true progressive, the stakes for working Americans, and why Minnesota’s model is worth watching—if not duplicating—nationwide.