Rep. Maxwell Frost (Extended)

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert – Episode Featuring Rep. Maxwell Frost (Extended)

Release Date: June 21, 2025

Introduction

In this extended episode of The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert, host Stephen Colbert engages in a comprehensive discussion with Representative Maxwell Frost, a congressman representing Florida's 10th district. The conversation delves into Rep. Frost's experiences in Congress, the current political landscape, challenges posed by Governor Ron DeSantis, immigration policies, and legislative efforts aimed at addressing government overreach and economic inequality.

---

1. Rep. Maxwell Frost’s Journey and Experiences in Congress

Timestamp: [04:33]

Stephen Colbert welcomes Rep. Maxwell Frost back to the show, highlighting the time elapsed since his previous appearance.

Stephen Colbert: "Please welcome back to the Late Show, Representative Maxwell Frost. Good to see you again."
[04:33]

Maxwell Frost: "Yeah, good to be here."
[04:50]

Colbert prompts Rep. Frost to reflect on his journey from his first year in Congress to the present:

Colbert: "Compare and contrast your experience from the first year to now in the middle of your third year."
[05:08]

Frost: Discusses the escalating chaos in the country, contrasting his initial optimism working with a different administration and Congress. He emphasizes the shift from localized political battles in Florida to national struggles against far-right extremism.

Notable Quote:

"We're definitely in a different time."
[05:28]

---

2. Addressing Extremism and Governor Ron DeSantis’s Rhetoric

Timestamp: [06:33]

Colbert references a recent "no Kings" rally, underscoring it as an act of hope despite low turnout numbers. He then shifts focus to Governor Ron DeSantis's alarming statements.

Colbert: "In your district in Central Flor, what do you make of Governor DeSantis saying that if people in their cars felt threatened by protesters, they could run them over in self-defense?"
[06:33]

Frost: Criticizes DeSantis for seeking relevance and a presidential bid by escalating his rhetoric beyond even former President Trump. He suggests that DeSantis is attempting to outdo Trump in extremism but believes the electorate will desire a stark contrast in leadership.

Notable Quote:

"He's trying to find ways to be crazier than Trump. And out Trump, Trump. But that's not gonna work."
[07:13]

---

3. The Impact of ICE Raids and Government Overreach

Timestamp: [07:47]

The conversation shifts to recent ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids in Los Angeles, which involve the deployment of the National Guard and Marines, raising concerns about legality and civil rights.

Colbert: Highlights the use of the military in ICE operations and describes them as a "taxpayer funded kidnapping operation."

Frost: Agrees vehemently, explaining that current ICE actions bypass due process, effectively amounting to kidnapping. He underscores that deportation should be a legal process, not a forceful extraction without court proceedings.

Notable Quote:

"There is no legal process for people. We have ICE federal agents pulling up, terrorizing our communities... stealing and yes, kidnapping people."
[08:26]

---

4. Legislative Efforts: The Sue Them Act

Timestamp: [09:30]

Rep. Frost introduces his legislative initiative, the Sue Them Act, aimed at increasing transparency and accountability within ICE operations.

Frost: Explains that the Sue Them Act mandates ICE to publicly disclose details about detainees, including reasons for detention and case information. This measure seeks to prevent families from being left in the dark about the whereabouts of their loved ones.

Notable Quote:

"This is why this country has devolved to right now because of this president and because of this whole operation that is completely BS and lied to people."
[10:04]

---

5. Opposition to the Omnibus Bill and Its Implications

Timestamp: [11:42]

Colbert brings up the omnibus bill poised for passage by July 4th, criticizing its size and hidden provisions. He references claims by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene about not being aware of specific contents within the bill.

Colbert: "They say it's like a tax bill, but it has so many things... There’s this big bill that they want to pass by July 4th."
[12:19]

Frost: Confirms his opposition, labeling the bill as "evil" due to its detrimental impact on healthcare and food assistance programs. He accuses the bill of prioritizing tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations over the needs of working people.

Notable Quote:

"It's gonna rip away Healthcare from 15 million Americans. It's gonna rip away food assistance from millions of people across this country."
[12:22]

Frost elaborates on the broader economic implications, emphasizing that tax policies under previous administrations have exacerbated wealth inequality, benefiting the top echelons despite overall economic growth.

Notable Quote:

"This is why this is such an important fight right now. It's gonna dictate the next five years, the next 10 years of our economy."
[14:11]

---

6. Closing Remarks

Timestamp: [14:11]

The interview concludes with Colbert thanking Rep. Frost for his insights and encouraging listeners to engage with his work.

Colbert: "Representative, thank you so much for being here."
Frost: "Thank you. Appreciate it."
[14:14]

Colbert wraps up the episode, promoting additional content and sponsorship messages.

---

Conclusion

This episode of The Late Show Pod Show offers a deep dive into the political challenges facing Representative Maxwell Frost and the broader implications of current legislative actions. Rep. Frost articulates the urgent need for accountability in immigration enforcement and opposes policies that undermine public welfare in favor of corporate interests. His legislative initiatives, particularly the Sue Them Act, aim to restore transparency and protect the rights of individuals against government overreach. The conversation underscores the critical balance between national security measures and the preservation of civil liberties, highlighting the ongoing struggle to address extremism and economic inequality in the United States.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Rep. Maxwell Frost: "We're definitely in a different time."
  [05:28]

• Frost: "He's trying to find ways to be crazier than Trump. And out Trump, Trump. But that's not gonna work."
  [07:13]

• Frost: "There is no legal process for people. We have ICE federal agents pulling up, terrorizing our communities... stealing and yes, kidnapping people."
  [08:26]

• Frost: "This is why this country has devolved to right now because of this president and because of this whole operation that is completely BS and lied to people."
  [10:04]

• Frost: "It's gonna rip away Healthcare from 15 million Americans. It's gonna rip away food assistance from millions of people across this country."
  [12:22]

• Frost: "This is why this is such an important fight right now. It's gonna dictate the next five years, the next 10 years of our economy."
  [14:11]

---

This summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from the episode, providing listeners who missed the show with a comprehensive understanding of the topics covered.

Transcript

[Stephen Colbert]

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[Jon Batiste]

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[Audience Member]

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[Stephen Colbert]

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[Jon Batiste]

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[Maxwell Frost]

You.

[Stephen Colbert]

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[Jon Batiste]

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[Stephen Colbert]

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[Audience Member]

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[Stephen Colbert]

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[Jon Batiste]

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[Stephen Colbert]

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[Stephen Colbert]

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[Jon Batiste]

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[Stephen Colbert]

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[Jon Batiste]

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[Stephen Colbert]

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[Jon Batiste]

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[Stephen Colbert]

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[Jon Batiste]

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[Stephen Colbert]

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[Jon Batiste]

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[Stephen Colbert]

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[Stephen Colbert]

It's the Late Show Poncho with Stephen Colbert.

Hey everybody.

Welcome back.

Ladies and gentlemen. My next guest this evening is a congressman who represents Florida's 10th district. Please welcome back to the Late Show, Representative Maxwell Frost. Good to see you again.

[Maxwell Frost]

Yeah, good to be here.

[Stephen Colbert]

It's been a bit. Last time you were here, you had been in for nine months or something along those lines, it's been two and a half years. Now compare and contrast your experience from the first year to now in the middle of Your third year. And please support your answer with specific examples.

[Maxwell Frost]

What's different now than two years ago? Hmm. Look, obviously, we're in just so much chaos right now in this country. And when I think back to when I first got into Congress, I felt like we were doing so much good work with the administration. It was a different administration, by the way.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes.

[Maxwell Frost]

And different Congress, too. Yeah, different Congress. And.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah.

[Maxwell Frost]

But I felt like, you know, this fight against far right neo fascism, for me at least, was mainly taking stage in my home in Florida, fighting against Ron DeSantis and the extremism there. And something I always told people is that Project 2025 is actually Florida 2022. Florida 2020. And the stuff that's going on around the country right now, we've actually been dealing with in the south for a long time, especially in my state of Florida. So the difference is it's like the struggle in my state has kind of been just spread throughout the nation. And honestly, that day after election day, I had a hard time getting up, probably like a lot of other people, and I wasn't automatically feeling hope. You know, we think of hope as, like, a feeling. But I think about something I learned, which is like, you know, long marriages. Something people always say is that love isn't always a feeling. A lot of times it's a choice that you make actively. And I just thought, well, hope is the same way. I'm not always gonna feel it when I wake up in the morning. And to be honest, like, I don't always feel it every morning, but I'm actively gonna choose it. So we're definitely in a different time.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, a lot of people. Yeah, a lot. A lot of people chose to be hopeful. Last week, 5 million people plus turned out for the no Kings rally, which was really. It was an act of hope. It was hopeful to see thousands of people, thousands of people turned out. In your district in Central Flor, what do you make of Governor DeSantis saying that if people in their cars felt threatened by protesters, they could run them over in self defense?

[Maxwell Frost]

Yeah. Well, number one. Yeah. Boo. This is DeSantis, number one. He's trying to stay relevant. He wants to be president. Of course, Trump is.

[Stephen Colbert]

And to be relative right now, you have to be the craziest person.

[Maxwell Frost]

You have to be the craziest thing, cruelest person, person around. And that's what he's trying to do. He wants to run for president. He can't run for another office. He can't run for governor again. He's term limited Trump hates him. A lot of the Trump coalition doesn't like him. So he's trying to find ways to be crazier than Trump. And out Trump, Trump. But that's not gonna work. And I actually really believe that this country's gonna want the exact opposite of Trump when it comes time to elect a next president.

[Jon Batiste]

Well.

[Stephen Colbert]

We saw this no Kings rally was on the heels of the president sending in both National Guard, nationalized Army, National Guard. So army members into Los Angeles and Marines in there using violating posse comitatus, arresting people. And you have. That was all in response to ICE doing raids around Los Angeles somewhat indiscriminately and even going into courts where people trying to do the right thing and pulling them out and trying to get them out of the country without due process. You have described that as taxpayer funded kidnapping operation. What do you mean by that?

[Maxwell Frost]

Well, because Donald Trump ran on this mass deportation thing. But the thing everyone needs to realize is deportation is a process. It's a legal process. Oftentimes it can take weeks, if not months, up to a year depending on the case. And what's going on right now is actually not mass deportation even because people aren't being given due process. There is no legal process for people. We have ICE federal agents pulling up, terrorizing our communities, hopping out of unmarked vans, stealing and yes, kidnapping people, not giving them their day in court, and yes, human trafficking them to other nations, other countries around the entire world. And I want to be very, I like to be very clear about what's going on right now so people understand that what is going on, I believe is outside of the bounds of the law. Due process is something that applies to every person in this country, regardless of your status. And this is from the party that likes to talk a lot about American exceptionalism, but they want to rip away the few things that make our country actually exceptional. And part of that is the fact that our rights are for everybody.

[Stephen Colbert]

And one of the things, one of the things when I see it, that alarms me most and it does feel like kidnapping because as you said, unmarked windowless vans will show up, men will get out wearing masks, balaclavas or masks, no identifying patches, do not identify themselves. They don't have badges, they don't show id. They just grab people and put them in the van. I mean, in a state like Florida that has a stand your ground law and people can open carry. Yeah, it's dangerous for those officers. Yeah, it's not just for the people. Because, you know, why wouldn't you think that you were being attacked?

[Maxwell Frost]

No, it's dangerous for everyone. It's completely chaotic. And my other thing is, if you are proud of what you're doing, why do you have to wear a mask to do it? If you are, if you're operating within the bounds of the law, you shouldn't have to cover your face. And that's the problem with ICE and with the administration right now, is this whole thing is happening in the shadows. I actually just introduced a bill called the Sue Them Act. It sounds like sue them because we want people to sue them. And what it does is it mandates where if someone is taken by ICE and they're put in a detainment facility or they're put in a jail under what's called an ICE detainer, that they are required to post publicly why that person is there, where they're at and all the information associated with the case. Because here's the problem is that I'm meeting so many families in my district and across the country that one day their husband goes missing and they just have no idea where their loved ones are at. And we have people going to hospitals, we have people calling morgues, asking is my loved one there? That's what this country has devolved to right now because of this president and because of this whole operation that is completely BS and lied to people. And he went around the country telling people that you can't afford your rent because of immigrants, that you can't send your child to school, you can't afford food because of trans people. No, it's because of mega billionaires like Donald Trump and corporations that have been rigging the system for so long. And this blame game is so normal in this. It's from the textbook of authoritarians and right wing neo fascists. And we have to call it out because he's trying to divide our country when really we have a lot more in common.

[Stephen Colbert]

We're going to take a quick break. Hey everybody. We're back with Florida Representative Maxwell Frost. Now the bill that they want to pass, it's really kind of omnibus. They say it's like a tax bill, but it has so many things. There's this big bill that they want to pass by July 4th. People like Marjorie Taylor Greene are now saying, oh, I didn't know X, Y or Z was in it, cuz I didn't read it.

[Maxwell Frost]

Read it?

[Stephen Colbert]

You voted against it?

[Maxwell Frost]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Did you read it?

[Maxwell Frost]

Yes. You know, as a member of Congress, I think it's really important that you read something before you vote on it. And.

[Stephen Colbert]

But they make it hard sometimes.

[Maxwell Frost]

Yeah. Well, it is true. It is a really big bill. It's one of the biggest bills that we've seen in Congress almost ever. And part of the reason why they're stuffing it with so much stuff is because they know they really don't have many chances. They know that the Democrats are gonna kick their ass in the midterms next year. And so they don't. They're not gonna have a lot of opportunities to pass legislation. And this bill, again, I don't like to miss my words on this. This is an evil bill. It's gonna rip away Healthcare from 15 million Americans. It's gonna rip away food assistance from millions of people across this country. And you ask why? Is it to do something else important to help everybody? No, it's to give tax breaks to the richest people in this country and megacorporations. And that's the problem. And I know Big Boo and the tax code, it's not the, like, sexiest thing to talk about, but it's really important because it decides how our country grows when it does grow. You know, like, under the Joe Biden administration, our economy was actually growing. Right. Especially towards the end. But as you travel the country, a lot of people would say, I didn't feel it as much. But a lot of people don't realize that the last tax code that was passed was actually under Donald Trump during his first administration. The tax code and the way that these budgets are set up means that even when the economy grows, the wealth inequality is so vast that the people at the top receive most of the benefit, even when the economy is growing. And that's why this is such an important fight right now. It's gonna dictate the next five years, the next 10 years of our economy. And we have to make sure that working people are centered in this, not the billionaires and not the corporations.

[Stephen Colbert]

Representative, thank you so much for being here.

[Maxwell Frost]

Thank you. Appreciate it.

[Stephen Colbert]

Representative Maxwell Frost, everybody. Thank you for listening to the Late Show Pod show with Stephen Colbert. Just one more thing. If you want to see more of me, come to The Late Show YouTube.

Channel for more clips and exclusives.

[Nicole Byer]

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[Maxwell Frost]

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[Stephen Colbert]

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