Rep. Maxwell Frost on Why Proposition 50 is Critical to Stopping Trump

Summary

The MeidasTouch Podcast: "Rep. Maxwell Frost on Why Proposition 50 is Critical to Stopping Trump"

Release Date: October 15, 2025
Host: MeidasTouch Network (Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas)
Special Guest: Rep. Maxwell Frost

---

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the urgent fight against alleged Republican-led election rigging through gerrymandering, spotlighting California’s Proposition 50 as a high-stakes measure to safeguard democracy in the lead-up to the 2026 midterms. The Meiselas brothers break down the national implications of Prop 50, discuss the broader strategy to combat anti-democratic efforts, and interview Rep. Maxwell Frost, a vocal proponent of the initiative who’s mobilizing grassroots support across California. The discussion details shifting political winds, Republican infighting, the importance of aggressive defense of democracy, and practical steps listeners can take.

---

Key Topics and Discussion Points

1. The Political Crisis: Government Shutdown & MAGA Republican Strategies

• Republican Split: The episode highlights fractures within the GOP, focusing on Rep. Kevin Kiley’s public dissent from MAGA House leadership's decision to adjourn Congress during a government shutdown.
• Shutdown Tactics: Commentary on Republican stalling and refusal to negotiate with Democrats, contextualized as a deliberate effort to hamper the legislative process.
  • Brett notes, “We’re seeing Republican Congress members like Kevin Kiley of California breaking… MAGA Mike Johnson send[ing] all of the Republicans back... paid vacations... not even talk to Democrats” [01:15].

2. Proposition 50: The California Ballot Initiative to Counter Election Rigging

• Purpose of Prop 50: Designed as a temporary emergency measure to block gerrymandered maps in response to GOP-led redistricting in other states.
  • “Proposition 50 in California is a ballot initiative… on an emergency basis… in direct response… to the rigging by Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans.” [01:55]
• National Context: Prop 50 is shown as part of a bigger fight, not just a California issue, addressing broader anti-democratic trends.

3. Republican Fear and Backpedaling

• Kevin Kiley’s Shift: Audio clips showcase Kiley’s evolving stance, expressing concern about not being in DC to work and beginning to question MAGA strategy.
  • Notable quote: “There are a lot of reasons for the House to be in session... there’s no justification to shut everything down just because we're in the midst of a government shutdown.” — Rep. Kevin Kiley [03:15]
• Swearing In Adelita Grijalva: Kiley voices support for seating the newly elected Democratic congresswoman being blocked by Republican leadership.
  • “She’s the duly elected member of Congress from that district and she should be sworn in. I don’t know why this is an issue.” — Rep. Kiley [06:56]

4. Polls, Funding, and Popular Support for Prop 50

• Democratic Momentum: New polling indicates majority support for Prop 50; Democrats outspending Republicans by $40 million in TV advertising.
  • “New poll shows the majority of California voters support Proposition 50… yes on Prop 50 at about 50% to no, 35%, 15% undecided.” — Brett [08:04]
• Grassroots Activation: Emphasis on the energy and diversity present at Prop 50 organizing events.

5. Interview: Rep. Maxwell Frost on the Stakes and Strategy

• Prop 50 as a National Defense: Frost frames Prop 50 as a response to Trump-inspired, multi-state gerrymandering that undermines democratic norms.
  • “This isn’t just about California… this is a response to what Donald Trump has said that he wanted to do in Texas and in other states.” — Rep. Maxwell Frost [10:09]
• Enthusiasm Across Generations: Frost describes coalition-building—including people from Texas visiting LA joining the cause.
  • “The energy was so high in this room, Ben. I saw people… a multigenerational, multiracial coalition… even people from Texas who know how important this is.” [10:54]
• Unpopularity of Gerrymandering: Frost asserts that both parties’ constituents in places like Florida oppose further gerrymandering, even when politicians push it.
  • “Most Republicans in the state of Florida say we don’t want to change our maps, but what people should know is that the maps in Florida are already gerrymandered.” [12:31]
• Republicans Only Act When Threatened: Commentary on GOP support for reform emerging only when their own seats are endangered.
  • “It wasn’t until Gavin Newsom came up and said, we’re going to put forth Proposition 50, that Kevin Kiley and some of his other colleagues came out and said, hey, actually, we’re down to work with Democrats…” — Frost [13:44]

6. The Broader Democratic Response: Fight Fire with Fire

• Aggression Pays Off: Both hosts and Frost argue that Democrats gain when they fight hard and stand their ground, both on Prop 50 and defending health care.
  • “The only thing a lot of people, especially Donald Trump and Mike Johnson, understand is when you respond with the same energy that they’re bringing.” — Rep. Frost [16:19]
• Public Demand for Backbone: The call to “stand up, Stand up and stand tall for what we believe in.” [17:16]

7. Action Items for Listeners

• Voting Instructions: Early ballots are out; listeners urged to vote and mobilize others ASAP.
  • “If you live in California, you know that you have that mail ballot already. Fill it out, send it in the mail. Just do it now. Once you do that, now we need your help to get out the word.” — Frost [17:59]
• Get Involved: Directs volunteers to organizations like the California Democratic Party and Grassroots Democrats HQ for canvassing and phone banking.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Kevin Kiley’s Turnaround:
  • “I think if there’s an avenue that we can explore that will get us out of this, then absolutely.” [05:17]
  • “I don’t think it should matter what the party is… every district is entitled to have a member of Congress representing them.” [07:37]
• Maxwell Frost’s Urgency:
  • “We can’t be in this fight tying our hands behind our back. This is part of the reason why people don’t view Democrats in the most favorable way right now. We have to be aggressive... That's what Proposition 50 is all about.” [13:57]
  • “Politicians should not be choosing their voters. Voters should be choosing the politician... There is no statewide solution to gerrymandering... It has to be a national law.” [14:35]
• Brothers’ Call to Action:
  • “Before we go, if people are watching this, if they live in California or if they live in another state and they want to be helpful… what do you suggest...?” — Brett [17:39]

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:15] – Republican congressional infighting and context for Prop 50
• [03:15] – Kevin Kiley’s CNN comments on House inactivity and the need to negotiate
• [06:56] – Kiley’s remarks on seating Adelita Grijalva
• [08:04] – Polling and spending update for Prop 50
• [10:09] – Rep. Maxwell Frost begins: The stakes of Prop 50 nationally
• [12:16] – Redistricting’s unpopularity and Florida’s case
• [13:44] – Why Republicans only support reform when threatened; “Politicians should not be choosing their voters”
• [16:19] – Democrats fighting fire with fire; necessity of standing up forcefully
• [17:59] – Action steps: Voting, canvassing, getting the word out

---

Summary: Why This Episode Matters

This installment of The MeidasTouch Podcast offers clarity on how democracy-defending measures like California’s Prop 50 are both a bulwark against anti-democratic redistricting and a rallying point for broader resistance to Trump-era tactics. The hosts and Rep. Maxwell Frost urge Democrats to play offense, exposing Republican vulnerability and hypocrisy while providing listeners with practical ways to help. The episode’s energy, firsthand political analysis, and focus on activism encapsulate the MeidasTouch style—combining humor, urgency, and a relentless call for civic engagement.

Transcript

[A]

Morning Zoe. Got donuts.

[B]

Jeff Bridges, why are you still living above our garage?

[A]

Well I dig the mattress and I want to be in a T Mobile commercial like you teach me.

[B]

So Dana oh no, I'm not really prepared.

[C]

I couldn't possibly at T Mobile get.

[B]

The new iPhone 17 Pro on them. It's designed to be the most powerful iPhone yet and has the ultimate pro camera system.

[A]

Wow, impressive. Let me try. T Mobile is the best place to get iPhone 17 Pro because they've got the best network.

[D]

Nice.

[A]

You heard them.

[B]

T Mobile is the best place to get the new iPhone 17 Pro on us with eligible traded in any condition.

[A]

So what are we having for lunch?

[B]

Dude, my work here is done. The 24 month bill credits on experience beyond for well qualified customers + tax and 35 device connection charge credit send and balance due if you pay off earlier Cancel Finance Agreement. IPhone 17 Pro 256 gigs $1,099.99 and new line minimum 100 plus a month plan with auto pay plus taxes and fees required. Best mobile network in the US based on analysis by Oakland Speed Test Intelligence Data 182025 Visit T mobile.com Republican Congress members are cracking as Democrats are standing up against this Donald Trump and MAGA Republican shutdown. We're seeing Republican Congress members like Kevin Kiley of California breaking with the decision by MAGA Mike Johnson to send all of the Republicans back to their home districts or wherever else they want to go on paid vacations and to not even talk to to Democrats yet alone negotiate with Democrats. Now one of the things we see with this Republican Kevin Kiley from California is that his seat has now become very vulnerable as a result of Proposition 50 in California. That is to stop the midterm rigging by Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans. As Donald Trump worked with the Texas Legislature and Greg Abbott to remove Democratic Congressional seats. They just announced they're trying to do that in North Carolina as well. The Proposition 50 in California is a ballot initiative that will be voted on November 4th. Early voting is taking place by the way right now in California and it's in direct response and it's on a emergency basis and it's short term. It will expire in the next five or six years or so after this response to the rigging by Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans. But the vote scheduled for November 4th and Kevin Kiley set to lose his seat. So now he's frantic. He went on CNN and he talked to Manu Raju has been doing a really good job covering the Trump, Republican govern, government shutdown. And this MAGA Republican, Kevin Kiley, he's changed his tune. He's like, we gotta get back to Washington D.C. i'm not sure why MAGA Mike Johnson is, is not having us work. I wanna go back and work. I'm not sure what the Republicans are doing. This is why you have to stand up powerfully to these MAGA Republicans. Let's play this clip.

[D]

Being with me this morning, really appreciate your time. What do you say to Speaker Johnson who says there's no reason for the House to come back to session?

[A]

Well, there are a lot of reasons for the House to be in session. And we were supposed to be in session the last two weeks. We're supposed to be in session next week irrespective of a government shutdown. Because, you know, we have oversight hearings, we have legislation to mark up, we have the ordinary business of the people to carry out. And there's no justification to shut everything down just because we're in the midst of the government shutdown. In fact, the fact that there's a government shutdown is all the more reason that we should be there in order to be doing everything we possibly can to get us out of this situation. Not to mention the fact that the entire reason the House had to pass a seven week continuing resolution in the first place is that we were going to miss the deadline for passing a full budget. So even if that seven week continuing resolution became law, we've already burned a few of those weeks just being out of session.

[B]

And then Kevin Kiley goes on to talk about how he thinks that the MAGA Republicans need to be negotiating with Democrats. And he says, I think this is bad for Republicans, this is bad for government, that the Republicans are not even speaking to Democrats when Democrats are showing up every, every day to work to fight for people's health care. Watch this. Let's play it.

[D]

You know, the speaker says that there should be no negotiations with Democrats, but you know, we're about to begin week three of this very damaging shutdown. It's only to get more painful for so many Americans. So is it time for GOP leaders to begin negotiating with Democrats to find a way out of this crisis?

[A]

Yeah, I think we need to explore all avenues. And I want to be very clear. I voted for the continuing resolution. I don't like continuing resolutions. But it was the lesser of two evils between that shutting down the government, which is a terrible thing. I wish the Senate would just vote for the version we passed in the House. I don't agree with what Chuck Schumer is doing. I think he's being unreasonable. But this is politics. Sometimes you have to work with people that you believe are being unreasonable in order to find the common ground that is best for the country. And so long as the House isn't even there, that's gonna be very hard for us to do.

[D]

Yeah. So you think it's time to negotiate for the speaker to negotiate with Democrats?

[A]

I think if there's an avenue that we can explore that will get us out of this, then absolutely. I mean, they've brought up this issue of the, of the subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. There are a number of people in our conference, myself included, who are very concerned about the prospect that people are going to see a sudden increase in premiums. And so if, you know, reaching some sort of deal there, or at least a first step towards a deal which is going to need to be reached anyway, provides a pathway out of the shutdown as well. I don't see why we shouldn't at least look into that.

[D]

Yeah. So you think that negotiating the subsidies should be part of this negotiation with.

[A]

I'm not saying that. I'm just saying that that's a possibility. We ought to explore it. We should explore possibilities because a shutdown is a terrible thing for the American people.

[B]

More from this guy Kevin Kylie right here, where he then even says that he thinks that Adelita Grijalva, the congresswoman elect from Arizona's 7th congressional district, needs to be sworn in. And you can see Kylie is getting very, very nervous that he's about to lose if Proposition 50 goes through. And again, it's a response to the midterm election rigging taking place by the Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans as Trump's approval has plummeted to an all time low. Just take a look at what Kylie said here about Adelita Grijalva. Let's take a look.

[D]

Congressman, as you know, as the House has been out, it's been almost three weeks since Democrat Adelita Grijalva won her race to fill a vacant House seat. Yet the speaker is breaking with past precedent and has said she will not be sworn in until the government reopens. You've noted you've been concerned about the Speaker's approach.

[C]

Why?

[A]

Well, the woman, I mean, I think she won her election. It's a duly, you know, she's the duly elected member of Congress from that district and she should be sworn in. I don't know why this is an issue. The, the constituents in that district deserve to have a representative. Congress was supposed to be in session the last couple weeks, in which case she have been sworn in. And so given the fact that session was canceled the last two weeks and it's apparently being canceled this coming week, they should swear her in in a pro forma session, as has been done before and as she's asking for. I just don't think that I don't understand why this is an issue at all.

[D]

Are you worried about the ramifications of that, say, if a Democrat speaker didn't swear in a Republican House member?

[A]

Yeah, I don't think it should matter what the party is. I mean, this is kind of the most basic thing, that every district is entitled to have a member of Congress representing them. When you win your election, you're entitled to be sworn in to represent that district. I don't know why it's an issue. It really shouldn't matter what party is in charge and what party is being elected.

[D]

All right, Congressman Kevin Kiley of California, thank you so much for getting up and joining me this morning. Really appreciate your time and giving me your perspective. Appreciate it.

[A]

All right. Thanks for having me.

[B]

And so some of the latest data I want to share with you about Prop 50. Democrats are now outspending Republicans by nearly $40 million on TV in California urging voters to back Governor Newsom's redistrict balloting initiative on November 4th. The Sacramento B, you see right here, new poll shows the majority of California voters support Proposition 50. The Cook Political Report True Dot poll shows the yes on Prop 50 at about 50% to no, 35%, 15% undecided. And by the way, I have my ballot right here, my return envelope for Prop 50 after this, going to go walk and drop it off right now. One of the interesting things about Prop 50, the stop the Republican vote rigging proposition here in California, there was a lot of bluster and intimidation tactics and I think bogus polls that Republicans were trying to push to say Prop 50 is never going to pass in California. It's deeply unpopular. Don't do it and back down. And I just think it's yet another example of where you actually stand up for convictions and stand up to these MAGA Republicans who are trying to rig the midterms that now we're seeing. The data reflect a great degree of popularity behind Prop 50. I'm not trying to get too cocky or, Eric, make sure if you're in California that you're aware that this Prop 50 voting is coming up right around the corner and get those early ballots in, but I just think it shows people standing up. I want to bring in Democratic Congressmember Maxwell Frost, who's been traveling the state and meeting with different groups of people getting the message out there about Prop 50. It's just interesting, Congressman, because I remember when Governor Newsom announced this, there was all of this media attention and negativity around it, and it seems that it's shifted in the other direction. Again, I don't want to get overconfident by any means, but to me, there's something there.

[C]

What do you make of it, exactly? And I think people really understand just how important this is. And what I told everyone at the canvas launch that we did with Mayor Bass the other day, and I'll say to you guys is this isn't just about California, right? This is a response to what Donald Trump has said that he wanted to do in Texas and in other states. And he knows that when they pass the big ugly bill which rips away health care from 17 million people, you usually don't win elections when you do something like that, when you stage the greatest transfer of wealth from the working class and working people to the billionaires and mega corporations. And so instead of undoing that, he knows that in order to win, he needs to cheat. And that's why he told Texas, redraw your maps and give me four to five new seats. That's why he is pressuring states across the country to give him more seats. And what California is doing is responding to that through Proposition 50. And, you know, the energy was so high in this room, Ben. I saw people. It was a multi generational, multiracial coalition. But the thing that really got me, too, is there were people there who are actually in Los Angeles on vacation. But they know it's so important that they decided to show up. And guess where they're from. They're from the state of Texas, where they're seeing this happen, but not in a democratic way, where they're seeing politicians just doing it because Donald Trump told them to do it.

[B]

You know, we now see Trump and J.D. vance trying to respond to what California did to respond to Texas by figuring out more ways to try to rig these midterms. So they're out there in Florida, they were out there in Indiana. They're going to everybody. I think, though, in those states, even though there's a little bit of, I don't know, fatigue is the right word, because, you know, Trump's going to try to push through whatever. But I just think among the People, it's like, enough. You did your thing in Texas. California is responding like, just stop the madness. Stop the craziness. I just think that as we head into the no Kings protest, to me, that's a theme that transcends a political party. It's just like, we're living in crazy times like this. Get back to freaking normalcy.

[C]

Exactly. And the thing is that, you know, this redistricting thing that Trump is trying to do, which is to try to essentially rig the election and cheat with the election, it's not popular. It's not popular with Republicans, it's not popular with Democrats, it's not popular with non party affiliates. We actually tested this in the state of Florida because DeSantis wants to do the same thing. Why does DeSantis want to do it? Well, number one, he's not going to be governor at the end of next year because he turns out, and he's trying to stay relevant. And Donald Trump hates Ron DeSantis. So now DeSantis is trying to curry favor with him and do anything that he says. And in fact, you know, it's interesting, most Republicans in the state of Florida say we don't want to change our maps, but what people should know is that the maps in Florida are already gerrymandered. They're already gerrymandered in our state. That's what happened two years ago. And now they want to do it even more. And the other interesting thing is even Congressional Republicans in Florida have come out and said they're not a fan of redistricting. They think it's going too far, which tells you something.

[B]

Well, and now you have Republican Congress members in California like Kevin Kiley. You know, he's out there saying, wait a minute, I'm going to lose my seat right now. Why are you doing this? And so you see, he's breaking with MAGA Mike Johnson strategy to keep the House closed. He's like, all right, let's swear in Adelita Grijalva now. And, you know, let's do these. When you start holding these people accountable, you start to see them respond that way. What do you. What do you make of that?

[C]

No, exactly. It wasn't until Gavin Newsom came up and said, we're going to put forth Proposition 50, that Kevin Kiley and some of his other colleagues came out and said, hey, actually, we're down to work with Democrats to ban gerrymandering. It's like, until it impacted them directly, they didn't give a shit about the entire thing. And that's Part of the issue here. And look, I think it's important we're not here to gaslight people. Politicians should not be choosing their voters. Voters should be choosing the politician. But what's happening in California is a response to something Donald Trump is doing. We can't be in this fight tying our hands behind our back. This is part of the reason why people don't view Democrats in the most favorable way right now. We have to be aggressive about the things we stand up for. We have to be 10 toes down. We have to be willing to fight. And that's what we need in this moment, fighters. And that's what Proposition 50 is all about. And so, but what I would tell Kevin Kiely is, look, if you, if you want to join forces with Democrats, get us enough votes, let's. Let's pass through something that will make sure that every single state plays by the same rules in terms of gerrymandering. Because here's the problem. The only states that have statewide independent redistricting committees are Democratic states. So you have Democratic states are doing this the right way, and then you have red states gerrymandering it and making it so that way the politicians are picking the voters. And that's not right. There is no statewide solution to gerrymandering. I'm sorry, there doesn't exist. It has to be a national law. So let's do this now to combat Trump, to fight against Trump and him trying to completely rig this democracy. Let's get into power, and then let's actually do the thing we're talking about, which I think is the most important part of this.

[B]

No, I think there's a parallel with Democrats finally fighting and standing up when it comes to Prop 50, with Democrats standing, standing up against Donald Trump and the Republicans government shutdown. Because where Democrats have stood firm and said, no, you have to protect people's health care. As MAGA Republicans went through each iteration of their lies and propaganda. First, immigrants and transgender people in Peru and this and that and the other thing, you know, today they're now like, all right, look, we basically have to repeal Obamacare and we got to get rid of it. And then what's your replacement? And Mike Johnson's like, we just have to repeal Obamacare. So it finally was like, that's your point, that you don't want Americans unhealthy. That's what this is about. And it took, I think, Democrats standing firm to really expose that. And then we're seeing what happens when you fight with Prop 50. I don't think it's a coincidence that those two things are happening. So before we go, I wanted you to speak to that congressman.

[C]

No, 100%. And look, unfortunately, the only thing a lot of people, especially Donald Trump and Mike Johnson, understand is when you respond with the same energy that they're bringing. And we saw Donald Trump come out a few weeks ago and say, well, you know, at some points, I was surprised that there wasn't as much pushback. And that's part of the issue. We have to push back with everything we have. And what we see is that when we're aggressive in the things that we believe in and we tell them, we're not going to let you walk all over us, then you start seeing cracks in their coalition. Take, for instance, what's going on now with the government shutdown. Donald Trump shut down the government because he'd rather shut down the government than make sure people can actually afford their health care. And he wants people to pay more for health care because it frees up money in the federal budget to give billionaires a tax break. Like that's what's going on. It's very simple. But here's the thing. When we are actually aggressive about what we believe in and we don't vote for an evil bill, now you starting to see that are certain Republicans in Congress coming out saying, well, maybe we ought to work with the Democrats and fix this healthcare problem. That wouldn't happen if we just did what they said. Right. And so for me, you know, we're in this era where not just our base, but Democrats as a whole are calling out to us saying, stand up, Stand up and stand tall for what we believe in. And when we do it, it's not only is it good policy, but it's good politics, too.

[B]

Election is November 4th, Prop 50 on the ballot here in California. Before we go, if people are watching this, if they live in California or if they live in another state and they want to be helpful in just getting the word out, what do you suggest that people do who are watching this? Because just in a few weeks, that vote's gonna take place.

[C]

Yeah. So first off, go vote. And if you live in California, you know that you have that mail in ballot already. Fill it out, send it in the mail. Just do it now. Okay. Once you do that, now we need your help to get out the word. So get involved with certain organizations you can. California Democratic Party proposition 50 grassroots Democrats HQ and find out where the canvases are in the phone banks are and go and get more people to vote too. That's what we need you to do in this moment so we can win this thing.

[B]

Congressmember Maxwell Frost. Appreciate you.

[C]

Thank you for having me.

[B]

Everybody hit subscribe. Let's get to 6 million subscribers. Thanks for watching. Be sure to add the Midas Touch podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast for new updates every single day.