The Daily Beans: "Refried Beans | Down Ballot Money"

Date: September 4, 2024 (Original Air Date)
Release Date: September 7, 2025 (Refried Beans Rerun)
Host: Allison Gill (AG)
Co-Host: Aimee Carrero
Special Guest: Steve Benen

Episode Overview

This "Refried Beans" edition revisits the September 4, 2024 episode of The Daily Beans to reflect on progressive political developments and the ongoing struggles for democratic accountability. The hosts discuss a wide range of current events, including major legal news related to Donald Trump, controversies involving RFK Jr., Gold Star families, Kamala Harris’s down-ballot spending, and the Republican Party’s attempts to manipulate American history and public perception. The episode features a detailed interview with Steve Benen, Maddow Blog writer and producer for The Rachel Maddow Show, about his book Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans’ War on the Recent Past.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump Legal Developments

• Sentencing Delay Denied: Trump failed in another bid to delay his September 18th New York sentencing on election interference hush money charges. (06:11)
  • AG: “In a last-ditch effort to postpone his sentencing, Trump filed a Hail Mary motion … but he already filed that motion. He was denied last year. He didn’t appeal.”
  • Judge’s statement affirms the private, unofficial nature of the hush money payments, strengthening precedent against immunity claims.
• Legal Representation: Trump's defense strategy and representation by Emile Beauvais is mocked for procedural missteps.

2. RFK Jr. Ballot Debacle in Michigan

• Forced to Remain on Ballot: Judge rules RFK Jr. can’t remove his name from the Michigan presidential ballot despite his attempt to endorse Trump and withdraw.
  • C (Aimee): “This is the NEPO Baby times 1000 ... except ... none has rubbed off on this poor man.” (09:36)
• Political Strategy: Discussion of the chaos and incompetence behind RFK Jr.'s maneuvers, highlighting the impact on the race.

3. Trump & Politics at Arlington National Cemetery

• Gold Star Families Incident: Republican attacks claiming Biden and Harris snubbed a Gold Star anniversary ceremony are debunked—the White House was never invited.
  • C (Aimee): “They’re making all this unnecessary drama … it’s not helping. It’s just making them look worse.” (12:56)
• John McCain’s Son Condemns Trump: Jimmy McCain publicly criticizes Trump’s politicization of Arlington, announces he’s registered as a Democrat to support Harris.
  • A (AG): “[Jimmy] said ... ‘These men and women that are laying in the ground have no choice.’” (14:52)

4. Kamala Harris Campaign’s Down Ballot Money

• Unprecedented Spending: Harris and the DNC commit nearly $25 million for down-ticket Democrats, funding state legislatures, attorneys general, governor races, as well as Congress.
  • C (Aimee): “They could have like kept that ... up in their ticket. And the fact that they’re spreading it around is really amazing. And they mean business.” (17:55)
  • Notably exceeds previous cycles both in amount and timing.

5. Copyright Lawsuit: Trump Banned from Isaac Hayes Song

• Preliminary Injunction: Trump barred from using “Hold On, I’m Coming” at rallies over copyright infringement by the Isaac Hayes estate.
  • A (AG): “So now what song is he gonna jerk off imaginary sky dicks to?” (20:19)
• Political Parody: Jokes about Trump’s poor music options and reliance on Laura Trump for campaign rally music.

6. DOJ Indicts Hamas Leaders

• Multiple Federal Charges: U.S. criminal charges against Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and others for the October 7 Israel attack.
  • A (AG): “The charges unsealed today are just one part of our effort to target every aspect of Hamas’s operations.” (21:49)

7. Trump Pardonee Commits Domestic Violence

• Reoffending Pardonees: Jamie Davidson, whose life sentence was commuted by Trump, convicted of domestic violence; another Trump clemency recipient, Jonathan Braun, also facing new assault charges.
  • A (AG): “If you asked me for a list of people who nobody should give a presidential commutation to, Davidson would pretty much be at the top.” (Judicial quote, 26:59)

8. Interview: Steve Benen – “Ministry of Truth” (29:48–43:55)

Main Themes:

• The Republican System for Rewriting History:
  • Benen defines “four pernicious pillars”:
    1. Indifference to reality
    2. Indifference to shame
    3. Reliance on allies (party, conservative media)
    4. Repetition
  • B (Benen): “No one person, no matter how politically powerful, can rewrite history by himself ... He or she needs allies. ... They all play a role in making this scheme work.” (32:26)
• Application to the Big Lie:
  • Cites how these pillars were key to perpetuating claims of a stolen election.
  • B (Benen): “Donald Trump was told he lost... His campaign manager, lawyers, researchers, everyone. But he rewrote the story... That’s indifference to reality.”
  • Despite court failures, this works on the public due to massive repetition and unified messaging.
• Orwellian Parallels:
  • B (Benen): “In Ministry of Truth, Winston Smith is responsible for ... rewriting recent history ... [Orwell] described it as having thrown those details down the memory hole.” (36:59)
• Stakes vs. Odds:
  • B (Benen): “When Republicans rewrite history, this affects everything from legislation to elections to democracy itself, because democracy itself relies on a foundation of shared knowledge.” (41:30)
• 2024 Election Dynamics:
  • Short 99-day campaign cycle leaves little time for Trump’s usual “memory hole” tactics.

9. Astrology Tangent

• Pluto’s Shift: Aimee amusingly explains astrological significance of Pluto moving from Capricorn to Aquarius—using the analogy for upcoming political transformations.
  • C (Aimee): “This is the last episode. This is the cliffhanger. ... That astrologically is what’s happening.” (03:24)

10. Listener Good News & Community Corrections

• Wide-ranging segment features:
  • Listener grammar/pronunciation corrections, humorous notes about British place names, and cat adoption stories.
  • Pet photos, listener relationship shoutouts, and praise for government programs such as “Florida Bright Futures” (state scholarship program).
  • Community spotlight on activism, audience engagement, and positive progress.

Notable/Memorable Quotes, With Timestamps

• Aimee Carrero, on RFK Jr. (09:36):

  "This is the NEPO Baby times 1000. Except, I don't know. Dare I say, most Nepo babies have a little bit of talent that rubs off, and none has rubbed off on this poor man."

• Allison Gill, on Trump’s legal team (07:16):

  "It's Emile Beauvais and it's embarrassing."

• Jimmy McCain (relayed by AG), on Trump at Arlington (14:52):

  "It was a violation... These men and women that are laying in the ground have no choice."

• Aimee Carrero, on Harris campaign's down-ballot spending (17:55):

  "That just goes to show, like, putting their money where their mouth is. ... The fact that they're spreading it around is really amazing."

• AG, on Trump’s campaign finances (18:43):

  "Meanwhile, Trump is spending tens of millions of dollars on legal bills and Laura Trump music videos."

• Allison Gill, on Trump and music rights (20:19):

  "So now what song is he gonna jerk off imaginary sky dicks to? I don't know."

• Steve Benen, on the four pillars of Republican reality-bending (32:26):

  "What's different is that there are these, this systemic approach to approaching reality that I call the four pernicious pillars..."

• Steve Benen, on the necessity of repetition (34:00):

  "I think about how many times we've heard Donald Trump say that the. That his economy was the greatest in the history of the world. It's nonsense... But nevertheless, Donald Trump wants people to believe it."

• AG, on the importance of the book’s release timing (30:41):

  "The timing of the release ... we’re just coming up to the election now ... but everything still applies and maybe even more so as we look back to the haunting 2016 way that that election was covered."

• Steve Benen, on the stakes of truth (41:30):

  "When Republicans rewrite history, this affects everything from legislation to elections to democracy itself, because democracy itself relies on a foundation of shared knowledge."

• AG, on the condensed election timeline (42:31):

  "I love it. I think we should do this every year or every election ... just kind of run a sort of a candidate who looks like they're in the lead and then just bam, in July just be like, nope, it's this person. 99 days go."

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Trump Sentencing Update: 06:11–08:24
• RFK Jr. Ballot Mishap: 08:26–11:36
• Gold Star Families / Arlington Controversy: 11:36–16:01
• Kamala Harris Down-Ballot Funding: 16:13–19:15
• Trump Copyright Lawsuit (Isaac Hayes): 19:15–21:47
• Hamas Leaders DOJ Indictment: 21:49–23:32
• Trump Clemency Recipients Return to Crime: 23:33–28:06
• Steve Benen Interview: 29:48–43:55
  • Four Pillars Explanation: 32:26–34:00
  • Application to the Big Lie: 34:31–36:17
  • Orwell Parallels: 36:59–38:01
  • Stakes of Truth: 41:30–42:18
• Listener Good News/Corrections: 45:25–66:21

Tone & Language

• Distinctive “Beans” blend of sharp political analysis, humor, and progressive snark.
• Conversational, candid, and frequently playful, especially between AG and Aimee.
• Direct engagement with the audience, fostering a strong sense of community.
• Willingness to address mistakes, corrections, and feedback from listeners.

Closing & Calls to Action

• AG: “Go to vote.org, check your voter registration status and vote down ballot all the way. And thanks to Harris and Walls for giving all of that money to down ballot candidates. I've been AG.”
• C (Aimee): “Vote blue over Q and bring someone with you.” (66:00)

Final Thoughts

This episode covers a pivotal week in the 2024 election cycle, spotlighting critical moves in legal and political spheres, energizing the progressive base with real talk and humor, and featuring a deep-dive on media manipulation and truth with Steve Benen. The clear-eyed, defiant tone and choice of topics ensure listeners are both informed and galvanized.