Breaking News from Pod Save America - AOC BLASTS Trump Over Unpopular ICE Tactics as Backlash Grows

Episode Date: January 29, 2026

Alyssa Mastromonaco joins Dan Pfeiffer to break down AOC’s viral video taking on Trump and ICE, the growing concern of AI in political ads, and how Melania Trump’s documentary is a giant flop. Go to https://www.cookunity.com/CROOKED for 50% off your first order. Thanks to CookUnity for supporting the show! Dan's Message Box 👉 http://crooked.com/yeswedan 00:00 - AOC Slams Trump and ICE 06:40 - Use of AI in Political Ads 12:28 - Ad Break 21:48 - Melania Documentary Flops Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Terms and service restrictions apply. Details at Lose.com slash terms. Subject to change. Trump is not focusing on helping you pay for your health care. He's not Trump focused on you helping you pay for your groceries. He's not helping your kids go to better schools. He's focused on sending these masked unaccountable agents to terrorize communities. That's where your tax period of going.

I think that's a really powerful argument. Welcome to Political Act, Chris React. I'm Dan Pfeiffer. I am joined today by the one, the only, the former Obama White House deputy chief of staff, all around political guru and the co-host of Kirklandia's podcast, Hysteria. Lissa, Master Monaco. Alyssa, how are you? Guru.

I'm a guru. You get guru status. So now I'm a guru. What are we going to guru about? We are recording this on Tuesday about four days after the killing of Alex Preti in Minneapolis. There's been a big discussion in the party about how to respond to the horrors of ICE in Minnesota, Maine, and elsewhere. There's also a question about how we talk about this with voters, right? Now, people who may not be in communities that ICE is targeting, to kind of understand the scale.

with what's happening and how it affects them. If they are not someone, although I find this hard to imagine, if you're not someone who is not being targeted by ice, but doesn't know somebody's being targeted about ice. And there's this clip that is before the killing of Alex Pready, but came after the killing of Renee Good, from Alexandria Ocasio or Cortez. It's been making the rounds on the internet.

It's really struck a chord with me, and I wanted to play it for you and see what you think. My position has always been clear that ICE funding should be cut. We're seeing what they're doing with this record, this explosion in funding and mind you, just so everybody knows, I want everybody to understand the cuts to your health care are what's paying for this. All that extra money that everybody's paying right now in their premiums, all that extra money that you're paying, it is paid for with, it is all of that extra money that the government and the ACA subsidies that was given to nearly

a trillion dollars in health care. was taken out and given to ice. So understand how these dots connect. You get screwed over to pay a bunch of thugs in the street that are shooting mothers in the face. That's what that is what this administration's doing. That's what the Republican Party did. What do you think of this is a message for Democrats? I always like cause and effect. Your money's got been cut. Your premiums are going up. These people are being paid. They're getting upwards of $50,000, potentially in bonuses in signing bonuses to go join ICE, and you are scrapping to be able to go to your primary care physician. So I think that, you know, I think it works. I find it compelling,

and I think it's clear, and I think that it is, you know, it's direct. It's direct without sort of the hyperbole because the truth is bad enough. You know what I mean? People are turned off by, upset by, angry at the chaos they see, the violence they see. And, you know, They think ICE is unrestrained, what they're doing is unconstitutional. They do not like it, right? Other than the most hardcore Trump supporters, Democrats hate it, independence hate it. Even in many cases, you know, 15% of Trump voters do not like what ICE is doing. What I don't think people realize is the scale of what this country is spending on this thing they don't like.

Because of the massive increase in funding in the quote unquote big beautiful bill, ICE is better funded than every military in the world except China and the United States. So the funding bill that everyone's been talking about supposed to be voted on this week, DHS funding, which includes some DOD and HHS. Even if that gets voted down, this money has already been appropriated, right? Like this is, this is, so her point is really salient. I just want everyone to understand the context of that vote. I'm glad you brought it up.

So Democrats are opposing this package of funding bills, which includes the DHS, bill. They are demanding some set of reforms to what ICE is doing, some guardrails. But it is true that even if the government shuts down, even if that bill never passes, ICE will continue what it's doing. We know Trump will move money around under all scenarios to help ICE. But ICE is, most of ICE is funding because of the Big Beautiful is mandatory funding. It comes no matter what. You cannot stop it absent passing a law repealing that funding. And so the leverage we have in the annual appropriations process to try to deal with, you know, know, more money for this, less money for that. That really doesn't apply with ice. But the fact

that we're spending this much money on ice, I think shocks people. And it's really important to put in the context of all the things you can't have because of the money ICE is getting. You can't get your Obamicare tax credits. So your premiums are doubling in many cases. The rural hospital in your town is going to close because of all the money ICE is getting. Your school is not going to get the funding you thought it was going to get because of all the money ICE is getting. Cancer research is not going to happen because of all the money ICE is getting. And so, politics is about priorities. It's about when you elect someone, it's where are they going to put their own business? What are they going to focus on? Trump is not focusing on helping you pay for your

health care. He's not Trump focused on you helping you helping you pay for your groceries. He's not helping your kids go to better schools or you having better health care in your town. He's focused on sending these massed unaccountable agents to terrorize communities. That's where your taxpayer dollars are going. I think that's a really powerful argument. I think it's a powerful argument. I also think that just like equating it to the health care spending is like people's premiums are only, only now just starting to go up. So I feel like it's a really good time to remind people that he had, the president had choices,

and these are the choices that he made. As a side note to this, ever since she was elected in 2018, people said that AOC is one of the best communicators in the party. She knows how to get the message out. Her Instagram lies get a ton of attention and a ton of views. She understands how to communicate this modern age. So she's always been the best communicator. I think we're at the place where she is pretty close to being

the best messenger in the party. And that is not just how you get the message out's what you say too. Watching her this weekend making the rounds on television after the horrendous video of the killing of Alex Pretty became circulating, she was saying the things that needed to be said. It was very impressive and very important, and it's just become one of the best voices in our party. Yeah, I agree.

If you like this video and you like Pots of America, you'll love my newsletter with the message box where I dig deep into what's happening in the news, provides you political analysis on what's happening right now and give you real-world suggestions about how you can make an impact in the fight against MAGA, including where to spend your money, where to spend your time, which race is to support, and actual ways in which you can win an argument with your MAGA curious uncle or your Democratic skeptical cousin. To sign up, go to the link in the show notes and sign up for Message Box Now. All right, let's pivot to our next video. We're now going to watch an absolutely ridiculous ad from supporters of Ken Paxton, who is running against John Cornyn and Wesley

Hunt in Texas. Senator Cornyn from day one has actually been very helpful to me. Publicly, their opponents. Privately, they're perfectly in step. Crocket calls Cornyn her best partner in the Senate. It's not easy to get things done, especially if you don't have a dance partner. Cornyn said, so, I offer to be your dance partner. He has been actually a great partner. The Senate swing. I will tell you that I honestly have the utmost respect for John Cornyn. He has been a good partner. The Washington Waltz. I can tell you that I've worked with Senator Cornyn. Cornyn and Crockett, the perfect pair.

This ad is obviously done with AI. Clearly. To my knowledge, Crockett and Cornett have never danced in front of the Capitol or in some sort of country music bar. Or like Victoria Beckham and her son at his wedding. I brought this ad up for two reasons. One, our last episode a couple weeks ago with Alex Wagner, we talked a lot about the Texas Senate race on the Democratic side. We looked at some Tala Rico and Crockett ads. That primary is coming up in early March.

and Democrats' ability to win that race depends somewhat on who wins the primary. You have John Cornyn, who is near the top of the leadership for Republicans in the Senate. You have Ken Paxton, who is the Attorney General and quite controversial. And then you have another guy named Wesley Hunt. The race is very, very close. I also want to bring this ad up because I think we're going to see a lot more AI-generated ads like this as the cycles go on. So what did you think of the ad? Okay, I wasn't sure why anyone thought this was helpful.

I mean, for Ken Paxton. I mean, the man... I think it's very helpful for Ken Paxton. You do? I do. Oh, no. But you know me. I have...

I'm very specific in this way. So I watched it and I was like, hmm, in a world where people think that people should get along more and where John Cornyn's been in elected office, I think since 1985 or something like that, like Texans know him, right? He's not some, like, radical leftist. I think it's hard to paint him as such. I mean, unless you just really want to believe and then that's, like, the percentage of Ken Paxton voters who are always going to vote for someone who got divorced on biblical grounds,

you know, from his wife, by his wife. So, like, I don't know. I thought it was, I thought it, I don't know. I guess I didn't think it helped Ken Paxton at all. Can I give the counter argument? I knew you would not agree with me being like, I think this was stupid of them to make because I think America wants people to get along more. But go ahead.

Let me hear your comment. I think you were 100% correct that America wants people to get along more. And I honestly think that those quotes of Jasmine Crockett talking about John Corman will be very helpful to John Corman in a general election. The problem is this is a primary election in Texas with very hardcore MAGA voters. And what the argument that Paxton and Wesley Hunt to a certain extent are making against Corden is that he's a rhino, right? that he's never been pro-Trump. He's part of the establishment that's too weak to take on Democrats.

And he even, you know, hangs around with Jasmine Crockett, who, you know, Trump has done a pretty good job of demagoguing in the right, in the right. I mean, I think all Trump's done is also lifted up to the point where she could be a run for Senate. But so that's the argument. The execution, I think, you know. It's hand-handed. Well, I just kind of disagree there, too. Like, I'd say it speaks to the limits of AI. in the sense that...

Well, that's what I mean. It looks... It's cartoonish. Yes. I mean, and if you... When they're standing still, it's coordinate in Crocket's face. When they're dancing, it's not coordinate in Crohn's face. It doesn't really look that much.

It's just, it's a white man with gray hair and a black woman, and that's about as close as it gets. The limits of reach on a linear television ad these days are such that you really want to hit some measure of virality. You want it to be shared on TikTok and social, and this has the opportunity to do that. Like, we... Democrats could learn a lesson from doing things that are more controversial and more interesting. It is technically fake, but it is essentially true, right? It is a visualization of an actual quote from Crockett about John Cornyn wanting to be being willing to be her dance partner.

Right, right. Yes, that is true. Them dancing together as if they are romantically involved is not true. Yes, yeah. I mean, and I didn't take that as to be the implication. I think there are ads that are deep fakes that put words in people's mouths that are obviously misleading and those are actually illegal in some states. there are ads that are complete like made up and intended to deceive.

This one I thought it was so cartoonish that I don't think anyone actually thought they really went dancing together and it spoke to what is a, it's just you could have done this ad in a very traditional way with just like the voiceover being like, John Cornyn says he supports Trump, but listen to Jasmine Crockett and then do her quote. So I think this is a more interesting version of that. And I watched it and I was like, you know, Texas, if I watched this in Texas, I'd be like, I guess I'd be lucky. Either Jasmine Crocket or John Cornyn doesn't seem so bad, which, like, I mean, you're correct. I mean, he actually, he's certainly not a moderate, but, you know, going back here, as he's certainly, like, tried to do some things that were, like, largely helpful.

I mean, he's largely sucked for a very long time. Well, yeah, but I mean, as compared. As compared on the spectrum of the, of his colleagues. Yes. He sucks mildly less than Ken Paxton, someone who could be in jail in a different world. Yes. Yes. Yeah, he really benefits from being with the people he hangs out with.

Yeah, the GOP soup in Texas helps him out. Pod Save America is brought to you by Cook Unity. I have been using Cook Unity forever for years, long before they ever sponsored this podcast. It is fantastic. Most of my meals are from Cook Unity. They deliver chef-designed meals that balance real flavor, nutrition, and convenience with no cooking or planning required. They also let you choose what works for you with collections like protein forward, better for sleep, mood boosting, and fiber maxing. Plus it's awesome knowing their roster of all-star chefs include Food Network

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I'm going to watch this for the first time with you today here live. The trailer for the newly released documentary funded by Jeff Bezos and Amazon, directed by accused sexual predator Brett Ratner. And rotten tomato's antagonist. And rotten tomatoes antagonist. Melania. Here we go again. You can come in. Come in one of them.

I'd like to say, will be that of peacemaker. Peacemaker and in the fire. Beautiful. Together with like-minded leaders, we have a voice. Is it safe? Is it safe? Anyone wants to know. So here it is.

Hi, Mr. President. Congratulations. Did you watch it? I did not. Yeah, I will see it on the news. Oh, man. That's even better than I thought I was going to be. Okay.

I need to stipulate my commentary with, I don't like Melania. Oh, no. You're going to say positive things about this? The trailer? Yeah. The trailer's great. Okay. It's a great trailer.

Because let me ask you a question. When you watch that, were you a little interested? No, not for one second. Oh, yeah. So I am. But I am from a, let's, if I can just contextualize. Please, please do. First of all, this is not a documentary.

This is narrative nonfiction. This is not a documentary. This is like, using techniques to make factual or historical or biographical content as engaging as like a novel, right? So there's a, they're like creating an arc here. So it's not really a documentary. It's entertainment. And as entertainment, I don't know.

I'm not saying the documentary, but I'm saying this trailer comes off. Like Melania is the star of like a plucky caper. Because of the boots and the capes? The boots, the music. It's like, is it a comedy? It's like a little funny. I would say of all of the ways that they could have packaged this documentary to try to make it appealing, I think that they have done sort of yeoman's work in the trailer of making it something people would be like, huh, what is this? Okay.

Can I ask you some questions about this as both a kind of an expert in the East Wing and First Ladies and how? Oh, yes, please. I have so much to say about this. And someone with, obviously, with very real experience in Hollywood and trailers and the like. Sure. Talk to me about the decision to include her answering the phone and referring to her husband, the mother of her son, as Mr. President. It felt like comedy. But she's not kidding.

Like, is that how she talks to? No, but here's the thing. This isn't a documentary. This is an archival footage. This is a, like, distinct period of time. where she knew and was performing for the camera. Great, but why call a Mr. Isn't it weird to call Mr. President?

That's weird. It felt to me a little like Marilyn Monroe-ish. Oh, okay. But then it's like she builds him up, Mr. President, and then it's like, no, I didn't watch your fucking speech. I'll catch it. I'll catch the Cliff's notes on the news later. Like, that's why the whole thing feels a bit like comedy.

But the other reason that I am somewhat interested in this is because I can't imagine how this was filmed. That's why it all feels like it's not a documentary. It feels like a caper where she's like out there making world peace. We're going to watch her like walk around in her stilettos that look like she stole them from Curella DeVille. Do you know what I thought about when I watched this? I can't wait. I think the first or second year, I don't think they do it anymore.

But Brian Williams came to the West Wing and he like spent. a day in the West Wing? Yep. Remember that? And they were like cameras pre-positioned. We all knew he was kind of there, but we sort of like went about our day. This is not that. This is like how do we make Melania look as good as humanly possible?

How are we setting up? She got paid so much fucking money to make this. Well, I want to get to that in a second. Okay. That also does not happen in documentaries. You know, people will be paid if you're a celebrity. It's changing now. But up to maybe a couple years ago, there was a time.

documentary about you, you might get paid for some access to your archives if your archives are really good. Look, you make a lot of important points about the lack of integrity in this project, but I would make another one, which is this is a giant bribe masquerading as a film. A hundred percent. No one wanted this. No one wanted to buy this documentary. No one wanted to buy it because it was directed by Brett Ratner. They pitch it to Amazon. Amazon said no. The executives in it, The film unit in Amazon looked at this and said, we are not doing this. Jeff Bezos was at dinner with Trump at Moralago. Trump pitched him on it.

I guess I don't know if Maloney was there or not. And then Jeff Bezos, in the midst of trying to cozy up to Trump agreed to pay, I think upwards of $40 million. The tracking on this is shit. The ratings are shit. They don't think anyone's going to buy it. But because they have to keep Trump happy, they're putting it in theaters. They're spending money marketing it.

They're opening it in like 17 cities or something. or something. They're doing a whole tour. You put on top of that, that Malani is the first lady in name only in the sense that, like, yes, she is the first lady because she has married to Donald Trump. And that is the bare minimum. That's all you want to do. That's fine. But she doesn't do anything. She has no issues. She doesn't, I don't think she's in the White House that often. Plus, there's a docu series coming. Okay. So we're not done. There's more that's going to come. But like, there is nothing in the trailer that shows Melania like prior to election day. in November, like a year ago.

Like, this is not the story of, like, Melania coming to America as an immigrant. This isn't that. This is a stylized, fancy, real housewives of the White House. And I think that they, and all that to say, I'm sure that there is nothing interesting,

nothing that we're going to learn if we were to watch the documentary. But I think the trailer did a good job of making it seem like a fast-paced, interesting, very te, of like following the first lady around for 20 days. And, you know, and she got, she literally, if you actually break it down, I think that's the implication in the video when they say the 20 days to be coming is that they followed her for 20 days.

And it looks good because it's directed by the director of rush hour, one, two, and three. And four, coming four. No. Because Trump is, yes. See, I don't even, I mean, look. Do you know why Rush Hour Four is coming? Because Trump called Larry Ellison. who owns Paramount and said,

Brett Ratner wants you to make Rush Hour 4 because he can't sell it anywhere. Larry Ellison agreed without talking to the film team at Paramount and did it because Larry Ellison is trying to get the purchase of Warner Brothers Discovery greenlit. So dispiriting. Yes.

Just a darkly comical way to end it. Okay. Alyssa, thank you much for joining us here on Political Excerty Act. It's always great to see you. And I'll talk to you again soon.