The Majority Report with Sam Seder

Episode 3629 – Trump’s Gaza Partition Plan; Most Crowded Primary Ever?
With Guests Jeremy Scahill & Cameron Kasky
Date: November 20, 2025
Host: Emma Vigeland (in for Sam Seder)

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the rapidly shifting political landscape: President Trump’s controversial partition plan for Gaza, political maneuvering and approval ratings, the fallout of the delayed jobs report, a crowded New York primary with activist and candidate Cameron Kasky, and broader critiques of US and Israeli policy. Investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill (Dropsite News) offers an incisive breakdown of the Gaza situation and US complicity, while Kasky discusses his motivations and progressive platform for Congress.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Trump's Gaza Partition Plan & International Fallout

[24:00-41:24] – With Jeremy Scahill

• Trump’s "Ceasefire" and Partition Reality:

  • Trump’s administration has worked with monarchies in the Persian Gulf, using family and business connections (notably Jared Kushner), to broker a ceasefire in Gaza that splits the territory in two: over 50% controlled by Israel, the remainder by Hamas.

  • The so-called peace plan is less a humanitarian initiative and more a "corrupt business deal" serving private interests, not Palestinians.

    "The only reason there's something that is being called a ceasefire right now in Gaza is because of a constellation of interests that involve, you know, the Trump family business… Trump's relationship with monarchies in the Persian Gulf."
    — Jeremy Scahill [25:20]

• Israel’s New Occupation & UN Complicity:

  • Israel forcibly holds new territory, targeting anyone crossing an "invisible" line.

  • Trump publicly floated a “Middle East Riviera” plan for real estate development in Gaza, moving further from any semblance of concern for Palestinians.

  • The UN Security Council, in an unprecedented move, has given its stamp of legitimacy to a non-UN international “stabilization force” whose makeup is secret and could depend largely on mercenaries.

    "What the United Nations did is endorse the deployment of a military force with the aim of totally disarming the Palestinian people… stripping the Palestinian people of their right to self determination."
    — Jeremy Scahill [29:32]

• Private Interests & Mercenaries:

  • Arab states are reluctant to send troops; mercenary companies are being tapped (e.g., UG Solutions, linked to earlier aid scams and violence in Gaza).

  • The plan is described as "neo-colonialist" with Trump positioned as viceroy, the UN as rubber-stamp, and the suffering of Palestinians entrenched.

    "What we're witnessing here is a neocolonialist plan where Trump is the viceroy extraordinaire."
    — Jeremy Scahill [32:00]

• Palestinian Rejection & Democratic Demands:

  • All major Palestinian political groups reject disarmament; only the deeply unpopular Mahmoud Abbas (PA) supports collaboration.

  • Palestinians insist any negotiations on existential questions must be subject to popular democratic processes; armed resistance seen as a non-negotiable right.

    "If you want to actually negotiate long-term deals with the Palestinian people, you're going to have to negotiate with the actual parties and institutions that represent the will of the Palestinian people."
    — Jeremy Scahill [35:27]

• Statehood and Democracy:

  • Scahill notes the existential threat that Palestinian statehood poses to the Israeli project and the hypocrisy of denying democratic self-determination.

    "If we believe in democracy… there’s only one position… everyone… whether you want to call it the West Bank, Israel, Gaza Strip, Jerusalem… give them all a vote. One person, one vote. And let's see what happens, because that would be just."
    — Jeremy Scahill [40:01]

US Domestic Politics, Economy, and Trump

Trump’s Approval & Economic Woes

[00:08-12:22; 22:22-23:59]

• Trump’s Approval Hits Lows:

  • Fox News poll: Trump's lowest approval since 2017, driven by economic dissatisfaction.
    • On the economy: 41% approval, 58% disapproval ([12:22])
    • He's only "above water" on border security.

• Jobs Report Shenanigans:

  • The October jobs report is delayed (with suspicion it is being withheld because of bad news).
  • September’s report showed some growth, but with concern about repeated downward revisions.
  • Trump is scapegoating and publicly bullying Fed/Treasury officials to lower rates, even though it’s outside his legal power—lampooned as “Apprentice”-style showmanship.

• Everyday Affordability Crisis:

  • 50% of Americans say groceries are harder to afford than a year ago.

  • 75% say housing is more unaffordable ([06:09]); average child care cost now over $13,000/year.

  • Health insurance premiums have increased, pushing more people toward desperation, a policy outcome blamed on Republicans.

    “The only price that we really have, I mean, we're bringing prices down. But they came up with a new word, affordability. And they look at the- We are all about affordability…” — Donald Trump (clip, impersonated) [05:00]

Trump’s "America First" Hypocrisy

[10:03-12:18]

• Trump is courting Saudi investment while trying to sell "America First" nationalism, a contradiction exploited by political critics.

  “Trump just is obsessed with money wherever he can get it. And the cheapest way to get it is basically from some of these despots in the Middle East.”
  — Emma Vigeland [10:37]

Crowded NY-12 Congressional Primary & Cameron Kasky Interview

[42:41-69:26]

Kasky’s Background and Motivation

• Survivor of the 2018 Parkland shooting and co-founder of March for Our Lives.

• Activism is driven by a sense of responsibility and moral outrage at US gun policy and, more recently, at US complicity in foreign violence.

  "While I was in the classroom… I had an understanding… this is the direct result of the gun policy we have in this country. That’s what motivated me to invite a lot of my classmates to my house…"
  — Cameron Kasky [45:29]

• Draws a connection between US-manufactured violence at home and US-funded violence abroad (e.g., Gaza), criticizing both as fundamentally unaddressed.

Position on Gaza & Israel

• Kasky's campaign goes further than “ceasefire now,” advocating for an end to financing Israeli military actions and recognizing “Greater Israel” rhetoric as explicit government ambition rather than antisemitic conspiracy.

• Open about being unconcerned with what’s “politically expedient” and willing to stake out positions that are morally compelling if not popular.

  “The only way this is going to stop is if we stop financing it. … The state of Israel after October 7th had an amount of international goodwill … and in the years since, they have called people who had been their allies for decades, Hamas sympathizers…”
  — Cameron Kasky [51:28]

Progressive Platform Details

• Medicare for All ("the moderate position at this point"), abolition of private prisons, and abolition of ICE.

• Argues that these policies are common-sense and popular with most Americans, though not promoted by wealthy or media-savvy opponents.

  "We can afford giving ballistic missiles to ICE… endless check for a genocide overseas, but we can't afford Medicare…? I think that that is insane."
  — Cameron Kasky [57:13]

Crowded Field Strategy

• Points out the over-crowded primary, including Jack Schlossberg (JFK’s grandson), all with significant fundraising.

• Believes his substantive left platform can win with a small plurality as moderates split the vote (“the Reverse Goldman” strategy).

  "There's practically more candidates in this field than there are voters in the district… I think that everybody is underestimating me and I'm counting on them underestimating me so they can attack each other while I just kind of vibe out."
  — Cameron Kasky [62:07]

• On DSA: Skeptical of endorsement but plans to work with local DSA candidates.

Personal/Lighthearted Moments

• Jokes about being New York’s "first congressperson to describe himself as a twink" ([69:57])
• Lighthearted denouncement/jest about Hasan Piker amid humorous reflections on being “a pale brunette twink,” social media culture, and political identity.

Notable Quotes

• Jeremy Scahill on the UN's role:
  “The United Nations Security Council has endorsed a stripping of the Palestinian people of their right to self determination, which is enshrined in international law.” [29:32]

• Emma Vigeland on Trump’s economic politics:
  “He can benefit himself and enrich himself and still not have these kinds of numbers on the economy like this.” [11:57]

• Cameron Kasky on guns at home and war abroad:
  "My adult life began with me calling for an end to mass violence being committed using weapons manufactured in the United States of America. And we were watching this on a much bigger scale and I was like, how is it… unacceptable when that's happening [here], but it's acceptable when the people being killed are brown Muslim?" [46:44]

• Cameron Kasky on campaign strategy:
  "I'm not going to be smeared the way that Zoran was smeared. So... I'm counting on [moderates] underestimating me so they can attack each other while I just kind of vibe out." [62:07]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction & Headlines – [00:08-12:22]
• Trump’s Economic & Political Standing – [12:22-23:59]
• Gaza Partition Plan (Jeremy Scahill Interview) – [23:59-41:24]
• Cameron Kasky Interview (Parkland Activism, Platform) – [42:41-69:26]
• NY-12 Primary Dynamics & Humor – [59:41-69:26]

Episode Tone & Takeaways

• The episode balances deep indignation, dry humor, and a critical lens on both US foreign and domestic politics.
• Notably unsparing in critique—of Trump, the US establishment, and Democratic hedging on Gaza—while remaining accessible and engaged with current grassroots activism.
• Both interviews highlight the gulf between official narratives and on-the-ground realities, whether in Gaza or in American politics, with a call for democratic accountability.

For further engagement:

• Check out Dropsite News for Jeremy Scahill’s journalism.
• Visit Cameron Kasky’s campaign website for his full policy platform and info on the NY-12 race.