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So we all know by now that Donald Trump and MAGA and the Republican candidates got a rude awakening throughout the country on Tuesday. A blue tsunami swept over the country and nowhere is that more true than in New Jersey with the incredible race with the new Governor Elect Mikey Sherrill there. And there was an incredible moment that I think sums it all up in the debate that Governor Elect Sherrill had with with the MAGA Republican candidate Jack Cittarelli. And Cittarelli was asked in the debate, what grade do you give Donald Trump so far? And I'll show you what Cittarelli answers and watch how Governor Elect Sherrill responds. Let's play this clip.
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What grade would you give President Trump for a second term?
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Right now, I'd certainly give the President a. I think he's right about everything that he's doing.
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I think that tells us all we need to know about who Jack Cittarelli is supporting. I give them an F. Right now we see at every single level, costs are going up on New Jerseyans. So whether it's the tariff costs that are costing you more, from everything from a cup of coffee to the groceries you buy for dinner at night, to the one big beautiful bill which will raise health care, health care, energy and housing.
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And let's be clear, the American people give Donald Trump an F as well. But it wasn't just an anti Trump race. Governor Elect Sherrill went on the offense talking about a message of affordability. Affordability, affordability. Here was her closing message. Contrast to Citarelli just saying he's going to do whatever Donald Trump wants, including destroying tunnel projects and getting rid of jobs of tens of thousands or even more people from New Jersey. Here's what Governor Elect Sherrill said. Let's play it.
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So this race has been about affordability and that's because I speak to thousands and thousands of New Jersey and sometimes a day. And the thing on their minds is costs, both utility costs, housing costs, health care costs and then how they keep getting worse under this administration with the tariffs, with, with the one big beautiful bill, with the recent attacks on the.
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Gateway Tunnel, you know, we're seeing lots of responses from MAGA voters and Trump voters. People who voted for Donald Trump three times, messages like this, listen up. I voted for Trump three times. I'm 100% MAGA. But sadly, this administration doesn't support me anymore. As a guy who voted for Trump three times, I'm fed up. I'm a Trump supporter. I voted for him three times. But I'm not feeling a single benefit economically. And when you just look at the map as well, the various counties and municipalities in Jersey, you take a look some big swings, especially in some of the areas where Donald Trump, surprise, surprise, was destroying people's livelihood and jobs. In other words, as this one account says, the GOP said goodbye to the train line suburbs right there. And that flipped significantly towards blue. Hispanic areas, dramatically reverted blue to where they were in 2021. In many cases, even more people supporting Governor Elect Mikey Cheryl there, pretty much all of the counties, dramatic shifts throughout New Jersey. And just here's what Donald Trump's even saying today. He's obviously not getting the message because today he's going, I solved inflation. There's no inflation. Everybody's doing great. Here's what he says today.
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They had the worst inflation in 48 years. We have almost no inflation. We're down now to 2% and we'll be at maybe 1%. You want to always stay above 1%. Actually, you want a little tiny bit of inflation.
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Let's bring in Governor Elect Mikey Sherrill from the great state of New Jersey. Governor Elect Sherrill, Congratulations, and it's great to have you here. Let's talk about the race. But just first, even after the resounding message that the voters sent Trump and maga, Mike, and all of these Republicans are saying it's a golden age. Everything's great, there's no inflation. Thanksgiving's 25% cheaper. They're saying that today. What do you make of that?
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Well, it's a, you know, the long con that Trump is famous for and trying to, to, you know, make voters think that what, their lion eyes, you know, don't believe your own lion eyes or something. So what this race showed definitively is that voters aren't buying it. And so I am hoping that what this will do is really galvanize some of the Republicans who I think have to see what's coming next year to get off their butts and try to start delivering for the American people. Engage, you know, get healthcare costs down and open the government. Stop messing around with key infrastructure projects. Get this tariff thing under control. Stop this. You know, the tariff program is a worldwide extortion racket where costs are going up on everyone here, and yet Trump's pocketing billions. They have got to do their job and start serving the American people. And like in the tariff thing in particular, that is Congress's power. So the Republican majority in the House and the Senate have to start taking back power and actually serving the people.
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When you look at some of those municipality shifts, some of the county shifts, areas that went Trump in 2024 or went more Trumpy in 2024 than in 2021, we've seen dramatic shifts, you know, back even more so than what any pollster predicted when all was said and done. It's yet another over performance, as they're calling it. But I think, you know, we've interviewed you many times on the campaign and you were saying, look, whatever these pollsters saying don't like, I'm meeting the people in all of these counties and I'm hearing their stories. I think that's what matters the most. And look, you, you were right, but people were telling you how they were feeling more so than what was picked up in any of those polls.
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So it's funny because I always felt pretty confident in exactly what we were doing, and that's largely because I was speaking to thousands of people on the ground. But, you know, polling generally takes into account the last two races, and those were really bad for Democrats here. And so we, you know, when we saw those five to eight point polls, we thought those were very conservative and felt pretty good about the path we were on. I was thinking I'd win by 10. So the 14 point win is big, and I think shows how galvanized people are here. But it really, you know, as I spoke to people, I think what we built here is the traditional Democratic juggernaut and then some. And by that I mean, we got out working people, we got out working people in the suburbs, we got out the black community, we got out the Latino community. Because what working people need to see is good government. People want good education for their kids, so that creates opportunity. They want good jobs, they want a good economy, they want a chance to succeed. And that's always been where I've centered my work as someone who comes from a union family. And I tell people my dad grew up poor and he had a good shot at success because of opportunities offered in this country. And so I want to create that success for everyone. And that's really important to our working communities more than really anyone because good government makes such a difference in their opportunity. But then because of what I've built over the years in New Jersey and my races, we also got a significant portion of suburban women and the moderate swing, moderate Republican swinging. And I think all of that is just again, government competency, driving down costs, driving in good schools, good jobs, a good economy. And all of that is at risk right now because Trump is basically destroying the economy.
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One of the data points I saw that, you know, many people said, wow, that's an interesting shift is also young men, you know, because Chitarelli tried to portray himself as, you know, this, I'm the MAGA alpha pod bro. You know, like he tried to do that whole shtick. But I think, you know, even young men looked at this and said, and especially set aside young men, young people in general too, that 18 to 29 said, y' all rug pulled. That's their expression. You rug pulled us and you told us that you were going to get us jobs and things are going to be great. Donald Trump and that we were going to be rich. And you did all the videos with the, with our podcasters and our YouTube and now you've screwed us. And now that 18 to 29 year old unemployment number is like 9.2 10%, 11% and they're really struggling. And that shift to me is meaningful. And getting, getting the young people getting Gen Z back as well. What do you make of that?
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So three things. Number one, I think that you're exactly right. They see what's happening because they are seeing the jobs numbers. So in other words, I'm talking to college kids and they don't see a job market for them. I'm talking to kids who've had jobs that have been with rescinded. And just remember a little bit over a year ago we were actually, I was hearing from my company saying we're expanding, we just need you to make sure we have the workforce we need. And now they're all contracting, they're laying people off because of this economy. So that's a B. I would say that voters are always smarter than I think a lot of people give them credit for. And so I think, you know, my opponent's bravado was not authentic. You know, the fact that, oh, he's just going to be a good Jersey guy and you know, you can trust him. I, I don't think voters did. He was not running on his record, he was running towards Trump. So that I think young people especially, I think, gauge authenticity and see it very clearly. And that was not the type of campaign he was running. And then finally, I'll just say, you know, I'm a mom of teenage boys. And so I was at this one event and there were these teenage boys who were doing all these selfies and they were kind of laughing with each other and they were doing little heart things to me on the stage. I'm doing this rally and I'm thinking, are these guys, like, trolling me because they, like, you know, I'm looking at these teenage boys who seem so excited. And I said to someone afterwards, are, you know what was kind of going on there? They're like, they are so excited. You don't know how many doors they've knocked. So I will tell you, even, you know, we saw all the young people, even I was surprised to see the engagement and enthusiasm from young people. And I think that's because they have been through it. They have been through the pandemic. They have been through a lot of bad news. They're seeing the economy. And to be able to take some power in this space, to be able to get involved in an election and to fight for their future and to decide, huh, I'm listening to what she's laying out. I see opportunity. I don't see it in that guy's race. And I see myself in this future in New Jersey, and that's what I want. And to then be able to get involved was something I. We saw young people in 2018 in my first race. But this felt different. This felt like a very empowering race where young people are saying, I am fighting for the future that I want to see. And it was great. It was really something that I really valued. And I'm going to keep engaging so we can make sure we get this economy right.
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And that's where we're at now. So talk to us about the transition looking forward. You know, the election's behind you, and now you look forward to defending a state that's under attack from the Trump regime. He's taken away jobs, he's destroying programs both in Manhattan and, you know, with commuters that are head there and. And New Jersey jobs that rely on that, you know, so what do you do right now in this transition? And as you look forward to kind of year one, what are you thinking about right now?
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So right now we're just the economy, right? So we have about 22 states. Last I looked that were in an actual recession. Right now we see just the snap funding going away. People can't meet those states, can't meet that, those needs. That's a huge part of a state budget. We also see a lot of that like here in New Jersey, the marketplace, your premiums are going up by 175% right now. So all of this is on the table. People are seeing this very clearly. I again, part of the reason I was working so hard in this race to create these big margins I would have taken. You know, we needed a win here for many reasons but the bigger win that we were working towards was so that we could send a message. This is very unpopular Republicans. You need to stop, you need to get on board with actually coming up with a plan that's going to serve the American people. So hopefully this will, this will get some more reasonably minded people to grow a spine and do something about this. Because right now they have the presidency, the Senate and the House. However, in the states these governors positions are now more important than ever as we work together to create different pathways forward and regional efforts on innovation, regional efforts on making sure insurance companies are covering vaccinations for kids, how we are continuing to grow opportunity in our states and having pathways for everyone to come to the table, not just a chosen few. So what we're running here is the traditional American economy of delivering for working people, delivering on the middle class, on jobs, providing pathways for poor people in our states into the middle class. And all of those different ways we do it through education, through job opportunities, through apprenticeship programs, training. That is what New Jersey is doubling down on. That's what the people of New Jersey want to see. And it's going to be a fight, right, to try to make the Republicans in Washington who are trying to attack these economies, trying to enrich themselves at the expense of everyday Americans to make them see that is not a pathway forward that the American people are going to accept. So they've either got to get on board with this and start to really think about how they're going to grow opportunity or they will be out of a job very shortly.
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New Jersey Governor elect Mikey Sherrill. Great to have you join us post election And I just want to say this on a professional level. It's been an honor covering your campaign literally from the day it was announced and seeing how a good professional people powered fighting for the future of Americans campaign is run. So thanks for all you do well.
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Thank you so much. It was truly an honor to run here and to galvanize people here in New Jersey. It's really important to us. So thank you and thank you so much for all of your engagement. I really appreciate it.
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Date: November 9, 2025
Host(s): Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas (MeidasTouch Network)
Guest: Mikie Sherrill, Governor-Elect of New Jersey
This episode centers on the resounding election victory of Mikie Sherrill, New Jersey’s Governor-Elect, focusing on the political dynamics that led to her win and the broader implications for Democratic momentum nationwide. The discussion delves into the rejection of MAGA/Trumpist politics, the main drivers behind Sherrill's success—especially her affordability message, coalition building, and connecting with working families and youth—and what her administration aims to prioritize amidst national challenges. The episode is marked by candid analysis, notable soundbites, and Sherrill's direct responses to both election results and Republican narratives.
“‘I think that tells us all we need to know about who Jack Cittarelli is supporting. I give them an F.’”
— Mikie Sherrill, Debate Clip (01:19)
“‘The tariff program is a worldwide extortion racket where costs are going up on everyone here, and yet Trump’s pocketing billions.’”
— Mikie Sherrill (04:52)
“‘I want to create that success for everyone... That’s really important to our working communities...’”
— Mikie Sherrill (07:23)
“This felt like a very empowering race where young people are saying, I am fighting for the future that I want to see.”
— Mikie Sherrill (11:30)
“What we're running here is the traditional American economy of delivering for working people, delivering on the middle class, on jobs...”
— Mikie Sherrill (13:27)
This episode paints a vivid picture of political realignment in New Jersey, driven by economic pain and rejection of MAGA bravado. Mikie Sherrill’s win is portrayed as decisive and broad-based, earned through focus on affordability, direct engagement, and building trust in government’s ability to deliver real results. With Republicans mired in denial and facing a revivified Democratic coalition—including young, working-class, suburban, and minority voters—Sherrill sets out her vision for fighting recessionary pressures, protecting jobs, and growing opportunity. The hosts celebrate her win as a template for fighting back, and Sherrill’s frank responses offer both optimism and determination for the fights ahead.