Podcast Summary: "Blue Wave Sends Message to Trump: Americans Don't Like Being Dumped On"

The Tim & April Show – The New Evangelicals | Episode 61 | November 7, 2025

Hosts: Tim Whitaker & April Ajoy
Guest: Maurice Mitchell (National Director, Working Families Party)
Theme: Explores faith, politics, and culture from a post-evangelical, justice-centered Christian perspective, with a focus on the political "blue wave" in the 2025 elections.

Episode Overview

This episode celebrates the recent “blue wave” in the 2025 elections, analyses the significance for American democracy and Christian Nationalism, and dives into the cultural and political implications of this shift. Tim and April approach the subject from a progressive Christian lens, critiquing both far-right MAGA rhetoric and milquetoast Democratic establishment politics. They are joined by Maurice Mitchell from the Working Families Party, who discusses grassroots organizing and coalition-building. The episode also spotlights right-wing backlash, particularly Islamophobia and misogyny, following the historic win of Zoran Mamdani as New York City mayor.

1. Celebration of the 2025 "Blue Wave"

[03:00–13:36]

• Celebratory Mood: Both hosts open with light-hearted banter and a tongue-in-cheek “party” to toast the blue wave, noting the sense of relief at election outcomes bucking MAGA expectations.
  • Quote: "Enjoy the wind, friends. Soak it in. Feel relieved." — Tim [01:49]
  • Comically struggle to open a bottle of champagne (“I’ve never opened a bottle of champagne in my life. I’m scared of the pop.” — Tim [03:37])
• Significant Wins:
  • New York City mayoral race: Progressive Zoran Mamdani wins “handily”—a major upset against Cuomo despite establishment and billionaire backing.
  • “Several seats were flipped” in typically conservative areas like Mississippi, breaking the Republican supermajority.
  • “Democrats swept this election 100%.” — April [10:58]
• Personal Reflections: Both hosts, formerly embedded in Christian Nationalist circles, reflect on the meaning of the wins as pushback against Trumpism and anti-immigrant policies.
  • “A good sign that people are rejecting... the ICE raids... the propaganda, the hatred of one's own neighbor.” — Tim [07:26]

2. Context and Cautions—"The Work Is Just Beginning"

[11:06–14:10]

• Long-Term Perspective: Hosts temper the celebration by emphasizing entrenched Christian Nationalist networks.
  • “You’re not going to undo that with one election... The Christian nationalists have embedded themselves in our government for decades.” — Tim [11:29]
• Democratic Party Fatigue: Tim expresses disillusionment with Democratic leadership and calls for building alternative coalitions:
  • “I’m over them. I’m done with the Democratic Party. So many people I thought would endorse Mamdani did not. ... Establishment Dems are very much bought off, just like many MAGA Republicans are.” — Tim [11:54]
• Populism and Grassroots Change:
  • Mamdani’s victory attributed to authentic, grassroots populism, not billionaire or AIPAC backing.
  • “He’s for the people, by the people”—Notably, Mamdani refused to pander to pro-Israel interests in debate.

3. The Right-Wing/MAGA Backlash

[14:42–34:43]

• Trump’s “Great Gatsby” Party: Contrasted against economic hardship for everyday Americans.
  • “It’s this disconnect between the top and your everyday American people. The battle really is top and bottom, not left and right.” — April [52:40]
• Mike Johnson’s Spin (Speaker of the House):
  • Clips from Johnson frame the GOP as champions of the people; hosts debunk this as gaslighting given ongoing shutdowns and SNAP benefit cuts.
  • “The fact that Mike Johnson has the caucasity to say this is a government that’s working for the American people is baffling.” — Tim [23:44]
• Deliberate Destabilization:
  • Explains that undermining government programs and structures (“SNAP benefits debacle is intentional”) is a feature, not a bug, of Christian nationalist efforts.
  • “They want the government to be dismantled so they can remake it in the image of white Christian nationalism.” — Tim [28:53]
  • “[Project 2025], the SNAP benefits debacle is intentional.” — Tim [28:53]
• Voter Suppression/Gerrymandering Fears:
  • Trump and right-wingers respond with calls to eliminate mail-in voting and intensify voter ID laws, indicating a focus on suppressing turnout.
  • “They’re already planting those seeds of gerrymandering, voter suppression.” — April [32:11]

4. Islamophobia and Misogyny in the Right-Wing “Crash Out”

[33:25–47:12]

• Islamophobic Panic about Mamdani:
  • Numerous right-wing personalities describe Mamdani as a threat, painting his historic win as evidence of “Sharia law” or a “death certificate” for NYC.
  • “If you're going to pin 9/11 on Zoran Mamdani, I hope you’re ready to pin January 6th on your white evangelical pastor. That’s how stupid you sound.” — Tim [39:28]
• Projection:
  • The hosts call out projection—right-wing Christian nationalists accuse Mamdani and progressive Muslims of anti-LGBTQ agendas while advocating for similar repression themselves.
  • “It’s all projection, projection, projection. ... They are the very thing they’re critiquing.” — Tim [36:41]
• Misogyny—Calls to End Women's Suffrage:
  • Several right-wing influencers blame women for Democratic victories, openly discussing repeal of the 19th Amendment.
  • “Eventually you’ll agree with us that it’s time to repeal the 19th amendment and it may be sooner rather than later.” — Quoting right-wing commentator [46:24]
  • “The Overton window has moved so far right that their current the right wing is currently debating if a holocaust denying Nick Fuentes...should have a platform inside the GOP.” — Tim [46:24]

5. Hopeful Alternative—Interview: Maurice Mitchell, Working Families Party

[61:32–82:43]

• Introduction to Maurice Mitchell:
  • “I’m just a working class guy who grew up outside of New York City...I learned the value of hard work, of unions, and I wanted to fight for people like my parents.” — Maurice [62:24]
• Why the Working Families Party?
  • Formed as a response to corporate capture of the Democratic party (NAFTA, 1994 crime bill, welfare reform); rooted in labor, community, and economic justice.
  • “The Republican Party has one master: that crazy guy [Trump] and billionaires. The Democratic Party has two masters: sometimes the people, but often oligarchs.” — Maurice [62:54]
  • Not “just about fighting the horrible stuff...They want something to fight for.”
• Strategy – Building Power Outside the Duopoly:
  • Fusion voting in NY/CT—can cross-endorse Democratic candidates, giving them leverage.
  • “When you tally all those votes...we can say, hey, if it wasn’t for our voters, you wouldn’t be elected. Let’s talk about the governing.” — Maurice [70:09]
  • Also runs independent candidates when feasible.
• Populism That Delivers:
  • Real populism is about “dignity, economic dignity, affordability, and solidarity for everyday people,” not scapegoating or bigotry.
  • “People are hungry. People do want to believe. They just need something to believe in and a politics not just about fighting the horrible stuff.” — Maurice [67:38]
• Big Picture Takeaways:
  • The win in NYC is part of a national trend: “What’s taking place is actually happening everywhere.”
  • “Most people are clocking that, yes, the Republicans are crazy, but the Democrats are weak. And if my choice is between weak and crazy, those aren’t choices I like.” — Maurice [68:02]

6. Contrasting Political Styles: Hope vs. Division

[16:17–20:08]

• Zoran Mamdani’s Victory Speech—A New Kind of Leadership:
  • Memorable quote: “We will fight for you, because we are you.” [16:17]
  • Uplifting multicultural references—“Yemeni bodega owners, Mexican abuelas, Senegalese taxi drivers...” [16:17]
  • Democratic hope over MAGA fearmongering: “We chose hope together—hope over tyranny, hope over big money and small ideas, hope over despair.” [17:58]
• Contrast With Trump Rhetoric:
  • “Notice how he addresses all different types of people because he knows NYC is a diverse space....His approach is so different than how MAGA speaks.” — Tim [18:42]

7. “Weird Christian Shit”: The Car-Prayer Call-In

[85:22–91:38]

• Light Moment:
  • A televangelist promises prayer for a “sanctified car” (won’t play “raunchy music” or have “sex in the back seat”).
  • Tim prank-calls the prayer line, starts to request a Mercedes—and gets prayed for.
  • “If she was gonna ask for money first, that’s what I thought was gonna happen before I prayed. But when she went right into it, I’m like—if she’s sincere, I don’t want to yuck her yum.” — Tim [91:37]
  • April reflects on her own time working for a Christian prayer call center.

8. Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On celebrating the moment:
  • “Take this as a wind in the sails to our destination of liberation for all. Not as, okay, we can stop now.” — Tim [13:36]
• On the strategy of the Trump regime:
  • “What's happening in our government is not a bug. It is a feature of a white Christian nationalist takeover. Do you understand that?” — Tim [28:53]
• Islamophobia in response to Mamdani:
  • “Americans didn’t elect Mamdani, foreigners did. ... This is grand wizard talking points reimagined and re spoken in 2025 language. That’s all this is.” — Tim [47:12]
• Misogyny and the 19th Amendment:
  • “Repealing the 19th [women’s right to vote] is the moderate position.” — Brian Suave, cited by Tim [46:24]
  • “These people have big platforms.... They are deadly serious, and they're behind the Trump regime.” — Tim [41:07]
• Populism and hope:
  • “People want something to fight for, not just against.” — Maurice [67:38]
  • “People are hungry. People do want to believe. They just need something to believe in..." — Maurice [67:38]
• On Democratic Party shortcomings:
  • “The Democrats are weak. And if my choice is between weak and crazy, those aren’t choices I like.” — Maurice [68:02]
• On right-wing hypocrisy:
  • “It's all projection, projection, projection.... They are the very thing they're critiquing.” — Tim [36:41]
  • “Every war has been started by someone with a penis.” — April [43:52]

Key Timestamps

• [03:00] – Hosts celebrate election results and Zoran Mamdani’s victory
• [11:06] – Discussion: Blue wave as a sign, but just the beginning
• [16:17] – Mamdani’s victory speech montage
• [23:28] – Mike Johnson’s GOP talking points (and hosts’ real-time fact checks)
• [28:53] – Deep dive: Christian nationalism’s plan to dismantle government
• [33:25] – Islamophobic and misogynistic right-wing backlash to Mamdani’s win
• [41:14] – Right-wing extremist calls to repeal the 19th amendment
• [61:32] – Interview with Maurice Mitchell (Working Families Party)
• [85:31] – “Weird Christian Shit”: Call-in to car prayer line

Conclusion — What Does It All Mean?

The episode closes with a sense of celebration—yes, progressive and common-sense expertise won important ground, but the struggle is far from over. Tim and April's tone is both hopeful and grounded, warning against both complacency (“the work is just beginning”) and cynicism (“people want something to fight for, not just against”). Maurice Mitchell’s appearance adds tactical nuance and community-grounded optimism for those tired of being forced to choose between “weak” establishment Democrats and “crazy” MAGA. The show also does not shy from lampooning or sharply critiquing the right’s Islamophobic and misogynistic panic in the face of change.

Final Message:
The struggle for justice, dignity, and compassion must continue, both within and outside America’s entrenched political parties. Despite backlash, diverse coalitions, grassroots populism, and honest conversations show a “better path forward” is possible.

For Listeners Who Haven’t Heard the Episode:
This summary offers a full sense of the hosts' humor and perspective, a clear breakdown of key news, and an authentic insight into both hope and challenge at the intersection of faith and politics in 2025’s tumultuous and historic landscape.