Congressman Krishnamoorthi on Trump Disasters

Summary

The MeidasTouch Podcast: Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi on Trump Disasters

Release Date: March 15, 2025
Host: MeidasTouch Network (Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas)
Guest: Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi

In this compelling episode of The MeidasTouch Podcast, the Meiselas brothers engage in a robust discussion with Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi about the tumultuous political landscape under former President Donald Trump's regime. The episode delves deep into Trump's declining approval ratings, the adverse effects of his economic and foreign policies, and the Congressman’s proactive measures to advocate for his constituents amidst the chaos.

Declining Approval Ratings of Donald Trump

The conversation kicks off with a stark analysis of Donald Trump's plummeting approval ratings. The political commentator highlights the severe downturn in Trump's popularity, attributing it to the struggling economy and other policy failures.

Political Commentator ([06:12]): "Trump's approval is plummeting. With the plummeting market, with the plummeting economy, it seems everything is plummeting right now in this Trump regime."

A detailed breakdown of an Ipsos poll is presented, revealing that 51% of Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy, and a significant majority view his foreign policies unfavorably. The commentator also emphasizes the dichotomy between American and Canadian perceptions of alliance under Trump's leadership.

Political Commentator ([06:12]): "59% of Americans say Canada is an ally. Only 2% say an enemy. But in Canada, only 25 to 30% view the U.S. as an ally under Trump."

Economic Policies and Their Impact

The episode thoroughly examines Trump's erratic economic decisions, particularly his approach to trade with Canada and the subsequent retaliation that has adversely affected American businesses and consumers.

Political Commentator ([07:51]): "Trump is treating Canada like an enemy. The people of Canada are boycotting tourism, canceling conferences, and taking American products off their shelves."

Congressman Krishnamoorthi articulates the tangible hardships faced by his constituents due to these policies, including skyrocketing prices and retaliatory tariffs that have crippled local businesses and farmers.

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi ([07:51]): "Our constituents are livid. Small businesses are seeing their inputs' prices skyrocket, and farmers are facing retaliation through tariffs. Everyday people are paying 27% more for groceries."

He underscores the broader economic turmoil, citing significant federal spending increases and the detrimental effects of proposed layoffs in critical departments.

Political Commentator ([12:19]): "Federal spending hit a record $603 billion last month. Despite this, they're laying off thousands from Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration."

Foreign Policy and International Relations

A critical segment addresses Trump's controversial foreign policy moves, particularly his stance on Ukraine and strained relationships with NATO allies. The discussion highlights how these actions have weakened America's standing on the global stage.

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi ([10:28]): "My district has one of the largest concentrations of Ukrainian Americans. They are furious that we are siding with a dictator like Putin and abandoning freedom-loving Ukraine."

Furthermore, the Congressman points out the destabilizing effects of these policies on international alliances, making it difficult for NATO members to rely on the U.S. for support.

Trump's Erratic Decisions and Public Outrage

The podcast shifts focus to Trump's bizarre claims and actions, such as his unsubstantiated invasion of Los Angeles to control water resources, which has left many Americans bewildered and outraged.

Donald Trump ([06:12]): "I broke into Los Angeles. I invaded Los Angeles and opened up the water."

The political commentator criticizes these actions as psychotic and damaging, leading to the destruction of farmers' livelihoods and fostering widespread confusion and fear among the public.

Political Commentator ([06:35]): "He's a psychotic individual. He sent the Army Corps of Engineers to invade reservoirs and destroyed farmers' livelihoods. It's a bunch of insanity."

Congressman Krishnamoorthi’s Response and Advocacy

In response to these crises, Congressman Krishnamoorthi outlines his strategic efforts to support his constituents and combat the detrimental policies of the Trump administration. He emphasizes direct engagement through town hall meetings and grassroots advocacy.

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi ([14:52]): "I'm doing a lot of town hall meetings, including pop-up ones, to address immediate concerns. We had 1,600 people attend one such meeting due to the level of concern."

He advocates for a multi-faceted approach to fighting back, including:

1. Raising Voices: Encouraging the average person to connect with their representatives across the aisle.
2. Legislative Accountability: Utilizing congressional tools to hold Trump and his allies accountable, including subpoenas and legal actions.
3. Voting Leverage: Leveraging votes within Congress to influence policy and oppose harmful measures.
4. Public and Legal Battles: Engaging in litigation and the court of public opinion to challenge and reverse detrimental policies.

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi ([15:33]): "We have to fight in the court of public opinion, in the legal system, and in the halls of Congress. We will never surrender."

Concluding Remarks and Call to Action

The episode concludes with a powerful message from Congressman Krishnamoorthi, urging both Democrats and Republicans to choose the right path for America’s future. He stresses the importance of accountability and the need to prevent further economic and social decline.

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi ([13:33]): "We need CPR for this economy to prevent us from going into recession and all the collateral damage from unemployment and everything else."

Key Takeaways

• Trump’s Declining Popularity: Trump's approval ratings are significantly low, primarily due to unsuccessful economic and foreign policies.
• Economic Turmoil: Trump's trade wars, particularly with Canada, have led to retaliatory measures that are harming American businesses and consumers.
• Foreign Policy Weakness: Strained relations with NATO allies and controversial decisions regarding Ukraine have weakened America's international alliances.
• Constituent Advocacy: Congressman Krishnamoorthi is actively engaging with his constituents through town halls and legislative actions to counteract Trump's harmful policies.
• Call for Unity and Action: Emphasis on the need for collective action across political lines to restore economic stability and uphold democratic values.

This episode of The MeidasTouch Podcast provides an insightful and urgent look into the detrimental effects of Donald Trump's administration from the perspective of a dedicated Congress member. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi’s passionate advocacy and strategic initiatives offer a beacon of hope for those seeking to restore sanity and prosperity to the American political and economic landscape.

Transcript

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[Political Commentator]

Not surprisingly, Donald Trump's approval is plummeting. With the plummeting market, with the plummeting economy, it seems everything is plummeting right now in this Trump regime. Let's just take a look at the latest Ipsos poll. Trump's approval on the economy, which for reasons that were unclear to me were previously high. I don't know why. But now 51% of Americans disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling the economy. On this question, the U.S. should make Canada the 51st state because the stupidest question that we even have to mention this that the US should make Canada the 51st state because the two countries are already so intertwined. 80% disagree 17% agree It's a good idea for the US to charge higher tariffs on imported goods Even if prices increase 53% Disagree 32% Agree Trump's moves to shake up the economy are too erratic 57% agree 32% disagree the US should take over the Gaza Strip and develop the area for tourism 84% Disagree 12% Agree Expanding US territory will help the nation prosper 68% Disagree 29% Agree I support Ukraine's use of US supplied arms to strike inside of Russia 54% Agree 42% Disagree the problems of Ukraine are none of our business and we should not interfere. 57% Disagree 47% Agree Net favorables Trump Negative 9% Vance Negative 20% Elon Musk Negative 21% Trump's approval on handling the cost of living 57% Disapproved 32% Approved Trump's approval on foreign policy 48% Disapproved 37% Approved do you consider Canada an ally, a neutral country, or an enemy? 59% of Americans say an ally. Only 2% say an enemy. Which is interesting because now if you ran that poll in Canada, I think only 25 to 30% of Canadians still view the United States as an ally, even though the American people stand with Canada because of the Trump regime's policies and Trump's unfavorability to. Continues to soar, his favorability plummets. And I mean, look, he brought the NATO Secretary General into the Oval Office on Thursday. And what Donald Trump was talking about was invading Los Angeles to take the water and turn on a faucet. Here's what Trump talked about in front of the NATO Secretary General in the world press.

[Donald Trump]

I broke into Los Angeles. Can you believe it? I had a break in. I, I invaded Los Angeles and we opened up the water and the water is now flowing down. They have so much water they don't know what to do. They were sending it out to the Pacific for environmental reasons. Okay, can you believe it? And in the meantime, they lost 25,000 houses. They lost, Nobody's ever seen anything like it.

[Political Commentator]

But like a, He's a psych, he's a psychotic individual. I live in Los Angeles. What he's saying is not true. What he did do is send the Army Corps of Engineers to invade and break into reservoirs in Northern California, nowhere near Southern California after the fires were already out. And then he dumped over 2 billion gallons of water onto farmland in central and Northern California, nowhere near where the fires were previously, which were put out. And he destroyed the farmers livelihoods going into the summers. And those were some of the areas that were reddish in California. Those were the Republican voter farmers. And he destroyed their, he destroyed their summer. So it's a bunch of insanity. If you heard some of those laughs as I was going through this segment, I'll bring in Democratic Congressmember Raja Krishnamoorthy. I mean, you hear these questions and I'm with you. I mean they're, the fact that we have to even ask these questions is outrageous. But here it is. And your colleagues, these spineless MAGA Republicans are like, oh, things are going really good. What do you make of all of this mess?

[Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthy]

I gotta tell you, our constituents are livid at this point. We're getting tremendous outreach. The main reason being that I'm talking about even people in the middle, people who might have voted for Trump. We're hearing from, for instance, small businesses. We're one of the biggest kind of concentrations of light manufacturing anywhere in the Midwest. And Illinois's biggest trading partner is Canada. And so we have tremendous number of exports and imports coming across the border. And these businesses are just seeing their prices skyrocket for their inputs. And now that they're having to pay a lot more to build whatever they're building, they can't sell what they're trying to sell either at the prices that they were expecting. And meanwhile, our farmers met with me on Thursday, farmers from central and southern Illinois and complained about retaliation in the form of tariffs, counter tariffs on their goods. And so they are very upset. And then you have just residents, everyday people who are paying 27% more for eggs at the grocery store, a lot more for groceries in general. I had the president of the Local 881 of United Food and Commercial Workers as my guest for the State of the Union. He reported that for his 35,000 workers, many of them cannot afford the groceries that they are stocking on the shelves of their grocery stores. And so this is just a complete mess. And it's why, as you saw, you know, Trump's unfavorability is skyrocketing.

[Political Commentator]

You know, there's also now, I mean, I showed the one stat where Americans rightfully view Canada as an ally. Trump is treating Canada like an enemy. And so the people of Canada are boycotting tourism. They're not, you know, they're not showing up in the vacations, they're canceling their conferences here. They're taking American booze off their shelf. They're buying Canada. And that aspect, not just the retaliatory tariffs. The world is now boycotting America. I don't even know who America under Trump regime is allied with. I can't make. I'm sure one of the things you're hearing too is like people can't even make sense of what he's doing. That's why I'm saying, like, I'm not trying to be hyperbolic when I say it's psychotic, it's psychotic.

[Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthy]

Well, I should tell you that my district is also home to one of the biggest concentrations of Ukrainian Americans and for that matter, Eastern European Americans of any congressional district. These people are beside themselves because they see that we are basically taking the side of a dictator, a communist dictator, basically in the form of Vladimir Putin. They're not technically a communist country, but they just act like it. And we are disfavoring a freedom loving democracy in the form of Ukraine. And they are beside themselves about that. And then they see that what we're doing with Canada, what we're doing with our friends and partners and allies elsewhere, means that whether it's Poland or whether it's any other NATO country, or for that matter, whether it's South Korea, Japan or anyone else with whom we have treaty alliances can't rely on us. And that drives them insane. And so we are kind of in this situation where they feel less safe and they're paying higher prices and they're having a harder time doing business and they're worried about their children. Because we just heard two nights ago that Trump is going to lay off half of the workforce of the Department of Education. Are you kidding me? This is craziness. And this is the kind of nonsense that they're very, very upset about. And did I mention Doge and Elon Musk, that when people found out about Doge and Elon Musk having access to their private, identifiable information first at the Treasury Department, we got like, 1,000 phone calls in 24 hours. And that's just the level of alarm on the part of people at this point.

[Political Commentator]

Right. And federal spending went up last month. It didn't go down. With all of this happening, it was the highest month of federal spending ever in history. $603 billion, like 15 or 30 billion more than the prior month. With all of this going on. So it just seems that cruelty is the point. Lay off 70,000 people from Veterans Affairs, 10,000 people from the Social Security Administration, half the staff at the Department of Education, get rid of the national parks, while Elon helps himself with his contracts, while Donald goes around the NASCAR race track while half the country was suffering from severe weather events. Like, they're not even. They're not doing the things. And then your Republican colleagues are just like, trust me, bro, trust me. You need pain. That's their line. Their line is you need to experience this pain and suffering for the greater good. Do your constituents want pain and suffering and infliction of harm?

[Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthy]

That's what they're saying. Absolutely not. And one of the worst things that I heard the other day, apparently there's a report that maybe it was Howard Lutnick or it was Scott Besant, one of those billionaire cabinet secretaries, actually said that we should go into a recession. Can you believe that? That somehow going into a recession would be a good thing for America? And I was saying to my friends, like, we need to. We need to get back to basics here. You know, we need to, like, do whatever we can. We need to have, like, a coalition to prevent recession. I call it cpr. We need CPR for this economy to prevent us from going into recession and all the, you know, preventing all the collateral damage that's about to happen in the form of unemployment and everything else.

[Political Commentator]

Finally, tell us some of the things that you're doing. I mean, reaching out to your constituents, what you recommend other Democrats to be doing. I mean, your constituents aren't Just Democrats, I mean Republicans, independents, people who were not political until politics just whacked them. What are you doing now to kind of reach out? I'm sure you're hearing, Congressman, we want you to fight. And what does that mean to you? What are you doing to fight?

[Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthy]

Yeah, so I think it means a few things. First of all, I'm doing a lot of town hall meetings. A lot of them are even pop up town hall meetings where we find out about an executive order in the morning and then we say, look, we got to talk about this with our constituents either today or the next day. And believe it or not, we had like 1600 people just show up for one of these pop up town hall meetings because of the level of concern and fear and anger and all of the above. In terms of how do we fight, I think there are a few ways that we have to fight. One, we absolutely have to lift up our voices at this point. I've mentioned this before, but that means the average person lifting up their voices and connecting with their member of Congress on both sides of the aisle. It means us in Congress using our tools on committees to bring about accountability and transparency. We came within one vote of successfully subpoenaing Elon Musk and we have to keep doing that. We have to get him to testify under oath about what the hell he's doing at Doge. Secondly, we have to continue with the litigation both inside and outside Congress. Third, we have to use our votes, and that's very important. As you know, we do have some leverage. We need to use it accordingly. And then last, we have to go to our Republican colleagues and we have to say, look, you have choices. You can either harm your constituents by gutting Medicaid, for instance, or you can do the right thing and oppose those moves. If you decide to do the wrong thing, we're going to hold you accountable. And that's going to be at the next elections. It could be in your primaries, whatever. But the point is that we need to do everything. We need to fight in the court of public opinion. We need to use fight in the legal system. And of course, we need to fight in the halls of Congress. We will never surrender. We cannot surrender.

[Political Commentator]

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthy, thanks for joining.

[Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthy]

Thank you so much, my friend.

[Political Commentator]

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