Podcast Summary: In Good Faith With Philip DeFranco

Episode Title: She Stood Up To Trump & Now He’s Trying To Jail Her
Host: Philip DeFranco
Guest: Kat Abaguzale
Date: November 4, 2025

Overview

In this intense and timely episode, Philip DeFranco sits down with Kat Abaguzale, congressional candidate for Illinois's 9th District, who is facing a federal indictment for her role in the Broadview ICE protests. The conversation explores the motivations behind her activism, the political and legal fallout, her approach to campaigning in a challenging climate, and personal reflections on power, media, and identity. With Kat under active indictment and at the front lines of Democratic grassroots organizing, this is a candid and wide-ranging discussion on authoritarianism, protest, the future of leftist politics, and what it means to stand up in a turbulent America.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Broadview ICE Protests and Indictment

• Kat’s Motivation and Experience at Protests

  • Kat describes the worsening conditions at Broadview ICE Processing Center: “ICE has literally boarded up the Broadview processing center windows with plywood… people being denied beds, people sleeping on concrete, grandmothers and pregnant women, dozens of men in a single cell, no access to hygienic facilities” (01:30).
  • She cites personal experience with law enforcement violence: “You might have seen a video a couple weeks ago of an ICE agent throwing a little blonde woman to the ground. That small blonde woman was me... that was the third time an agent has done it” (00:55).

• Nature of the Charges

  • Six individuals, including Kat, were indicted for “conspiracy to impede law enforcement” during the ICE protests.
  • Kat maintains that the charges are “a political prosecution, plain and simple” (04:40).

• Political and Community Response

  • Broad statewide and local support, including statements from over 100 elected officials—even some of Kat’s political opponents came together in support: “The fact that the First Amendment is so sacred and that there is something that all of us can get behind... there's a team here, and we're united in the fight against fascism” (06:01).

2. The Role of Protest and the ICE Issue in the District

• Why the ICE Protests Resonate Locally

  • Though Broadview is not within the 9th District, many district residents are processed there after ICE raids: “It doesn't really matter what district Broadview proper itself is in… That's where the humanitarian crisis is right now” (08:10).
  • The importance of visibility: “Our neighbors are being brought to Broadview and then often shipped out to God knows where. People are still trying to find their family members” (08:45).

• Calls for Transparency

  • Kat notes that even congressional representatives have been denied access to inspect the facility: “Delia Ramirez and Chewy Garcia try to inspect this facility, which they are allowed to by law, but ICE has not let them in. And that needs to be a priority for whoever wins” (09:19).

3. Campaign Philosophy, Approach, and Challenges

• Why Run Where She Did / Strategy

  • Kat’s connection to Illinois is personal and familial, not strategic: “I ran here because that's where I want to live… it's just a lovely place to live” (09:48).

• A New Kind of Campaign

  • Focused on people, not establishment games: “I wanted to show a different way of doing politics and standing up to the right... I saw how much money got wasted in 2024 just for Trump to win, and I thought, damn, how many food banks could be funded with that?” (10:39)
  • The campaign office doubles as a mutual aid hub, providing real tangible help like “backpack drives.”

• Financing and Accessibility

  • Kat points to the inherent economic barriers in running for office: “It is so hard to run for office if you’re not already rich. I’ve pretty much just depleted my savings throughout this” (19:02).
  • On campaign fundraising: “Call time is when you just sit in a room and call rich people… We have now substituted it with live streaming which is a lot more fun because it's like a virtual town hall” (19:02, 19:25).

4. Interactions with Media and Political Narrative

• The Palmeri Interview Incident

  • Kat addresses criticism for ending an interview early: “I prioritize my legal defense over someone else's podcast... anything you say can and will be used against you. That's not a joke, that is a real thing. And once again, I care more about my defense than your substack.” (16:59, 18:18)

• Weaponizing Right-wing Media and Disinformation

  • The importance of understanding right-wing media: “If you want to know what's going to be on the House floor on Tuesday, you have to know what is being said in right wing media on Friday” (28:34).
  • Kat laments that Democratic leadership ignores warnings from disinformation experts: “We told them about January 6th before it happened. We told them about COVID misinformation... and they ignored it” (28:34).

5. Personal and Political Evolution

• Background and Ideological Shift

  • Grew up in a Republican household; her grandmother was a Republican operative in Texas: “I was raised in a very like feminist household, though my parents probably wouldn't have used the term then” (21:30).
  • Her exposure to poverty and new ideas in Tucson, plus online communities (Tumblr), catalyzed her leftward political shift (26:47).

• On Representation and Authenticity

  • Kat is upfront about her online history and refuses to be shamed over it: “It's really hard to make me ashamed of myself… Bro, it's on my public Instagram... you can just check it out” (38:37).
  • She embraces being targeted by the right: “That's a huge part of fighting the right... What if you just weren't embarrassed?” (39:43).

6. Big Questions: Power, Media, and the Future

• Internal Criticism on the Left

  • Kat believes the Democratic Party's reluctance to internal critique has cost it legitimacy: “The most democratic thing you can do, in my opinion, big D and small D, is hold your team accountable. And that's why I want people to do the same for me” (43:18).
  • She rejects the notion that criticism must wait until after victory: “If Democrats aren't in power, you can't criticize them because we have to make sure that we can get power again. And then if we are in power... So when do we make the party back better?” (51:15).

• Winning Back Young Men and Building Community

  • Focus on authenticity and spaces people actually want to join: “We organize all of our volunteers on Discord... We've done punk shows, we've done comedy shows, we've done knitting circles, we've done board games nights. We try to make the way the campaign functions something that makes people actually want to get involved” (49:20).

• On Power Players in the GOP’s Future

  • DeFranco asks: Going into 2028, who’s more important: Tucker Carlson or JD Vance?
    • Kat: “JD Vance is incapable of creating, like, a cult of personality. He just has no Riz... Tucker Carlson... is lazy. I don't think he wants to put in the work to become president” (34:09, 36:15).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Facing State Power:

  • “This is what they are willing to do to people on camera. What are they doing behind the boarded up windows?”
    — Kat Abaguzale (01:20)

• On Campaign Funding:

  • “Half of Congress is worth a million dollars or more... I think a lot more of it is because getting into office in the first place is so much more difficult if you're not already a millionaire.”
    — Kat Abaguzale (20:50)

• On Using Media Effectively:

  • “If you want to know what's going to be on the House floor on Tuesday, you have to know what is being said in right wing media on Friday.”
    — Kat Abaguzale (28:34)

• On Democratizing Elections:

  • “Elections are when people get hired and fired. This is a job interview. Treat it like one.”
    — Kat Abaguzale (52:48)

• On Hope and Deserving Better:

  • "It doesn't have to be like this. We deserve good things... You are not a means for Elon Musk’s profit. You are not a means for Trump to have gilded ballrooms. You are a person... and you deserve representatives who represent you."
    — Kat Abaguzale (53:34)

Important Timestamps

• [00:55] Kat describes her personal experience of police violence at the protest
• [03:13] Origins of the Broadview protest movement and community response
• [04:40] Kat asserts charges are “politically motivated”
• [06:01] Wave of support from Illinois elected officials
• [08:10] Broadview’s relevance to the 9th District
• [10:39] Motivation for campaign strategy focused on direct help
• [16:59] Kat addresses ending the Palmeri interview to protect her legal defense
• [19:02] Critique of typical campaign finance and accessibility
• [28:34] On why understanding right-wing media is crucial for Democrats
• [34:09] Tucker Carlson vs. JD Vance 2028 GOP power players
• [39:43] On owning her narrative in the face of right-wing “rage bait”
• [43:18] Value of internal dissent and accountability within the left/Democratic party
• [49:20] Strategy for reaching/organizing young men and volunteers
• [51:15] Criticism of “wait your turn/don’t primary” mentality in politics
• [53:34] Final message to the American people: "It doesn’t have to be like this"

Tone and Language

The conversation is candid, passionate, and often irreverent. Kat is direct, sometimes humorous, always unfiltered; DeFranco is incisive but gives space for frank and nuanced answers. The mood moves between the gravity of state power, the exhaustion of everyday campaigning, and moments of banter on the absurdities of political and online life.

For the Listener

This episode is a powerful portrait of a young progressive candidate refusing to be silenced by state intimidation, openly reflecting on the battles within the Democratic party and the broader fight for American democracy. Whether or not you agree with Kat’s politics, her resolve to challenge both right-wing and establishment forces, her commitment to direct action, and her belief in doing politics differently make this a must-listen for anyone seeking to understand the future of grassroots organizing in the US.