Party Like It’s 2020! (Guest: Jack Cocchiarella)

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On our political radar this week…

America was treated to still another delusional rant from Donald Trump Thursday night about the issue that’s his singular fixation: imaginary election fraud six years ago. The speech came in a week of bad news from the mad man in the Oval Office:

Iran continues to dog-walk Trump and make the U.S. a laughing stock for the world, while the idiotic war continues to drive prices for American voters higher and higher.
Trump was finally forced to pay millions of dollars in damages to a woman he sexually assaulted, and once upon a time, this would have been major news.
His nominees for Attorney General and Director of National Intelligence embarrass themselves in Senate confirmation hearings – and threaten our national security and the rule of law if confirmed.
And the reflecting pool in Washington, D.C., continues to be a perfect metaphor for Trump’s presidency: his lack-of-self-awareness delusional hubris meeting the real-world reality of his total incompetence and stupidity. Hey, did anyone know dumb has a B in it?

Trump’s speech about the 2020 election is both idiotic and alarming at the same time. Voters are locked in on the cost-of-living, while Trump, his administration, and all the Republicans are locked in using the fictional tropes about the 2020 election being rigged to deliberately rig the 2026 election. We should be far more alarmed than we are about the prospect of a free and fair election this November.

Trump and the Republicans have settled in on the messaging we predicted here on this podcast several weeks ago – manufactured culture wars and racial scare tactics about violent crime – but with an unexpected blast from the past – COMMUNISM. That’s right. It’s Red Scare 3.0 for the GOP as they look to spend the rest of 2026 campaigning like it’s 1956.

The political eyes of the nation are focused on Michigan’s race for the U.S. Senate, where there is also a significant new endorsement. Senator Gary Peters, whose retirement launched the battle for nomination, reversed his earlier neutrality decision to back Haley Stevens, saying the Senate isn’t the place for on-the-job training.

The latest Detroit News polling, from well-respected pollster Richard Czuba, shows Stevens with a lead over Abdul El Sayed…and that Democratic voters are focused on two issues: the economy and fighting Trump. (It appears nobody mentioned the 2020 election.)

Yesterday saw the latest federal fundraising reports from candidates and PACs across the country. And news flash: money still matters more than the terminally online chatter around campaigns. And Democrats overall continue to outperform Republicans here in Michigan and across the country. Democratic candidates for Senate and Congress are racking up massive hauls, and while the Republicans aren’t complete slouches, at least with their fundraising, they lag in most key races.

The political focus is on Michigan and the Democratic battle for the U.S. Senate nomination. Joining the conversation is someone watching especially closely, online political guru Jack Cocchiarella. His YouTube political updates are seen by more than 1-and-a-half million subscribers, and more than 2 million followers across social media platforms.

Jeff first came to know Jack while he interned for the Lincoln Project during 2020 while he was still in high school. Now, after a political science path through Columbia University, he positions himself at the intersection of media virality and civic engagement—highlighting how today’s platforms shape electoral conversations. His commentary covers everything from algorithmic media dynamics to youth voter mobilization, and his channels regularly break down political stories, offering context, critique, and a call to action.