Democrats Erase GOP Redistricting Gains with Power Move in Virginia

Summary

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Raging Moderates with Scott Galloway & Jessica Tarlov

Episode: Democrats Erase GOP Redistricting Gains with Power Move in Virginia
Date: April 22, 2026
Guest: Carlos Espina – Nonprofit director, activist, social media influencer
Host: Jessica Tarlov
Podcast Network: Vox Media Podcast Network

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into the immediate political fallout from the Democrats' successful redistricting in Virginia, a move described as a "power move" that is set to cancel out Republican gerrymandering gains from Texas. Jessica Tarlov, joined by influential activist and Latino community leader Carlos Espina, explores the implications for upcoming midterms, shifting dynamics among Latino and young voters, and how politicians are or are not regaining trust from disillusioned voters. The conversation also spans the realities of ICE enforcement, the effect of foreign policy messiness and AI-generated propaganda, and the increasing political power of social media influencers.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Virginia Redistricting: A Power Play

• Democrats spent $70 million on legal efforts and advocacy to redraw Virginia's congressional map, potentially flipping four seats.
• Tarlov: "It should cancel out the structural edge that Republicans got from their mid district gerrymander in Texas that Donald Trump commanded Governor Abbott to do." [01:47]
• Espina's take: Mixed emotions — happy about the result for Democrats and balance, but disheartened that gerrymandering has become such a weaponized and normalized tactic.
  • Calls for a national ban:

    "Ultimately I would like at some point, Right. For this to stop happening because it does disenfranchise voters all over the country." [02:36]

2. Erosion of Trust in Democracy

• Both hosts express concern about the growing perception that the political system is rigged and untrustworthy, leading to record-low Congressional approval ratings and apathy.
• Espina:
  • "Once people fundamentally lose trust in the system, and obviously this has been happening, it really accelerated, you know, after January 6th..." [05:03]
  • Remains optimistic, urging everyone to vote, emphasizing that some districts may not be as "red" as assumed due to recent demographic shifts.

3. Shifting Latino Vote and Messaging

• Espina discusses his influence among the 60-70 million Spanish speakers in the U.S. and how Latino voting habits are more flexible, given the lack of multigenerational partisan identity.
  • "Their parents never voted because they immigrated to this country. Their grandparents never even lived in the United States." [09:53]
• Notes signs of disillusionment with Trump post-2024 and the importance of Democrats delivering results, not just winning elections.
• On competitive Texas districts:

  "A lot of people have just, especially Latinos voted for Donald Trump for whatever reasons...but they're starting to realize, hey, this guy lied about everything." [07:19]

• Democrats have “a golden opportunity” to secure Latino voters if they govern effectively.

4. Foreign Policy, War Fatigue, and “AI Slop”

• Tarlov raises concerns about the flood of AI-generated propaganda in the Iran conflict, mocking Trump’s “negotiations.”
  • Showcases an Iranian AI-generated parody using Alec Baldwin’s SNL-Trump voice. [13:04]
• Espina labels the Trump administration as incapable of truth-telling in war or domestic policy:

  "This administration has a long history, throughout their time in power, of just lying about literally everything." [13:29]

• The war is a deeply unpopular diversion when so many Americans are hurting financially.

5. Young and Disaffected Voters: Mobilizing the Dormant Bloc

• The biggest voter swing Espina saw in 2024 wasn’t Democrats flipping to Republicans, but Democrats staying home.
  • Now, more first-time voters (especially young Latinos) are motivated to get involved, often out of solidarity with family who are unable to vote.

    "I'm seeing a lot of swing of non voters to voters who have, you know, really like, not a lot of political, you know, knowledge…they see the persecution, they see the war, they see prices going up and they're saying, I'm going to vote for the first time." [16:16]

• Emphasizes the opportunity is in re-activating disillusioned nonvoters rather than converting diehard Trump voters.

6. ICE, Immigration Realities, Republican Liabilities

• The Republican approach to ICE and deportations has backfired; the administration discreetly continues harsh enforcement, but it has sowed fear and resentment among immigrant communities.

  "People aren't against deportations, they're against the deportations of certain people." [22:20]

• Mass deportations threaten substantial tax revenue and economic stability. The long-term effect may be a political backlash.

7. Midterm Predictions & The Democrats' Messaging Gap

• Espina is optimistic but cautious: House likely to go blue, the Senate is possible but not assured, and success hinges on Democrats articulating a positive, distinct vision beyond “Not Trump.”

  "The message will have to shift, especially after the midterms of, okay, now what are we going to propose? What is America Post Trump going to look like under a Democratic governance?" [27:18]

8. Influencers, Politicians, and the Power of Social Media

• Espina is now a key contact for Democratic candidates seeking Latino and youth engagement, recounting that kitchen and housekeeping staff often recognize him before well-known politicians.

  "There's just a lot of...they're just really impressed of, like, wow. Like, all these people know you, you know, like, the power of social media." [29:10]

• He positions himself as a bridge between politicians and working-class voters.
• On why he remains political when most big accounts avoid the polarization:

  "Since my beginnings, I would say my content has always just been political. And I think that's what really stuck out to people...I have a track record that people trust, that people admire." [32:11]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Gerrymandering:

  "I am a big believer that you have to fight fire with fire. But ultimately I would like at some point, Right. For this to stop happening because it does disenfranchise voters all over the country." — Carlos Espina [02:36]

• On Political Disillusionment:

  "When people start to question democracy itself and the validity of our system and how it works, then, you know, your country is at risk..." — Carlos Espina [05:03]

• On Latino Political Alignment:

  "Neither the Democratic nor the Republican Party historically, you know, were created and their platforms...aligned with Latino voters in mind...many of them are first time voters." — Carlos Espina [09:53]

• On AI-Generated Propaganda:

  "The Iranians are using AI Slop...what do you make of this change in strategy for how a war is being conducted?" — Jessica Tarlov [12:52]

• On Voter Motivation:

  "I'm seeing a lot of swing of non voters to voters...They're saying, I'm going to vote for the first time, not for myself, but for my parents." — Carlos Espina [16:16]

• On Influencers in Politics:

  "It's happened a few times where I'll be, like, with politicians, right. And, like, people...will recognize me more and more than them...like, the power of social media." — Carlos Espina [29:10]

• On Staying Engaged in Politics Despite Polarization:

  "Since my beginnings, I would say my content has always just been political. And I think that's what really stuck out to people." — Carlos Espina [32:11]

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Important Timestamps

• Virginia redistricting and national implications [01:42–04:27]
• Faith in democracy and Congressional approval [05:03–06:49]
• Latino voter dynamics, endorsements, and shifting districts [06:49–11:41]
• Pocketbook issues and Democratic delivery [11:41–12:13]
• AI propaganda and the Trump foreign policy response [12:52–15:33]
• Young/Latino voter trends and nonvoter-to-voter shifts [16:16–18:11]
• ICE policies and ongoing community fear [22:20–24:42]
• Midterm predictions and Democrats’ communication [24:46–27:18]
• Direct influencer impact and political advice [27:09–30:20]
• Social media, bridging politicians and working class [29:10–31:29]
• Why stay in the political fray as an influencer [32:11–33:57]

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Episode Tone & Language

The conversation maintains a candid and grounded tone, mixing policy detail with anecdotes from on-the-ground organizing and personal experience. Carlos Espina is analytical yet passionate, balancing critiques of both parties with pragmatic optimism about the capacity for change if politicians can re-engage and deliver for their constituents.

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Transcript

[A]

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How to win the battle against burnout. That's this week on Explain It To Me. Find new episodes Sundays, wherever you get your podcasts. Where do the negotiations with Iran stand? What can a deal actually look like? And does diplomacy still have a chance? I personally believe we will get an agreement. I think there's going to be an agreement forthcoming of one kind or another. I think the world needs that. I think we desperately need to calm things down. I'm Jake Sullivan. And I'm John Finer. And we're the hosts of the Long

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Game, a weekly national security podcast.

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The episode's out now. Search for and follow the Long Game wherever you get your podcasts.

[B]

Welcome to Raging Moderates. I'm Jessica Tarlov and I'm very excited to be joined today by Carlos Espina. He's a nonprofit director, activist, social media influencer, star. I don't know what the right term is, but 20, 22 million followers.

[A]

Is that the current count across platforms? Yes, 23 around there.

[B]

Oh, all right, 23 around there. Moving fast. A lot of people like Carlos and we like Carlos and are thrilled to have him here at Raging Moderates. Thanks for joining me.

[A]

No, thanks for having me. I'm excited to be here.

[B]

If you aren't already, make sure to subscribe to our YouTube page to stay in the loop on all the politics news. I want to start news of the day and then we'll get to more stuff where I want to talk about your background, which I find fascinating as well. But it was a big election night last night in Virginia. You're based in Houston. You know about gerrymandering and redistricting firsthand, so the results were good for the Democrats. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries really threw his weight behind the effort to redraw the map so that it would be 101 favoring Democrats picking up potentially four seats. We spent about $70 million in this effort. It should cancel out the structural edge that Republicans got from their mid district gerrymander in Texas that Donald Trump commanded Governor Abbott to do. Top line, what do you make of the results last night?

[A]

Well, I'm happy and I'm sad at the same time. Happy, obviously, right. That the Democrats were able to get this victory and kind of balance things out, but sad at the same time that it's even got into this. I'm a big proponent, right. That there needs to be a national ban or some sort of regulation on gerrymandering in red states and in blue states, because I feel like now it's just become, you know, oh, who can game the system more? Obviously, this is all response to what govern Greg Abbott did here in Texas. So it makes sense. Right. I am a big believer that you have to fight fire with fire. But ultimately I would like at some point, Right. For this to stop happening because it does disenfranchise voters all over the country. You know, like, as someone in Texas, you know, I'm happy. Right. Okay. So now Virginia has more districts, but I also would like that, you know, Texas would have some more representation. But unfortunately, that's the game that's being played right now. So obviously this is a huge victory and a great step forward for Democrats winning back to House in November. But like I said, ultimately I would that this, you know, would get done away with sometime soon at a national level for all parties in all states.

[B]

Yeah. We should note that Democrats did introduce a national gerrymandering ban in 2021, and then there was another version of it in the Senate in 2024 as well. So, you know, we're up for changing the rules.

[A]

It's funny, you know, you see, like, a lot of Republicans who were cheering on what happened here in Texas and now are saying, oh, this is so unfair and this, this and that. And, you know, that's the way I see it. It's like to something that's being done. If Greg Abbott. Well, I guess it wasn't even Greg Abbott. Right. It was Donald Trump. And Greg Abbott just does whatever he says. If that hadn't happened, they wouldn't have, you know, set off this whole chain of events. So I'm hoping, you know, those Republicans who a few years back were opposed to some sort of national reform will now come back to the table and say, okay, yeah, let's. Let's get this done.

[B]

Yeah, that would be nice. I'm not holding out hope for it. I do think it's important and makes me sleep a little bit better at night that Democrats have been asking the voters whether do this. It was the same thing with Prop 50 in California as in Virginia. But you mentioned something that's really important. You know, talking about disenfranchising voters and kind of faith in the system and how you look at it, and you think, everyone is just playing games with my life. Essentially, congressional approval, the lowest that it's ever been. Is that something that you're very concerned about? And do you hear a lot about that from your followers?

[A]

Yeah, I think, you know, once people fundamentally lose trust in the system, and obviously this has been happening, it really accelerated, you know, after January 6th and everything that happened there. But when people start to question democracy itself and the validity of our system and how it works, then, you know, your country is at risk, essentially, because for the longest time, right, people have said, oh, you know, you win, you lose. But at the end of the day, you know, that the next elections are going to be free and fair. And so there's a lot of things happening right now that erode trust in the system. And I think we need to recover that trust if we want to survive another 250 years. That's the big celebration this year. And looking at the forecast, I'm not really too optimistic right now. So I hope that we can find some common sense leaders who will come back and say, hey, this has gone too far and we need to reestablish trust in the system, because it does lead to people saying, oh, well, why would I vote if this is not going to count? And this is and that. But I'm still a big proponent that everyone needs to vote. I do think my vote counts. And, you know, even a red state or in a blue state, everyone should vote up and down the ballot. You know, I'm hopeful that it won't turn too many people off. But these are the kind of things that make people, you know, question, hey, what's going to happen to our country? And is this even a fair system anymore? I know that's how I felt, you know, when I saw everything happening in Texas. But then at the end of the day, you realize, well, a lot of these districts that are being drawn as Republican districts, quote, unquote, are not necessarily that way. You know, a lot of them are based on Trump's results in 2024. And things have changed since then in the last year and a half. So at the same time, other people like myself have views this as motivation, Right? Like, the bigger the obstacle, well, the more you work and the more satisfying it will be when we actually win.

[B]

Yeah, I want to. I mean, you're skipping ahead to something I wanted to talk to you about, which is the dummy Manders and the shift in the Latino vote. Can you tell us a little more about what you're seeing on the Ground. And, you know, so you came out, you endorse James Talarico and Bobby Polito, giving them huge lift. So majority of your posts are in Spanish. You are a big, big deal in the Latino community. And your stamp of approval matters a lot on candidates, but also on messaging. So with all that talk about the Latino vote.

[A]

Yes. Yeah. For those maybe who don't, I guess, know me. And then I'll get into your question, right. I speak to the, there's around 60 to 70 million Spanish speakers in the United States. And there's a lot of people, for example, like my parents, who have been here for over 40 years. Right. But they still consume media in Spanish. They know English, they're fully bilingual. Right. But there's still a lot of people who consume Spanish media. And, you know, it's a lot of working class people. For example, yesterday I was at, I was in New Orleans and there was like 12 housekeepers, you know, cleaning up the rooms. And all of them knew me. And then they were like, we had a, you know, like a big group picture before I left the hotel, you know, like hang it up on the wall type stuff. So that's kind of the people that I speak to. But going back to what you were saying about in Texas, a lot of these districts, right, are like red in theory, based on how Latinos voted in 2024. But one of the names you mentioned, Bobby Pulido, I think is a great case study of, hey, these districts are not really that solidly Republican. You know, he's running in a district that's supposedly somewhere between 15 to 20 points for Trump, but he's getting a lot of traction on the ground. A lot of people are, you know, are saying they're going to vote for him. Obviously, at the end of the day, we're going to see how things really fall. But I do think that there is a lot, at least three of these districts are in play for Democrats. Two of them. You know, I think we're going to have a really good chance in because I think a lot of people have just, especially Latinos voted for Donald Trump for whatever reasons. And I don't want to get too much into that because we could be here all day as to why they voted that way. But they're starting to realize, hey, this guy lied about everything. You know, some of us have always known he's a liar. Other people, it took them a little longer to figure that out. But they're not going to be voting in the same way that they voted in 2024. So I even said this a year ago when all this redistricting stuff happened. People were like, how do you feel about, you know, Texas redistricting? I was like, obviously it's, it's a disadvantage, but I'm also, I don't think it's a lost cause. I think some of these districts are not as safe as they think. And I think they're starting to realize that too. Because if you see in Florida, right, they're talking about, hey, maybe we shouldn't redistrict anymore. Because what seemed like a year ago were very heavy Trump districts are now purple districts, very swing districts. So it's a lot more complicated than people think. And I'm hopeful that things will end up playing in our favor.

[B]

Do you think that Latino voters are going to become more of a swing category or that they'll more faithfully come back to the Democratic Party? Because we used to be able to really depend on them as a, you know, as a voting bloc. Not quite as much as black voters, but was certainly a strong contingency for the Democrats.

[A]

Well, I think the answer to your question really depends on what the Democrats do when they get back into power. Because at the end of the day, you know, if you recover the House and potentially the Senate, but then things go back to business as usual, then people will ultimately swing away. So I think Democrats in this moment have a golden opportunity to really not just win the election, because it's not just about winning, it's about delivering results once you're actually in power. And if that were to happen, I do think, you know, you could shore up a lot of these and create a lot of long term voters for the Democratic Party. One thing I always say right, though when it comes to Latino voters is the reality is, you know, neither the Democratic nor the Republican Party historically, you know, were created and their platforms, you know, aligned with Latino voters in mind. Not necessarily because they were systematically excluded, just were relatively new, at least the most of us, to this country. You know, here in Texas, I speak to, for example, white voters who will tell me, oh, well, I vote Republican because my parents vote Republican and my grandparents vote. It's like it's almost part of your religion of sorts. And then you go speak to black voters and they'll say, well, you know, my grandparents grew up in the civil rights movement. My parents vote this way, I vote this way. Whereas you ask a lot of Latinos and many of them are first time voters. Their parents never voted because they immigrated to this country. Their grandparents never even lived in the United States. And obviously there's complexities. You know, here in Texas, you have Latinos who have been here for hundreds of years. But I would say the vast majority of Latinos are relatively new to this country. So they don't necessarily have a set political home, if you want to call it that, as, you know, maybe some other communities might, which allows people to swing one way and then swing the other and then swing back and forth. And I think if Democrats are able to get power and then really deliver, you can start to shore up and, you know, have more sustained support over the years.

[B]

I think those are all really good points. And Ruben Gallego talks about that a lot as well. Kind of like the sustained engagement and the delivering, which I think starts with your pocketbook. Right. That's the same for everybody, that the color that matters is green in all of this. But I'm curious to get your thoughts on what's going on with foreign policy and how that is affecting voters on the ground. So we are in the midst of a three to five day, I think, based on Trump's latest social.

[A]

What's going on right now? You know, maybe he'll post something right now while we're speaking and everything will change. Who knows?

[B]

That is. Yeah, I outdated within 20 minutes, always with this president, which probably why I talk really fast to make sure I can get it in before it happens. But one thing that is happening in this conflict that I find fascinating is the use of AI Slop essentially in this and how the Iranians are doing it. And I wanted to play you there latest ribbing of President Trump and talk to you about this new frontier.

[A]

We are having very great negotiations with Iran. If Iran doesn't come to negotiate, we're gonna bomb them

[B]

2,000 years later.

[A]

So where are the Iranians? This is from Iran.

[B]

So a little bit different than the Lego videos that we've all been seeing. And I think they're using Alec Baldwin's voice, obviously played him on snl. But what do you make of this change in strategy for how a war is being conducted?

[A]

Well, I think it's going back to the earlier questions we have. The biggest issue with this administration is people just fundamentally don't believe in the government anymore in a way. I mean, obviously there's always been skepticism about is the government saying the truth. This isn't that. But like we have seen an administration full of lies. I mean, it started with the immigration stuff where they would say we're getting the worst of the worst criminals and this and Then it turns out it's like, you know, a dad and his child. And, you know, they said the same thing about all these cases, Leon Ramos being one of the big ones, that, you know, like, all these things. They said the same about Alex Pred. He's a domestic terrorist. You know, like, so this administration has a long history, throughout their time in power, of just lying about literally everything. And so it doesn't surprise me that these lies have now extended to this war. I think most people just genuinely don't believe it anymore. Like, he'll be like, oh, you know, this is open now. It's closed. Now there's peace. Now there's war. And people have just kind of, like, tuned them out. At least a lot of people that I speak to in the sense of, like, we just want to get over this guy. We're ready for the midterms. And, like, he's clearly not. Not doing very well. I mean, there's been reporting, right, that he's been excluded from, like, very important meetings and stuff because they just don't trust him. I think even people around him know this guy's gone insane. I mean, there's no other way of saying it. He's lost his mind. And when it comes to people on the ground, I don't really know how many people are really taking his, like, true social post and his negotiation tactics to heart. Clearly, you know, the Iranian government is not. So I don't think people are either, but who knows? This is just a disaster all around. And going back to what you're seeing on the ground, the fundamental question people are asking is, why are we even in this war to begin with? I mean, there's so many other issues before this all started. I mean, people can't pay rent, people can't pay groceries. And then you just go and enter a war that all it does is make things a thousand times worse. People are like, what is the point of all this? The message, whatever Trump's message is. I don't even know what Trump's message is, is. It's just not breaking through with people, and it's just making him less and less popular.

[B]

Yeah, I. I think that's definitely right. And obviously reflected in his approval ratings, which are now hovering in the mid-30s, I think that's what's aggravating him more than anything, more than the fact that people are telling him, I can't afford my basic necessities and gas. It feels like a real historic opportunity, squandered, especially when he got such support from Latino voters and also from young voters. And that's another demographic that you're hugely popular with. You know, I've seen the surveys of the swing, you know, between 20 and 30 points back for the Democrats. But what's your read from the people you're interacting with or just even how you're seeing the scene yourself?

[A]

Well, so what's happening right now? Right, and so this is like one of the big, like unmentioned things with like the swing in Latino voters. What I noticed the biggest swing in 2024 was not so much Democrats to Republicans. It was more people who voted Democrat to just not voting in 2024, especially a lot of Latinos who were like, obviously I don't like Donald Trump, but I'm not happy with how things are right now. So I'm just going to sit home now. I'm seeing a lot of swing of non voters to voters who have, you know, really like, not a lot of political, you know, knowledge. They've never really been involved too much in the system, but they see everything that's going on. They see the persecution, they see the war, they see prices going up and they're saying, I'm going to vote for the first time. So I'm thinking the path to victory here for Democrats is like, there's always a focus on, like, how do we turn Trump voters into Democrats. But the real, I think, golden opportunity is how do we get the, you know, millions of millions of people who didn't vote in 2024 because they thought, oh, nothing's going to change, both parties are the same to now be like, okay, yeah, maybe I should be voting this time around. And that's what I'm seeing on the ground. A lot of young Latinos who are going to be voting for the first time. And you ask them why? A lot of it comes down to their family right there. There's a dynamic in the Latino community where it's very common for the children to be born here in the U.S. but the parents, you know, to be mixed status or undocumented, they can vote. And so you have a lot of 18 to 22 year olds, I would say, who have never voted, who are saying, hey, I'm going to vote for the first time, not for myself, but for my parents. You know, they're being persecuted, they're being attacked. I'm going to vote for the people I care about who can't pay rent, who can't pay grocer. And I'm also just going to vote to get some sense of normality back into our society. And so that's what I'm really seeing as the golden opportunity. Not like millions of obviously there's people who regret their vote for Donald Trump, but there's more people who didn't vote in 2024 who are now realizing, hey, maybe I, I should vote in the midterms.

[B]

Yeah, it's an uncomfortable reality that if more people had voted, we just would have lost by more, which I we don't like. We don't talk about that much because it's usually the Democrats are saying, you know, we want the most amount of people possible to be able to vote in for it to be as easy as possible. But the margins would have been larger in our defeat if that had been the case. Let's take a quick break. Stay with us.

[C]

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[B]

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[C]

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[B]

Welcome back. I want to talk to you and you've mentioned a few central figures in the story surrounding ISIS overreach, obviously the Alex Proddy's of the world. Can you, I guess talk about how you see the issue now? Because I feel like they, the administration has very intentionally taken it off the front burner. They had to fire Kristi Noem, had to get her and Corey Lewandowski and Greg Bevino out. Stephen Miller is still lurking around, but it does seem like they know that it's a massive liability. Texas is such, you know, all border states are so fascinating because you have the realities of immigration butting up against the fact that you want to have a humane legal system with still asylum privileges, obviously. But you need a secure border. Right. If you live in Eagle Pass, you can't have more people who are there undocumented than people who are there as Americans. So what's the vibes on the ICE front?

[A]

Well, so I think obviously they've realized they went, you know, too far. And this is what I always say, people aren't against deportations, they're against the deportations of certain people. You know, I'll be the first one to say, if you're in this country legally and you're committing crimes, I think, yeah, you should be arrested and you should be deported. But at the same time, I like, I would say the majority of people also think that if you're here working hard, paying taxes, contributing to society, hey, maybe it's in the national interest to let you stay here and continue to make your life. You know, recently, I believe it was, the Wall Street Journal said that over the next 10 years, because of Trump's mass deportations, we're going to lose millions or billions and billions of dollars in tax revenue. I mean, those are things that are fundamentally not good for the national interest. And so the issue here was there's a lot of people who voted for Donald Trump because we have to be honest, you know, things did get out of hand under the Biden administration when it comes to immigration, but who voted for, you know, essentially going after criminals and after bad people and after all these things. And then you start to see, you know, they're raiding meatpacking plants and they're raiding farm workers and they're raiding, you know, they're getting school children. And then everyone's like, okay, this is a little too far. Now, Trump maybe has realized that it went too far, but my sense is that it's just too little too late. I think no one's really buying whatever narrative shift he's trying to do. And the reality is, yes, they're maybe being a little bit more discreet now. They don't have Gregory Bovino on the streets, you know, having his agents go rogue and do all these insane things. But at the end of the day, you know, raids are still happening in a much more discreet way. For example, here in Texas, the way it happens is there's a lot of collaboration that didn't exist before between state, local authorities and federal authorities. So you have a lot of people, you know, who are just on the way to work. They get stopped for whatever reason. The sheriffs or state troopers call ICE on them, and then they get picked up. Obviously, it doesn't generate as much media attention because it's not, you know, so combative. So in your face. But it's still happening. And the people who are aware of what's going on on the ground are still realizing, like, yeah, maybe things have gotten like a percent or two better, but things are still not where people want them to be. Working class people, working class immigrants, their family are still living with fear. They're living with worry, they're living with anxiety. And all these things are going to translate to a very negative result for the Republicans, I feel, in the midterm elections.

[B]

Yeah. So what is your midterms prediction?

[A]

Well, I would say, you know, my optimistic would be that I think, well, I'm going to be honest, I don't think this is a prediction. I think Democrats would really, really have to screw up or Trump would have to make some sort of miracle for the Republicans to win the House in November. I think even they're starting to realize like that's just a lost cause now the Senate, I think that's what it really comes down to. It's going to be very, very close. Now how close I'm not sure. Obviously I'm friends with James Talarico. I've supported him, I've campaigned with him. I would be, you know, optimistic but also realistic at the same time. I know that there's still a lot of people who, you know, are not convinced by the Democratic Party's message or just still very in with Donald Trump. So it's hard to predict. But I would say there is a, I would say the odds are pretty decent that the Democrats could potentially win back the Senate. But obviously I can't go and say they're going to because odds are more against us than for us. But I'm optimistic about that. Then there's also, you know, a few governor races that are very looking interesting. You know, we're looking at Ohio and other places where, hey, some change might happen. Iowa, you know, maybe even Florida. I don't know. It's hard to, because I don't like to let myself be taken by polls. You always see, you know, I don't know, I just like to go off what's on the ground. And I can tell you what's happening here in Texas and I do think things will be very, very close. But it also requires a lot of work to be done and then also for Democrats to really polish their message in the sense of everyone, you know, I feel is realizing Donald Trump is a disaster. Not everyone, but a lot of people are. But what's the Democrats alternative? You know, the polls don't show Democrats being too popular either. So that's like the counterbalance. This idea. Right. That every anti Trump person is going to turn into a Democrat voter is not necessarily the case. So I guess we'll just have to see how everything plays out and in the meantime, just keep doing the work.

[B]

Yeah. So you are the top influencer certainly for young and Latino voters that Democratic hopefuls want to hang with. And it shouldn't just say hopefuls for president. Obviously, James Tallagu and you guys have a long friendship, but, you know, folks like Pete Buttigieg and Ro Khanna and Ruben Gallego have all sought you out to get your advice and counsel. And also a photo opportunity, I'm sure. What does that feel like? And what do you tell them about the environment?

[A]

Well, yeah, so at this point, I think I've met with about nine or ten. It's because, you know, I know everyone says, oh, I'm not running for president, but it's.

[B]

No, they just want to chat, right?

[A]

Yeah, yeah, I'm not running, you know, like, yeah. But, yeah, I've been with Gavin Newsom a few times, Governor Pritzker, Andy Bashir, other people like that. And, you know, basically what I tell them is what I tell you. It's like, like every. We're at a point where, like, you know, we focus so much on showing how Trump is horrible. And I think that's what needs to be done in this moment. But there has to be a shift at some point of what are the Democrats proposals? And I think those candidates, for example, if you look at, you know, James Talarico and the speeches he gives, the reason I like him so much is, yes, obviously, you know, he criticizes Donald Trump. But more than that, he provides a different vision for America, a different vision for a path forward. And I think that's really what a lot of these candidates need to polish, like, what is their vision? Because at the end of the day, everyone on the Democratic side is anti Trump. Now, what's going to make the difference is what do you stand for? And so obviously, we're very early right now. What I try to do is just get to meet people, you know, say, hey, this is what people are feeling on the ground, bounce ideas off one another. But obviously, pretty soon now, the message will have to shift, especially after the midterms of, okay, now what are we going to propose? What is, what is America Post Trump going to look like under a Democratic governance? And will people support that or not? So that's mostly what I seen. But I just take these opportunities, you know, to advocate for my community, try to do the best that I can to represent people who maybe don't feel heard, don't feel seen, and at the same time, you know, try to make some important connections with the hope that whoever ends up being president, you know, if they ever need some advice on what's going on in the Latino community or anything else knows that they can talk to me about it.

[B]

Yeah. I hope that we will have a Democratic president and that you will have their ear. And I love the stories. You know, you mentioned the housekeepers you took a picture with. I saw you did another interview where you talked about how it's always the kitchen staff that know that you're there, which is funny.

[A]

It's happened a few times where I'll be, like, with politicians, right. And, like, people, like, recognize. Well, it depends where you go. Right. Obviously. But if you go to, like, a very Latino heavy place, like, people will recognize me more and more than them. And not in a bad way. It's just kind of, like, interesting, Right. You know, I think they appreciate it and they see, like, wow, you know, this guy has a lot of reach. It's happened with a few people. You know, I've gone to places with, like, Ro Khan. I've gone to other places. There's just a lot of. And they're just really impressed of, like, wow. Like, all these people know you, you know, like, the power of social media. So Ro Khan is one of the guys that I have, like, a very close relationship with. He's brought me out to, like, a few events, and I think because he realizes that, like, you know, one thing is having, you know, power on social media. But then also for people to recognize you in person, that's obviously a benefit. So then we can be like, you know, people might not know who X or Y politician is, but they know me. And then we have a good discussion and they're like, oh, I really like this politician too, you know, so, like, it's confidence or trust by association, I think, is a really cool thing. So, yeah, I think I enjoy it. I enjoy it.

[B]

Yeah. Well, who doesn't like it when real hardworking people connect with you and think that you're representing them?

[A]

Well, we had another cool. For example, I was with Governor Shapiro. We were in Reading, Pennsylvania. We went to a restaurant, right? And like, obviously a lot of the people there know him because he's the governor they seen him on, but they know me from TikTok. Right? And so we're like, we're having a conversation, and I'm just kind of like the mediator between, you know, the governor and the kitchen staff at this restaurant. And for him, it's like, wow, this is pretty cool because, like, you know, we're just having like, a kind of round table, focus group, whatever you want to call it, like, in the kitchen of a of a restaurant and say there's a real value to that. Right. Because what I've experienced, and I think this is what a lot of these contenders are realizing. When you're just like, you know, a working class person and you, you might know a politician, but maybe you don't trust them fully or enough to, like, really express what you feel. Right. And so, like, when you have someone like me in the middle, they're like, oh, I trust him. So, like, hey, this is what I, you know, it just inspires more like natural and organic, you know, conversation. And that can also be very helpful for whoever it is that I'm with in that moment. So those are experiences that I've enjoyed and I've really found valuable as well.

[B]

I'm sure I. I'm sure it's quite the scene also when, you know, like a meeting of worlds, like, there's my governor and there's Carlos, who is just telling me, going on here.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I see.

[B]

But as a last question, I just wanted to ask you. This is a time when people with the biggest social media accounts are fleeing politics because it's so polarizing, certainly on the left. And, you know, we know about Donald Trump in the manosphere, but Democrats have really struggled to get people with big platforms to want to get involved in politics, let alone to advocate for them. How do you think about that? Or why did you decide that that was the best use of your power?

[A]

Well, so the thing is, I mean, I started on social media in 2020, but I started doing work and, you know, politics on social issues since I was in high school. So I was a senior in high school in 2016 when Trump got elected for the first time. And, you know, 2015, 2016, that's when I started to get really involved, you know, doing a lot of nonprofit work.

[B]

Community with your soccer foundation.

[A]

Yeah. Doing a bunch of different things, you know, community involvement, teaching citizenship class. I went to Vassar College in New York from 2017 to 2020. I was there for three years because I graduated a year early, but I studied, no big deal. Science. Yeah. Latin American studies. And so I was, like, doing a lot of work during the first Trump administration. I had this project where I would write letters and send money to immigrants, detain an ICE detention center. So I was, like, doing all of that. And the reason I started on social media is because I was home for spring break, about to graduate in May. And that's when the pandemic came in 2020. Got stuck at home. All the non profit work that I was doing kind of, you know, fell through figuring out what to do with my life, started just posting on social media things that I already had in my mind, things that I was already doing, and it just kind of took off. So since my beginnings, I would say my content has always just been political. And I think that's what really stuck out to people. Right. Because in a time where a lot of creators or just people in general don't want to touch politics, a lot of other people really want to engage with it. Right. And I have a track record of, I wasn't talking about, you know, immigration and attention when since Trump got elected. I've been talking about this, you know, for many, many years now. So you build a track record that people trust, that people admire, and then I think that positions you for when things get really bad. You're the first person of confidence a lot of people turn to.

[B]

Well, I'm glad that people turned to you and I'm glad that you took some time to hang with me. It was so cool to meet you.

[A]

No, it was great meeting you as well. And thank you so much.

[B]

Before we go, a reminder that Raging Moderates is now on Substack subscribers get ad free episodes, a place to connect with me, Scott, the whole Prof. G Unit universe, and access to the new Raging Moderates newsletter, the Monday Rage, which is out now. Plus, we're going to be doing some live streams that will only be viewable to our Substack subscribers. So get joined up. Find [e-mail] media.com that's all for this episode. Thank you so much for joining us, Sam.