On Democracy with FPWellman

The Republicans have decided the only way they can win in 2026 is to cheat. It’s clear their policies are alienating millions of Americans and the Big Ugly Bill has landed like an anchor around their necks. So King Donald has asked his minions to rid him of this meddlesome election and Texas Governor Greg Abbott is happy to roll in to save him. With help from the thoroughly corrupt Department of Justice they are trying to do a rare mid-decade redistricting to get rid of majority minority districts and hand the Republicans five seats in the House. Our host Fred Wellman sits down with Texas House District-49 Representative Gina Hinojosa, chair of the progressive redistricting caucus, to discuss what is happening during what is supposed to be a Special Session about the devastating July 4th flash floods that killed dozens. Follow her on social media at @GinaForAustin.

Trump and his minions have been implementing Project 2025 at a breakneck pace with some estimates saying they are already over half way there in just six months. A major part of their mission is dismantling any regulatory barriers to letting their billionaire and corporate backers make more money and steal from the American people. Destroying the independent regulatory bodies like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Federal Communcations Commission (FCC), and many more is foundational to their efforts. Fred Wellman has the amazing opportunity to sit down with one of the fired FTC Commissioners, Alvaro Bedoya, who is on a mission to show how this effort by Trump is destroying our government, our democracy, and truly hurting average Americans who deserve a break from price gouging to scams. Bedoya is working to raise awareness about how the administration is purging important watchdog agencies and what it means for consumers and the American people. Alvaro Bedoya is now a Senior Advisor at the American Economic Liberties Project. He was appointed by President Joe Biden to serve as a Commissioner at the Federal Trade Commission in May 2022 and served in that role until his resignation in June 2025. At the FTC, Commissioner Bedoya focused on how antitrust law could do more to protect workers and labor unions, and warned against rapidly advancing workplace surveillance technology.

To say that people are absolutely losing their minds of Zohran Mamdani’s win in New York City’s Democratic Primary would be the understatement of the century. They are going nuts from continuous Fox News coverage to insane AI videos attacking him. In the end he won that race by being genuine, loving where he lives, talking to the people he wants to lead, and coming up with proposed solutions to their problems. Revolutionary isn’t it? That win has sparked a lot of interest in running for local offices. Run For Something is dedicated to helping young people and others learn how to run and win. Our host Fred Wellman sits down with Amanda Litman the President and Co-founder of Run For Something to talk about Mamdani’s win, why folks should run, and how the Democratic Party needs to change to meet the moment. Amanda has been in the political world for a while starting back as Hillary Clinton’s campaign email director. Charlie Crist’s digital director when he ran for governor in 2014 and as one of the first employees at Organizing for Action as deputy email director. She was also the email writer for Barack Obama’s re-election. She is a Northwestern University graduate and author and currently lives in Brooklyn. Her new book is called, "When We're in Charge [https://x.com/amandalitman/status/1922249489533849896]: The Next Generation’s Guide to Leadership" and is a guidebook for millennials and Gen Z on how to be an effective leader.    Learn more about Run For Something at: https://runforsomething.net/ [https://runforsomething.net/]

The Big Ugly Bill squeaked into law last week and we are still unpacking all of the ugly stuff buried in it. It’s not just what is in this massive package of benefits for the rich but the timing of the pieces. With the healthcare and nutrition cuts timed to start after the midterms and the much touted no taxes on tips and overtime timed to end after the next Presidential one. Oddly none of the breaks for the super wealthy start later or ever end. Fred dives into the madness in D.C. from RFK’s Jr.s lies about vaccines and autism to how the Republicans are playing hide the ball on their plans. He’s joined by the brilliant junior Senator from Delaware Lisa Blunt Rochester to discuss how she is fighting back and what is ahead for Democrats. LBR as she is known was just elected to the Senate this past year after serving as Delaware’s one member of Congress since 2017 after a lifetime of public service in government and nonprofit work. Don’t miss this great conversation.   Sponsors: Quince: Go to Quince dot com slash FRED for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns.

The Republicans passed their monstrous bill, and they did it on the back of lies and smears of average Americans. It’s also July Fourth weekend and we know that Trump is going to pummel the airwaves and Washington D.C. with his nationalistic fake patriotism. We are going to have the flag waved in our face and military members rolled out for display as he takes credit for their bravery. The truth is that his Administration is working hard to screw average Americans, veterans, servicemembers, and their families in every possible way. This week Fred is solo to dive into the truth behind Republicans' lies about their bill and Trump’s lies about ‘supporting the troops and how what is really happening is some of the worst attacks on their well-being in decades. Find out how he is dismantling the Department of Veterans Affairs, stopping the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau from enforcing rips offs, and more. They rely on lies because the truth is so bad. Sponsors: Stopbox:  Get firearm security redesigned and save 10% off @StopBoxUSA with code FRED10 at https://www.stopboxusa.com/FRED10 [https://www.stopboxusa.com/FRED10]  #stopboxpod Quince: Go to Quince.com/fred for FREE shipping on your order and 365-day returns.