Beyond Anti-Trump: The Need for a Democratic Vision. With Faiz Shakir
The Bill Press Pod
BP Pods
4.7 • 601 Ratings
🗓️ 6 January 2026
⏱️ 34 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode Bill reconnects with Faiz Shakir to discuss the situation in Venezuela and its potential political impact on the U.S. They critique the law-of-the-jungle approach and its consequences for international stability and U.S. foreign policy. They then shift to the political landscape leading up to the 2026 midterms, analyzing the implications of the Trump administration's actions and the Democrats' chances of regaining control of the House and Senate. Shakir emphasizes the need for Democrats to offer an alternative vision beyond merely opposing Trump, focusing on issues like healthcare, AI, labor rights, and economic justice. The episode concludes with a discussion on the importance of grassroots media and the role of Shakir's new media organization, More Perfect Union, in telling workers' stories and challenging elite narratives.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, good friends. Happy New Year and welcome to this first podcast of the new year. |
| 0:12.0 | Well, with midterm elections in November, 2026, no doubt is going to be an important year on the political front, |
| 0:19.0 | the first chance for the nation |
| 0:20.9 | to recover from the devastating loss of 2024 and the wave of destruction we've experienced |
| 0:27.6 | in the first year of Trump 2.0. |
| 0:30.9 | So we thought it would be a good idea to start off 2026 with a look at the year ahead. |
| 0:37.7 | What the Democrats need to do to win? |
| 0:40.0 | What are their chances? |
| 0:41.1 | What's the right message? |
| 0:42.7 | Who's the best so far at delivering that message? |
| 0:45.6 | And what lessons did Democrats learn from big wins last year in Virginia, New Jersey, and |
| 0:51.6 | New York City? |
| 0:53.1 | And we're lucky today to have a seasoned, successful political operative as our guide. |
| 0:59.0 | Fas Shakir was a political advisor to Senate leader Harry Reid and Speaker Nancy Pelosi. |
| 1:07.0 | He later worked at Think Progress, was political director of the ACLU, and campaign manager for Bernie Sanders, his 2020 campaign for president. |
| 1:17.9 | Still a senior advisor to Senator Sanders, Fas is also founder and executive director of the great non-profit media organization called More Perfect Union. |
| 1:29.8 | Fashekir, it is so good to reconnect with you. It's been too long. Welcome to the Bill Press |
| 1:34.1 | pod. Hey, back at you, Bill. Happy New Year. Thank you. Happy New Year to you. I want to talk to you |
| 1:39.7 | looking ahead of 2026, Faswell. Let's start with the breaking news. You and I would probably agree that what |
| 1:46.9 | happened in Venezuela is a violation of U.S. law and international law. But the question is, |
| 1:53.6 | do you think it will have any political impact here in the United States? |
| 1:57.7 | You can't operate with the law of the jungle. And there's a reason why you don't want the |
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