Thanks to Usamah Andradi and Geoff Simpson from Justice Democrats for joining us today. For episode 253, we’re talking about Donald Trump’s low point — his awful response to the move to release the Epstein papers; his low approval rating — and how progressive Dems in New York and beyond are grabbing national attention. Watch below:

Justice Democrats have provided essential support to grassroots progressives as they run up against the status quo in national and local elections. Andradi and Simpson help us think about how Democrats can answer a moment of profound weakness in the Democratic Party, as Trump totally fumbles his support among the MAGA base but Democrats fail to act as an opposition party. With the kind of failure of leadership that people like Schumer showed by capitulating during the shutdown, it’s only natural that American voters are looking for something else.

Hence new, exciting, and successful candidates like Mamdani, and like Chi Ossé, also running in New York to unseat Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. We talk to Andradi and Simpson about how Trump’s failures in office call for Democratic leadership, why the old guard isn’t meeting the moment, and what we can do about it. You can listen to this conversation as a podcast when it releases tomorrow on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other streaming platforms.