So how do you think the media has played a role, Mark, in the 2024 election and And now as we're moving into the midterms here in 2026.

Well, and as someone who's been doing political campaigns for more than 20 years now, I got my start in campaign politics in 2004, I believe, 2003, when I first left the media before going back to it.

And you always have to adapt to the different changing communications preferences, needs of each of the generations.

You know, when I was starting out, we were trying to figure out email and how do we email people? And the Obama campaign back in 08 was brilliant.

at reaching out and using online and email communications.

Then, of course, the Republicans took off and really got into digital text messaging and things like that.

The broadcast networks, the cable networks, they're always going to be a player, but you're using them for different people.

How do we do that?

How are you watching what's going on on the Democratic side? And how does it compare to what Republicans have done to bring in new coalitions?

Yeah, and I think what they're going through is the same thing that we went through back when I was working on the first Trump campaign in 2016, when you had the kind of divide between the traditional old guard of the Republican Party and the new MAGA Donald Trump wing.

And so you have to navigate that.

So the problem that Democrats, I think, are going to face, I don't want to speak on behalf of Jamie, is that when moderate Democrats, Blue Dog Democrats and other non-progressive Democrats are going to be forced to answer for the positions of the progressive wing, And if they disavow that, then you run the risk of alienating the base of the party, which right now you're needing that progressive, young, aggravated base to go out, knock on doors and do the shoe leather things that Jamie was worried about earlier, because that's who's doing it right now.

It's not the older guard, the more moderate blue dogs, the Clinton Democrats that we used to remember.

They're enjoying retirement or getting ready to.

They're not out there knocking on doors and you can't alienate the base that is.

But is that a different conversation in the general election when a recent Reuters Ipsos poll out this week finds that President Trump's approval rating has fallen to 33 percent, the lowest of his presidency? At this point, do candidates want his endorsement? Will it be helpful?

The people in his own district are gonna choose Randy Villegas over David Valadao.

[cheering] [applauding]

How are you watching what's going on, uh, on the Democratic side, and how does it compare to, to what Republicans, uh, have done to, to bring in new coalitions?

Yeah, and I think what they're going through is the same thing that we went through back when I was working on the first Trump campaign in 2016, when you had the kinda divide between the traditional old guard of the Republican Party and the new MAGA Donald Trump wing.

And so you have to navigate that.

So the problem that Democrats, I think, are going to face, and I don't wanna speak on behalf of Jaime, is that when moderate Democrats, Blue Dog Democrats, and other non-progressive Democrats are gonna be forced to answer for the positions of the progressive wing.

And if they disavow that, then you run the risk of alienating the base of the party, which right now you're needing that progressive, young, aggravated base to go out, knock on doors, and do the shoe leather things that Jaime was worried about earlier, because that's who's doing it right now.

It's not the older guard, the more moderate Blue Dogs, the Clinton Democrats that we used to remember.

So when we talk about ICE being under attack in Chicago, being under attack in Portland, when you're seeing people, I mean, literally these groups, Antifa, putting out, doxing families of ICE members, when it comes to supporting the federal agents that are doing their jobs as they're allowed to, as actually commanded by the Constitution, all issues of naturalization up to the federal government, why can't you send the National Guard in to protect them? You can, can't you? Well, you can't protect them

in terms of federal facilities and you can't have them protect federal agents while they're engaging in their operations.

The difference is that as posse comitatus, you cannot actually have the military do police powers also because police powers are reserved for the states.

Most crimes are state crimes, not federal crimes.

And so that's the issue that you have.

It's obviously there's the Insurrection Act.

They can protect federal agents.

Will the Democrats give in because they have no leverage? Are you going to see some weak-kneed Republicans say, let's all get along? How does this end?