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[Transcript edited for clarity, flow and length]
Mary Trump: Donald’s big abominable bill is coming for our social services, including Medicaid. So it really, really matters who we put back into power. In fact, California’s 22nd District is of particular interest because two thirds of the population in that district is on Medicaid. All the more reason that people in California’s 22nd need to vote for the Democrat running for Congress, Randy Villegas. So please check out this fascinating interview with the next congressman from the 22nd District in California.
Mary Trump: Randy, it is so great to have you here. Truly, we are days away from this incredible midterm election. How is it going?
Randy Villegas: It’s going great. We’re hearing a lot of good momentum here at the doors, from people who are really fired up and excited for change. At the same time, we know Republicans are throwing everything they have into these last two weeks to try to save my opponent, because they know the path to us taking back the House and bringing back some accountability runs through the Central Valley and through this district. It is the Southern Central Valley, stretching from Bakersfield in the south to Fresno in the north. It is a Democratic majority seat and a Latino majority seat, and it’s ripe for the taking so we can finally have the representation we deserve here in the Central Valley. We’re pulling ahead right now by about four points, but that’s exactly why they’re throwing everything they have at us. I’m always going to run like we’re 15 to 20 points down, and I just have to work twice as hard.
Mary Trump: Absolutely. And to that point, because they are desperate for sure, they know what’s coming when Democrats take over the House, and we’ll get to that later. But before we do, I want everybody to know that despite the fact that the midterms are right around the corner, money still really matters. There’s a reason Elon Musk and people like him are throwing so much money at this election, and there is a lot that can still be done in the last 10 days. We can get out the vote, have people knocking on doors, and do all sorts of other things. So please, please, please, if you can, go donate to Randy’s campaign. We’ve got all the links for you, and it really matters. Don’t think it’s too late. So speaking of your district, can you tell us a little bit about your opponent and what would happen if this incumbent got reelected?
Mary Trump: Because I think it seems pretty clear that Republicans in general, and this one in particular, are not in this for their constituents. They’re in this to protect Donald and keep their party in power no matter what.
Randy Villegas: Absolutely. It comes back to something my mom taught me early on: tell me who you’re with, and I’ll tell you who you are. The same thing can be said about politics. David Valadao has made it clear who he’s with. He is with the billionaires funding his campaign. He is with Donald. He is with Mike Johnson, who is out here stomping for him and trying to get out the vote here in Bakersfield. And he’s with his corporate sponsors, because that is who he answers to. He was the deciding vote on the big bill, which is going to rip away healthcare and food programs for hungry children and hungry families. He did this to give $1.1 trillion in tax cuts to the wealthiest people in this country, and he was the deciding vote on this bill even after publicly promising never to cut Medicaid.
Randy Villegas: It’s disgusting. We have the most Medicaid recipients in the entire country in my district. Two out of every three of our constituents rely on it. Despite that, he thought it was more important to give more tax breaks to billionaires. Just as I’ve been telling people at all of our town halls, the most ironic part about his vote is that he has a government subsidized healthcare plan as a member of Congress, which we all pay for. I think he needs to use that plan to schedule a physical and look for the spine he’s been missing for the last 12 years.
Mary Trump: Or the heart, for sure. I mean, you paint a picture of somebody who could not be more different from you, and there’s a reason we’re having this conversation. You are one of our Transcend champions. You embody the values that are important to us in candidates. You are absolutely committed to equity and justice, and you call it like it is. You understand the importance of public service in a way your opponent clearly does not. You also understand that for us to get out of this mess we’re in, thanks to Donald and the Republican Party, there does need to be real accountability. That is why they are so desperate to pull out all the stops to get Republicans reelected or elected for the first time. So how is your message resonating? That statistic is mind-blowing, that two out of three people in your district are on Medicaid.
Mary Trump: I mean, do your constituents, or sorry, I should say future constituents? I don’t want to get ahead of myself. Is it resonating? Do they understand the bait and switch that’s been pulled on them?
Randy Villegas: It is resonating, absolutely. People are struggling as it is. People in my district will drive seven to eight hours across the border to Tijuana to get cheaper prescription drugs, cheaper dental care, and cheaper healthcare, and that shouldn’t be happening in the richest country in the history of the world. That is why one of my priorities is not only reversing the cuts to Medicaid, but also fighting for healthcare as a human right. Nobody should choose between rationing their medicine and paying for groceries. Nobody should choose between paying their mortgage and seeing a doctor, and nobody should have to fight cancer and their congressman at the same time. We all deserve better than that. And to your point, they are pulling out all the stops, not just by flooding the airwaves with negative attack ads. We have actually seen a surge in ICE raids in these last couple of weeks leading up to the election.
Randy Villegas: I certainly don’t think it’s a coincidence that they are trying to intimidate our communities with this presence of ICE in the most Latino district in California, one of the critical flip opportunities. It is also a direct result of my opponent’s vote to triple ICE’s budget without any meaningful reforms whatsoever. Again, he is going to great lengths for Donald and the party, and he doesn’t have the spine to stand up for what’s right for his constituents. We believe the Central Valley and, frankly, our entire country deserves better than that.
Mary Trump: Yeah. I mean, it does feel like a perfect storm. They are bringing so much to bear on this election, either to make it harder for people to vote, to scare people out of voting, or to terrorize our communities. Clearly, much of that is happening in California’s 22nd Congressional District. So how do you see the election playing out? Because obviously we need to be concerned about some areas more than others. Is there a concern that there is going to be an effort either to interfere or to bring ICE agents in to stand outside polling places to intimidate people? Is there a plan in place, and what can people in your district do, one, to protect themselves, but two, to make sure they get to exercise their constitutional right to vote?
Randy Villegas: Yeah. We are already seeing these blatant attempts to intimidate our communities and suppress the vote before this election. That’s why it’s more critical than ever to keep reaching folks at the doors, on the phones, on the airwaves, and anywhere else we can, so they know how important their voice and their vote is leading up to this election. As for our message resonating, I think it’s one of the reasons they’re pulling out all the stops, because they see the momentum we’ve been building across the Central Valley and even across partisan lines. I’m proud to have the endorsements of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Progressive Caucus, many prominent Democratic elected officials, Senator Bernie Sanders, and a local Republican mayor. I love to highlight that fact because this fight is really not about left versus right. It’s about us versus them: working families in the Central Valley who’ve been left behind by politicians who are more catered to billionaires and corporations than to fighting for our communities.
Mary Trump: Yeah, that is such a great point. I truly believe this is a unique moment, certainly in modern American politics. This election is sort of post-politics and post-policy. It is indeed about who we are and who we choose to be going forward, and that question gets answered very differently if somebody like you gets into office. So I like to end with some optimism. First of all, how are you feeling about your race and the election in general? Because I’m feeling really hopeful.
Randy Villegas: I tell folks we are confident but not complacent. You were hearing a great response at the doors and at our community events. Later tonight, we’re holding a big rally with Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and people are fired up for that change. But we don’t take anything for granted. Like I mentioned earlier, I’m always going to run like we’re 15 to 20 points down, and I’ve got to work twice as hard, because we have to knock on every door, make every call, and reach every voter where they are. I’m certainly inspired by the stories I hear from our farmworkers, who get up before dawn to feed the rest of the world and the rest of the country, and from our nurses, our teachers, and so many people in the Central Valley who deserve a member of Congress who works just as hard as they do.
Randy Villegas: As a son of the Central Valley and the son of immigrants, all of these issues are personal to me. I grew up on Medi-Cal and programs like WIC, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. The fact that these programs are being decimated to give tax breaks to billionaires is unjust, and we deserve better than that. That’s why I’m fired up to win this election, to help us take back the House, and to have the representation working families deserve. I’m grateful for all the support from folks watching and reading. Please, if you’re able to donate your dollars, your time, your sweat, your sunscreen, or your phone banking time.
Please visit and donate to Randy’s campaign HERE
We need all hands on deck in this final stretch. Elon Musk is pouring in millions from a super PAC, so we know we’re doing something right. We’re upsetting Elon Musk.
Mary Trump: Absolutely. And yes, that’s how you know, because they are running scared, and the more scared they are, the more money they spend. It’s really important to realize that money is not going to solve all of their problems, because we’ve seen plenty of races in which the person who was outspent still came through. So I love the idea of confident but not complacent. We all need to vote as if our lives depend on it. Especially in a district like yours, people who don’t have to worry about ICE have to stand up for their neighbors, and everybody has to show up. So before we wrap up, Randy, I want to look ahead to what can happen when you and others like you get into office and Democrats get a majority, particularly in the House. I think people really need something to look to instead of just fighting the fight and trying to withstand what I refer to as the horrors. What do you envision happening when Democrats get the majority again?
Randy Villegas: I love the way you framed that, because if there’s one lesson we should learn from 2024, it’s that we can’t just offer people Donald Trump or, in my case, not David Valadao. We need to offer people a vision for something more. For me, that means first fighting to restore funding to Medicaid, WIC, SNAP, and all the programs our families rely on. But it also means fighting for things like universal childcare and healthcare, making sure members of Congress are banned from trading stocks and becoming lobbyists, and bringing real accountability to government. That also means accountability for the crimes already committed, whether that’s prosecuting ICE agents who have violated the Constitution and done harm to our communities, or any of the corrupt pay-to-play schemes we’ve seen play out in Congress. The American people deserve a government that works for them and not against them. We need to get immediately to work, not only reversing the damage that’s been done but giving people a vision for what government can actually do for the betterment of our communities.
Mary Trump: That sounds like paradise to me. It would be a long time coming, because this is a unique moment in modern American politics. Instead of just going back to where we were before this, we need something completely new, and candidates like you are going to get us there. So before we wrap up, I want to remind people that this is a crucially important election. That is an understatement. Please, please, please make sure you’re registered to vote. If you’re not, register. Even if you think you are, please check, because we can’t take anything for granted, and keep checking until you’ve cast your vote. It is so important that you show up, and as Randy said, your voice be heard and your vote be counted. If you are in California’s 22nd Congressional District, I cannot think of a better way to spend your day on November 3rd than going to cast your vote for Randy Villegas. Randy, it has been such a pleasure to meet you, to support you, and best of luck in the final stretch.
Please visit and donate to Randy’s campaign HERE
Randy Villegas: Likewise. Thank you so much for having me. As a community organizer at heart, I also have to remind folks that once you have voted and cast your ballot, please call your mom, call your dad, call your tío, call your tía, call your ex, and make sure they get their ballots in. Every single vote matters in this election.
Mary Trump: Your voice is an important part of the conversation. Thanks for joining us.
Mary, you are the BEST. Telling us all you know about the wormy apple that is our politics.
Mary, thanks to you and Rhonda for vetting our future candidates and supporting the building of a better America.
Go, Randy Villegas and the 22nd district of California!