Podcast Summary: The Jim Acosta Show
Episode: Keith Edwards on Hegseth Overcompensating and Tennessee State Rep. Aftyn Behn Fights to Flip Red Congressional District
Date: November 25, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Jim Acosta hosts a two-part discussion covering (1) the high-stakes special election in Tennessee’s 7th congressional district with Democratic candidate and State Rep. Aftyn Behn and (2) a wide-ranging recap with Democratic strategist and commentator Keith Edwards, including analysis of GOP performative patriotism, the state of the 2024 elections, and the Democratic Party's strategic future. The discussion is timely, energetic, and focused on both the mechanics of the Tennessee race and the broader, existential questions facing American democracy.

1. The Tennessee Special Election: State Rep. Aftyn Behn

[00:05 – 18:10]

Context and Stakes

• Redistricting Turmoil:

  • Nashville’s Democratic stronghold was split into three Republican districts by the GOP supermajority. This redrawing incorporated high-turnout Democratic precincts in Nashville, the bellwether Montgomery County (Clarksville), and parts of Williamson County with Democratic concentrations.
  • Aftyn Behn: “It is, as the Cook Political Report said, the perfect storm on the heels of Democratic candidates winning earlier this month on a message of affordability. It's the same message that I've been touting across the district.” [01:05]

• Unprecedented GOP Investment:

  • GOP-aligned PACs have poured $6 million into the race, far outspending typical investments for such a ‘safe’ district (Trump +22 in 2024).
  • “You have freaked them out.” – Jim Acosta [02:21]

• Democratic Mobilization:

  • Behn, a community organizer and social worker, credits years of grassroots organizing: “Our campaign has knocked tens of thousands of doors. We are talking to voters every day. It's the kind of grassroots muscle that the Republicans just don't have right now. And they are really nervous. They're shaking in their boots.” [02:35]

Key Issues in the District

• Affordability and Economic Pain:

  • Rent, utilities, and groceries—the highest grocery costs in the country—are central concerns.
  • “It is expensive to live in Tennessee. And the Republican agenda hasn't provided a remedy, hasn't provided a solution. And my opponent has never said what he's actually going to do.” – Aftyn Behn [03:20]

• "Two Sets of Rules":

  • Voters are animated by the Epstein files: “Tennessee voters feel there are two sets of rules. One that applies to the wealthy and well connected and one that applies to the rest of us. And that's what that symbolized.” – Aftyn Behn [03:20]

• Healthcare and Safety Net Fears:

  • Medicaid and ACA (TennCare) cuts loom large; Behn relates personal experience as a rural healthcare organizer.
  • “And so it is a real life or death election for so many Tennesseans that rely on TennCare, the Affordable Care act and SNAP.” [05:48]

• Bipartisan Outreach and Record:

  • Behn highlights bipartisan coalitions, especially around eliminating Tennessee's regressive grocery tax and promoting corporate accountability.
  • “So I've built a bipartisan coalition of Tennessee voters who want to see Tennessee's grocery tax ended and that this race is a continuation of that conversation on affordability.” [07:09]

• Immigration and ICE:

  • Behn, with a Hispanic constituency, actively monitored controversial ICE operations.
  • “I don't believe a federal government agency that is masked, that is, you know, kidnapping lawful citizens should be running without consequences.” [09:16–10:27]

Memorable Exchanges

• On the Music “Controversy”:

  • Addressing rumors she doesn’t like country music:
    “No, I do not hate country music… I once took banjo lessons, but… I was conceived after a George Strait concert, so I don't think that [laughs].” [10:55–12:50]

• Campaign Intensity:

  • National GOP and big names like Trump and J.D. Vance are intervening:
    “Trump did a… tel-a-town hall for my opponent, and it was very strange hearing Trump say your name… They brought in the big dogs because Trump can't afford to lose another district. J.D. Vance is coming to Fort Campbell… the cavalry is being called in because this race has unforeseen… become quite close.” [13:47–14:33]

2. Political Roundtable: Jim Acosta with Keith Edwards

[18:21 – End]

Election Analysis, GOP Attacks, and Media Gimmicks

• High GOP Anxiety:

  • Discussion that massive outside money (including from Elon Musk’s PACs) signals genuine fear of an upset.
  • “If they're pumping in all this money… they must be worried about something. And you know… the momentum is not with Trump right now, to say the least.” – Jim Acosta [18:58]

• Parallel with Jon Ossoff’s Rise:

  • “John Ossoff would not be a senator if not for running in that race, losing, and then building up the machine… It's always a good thing to get more stars into the ecosystem of the Democratic Party.” – Keith Edwards [20:06]

Performative Masculinity and Patriotism

• Hegseth vs. Mark Kelly—Theatrics and the Flag:
  • Pete Hegseth went after Democratic Senator Mark Kelly for his uniform; the hypocrisy, given Hegseth’s own American-flag-draped wardrobe, is called out.
  • “There is something about performative masculinity. When there’s someone who’s overly performative… what are you covering up for? I think it’s the same thing with performative patriotism.” – Keith Edwards [22:19]

Democrats’ Strategy & Identity Crisis

• On "Affordability" as a Message:

  • “Affordability has been a problem for 30 years. This isn't a new idea… If Democrats are going to win next year… it won't be because Democrats are doing great. It's because Republicans are doing terribly.” – Keith Edwards [33:00]

• The Battle for the Party’s Soul:

  • Need for a more visionary, anti-corruption, anti-corporate platform.
  • “The American economy is rigged against most people… The thing that unites all of us… there are the many and there are the few. And the few, it is the few who actually run everything. That's what Epstein really is about… there is a hunger for a fairer, more just America.” – Keith Edwards [35:51–36:56]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On ICE and Democratic Silence:

  • “I cover a lot of ice stuff because to me it's just appalling. We shouldn't be that kind of a country. And I don't, I wish I heard Democrats talk about that more.” – Jim Acosta [34:18]

• On Structural Change:

  • “America still has this beautiful system where it's one person, one vote… If Donald Trump is the symptom to the sickness, that means there is also a cure within the system, too.” – Keith Edwards [38:15–38:30]

• Historical Parallels for Change:

  • “Thank God Martin Luther King Jr didn’t think civil rights was impossible… we have to make it happen by creating a movement in this country.” – Keith Edwards [39:06]

• On Leadership and Grassroots Energy:

  • “I don't want to be led by anybody… I think it’s going to take all of us collectively. That means by starting to fight in primaries for people that we think represent the values we want the Democratic Party to be.” – Keith Edwards [43:21]

Trump, Media, and the Absence of Normalcy

• Trump’s Behavior, Health, and Public Appearances:

  • Discussion of Trump’s slurred speech, lack of traditional campaign rallies or public events, and speculation about his health.
  • Acosta: “He ruins everything. Even ruins the turkey pardon…” [26:31]

• “He has no [fks] to give”:**

  • “It is a horrible, toxic thing in many ways. But it helped him politically… there was an appetite for it, and he sensed it and he delivered that message and it took off.” – Jim Acosta [43:17]

How Change Might Happen

• Against Establishment Leadership:
  • Acosta and Edwards agree that the Democratic Party’s next breakthrough will not come from “establishment” leaders but from grassroots or movement energy.
  • “The Democratic base is sick of talking about Trump all the time when we could be for something. Donald Trump has been, has been quite successful in defining not only what his party's about, but what ours is about. And I want to take that back.” – Keith Edwards [42:17]

Final Reflections

• Thanksgiving Unity Message:
  • “If Zoraan Momdani and Donald Trump… can get along for two hours, you can get along with your MAGA uncle and aunt… let us try to come together however we can.” – Keith Edwards [46:51, 49:24]

Segment Timestamps

• Opening / Behn Interview: 00:05 – 18:10
• Keith Edwards Segment: 18:21 – 49:47
• Key issues of the Tennessee Race: 01:05 – 10:27
• Healthcare and Medicaid Discussion: 05:18 – 07:09
• On Country Music “Controversy”: 10:52 – 12:50
• Immigration/ICE and Government Overreach: 08:48 – 10:27
• Republican ‘Big Guns’ in Tennessee: 13:47 – 14:43
• Performative Masculinity & Patriotism: 22:19 – 24:08
• Democratic Party Direction: 31:09 – 44:25
• Thanksgiving Unity Message: 46:51 – 49:24

Takeaways for Listeners

• The Tennessee special election is seen as a microcosm of broader battles—grassroots, organizing vs. PAC money; kitchen-table issues; the importance of defending democratic institutions.
• Both interviews underscore a genuine hunger among voters (and strategists) for more transformative, anti-corruption, and community-driven politics, rather than just defensive anti-Trumpism.
• Acosta and Edwards stress that overcoming cynicism and complacency requires both big ideas and sustained, bottom-up engagement—not waiting for a political savior.

Notable Quotes

• “If you are upset with the cost of living and the chaos of Washington, then I'm your candidate. And it seems to be resonating.”
  — Aftyn Behn (01:05)

• “Affordability has been a problem for 30 years. This isn't a new idea... If Democrats are going to win next year ... it won't be because Democrats are doing great. It's because Republicans are doing terribly.”
  — Keith Edwards (33:00)

• “I don't want to be led by anybody... I think it’s going to take all of us collectively.”
  — Keith Edwards (43:21)

This episode offers a snapshot of a shifting political landscape—where the unexpected becomes possible, and where the next wave of change may come from citizens, not just candidates or party leaders.