The Joy Reid Show Live

Episode Title: MAGA Fakes vs America
Date: November 25, 2025
Host: Joy-Ann Reid
Special Guests: Rick Wilson, Christina Greer, Mark Thompson, Kika Matos, Afton Bain

Overview

This episode delves deep into the pervasive "grift" culture dominating MAGA politics and the Republican party—from fake prosecutions to foreign-influenced disinformation, performative populism masking self-enrichment, and the targeting of marginalized communities. Joy Reid, joined by expert guests, dissects the latest headlines, exposes hypocrisy and corruption among MAGA leaders, and spotlights grassroots activism fighting for justice. Later, the episode features a live check-in with Bishop William Barber's pro-immigrant organizing, tribute to Tulsa Massacre survivor Viola Fletcher, and an interview with Tennessee congressional candidate Afton Bain.

Key Topics & Discussion Points

1. MAGA Corruption & Phoniness Unraveled

[00:21–21:00]

• Illegal Prosecution of Trump’s Adversaries

  • Judge Cameron Curry threw out criminal cases against James Comey and Letitia James due to an illegally appointed MAGA prosecutor, Lindsey Halligan, lacking Senate confirmation.
    • “Her previous role was to root out the annoying slavery in America's museums. She's like an insurance lawyer or something with no actual prosecutorial experience, but she has the right look to make Trump hire her…” — Joy Reid [02:10]
    • Judge Curry: “All actions flowing from Ms. Halligan's defective appointment constitute unlawful exercise of executive power and must be set aside.”

• MAGA as a Cosplay of Power

  • Joy lambasts the “plastic” uniformity and lack of merit in MAGA political appointments, decrying how appointments favor loyalty and appearance over competence.

2. Foreign Influence & Faux Patriotism

[04:50–10:00]

• Marco Rubio’s Russia ‘Peace Plan’ Embarrassment

  • Rubio involved in transmitting a Russian-drafted Ukraine “peace plan” to Zelensky—Trump berated Ukraine for rejecting it.
  • Rubio tap-dances in interviews, admits proposals originated on Russian terms.
    • “You said you received some. You said you’ve received some things written and verbally at the State Department. Marco Rubio. Okay, check, check, check and double check. The Russians wrote the peace deal.” — Joy Reid [07:30]
    • “It looked like basically Putin was cornering the United States by leaking a deal that completely serves Russian interests.” — Joy Reid [09:42]

• MAGA’s Selective Patriotism

  • Attacks on military veterans pushing for servicemen to refuse illegal orders—a constitutional duty.
  • Threats of court-martial floated via Twitter against Senator Mark Kelly for supporting servicemember legal protections.
    • “They run it on Twitter.” — Joy Reid [09:42]

3. MAGA Grift & Congressional Enrichment

[19:24–33:10]

• Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Structurally Timed Exit

  • Greene resigns just as she vests in her federal pension post-5 years in Congress, coinciding with her net worth exploding from $700,000 to $25 million through aggressive stock trading and forgiven PPP loans.

    • “Marge, like so many members, is doing these investments because there is no law that bars members of Congress from buying stock in companies that they may be passing laws to regulate.” — Joy Reid [21:29]

  • Greene takes a PPP loan (forgiven), rails against student debt relief, invests off committee access, claims to be “ordinary” while joining the millionaire’s club.

• Congressional Grift is Bipartisan, Systemic

  • Wealth explosion among many members; insidiously legal self-dealing undermines public trust.
    • “Why is it that people aren't interested in politics? …the people who would make the rules to make sure that they don't enrich themselves are the same people who are enriching themselves.” — Christina Greer [28:33]

4. MAGA’s Real Agenda: Diverting & Robbing the Public

[33:12–44:00]

• Bread & Circus Tactics

  • MAGA uses culture wars to distract from an economic agenda that “robs the poor to feed the rich”—Trump tax cuts, Medicaid gutting, and policies primarily benefiting Congress members and their donors.
  • Joy and Rick Wilson urge Democrats to hammer “clean hands on stock trading” as a plank, confronting the institutional corruption.
    • “...the other stuff in Washington where nothing gets done, it's part of that. It's part of these people thinking, I don't want to make a lobbyist mad because I might want a job with them after. ...it’s all got to stop.” — Rick Wilson [31:33]

• Exploiting Racial Division for Class Theft

  • Citing LBJ’s maxim, Christina Greer explains how the public is played: “if you can convince the poorest white man he’s better than the Negro, you can pick his pockets all day long.” [33:12]
  • Democrats criticized for verbose, unfocused messaging—need to seize simple, visceral pocketbook issues: “expensive lettuce” as the price of GOP policies.

5. MAGA’s Foreign Policy: "America First" Cover for Power & Oil

[47:59–56:00]

• Trump’s Push for Interventionism
  • Rhetoric about ending foreign wars belied by saber-rattling in Venezuela (for oil), Nigeria, and plans to remake Palestine—with US troops as enforcers for billionaire deals.
  • Kika Matos: “It’s not just about oil. It’s also about power. It is part and parcel of this administration's efforts to undercut and undermine our democracy and bring about authoritarianism.” [50:18]
  • Mass deportations and “the march toward authoritarianism” mirror the methods of the Iraq war—expanded Presidential war powers, deployment without Congressional authorization.

6. Disinformation Ecosystem: Foreign Bots & Social Media Grift

[63:40–66:03]

• MAGA’s Digital Army Exposed
  • Midas Touch reveals many influential MAGA Twitter/X accounts operate from abroad, spreading propaganda for profit via monetized posts.
    • “A lot of these MAGA accounts out there with hundreds of thousands of followers...are actually based in other countries...Bangladesh, Indonesia, Russia, India, Serbia.” — Midas Touch Host [63:40]
  • Discussion of how these foreign or profit-motivated accounts warp debates, pressure lawmakers, and fuel right-wing narratives.

7. Real Activism vs. The Theft Economy

[72:00–88:34]

• Spotlight: Bishop William Barber’s Charlotte Pro-Immigrant Rally

  • Joy and Mark Thompson livestream and discuss a multi-racial rally in Charlotte, NC. ICE’s “Charlotte’s Web” operation is critiqued for snaring non-criminals in “blitz tactics.”
    • “These things are meaningless...the arrest themselves...the military style occupation is disproportionate to the return.” — Mark Thompson [73:01]
    • Bishop Barber invokes moral language, echoing Dr. King: “...because you run roughshod over the poor and because you take the brave bread right out of their mouth.” [84:32]

• Organizing is Key

  • Mark stresses that “politics is eternal vigilance”—organizing is required to resist authoritarian moves, not just voting or euphoria on election day.

8. Tribute: Viola Fletcher, Last of Tulsa Race Massacre’s Living Survivors

[88:34–99:39]

• Joy plays moving testimony by Mother Fletcher, who passed away at 111, still fighting for reparations.
  • “I have lived through the massacre every day.” — Viola Ford Fletcher [89:30]
  • Mark: “She did not get what she deserved here on Earth. ... But we know...she has her reward.”
• The legacy of Black Wall Street, obstacles to justice, and recent activism are discussed.

9. Interview: Afton Bain, Tennessee Congressional Candidate

[104:32–114:26]

• Breaking the Cycle: Regular People in Congress

  • Afton Bain (pronounced “Bane”) champions no corporate PACs, supports banning congressional stock trading, and refuses AIPAC money.
    • “I’m someone who cannot be bought or sold. ... My accountability comes from my community and the people that elect me.” — Afton Bain [110:57]
  • Race in Tennessee 7th district viewed as a test for grassroots power, especially as the GOP has gerrymandered the seat.

• Populist Economic Agenda

  • Key message: End the grocery tax, feed kids, fix roads, and fund hospitals.
  • “...In Tennessee, multinational corporations pay less of an effective tax rate than a working mom buying baby formula at Kroger. That’s a tragedy.” — Afton Bain [112:03]

• Message to Voters

  • Early voting is critical; Black voter turnout could swing the race.
    • “If black voters show up, and they are, we can win this. And it will send a message...” — Afton Bain [113:31]

10. Moment of Joy: South Africa's G20 Summit & Final Thoughts

[115:34–119:07]

• “Missed Out, America”
  • Joy lightheartedly mocks the US boycott of the G20 in South Africa, playing a buoyant closing moment led by President Ramaphosa.
    • “You missed out, America. You didn’t want to go to South Africa. You missed the fun.” — Joy Reid [118:01]

Notable Quotes

• Joy Reid: "Trump isn't even honest about calling Zoran Mamdani a communist. He only says it to entertain his idiot base. ... If you give him cash, if you're nice to him, he loves you." [12:50]
• Rick Wilson: "The corruption of this administration is a feature, not a bug. ... The corruption is now in the billions, not in the millions." [30:48]
• Christina Greer: "The people who would make the rules to make sure that they don't enrich themselves are the same people who are enriching themselves." [28:33]
• Joy Reid: “Donald Trump promised to drain the swamp. He's drained it into his pockets.” [66:03]
• Kika Matos: "What is happening now is ... an effort to flex the US's military muscle to say, we're coming after you. ... It is this march towards war, but it's also a march towards authoritarianism." [52:51]
• Afton Bain: “I make $26,000 a year as a Tennessee legislator. ... my accountability comes from my community ... I’m someone who cannot be bought or sold.” [109:24, 110:57]

Important Timestamps

• Judge throws out MAGA prosecutions: [02:10]
• Rubio’s Russia peace plan embarrassment: [07:30]
• MAGA’s foreign and online bot armies revealed: [63:40]
• Marjorie Taylor Greene's grift exposed: [21:29]
• Christina Greer on political self-enrichment: [28:33]
• Democratic messaging & economic pain: [35:40–41:22]
• Bishop William Barber NC immigrant rally livestream: [72:00–88:34]
• Viola Fletcher tribute: [88:34–99:39]
• Afton Bain interview: [104:32–114:26]
• Moment of Joy: G20 South Africa: [116:57–119:07]

Tone & Language

• Joy Reid balances fiery, direct criticism (“The fake agency is gone. Doge disappeared after accomplishing its mission right. Elon got our data, his Doge kids got federal paychecks...now Marge and Doge can move on to lucrative podcast careers... Bank heist complete.”) with wit, sarcasm, and populist sentiment.
• The guests contribute gravitas and expertise—often with biting humor—while urging activism and transparency.
• The language consistently centers on exposing hypocrisy, demystifying policy, and calling for real democratic engagement.

Conclusion

This episode lays bare the rot at the heart of the “America First” MAGA movement, systematically exposing performative patriotism masking foreign fealty, congressional self-enrichment, and policy designed to divide and loot. It counterbalances outrage with hope—by highlighting real activism, candidate Afton Bain’s anti-corruption campaign, and a poignant moment honoring the fight for justice by Mother Fletcher. Joy’s final takeaway: only vigilance, organizing, and genuine public service can break the MAGA grift and restore democracy.