In Episode 303 of Krystal Kyle & Friends, Krystal sits down with Corbin Trent, former AOC staffer, author of America’s Undoing, and Justice Dems co-founder. Because Corbin has had a front-row seat to the political struggles, intrigues, and networks of power in Washington, our conversation this week touches on what’s all over the news right now — challenges to Schumer as Senate Majority Leader. We talk about the newest revelations with the victory of Democrat Scott Colom in DEEP MAGA territory. And we take a look at the bright spots in the new freshman class in the House. Watch below:

It seems clear to those outside the political establishment that the midterms reflected a massive popular mandate against Trumpism and in favor of putting Dem leadership in office to kick out his allies. And our hope is that the Democrats actually use that power. No more excuses! The party has pushed forward leaders that shut out Medicare for All by foregrounding an “anti-Trump” agenda. Trump doesn’t hold any of the cards anymore. So we need to keep applying the pressure on new Dem leadership to follow through and take advantage of the party’s new heights of power. That means opposing Schumer’s bid for Senate Majority Leader. Backed most prominently by Bernie Sanders and Abdul El-Sayed, and now by a growing list of other Dems listening to their constituents’ demands for change, Chris van Hollen has become the primary progressive challenger. Corbin’s case against Schumer and Jeffries as the leaders of both of Congress’s chambers is that these two leaders don’t reflect where the party is going — that aren’t in touch with where the party headed in the next few (undoubtedly tumultuous) years. It’s also been a moment of failed leadership from AOC, who has shown that she has no intention of challenging Jeffries’ run. But it’s not just her — this is, again, a massive opportunity for the party with majorities everywhere to show that it can actually understand the lessons of the midterms, and many aren’t willing to fully step up to the moment.

What opportunities do we as the American people have to drag our representatives away from uninspiring establishment options? Not only have the people voted unequivocally progressive new leadership into office, but the fights against status quo candidates like Schumer and Jeffries help us build new political infrastructure, ramp up progressive and leftist organizing, and build a solid coalition of voters who are sick and tired of politics as usual, because the status quo candidates won’t be speaking to them at all. Now is the time for a Democratic Party with strong wind beneath its wings to capitalize on widespread public outrage in order to push through Medicare for All, minimum wage hike, and other policies that until now, we haven’t had a strong enough bloc to support. What will Dems make of this moment? It’s a pleasure to talk to Corbin about political struggles into which he has firsthand insight, and we hope you’ll enjoy this episode. Remember that you can tune into the audio tomorrow on major streaming platforms. And as always, thanks for subscribing!