The Opinions: Bernie Sanders and Ruben Gallego

The Ezra Klein Show

New York Times Opinion

Society & Culture, Government, News

4.6 • 11K Ratings

🗓️ 19 December 2025

⏱️ 68 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What will America’s story be after President Trump? My colleague David Leonhardt did a great series on that question this year, talking to a number of leading politicians. I thought two of those episodes, with Senator Bernie Sanders and with Senator Ruben Gallego, would be of particular interest to you. And they’re great to listen to as a pair. Sanders and Gallego have strong views about where the Democratic Party went wrong and how it can win back working-class voters in particular — views that have a lot of overlap but also some interesting shades of difference. So I wanted to share both conversations. You can learn more about our sister show “The Opinions” here — and subscribe wherever you find your podcasts.

Transcript

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0:00.0	My opinion colleague, David Leonhardt, has been doing these great interviews with Democratic politicians to ask,
0:05.8	what is America's next story? And today I want to share two conversations of a series that focus on the question of how Democrats can win back the working class, a question we've talked about a lot on this show.
0:18.0	These are two very different views. The first is with Senator Bernie Sanders,
0:21.9	and the second it was Senator Ruben Gallego. And I think the ways in which these approaches
0:27.7	converge and differ makes them particularly illuminating to listen to back to back. And if you
0:32.7	haven't had a chance to check out our sister podcast, where these are from, the opinions,
0:36.4	you should. The show
0:37.7	spotlights all sorts of interesting arguments and thinkers from the Times Opinion Universe.
0:43.2	We will link to it in the show notes.
0:46.1	This is The Opinions, a show that brings you a mix of voices from New York Times Opinion.
0:52.5	You've heard the news. Here's what to make of it.
0:59.3	I'm David Leonhardt, an editorial director in New York Times opinion.
1:03.5	And this is America's Next Story, a series about the ideas that once held our country together
1:09.1	and those that might do so again.
1:13.7	We the people, in order to form a more perfect humor.
1:17.9	Ask not what your country can do for you.
1:21.7	Ask what you can do for your country.
1:23.9	America is too great for small dreams.
1:26.4	Change is what's happening in America.
1:29.2	And we will make America great again.
1:32.8	God bless you and good night.
1:35.3	I love you.
	...

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