The MeidasTouch Podcast - Dem Gov Town Hall on Trump 100 Days with JB Pritzker, Tim Walz, Maura Healey, and Kathy Hochul

Episode Date: April 30, 2025

MeidasTouch Host Ben Meiselas moderates an exclusive virtual town hall featuring four powerhouse Democratic governors: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. Together, they respond to Trump’s disastrous first 100 days back in office and share how they’re standing strong to resist his relentless attacks on our democracy and values. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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This has been my cellist from the Midas Touch Network. Welcome to the Democratic governor's virtual town hall live on the Midas Touch Network. Tonight, we will speak with four Democratic governors from across the country about Donald Trump's first 100 days in office. A disastrous 100 days and what these governors are doing in their states to fight back and defend democracy from the clear and present threats that we face. Let's meet the governors. We have with us tonight Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker. We have Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. We have Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey. And we have New York Governor Kathy Hochul. The Midas Touch Network viewers and subscribers to our Substack submitted video questions to the governors we will be showing shortly and asking them to respond. But first, I want to give each governor, starting with Governor

Pritzker, the opportunity to make an opening remark to the American people. Governor Pritzker, what is your assessment of Trump's first 100 days in office, and what are you doing in response? Well, thanks, Ben, and I'm so excited to be, especially with my friends, the fellow governors, and with you, Ben. I think all of us are deeply, deeply concerned about what's happening across the country, and of course, 100 days in, it's been, well, a disastrous administration for the American people. Essentially, we've seen Donald Trump do exactly the opposite of what he said he was going to do. And 100 days in, we've seen prices go up. We've seen, you know, it's hard to buy a car, hard to buy a house. Your tomatoes, lettuce, and beer at the grocery store. Prices have gone up. And of course,

when he promised that he was going to bring peace to Ukraine and around the world, the opposite has happened. There have been, you know, more attacks on our friends and our allies and more involvement by the United States military across the world. And then finally, I'd just say that, you know, the rights of our friends and family, our neighbors, American citizens across this great country are being taken away. And I gave a speech on Sunday night talking about, well, in part about habeas corpus, about the government doesn't have a right to just make you disappear or snatch you off the street without giving you the right to a hearing. And we're seeing that happening to legal residents of the United States. And now we've seen it happen to U.S. citizens. So I'm deeply concerned about

what the next hundred days and frankly, the next thousand days will be like. Governor Walz, your assessment of Trump's first 100 days and what are you doing in response? Well, yeah, thank you, Ben. And to my fellow governors, I couldn't be more proud than to be with this folks that are that are taking that fight. Look, I don't think any of us are surprised. This is where Donald Trump ended up. It's what he said. And he and he's carrying those things out. I think for us here in Minnesota, my guidance to my team and to the administration and to folks who care, and that's a lot of folks taking to the streets, we protect the most vulnerable and we protect our gains.

We have an opportunity to prove a different way of governing, governing that improves lives, whether that's providing food for children or making sure our folks are covered with health care and have access to free college and some help owning homes. Those are the things that people are looking for. So, look, Trump is a disaster, which we knew he would. I think it gives us an opportunity. And what you're seeing is people rising up and showing that there's a better way. We can govern with compassion. We can govern with compassion. We can govern with a sense of vision and innovation, and we can govern effectively.

So I think here in Minnesota, we're continuing to show that there's a better and a different way to do this. We collaborate with these governors that are on with me tonight and others across the country to ways that we can make sure that we're continuing to show as many people as that is possible. And so this thing's going to get a little bit bumpy, but I think you're seeing right now folks are turning out. I do want to give a huge shout out to, I got neighbors, these states are my neighbors, but our Canadian neighbors, they know that this is wrong. They stood up to it. It provides a lot of momentum coming out of

the Wisconsin special Supreme Court election. And I think the mobilization that's happening out there. So it's 100 days of just crap. We've got 500 plus till the midterms, but the work has started. Folks know that. And I think they're looking to see folks stand in the breach and push back. So I'm glad to be with you, Ben. I want to give a thank you to folks who took time out of your busy lives to tune in tonight. We're all in this together, and I'm just glad you're here. Governor Healy, what is your assessment of Trump's first 100 days, and what are you doing in response? Well, Ben, it's great to be with you and great to be with my friends and colleagues on this. You know, I underscore everything said about the economy. The one thing that he ran on, he has been an abysmal failure, only making life more expensive,

more difficult for residents, for businesses, for our economy. I also just want to comment too, you know, I was attorney general for two terms. I was attorney general during the Trump years and we brought hundreds of lawsuits. And, you know, I can tell you that this administration is far worse than what we saw with Trump won. And I think that's evidence by the past hundred days. I mean, what we've seen here in Massachusetts, firing of doctors and nurses from our VA hospitals, denying veterans care, cuts to our research institutions, which mean cuts to those who are currently right now involved in the process of discovering cures and treatments for ALS and Alzheimer's and cancer. We've had clinical trials with people on them shut down in Massachusetts because of Donald Trump's cuts to NIH. I think about the tariffs in

very real terms. You know, as governor, my top priority has been building housing. I filed and got passed a $5 billion housing bill to build more housing in Massachusetts so we can lower costs. And what does Donald Trump do? He puts a tariff on the lumber that's coming in from Canada for that and the gypsum and other materials that we need from Mexico to build that housing. So making housing more difficult at a time a governor like me is trying to make housing more abundant. I cut taxes. And, you know, every day he continues to do things that add to the inflationary pressures that are out there. I heard him earlier tonight. And once again, he lied. Eggs are still over six dollars a dozen. And and that's just where we are. And, you know, I think one thing that's also, I'll end with this last comment.

You know, Massachusetts, we're home to a lot of colleges and universities. We have about 100,000 students that come here from around the world to study, to do research. Some of them pioneer new treatments, win Nobel Prizes. A lot of them are entrepreneurs. They start businesses, start companies

that take off and flourish, not just in Massachusetts, but around this country. And with Donald Trump's terrible job that he's done to scare foreign students away, it was just revealed tonight, the illegal efforts of DHS around the student visas. You know, we have people who have packed up who have left because they're scared. And with that goes talent. I'll also tell you the one who's winning in all of this, China, because right now China is on our campuses recruiting our scientists and faculty and saying, hey, Donald Trump is cutting your funding, but you come to China and we'll set you up with a nice lab and plenty of

staff. And I guess it'll be in China that we're going to see those inventions and entrepreneurship and growth. So we just got to keep speaking up and playing offense, talking about calling him out for the things that he's doing that are causing so much harm, and then continuing to talk about the things that we governors are doing in our states that make our states more competitive, safer, where there's greater opportunity. And I think all of us have records to show that. I'm proud of Massachusetts because right now we're number one in education, healthcare, and innovation. My colleagues will rib me on that, probably challenge me. But the point is, we as Democratic governors know how important those investments are in science, in kids, in education, workforce, and the like. Governor Hogan, assessment of Trump's first 100 days and what you're doing in response.

Nice commercial from Massachusetts, by the way, Governor. Well done. Good to see my friends once again. And Ben, thanks for hosting this important conversation. The first 100 days, is that all it's been? It feels like every passing day, we're finding another way that Donald Trump is turning the American dream into a nightmare. And I can't, the stream of broken promises that many people in our country believed in him, it's just extraordinary. And I've never seen in all my life, and I've been involved in elective office for 31 years, the way that he is weaponizing the American government against its own people.

And let's just dissect some of these things that he's done. I mean, you talk about the tariffs. Who are they helping? Who are the winners in this? Seems to me we're all going to be losers because the only ones getting jobs in this era are bankruptcy lawyers. And we're starting to hear even effects like toy manufacturers are cutting back production, stores that normally do their holiday purchasing. This time of year, my mom had a small flowering gift shop. We were buying our things in the spring for the next Christmas. I'm not sure Santa Claus is coming this year at the rate we're going because the cost is so high we're going to be driving businesses out of work and out of business.

And the cost in New York is estimated about $7 billion, a loss of 280,000 jobs. Now, this is also going to cost families in New York over $6,000 a person if these Trump tariffs, which I call the Trump tax, stay into effect. So at the same time, what are we doing? I'm fighting back. We're going to court. It's also a growth industry for all lawyers. My attorney general, Tish James, has been teaming up with the attorney generals from all across the country. Today, I think we're filing a lawsuit to stop what they're trying to do, destroying our offshore wind industry. I know it's important to my New England friends as well, trying to stop the tariffs and litigation, trying to stop everything they're doing, the cutbacks, the $300

million we lost that's supposed to help build back communities after natural disasters. Our people are hurting, not to mention the farmers. It's not just Wall Street that's hurting in my state. It's also the main streets and the small towns and the farmers who cannot believe that their costs went up $10,000 a month to get more fertilizer and their feed that they normally get from Canada. So I have a whole litany, a parade of horribles, but my concern is that the people of my state are hurting. They're hurting all over America, and we're going to keep going to court and standing up. But the next thing we can do best is to organize, take this anxiety and this anger and turn it into action. Action means we're mobilizing already

for 2026. I'm proud to be leading that effort in the state of New York to help take back the Congress, because if we can finally get a firewall and stop at least part of this insanity, at least we got hope again. And that's what I'm focused on these days as well. Thank you, governors, for your opening remarks. Now let's move on to the video questions submitted by our audience here at the Midas Touch Network for this town hall. Let's start with Governor Pritzker. This was submitted by Breon. She has a question about protecting protesters and mass mobilization. Let's play this clip. Hello, my name is Breon Washington. I'm here in Central Florida, unfortunately a red state right now, but I'm curious to see if there have been any plans, specific plans from the governors on how you might bolster or encourage your constituents, those individuals who are putting up the fight, resisting, protesting at this particular time? What sorts of steps

are you planning to take that will help these individuals, these citizens and residents of your individual states? Governor Pritzker. Well, thank you. And I have to say, one of our obligations as governors is to keep the peace when people are protesting. But I have to say one of our obligations as governors is to keep the peace when people are protesting. But I have to say people are mobilizing on their own and we are seeing peaceful protest all across the country, but especially in Illinois. I want to give you an example. There's a young woman down in Edwardsville. It's a southern Illinois town. About 28000 people live in Edwardsville. Andy Smith is her name. And she went out with a sign and stood at the intersection of two highways that are nearby just by herself. She was so frustrated in early February about what Trump was doing. And she just held up a sign and to express herself.

And, you know, somebody that was walking by with their dog saw her, walked over, and joined her in the protest. And then the next day, she showed up, and four friends showed up to protest with her. And then two days later, more people joined her. And now, every Friday at one o'clock, 300 people show up to protest with her. That's just because one person was willing to go out there. She felt a little crazy. She said the first time that she was out there by herself, but now she's got friends and people that she never knew who are showing up and expressing themselves. That's happening in, you know, that's only 300 people in Edwardsville. But think about that all across the state of Illinois, where most of our state is is rural and exurban. But, of course, in the city of Chicago and people are activated and they're motivated, they're getting out there.

And of course, we're protecting them. I am encouraging them. In fact, I believe that we all ought to be mobilizing. It's the best way for us to get across what we really believe is that, you know, show up at your Republican congressman's office and let them know, quit shutting down veteran services, quit taking away Social Security and Medicaid, and we know that's what they're about to do. They deny it, but this summer, in fact, over the next few weeks, we're going to see them start to articulate why they're going to take away Medicaid in my state from 770,000 people. But it's millions across the United States, people who might die because they don't have health care because Republicans took it away from them.

Governor Walz, the next question is for you. And it's about Medicaid and Medicare in your state, and it's submitted by Deanna, who lives in your state. Let's play this clip. Hello, and thank you, Myra Stutch, and thank you for your time, Governors. My name is Deanna from U.S. House, Minnesota District 7, Moorhead. Please, I have a question for Governor Walz. I'm a disabled single mom. My 13-year-old son is on the spectrum and has epilepsy. Matter of fact, he has specialist appointments at Gillette on the 30th.

He needs his Medicaid. I need my Medicare Part D and secondary MNsure coverage. With these essential programs on the chopping block to budget for and fund the tax cuts for the wealthy, does Minnesota have any contingency plans for those of us who need our Medicaid? I welcome responses from the other governors for their states as well. Thank you. Governor Walsh. Yeah, well, thank you, Deanna. Thanks for being on here. And in Minnesota, we do take care of our own. And I think we're getting out there. We've been doing a lot of town halls around the state, letting people understand

exactly what Medicaid and Medicare does for them. 40% of all children in this state don't rely on Medicaid. 80% of our seniors in long-term care and nursing homes depend on it, especially in and Deanna's right up there across from Fargo when you get out into the more rural areas. And so in Minnesota, we make it a top priority. We have one of the highest rates of folks that are insured, but it's dependent on the federal government's share of this. And I think you've got a district that Deanna's speaking from that you have a member of Congress who is unwilling to meet with their constituents. We were up in Moorhead a week ago and a town hall with state legislators and myself, making sure that our neighbors know exactly what's going to happen here. We have gone out of our way to make sure that we get people

insured because one, it improves people's lives. Two is in the long run, we end up saving money and it's stronger for our economy, making sure our children are fed, making sure our children are covered, making sure our children are getting tax cuts to their families to get the things that they need. But I can tell you this, it doesn't matter which of these states, and you're going to hear from two states in New York and Illinois that are very large, but economy of scale doesn't help you when they take the Medicaid away from you. It will have devastating impacts. It will have devastating impacts on people like Deanna's son. And you couple that with the destruction of the Department of Education that takes away our civil protections around students with disabilities and IDEA. And you have a situation

where the Secretary of Health basically said it and was speaking with the language of eugenics that some people just don't matter. People like Deanna's son or my son or those of you listening tonight. So look, this is a fight we must win. It's a fight that the American people are overwhelmingly on our side, but we need to get out and make the message of how important this is. Don't let them message this, that somehow Medicaid is a giveaway program. It is foundational to everything we do. The next question is for Governor Healy. This question is about democracy and civil rights and the steps you're taking to defend our courts.

Let's play this clip. Hello, I'm Michael from Northern Virginia. Over the past hundred days, we've watched an administration openly test the limits of constitutional authority, attack independent institutions, and promote an agenda that undermines basic democratic norms. The threats we're facing are not theoretical. They're here, and they're escalating. Given this moment, what specific steps are you taking, individually and collectively, to safeguard voting rights, protect the independence of states and the courts, and defend civil liberties against federal overreach?

And briefly, I'd also like to acknowledge Congressman Jerry Connolly, who recently announced his retirement. His service reminds us how important principled leadership is, especially at a time like this. Thank you for your leadership and your example at a time like this. Thank you for your leadership and your example. We're ready to stand with you in defending our democracy. Governor Haley. Yeah, thanks, Michael. And Michael, just so you know, Congressman Conley's sister is a state court judge right here in our Commonwealth, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. I'll tell you what I'm doing. I'm supporting my attorney general. You know, I know the work that the attorney generals did in Trump one was so important.

We were successful over 85 percent of those cases. And this group of AGs is having the same success and right there holding him accountable in the court. So, you know, I think as a governor, that that is something that I'm going to continue to absolutely to support the work of the attorneys general who represent, in our instance, the Commonwealth when they need access to an abortion, that make sure that kids with disabilities are treated equally and fairly. We have laws and policies on our books that make sure that kids are fed. I copy Coach Wallace and free school lunch and breakfast in Massachusetts. We have strong supports, housing programs, healthcare programs, programs for our seniors. We passed, I think, the country's best veterans legislation just recently. And we continue to support and enforce that and support our veterans. So I'm going to do

all I can within my power, Michael. And this is why governors matter, because we're on the front lines right now. We've got laws that we want to implement and enforce here in our states. We want to make sure that people's rights are protected. And we also do that working with one another, other states, and working with our state AGs. These are really important things that we need to do. I'm also speaking up and using this platform to talk about what's happening when they disappear people from our streets without cause, when they scare away our foreign students or illegally take away their visas to study in this country when all they want to do is study and research and invent new technologies and pioneer new cures. I mean, that's outrageous what came out today. So part of my job, Michael, is to use this platform so that we can explain to the American public what is going on real time in our states. Donald Trump takes this action. Here's the consequence in our state. And I'm going to continue to do that. And I will say to you, because you're from Virginia, we just kicked off celebrations of 250 years of this country. The revolution kicked off

here in Massachusetts with the shots fired and conquered in Lexington and people joined up and down from all of the then colonies to form this amazing, amazing union in this great United States of America. And all of us in power are going to work our damnedest every single day to preserve that and to further that. And that's the job of those of us in office and the job of all citizens and Americans. The next question is for Governor Hochul. And this question is about Trump's disastrous tariffs and his harming our economy. Let's play this clip. Hello, Democratic governors and Midas Touch Network. My name is Jesse, and here's my question. Trump's implementation and strategy of his tariffs has been unstable and aberrant,

to say the least. How do you assess the short-term and long-term economic impacts of said tariffs? And what should we do as people here in the U.S.? What should we do to prepare? And how should we prepare for this? Because it's going to hurt. Thank you for answering my question. Governor Hochul. You know, Jesse, a place like South Carolina, where you're from, really relied on textiles.

And just like New York State, upstate New York, we've had manufacturing since the very beginning along the Erie Canal. It opened up commerce to the rest of the world. And now it is so painful to see that as we've transitioned from the traditional manufacturing, the smokestacks manufacturing, where my grandpa and dad worked in the steel plants in Buffalo, we've now converted into an innovation economy. And so we don't have those opportunities anymore. But Donald Trump seems to think that we're going to overnight bring back all those jobs and everybody's going to want to work in those type of factories once again, not realizing our country has moved on. Yes, we need to do more manufacturing here, but it's going to take so long, so long for that to happen. He seems very conscious of the fact that he's going to cause short-term and long-term pain to the American people and doesn't care because he's so committed to this concept that terrorists across the world are the answer for everything.

I'll tell you the effects right here in New York State. We are on the border with Canada. We share a border with Ontario and with Quebec. They're our largest trading partner. You know what has stopped right now? Trading. They don't want to send their products here and our farmers and growers and people who rely on this opportunity to trade with Canada are just being stifled. They're not going to expand their facilities. They're not going to hire more people. They're stagmired right now in a situation where they don't know what's

going to happen because of the instability. I wish I could give you a better answer. I've got statistics that'll just blow your socks off in terms of how many people's jobs will be lost in one state alone because of these painful tariffs, these taxes. But most importantly to me, what it's doing to the average family. And when their grocery bills are going to go up, despite Donald Trump's campaign promise over and over and over that on day one prices would go down. And instead they've gone up exponentially. I don't know how we can get away with that. So we're suffering. Our people are suffering.

Our businesses are suffering. tourism industry is going to be flat on its back if we don't change this because the Canadians who spend a lot of money in our country go to our little restaurants and our hotels and our attractions and go to Buffalo Bills games and go to Sabres games where I'm from. They're not coming because they're so angry at us for going to war with one of our best friends in the world. So it's not just the tariffs, the talk of tariffs, it's also the relationships that are forever severed, at least at this point. We have to start rebuilding trust. And so here's the answer. We have to mobilize. And people like yourself, do not think you are alone. There are people all over America who want to stand together. And you know where you go to? I guarantee you have a lot of Republican congressional offices in your state, right? Guarantee it. I do as well. We have seven

in New York. Go to their offices. Don't make it easy on them to stand blindly with Donald Trump and not feel the consequences of it. They must know what they've supported in Donald Trump's policies, that they're hurting the people who put them in office. I'm a former member of Congress. I served at a time when the Tea Party was just running wild. They used to come and protest my town halls. It was hard. But you know what? I stood there and took it.

These people are too chicken because they know they're on the wrong side of history here. But get out there with your friends, start writing letters, start sending the email, start filling up their phone banks and just blasting them. Because when they start feeling enough pressure that they may not get reelected again, that's the power of the people that started way back when our country rebelled against a dictator and rebelled against a king. Donald Trump called himself a king when he shut down something called congestion pricing in New York, called himself a king, said long live the king. You can't make this up. He did that. But I said, we have not labored on our king for over 250 years and we're not about to stand for that now.

So, Jesse, you have the same sentiment as millions of us. We have to rally together, stand together, mobilize, organize and get out there and vote next year to take back our country, at least the House and the Senate. Back to Governor Pritzker. This question, Governor, is from April H. She's from Chicago and her question's about affordable housing and jobs. Let's play the clip. I am a resident of Chicago and I have a specific question. As much as families now are losing hope as all of the pricing gets worse and it doesn't really seem like anything is happening to ensure that our working families in our state can afford housing. Even my rent went up and it's getting unenforceable. You know, what we're doing for housing and health care and education, not just now, but to help us all in the long term. I have a son who's getting ready to graduate law school with over $100,000 in debt who can't even seem to find a good job, let alone move out and have affordable housing. Thank you. Governor Pritzker. Well, first of all, April, I'm sorry for the challenges that you're going through. And when I listen to you, I think, you know, as a state, we've made an enormous amount of progress toward addressing housing.

In fact, as you may know, I put together a commission last year that came up with a bunch of really great ideas for us to follow through on. And we're doing that this year in the legislature. We've put a lot of money toward our Department of Housing, and there's so much more that we can do. You know, you heard Governor Healey talk about how the cost of building housing has gone up. And it really has. And of course, although under President Biden, inflation started coming down, which allowed the Fed to consider bringing down the cost of borrowing so that you could borrow money to take out a mortgage to build a house. But Trump came in and he's reversed all that because of the damage that he's done to the economy and the increase in prices.

The Fed is likely not to lower interest rates now. So we have real problems when it comes to addressing this outside the state that are affecting the state. But in the state of Illinois, again, we're putting policies in place that are increasing housing. But I want to address the broader question that you were talking about, which is, you know, housing is a point of stability in somebody's life that allows, for example, people to survive and thrive. Without it, people who have medical challenges aren't able to find the stability that they need to recover from those challenges. So housing is probably the very first and foremost thing that we ought to be addressing. So what did I do in Illinois?

We put Home Illinois in place to make sure that people who are unhoused can begin the process of moving toward not just shelter, but first temporary housing and then permanent housing. We, in fact, put more money toward that program than we've ever done before. We're seeing in places like Rockford where we've finally gotten to functional zero homelessness. And that's what we're trying to do across this entire state of Illinois. So look, Donald Trump is making everything harder. Housing, rent, being able to borrow money to buy your first home or any home. And that's something that we're all going to have

to live with until we're able to overturn the Congress. And that, in fact, is one of the things I want to say to everybody that's listening. If you're not out there protesting in front of a Republican congressman's office or out in the street making your voice heard or calling your friends in another state to have them do it, or showing up in Washington, D.C. in front of their offices, those Republican congressmen, then you're not doing what's necessary to put pressure on them to vote the right way. This summer, they're going to be voting on a budget, and we're going to see the consequences of that budget. What are they

trying to do? They're trying to lower taxes for the wealthiest people by raising taxes on you. Those tariffs, those are taxes that are put on working class, middle class people across the United States. And if we don't stop them, they're going to make things harder and harder for the very people that we as Democrats and all of our Democratic governors are trying to protect. And that's the working families of America. Next question is for Governor Walz. This question is about mental health and mental health of our troops and veterans as well. Let's play this clip.

Hi, my name is Danielle. I'm from Louisiana. I am an Air Force veteran. And my question for the governors is how you all are protecting our troops and their mental health and well-being, especially during this crazy time with this regime, all the attacks on DEI, just all of it, especially for troops from different minorities, different genders, like this has got to be really tough and you can't be political when you're in the military. So are you as governors putting forth any policies or programs to help protect the mental health of our troops, if nothing else, at a National Guard level per your jurisdiction per state. Thank you. Governor Walz. Yeah, well, thank you, Danielle. Thank you for the service and thank you for the courage to come on. And look, troops are just not supposed to be partisan, but you can be political. You need to be. It's a responsibility to tell

what's going on. And with Donald Trump, I can assure you of this, there is no care for our troops. There never has been, whether it's disrespect of troops or whether it's the inability to fund the things that are most important for the troops. On this one, it's personal for me, both having served but also being the ranking member on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, that prior to Donald Trump being there, whether it was under George Bush or Barack Obama when I served in that position, there was bipartisan support, things like the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention Act, where we came together to reduce suicides and saw the work being done, both when our troops were in uniform and after they left, understanding that those wounds of war run deep and are not always so obvious. Those days are coming and much more difficult.

The cuts that Donald Trump is making, 84,000 of our providers at the best health care system in the world, which is the VA, a promise that we made to troops that if you serve us, we will serve you in your health care, becoming much more difficult to be able to provide all the services that are necessary. And this is not about running a business. The VA trains 70% of the physicians in this country, and it provides care to well over a million veterans. And it is the best care in the world. The mental health piece of this, we know that getting access to that care in a timely manner, understanding that we're going to have to, when these troops come home, we've got a lifelong commitment to make this happen. Donald

Trump is continuously trying to underfund. And I will just say this, this is a fight I have been fighting almost two decades now, is the attempt to privatize the VA. This goes back to our current Secretary of Defense ran an organization called Concerned Veterans of America. Its purpose was to undermine the VA and privatize the VA and shift that money out of that. And what that ends up doing is leaving veterans without care. And that's why we get so many veterans. If they can get into the system, we can prevent the mental health issues. We can help heal.

We can be part of a broader community. And I will also say this, many of our veterans depend not just on the VA, they depend on Medicaid as a part of this. So all of these things fit together. The education pieces that are being pulled back to be able to make sure that our veterans get the training they need to live the careers post-military. So the assault that Donald Trump has made on this, I won't stand for it. If he wants to stand in front of troops, he wants to wave the flag, he doesn't do a damn thing for veterans. He has undermined their care. He's put them at risk. And I want to just say this, trying to get people out of the military because of who they are and who they authentically are, of someone who has had the courage to sign up where Donald Trump did

not, or to put our troops at risk. Our female troops at risk have the right to make their own reproductive decisions, and we have a right to make sure they have access to that care. So this is a fight that I'm glad folks are on. Danielle showed courage to speak up, which she has the right to do. But those of us who aren't in the military now have a responsibility to make sure that we're pushing for this issue. So I'm grateful for the question. I'm grateful for the work that's being out there being done. And we need to call out any time Donald Trump mentions anything about patriotism, the military or veterans. He's a damn liar and he has not delivered on those promises. Next question is for Governor Healey. This question is about female veterans and equal employment opportunities for female veterans.

And generally speaking, let's play the clip. Hello, my name is Emma. I am a United States Army veteran. And under the current administration's policies, I and thousands of other women like me are considered persona non grata in the job market. My question to you all is, what steps are you going to take to ensure an equal chance for female veterans to get employment? Emma, thank you so much for your service. And I come from a military family. So proud of our military and those who serve our veterans, our service members, our Gold Star families who paid the ultimate price. know, the military has become stronger over time because it embraced diversity, you know, desegregated the troops way back, then allowed women. In fact, I'll tell you this, Emma, the woman who actually was the pioneer and made possible women in the army is a woman named

Edith Norris Rogers. She actually served in the United States Congress for Massachusetts. And a few months ago, I've lost track of time, as Governor Hochul says, I don't know how many days it's been, the same day that Donald Trump had the Department of Defense and Arlington National Cemetery take down on their websites all the images of women, of Black people, of Latinos, of Asians. Remember that day? We had a celebration of Edith Norse Rogers in the Statehouse, and I put on display all the uniforms that women had worn in combat over the years. Diversity is a strength. It's not a flaw. It doesn't make any sense for us in classrooms, in boardrooms, in C-suites, or in the military to exclude women, people of color, people with

disabilities. It's wrong. It doesn't make for better outcomes. It doesn't make for better results. So as governor, you know, I've convened with my veteran secretary, we have a targeted effort in our state to fund and support programs for women veterans in particular, because of some of the added burdens that they've endured, particularly around PTSD. But we do that for all of our veterans. But I just want you to know that, you know, if you were in a state like Massachusetts, you'd have the benefit of our HERO Act, which benefits 30,000 women in Massachusetts. We also have a deputy secretary who's a woman as in that position at Veterans Affairs here in Massachusetts. And, you know, I say this to you, Emma, as somebody, look, I was the first gay person elected attorney general in the country when I got elected.

And I'm the first woman elected governor in the state of Massachusetts. And I wouldn't be where I am today if we didn't have anti-discrimination laws in place. I'll tell you that. And, you know, that's why we need to really push back hard on what Donald Trump and his administration is doing in trying to write diversity out. Again, diversity is a strength, not a flaw in America. Next question is for Governor Hochul. This question's from John S. from Massapequa, New York. It's about Medicaid and maternal care. Let's play this clip. Good evening, governors. My name is John Saznik, and I'm a pediatrician and neonatologist from Massapequa, New York.

As you probably know, Medicaid currently covers nearly 40% of all births nationwide and is essential for ensuring access to prenatal, neonatal, and pediatric care. With significant cuts to Medicaid expansion increasingly likely, I'm deeply concerned about the millions, including pregnant women, infants, children, and families who could lose coverage. How are your states preparing to protect these populations and maintain access to critical health care services if federal Medicaid funding is reduced? Governor. John is New York State's first mom governor. Maternal care is everything to me. And I will tell you this, we are the first state in the nation, I'm really proud of this, to require that insurance companies, all insurance companies, not just for people on few hours to go to a prenatal appointment to take care of her baby's health and her health and possibly risking money to bring home to her other kids at

the end of the day. We didn't think that was a fair choice for people to make. And I hope other states will follow what we did here. We're proud of our focus on moms and their health and their baby's health. And we do have pockets where maternal mortality and infant mortality is very high, especially among women of color. And we've gone into those communities and supported programs for doulas and made sure that there's doula directories. And this is covered by insurance as well, focusing on not just the mom's health, but the baby afterward. And so we cover moms and babies on Medicaid even for the first year after the birth. So we're laser focused on this in New York.

You ask a different question though. You're asking what happens when Donald Trump's cuts come or the Republican cuts come. And I anticipate there'll be more cuts when they work on the reconciliation bill later this summer. We need to hold them accountable. Every single one of them, probably many of them are moms and dads themselves,

these Republican members of Congress who need to know the outrage of their residents. And on Long Island, you have a number. You have two Republicans, and I will give you their addresses to go down and ask them what they're doing to protect Medicaid, especially for our most vulnerable moms in their hours of pregnancy, the months of pregnancy, and brand-new babies. We're focused on putting money back in families' pockets. I just got through an arduous effort to get our budget done, almost 100% finished. And it's

focused on families. We'll have child care tax credits for the first time ever, $1,000 for every family with a child four years old and under. Because I know, personally, that's when you have to pay for the diapers and the formula and always going for those medical checkups and the vaccinations. And yes, get your vaccinations. So we're putting money back in families' pockets. We have a middle-class tax cut coming, the largest tax rate cut in 70 years.

We have money in inflation rebate, putting money back in families' pockets, starting as soon as possible. And we're focusing on nutrition programs, making sure we cover all the lunches and breakfasts in school, just like some of my colleagues do. So it's all about the family to me. As I said back when I first announced my budget this year,

I said, your family is my fight. Now, I didn't know at that moment that fight would also include taking on Donald Trump and his administration, who's trying to undermine all these safety net programs like Medicaid for expectant families. So I appreciate your concern. We are on this. And if something does happen, our Attorney General Tish James and I will be on the front lines to try to stop it in court. We can't always rely on the courts, but sometimes we're surprised. Even the Supreme Court, handpicked by Donald Trump, the majority of them have sometimes done the right thing in the interest of protecting the separation of powers and ultimately protecting our democracy. So this fight is my own and you can count on me being on the front lines if this happens.

Next question is going to be directed to all four governors who are here with us tonight, and it's about your communication strategy. What are Democrats doing to communicate all of the great policies and ideas that you've talked about so people actually get it and elections are won? Let me play this question from Henry for all of you. Let's play it. Thanks for taking my question. My question is really about how to package the party going forward for both the midterm elections and the 2028 presidential election. Because something like 90 deals in 90 days is pretty ridiculous, but it catches people's attention. And a lot of what Trump is doing with the way he's approaching things is very much catching people's attention, even if there's really no substance to it. But what can the Democrats do to be better in terms of reaching people that are more likely to relate to TMZ than they are to relate to The New York Times?

Great question. Governor Pritzker. Well, let's start with we've got to speak plainly to the American people about what really matters, right? The things that I think in the hearts of all four of us about standing up for working families, about being the party that fights for the middle class and for the working class and for the most vulnerable in our country. And we've got to make sure that people understand what we're doing to get things done. Every one of the four governors on here have accomplished really important things in our state. So I'll give you an example in my state. You know, there's a federal minimum wage, $7.25. Nobody can live on $7.25 anymore. It's $14,000 a year if you're working full time. You've got to work two to three jobs to take care of your family at $7.25.

It's impossible. So in my state, we raise the minimum wage to $15. It was important to us to make sure that we're lifting people out of poverty. If you're going to work full time, you ought to get a wage that's appropriate to that, that you can live on. So that's something that we ought to be talking about federally. The $7.25 minimum wage, not enough. And Democrats are for raising it. Republicans don't want to raise it. In fact, many of them would like to do away with the minimum wage. So we should be speaking plainly about raising wages. We should be speaking plainly about the fact that we are for universal health care. Every one of us believes that health care is a right, not a privilege. And we can have disagreements about how you get there. Some

say Medicare for all. Some say that we ought to expand private insurance to cover more people with a state subsidy, for example, or a federal subsidy. But whatever that is, it's we believe that everybody should have a doctor and that no one should go without. Republicans are trying to take away. You're about to see this. They're trying to take away Medicaid and Medicare from people who need it most. So I believe that the way to communicate is to start with the simple messages of the things that we believe that are reflective of our values. And then we've got to choose the media where messages are really getting to people. And this is one example of it. We're on here today because this is one of the great outlets, one of the great channels that really reaches people. So many people listen to Ben. And going on, and I saw

this with Tim Walls when he was running for vice president. He went on just about every kind of podcast that you could possibly go on. He was everywhere. We've got to do that, all of us, and make sure that the Democratic message of standing up for working families is heard everywhere and directly to people who are online and listening. Same question to you, Governor Walz. Yeah, well, Henry, thanks for the question. And I'm, look, you've got these three governors, myself, I'm partial towards governors, I'll just say that they're out there. But we need everybody on the field. We need everybody out there filling a lane and taking a message.

Donald Trump understands this. He sucks up so much oxygen. He's the 800 pound gorilla in the room. And the debate that's happening right now, could 100 people defeat a gorilla? I'd like to find out with 100 of us to get out there and fill these lanes, tell them what we're doing, show them a difference, show them the fight that people are ready to lead and we need to be alongside of them. And then when we gain power, I think this is really critical. These governors you have on here, I'm going to go with what Governor Pritzker said. These are consequential governors that have passed important legislation not to get themselves reelected. They did it to improve lives. And this idea that when you win an election, don't bank that political capital, burn it as quickly

as possible. And I will tell you, someone asked me if I've learned anything from Donald Trump. I learned this. We need to move as aggressively and as fast as Donald Trump has moved with our progressive policies. We need to expand health care. We need to make access to it more affordable. We need to make sure education is more affordable. We need to make housing more affordable. Not talk about it, not to have a better idea than them. The thing that governors do, they actually implement it and get it in. So I think now if someone's lane is to do their own podcast, do the podcast. If somebody's lane is to do large rallies, we see Bernie Sanders and AOC out there.

We see Chris Murphy out there. Governors, Andy Beshear, this group here, everybody out there and statehouse members. I see it doing it to flood the zone. Talk about what can be improved. Make it clear that that he's failing. They know that. But tell them what we're going to do. And I would just tell all of us, when we win, and this thing starts when we hold the governor in New Jersey, and when we win back the governorship in Virginia, Donald Trump becomes a lame duck and we run as fast and as hard as we can and we win start putting the plans together in January of 27 we need to be passing legislation that improves people's lives as as he's recklessly tearing things down we need to aggressively build them

up so Henry's on the right spot I want to thank my fellow governors who are on here tonight and and they're right this is one way of doing it. But everybody's finding their niche. And we're the hundred gorillas. And I'll bet on us against him on this one. Governor Healy, same question for you. All right. Thank you, Coach Walls. You know, I agree with everything that my colleagues have to say. And, you know, I'll just I'll just add to it. You know, I was really moved hearing from Deanna earlier in the night. I was raised by a single mom and she went back to work, became a school nurse to take care of us. You know, we've got to get out and fight for people. And we've

got to make it clear to people the things that Donald Trump is doing. Here's the action. Here's the consequence. And we need to continue to stand up to him and to speak out against what he is doing when he's doing things that hurt people, that hurt our economy, tank our economy, are illegal and unconstitutional. I think that is really important right now. I'm not sure that people who voted for Donald Trump voted to have their dad not be able to get care at the VA because they laid off all the doctors. And I'm not sure that people voted for Donald Trump to fire all the scientists and the people who are trying to cure cancer right now. They certainly, I think, didn't vote for him to raise prices, right, and raise costs. Nobody wants that. But that's what's happening. So

we both need to be really clear about that and then show the contrast. Here's what we're for, you know, all of us, the four of us and our colleagues, we want to fund education. We want people to have health care. We want people to be able to afford a house. We want people to be able to go to school if they want and then get a job and have a career and growth. We don't want moms like Deanna struggling. And by the way, not everybody is in a position to go to those town halls or go to those congressional offices because moms like Deanna got to take care of her son. So everybody's got to find that lane and step up and fill that role. An example of what I'm talking about when I say draw the contrast, I cut taxes in Massachusetts. I'm the first governor in 20 years to do that. This spring, because I wanted people to understand and feel that impact, I did a whole roadshow.

And I focused on showing up in places where parents were, where seniors were, because among the things we did is we provided the country's most generous tax credit for families with kids or dependents at home. And I wanted people to know as they were doing their taxes, they had the benefit of that. I went to all these senior centers because I wanted them to know that we doubled the amount that they're going to get back in a refund this year. And, you know, I think every time we take actions, whether it's stockpiling Mifepristone or streamlining permitting so that we can bring more clean energy on and modernize the grid, we got to be out there telling people, showing people what we're doing and how it impacts their life in real ways. And, you know, I know that with that, Democrats are going to have success because I know what we believe in, I know what we fight for, and I know who we fight for.

Governor Hochul, same question for you. All right, the answer is not simple because we've heard it all from all my friends here. I also think, you know, we talk about different platforms of communication. We all know how to go on cable news. We're invited all the time and that's great. But how do you amplify beyond that? The people are not watching MSNBC or CNN. And the answer is you do have to be creative and have, I would say, surround yourself with young people and ask them

where they're getting their news from. We know most people are getting their news from Facebook. They're getting their news from TikTok. And it's not always, you know, gone through the rigors of a 60-minute interview where you have to know exactly all the facts or else you'll be called out on it because facts sometimes are, you know, collateral damage to this war on truth that we have right now. But that being said, go into the places that aren't always comfortable for us as leaders of our party and of our states and to meet people where they are. So have a robust, robust social media communications strategy, the traditional and not so traditional, the new and emerging ways to connect with people. But as you've heard from my friends, you can't sit behind your desk. You know, we do have loud platforms. I have the New York City media market.

There's nothing more challenging, but also more expansive. And that gives me an opportunity as I'm going out there and I'm literally on the road show. I was in a child care center this morning telling the parents about how I'm giving them more money for child care, because I knew what it was like when I had to leave my job with Senator Moynihan as a young woman because there was no child care. So that reminds me all the time of being more relatable to people. We all have our own life's experiences. And I tell you, I never forget the people who are still in the trailer park that my parents used to live in when they first started married life. They're still there. I still go to the diner in that neighborhood and talk to people. And I go by the old steel plant and think about the people that feel like they're

abandoned because of their jobs being shipped overseas or elsewhere. So use your own stories and connect with people. Don't talk down to people. We don't need any more policies or plans or prescriptions for success. We don't need a 20 point plan on how to make people feel that they've got more money back in their pocket. Be more relatable. Let them understand empathy and emotion are important to convey as well. So we're not just by the book Democrats. We know better than everybody else.

We don't. We're always learning. And we learn more by reaching out of our comfort zone and going into the spaces. Like when I got elected in the most Republican district in the entire state of New York a few years ago during the Tea Party revolution, I went to the diners. I went to one diner. This one man said, not only have I never voted for a

Democrat, I've never even seen a Democrat. So I went to those places, uncomfortable, but eventually you can win people over. You slap them on the back, you find a shared experience. All my grandparents came from Ireland. Their family were dairy farmers. So there is a way that we need to be more relatable and stop talking down to people. Let them know we understand them, but find the different ways that people are reaching out. Because the message we have for 2026 and 2028, it has to fit on a bumper sticker. Not a make America great again. We know that was a disaster, but it wasn't a disaster marketing-wise. You know what I'm saying? Everybody knew what that meant. We need to distill our message as the one that's bringing hope to bringing back our country and fighting for the working class, as you've heard from my colleagues.

So we've got the answers. It's how we convey them is what is going to be our next challenge. And we'll get it right. And this town hall live stream is currently number one in the United States on YouTube as we're streaming this live. All right, time for brief closing remarks right now from the governors. So as we wrap up this town hall, we're going to ask the governors to give their closing remarks on Trump's 100 days and where we go from here. Governor J.B. Pritzker, your closing remarks and message to the American people in Trump's first 100 days. Let's start with it's time to fight. Everybody has to get up, stand up, speak out, show up. And if you can't go somewhere to do that, well, go online and make sure you're speaking up and showing up online.

And if you can't do that, how about calling your congressperson, your senator, to make your voice heard? Everybody has got to stand up for not only what's best for themselves and their families, but also their neighbors and their friends. And I'm seeing that. Here's the thing that I want to say to everybody. You should have a lot of hope because I'm seeing Republicans and Democrats showing up to make their voices heard, to stand up for veterans who have lost their services, to stand up for those who are receiving Social Security, but whose Social Security offices are closing.

And so they you know, they've got to show up in order to get their Social Security check. Medicaid is under attack. And I think everybody understands that if you're not on Medicaid, someone you know needs medical care and they rely upon Medicaid. And I'm seeing families show up for other families. I'm seeing veterans show up for each other. And many of us who come from a military family are showing up for our veterans as well. So I want to say this is a moment when we have an opportunity to really stand up for each other. It's who we are as Americans. It's what we ought to be doing. And as much as I am challenged and all of us are by what Donald Trump and his gang in the White House are doing.

I also see that the American people are standing up and getting the job done of making their voices heard. We're going to see a real momentum over the next few months and over the next year. And by November of 2026, we're going to take the Congress back because of everyone listening to this podcast and Americans all across the country. Governor Walz, your closing remarks and your message to the American people. Well, Ben, thank you. Thanks. Midas touched the network and to my fellow governors. I could I'm so proud to stand with you. Look, let's get a couple of ground rules first. You can't appease authoritarianism, call out their crap and just know that that's who they are. Stand proud on our progressive values. Stand proud that we're feeding children. Stand proud

that we care about the environment. Stand proud and get out there and don't try and find an easy way to this. This is a way that we have to have policies that improve people's lives. And then find a lane. Find your lane. Everybody who's out there, whatever it is. If you're good at something, do that. If you'd rather do something else, get there. I will associate myself as a, we were colleagues together, Governor Hochul and I, show up at those things. It makes a difference. Call their offices. They work for you. Make them work for you. And I'm telling you, it's working. We've had some of us have shown up in Omaha. There's a whole bunch of folks stopping through that beautiful blue dot. Don't anybody diss Nebraska. They turn out in Omaha. They've got a GOP congressman in a district that is ours and should be one. You know what's happening to

him now? He thinks maybe we shouldn't cut Medicaid. And this weekend he was talking about he might want to spend more time with his family instead of running again. That's a good idea. And we need to keep the pressure on every single one of these. So I thank you for doing this. I thank folks who tuned in. This is our fight. It's our time. Nobody's going to come riding in here. Governor Healy, your closing remarks and your final message to the American people. Thanks, Ben. And thanks. Thanks for having us on. And thank you, everybody who tuned in. I, too, want people to leave here tonight with hope. I see people speaking up every day. I see people standing up every day is a, this is going to, this is going to be a marathon. It's going to take some time. And we just got to stay at it every single day. You know, basketball, as a basketball player, basketball is big in my background. It's a team sport. Everybody's got a role to play.

And there's something about basketball where, you know, you got to play offense and you got to play defense. And as a point guard, if I stood up, you'd see I'm only 5'4". It's about making plays, right? And it's about the assist. And everybody's got a way to participate in what we need to do right now as a country. So, you know, get out there. Get after it. Continue to talk to people.

Share experiences. I think that's really important. On social media, if you see somebody posting something and you think it's a good telling of something that's going on, then share that because the voices, elected leaders matter, politicians matter, but every day Americans matter more. They always have. They always had.

And I was reminded of that when I stood in Concord for the 250th celebrations, when that ragtag ban of farmers and tradespeople and, you know, other colonists faced down a mighty, mighty British army and king. the day we know what happened there. So continue on with the work. And I look forward to being able to work with many of you and talk with many of you over the coming weeks, months and years. Thank you for what you do. Governor Hochul, your closing remarks and message to the American people. All right. Thank you, Ben. And I'm always inspired when I hear my fellow governors. And these are just a small sampling. I believe that this is the new leadership that our country needs is among the ranks of our governors. And they're extraordinary leaders really in there fighting the fight right now, not just talking about it or pontificating about it. I'll tell you a couple of things. Donald Trump killed a lot of things. What he killed was killing our economy. He's killing education. He's killing health care. But you know what?

He also killed complacency. I don't think there's an American alive right now who's watching what is unfolding over these last 100 days, and there's 1,362 more to go that are feeling complacent or apathetic and going to sit on the sidelines. No, no, no. They are energized. They're mobilized. They're ready to organize. And I can feel it right now in every corner of my state and across this country. And that is the power of the American people. Don't ever count us down. We're never out. We do fight back. And I can give you one example of hope because that's something that seems a little bit of loss today. A lot of people are giving up hope. They're despairing over the state of affairs and their own family's affairs.

I would cut my teeth into politics. My parents used to protest the Vietnam War. I used to wear a black armband when I was in my Catholic grade school. The nuns didn't like that, but this is in my genes. I'm genetically created to protest and be an agitator. So I was a kid when I saw Richard Nixon resign in disgrace after Watergate and fly off in a helicopter off the White House lawn. Our country was in disarray. The vice president was in trouble. Our country was literally imploding. We lost young people during the Vietnam War. We lost people at Kent State, the shooting. Look it up in your history books, young people. But listen, you know what happened the next year? 1974 was the greatest wave of Democrats elected to Congress that our country had seen at

that point, had seen at that point. So that's what's in store for us. You don't give up. You use that anger and channel it into action. That's what I'm calling for from everyone. We'll stand together. We'll get through this. We've been through a lot. And we'll look back, people look back at our time and ask, your grandkids will ask you, what did you do during the Trump administration? You can look at them and say, I fought back and we won. Thank you, Governor. And I want to thank all of the governors for joining us on the Midas Touch Network for

this virtual town hall. This was an important and necessary conversation. It was also the number one stream on all of YouTube this evening, thanks to your participation. We're also grateful for you recognizing the importance of digital media and independent news networks like ours, but most importantly, for your fight for democracy. The stakes could not be higher, and we appreciate you all meeting the moment and sharing this moment this evening with all of us at the Midas Mighty. I'm Ben Mycelis. This has been a presentation of the Midas Touch Network.

Shout out to the Midas Mighty. And thank you, governors. Can't get enough Midas? Check out the Midas Plus sub stack for ad free articles, reports, podcasts, daily recaps from Ron Filipkowski and more. Sign up for free now at MidasPlus.com.