The Majority Report with Sam Seder
Episode 3595 – Shut Down; Authoritarian Rise; Ezra’s Decline w/ Jamaal Bowman
Date: October 3, 2025

EPISODE OVERVIEW

This episode of The Majority Report with Sam Seder focuses on the ongoing government shutdown in the United States, the increasing authoritarianism under Trump’s administration—particularly through policies like Project 2025 and aggressive ICE actions—and the ideological and strategic fractures within the Democratic Party. Special guest Jamaal Bowman, former U.S. Representative from New York, joins in-studio to provide on-the-ground insight into these challenges, the impact on minority and immigrant communities, and strategies for progressive organizing and political change. The show features a nuanced critique of both Republican and Democratic actions and closes with a wider reflection on political leadership, activism, and media influence.

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS AND INSIGHTS

1. Government Shutdown & Project 2025 (05:05 – 13:00)

• Context: The federal government is in its third day of shutdown. Russell Vought, former Trump OMB director and architect of Project 2025, is executing drastic cuts targeting blue states, eliminating billions in appropriated funds and freezing infrastructure projects.

• Trump & Project 2025: Despite his denials, Trump’s administration is enacting the playbook developed by conservative institutions and led by Vought, cutting funds to blue states and punishing political opposition.

• Legal Overreach: Sam Seder repeatedly emphasizes the illegality of withholding or rescinding funds appropriated by Congress, referencing the constitutional principles behind congressional power of the purse.

  “There is nothing Russ Vought can do legally to make any cuts that are permanent any more than he could have a week ago.” (09:45, Sam Seder)

• Democratic Caution: Democrats, according to Seder and a reported Greg Sargent interview with Senator Murphy, are wary of sounding ‘alarmist’ about authoritarian tactics, fearing voter demoralization and referencing the failed 2024 ‘democracy’ focused campaign.

• Call to Action: Listeners are encouraged to thank their senators for rejecting Trump’s agenda and to stay vigilant.

2. ICE Raids and Authoritarian Policing (19:45 – 38:00)

Chicago ICE Raid

• Details: Federal agents, assisted by FBI and ATF, used Blackhawk helicopters and flashbangs to raid an apartment building in a predominantly working-class, immigrant neighborhood. Dozens were detained, including U.S. citizens, with reports of racial profiling, property destruction, and traumatization of families.

• Resident Testimony:

  “They just treated us like we were nothing.” (23:59, eyewitness account)

• Jamaal Bowman Reaction:

  “Authoritarianism is here. We are living through it right now... It can happen in any city, any community at any time.” (30:06, Bowman)

• Patterns of Abuse: Both racial profiling and aggressive tactics typical of local broken windows policing are now federalized, targeting low-income, politically powerless communities.

Broken Windows Policing, Ethnic Cleansing, and Mass Incarceration

• Bowman: Draws parallels between federal ICE tactics, the broken windows policing of local departments, and long-standing systems of Black mass incarceration and economic deprivation.

  “It’s not just the ethnic cleansing of immigrants. It’s the ethnic cleansing of Black American citizens into the prison industrial complex... so they can work as slaves.” (37:48, Bowman)

3. The Failure of Democratic Leadership and the Need for True Populism (49:31 – 65:38)

Congressional Dysfunction

• Bowman: Describes Congress under GOP control as “a joke,” a theater where most members play roles for re-election rather than honest governance, with special interests and big money dictating the agenda.

  “It’s just heartbreaking because people like me, like Cori [Bush]... go there to really do stuff for people. And so, like, we can’t... we can’t raise the minimum wage?” (51:19, Bowman)

• Schumer, Jeffries, and the Consultant Class: Leadership is criticized for listening more to party strategists and Sunday show studios than to working-class constituents, prioritizing micro-targeting swing voters instead of true turnout strategies.

• The Ezra Klein Critique: Extended conversation on how elite pundits like Klein and Democratic advisers perpetuate status-quo, consultant-driven politics and underestimate grassroots potential.

  “I don’t want Ezra Klein to come to the Bronx to try to persuade people in the Bronx to vote a certain way. That’s the problem.” (58:21, Bowman)

Grassroots Organizing Successes

• Examples: Zoran Mamdani’s record turnout in a New York primary, the ‘Squad’ expanding the electorate in blue districts—proof that turnout, not centrism, can win elections.
• Structural Barriers: Political fundraising systems and special interests—especially AIPAC—create obstacles for true progressives.

  “That money is rarely or barely invested in... growing the electorate.” (62:55, Bowman)

4. The AIPAC Pipeline & Progressive Pushback (65:38 – 72:00)

• AIPAC Influence: Bowman details its early attempts to recruit him, the financial pipelines from GOP donors into centrist Democrat primaries, and its role in stifling progressive candidates.

  “I was lucky because I came in with Justice Democrats, so I had that education. But there are elected officials… not just congressional, come in [and get recruited].” (67:21, Bowman)

• Shifting Tides: Activism and public awareness (including in Bowman and Cori Bush’s races) are making it toxic for Democrats to accept AIPAC money, exposing the right-wing influence behind their operations.

5. New York State & Local Politics (72:06 – 81:21)

• Governor Race Dynamics: Discusses Governor Hochul's strategy addressing challenges from the left (including universal child care and free buses) and the influence of Antonio Delgado and Zoran Mamdani on the political landscape.
• Lessons from Past Races: Recalls Cynthia Nixon’s run, the ousting of IDC members, and the long-term paradigm shifting of progressive challenges—even in defeat.

6. Leadership, Media, and the Rigor of Debate (83:21 – 104:10)

Media Influence and Political Leadership

• Congress and Media: Staffers track podcasts and digital commentary to gauge public sentiment; establishment leadership is locked into responding to old-school cable news cycles.

  “I was surprised at how much... Democratic Caucus followed and responded to mainstream media and allowed that to determine how we responded to X issue.” (84:46, Bowman)

• Generational and Ideological Divide: Younger and more progressive politicians (and digital native activists) are more comfortable with criticism and feedback, in contrast to the older, ossified establishment.

Ezra Klein & Debate Culture

• Reflections on Klein-Coates Debate: The group analyzes Klein’s flawed approach to discussing political actors like Charlie Kirk and the tendency among some liberal pundits to “rise above” the actual emotional and intellectual stakes for marginalized communities.

  “This is what it is to be black in America. Like, we... give you our shit, our pain, our suffering... And you, liberal white man, don’t even acknowledge it.” (97:38, Bowman)

NOTABLE QUOTES & MEMORABLE MOMENTS

• On Project 2025’s implementation:

  “It was quite obvious. There were a lot of people in the mainstream media would say, well, Donald Trump says he’s not part of Project 2025. I guess we got to believe him." (07:21, Sam Seder)

• On ICE’s militarized tactics:

  “They used flashbang grenades, as we heard in that video… kids were separated from their mothers. Stuff was everywhere. You could see people's birth certificates and papers thrown all over. Water was leaking into the hallway. It was wicked crazy.” (25:03, A/Seder)

• Bowman on Democratic inertia:

  “It’s all just theater. I’m just a character in this effed-up play and I have my role to play as the progressive guy. That’s just what — at least in the House — the Senate may be a little different… You govern maybe for six, nine months, and then you’re running.” (51:20, Bowman)

• On consultant-driven centrism:

  “Ezra Klein is leading that freaking conversation. Like, I don’t want Ezra Klein to come to the Bronx to try to persuade people in the Bronx to vote a certain way. That’s the problem.” (58:16, Bowman)

• On the importance and limits of grassroots politics:

  “The Democratic Party, to me, if it really wants to fight back and save our democracy, you got to target everyone for real. But if you target everyone, you got to say something about Gaza now, if you start—you know what I mean?” (65:38, Bowman)

• On the Democratic establishment’s ideology:

  “I think the ideology of establishment politics is to maintain the establishment and continue to be in support of incrementalism in a way where you’re not going to drastically change the lives or meet the needs of the most vulnerable people in our country.” (89:09, Bowman)

TIMESTAMPED SEGMENT GUIDE

• 00:02 – 08:34: Show intro, news rundown; Project 2025 and federal overreach
• 08:34 – 13:00: Trump’s Project 2025 denials, Vought’s illegal cuts, Democratic reticence
• 19:45 – 32:07: In-studio with Bowman; ICE raid in Chicago—militarization, resident eyewitness
• 32:07 – 38:11: Policing, broken windows policies, “ethnic cleansing” analogies, Bowman on impacts
• 49:31 – 65:38: Congressional dysfunction, strategic flaws of Democratic leadership, consultant class critique, grassroots organizing
• 65:38 – 72:00: AIPAC’s influence, progressive pushback, fundraising obstacles
• 72:06 – 81:21: New York state/local politics, recent races, lessons from primaries
• 83:21 – 104:10: Podcast/media influence, generational-ideological divide, Ezra Klein/Coates discussion, limitations of elite punditry
• 104:10 – end: Closing remarks, shoutouts, fun half

FINAL THOUGHTS

This episode is an impassioned dissection of how America’s right wing is weaponizing the federal government for authoritarian social engineering, the failure of Democratic leadership to meet the urgency of the crisis, and the promise and difficulty of building independent, multiracial, working class power. Jamaal Bowman’s perspective is invaluable—grounded in real experience, direct action, and thoughtful critique of both parties’ prevailing strategies. The show balances tragic urgency with humor and the irreverence for which The Majority Report is known, making it both an informative and energizing listen.

For listeners seeking a step-by-step guide through the current political crises, organizational challenges on the left, and practical strategies for engagement and resistance, this episode is essential.