Pod Save America #1117: "Trump Threatens to Steal the Midterms"

Date: February 6, 2026
Hosts: Jon Favreau, Dan Pfeiffer
Featured Guest: Janet Mills, Governor of Maine and Democratic Senate candidate

Episode Overview

The hosts unpack the alarming reality of Donald Trump’s open moves to interfere in the upcoming midterm elections, coupled with MAGA world’s efforts to delegitimize democratic processes and intimidate voters. They delve into recent developments in immigration policy, particularly the aggressive ICE actions in Minnesota and Maine. The show features an interview with Maine Governor Janet Mills, discussing the ICE raids, her Senate race, election security, and age in politics. The episode also covers the state of the Washington Post following major layoffs and discusses the political toxicity of Trump, Stephen Miller, and J.D. Vance.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Plan to Interfere in the Midterms

Timestamps: 04:23–21:00

• Trump and Allies’ Election-Sabotage Rhetoric:
  Steve Bannon called for ICE agents to surround polling places, using language that echoes direct threats against voting rights:

  "We're going to have ICE surround the polls come November. We're not going to sit here and allow you to steal the country again." – Bannon, quoted by Jon Favreau (05:19)

• Trump’s Call for Nationalizing Elections:
  In a recent NBC interview, Trump floated the idea of overriding state-run elections with federal control, citing alleged corruption in urban, Democratic-run counties:

  "There are some areas in our country that are extremely corrupt. ... If we need to put in federal controls as opposed to state controls ... then something else has to happen." – Donald Trump (05:53)

• Host Analysis & Alarm:
  Both Favreau and Pfeiffer express deep concern, noting these go far beyond typical bluster:

  "I've now become quite concerned. ... What Bannon was saying, the ICE agents by the polls ... I worry about the intimidation. ... What I'm most worried about is Trump and all of his goons reviving the 'let's seize the election machines, let's seize the ballots.'" – Jon Favreau (09:09)

• Risks of Voter Intimidation and Federal Overreach:

  • ICE presence near voting could suppress turnout among communities of color, especially in states with limited early/mail-in voting (11:14).
  • The ambiguous language around “federal monitors” is code for new forms of voter suppression, reminiscent of pre-Voting Rights Act tactics.
  • The specter of Republican House leadership (Mike Johnson) refusing to seat Democratic victors in contested districts, citing “fraud.”

  "This is pre-Voting Rights Era voter intimidation ... creating this climate of fraud and corruption that allows Mike Johnson the pretext to not seat Democrats..." – Dan Pfeiffer (13:38)

• Democratic Response:
  The hosts urge Democratic state officials and governors to publicly declare use of federal agents or military at polling places to be illegal, vowing to resist and even arrest offending federal operatives if necessary (17:11–20:03).

2. ICE Raids, Minnesota, and Immigration Negotiations

Timestamps: 31:27–44:40; 75:11–88:31 for the Janet Mills interview

• Trump’s Comments on ICE and Racialized Violence:

  • Trump’s dismissive response regarding ICE killings:

    "He was not an angel, and she was not an angel ... But still, I'm not happy with what happened. ... Nobody talks about all of the murderers that were taken out of our country." – Donald Trump (31:53)

  • Favreau and Pfeiffer eviscerate Trump’s “blame the victim” rhetoric, noting the lack of accountability or empathy:

    "Think of all the people ICE agents haven’t killed. ... You kill two Americans and suddenly everyone’s up your ass..." – Jon Favreau (32:49)

• Congressional Stalemate Over ICE Funding:

  • Democrats are pressing for meaningful guardrails (body cams, warrants, anti-masking, limits on military-style raids) in the upcoming DHS funding bill, but Republicans have resisted, dismissing demands as "a ridiculous Christmas list" – Dan Pfeiffer (36:35)
  • The realistic path is narrowing demands to widely popular reforms: body cams, no-masks, independent investigations, warrant requirements (37:39)

• Unprecedented Systemic Strain:

  • Courts and federal prosecutors, especially in Minnesota, are overwhelmed by habeas petitions and ICE’s disregard for law, detailed in viral comments by DHS lawyer Julie Lee:

    "The system sucks, this job sucks, and I’m trying with every breath that I have ... Sometimes I wish you would just hold me in contempt, your honor, so that I can have a full 24 hours of sleep." – Julie Lee (41:37)

• Stephen Miller’s Influence:
  The show notes Miller’s role as architect of increasingly cruel, reckless immigration policy, allegedly driving even Trump to discomfort with his extremism (46:01–48:14):

  "He’s the fucking cancer at the heart of the administration in the country." – Jon Favreau (47:42)

Notable Segment: Janet Mills Interview

Timestamps: 75:11–98:52. Summary below

3. Media Landscape: The Washington Post & Democracy

Timestamps: 61:05–71:40

• Washington Post’s Collapse Post-Bezos:
  • Massive layoffs gut one of America’s storied newsrooms.
  • Bezos is criticized for caring more about business and Trump’s feelings than journalism, canceling an endorsement for Kamala Harris (2024) and shifting the Post’s editorial stance.
  • Pfeiffer’s rant:

    "It is absolutely a tragedy ... What's left is the rotting husk of a great journalistic institution, and everyone in DC and in the country are poorer because of it. Everyone except Jeff Bezos." – Dan Pfeiffer (66:30)

• Broader Lesson:
  Reliable, independent journalism needs sustainable business models, not the whims of billionaires:

  "What a billionaire can give, they can also take away ... It has to be a sustainable business." – Dan Pfeiffer (68:11)

4. J.D. Vance, Smugness, and GOP 2028

Timestamps: 52:22–61:02, 56:16–60:52

• Deflection & Lack of Accountability:
  J.D. Vance is pressed on labeling Alex Preddy and Renee Goode as threats, refuses to apologize:

  "If it's determined that his civil rights were violated by this FBI investigation, will you apologize?" – Daily Mail "If this hypothetical leads to that hypothetical ... We're going to let the investigation determine." – J.D. Vance (52:22–53:19)

• Host Takedown:
  Vance is skewered for being “smug,” “repulsive,” and lacking any of Trump’s populist charisma:

  "He combines the smugness of the most annoying coastal elite, you know, with the soul of Stephen Miller, with the charisma of a shoe." – Jon Favreau (54:52)
  "He is the most obnoxious high school debate nerd you could possibly meet." – Dan Pfeiffer (53:42)

Interview: Governor Janet Mills (Maine Senate Candidate)

Timestamps: 75:11–98:52

Key Takeaways:

• ICE Raids in Maine ("Operation Catch of the Day"):
  Mills describes alarming, arbitrary detentions, including law-abiding residents and civil engineers, without criminal charges or warrants; local law enforcement called the raids "bush league policing."

  "We saw people with no criminal backgrounds, no criminal charges, being hauled from cars, being hauled from their homes and taken into custody and kind of disappearing." – Janet Mills (75:38)

• Demand for Accountability:
  Mills insists on "no more funding for ICE/DHS without concrete controls, substantive reforms," including body cams, de-escalation training, identification requirements, and independent investigations.

  "Not a dollar more in funding until you account for what's happening." – Janet Mills (80:53)

• Would She Abolish ICE?
  Mills says abolishing ICE is “on the table” if reforms and accountability do not materialize. Moving enforcement to a different agency “won’t matter if orders come from above to conduct violent missions.”

  "If they can't make these basic concrete reforms ... they can't let them go on doing what they're doing." – Janet Mills (85:38)

• Guarding Elections from Federal Interference:
  Mills promises to protect Maine elections from any federal incursion and denounces Trump/Bannon calls to deploy ICE or federal agents at the polls:

  "We will make every effort to make sure the polls are not violated by some agency like ICE. The Constitution says the states have authority over elections. And we will assert that..." – Janet Mills (88:59)

• Her Senate Run: Electability & Age
  Mills says she’s the only Democrat who can beat Susan Collins, pledges to serve only one term:

  "If I'm part of taking back the U.S. Senate, my voice will be heard and it will be heard loudly." – Janet Mills (94:53) On age: "I'm not running because I need a position or a platform or resume builder. ... We need to take back control of the U.S. Senate. ... I have the ability and the experience to start on day one." – Janet Mills (94:13)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the urgency of fighting back against anti-democratic threats:

  "It has to be too big to rig. You just have to win enough that you have to take the power out of their hands. ... Just, we gotta go out and win." – Dan Pfeiffer (16:41)

• On Stephen Miller's dangerous influence:

  "He's the fucking cancer at the heart of the administration in the country." – Jon Favreau (47:42)

• On the future of journalism:

  “What a billionaire can give, they can also take away ... It has to be a sustainable business.” – Dan Pfeiffer (68:11)

Additional Segments of Interest

ICE chaos & court overload in Minnesota:
"All these prosecutors, paralegals, everyone working around the clock, and ICE is so irresponsible that they are just, they're not responding, they're not cooperating, they're just a fucking rogue agency." – Jon Favreau (43:44)

On J.D. Vance’s (lack of) appeal:
"He’s a smug weirdo who probably only appeals to incels." – Jon Favreau (57:15)

On voter intimidation risks:
“ISIS is going to be at polling places, will dissuade people who are American citizens ... who are of color and worried about getting picked up and detained by ICE from going out to the polls.” – Dan Pfeiffer (11:14)

Episode Structure & Timestamps

• [02:39] – Main show starts
• [04:05] – Subscriber content promo
• [04:23–21:00] – Trump’s anti-democracy moves & analysis
• [31:27–44:40] – Immigration, ICE, Minnesota/Maine, DHS dysfunction
• [61:05–71:40] – Washington Post layoffs/media & democracy discussion
• [75:11–98:52] – Interview: Janet Mills, Governor of Maine
  • [75:38] – ICE raids in Maine details
  • [80:53] – Demands for ICE reform and accountability
  • [88:59] – Election interference, Maine’s response
  • [90:53] – Senate race, age, and electability reflections

Summary for Listeners

This episode hammers home how the Trump GOP is preparing to weaponize law enforcement agencies against democracy—both through open intimidation and by creating chaos in electoral and immigration systems. The hosts warn that only massive turnout and state-led defiance can thwart these plots. The Janet Mills interview is a must-listen for those wanting first-hand perspective on ICE raids and a Democratic vision for accountability. Finally, the episode laments the contraction of independent journalism, arguing that sustainable, subscriber-supported models are now essential.

For further insight, tune to the above timestamps for each substantive segment.