Why the GOP is SCARED, and Trump is Copying Zohran Mamdani

Summary

---

Raging Moderates with Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarlov – Episode Summary

Episode: Why the GOP is SCARED, and Trump is Copying Zohran Mamdani
Date: November 7, 2025
Guests: Jessica Tarlov (Co-host), Aaron Parnas (Lawyer & Political Commentator)
Network: Vox Media Podcast Network

---

Overview

This episode dives deep into the outcomes and implications of the recent midterm elections, focusing on the surprising Democratic successes, evolving political messaging, notable shifts in diverse voting blocs, and how both parties are recalibrating their strategies. Jessica and Aaron, grounded in a centrist perspective, analyze the so-called “pendulum swing,” discuss leadership transitions within the Democratic party, anticipate 2026 and 2028 electoral battles, and dissect the GOP’s internal struggles in real time.

---

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Democratic Resurgence and What It Means (01:20 – 04:42)

• Jessica Tarlov opens with the unprecedented Democratic wins: “Democrats didn’t blow it. Quite the opposite.” (01:20)
• Aaron Parnas attributes the success to strong, localized campaigns on affordability and cost of living, not a single, nationwide narrative:

  "Every candidate in each state and each race ran a perfect campaign. ... They all wanted to build more housing. They all wanted to make housing costs lower." (02:57)

• The Democratic Party is shown as a functional “big tent,” able to embrace both the left (Mamdani) and centrists (Spanberger, Sherrill) without damaging unity.

2. Shifting Messaging: ‘Affordability’ Becomes the Buzzword (05:33 – 06:34)

• The GOP, notably Donald Trump, starts borrowing Democratic language, pivoting to “affordability.”

  "Donald Trump is embracing a new word. He says it's affordability. ... If Democratic messaging wasn’t working, Donald Trump wouldn’t be embracing the same messaging that Mamdani, Spanberger, and Sheryl embraced." —Aaron Parnas (05:33)

• Jessica points out the emotional power of the term:

  “How a play on words or just changing it from, you know, cost of living ... all these things are affordability, but that really is tapping into something specific.” (06:04)

3. Demographic Swings: Latino and Youth Votes (06:54 – 09:31)

• Both discuss the Latino and young voter swings back to Democrats, especially young women.
• Aaron stresses immigration was not on the ballot, diminishing GOP gains with Latinos:

  "Latinos are rebuking the president ... that's not what they voted for. ... We have to always remember this is a 50-50 country." (07:17)

• Jessica highlights successful Democratic gains in Latino-heavy districts, which could upend Republican gerrymandering plans.

4. Electoral Data & Trump’s Approval (09:31 – 10:31)

• Aaron shares polling analysis noting a tight correlation between Trump’s own approval rating and Democratic candidates’ results, warning “Republicans are in big trouble heading into 2026.” (09:31)

5. Pelosi’s Retirement and Democratic Leadership Changes (10:31 – 11:57)

• Both reflect on Pelosi’s legacy:

  “I think she was probably the most powerful speaker of my lifetime, Republican or Democrat.” —Aaron Parnas (11:00)

• Aaron envisions Pelosi’s exit as an opportunity for Hakeem Jeffries:

  “So long as Speaker Pelosi was in office ... Hakeem Jeffries couldn’t live up to his full potential as Democratic leader.” (11:45)

6. Government Shutdown & Democratic Playbook (13:44 – 15:41)

• Discussion on leadership handling the ongoing government shutdown.
• Both praise Schumer and Jeffries for effective tactics but remain skeptical of their overall popularity with the Democratic base.
• On Schumer’s fence-sitting regarding the Mamdani endorsement:

  “Like, just say who you voted for. It's not that deep.” —Aaron Parnas (14:34)

• Concern over everyday impacts, e.g., unpaid air traffic controllers.

7. GOP Messaging & Legal Battles (16:11 – 17:45)

• Mocking GOP’s claims about affordability despite low approval ratings.
• Jessica shifts focus to Trump’s SCOTUS case on tariffs, predicted to lose with possible crossover votes from Barrett and Roberts:

  “I think Roberts and Barrett are going to vote with the liberals.” —Aaron Parnas (17:11)

8. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Personal Political Turmoil (17:51 – 19:57)

• Jessica and Aaron analyze MTG's increased visibility and speculation about a possible presidential run.
• Aaron suggests MTG is “scorned by her own party” and may be seeking relevance after being sidelined in Georgia and losing influence with party leadership.
• Warns against normalizing her far-right views:

  “Don’t forget everything that she’s done. ... She’s not your ally.” (19:29)

• Predicts unlikely but “wouldn’t be surprised” scenario of “Tucker Carlson Marjorie Taylor Greene ticket in 2028.” (20:04)

9. Civil War Within the GOP (20:04 – 21:58)

• The fallout from the Nick Fuentes-Tucker Carlson interview, backlash from GOP figures, and evidence of a deep Republican identity crisis.
• Aaron downplays its reach:

  "The average American doesn't know about Tucker Carlson and Heritage foundation ... But it is emblematic of a bigger issue for Republicans right now." (20:49)

• Predicts an ugly fight to define the party’s nature leading up to 2028:

  “I actually think it’s gonna be a very ugly 2026 to 2028 ... because I don't think they know who they are.” (21:58)

10. Centrist Reflections and Closing Segment: ‘Rage and Calm’ (22:09 – 23:08)

• Jessica asks the signature “Friday question.”
• Aaron’s “rage”: Overpriced airport kiosks and lack of bin space on planes.
• Aaron’s “calm”: “Democracy is going to survive. Calm down, folks. ... If you saw what happened Tuesday night, we’re going to—it’ll push through.” (23:04)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Aaron Parnas (02:57):

  “Every candidate in each state and each race ran a perfect campaign ... they all wanted to make housing costs lower.”

• Jessica Tarlov (06:04):

  “It’ll be interesting—the dueling campaigns where the Republicans and Democrats are just screaming ‘affordability’ at each other.”

• Aaron Parnas (11:00):

  “I think she [Pelosi] was probably the most powerful speaker of my lifetime, Republican or Democrat.”

• Aaron Parnas (14:34):

  “Say who you voted for. It's not that deep.”

• Aaron Parnas (20:49):

  “The average American doesn’t know about Tucker Carlson and Heritage foundation ... but it is emblematic of a much bigger issue for Republicans right now.”

• Aaron Parnas (23:04):

  “Democracy is going to survive. Calm down, folks. I really do think it will... if you saw what happened Tuesday night, we’re going to—it’ll push through.”

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:20 — Opening on Democratic election success
• 02:57 — Dissecting localized campaign strategies, “perfect campaigns”
• 05:33 — Trump co-opting “affordability”
• 06:54 — Latino and youth voters, effect of ballot issues
• 09:31 — Polling data, Trump’s approval as predictive metric
• 10:31 — Pelosi’s retirement and Democratic leadership
• 13:44 — Government shutdown and Democratic tactics
• 16:11 — GOP messaging on “affordability”; SCOTUS legal battles
• 17:51 — Marjorie Taylor Greene’s shifting political path
• 20:04 — GOP infighting, Fuentes/Carlson drama
• 22:09 — Rage & calm: airport gripes, resilience of democracy

---

Final Thoughts

This episode provides a comprehensive centrist analysis of shifting American political trends, focusing on both the Democratic “big tent” wins and the Republican Party’s unsettled future. The hosts emphasize tactical flexibility, messaging coherence, leadership transitions, and the enduring volatility of American politics, all laced with signature wit and candid, informed exchanges. If you want to understand the pulse of the post-election landscape, this conversation delivers both sharp insight and unvarnished honesty.

Transcript

[Strawberry Me Career Coach]

Support for this show comes from Strawberry Me. Be honest. Are you happy with your job or are you stuck in one you've outgrown or never wanted in the first place? Sure, you can probably list the reasons for staying, but are they actually just excuses for not leaving? Let a career coach from Strawberry Me help you get unstuck. Discover the benefits of having a dedicated career coach in your corner. Go to Strawberry Me unstuck to claim.

[Thumbtack Advertiser]

A special offer avoiding your unfinished home projects because you're not sure where to start. Thumbtack knows homes, so you don't have to don't know the difference between matte paint finish and satin or what that clunking sound from your dryer is. With Thumbtack, you don't have to be a home pro. You just have to hire one. You can hire top rated pros, see price estimates and read reviews all on the app Download Today.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Welcome to Raging Moderates. I'm Jessica Tarlov and I'm so glad to be joined once again by my friend Gen Z, sensation of Substack, YouTube and TikTok, lawyer and political commentator Aaron Parnas. Aaron, how about that intro?

[Aaron Parnas]

I love the ever changing intros. It's getting better and better with each time. Love it.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Okay, fantastic. Which means I have to like one up it next time 100% or the producers do since they're the ones who write it. I want to start with the big story this week, which was we had an election and Democrats didn't blow it. Quite the opposite. How was your election day?

[Aaron Parnas]

It was a pretty fun day, honestly. A lot of people were excited. Hopium.

[Jessica Tarlov]

It was weird to see smiles, right?

[Aaron Parnas]

Yeah. I mean, I will say I feel like things are shifting a little bit. I don't know how to explain it. And honestly, what happened on election night, I don't know that it'll translate to next year or any other election, but for nine months people were just all doom and gloom and then Tuesday night happened and now ever since then, it's been a completely different kind of environment.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Yeah, I agree. I think it was also, and maybe this is a a little bit of an inside baseball way to look at it, but because those big memos came out the week before the deciding to win one, right, where they talked to 500,000 people who said that the Democrats were weak and woke and out of touch and then the working class one focused on, you know, how out of touch Democrats are. It made me think like which narrative is correct are the electoral wins which were all the way down the ballot right you know, we talk about New Jersey and Virginia and Mamdani here in New York, which I want to get into further with you, but also things like the State House in Mississippi and public commissioners in Georgia and school boards. So how do you see things like, is the brand being fixed a bit, or is this just. Everyone is so angry about Trump and the state of the economy that the pendulum swung.

[Aaron Parnas]

So I actually think it's a third thing. I think every candidate in each state and each race ran a perfect campaign. I think that's what it was. Whether it was Mikey, Sheryl in Jersey, Mamdani in New York, spanberger in Virginia, Prop 50. Wherever you look, the campaigns were run pretty much flawlessly. You had a good candidate who really didn't have much bad baggage out there. Yeah, right. You had a candidate that was running on affordability and reducing the cost of living in every single election across the country. Yeah, they went about it differently. New York City's different from Virginia and New Jersey, but they all had that same overall message. They all wanted to build more housing. They all wanted to make housing costs lower. So they ran very principled campaigns for the races that they were in. Do I think, Mom, Donnie, the exact race that he ran in New York City would have won Virginia? Probably not. Do I think Spanberger would have won in New York City? Probably not. But that's kind of what made Tuesday night so special for Democrats because it really showed that the party for the first time is a big tent and is really united in ways that we hadn't seen before.

[Jessica Tarlov]

I think also it showed that the party was able to take feedback and do something about it, actually in a pretty short amount of time. If you think that we're just a year out from the 2024 election and how endemic the problems that we had with focusing on cultural issues and like being defined by DEI and part of that is right wing media, which we should talk about as well. But you couldn't. Besides Mamdani, who is, as advertised, a Democratic socialist, but did win the Democratic nomination, you know, he wasn't running outside the party. Like, no one can accuse Abigail Spanberger or Mikey Sherrill of being a socialist. I mean, they can. They. They actually did at work yesterday. But besides that, I mean, no one, no voter is taking it seriously.

[Aaron Parnas]

No, they're not socialists. And honestly, I mean, Mamdani is a self. Like, he embraces socialism. But I think, to me, that's the beauty of what the Democratic Party is. You have the far left, you have the centrist, you have those somewhere in the middle. You have those a little even to the right of center. And it all kind of comes together. When it works, it works. And then if we lost any of the races on Tuesday night, oh, it would have been a bloodbath for Democrats online. I mean, it would have been a nightmare. But I think the party did well, had a clean sweep. And I will say I give a lot of flowers to Ken Martin. I think he has actually really. And a lot of people aren't talking about that. He actually has changed the party in a lot of ways. The dnc, yes, Is not running these races, but really is on message.

[Jessica Tarlov]

They're helping a lot, though.

[Aaron Parnas]

They are.

[Jessica Tarlov]

I mean, they're giving a lot of money, volunteers. They supported all these candidates at the amount that the candidates wanted. Which is the secret sauce.

[Aaron Parnas]

Yeah, for sure. And I will say it's interesting. Now, just a few days after Tuesday night's election, Donald Trump is embracing a new word. He says it's affordability. That's the new word that he's embracing. He says it's a new word, even though it's been around for a long time. And James Blair, the deputy chief of staff and political director for the Trump campaign, said in 2026, affordability is going to be his top issue. So it's very interesting, the kind of shifts that we're seeing. If Democratic messaging wasn't working, Donald Trump wouldn't be embracing the same messaging that Mamdani Spanberger and Sheryl embraced.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Totally. I. I hadn't seen that yet. That he's adopting our lingo. It is interesting how a play on words or just changing it from, you know, cost of living. Right. Or the rent is too damn high. All these things are affordability, but that really is tapping into something specific, or it's like creating a feeling within people that they're glomming onto in such a positive way. So it'll be interesting, the dueling campaigns where the Republicans and Democrats are just screaming affordability at each other.

[Aaron Parnas]

Well, one's in office, the other isn't. I mean, that's. That to me, that's what's gonna be the catalyst in 2026. If prices are actually substantially down in November of 2026, I think Republicans could have a good night. But prices have only gone up, and tariffs have only cost prices to go up. So I don't know. We'll see. But affordability. Go, go, Trump. Yay.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Maga. Maga. I want to talk to you about Skoda stuff, but before we get off the Election Train two demographics that I wanted to get your take on that swung pretty wildly back. The Latino vote. And also younger voters, in particular, young women by huge margins, but also young men back in the blue fold. What did you make of that?

[Aaron Parnas]

I wasn't surprised at all. But I also think. I mean, if you looked at 2024 in New York City, I'm pretty sure young men voted for Kamala Harris by a wide margin, too. Same thing in some of these other bluer states. So it's not really surprising. And especially on the Latino vote as well, also not really surprising, given the fact that immigration wasn't on the ballot at all, and none of these states were border states. Immigration had nothing to do with it. And also, I mean, in my opinion, Latinos are rebuking the president because they're like, well, this isn't what we voted for in terms of the mass deportations, mass raids, teachers being dragged out of daycare by ICE agents. That's not what they voted for. I think that it all kind of goes back to something that I've been saying for a long time, and people yell at me for saying this, but the 2024 election was actually pretty close, in my opinion. Like, it wasn't that wide of an election. The gap between Democrats and Republicans wasn't that large. Yes, Democrats, they have a bad approval rating. The party brand wasn't great. Fine. But if you look back to 2020, 2021, the Republican brand after Trump lost also wasn't great. It was January 6th insurrection and whether Mr. Potato Head was a boy or a girl, and they still somehow won. So I think we have to always remember that in American politics, this is a 50, 50 country, no matter which way you spin it. And Republicans will win some years, Democrats will win other years, and voters are just gonna shift kind of in blocks. So I think we're gonna see it again in 2026 and then again in 2028. It's just a pendulum.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Yeah. Though the pendulum stuck to one side in New Jersey, which a lot of people had not predicted to happen. You know, getting a third term is a difficult feat. And Cheryl winning by 13 is quite something on the Latino vote. Something that I've been focused on is whether the swing back to the Democrats and. And then some. Cheryl picked up 64% of the Latino vote in New Jersey. Being led by some of these heavily Hispanic counties, like Passaic county, might make Republicans think twice about their gerrymandering plans. Because, like in Texas, for instance, that only works, that they pick up Five seats if they can win Latino voters. And it doesn't look as likely that that's the case. It's Kansas was getting a little skittish about the plan. Do you think there's gonna be a reevaluation in light of Prop 50 and the Latino vote?

[Aaron Parnas]

100%. I think Republicans overplayed their hands heading into 2026. I was reading this morning that in Texas, two of the five districts that were drawn further to the right are Trump, plus five or six districts in a blue wave year. Those are blue seats. Right. Republicans are not guaranteed to pick up those seats in Texas. And I will say this. I was watching our good friend Harry Enton talk about melting down about something. Melting down about something using prediction models. No, I'm kidding. No. He was saying something interesting is that in all of these races in New Jersey, Virginia, California, you look at Donald Trump's approval and disapproval rating and it tracks the final turnout. Right. So Donald Trump has a 42% approval rating in Jersey, 53% or 54% disapproval. That was almost the final result for Mikey Sheryl. Same thing with Spamberger in Virginia was a 15% win for Spanberger. 15% shift between approval and disapproval for Trump. Same thing in California. So I think if that trend holds, Republicans are in big trouble. Big trouble heading into 2026.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Yeah, I mean, that's actually a good Harry Enton observation and I will check that out. I can use it on the 5 this afternoon. Quickly, before we get off electoral politics. You saw that Nancy Pelosi has announced her retirement. This felt like it was in the offing and there are people already jumping into the race who wouldn't normally be primary speaker. Pelosi. But what are your thought thoughts on her career and the state of Democratic leadership as she exits?

[Aaron Parnas]

I think she was probably the most powerful speaker of my lifetime, Republican or Democrat.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Your life? Yeah, I mean, like, I think maybe ever.

[Aaron Parnas]

Maybe. Yeah. I think she'll be the most powerful speaker for a long time. I don't know that anyone could, like, have her party in check the way she did. No matter what, she always knew where the votes were and how many votes she had. It was a career of public service. But I also think, like, listen, it's time, right? She served 40 years and now is a representative. I don't think anyone should be serving more than 15 years, let alone 40 years. And so I think she recognized that it's time to kind of step aside, pass the torch. New generation of leadership. Curious to see what this means for Hakeem Jeffries, because I really think, and this is also a bit of a hot take that so long as Speaker Pelosi was in office in the House, Hakeem Jeffries couldn't live up to his full potential as Democratic leader because I think her kind of overarching shadow was always there.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Yeah.

[Aaron Parnas]

And I think her leaving now will kind of allow him to have free rein and we'll see what happens.

[Jessica Tarlov]

We're going to take a quick break. Stay with us.

[Mercury Advertiser]

Mercury knows that to an entrepreneur, every financial move means more. An international wire means working with the best contractors on any continent. A credit card on day one means credit, creating an ad campaign on day two. And a business loan means loading up on inventory for Black Friday. That's why Mercury offers banking that does more all in one place. So that doing just about anything with your money feels effortless. Visit mercury.com to learn more. Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group column NA and Evolve bank and Trust members FDIC.

[Sierra AI Advertiser]

Every day, millions of customers engage with AI agents like me. We resolve queries fast, we work 247 and we're helpful, knowledgeable and empathetic. We're built to be the voice of the brands we serve. Sierra is the platform for building better, more human customer experiences with AI. No hold music, no generic answers, no frustration. Visit Sierra AI to learn more.

[Neiman Marcus Advertiser]

Support for this show comes from Neiman Marcus. This holiday season, Neiman Marcus is your home for the most exceptional gifts. From the ultimate stocking stuffers to statement bags made for celebration to their legendary fantasy gifts that surpass every expectation, Neiman Marcus has something extraordinary for everyone. And with style advisors to guide you, finding the perfect gift at every price point is effortless. So head to Neiman Marcus for a truly unforgettable holiday.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Welcome back. You already gave props to Ken Martin, which I think is important. Well deserved not being done enough. What do you think about. You know, it feels like the tide shifting a bit on the shutdown as well. Donald Trump admitting that the shutdown was a big factor in the election, that it's not going well. He wants to get rid of the filibuster, which Thune is not going for, but clearly the democratic play there has been working out. So do you see Schumer and Jeffries in a better leadership light than we did a few months ago?

[Aaron Parnas]

I think they're doing their job the way they're supposed to be doing their job. I don't know about better leadership light because I still think the Party overall, the base is not a huge fan of where Democratic establishment leadership is, especially with Schumer, with the Mamdani non endorsement vote. That whole situation.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Like, I voted. Yeah, like, just we saw you come out of a polling place. You voted.

[Aaron Parnas]

Say who you voted for. It's not that deep.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Do you think you voted for Cuomo?

[Aaron Parnas]

100%. 100%. 100%. It's like when you walk out of a polling location when you say Trump versus Harris. I'm not going to say who I voted for. We know who you voted for. Like, let's, let's be real here. Just be honest. But I do say this. I give Schumer and Jeffries their flowers in the sense of I think they're playing the government shutdown really well. I think that they're doing their job as leaders of the Senate and of the House. I wouldn't necessarily say that either are leaders of the party, though. And I think that's kind of the difference. I don't know how long this government shutdown lasts. I hope it ends soon just because air traffic controllers are not getting paid.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Yeah, I have to get on a flight tonight.

[Aaron Parnas]

Yeah, I mean, it's really. It's not good. And I could totally see Donald Trump weaponizing this, shutting down pockets of air travel across the country starting this weekend. I don't know. It's all bad for America. And I think it just shows if you look back over the past, however long, Americans, they don't like Congress. And I think this is no different. Yes, Republicans are being blamed more than Democrats, but ultimately, like, it's on Congress as a whole. Like, get your act together. Get to work.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Yeah. Well, Mike Johnson would tell you that he has been hard at work. Yeah.

[Aaron Parnas]

But forgot about that.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Doing annoying press conferences and interviews. Though I do find it impressive that he continually does interviews, even though they're more and more humiliating each time. Like going back to CNBC is. It's a move and he does it.

[Aaron Parnas]

Just had one.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Yeah, no, I saw it. And I'm like, you really want to go talk to Andrew Ross Orkin right now?

[Aaron Parnas]

No, I got to read you this quote because Johnson just did a press conference.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Okay.

[Mike Johnson]

Mondame and Democrats want to talk about affordability. We love that subject. We love it. Look at the facts. I brought some this morning. It's the Republicans who are working every day to make life more affordable for working families. And it's not a talking point for us. We are delivering. Love it.

[Jessica Tarlov]

You really like the delivery with a straight face. Also, when Millions of people came out to tell you that you absolutely are not focused on affordability and that you have a dismal approval rating. Also, you should see people that won a free and fair elections. I want to talk legal challenges. Big week at the Supreme Court hearing a case about Trump's use of emergency powers as justification to impose his tariffs. It did not go well. I wasn't listening live to the whole thing, just picking up from clips, but Gorsuch in particular was not having it. What do you think is going to happen there?

[Aaron Parnas]

I think it's going to be a 5, 4 decision overturning Trump's tariffs.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Okay.

[Aaron Parnas]

I think Roberts and Barrett are going to vote with the liberals.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Not Gorsuch.

[Aaron Parnas]

No, I don't think Gorsuch. Because I actually.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Because he was mad.

[Aaron Parnas]

He was mad. I listened to the entire thing and he.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Look at you preparing in fall.

[Aaron Parnas]

No, I'm just a nerd. Gorsuch. If you listen to him, he was very mad, he was very upset. But he gave off ramps to the administration. I think he's going to be able to split the hairs in this tariff situation and kind of issue, maybe like a limiting concurrence of sorts. I think ultimately Trump's tariffs won't hold up and I think Roberts and Barrett are going to be the ones that do him in.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Okay. It'll be the Roberts court again, which he's desperate to have. What else are you interested in? Marjorie Taylor Greene.

[Aaron Parnas]

Sure. She's running for president.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Yeah. Which, like, kind of hurts me, but I'm getting through it. Like, I'm watching Marjorie Taylor Greene on all of my programming. Like, invading Bill Maher, though I did love it that she was holding his feet to the fire about the fact that she hadn't been invited before. He's like, no, no, of course we have. She's like, no, you've never invited me before. Like, not until I started bashing Republicans. And like, you make fun of me about Jewish space lasers, which is legit. But, you know, she's been on the View. She's going on Bill Maher now. She's talking about running for president. What do you think is going on with Marjorie Taylor Greene?

[Aaron Parnas]

She's been scorned by her own party. I mean, like, she wanted to run for Senate in Georgia and she probably would have won that nomination. I think Ossoff would have beat her, though. But she wanted to run statewide and Trump called her and said, no, don't do it. And now Republicans don't have a clear favorite in that primary. And it's a bit of a shit show. And so she's upset. She's scorned by her own party. And she's also, I think, upset at leadership.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Yeah, it does seem genuine that she's mad about the Obamacare subsidies and not being at work.

[Aaron Parnas]

Yeah, for sure. I mean, but remember she was really close to Kevin McCarthy. Like, like she buddied up with him. Like, that was her guy. And then he left and she kind of overplayed her hand there. Then Mike Johnson came in and she wasn't ever a fan of Johnson from the beginning. She didn't want him. And so I think that there is tension there. Johnson is kind of reducing her power in the party. Trump doesn't really want to talk to her, it seems like is asking folks what's happening with Marjorie? And Marjorie wanted to run for Senate and they said, no, don't do it. Party bosses kind of overruled her. Now, I think she's just charting her own path, but I think people need to, like, remember this is the lady that did Jewish space lasers. She is one of the most furthest to the right Republicans. Like, there is a true horseshoe theory in American politics. Some of her policies and her ideas may sound good because if you go so far right, you end up far left. I mean, like, I get why some people are like, oh, well, Marjorie Taylor Greene's good, but don't forget everything that she's done. Like, don't forget everything that she said. She's not your friend, she's not your ally. So do I think she's gonna do well in the Republican primary? No, if she runs for president. But I wouldn't be surprised if we saw Tucker Carlson Marjorie Taylor Greene ticket in 2028.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Oh, my God. Well, that brings me to. I'm very invested in the brewing. Or is it like a full on civil war now on the right over this Nick Fuentes Tucker Carlson interview, I saw Kevin Roberts from Heritage finally issued an actual apology and admitted that he just read a statement. Not actually knowing the content of the conversation that Nick Fuentes and Tucker Carlson had, though you could probably imagine what a Nick Fuentes conversation is like. What do you think it means for the party? Because people like Megan Kelly are really mad. Like, they're talking about the fact that the election results from Tuesday are due to the fact that Republicans are spending time tearing each other down. And it doesn't have to do with actual issues.

[Aaron Parnas]

That's what happens when you live in this hyper online bubble. The average American doesn't know about Tucker Carlson and Heritage foundation, like, that's just not it. But I will say it is emblematic of a much bigger issue for Republicans right now. And I think that they don't have a clear future. No one knows what's going to happen with the Republican Party in the future. They don't know who's going to take over. J.D. vance was once heir apparent. I don't think he is anymore. If I had to predict actually Marco Rubio will be the Republican nominee, I don't think Vance will be the nominee. I think that a lot of people are kind of splintered on whether or not they should continue embracing Trumpism or they should try to go back a different route in like this Republican populism era that some people want to go to. I think the Heritage foundation doesn't know what to do because I think parts of the Heritage foundation have actually also been iced out of the White House. This Trump administration. I think Tucker Carlson is a nut job, but he's doing his thing. So I think ultimately this is. It is a full blown civil war in the Heritage foundation online bubble situation, but it hasn't reached the Republican Party as a whole. And I actually think it's gonna be a very ugly 2026 to 2028 before the 2028 election for Republicans trying to figure out who they are moving forward. Because I don't think they know who they are.

[Jessica Tarlov]

No, it is very hard when someone has been taking up all the oxygen for a decade. Basically. We've never recorded the Freddie episode together.

[Aaron Parnas]

This is exciting.

[Jessica Tarlov]

So here is the question. What's one thing that makes you rage and one thing you think we should all calm down about?

[Aaron Parnas]

Oh, that's a good question.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Thanks. I ask it every week to the Friday guest. We just haven't done this.

[Aaron Parnas]

Yeah, one thing that makes me rage is the price at airports. Everything is way too damn expensive at airports. And it seems like it's just so frustrating. Like, regulate these kiosks and you can't.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Do anything about it. Like Hudson News is the only place you can go.

[Aaron Parnas]

Well, that and also, like, what? Also, I guess I have something else that makes me rage is that airplanes don't have enough bin space for all the people going on the plane. Like, if you're gonna give them a ticket, have enough space to put their bags. Anyways, I have a whole thing on that. And one thing that people should calm down about is just the direction of our country. Like democracy is going to survive. Calm down, folks. I really do think it will. Our institutions are crumbling. But if you saw what happened Tuesday night, we're going to. It'll push through.

[Jessica Tarlov]

I love it.

[Aaron Parnas]

Yeah.

[Jessica Tarlov]

It's a good, uplifting note. Aaron Pernis, it was great to have you. I will talk to you later.

[Aaron Parnas]

Talk to you later.

[Adobe Acrobat Advertiser]

Adobe Acrobat Studio. So brand new. Show me all the things PDFs can do. Do your work with ease and speed. PDF Spaces is all you need. Do hours of research in an instant with key insights from an AI assistant. Pick a template with a click. Now your prezo looks super slick. Close that deal. Yeah, you won. Do that, doing that, did that, done. Now you can do that, do that with Acrobat. Now you can do that, do that with the all new Acrobat. It's time to do your best work with the all new Adobe Acrobat Studio.