DISASTER strikes for Republicans in DEEP RED district

We have some major news out of a deep. red Republican district in Ohio. That's. Ohio's 7th congressional district where. Max Miller, because of all the scandals. that he's engaged in right now, is. trailing in the polls 39 to 44. I'm. joined right now by Brian Poindexter, who is the Democratic nominee for Ohio's. 7th congressional district. So, Brian, thank you for joining me. I I have to. ask first and foremost, what was your. reaction to. Max Miller refusing to drop out by the. dropout deadline and basically defiantly.

staying in this race despite, you know, the pretty egregious scandal that he's. facing right now. >> Well, uh. I didn't really get in this race. because, you know, Max Miller is. terrible in his personal life. I got. into this race because the policies that. he supported and the administration has. brought forward has made it hard on. working families. Um whether he stayed. in the race, whether they replaced him, um we were ready to go with our mission.

of fighting for working families. Um you. know, that message has really rallied. support across the political spectrum. from the far reaches of the Democratic. Party even into the Republican Party and. everybody in between um because we're. we're fighting for what I've lived my. whole life, working for a living. Um. it's harder to make a living now if you. work and. we need to correct that and and I'm. hoping to get to Congress to be a voice. for working people. >> In terms of Max Miller's character, have. you spoken to voters who have voted for.

Max Miller in the past, um who have. decided that that what he is accused of. doing, which is to say, um. uh. you know, there was there was. there was a report that he had thrown. boiling water at his now ex-wife, that. he was being accused of breaking the. collarbone or injuring the collarbone of. his own daughter, has that resonated. with with folks in your district? >> Well, I've talked to people um all.

across the district uh Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. Um and. yeah, everybody is shocked and and. shaken by uh by these allegations. And. I've said it over and over again, if if. they prove to be true, he should. absolutely be in jail. >> Yeah. >> And uh you know, I think what voters are. waking up to, especially in this. district, is that um. you know, there's a two-tier justice. system where if you're wealthy and. well-connected, um you know, you can be. you can be uh alleged to have committed.

severe atrocities, and it's business as. usual. I mean, we see it in um in the. Epstein files, you know, if those were. iron workers and plumbers and teachers, they would already been brought to. justice. But here we are years and years. and years later, and there's no. accountability. And it it's just it's. it's not so much a Republican and. Democrat um issue, it's more of a. uh wealthy and well-connected issue, and. then everybody else. And um I think it it's under a. microscope now uh in this race, and it's.

uh under a microscope nationally with. the Epstein files. >> Quick side note here, as you know, I've. been making videos like this for a. decade now. I have never paywalled any. of my content, I never will. But this is. the one time that I'll ask for some. support. I'd like to try and hit the New. York Times bestseller list this week for. my new book, The Day After. If you. haven't yet grabbed a copy, please click. the link on this screen, in the post. description, in the comments, or go to. briantylercohen.com/book. >> I really appreciate it. >> So talk to me about your district in. particular, because I'm I'm especially. interested in how in how.

um. the electorate is responding, given the. fact that look, this is an electorate in. Ohio's 7th Congressional District that. has voted for Republicans virtually from. I mean, certainly for my entire career. in politics. And so for a lot of people, and I and I often say this to to folks. who are running in otherwise red. districts or historically red districts, for a lot of people their political. affiliation is intertwined with their. identity. And so it's not just as easy. as saying, "Yeah, sure. I may have voted. for Republicans in the past. Now I'll.

vote for Democrats." Like for a lot of. people, they are a Republican in the. same way that they are Christian, in the. same way that they're white or black or. Hispanic, whatever it may be. And so how. has that kind of manifested itself or. presented itself while you've been. talking to folks on the campaign trail? >> Well, I mean, Ohio traditionally has. been a bellwether state and it's it's. it's gone red at times and blue at. times. You know, the recent past it's. it's been more red. And you know,

especially like since 2016 when Donald. Trump came on scene, you know, he he. came in on a message of bringing back a. golden age for workers. You know, but what what people are. seeing is, you know, we didn't get that. golden age. We got the golden shower. instead. And it's harder for people to. make a living here under his policies. And I think you're going to see a trend. more back towards those we know who are. going to fight for workers. Like we have. Sherrod Brown on the ballot. Yeah, Trump won this district by 11. points, but Sherrod Brown would have won.

this district in 2018. You know, and. because he's always had that message of. fighting for workers. And and that's, you know, this is a very gerrymandered. district. They they drew it to protect. Max Miller and his seat, but they. accidentally drew a perfect district for. me because I'm right from the heart of. the district. I have the blue-collar. bonafides being a 19-year member of the. Iron Workers Local 17, being a family man, you know, I'm I'm a. girl dad through and through. And you. know, I am I am representative of this.

district. And what a concept to be. representative of the district you're. running to represent. You know, my. opponent Max Miller, he he just dumped a. million dollars into his campaign to try. to buy his way out of his troubles. And that's so out of touch with people. here in this district. You know, me, I. don't have a million dollars laying. around. Most people in this district. don't have a million dollars laying. around. Um, and it and it just goes to show that. he doesn't know what we're going.

through. He can afford his votes in Congress. We. can't. And that's that's why I'm going. to win in this race. >> What is your pitch to to folks in that. district? I mean, you know, you member. you you mentioned that you were. that you're member of the ironworkers. and and so like for working class. Americans, for blue collar workers, for. union members, what is what is your. priority? What do you want to bring to. your district and to the country more. broadly? >> I. You you summed it up right there. It is. I want to bring the voice of working. people to the halls of Congress. We, you.

know, we are one of the most. underrepresented demographics, people. who work for a living and in Washington. I mean, we have plenty of lawyers there. We have plenty of um, you know, elites in Washington. We need. more people from the working class who. knows what people are going through to. stand up and be a voice. Anything that. comes across my desk in Congress, I'm. going to be looking at it from the. perspective of a worker. And, you know, I didn't read about the.

issues of workers in a book. I I learned about it by. uh, having to juggle the bills. I. learned about it by trying to get one. kid to practice and one from swim. lessons. You know, I learned about it by. wearing the different hats, you know, the ironworker by day, the father in the. evening, and the nurturer, you know, when they're going to bed. You know, that's where I learned my policy. platform from. From the everyday life and the everyday,

you know, lived experience that the. average person in this district lives. under. >> Talk to me about a conversation that. you've had with a voter, maybe a. Democratic voter, maybe an independent, or even a Republican that stuck with. you. >> Uh to pick one out of the thousands is. is kind of hard. Um you know, I I had. one that sticks out in particular down. in Ashland County. Ashland County is. very rural. It's it's formerly Jim. Jordan's district. Um it's newly drawn.

to this district and so I want you know, early on in the race even before the. primary, I wanted to. you know, introduce myself to the folks. in Ashland County. And uh. so I go to um. I go to a meeting down there. It was at. uh the Machinists Union Hall right in. Ashland. And I didn't think I was going. to know anybody there. I'm being, you. know, just going to be myself, introduce. myself. And uh. I get there before the meeting. I I have. that blue-collar work ethic. I show up.

everywhere early. And uh I'm waiting for. people to come in, greet them as they. come in. And this this old-timer comes. up to me. Got his walking cane. He's. like, "Brian, you remember me?". And I'm like, "I remember the face. I. can't remember the name." It was a guy. Dave that I worked with on a. construction site about 10 years. earlier. He's like He's like, "Brother, I'm so. happy that you're here. Um you know, we need people like you in. Washington. We need somebody who knows. how to do work and knows how to bring. people together and knows what we're. fighting for." And and you know, that.

right there set the tone for my whole. campaign. That that told me that I was. on the right track. I was doing the. right thing and people are very excited. that I'm in the race. >> What What did people of Ohio expect when. they not only voted for Trump, but voted. for full Republican control? I mean, they sent Republicans to the Senate, they sent Republicans to the House, they. sent Republicans to the White House. And. so what what did they expect? And then. what are conditions actually like on the. ground in your district?

>> Yeah, people expected um. a boom. You know, we expected. manufacturing to come flooding back to. America. You know, especially this area. with uh you know, I remember growing up. in the '80s, we were we were a beacon of. manufacturing um we were the. manufacturing center of the world. >> Yeah. >> Uh so to speak. In the '80s, you know, you can you could uh go from one job to. the next in the same day. And uh you. know, they were we were told that we. were going to. flourish and you know, we were going to. be making more money than ever and you.

know, people's lives were going to be. significantly easier. And um no, that none of that happened. You know, uh manufacturing is down right. now. Um wages have stagnated, costs are. up, and now we're in a reckless war, and. you know, the tariffs have driven things. up and and you know, people. in my entire life, me included, uh I. work paycheck to paycheck almost my. whole life. You know, maybe maybe I have. a little extra to save, but now people.

aren't even making it to the next. paycheck. And and it's really hard, you. know, when you know, gas goes up to $4. I just filled up. yesterday, it was $4.23 a gallon. Um you. know, that. that that hits the wallet pretty hard. when uh when you're still not making. when you're already not making it to the. next paycheck. You know, and like ground. beef, a pound of ground beef was uh. $8.50 a pound. I mean, I know people who. are working in um you know, in grocery. stores and in retail. that are making $8.50 an hour. They got.

to work a whole hour for 1 lb of ground. beef. >> Yeah. >> You know, and um it's it's just. unrealistic. And then and then you hear. things like oh, they want to raise. social security age to 70 years old. Like I'm an ironworker. How could I be. up on the high steel at 70 years old. welding and and walking around? It's. it's just unrealistic. Anybody who. suggests that is so out of touch and. they don't belong in the halls of. Congress. >> What would your message be to voters who. had voted for. Max Miller the previous time who are now.

uh who are now up for grabs. What would. be your message to them? >> My message would be the message that. we've been running on since day one. I'm not in this for partisan politics. I don't care if you're Democrat or. Republican. I want to fight for working families. If. you are if you work for a living, if. you're not the boss, I'm going to fight for you. I mean, the. bosses they they have the power and. ability to fight for themselves. They. have the wealth. They can fight for. themselves. We need somebody who's going to be a.

champion for workers and that's what I. want to be. And and you know, I tell. people when I go to. Democratic clubs and stuff. We are the. we are the welcoming party, right? Democrats, we welcome people in. We need. to make sure that we are not shaming. people for who they voted for. We're. more than who we voted for. You might have seen things a little bit. differently 2 years ago or 4 years ago, but we always have the ability to learn. from what we do and always be willing to. welcome people in when.

when they want to jump on board and. that's what we're doing in this race. >> Brian, for those who are looking to. support your campaign, where can they. go? >> They can check out our website at. poindexterforcongress.com. You can read about my backstory. You can. watch our videos. I got to admit though, most of our cool clips are on social. media. So, if you look up Brian. Poindexter for Congress on any social. media platform, you'll find us. And yeah, help us out in any way you can. >> Great. I'm going to put a link to your. website right here on the screen and.

also in the post description. For those. who are listening on the podcast, I'm. going to put it in the show notes. Thank. you for taking the time today. Best luck. in the campaign trail. >> Now, Brian, thanks for having me. I've. been a big fan of yours for a long time. and keep up your good work, buddy. >> Thank you. >> [music].