Why Red And Blue States Are Waging A Redistricting War

Summary

What A Day Podcast Summary
Episode: Why Red And Blue States Are Waging A Redistricting War
Release Date: August 1, 2025
Host: Jane Coaston, Crooked Media

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Introduction to the Redistricting Battle

In today's episode of What A Day, host Jane Coaston delves into the escalating conflict over congressional redistricting across the United States. Redistricting, the process of redrawing electoral district boundaries, traditionally occurs every ten years following the census. However, recent actions by both Republican and Democratic state leaders have accelerated this process, sparking what Coaston describes as "America's hottest club."

Key Highlights:

• Republican Push: Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis are leading efforts to redraw congressional maps ahead of the usual cycle. Texas, in particular, seeks to gain a legislative advantage by flipping five Democratic seats in the 2026 midterms through a new congressional map released on Wednesday.

• Democratic Response: In a notable shift, California Governor Gavin Newsom has proposed a special election focused on redistricting, signaling that redistricting battles are not confined to conservative states.

Notable Quote:

“If we're going to play fair in a world that is wholly unfair, we may have the higher moral ground, but the ground is shifting from underneath us. And I think we have to wake up to that reality.”
— Justin Levitt, Constitutional Law Professor [01:24]

Expert Insights with Justin Levitt

Jane Coaston interviews Justin Levitt, a constitutional law professor at Loyola Law School and former White House senior advisor. Levitt provides a critical analysis of the current redistricting frenzy, emphasizing its detrimental impact on democracy.

Key Points:

• Partisan Gerrymandering: Levitt explains that redistricting is increasingly becoming a tool for partisan advantage rather than a fair representation of population changes. He highlights Texas Republicans' strategic efforts to redraw maps outside the normal cycle to maintain House control.

• Racist Tactics: Democrats accuse the new Texas map of being "blatantly racist," arguing that it splits voters of color to create more predominantly white districts. Levitt concurs, noting the reliance on a potentially fluctuating Latino Republican electorate in Texas.

• Legal Challenges: The episode touches on the legality of redistricting maneuvers. Levitt states, “It's not really legal to fight gerrymandering with more gerrymandering,” referencing the Supreme Court's 2019 stance that excessive partisan gerrymandering is unconstitutional yet remains unenforceable by federal courts.

Notable Quotes:

“There's no federal law that stops [extreme gerrymandering].”
— Justin Levitt [06:03]

“This is horrible for democracy. I mean, no two ways about it.”
— Justin Levitt [08:30]

The Democratic Predicament

Levitt discusses the potential consequences if Democrats engage in similar redistricting tactics:

• Democratic Overreach: In states like California, Democrats could redraw maps to secure an entirely Democratic delegation, effectively eliminating Republican competitiveness. However, Levitt warns that such moves would undermine democratic principles and escalate the partisan death spiral.

• Call for Congressional Action: Levitt emphasizes the need for Congress to establish rules to prevent states from engaging in self-serving redistricting practices, though he remains skeptical about timely legislative intervention.

Notable Quote:

“If we're going to drive the car all the way off the cliff where there is no road, it's not three to four House seats. It's eight to nine House seats in California, it's three House seats in Illinois. It's all of them.”
— Justin Levitt [10:59]

Addressing the Partisan War

When asked about escaping the partisan redistricting spiral, Levitt compares the situation to deterrence in nuclear strategy. He suggests that demonstrating the catastrophic consequences of extreme gerrymandering could dissuade both parties from pursuing such tactics.

Notable Quote:

“Show them what the world after looks like. When I was growing up, there was a film called The Day After that showed you nuclear war imprinted on my brain.”
— Justin Levitt [12:57]

Broader News Coverage

Following the in-depth discussion on redistricting, What A Day transitions to various news segments, excluding advertisements and non-content sections.

Trade Tensions with Canada

President Donald Trump has escalated trade tensions by increasing tariffs on Canadian goods from 25% to 35%. This move comes in response to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's announcement to recognize Palestinian statehood at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly.

Notable Quotes:

“They have been charging very, very high tariffs to our farmers, some over 200%, and they've been treating our farmers very badly.”
— Donald Trump [19:41]

“Wow. Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine. That will make it very hard for us to make a trade deal with them.”
— Donald Trump [19:26]

Diplomatic Efforts in Gaza

White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt announces a diplomatic mission to Gaza by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Ambassador Mike Huckabee. The team aims to assess aid distribution and gather firsthand accounts of the humanitarian crisis.

Notable Quotes:

“Special envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee will make recommendations to the president on aid distribution following the visit.”
— Caroline Levitt [20:24]

Controversial Remarks on Epstein Case

President Trump made headlines by suggesting that Virginia Giuffre was "stolen" by Jeffrey Epstein. This statement has drawn condemnation from Giuffre's family, who reject Trump's characterization and call for strict prosecution of Epstein's associates.

Notable Quotes:

“I think she worked at the spa. I think so. I think that was one of the people he stole her.”
— Donald Trump [21:53]

Revival of the Presidential Fitness Test

In a move blending nostalgia with policy, Trump has reinstated the Presidential Fitness Test, aimed at promoting physical fitness among schoolchildren. The reintroduction includes classic exercises like push-ups and sit-ups.

Notable Quotes:

“We're officially restoring the Presidential Fitness Test and the Presidential Fitness Award, and it's going to be a very big thing.”
— Donald Trump [23:22]

Conclusion

Jane Coaston's episode provides a comprehensive examination of the emerging redistricting wars in the United States, highlighting the implications for democracy and partisan balance. Through expert insights and current events analysis, listeners gain a nuanced understanding of how redistricting efforts by both major parties could reshape the political landscape ahead of the 2026 midterms.

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Notable Episode Quotes:

“What a Day is the show that thanks President Donald Trump for focusing on the real issues.”
— Jane Coaston [00:02]

“It's really a playground fight, but they're fighting with knives.”
— Justin Levitt [07:54]

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For more insights and updates, subscribe to What A Day on your favorite podcast platform or watch it on YouTube. Stay informed with Crooked Media's commitment to delivering substantive analysis on today's most pressing issues.

Transcript

[Jane Coston]

It's Friday, August 1st. I'm Jane Coston, and this is what a day. The show that thanks President Donald Trump for focusing on the real issues. Because, sure, his biggest legislative victory thus far this term is a massive cut to Medicaid, but the administration is going to spend $200 million on a new White House ballroom. Yes, a new 90,000 square foot ballroom. Priorities. On today's show, Trump lashes out at Canada for saying it would recognize a Palestinian state in September. And get ready for more push ups, kids, because the presidential fitness test is back. And if you have no idea what I'm talking about, consider yourself lucky. But let's start by talking about redistricting. Don't click away. It's interesting, I promise, because everyone's talking about congressional redistricting. Trump really wants redistricting. Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott wants whatever Trump wants. So redistricting it is. Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis wants to redo the whole dang census to pave the way for surprise redistricting. Even California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom said Thursday that he wants a special election this November focused on, you guessed it, redistricting. Here he is on Pod Save America last month where he first floated the idea of redrawing the state's maps.

[Justin Levitt]

And so from my perspective, if we're going to play fair in a world that is wholly unfair, we may have the higher moral ground, but the ground is shifting from underneath us. And I think we have to wake up to that reality.

[Jane Coston]

So it looks like America's hottest club is redistricting. It does everything, drawing lines, Congress, angry people. But what does redistricting actually mean? In theory, it means redrawing electoral districts, in this case for Congress, in ways that are supposed to accurately reflect population changes. Typically, we do it every 10 years after the completion of the census to figure out how many House seats each state gets. In practice, redistricting regularly turns into the equivalent of a partisan bar fight. But Texas Republicans are taking it to new levels right now, all, all in service of their ever demanding orange overlord. Trump wants the state to redraw its congressional map well outside of the normal 10 year cycle to help keep Republicans in control of the House in next year's midterms. And that's why all these other states are threatening to do the same. A race to the bottom of our already frayed Democratic norms. I'll be honest with you. Before about two weeks ago, I had put approximately zero thought into congressional redistricting. But think about the thing you care about the most. You want to fight climate change, anti trans laws, the situation in Gaza. Do you want to keep your health care coverage? Well, my friend, then you care about redistricting. It's where all this important stuff starts. But let's be real. I care a lot about the 2026 midterms because I care a lot about America. I want Democrats to win the 2026 midterms and take control of Congress. And it's pretty clear a mid cycle redistricting push to maximize partisan results is bad for democracy. But could it be good for Democrats? To find out more, I spoke to Justin Levitt. He's a constitutional law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles and a former White House senior advisor to the Biden administration. Justin, welcome to Water Day.

[Justin Levitt]

Thank you so much. It's a pleasure to be here.

[Jane Coston]

So Texas lawmakers just released their first draft of the state's new congressional map on Wednesday. Essentially, the goal is to flip five Democratic seats in the 2026 midterms. What's your take on that map?

[Justin Levitt]

They've designed a map that's designed to do that if everything works out right for them. So they did what they promised to do. I'll say they're banking on a lot of information about a lot of Texas voters, including presidential turnout. But races are weird. And if this looks more like 2018 than 2020 or 2024, then they might well have given some districts over to Democrats they don't expect.

[Jane Coston]

Democrats have said that the map is blatantly racist because it essentially splits voters of color to make districts more white. Is that the basic strategy there?

[Justin Levitt]

Yeah. And particularly in Texas, I think that they're relying on a particularly Latino Republican electorate that might or might not show up and that might or might not still prefer the Republican Party. The Republican Party has not been taking many policy steps designed to appeal to its Latino supporters. In fact, someone argued doing exactly the opposite. And so we'll see which voters decide to show up and who they prefer.

[Jane Coston]

Right. And obviously we have to talk about the timing of all of this because this is not usually when states redraw their lines. It happens after the census. The last one was in 2020. So we basically just did this. Is there any precedent for this for people just being like, hell, yeah, let's redistrict?

[Justin Levitt]

There is, unfortunately, precedent. There's precedent even in Texas. The last time Texas tried this was 20 years ago, and Democrats fled the state twice in order to try to stop them.

[Jane Coston]

I remember this.

[Justin Levitt]

Yeah, they camped out in little motels outside of the state In New Mexico and in Oklahoma, Willie Nelson sent a case of bourbon like you had. Tom delay got in trouble for calling in the faa. It was nuts. And we're about to go nuts again. There's not that much precedent outside of Texas. A few states have done it on a few occasions. Georgia's done it a little bit. Some other states have done it sort of mostly on the margins. Texas goes big when it goes. And here, here we go again.

[Jane Coston]

Yeah. And apparently Texas Democrats are fundraising to potentially leave the state to block GOP backed redistricting right now. So Willie Nelson, if you've got that bourbon available, you may need to send.

[Justin Levitt]

Yeah, pack up another. Another set of crates.

[Jane Coston]

You are a former Justice Department lawyer. The current Justice Department under Trump gave Texas a legal justification to redraw their congressional districts. It sent the state a letter claiming some of these districts were an unconstitutional gerrymander. First off, is there any basis to that claim?

[Justin Levitt]

No.

[Jane Coston]

Okay.

[Justin Levitt]

And I can say flatly no. The letter they sent, first of all, didn't look like any Department of Justice letter that I have ever had a part in sending or even seen sent out. It was two pages, it was pretty shoddy, it was filled with typos. It didn't sort of get into the basic distinctions between fundamental legal principles, which made me wonder, were the people incompetent or was it just partisan pretext and the fact that I don't know the answer?

[Donald Trump]

Little column B. Yeah, that's not a.

[Justin Levitt]

Good place for the Department of Justice to live. It's also, if it was partisan pretext, it's also illegal. You can't use public office to further a partisan purpose if you're a federal government employee. And I took those rules from really seriously when I was in the doj. It sure looks like they did it cuz they could because they wanted to further President Trump's request to get five more seats. And that sure looks like it's illegal. And I think there's actually been a request for an investigation under the Hatch act sent out precisely because of that.

[Jane Coston]

How is it legal to fight gerrymandering with more gerrymandering?

[Justin Levitt]

It's not really legal to fight gerrymandering with more gerrymandering. The Supreme Court said in 2019, excessive partisan gerrymandering is inconsistent with Democratic principles. It's illegal, it's unconstitutional. It's just that they also said in basically the same breath, we're not going to stop anybody and the federal courts aren't available to stop anybody. So it said it's Unconstitutional, but go fix it yourselves. So now there's a question about whether other states are going to break the law in order to respond to Texas breaking the law. This has become essentially a. Well, I was going to say a playground fight, but they're fighting with knives. And that's not normally how most playground fights work.

[Jane Coston]

Well, I mean, it does really seem like now Democrats are the kids on the playground saying that, you know, he hit me first, but also again with knives. Because we're seeing leaders in Democratic states basically saying, like, if they go low, we will meet them in hell. Which part of me kind of appreciates that. But, you know, you're seeing California Governor Gavin Newsom tweeting, quote, two can play that game. Democrats in New York introduced a bill to redistrict state congressional maps as well. Governor Kathy Hochul said, quote, all is fair in love and war. Which I'm glad we're getting all of our good quotes out. But like, is this a good idea?

[Justin Levitt]

Yeah, this is horrible for democracy. I mean, no two ways about it. This is really bad for democracy. What Texas is doing and other states that respond would also be bad for democracy. That's the problem. That's why we have laws. To stop this sort of thing is to stop self help. It's what helps keep us from just beating each other. And when law gives out, you're starting to see a little bit more of this combat. I'll say. The opportunities for Democrats to respond are better in some states than others. So New York, that may be a lot of hot talk. It's going to be really hard for New York to actually change the rules. And the last time it tried to gerrymander, the courts stopped New York from doing that and put in a different map of its own. Conditions are better in California. Conditions are better in Jersey. Conditions are already really ripe in Illinois.

[Jane Coston]

But California has an independent redistricting Commission. Because about 15 years ago, we had this whole conversation and voters said, we do not want legislators doing this. We want an independent commission. And now Governor Newsom is saying, like.

[Justin Levitt]

Actually, well, I think he's going to ask the voters, actually, okay. And the voters might actually say, well, actually. So you're absolutely right. In 2010, we had this discussion and we even had this discussion with people saying, should we stop ourselves from being able to draw crooked districts because somebody else might do it. We had the. We had the exact retaliation response that. That's in the conversation now. And voters, emphatically bipartisan Democrats didn't want Democrats doing this and Republicans didn't want Democrats doing this. So a really bipartisan measure to say no. We want the voters to choose politicians, not vice versa. We want to be in control here. And I wonder whether Texas has gotten so piggy, whether they've gotten so egregious that California voters will sit back and say, well, that was fine for normal conditions, but we're in an abnormal zone now and we might want to change the Constitution. We get to do that. And it's a lot easier to change California's constitution than the federal constitution.

[Jane Coston]

Yeah, it really does seem stupid if you're in a blue state to not redistrict to be in the favor of Democrats while red states are redistricting to be in the favor of Republicans. But I know you think this is bad for democracy and it probably is. But Democrats losing, I think people would argue is worse for democracy. So what would be your advice to Democrats right now?

[Justin Levitt]

My response is, if we're going to drive the car all the way off the cliff where there is no road, it's not three to four House seats. It's eight to nine House seats in California, it's three House seats in Illinois. It's all of them. I mean, to be clear here, the mutually assured destruction that is nuclear war means that you don't have to draw lines that connect districts to each other. I can take you and I can take your partner living in the same house and put you in different districts. I can take a little dot from one place and a dot in another and a band down below and draw a smiley face if I want to. There's no federal law that stops that. So if Democrats in California really want to take a really big swing, they could effectively make the California delegation entirely Democratic, and I mean entirely, while still complying with the Voting Rights act, because there is room in those districts to spread around to make any Republican's life in the state magnificently difficult. That's not good for democracy. But I can understand why people are tempted. And I don't know if it's gonna take a real wake up call, like no rules for Congress to finally step in and say, okay, this is silly, we need rules. It seems like nothing wakes Congress up except for massive scandal. And I think what Texas has been courting right now is massive scandal.

[Jane Coston]

So I know you are saying we should not do this, but also you are saying we could make Republicans life, quote, magnificently difficult, which to me sounds fun. So what is the alternative here? What is your case for getting out of this partisan death spiral? Even if the partisan death spiral sometimes is kind of fun.

[Justin Levitt]

So Texas hasn't done what it said it's going to do yet.

[Jane Coston]

Okay.

[Justin Levitt]

It's about to. It's very clearly about to. And, and I still believe that you build up your nuclear arsenal not to use it, but to convince the other side not to use theirs. So I think showing Republicans what the response will be if they go ahead and pass the again, 100% unconstitutional maps in Texas, probably violating the Voting Rights act, probably doing a bunch of stuff that is illegal. Show them what the world after looks like. When I was growing up, there was a film called the Day after that showed you nuclear war imprinted on my brain. People need to see what the world afterward looks like. That's step one. And I will hope that that's enough deterrence to let California keep the institutions that have really been serving California voters. Well. I want to emphasize the California Commission has been doing right by the citizens of the state. And so I really don't want that to go away, even temporarily. If the California voters are going to toss that aside, I would want it to be very temporary. I want it to be explicitly contingent. You only get to do this if there's a finding that some other state has gone off the rails. And I'd want it to be so unmistakably big that it sent a signal that we don't ever have to do this again.

[Jane Coston]

Justin, thank you so much for joining me. You've done the impossible and made redistricting kind of fun and entertaining and also a little scary.

[Justin Levitt]

A little scary.

[Jane Coston]

A little scary. Thank you. Of course, that was my conversation with Justin Levitt, Constitutional Law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles and a former White House Senior advisor to the Biden administration. We'll get to more of the news in a moment, but if you like the show, make sure to subscribe, leave a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts and share with your friends. More to come after some ads. What a Day is brought to you by Ollie. I don't mention him on the show all the time, but I love my dog. I love his habit of lying in the doorway in an attempt to stop me from leaving. I love his big silly paws and I love the fact that his ears act like emotional weather vanes. When his ears get flat, he is very annoyed. So yeah, I care a lot about what my dog eats and that's why I feed him Ollie. Ollie delivers clean, fresh nutrition in five drool worthy flavors, even for the pickiest eaters. Made in US Kitchens with highest quality human grade ingredients. Ollie's food contains no fillers, no preservatives, just real food with five protein packed recipes like Fresh Beef with Sweet Potatoes or Fresh Turkey with Blueberries. Even the pickiest eaters can't resist. You might think, dang, my dog eats better than I do and honestly, when it comes to Ollie, that's probably true. Here's how it works. You fill out Ollie's 32nd quiz and they'll create a customized meal plan based on your pup's weight, activity level and other health information. For any first timers, Ollie will send out your pup's first box with two weeks worth of meals, a free storage container for mess free serving and a guide to how to gradually switch them over to their new diet. Ollie offers three meal plans to choose from so you can choose between a full fresh plan, a fresh topper plan or a mixed plan with their freshly baked recipes for your special dog. They also have treats and supplements. Ollie is one of a kind just like your dog. Ollie is the only fresh dog food that comes with unlimited routine health screening so you can get your pup on track to living their healthiest, happiest life. Dogs deserve the best and that means fresh, healthy food. Head to ollie.com wad tell them all about your dog and use code WAD to get 60% off your welcome kit when you subscribe today. Plus they offer a happiness guarantee on the first box so if you're not completely satisfied you you'll get your money back. That's O L L I e.com WAAD and enter code WAAD to get 60% off your first box.

[Caroline Levitt]

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[Justin Levitt]

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[Caroline Levitt]

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[Justin Levitt]

Learn more at ingrezza.com that's I N G R E Z Z A dot.

[Jane Coston]

Com in Grezza.

[Caroline Levitt]

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[Jane Coston]

Here's what else we're following today. Head of Lines.

[Justin Levitt]

What'S the hold up.

[Jane Coston]

With the negotiations with Canada?

[Donald Trump]

Well, they have to pay a fair rate. It's all it's very simple. They have been charging very, very high tariffs to our farmers, some over 200%, and they've been treating our farmers very badly. They've been treating our country very badly for years.

[Jane Coston]

President Trump was light on details Thursday afternoon when asked about the potential terms of a trade deal between the US And Canada. Just hours later, though, he issued an executive order increasing the tariff rate from 25% to 35%. It's a big deal because Canada is one of our largest trading partners. It's not totally clear why Trump made the change, but it could have something to do with a recent announcement from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

[Justin Levitt]

Canada intends to recognize the state of.

[Jane Coston]

Palestine at the 80th session of the.

[Justin Levitt]

United Nations General assembly in September 2025.

[Jane Coston]

Carney made the announcement to recognize Palestinian statehood if certain conditions are met on Wednesday. It follows similar moves from France and the United Kingdom. Trump wasn't happy about that. He posted on Truth Social the following morning, quote, wow. Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine. That will make it very hard for us to make a trade deal with them. Oh, Canada. By threatening to tie foreign policy into ongoing trade negotiations, Trump Trump is essentially using the recognition of Palestinian statehood as a bargaining chip.

[Caroline Levitt]

Special envoy Witkoff and Ambassador Huckabee will be traveling into Gaza to inspect the current distribution sites and secure a plan to deliver more food and meet with local Gazans to hear firsthand about this dire situation on the ground.

[Jane Coston]

That was White House press secretary Caroline Levitt previewing a diplomatic trip to Gaza today, she said Special envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee will make recommendations to the president on aid distribution following the visit. Witkoff met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem Thursday to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Levitt called the meeting, quote, very productive, which is interesting since as recently as this very week Netanyahu has claimed that there is no starvation in Gaza. Trump posted a Truth Social on the topic Thursday, writing, quote, the fastest way to end the humanitarian crises in Gaza is for Hamas to surrender and release the hostages. Trump has been vocal in recent days about not wanting to reward the terrorist organization as countries in the United Nations Group of Seven continue to announce their conditional support for a Palestinian state. On Thursday, the Gaza Ministry of Health said that more than 100 people there had died over the last 24 hours, most of them while seeking aid. The family of one of Jeffrey Epstein's most prominent accusers say they are shocked by Trump's recent comments about the disgraced financier and convicted sex criminal. Specifically, the family of Virginia Giuffre pointed to Trump's claim this week that Epstein, quote, stole her from him. Mr. President, one of those stolen, you know, persons that include Virginia, Jeffrey, I don't know.

[Donald Trump]

I think she worked at the spa. I think so. I think that was one of the people he stole her.

[Jane Coston]

Trump made the remark Tuesday on Air Force One. Giuffre died by suicide earlier this year, her family wrote in a statement released late Wednesday, quote, it was shocking to hear President Trump invoke our sister and say that he was aware that Virginia had been stolen from Mar? A Lago. They added, quote, it makes us ask if he was aware of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's criminal actions. Maxwell was Epstein's co conspirator and is serving a 20 year prison sentence for her role in their scheme to abuse girls and young women. Giuffre's family also criticized the Department of Justice's recent meeting with Maxwell, who they called, quote, a monster who deserves to rot in prison for the rest of her life. They asked the Trump administration not to offer her any leniency. Trump's comments also call into question exactly why his years long friendship with Epstein ended. Previously, the White House said that Trump and Epstein fell out because Epstein was, quote, being a creep to women at Mar? A Lago. But Virginia Giuffre, who worked as a spa attendant there, claims she first met Maxwell at the club in 2000. That's four years before Epstein and Trump's supposed falling.

[Donald Trump]

I was always a person that loved playing sports. I was good at sports.

[Jane Coston]

Oh, is that what caused the bone spurs that got him out of the Vietnam draft? Hmm. Trump signed an executive order Thursday at the White House.

[Donald Trump]

We're officially restoring the Presidential Fitness Test and the Presidential Fitness Award, and it's going to be a very big thing.

[Jane Coston]

Great. Now school children across the country will once again know the shame of not being able to touch their toes or do a single pull up. I'm glad the President of the United States has his priorities in line. Trump signed the order re establishing the Presidential Fitness Tests flanked by the usual Suspects. Vice President J.D. vance, Education Secretary Linda McMahon, and WWE hall of Famer Triple H. The program was created in the 60s and rolled out in schools across the country to promote healthy lifestyles for kids. A lot of you probably remember it and some of you may still be scarred by it. The tests included running sit ups, pull ups or push ups, and that infamous and aforementioned sit and reach, which I. I was really good at. During the Obama administration, the program was phased out to focus more on individual health rather than athletic feats. At least this executive order is bringing about a fun new acronym for us to use. According to the White House, the initiative is Making America Active Again, or maa. And that's the news. Before we go, the cricket store's best selling and always relevant. Call Congress Merch got a design refresh? It's a little bolder because 2025 is not a time for subtlety and we have a lot to be calling Congress about. Pick out a tee in blue or gray and make sure everyone you know has Congress's number. Check out the new design [e-mail] store that's all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe. Leave a review. Remember that no matter what, you can properly say the name of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and tell your friends to listen. And if you're into reading and not just about how President Trump always deeply plugged into sports in a way that definitely doesn't scream. I last enjoyed a sporting event in 1993. Got completely lost during a press conference on the Presidential Fitness Test.

[Donald Trump]

I was on the council and Tua Tag O Valia, the quarterback who is really. He's been fantastic like me.

[Jane Coston]

What a Day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and [e-mail] subscribe I'm Jane Coston and it's Tua Tangovailoa. Tua Tonga Loa. See, now you're doing better than the President of the United States. What a Day is a production of Crooked Media. It's recorded and mixed by Desmond Taylor. Our associate producer is Emily Foer. Our producer is Michelle Aloy. Our video editor is Joseph Dutra. Our video producer is Johanna Case. We had production help today from Greg Walters, Matt Berg, Gina Pollack and Laura Newcomb. Our senior producer is Erica Morrison and our senior vice president of news and politics is Adrienne Hill. We had help with the headlines from the Associated Press. Our theme music is by Colin Gilliard and Kashaka. Our production staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America east hi.

[Andy Richter]

There, it's Andy Richter, and I'm here to tell you about my podcast, the three Questions with Andy Richter. Each week I invite friends, comedians, actors and musicians to discuss these three questions. Where do you come from, where are you going, and what have you learned? New episodes are out every Tuesday with guests like Julie Bowe and Ted Danson, Tig Notaro, Will Arnett, Phoebe Bridgers and more. You can also tune in for my weekly Andy Richter Call in Show episodes, where me and a special guest invite callers to weigh in on topics like dating, disasters, bad teachers and lots more. Listen to the three Questions with Andy Richter wherever you get your podcasts.

[Caroline Levitt]

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