--:-- Sean Rameswaram: Welcome to Today Explained. I'm Sean Rameswaram.
--:-- Noel King: And I'm Noel King.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: Today, we're talking about the Democrats' strategy to push back against the Republicans. Sahil Kapur, senior national politics reporter at NBC News, is here to help us understand what's going on.
--:-- Sahil Kapur: Thanks for having me.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: So, let's start with the basics. What have the Republicans been saying lately?
--:-- Sahil Kapur: Well, they've been saying a lot of things. Just yesterday, their leader said he wants to own Gaza. The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we'll do a job with it too. We'll own it.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: [chuckles] That's quite a statement. And what about the Democrats? What have they been saying?
--:-- Sahil Kapur: People are aroused. I haven't seen people so aroused in a very, very long time.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: [laughs] That's a weird way to put it, Senator.
--:-- Sahil Kapur: [laughs] I'm sorry, I'm just trying to get into the mood.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: [laughs] Okay, let's get into the mood. So, what's the Democrats' strategy to push back on the Republicans?
--:-- Sahil Kapur: Well, they're trying to focus on kitchen table issues that people are worried about. They're going to argue that the tariffs are going to increase costs, and that mass deportation is going to disrupt supply chains and make food prices go up.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: That's a good point. And what about the Vice President, Elon Musk? He's been tweeting about the same agency that gives money to the poorest people on Earth.
--:-- Sahil Kapur: Yeah, he's been tweeting about USAID. He said they refused to tell us anything, and we won't tell you what the money's going to, where the money's for, who has it.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: [laughs] That's quite a statement. And what about the Democrats' messaging? It feels like they're just repeating the same message over and over again.
--:-- Sahil Kapur: Yeah, I think that's a good point. They need to communicate their positive message about the economy and make it clear that they're fighting for working families, not just billionaires and corporations.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: That's a good point. And what about the tension within the Democratic Party? Some of our Democratic governors want to see a more across-the-board opposition to the Trump agenda.
--:-- Sahil Kapur: Yeah, I think that's a good point. They need to find a way to unite in opposition and make it clear that they're not just opposing everything, but they're also offering a positive alternative.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: Okay, let's take a break. We'll be right back.
--:-- [Break music plays]
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: Welcome back to Today Explained. I'm Sean Rameswaram.
--:-- Noel King: And I'm Noel King.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: Today, we're talking about the Democrats' strategy to push back against the Republicans. Sahil Kapur, senior national politics reporter at NBC News, is here to help us understand what's going on.
--:-- Sahil Kapur: Thanks for having me back.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: So, let's talk about Senator Adam Schiff. He's a guest on the show later, but I want to ask you about him now. What's his strategy to oppose the Trump agenda?
--:-- Sahil Kapur: Well, he's saying that they need to pick their fights and focus on the things that are really destructive and harmful to the state and the country.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: That's a good point. And what about the messaging? How can the Democrats make it more effective?
--:-- Sahil Kapur: I think they need to communicate their positive message about the economy and make it clear that they're fighting for working families, not just billionaires and corporations.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: That's a good point. And what about the tension within the Democratic Party? Some of our Democratic governors want to see a more across-the-board opposition to the Trump agenda.
--:-- Sahil Kapur: Yeah, I think that's a good point. They need to find a way to unite in opposition and make it clear that they're not just opposing everything, but they're also offering a positive alternative.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: Okay, let's move on to our guest, Senator Adam Schiff. Welcome to the show, Senator.
--:-- Adam Schiff: Thanks for having me.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: So, let's talk about your strategy to oppose the Trump agenda. What's your approach?
--:-- Adam Schiff: Well, I think we need to pick our fights and focus on the things that are really destructive and harmful to the state and the country.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: That's a good point. And what about the messaging? How can the Democrats make it more effective?
--:-- Adam Schiff: I think we need to communicate our positive message about the economy and make it clear that we're fighting for working families, not just billionaires and corporations.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: That's a good point. And what about the tension within the Democratic Party? Some of our Democratic governors want to see a more across-the-board opposition to the Trump agenda.
--:-- Adam Schiff: Yeah, I think that's a good point. We need to find a way to unite in opposition and make it clear that we're not just opposing everything, but we're also offering a positive alternative.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: Okay, let's talk about the Supreme Court. You've been a strong advocate for reforming the court. What do you think is the best way to do that?
--:-- Adam Schiff: Well, I think we need to take the long view and start socializing ideas now. We need to make the case for reforming the court and making it more accountable to the people.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: That's a good point. And what about the pardons? You were a strong advocate for prosecuting the January 6th insurrectionists. What do you think about President Biden's pardons?
--:-- Adam Schiff: I think it was a mistake. I urged him not to do it. The pardons of the family members set a precedent that will haunt us because it means Trump's kids are all going to get a pardon now.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: That's a good point. And what about the Trump administration's actions? What do you think is the most concerning thing they're doing right now?
--:-- Adam Schiff: I think it's the way they're using the pardon power to reward criminals and punish law enforcement. It's a clear attack on the rule of law and the justice system.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: That's a good point. Well, thank you, Senator, for joining us today.
--:-- Adam Schiff: Thanks for having me.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: And thank you, Sahil, for helping us understand the Democrats' strategy to push back against the Republicans.
--:-- Sahil Kapur: Thanks for having me.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: Okay, that's all for today's show. Thanks for listening to Today Explained.
--:-- [Outro music plays]
