Transcript of Exclusive Interview with New DNC Chair Ken Martin

Prices are not getting lower. Housing is not getting more affordable. There's not peace in Ukraine in 24 hours. It seems that every day, Donald Trump breaks another 20 promises. And this is hurting Americans, hurting Americans in the pocketbook, hurting America's standing internationally, folks. Even Fox is turning against Trump on some of their more newsy segments I get here. Watch what they said earlier in the day. Let's play it.

A lot of people in the country are talking about eggs and the lack thereof right now. I have a sister who lives in Austin, Texas. They said they can't find eggs anywhere, Costco and beyond. Although I went and looked for it. You can go about 30 minutes and you can find eggs on the shelf. But egg prices, there's no doubt, they are way up. I know anybody who does the grocery shopping that's listening to this is going, they're crazy. In fact, the prices that we have here, that's an average. I feel like most people are going, The eggs I see on my shelf are way more expensive. And I enjoy my eggs, too.

So this is certainly-It's not just egg prices. It's all prices in general. You're seeing MAGA people are sending us messages as well like this right here saying, What's going on with these egg prices? They're complaining. Then you even have MAGA Republican Congress members who are going on. They're talking about their priorities, and they're saying Americans need to experience pain. Pain for Elon Musk, for Donald Trump. The budget is going to be filled with pain. Here, play this clip.

See a menu of options that will come out in March, and it will be littered with a collection of ideas, some of which Americans are going to really not be for. But hey, if we don't sacrifice, if we don't understand that this is going to be a painful process, nothing's going to change.

I'm joined by the newly elected chair of the DNC, Ken Martin. You got your handful, Mr. Martin. What do you say in response to all of that?

Well, look, it's only been three weeks, and Elon Musk has already shown that he's the worst president that the US has ever had. In all honesty, this is the guy that was put in charge to bring efficiency to our government. The last thing he cares about is actually helping improve people's lives. Him and Donald Trump, basically, you have this government now that's been bought by the billionaires. The billionaires have one thing in mind, which is to make the most amount of profit they can off of hard work in men and women in this country. I don't know how in the hell changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America is going to help anyone in this country right now. I don't know how eliminating the free tax filing system is going to help middle class Americans and working class Americans who file their taxes for free right now. It's only going to help the billionaires who own TurboTax as an example. Elon Musk now controls all of our social security number, has access to almost all of our private data. We What do you think he's going to do with that?

As a tech pirate, he's going to take that data and he's going to sell it to the highest bidder. I mean, this is what our country has become. This billionaire cabinet is worth $460 billion. Not the top one %, by the way. It's the top 100th of one % has now bought our federal government, and they could give a damn about actually helping work with people in this country. And clearly, the last three weeks have proven that.

You can tell that it's even permeating the fox bubble their echo chamber where they had to discuss it. Then the pivot is we got to feel pain. This is what they're saying on the magazine. If you're a patriot, you got to sacrifice for Donald Trump and Elon Musk Americans. I mean, didn't Donald Trump say he was going to lower prices on day one, that there was going to be more jobs, so much jobs, you weren't even going to know what to do with all of these jobs? Didn't he say there was going to be peace in Ukraine in 24 hours? So what do you say to all of these Americans who are like, Whoa, whoa, whoa, what? You're talking about, I think Trump was talking about on Friday, plastic straws, the big one everybody thinks about, how much we need plastic straws. What do you say to the American public?

Well, again, look, he said he was going to bring down the cost of goods on day one. He hasn't done that. In fact, cost of eggs have increased dramatically. He's done nothing at all in the first three weeks, him or his co-president Elon Musk to actually bring down the cost of goods in this country and to help everyday Americans who are working their asses off to get ahead in life. He made a lot of promises. At this point, he hasn't delivered on any one of them. He seems to be focused on anything but helping the American people at this point, only trying to help his billionaire friends make as much money as they can. As you said, and you heard from those clips, inflict as much pain on the American people as possible. Only so they can make off with as much money as they can at the expense of all of us. That's what this is really about. I've said for the last few weeks here, whose side are we really on? Whose side is Donald Trump on? I know which side he's on. He's on the side of these modern-day robber barons who are essentially trying to pilfer the US government, make as much money as they can, and do nothing, absolutely nothing, to make a difference in my life or your life.

So, Ken, you're in the hot seat now. One of the most important jobs, DNC chair. Also, sometimes one of the most thankless jobs as the DNC chair, but incredibly important. The question I get asked, and I know the question I'm sure you're hearing right away and you were hearing as you were running fourth DNC chair is, where are the Democrats? What are the Democrats going to do? When are we going to see them fighting? People don't just want to hear, Well, Republicans control the House and the Senate and the Supreme Court. I think we need to educate people that that's the reality. But I think people want to see fighters. They want to see people out there. What do you say to people when they say, Ken, congratulations. What are you going to do for me now?

Well, as I said just a couple of days ago, right after I was elected, they asked me, What's your message for Donald Trump? My message is, We're coming. We're taking the gloves off. We're going to throw a punch, and we're going to land a punch. That's what I'm bringing to this. At the end of the day, we need everyone to stand up. Right now, when the stakes are so high for the American people? If people around this country don't see us standing up and fighting back, fighting back and pushing back hard, how in the hell are they going to believe that when they put us back in power, that we're going to fight for their lives then? It's coming upon us right now at this moment to stand up to the excesses and extremes of this administration that are not only shattering lives of people throughout this country, but they're destroying communities. Look, we have to resist, but we can do both at the same We can walk and chew gum at the same time, which is we can also define ourselves while we're also resisting Donald Trump. That was one of the lessons of the last election, frankly, in my opinion, is we didn't do a good enough job of giving people in this country a sense of who we are as Democrats, what we're fighting for and why.

We've got to do both. But let me tell you right now, what we've seen these last few weeks should incense all Americans. It's incumbent upon Democrats to get themselves off the mat, dust themselves off, and get themselves in the fight. This is the fight of our life right now, and people across the country are watching. They're watching us closely. They want to see us fight. In 2016, someone said to me, The Republicans are shameful, but the Democrats are spineless. It's time that the Democratic Party grows a defined and starts throwing a punch.

Let's talk about how you would define the Democratic Party in 2025. One of the things that I've been saying, I've been saying a few things. One, ABC, Always Be Campaigning, and DBD, Democratic Democrats be Democrats, and you don't need to chase being, in my view, Republican light or just a form of being a Republican. Stand up for workers. Be proud of what your principles and values are, because if you actually look at the polling, most Americans actually aligned. But I think one of the weaknesses is, I don't know, Democrats get psyched out by all the right wing disinformation. They let Fox set the narrative, and then somehow we're chasing that and we're a lighter version some of their stuff. I'm like, Stand for workers, stand up. So you talk about defining Democrats right now. We need to go on the offense. How would you define what you want to see the Democratic Party be in 2025 moving forward under your leadership?

Well, look, I think it has to be fiercely focused on a working class agenda, giving people a sense that we recognize that they can't afford their groceries. We're going to help bring down costs as Democrats. We're going to make sure that working class people can not just get by, but can get ahead, can actually retire with dignity, can actually save a few more pennies to maybe afford a vacation, have access to good quality education, and of course, access to health care. You can go down the list of all the things that people struggle with on a daily basis, those kitchen table issues that so many Americans are feeling like the US government and politicians don't give a damn about anymore. That's what we have to be fiercely focused on. I will I'll tell you this. There was a research that came out last spring that showed that for the first time ever, the two perceptions of the two political parties has switched. The majority of Americans now believe that the Republican Party best represents the interests of the working class and the poor, and the Democratic Party is the party of the wealthy and the elites.

That is a damning indictment on our party. That's not who we are at all. We've got to get back to basics. We've got to show people who are working so hard who still believe in the American dream that if they work hard, they can climb the economic ladder and achieve success, that it's still possible. That has to be our message. We have to focus on those kitchen table issues, those struggles, everyday struggles with childcare costs, with rising home costs, with not being able to afford groceries or gas. These are all things that create economic anxiety, and that's where the Democratic Party has to be focused.

I always say, while Democrats may have been fighting for workers or firefighters or first responders, Donald would show up to the fire station with that six-hour cold pizza and stand with them and then get people to vote against their own interests. I've always said, Democrats, go. Abc always be campaign. Go to the fire department, hang out with the Hired workers, hang out with the workers, be there because your values actually align as well. But you got to look people in the eyes and you got to say to people, people want to hear it, I'm with you. I feel your struggle. Let me shake your hands. Let me give you the final word, Ken, about what you want to say to people about the beginning of your tenure, any message you want to give to the people.

Well, I just want to reflect on what you said about the ABC, always be campaigning. That's part of what I campaigned on for this position, which is we need a permanent campaign right now that's not just showing up four months before an election and starting a conversation with a voter, but doing exactly what you're talking about, showing up in the union halls, showing up at the shift changes, showing up in community well before an election and building a durable relationship with the voter around their hopes, their dreams, their aspirations, and not just asking them to vote for our party or our candidate. That also means having a communications infrastructure that is always campaigning all the time. Unfortunately, we don't live in this conventional wisdom of people just paying attention in the last five months of an election. Unfortunately, we live in a perpetual campaign, which means our party needs to be always campaigning, which is why I am going to stand up a permanent campaign at the We're going to get out there, talk to voters, and most importantly, we're going to get back to organizing and building relationships with voters around shared values and about their hopes and dreams.

Look, we've got a lot of work to do with very little time. But you know what? We've all got to roll up our sleeves get ourselves in this fight and realize that the American people are relying on us to stand up and fight for them because they feel forgotten, they feel left behind, they feel down trodden, and they feel like no one gives a damn. I give a damn, I know our party gives a damn, and we've got to get back in this fight.

And Martin, newly elected chair of the DNC, excited to see what you do next. Thanks for joining us.

Thank you so much.

Everybody hit subscribe. Let's get to four million subscribers by the end of this weekend. Thanks for watching.

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