Podcast Summary: Real America’s Voice Live - November 28, 2025

Podcast: Real America’s Voice
Host: Steve Gruber
Guests: John Fleming (Louisiana State Treasurer), Steve Hayes (Chairman, Americans for Fair Trade), Col. Rob Maness (Ret.), Ben Berklam (RAV Law & Border), Jim Pfaff (President, Conservative Caucus)
Date: November 28, 2025
Theme: A candid discussion of current American political, economic, and cultural issues through a conservative, “America First” lens, emphasizing affordability, border security, foreign policy, and grassroots concerns.

EPISODE OVERVIEW

On this Black Friday special, host Steve Gruber and a lineup of conservative commentators and policy experts explore key issues affecting Americans today: rising costs and affordability, the impact of social welfare policies, American foreign policy under President Trump, border security, healthcare reform, and the pulse of voter concerns heading into the midterms. The episode combines expert analysis, policy critique, real-life listener experiences, and direct reports from the border, all delivered in an outspoken, folksy, “real talk” tone.

KEY SEGMENTS & DISCUSSION HIGHLIGHTS

1. Tackling Affordability in America

[07:40–26:45]
With: Steve Gruber (host), John Fleming, Steve Hayes

• Context: President Trump pivots focus towards addressing affordability after the Biden administration’s inflation spike. He signs executive orders exempting some goods (meat, coffee, tropical fruits) from new tariffs to ease consumer costs.
• Affordability as a Political Issue:
  • Gruber: “Affordability should be our word, referring, of course, to the Republican Party.” (08:23)
  • Hayes: “If people…are finding it very difficult to feed their families, they’re going to be looking for an alternative, period.” (13:04)
• Gen Z Voting Trends: 82% of young women (18–30) voted for Mandami in NY, linked to promises around affordability and housing.
• Socialism vs. Free Market:
  • Fleming: Critiques “flirtation with socialism,” referencing Venezuela, Cuba, Soviet Union, North Korea, asserting free markets are the only solution to poverty and stagnating opportunity.
  • “A little bit of socialism is like a little bit of pregnancy, right? You can’t be a little bit pregnant.” (Fleming, 25:15)
• Historical Perspective: Discussion of Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society—$25–30 trillion spent, minimal impact on poverty, rise in systemic dependency.
  • Hayes: “You’ve gotten a lot of the people who were in the middle class being crunched down…but you don’t have a corresponding rise in people who were in poverty before.” (20:40)
  • Fleming: “We don’t want to turn a safety net into a hammock.” (22:29)
• Prescriptions for Change:
  • Lower interest rates to improve home affordability, especially for young voters.
  • Renew/expand tax cuts, bonus depreciation.
  • Educate voters on the failure of socialism and the benefits of free-market economies.

2. American Foreign Policy Under Trump

[37:20–52:45]
With: Steve Gruber, Col. Rob Maness

• Recent Developments:
  • Trump brokers multilateral peace efforts: UN accepts his 20-point Gaza plan; a 28-point Ukraine-Russia peace plan may advance, with hints of both compromise and realpolitik.
  • Maness: “Sounds like there’s positive movement in the right direction…maybe some common sense is about to take place and the President has finally gotten through…” (38:25)
• Dealing with Autocrats:
  • Cites Nixon’s outreach to Mao, Trump’s meetings with Putin and Kim Jong Un as necessary, pragmatic steps.
  • Gruber: “Sometimes you have to deal with bad people to get good results, don’t you?” (41:32)
  • Maness: “Mr. Putin is no longer the head of a communist country…He did get reelected in some fishy circumstances, but Russia itself has come a long ways from the Soviet Union.” (42:08)
• War on Drugs:
  • Renewed military and diplomatic offensives in the Caribbean, possible Trump meeting with Maduro (Venezuela).
  • If Mexico resists U.S. help on cartels and fentanyl, “they’re going to have to figure out how to live with it.” (Maness, 52:10)

3. Listener Mailbag: Ground-Level Issues

[59:50–01:23:18]

• Personal Stories:
  • Vince (late-stage lung disease, denied disability): “I’m down to about 95 pounds and literally starving every day…Not sure how much time I’ve got left, but starving to death with a nasty disease, not a pleasant way to go.” (Main concern: benefits going to undocumented immigrants vs. U.S. citizens in need.)
  • Casey (Maine): Property taxes doubled since pandemic—threatens seniors’ ability to remain in homes.
  • John: Soaring Obamacare premiums ($400 to $3,400/month).
• Policy Frustrations:
  • Mortgage amortization criticized as a “legalized loan sharking” scheme (Michael Carriage).
  • Inflation and cost-of-living still hit hard (Brenda, Aggie).
• Broader Theme: Frustration at perceived bureaucratic priorities—middle class “squeezed,” seniors and workers feel left behind.

4. Border Security and Immigration Enforcement

[01:35:49–01:49:44]
With: Steve Gruber, Ben Berklam (Law & Border)

• Current State: Border described as “the most secure it’s been in 50 years”—credit to Trump, with thousands of removals of illegal aliens, especially those tied to violent crime.
  • Berklam: “You talk about Thanksgiving and things to be thankful for—thank God President Trump won the election…We would be dead as a nation.” (01:38:35)
• Who Are the Illegals? Not just from Central/South America: cases like a Moldovan woman who committed violent crimes, other high-profile criminals.
• ICE Operations: Increasingly obstructed by “activist judges” and “traitors”—direct condemnation of left-wing activism seen as hindering law enforcement.
  • Berklam: “Every single community across America has violent, criminal illegals in their neighborhoods.” (01:40:30)
• Addressing the Numbers: Tens of millions here illegally—acknowledgment that mass deportation is unlikely; focus must be on “getting the worst of the worst,” making policy changes permanent via MAGA-oriented Congress.
• Possible Compromise: “They can never be citizens, but they can be here legally if…they have not created a problem…” (Gruber, 01:44:56)
• Berklam: “We could have those conversations at some point, but it’s premature…Start with deporting everyone we possibly can.” (01:46:30)

5. Trump’s Domestic Agenda & Healthcare Reform

[01:54:23–02:07:24]
With: Steve Gruber, Jim Pfaff

• Persistent Attacks:
  • Trump’s approval challenged by “relentless” media and legal opposition.
  • Pfaff: “He’s been living under that for well over 10 years now…all of the foundational structures…are threatened by him, so they need to destroy that.” (01:54:53)
• Healthcare Initiatives:
  • Lowering prescription drug and insulin prices; promoting Health Savings Accounts over ACA subsidies.
  • Proposal: Move money directly to the people for insurance, not to insurance companies.
  • Critique of Obamacare: Only 7% of Americans covered, yet a massive government program.
  • Pfaff: “Obamacare made us a social medicine nation…When government gets in the middle…they make it more expensive and much worse to manage.” (01:57:35)
• Core Principle: “Less government interference, more personal choices…can only help us in the long run and the short run too.” (Gruber, 02:02:06)

6. Uplifting Story: America’s Kindness

[02:10:08–02:13:56]

• Heartwarming Segment:
  • Delran, NJ police rescue a pitbull, “Ron,” from euthanasia. Through training and new purpose as a K9 unit, Ron helps in narcotics arrest—underscoring themes of redemption and American kindness: “Do not judge a book by its cover.”

7. The Black Friday Mailbag: Listeners’ Voices

[02:13:57–02:25:10]

• Where Do You Shop?
  • Amazon, Menards, Home Depot, or nowhere (“madness isn’t worth it”). Some celebrate online convenience, others reminisce about in-store chaos.
• Economic Reflection:
  • Gruber praises America’s abundance and the “free market”—and calls for basic decency: “Say thank you to people that are working for you and be kind. How about that for Black Friday?”

NOTABLE QUOTES

• “If people…are finding it very difficult to feed their families, they’re going to be looking for an alternative, period.” — Steve Hayes (13:04)
• “A little bit of socialism is like a little bit of pregnancy, right? You can’t be a little bit pregnant.” — John Fleming (25:15)
• “We don’t want to turn a safety net into a hammock.” — John Fleming (22:29)
• “Sometimes you have to deal with bad people to get good results, don’t you?” — Steve Gruber (41:32)
• “I say we start with deporting everyone we possibly can…” — Ben Berklam (01:46:30)
• “He’s been living under that [media and legal barrage] for more than ten years now…all the foundational structures…are threatened by him.” — Jim Pfaff (01:54:53)
• “Less government interference, more personal choices…can only help us in the long run and the short run too.” — Steve Gruber (02:02:06)

RELEVANT TIMESTAMPS

• Affordability/Inflation/Socialism: 07:40–26:45
• Foreign Policy/Ukraine–Russia/Gaza: 37:20–52:45
• Mailbag – Cost of Living/Obamacare: 59:50–01:23:18
• Border Security/Law & Border: 01:35:49–01:49:44
• Trump, Media, Healthcare: 01:54:23–02:07:24
• Uplifting Story (Pitbull “Ron”): 02:10:08–02:13:56
• Listener Voices/Black Friday Shopping: 02:13:57–02:25:10

TONE & STYLE

• Direct, passionate, opinionated perspective—unfiltered, “real talk” style
• Gravitas given to grassroots testimonials
• Conservative, “America First” policy preference
• Occasional humor and personal asides for warmth and relatability

SUMMARY

This Black Friday episode presents an unvarnished conservative analysis of America's pressing challenges, weaving policy expertise with everyday voices. The hosts and guests paint a picture of economic anxiety, generational debates over socialism, deep distrust in centralized policies, and a populist call for restoring American strength—at home and abroad—under President Trump. The show closes on a hopeful note, blending warnings about the nation's direction with admiration for personal resilience and American kindness.