Chuck Todd talks with Congressman Jared Moskowitz about Democrats adopting a "fight fire with fire" approach to taking on Trump, whether bipartisanship is dead and why FEMA is woefully underprepared for hurricane season.
Florida Democratic Congressman Jared Moskowitz joins Chuck Todd with a stark assessment of American politics: bipartisanship is dead, foreign interference has poisoned public discourse, and Democrats face an existential choice between fighting dirty or facing potential party destruction. Moskowitz, who represents Parkland and witnessed multiple system failures during that tragic shooting, argues that Trump's second term has fundamentally changed Democrats who now face primary voters demanding fighters while swing voters want uniters—an impossible contradiction that reflects deeper dysfunction where politicians receive no political reward for solving problems. He warns that increased gerrymandering from both parties will worsen congressional dysfunction while big tech companies have created a discourse environment where TikTok operates as a "psyop weapon" showing endless Gaza content while ignoring Uyghur genocide, demonstrating how public opinion gets manipulated by algorithms designed for engagement rather than truth.
The conversation reveals a politician grappling with impossible strategic calculations as Florida officially becomes a red state through Trump-driven demographic shifts and COVID-era political realignment, while Democrats debate whether moderates should fall in line when progressives win or continue prioritizing electability over ideological purity. Moskowitz's insights into Israel's "generational reputational damage" and the effectiveness of Trump's intimidation politics—where physical threats cause Republican senators to cave—illustrate how normal democratic processes have been weaponized into permanent warfare. Looking ahead, he warns that Democratic failure in midterms could destroy the party entirely, while practical governance challenges like FEMA's disaster response capabilities face deliberate sabotage from a White House that realizes competent federal agencies undermine their political narrative, leaving states unable to handle hurricane logistics independently as climate disasters intensify.
Timeline:
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00:00 Congressman Jared Moskowitz joins the Chuck Toddcast
01:30 As a Dem, could you ever get a job in a 2nd term DeSantis admin?
02:45 The days of bipartisanship are long gone
04:00 Why not stand on principle in the redistricting fight?
05:00 The Democratic base wants to fight fire with fire
06:00 Trump’s second term has changed the Democrats
07:15 Primary voters want a fighter, swing voters want a uniter
08:00 More gerrymander will increase dysfunction in congress
10:30 Both parties moved away from each other after cold war
11:15 Foreign interference in American discourse has been effective
12:45 DeSantis hasn’t succeeded in repealing Florida’s red flag laws
14:15 Stopping school/mass shootings requires an “all of the above” approach
16:15 There’s no political reward for bipartisanship and solving problems
18:15 There were multiple points of failure in Parkland shooting
20:00 Public discourse is at the mercy of five giant tech companies
20:45 TikTok is a psyop weapon
22:45 TikTok shows Gaza content, but nothing about the Uyghurs
24:00 Restrictions government should place on social media/internet
25:15 The big tech lobby has become one of the strongest
27:30 Bipartisan support for internet regulations to protect kids
29:15 The Democratic party is losing the nuance on Israel
30:30 Social media has juiced coverage in Gaza, ignored other conflicts
32:45 Israel is doing generational reputational damage
35:30 Physical threats have caused Republican senators to cave
36:45 Trump's intimidation politics work effectively
37:45 Majority of Americans want to cut off aid to Israel
39:00 Will Israel be a true voting issue?
41:30 Populations move to the right after being attacked
42:30 Covid led to Republican dominance in Florida
46:00 Florida is officially a red state
47:15 Democrats have policy fights, Republicans have personality fights
48:45 When progressives win, should the moderates get on board?
49:45 Democrats have to value electability over purity
51:15 The power of strong political communication skills
52:00 Any interest in a Florida senate run?
53:15 Trump's presence created big rightward shift in Palm Beach county
54:30 Potential to be gerrymandered out of your seat?
55:30 If Democrats don't win in midterms it could destroy the party
56:45 Democrats can't unilaterally disarm in gerrymandering war
58:15 Trump's cover up of Epstein is openly blatant
1:00:45 What will FEMA response look like when a hurricane hits?
1:02:45 States can't handle disaster logistics without FEMA
1:07:30 White House realizes FEMA will become a problem
1:09:00 Some of the people around Trump are worse than him