Reality check, America

Mike Gross for Congress

Remember a time when you were scammed or someone stole your loved one’s hard-earned money. How’d that make you feel? Stupid. Violated. Angry. Scared. Exposed. That’s exactly how we should all feel when politicians waste, abuse, or steal taxpayer money. Pissed. And demanding answers. But in Washington, nobody is accountable. Where’s the outrage? Where’s the resolve to defend the rule of law and the Constitution - and to root out blatant corruption and fraud in politics? I’ve been fighting to protect everyday Americans and businesses from financial fraud for almost 25 years. And we can apply the same principles to root out billons in fraud in Washington. Your tax dollars are not monopoly money. They’re groceries. Rent. Childcare. Healthcare premiums. Retirement. And I don’t care which party is abusing them. If someone breaks the rules, I go after them. But you can’t drain the swamp if you’re part of creating it. You want to drain the swamp? Don’t hire another mouthpiece shepherded in by the President and elite donors. Hire someone with the experience to call out and hold accountable those who break the rules, regardless of which side they’re on. That’s been my career. I already do this work - I’m just taking it to Washington. And if you think I’ll turn into them once I get there, then don’t vote for me. Fire me. These are my promises for accountability: * I’ll publish public scorecards. * I’ll explain bills and my votes in plain English – so there’s no question that I’m serving the will of the people in this district. * And I’ll livestream public, in-person monthly town halls where any member of the district can voice their concerns, share their stories, or ask for support. These won’t be staged applause traps with pre-screened attendees and softball questions. Some candidates need MAGA energy to survive. I’m building something different. A coalition of Republicans, Independents, and people who stopped voting because they’re tired of being lied to. If you want a loyalist to wait for permission and repeat party talking points, I’m not your guy. If the President is right, I’ll say it. If he’s wrong, I won’t cover for him. If you want someone who’ll take orders and vote as their told, then vote for someone else. But if you live in the East Valley and you’re sick of the political ass-kissing …Or you’re thinking to yourself, my life is harder now than it was a couple years ago … Or you want someone who will do what’s right, even if it’s hard … Then SIGN MY PETITION [https://go.azsos.gov/6bmy] and share it with a friend.And I’ll earn your vote before the primary election. Your voice matters. Your anger is justified. And it’s time we used it to fix what’s broken. Here’s a QR code to sign my petition or share with friends: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gross4az.substack.com [https://gross4az.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Epstein files bombshell: What it says about us

The Epstein files will dominate headlines, fuel conspiracy theories, and drag more famous names through the mud. But let’s be honest - it probably won’t tell us anything we don’t already know about our leaders. It’ll just confirm it. The President told us everything we needed to know about his character over a decade ago. And he’s reinforced it time and time again. So why are we surprised this time? The Epstein files are just the latest example of our political rot Here’s the first truth: Every American deserves complete transparency from our government. Every victim deserves to be heard. And every pedophile, trafficker, and anyone complicit in their crimes should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. No spin, no mercy, no selective redactions. No excuses about “protecting reputations.” Trust only exists when truth does. And until our leaders stop treating truth like a political liability, we’ll keep living in a system that protects predators instead of everyday Americans. And the second truth? The real scandal here isn’t going to be the files. It’s us. Because at some point, this stopped shocking us. The notion that powerful men use their influence to abuse and exploit? To prey on innocent victims? We’ve basically come to expect it. Presidents, senators, billionaires, judges - we’ve watched them fall, then rise again. And somewhere along the line that became acceptable. That’s the crisis. The crimes themselves are horrendous and inexcusable. But our national shrug in response is equally detestable. We tell ourselves “it’s just politics” or “the other side is involved too,” as if moral bankruptcy is a prerequisite for power. We excuse lies as strategy, corruption as leadership, and cruelty as strength. And when the next scandal breaks, it dominates the headlines, we act outraged for a week, then move on to the next circus. What are we doing? At some point, we have to ask: Where do we go from here? Do we keep trudging along, pretending it’s normal that our so-called public servants behave like untouchable feudal lords? Do we keep letting money, power, and fame erase accountability? Or do we finally draw a line and say enough? This isn’t about partisanship. It’s about the character of those entrusted with our nation’s ultimate responsibilities. The highest office in the land should still mean something sacred - something aspirational. If we lose that, then we lose the compass that guides us. And that’s exactly what’s happened. We’ve let greed, power, and narcissism replace decency, humility, and moral courage. This nobody would ensure that we prosecute any individual responsible for crimes against humanity. Their actions are inexcusable. And it’s time we hold them ALL accountable. We can’t defend the indefensible When these files drop, expect outrage. Expect headlines. Expect politicians pretending to be disgusted when they’re really just calculating how to spin it. But when the smoke clears, the real question won’t be about Epstein or his enablers - it’ll be about us. Because what this truly exposes is the national rot we’ve come to tolerate. We’ve normalized corruption, fetishized celebrity, and confused wealth with worth. We shrug off the moral decay at the top because we’ve been taught to believe “that’s just politics.” But it’s not just politics. It’s our reflection in the mirror of power. How did this become ok? This Washington Post video clip from 2005 should tell us everything we need to know about President Trump’s character even after his Epstein fallout. [https://www.npr.org/2016/10/07/497087141/donald-trump-caught-on-tape-making-vulgar-remarks-about-women] The real bombshell in all this isn’t a list of names, 1000s of emails implicating the President’s egregious actions, or past leaders’ transgressions - it’s what those names say about who we are and what we’ve let happen to our democracy. If we keep electing people based on slogans instead of substance, donors instead of dignity, we’ll just keep getting the same predators with better PR teams. Trump is just the latest example in a long line of corruption. But it needs to end now. If we want a better America, we have to demand people with character in power. Leaders who see service as a duty, not a grift to make billions on the back of working Americans. Truth as a standard, not lies, deflection, and soundbites. And integrity as a requirement, not an option. We have to stop defending the indefensible. And that’s the only story worth breaking. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gross4az.substack.com [https://gross4az.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Standing on the edge of us

I’m just a nobody. But I’ve seen enough to know we’re standing on the edge. America isn’t broken the way a window breaks. It’s broken the way human spirit breaks. Slowly. Quietly. Until one day, you realize the light’s gone out behind their eyes. We’ve all felt it. That quiet, suffocating heaviness. The slow collapse of a country that once promised more than merely survival. It’s not about politics anymore. It’s our collective exhaustion. A hard-working woman in Chicago keeps her thermostat at 55 degrees all winter. She wraps herself in blankets and calls it cozy. She doesn’t tell her kids the heat’s been shut off before. A man in Detroit stares at the empty space where his job used to be - an auto plant now running with robots and foreign contracts. He scrolls the classifieds every night. They all pay half what he used to earn. He feels useless but he smiles at his wife and assures her it’ll be fine. A veteran in DC wakes up at 3:00 AM again. Sweating. Heart beating out of his chest. Reaching for a gun that isn’t there. He can’t remember the dream, just the sound of someone screaming. But it might’ve been him. A grandmother in Phoenix spends her days watching the same loop of game shows. Her assisted living center is understaffed. The nurse doesn’t know her name, and the family she raised is too busy trying to stay afloat to visit. She holds a photo of her late husband and whispers to it because no one else listens. A mother in Atlanta fills the gas tank halfway. She fills her kid’s stomach halfway too. She’s learned the art of rationing hope. A farmer in Kansas stares at his dying crops. He used to know his neighbors, but they sold out years ago. Now it’s just him, his land, and the hum of corporate silos that own more of his town than anyone. A young man in Florida scrolls endlessly on his phone. He hasn’t spoken to another human being in two days. He’s got 3,000 followers, not one actual friend. He doesn’t remember what it feels like to be seen. A father in Pennsylvania buries his head in his hands at the kitchen table. His son overdosed last month. He tells people it was an accident, but he knows the truth. He doesn’t cry anymore. He just stares at the wall until the sun rises. A single woman in Nevada sits in her car outside the grocery store, counting crumpled dollars, deciding what’s worth more - food or gas to get to work. And a little boy in Texas falls asleep listening to his parents argue about money. He pretends to be asleep so they won’t see him cry. Life with silent judgment This is the America we’ve built. Not the one in commercials or campaign speeches. The one behind closed doors. The one we don’t talk about. A country where people are alive, but not living. Where the middle class became the working poor and the working poor became invisible. Where we stopped talking to each other because we’re too busy trying not to drown. And somewhere along the way, empathy became weakness. We call people “lazy” when they collapse from exhaustion.We call them “entitled” when they ask for help.We call them “crazy” when the noise gets too loud in their heads. But if you scratch away the labels, you’ll find the same story underneath every one of us.We’re scared. We’re tired. We’re running out of rope. This is what happens when greed and grift become the national religion. When billionaires buy our leaders. When the news sells outrage for profit. When truth is optional, and humanity is an afterthought. We’ve built an empire of loneliness, with towers of glass and steel that reach for the sky while the people who built them sleep on the streets below. We’ve traded compassion for convenience, justice for profit, and faith for followers. We used to be a country that pulled over to help.Now we film the wreckage and scroll on. Let’s be honest. We’re not OK. We are a nation holding its breath. A collective inhale, waiting to see if anyone still cares enough to breathe out. Because here’s the truth no politician wants to say: We’re not fine.We’re not thriving.We’re teetering. And what happens next, what we choose to do now, decides who we become. We either decide that our neighbors are worth saving, or we let this quiet collapse finish what it started. If you’ve ever felt invisible, unheard, unseen - you’re not alone.If you’ve ever stared into the dark and wondered if tomorrow was worth it - you’re not broken.If you’ve ever felt like this country forgot you - you’re right.It did. But forgetting doesn’t have to be forever. We can still remember what it means to be human.We can still choose to care.We can still decide that no American - not the mother skipping dinner, not the veteran screaming in the dark, not the lonely kid staring at a glowing screen - should be left to carry their weight alone. Because this isn’t about saving a nation. It’s about saving us. The people. The pulse. The last fragile thread holding this country together. And maybe that’s still enough. We are standing on the edge of us.One step forward, we rise.One step back, we disappear. The decision is ours. But time is running out. Subscribe for free to receive new posts! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gross4az.substack.com [https://gross4az.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

The America I live in...cares, fights, hopes, loves, serves.

We live in a different reality than our leaders I don’t live behind iron gates or inside marble walls. I don’t spend my nights mingling with billionaires and lobbyists. I spend my days listening to people who are tired. Tired of the noise, tired of the lies, tired of being invisible to the people who were elected to serve them. Meanwhile, the President is living in another reality. In his recent 60 Minutes interview, these were his own words: He says “the country’s in great shape, we’re ready to rock,” even though the government is shutdown and no one can agree on anything. He says he’s “solved inflation,” even as Americans see prices climbing every month. He says he “has a plan to fix healthcare,” even though his only plan has been to dismantle the program that millions rely on, especially those with pre-existing conditions. He says he’s “ended almost every war,” except the one he said he’d end on day one in office. He says ICE “hasn’t gone far enough” in its violent approach to rooting out criminals, even though the reality is that nearly every detainee’s only crime was entering the country without following the rules. And he “can’t even remember” which crypto billionaire he pardoned recently - but somehow he remembers to reward his donors while cutting programs that feed working families. Sure, he’s in total control. That’s not leadership. That’s a President who’s completely out of touch. The America I live in is struggling Ask a single mom choosing between rent and groceries if inflation’s been “solved.”Ask a family that can’t pay next year’s healthcare premiums if the system’s “an easy fix.”Ask a farmer crushed by tariffs and debt how “strong” the economy feels.Ask a teacher working two jobs to afford childcare if this is “the hottest America has ever been.” The President and our leaders are living in a gold-plated fantasy, surrounded by yes-men and billionaires who sip champagne while the rest of the country quietly struggles to survive. We deserve a leader who takes responsibility. Not blaming every failure on his predecessors while embracing every victory as his alone. So much for rising together. * The America I live in … isn’t partying at Mar-a-Lago. It’s driving trucks, waiting tables, teaching kids, planting crops, saving lives, fixing engines, and working overtime to stay afloat. * The America I live in … is hurting. Its people are divided, burnt out, frustrated, and scared that they won’t be able to pay their bills. * The America I live in … is made of people who’ve stopped expecting government to help. Because it hasn’t in a long time. Let’s hit the reset button America needs a reset from the inside out. It may take a few years but that’s why we can’t afford to wait to start changing the world. I’m not here to protect the 1%. I’m here to lift the 99%. Every single “nobody” who keeps this country running while being told they don’t matter. I don’t have a golden ballroom. I don’t have a billionaire’s checkbook. But what I do have is a heart and passion for this country, a head full of ideas, and a plan that can work for everyone. Here’s what THAT future looks like: We make healthcare universal, because no one should go bankrupt for getting sick.We reform taxes, because billionaires shouldn’t pay less than bus drivers.We launch the Innovation Corps, creating millions of jobs with purpose, rebuilding and advancing the country just like our farmers would - hands-on and with pure American spirit and ingenuity. We cure disease, advance tech, and modernize infrastructure.We guarantee education that prepares kids for the world ahead - not reliving the past.We create housing that’s affordable, energy that’s clean and reliable, and communities where families don’t just survive - they thrive. That’s the future I stand for. Not promises for the privileged. Promises for us. And here’s my commitment to you: You’ll get transparency - not half-truths, made-up numbers, and mind games.You’ll get a leader who listens - not someone obsessed with being the smartest person in the room.You’ll get ideas that unite us - not slogans that divide us.You’ll get someone who learns, grows, and leads WITH the American people, not talking down to them. I want you engaged. I want you asking questions. I want you demanding results. Because that’s how democracy is supposed to work - not as a show, but as a shared project. If you hate an idea, tell me - respectfully. Share your experience and why it’s so important to you. If you want to make something better, share your feedback. If you love a plan, share it so others can get behind it. When I said these are “Promises for Us,” I meant it. These aren’t political fights. They’re human. They’re about lifting up those in need. They’re about ending the unfair advantages for the rich keeping everyone else buried in the sand. They’re about making sure everyone has a fighting chance in a system intentionally working against them. 2028 belongs to the nobodies The next American leader should belong to all of us. Not from Trump’s MAGA bench. That’s just more of the same chaos, division, and empty promises. They’ll continue to sell outrage, but never deliver outcomes. And we deserve better than a copy of a show that’s already failed us. I intend to be that leader we didn’t know we needed - so it’s time you got to know this nobody. I work hard, speak my mind, and won’t stop fighting for what’s right for America, our communities, and for all of us - just like all of you. Expect more. Demand results. Ask tough questions. This nobody is counting on it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gross4az.substack.com [https://gross4az.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Reality check, America

I’m just a nobody. But ask me what I stand for, and it will always start with us - the builders, the doers, the dreamers. The everyday Americans who still believe this country can be better than the headlines say it is. And as we prepare for another round of major government shutdown impacts, with SNAP benefits expiring on Saturday, I want to be clear. I don’t care if you’re allied with MAGA or Democrats. 40 million+ (mostly kids and elderly) of your fellow Americans will lose access to food in a couple days. That includes families who’ve lost their jobs, got furloughed, or don’t have savings. That includes veterans and college grads who can’t find work due to AI and automation taking entry-level jobs.And that includes seniors choosing medicine over meals. In a couple months, there’s another cliff. Healthcare subsidies expire and millions more will have to go without insurance because they can’t afford the premiums. They’ll have to live in fear of an emergency that leads to a lifetime of debt because they can’t afford basic healthcare coverage for their families. What the hell, America? The silence of our leaders is deafening I said it before and I mean it. Wake up! The real crisis in America is not what one side is or isn’t doing. It’s the loss of our humanity. We’re really going to let families go hungry? We’re really going to destroy the lives of millions so the billionaires get an even larger tax cut. That. Is. Insane. This is NOT who we are or who we need to be. I don’t represent the rich, the loudest, or the most powerful. I represent the rest of us - the millions of nobodies who step up for people in need. Those who selflessly serve our communities. And all the nobodies who keep this country moving and deserve a government that actually works for them. Not this inhumanity. Not chaotic change. Not empty promises. My life obviously doesn’t revolve around Washington. I grew up in Kansas, where you learn early that if a fence is broken, you fix it. You make it better, stronger. You don’t argue about whose fault it is while the cattle wander off. You roll up your sleeves, you work together, and you GET IT DONE. That’s the spirit we’ve lost - and the one I’m bringing back. Our leaders need to get it done…now. A country intentionally divided by culture wars We’ve been told to see each other as enemies. Left against right. Red states vs. blue states. Haves vs. have nots. Neighbors shouting. Families and friends sit in silence. Intentionally wedged apart so we can never find common ground - so a shared purpose doesn’t rise up and demand better. That’s not leadership. But here’s a secret the billionaires and party bosses don’t want you to know: we’re on the same team. The farmer in Kansas and the nurse in Boston. The teacher in Atlanta and the truck driver in Texas. The single mom, the immigrant, the veteran, the student. Different stories. Same dream. Today’s leaders shout insults. Tomorrow’s will deliver on their promises. Real leadership is humble. It listens. It has empathy and grace. It stands up for what’s right. And it believes the people beside you can rise if you believe in them first. That’s how we’ll rebuild this country, the way the best teams win: by trusting one another, by working for something bigger than ourselves, by remembering that kindness and compassion aren’t weakness. We can disagree fiercely and still move forward together.We can demand accountability and still lead with grace.We can rebuild this country one act of decency at a time - and still swing for the fences when it counts. But we can’t afford to wait. Millions of lives are literally at stake. We need solutions. We need action. And we need to get to work…now. Demand answers. Then more. The nation should serve its people. Right now, we must demand an immediate end to the shutdown and funding of these critical SNAP and healthcare lifelines. Then start demanding action, real long-term change. Not slow bureaucracy. Healthcare for all. Women’s rights. Minority rights. Immigrants’ rights. The same opportunities our ancestors had to build the American dream. Fair wages and service work with a purpose. Mental health resources. Affordable housing. Education that unlocks potential. Clean, safe, affordable energy. Truth and justice for all. These are not pie in the sky. They’re all possible. All achievable. All inevitable for a people that live up to their definition of what it means to be Americans. Remember that. Then demand accountability from all branches of the government. This isn’t a game. No more get out of jail free cards. No one is above the law, including the President, Congress, and Courts. Our demands are constant because we never stop believing that we can provide for our families, protect the needy, and serve our communities. That’s the great promise of this nation. So join this nobody, and bring a little stubborn hope. The kind that doesn’t quit when things get hard. The kind that refuses to accept that divided is our permanent state. Because deep down, we still know how to come together. We’ve done it before. I’m for you.I’m for us.And together, we’ll prove that a bunch of nobodies with a plan, a big heart, and a whole lot of belief can change everything. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gross4az.substack.com [https://gross4az.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]