As the military descends on Washington D.C., and the Border Patrol just randomly showed up at Governor Gavin Newsom’s press conference in LA, it’s increasingly clear that the Trump Administration wants us to be intimidated and scared. How about if we don’t? Their games aren’t fooling veterans who know what it really takes to militarize a nation. Fred sits down with his friend Patrick Murphy who was the first Iraq War veteran to get elected to Congress. He went on to serve as the 32nd Under Secretary of the Army. Today, as an entrepreneur and advocate, Patrick harnesses the power of the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to help veterans find jobs, start businesses, and secure quality health care and mental health services. He and Fred dive into the issues of these deployments, how veterans can lead the charge for Democrats, and more. Sponsor: Shopify - Sign up for a one-dollar-a-month trial period at: shopify.com/FRED

Fred Wellman is solo this week to discuss the dismantaling of our Department’s of Defense and Veterans Affairs by the Trump Administration. You’ve heard the rumors about Pete Hegseth and his religious extremism but we are seeing it unfold in real time with his attacks on women leaders and transgender service members. Over at the VA Doug Collins is acting like he is fixing the second largest government agency and largest healthcare provider in the U.S. when he is truly breaking it apart. Shocking new reports this week show how they are losing doctors and nurses faster than they can be replaced and sending veterans to unqualified civilian mental healthcare providers. All of it is right in line with Project 2025’s goal to all but privatize the VA and enrich the insurance industry at the expense of those who have served. Watch it all and see the facts! Sponsor: Shopify - Sign up for a one-dollar-a-month trial period at: shopify.com/FRED

The Republicans have decided the only way they can win in 2026 is to cheat. It’s clear their policies are alienating millions of Americans and the Big Ugly Bill has landed like an anchor around their necks. So King Donald has asked his minions to rid him of this meddlesome election and Texas Governor Greg Abbott is happy to roll in to save him. With help from the thoroughly corrupt Department of Justice they are trying to do a rare mid-decade redistricting to get rid of majority minority districts and hand the Republicans five seats in the House. Our host Fred Wellman sits down with Texas House District-49 Representative Gina Hinojosa, chair of the progressive redistricting caucus, to discuss what is happening during what is supposed to be a Special Session about the devastating July 4th flash floods that killed dozens. Follow her on social media at @GinaForAustin.

Trump and his minions have been implementing Project 2025 at a breakneck pace with some estimates saying they are already over half way there in just six months. A major part of their mission is dismantling any regulatory barriers to letting their billionaire and corporate backers make more money and steal from the American people. Destroying the independent regulatory bodies like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Federal Communcations Commission (FCC), and many more is foundational to their efforts. Fred Wellman has the amazing opportunity to sit down with one of the fired FTC Commissioners, Alvaro Bedoya, who is on a mission to show how this effort by Trump is destroying our government, our democracy, and truly hurting average Americans who deserve a break from price gouging to scams. Bedoya is working to raise awareness about how the administration is purging important watchdog agencies and what it means for consumers and the American people. Alvaro Bedoya is now a Senior Advisor at the American Economic Liberties Project. He was appointed by President Joe Biden to serve as a Commissioner at the Federal Trade Commission in May 2022 and served in that role until his resignation in June 2025. At the FTC, Commissioner Bedoya focused on how antitrust law could do more to protect workers and labor unions, and warned against rapidly advancing workplace surveillance technology.

To say that people are absolutely losing their minds of Zohran Mamdani’s win in New York City’s Democratic Primary would be the understatement of the century. They are going nuts from continuous Fox News coverage to insane AI videos attacking him. In the end he won that race by being genuine, loving where he lives, talking to the people he wants to lead, and coming up with proposed solutions to their problems. Revolutionary isn’t it? That win has sparked a lot of interest in running for local offices. Run For Something is dedicated to helping young people and others learn how to run and win. Our host Fred Wellman sits down with Amanda Litman the President and Co-founder of Run For Something to talk about Mamdani’s win, why folks should run, and how the Democratic Party needs to change to meet the moment. Amanda has been in the political world for a while starting back as Hillary Clinton’s campaign email director. Charlie Crist’s digital director when he ran for governor in 2014 and as one of the first employees at Organizing for Action as deputy email director. She was also the email writer for Barack Obama’s re-election. She is a Northwestern University graduate and author and currently lives in Brooklyn. Her new book is called, "When We're in Charge: The Next Generation’s Guide to Leadership" and is a guidebook for millennials and Gen Z on how to be an effective leader.    Learn more about Run For Something at: https://runforsomething.net/

The Big Ugly Bill squeaked into law last week and we are still unpacking all of the ugly stuff buried in it. It’s not just what is in this massive package of benefits for the rich but the timing of the pieces. With the healthcare and nutrition cuts timed to start after the midterms and the much touted no taxes on tips and overtime timed to end after the next Presidential one. Oddly none of the breaks for the super wealthy start later or ever end. Fred dives into the madness in D.C. from RFK’s Jr.s lies about vaccines and autism to how the Republicans are playing hide the ball on their plans. He’s joined by the brilliant junior Senator from Delaware Lisa Blunt Rochester to discuss how she is fighting back and what is ahead for Democrats. LBR as she is known was just elected to the Senate this past year after serving as Delaware’s one member of Congress since 2017 after a lifetime of public service in government and nonprofit work. Don’t miss this great conversation.   Sponsors: Quince: Go to Quince dot com slash FRED for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns.

The Republicans passed their monstrous bill, and they did it on the back of lies and smears of average Americans. It’s also July Fourth weekend and we know that Trump is going to pummel the airwaves and Washington D.C. with his nationalistic fake patriotism. We are going to have the flag waved in our face and military members rolled out for display as he takes credit for their bravery. The truth is that his Administration is working hard to screw average Americans, veterans, servicemembers, and their families in every possible way. This week Fred is solo to dive into the truth behind Republicans' lies about their bill and Trump’s lies about ‘supporting the troops and how what is really happening is some of the worst attacks on their well-being in decades. Find out how he is dismantling the Department of Veterans Affairs, stopping the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau from enforcing rips offs, and more. They rely on lies because the truth is so bad.Sponsors:Stopbox:  Get firearm security redesigned and save 10% off @StopBoxUSA with code FRED10 at https://www.stopboxusa.com/FRED10  #stopboxpod Quince: Go to Quince.com/fred for FREE shipping on your order and 365-day returns.

This week is a very special episode with our friend John Della Volpe and an exclusive sit down with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. The shockwaves from the Democratic Primary win for New York City mayor by Zohran Mamdani are still resonating this week as pundits and leaders of the various political parties try to figure out what happened and shape their own narratives. Meanwhile the very battle for the soul of our country rages on in the streets of Los Angeles and state capital as masked men backed by our military raid Home Depot parking lots and car washes. In a super-sized show this week Fred sits down with two leaders of these diverse battlefields. First, he sits down in Cambridge, Massachusetts with youth polling expert and co-lead of the Speaking with American Man (SAM) project John Della Volpe to discuss the New York election results, where the Democrats are losing wide swaths of men, and what his work sitting down with young men is showing already. Then, he sits down for an exclusive one-on-one interview with Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass to discuss the outrageous actions of the Trump Administration in her city from masked men in unmarked vehicles, the misuse, and abuse, of National Guard troops and Marines, and much more. John Della Volpe is a highly respected pollster, author, and political advisor. He is the director of polling at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics and the founder of Cambridge's SocialSphere, a public opinion research firm focusing on Gen Z and Millennials. His last book ‘Fight: How Gen Z Is Channeling Their Fear and Passion to Save America’ details the shaping of Gen Z’s political viewpoints. Follow his Substack JDV on Gen Z. Sponsors:Fatty 15: Get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/fred and using code FRED at checkout.

Unidentified masked men grabbing people off the streets. Agents grabbing people attending their asylum hearings and not even knowing their names before cuffing them. Polls plummeting for support of Trump’s war on immigration. This is an incredibly dangerous moment, and things are getting out of hand while ICE and DHS become more belligerent and dangerous. Fred sits down with attorney Richard Hein to discuss this increasingly dangerous moment in Trump’s attacks on both legal and illegal immigration and what he’s described as ‘America’s Dirty War.’ Rick is Principal & Managing Partner Attorney of Hein Law Firm, an International Commercial Immigration Law Firm in St. Louis with office extensions in Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Bogotá, Madrid, and Sydney, and its membership in the prestigious International Law Firms. He is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Pre-Law Program at St. Louis University, taught law at the Universidad Centroamericana Law School in San Salvador, El Salvador, and has been an invited professor in International Relations at the Universidad Abierta Interamericana in Buenos Aires, Argentina and on Comparative Law Studies at the Universidad Blas Pascal in Córdoba, Argentina. Learn more about his firm at heinlegal.com.   Sponsors: Stop Box  Get firearm security redesigned and save 10% off @StopBoxUSA with code FRED10 at https://www.stopboxusa.com/FRED10  #stopboxpod

Join us for a special Father's Day edition of "Too Late To Cancel" Sunday, June 15, 2025! We're celebrating with hilarious comedians Ariel Elias and Sarah Adelman, who will bring their uniquely bold and witty stories to the panel. We will also have a heartfelt and insightful conversation with 24x award-winning podcast host Dominic Lawson about fatherhood, mental health, and his acclaimed work on shows like "Black Is America." Expect a memorable mix of laughter and deep discussion that you won't want to miss. Tune in live for a Father's Day show that is truly too good to cancel and every Sunday at 11am ET/8 am PT on the On Democracy Channel.

The chaos is accelerating under Donald Trump this week. While the protests in LA continue and Trump and his minions aim to use it to intimidate and attack their political opponents, we have RFK Jr. dismantling our vaccine programs in D.C. Fred sits down with two experts in their fields this week named Robert. First, Dr. Robert Pape is Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago specializing in international security affairs and political violence as well as the founder of the Chicago Project on Security and Threats (CPOST).  Dr. Rob Davidson is the Executive Director of the Committee to Protect Health Care, co-host of the Paging America podcast, and an ER physician in West Michigan. Fred and Professor Pape dive deep into the dangerous attacks on liberalism in the United States, the protest movements, and how it will impact our upcoming elections. Meanwhile, Dr. Davidson has been watching RFK Jr.’s attacks on American healthcare and what his moves mean for average citizens. He and Fred discuss this new assault on science, the dangers we face, and how healthcare professionals are carrying on in the face of this insanity. Watch it now and learn more about Stand United against Political Violence at standunited.media and the Committee to Protect Healthcare at committetoprotect.org   Sponsors: Incogni: Get 60% off an annual plan at incogni.com/democracy and use code : DEMOCRACY at checkout!

It’s the anniversary of D-Day and thousands of veterans and supporters are gathering on the National Mall as part of the Unite for Veterans, Unite for America rally. The event was put together by a group of everyday veterans to demand that the government fulfills its promise to veterans and the nation. Fred is one of the organizers and will be speaking on the stage along with the Dropkick Murphys, Senator Tammy Duckworth, former Representatives Connor Lamb and Adam Kinzinger, and many more veterans. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Donald Trump are lying when they say they won’t be damaging veterans healthcare and benefits. They are firing thousands of veterans from their federal jobs and attacking the Constitution. Fred sits down with fellow organizer and Marine Corps veteran Joe Plenzler to discuss the day and what has gone into making it happen. Sponsors:Shopify: Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at: shopify.com/FRED

The deeper we go into the second Trump Administration the blurrier the lines between reality and a MAGA fantasy of our founding documents and their implementation grows. Stephen Miller, especially, has made it clear that he only believes in power and the use of the Executive like a King. Well…we had a whole revolution about that almost 250 years ago. To dive into it, Fred sits down with an expert on the Declaration of Independence and our revolution to connect the insanity of our time with that of the past. Dr. Eli Merritt is a political historian at Vanderbilt University. He is one of the nation’s foremost experts on the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution. A frequent public speaker, he lectures widely on these topics and the Constitution as well as on themes of patriotism, civic virtue, leadership, and the intersection of demagogues and democracy. He has written for academic journals and national publications like The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and Chicago Tribune. He authors The Story of the American Revolution on Substack. Subscribe at www.elimerritt.substack.com. To inquire about interviews and speaking engagements, visit elimerritt.com. Sponsors:Incogni: Get 60% off an annual plan a incogni.com/democracy and use code: DEMOCRACY at checkout! Fatty15: Get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/fred and using code: FRED at checkout.

For a decade now the statewide elections in Virginia have served as a key bellwether on the recently elected President. The unique nature of Virginia’s system where a governor can only serve one consecutive term means there is never an incumbent making it essentially a toss up every cycle just one year after the national elections. Four years ago the election of Glenn Youngkin, after over a decade of Democratic dominance of the Commonwealth’s leadership, sent a shockwave around the country and a message to the Biden Administration. This cycle is already shaping up to be that, and more, as former Representative Abigail Spanberger faces current Lt. Governor, and MAGA extremist, Winsome Earle-Sears. From gay marriage to the firing of federal workers Sears shows over and over she is out of the mainstream. Her Democratic opponent is a long time public servant from the CIA to the halls of Congress. Abigail joins Fred to talk about the impact of the Trump Administration and Republican Congress on Virginia, Don’t miss this one! Sponsors: StopBox: Go to ⁠https://stopboxusa.com⁠ and enter code FRED10 for 10% off your entire order and a special Buy One, Get One Free for their StopBox Pro as well.

It’s that time again when the Trump Cabinet of Curiosities and Whackos makes their way to Capitol Hill to justify their budgets, give updates, and answer questions. It’s going exactly as you would expect with an especially stressful and ridiculous performance by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. She was hit by the Democrats on the HLS Committee with a barrage of questions on her many trips cosplaying jobs, ignorance of due process for deportees, and the behavior of ICE agents. She didn’t answer any of them. Fred chats with Representative Seth Magaziner of Rhode Island’s 2nd District who sits on the Homeland Security Committee and is the leader of the effort to ban stock trading by members of Congress as well. He goes into all of those issues and the current Republican tax bill as well on an all new ‘On Democracy with FPWellman.’ Catch this and all of Fred’s shows on the ‘On Democracy’ channel and Substack as well. Sponsors:Incogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Get 60% off an annual plan at incogni.com/democracy and use code DEMOCRACY at checkout. Harvest Hosts: For 30% off your order, head to HarvestHosts.com and use code FRED.  

In one week, Donald Trump’s Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. disbanded the National Cancer Institute Board of Science Advisors, fired hundreds of employees of the National Institutes of Health, and nominated a new Surgeon General who is not even a practicing physician and dropped out of her residency. The entire healthcare system is under attack from the very top. Our nation will be in real danger when faced with another crisis like COVID or worse and the damage is going to last for decades. This week Fred is joined by Dr. Anahita Dua the founder of Healthcare for Action and a highly respected vascular surgeon, working to reform our healthcare system and support science. We dive deep into the entirely unacceptable nomination of Dr. Casey Means as Surgeon General, the damage at NIH, and her belief that all Presidential candidates should pass a full cognitive testing battery. Don’t miss this one! Sponsors:Lumen: Take the next step in improving your health Go to lumen.me/FRED to get 15% off your Lumen! Quince: Go to Quince.com/FRED for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns.

It’s easy to write off the first 100 days of the second Trump Administration as just pure chaos or messy but that would be a mistake. There was always the Project 2025 blueprint, and they are executing it with precision and speed as they promised they would. Throw in the Elon Musk DOGE evil munchkins as the storm troops and you have the perfect system to move fast and break our democracy. But, that wasn’t the original plan and that chaos has allowed some victories in the battle to stop the flood. Fred sits down with political analyst, Project 2025 expert, and journalist Ahmed Baba to discuss the through line of destruction through the public chaos. You can follow Ahmed’s work at ahmedbaba.news. Sponsors:Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at SHOPIFY DOT COM SLASH “fred” Incogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Get 60% off an annual plan at incogni.com/democracy and use code DEMOCRACY at checkout. Fatty15: get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/FRED and using code FRED at checkout. Harvest Host: For 20% off your order, head to HarvestHosts.com and use code FRED.  

We have been saying that 2025 is an election year and for Democrats it’s been pretty good. From the Supreme Court victory in Wisconsin to the successful defense of five state legislatures there is real results piling up for Democrats at the state level. Fred sits down with Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) to discuss that success, what’s next, and how you can get in the fight. Heather drives the national strategy to win state legislative majorities. Under her decisive leadership, the DLCC has transformed into an organization with the structure, skills, capacity, and budget to help Democrats gain 10 new majorities, nine new trifectas, and hundreds of legislative seats. With over 14 years at the DLCC, including key roles from Director of Financial Services to COO and Executive Director, Heather has shaped the organization into a powerhouse in Democratic politics – helping state Democrats to set a new foundation of power in the states and a critical firewall against Trump’s second term.   Sponsors: Stop Box: Get firearm security redesigned and save with BOGO the StopBox Pro AND 10% OFF @StopBoxUSA with code: MEIDAS10 at stopboxusa.com/FRED10 Shopify: Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trail period at: shopify.com/FRED

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has unleashed his conspiracy theories and anti-vaccine lies on the Department of Health and Human Services much as we all feared, and the results are as shocking. From an all but uncontrolled and growing measles outbreak to his latest outrageous statements on the causes and effects of autism he is the nightmare we had hoped to stop. Fred sits down with Dr. Rob Davidson, the Executive Director of the Committee to Protect Health Care and co-host of the Paging America podcast. He is also an ER physician in West Michigan. Fred and Dr. Davidson discuss this new assault on science, the dangers we face, and how healthcare professionals are carrying on in the face of this insanity. Watch it now and learn more about the Committee to Protect Healthcare at committetoprotect.org. Sponsors: VIIA: If you’re 21+, try VIIA during their annual SPRING 420 SALE for Black Friday-level savings up to 35% OFF site wide! Go to https://viia.co/FRED and use code FRED!

As it turns out, sitting in front of a screen all day is making men into women! This shocking news comes courtesy of arbiter of all things manly, Jesse Watters. In the eyes of much of MAGA the collapse of the economy and forcing Americans to take up factory jobs is a return to a long-lost masculinity. If this sounds ridiculous, that’s because it is but it’s a big part of the MAGA culture that has gone mostly overlooked and Donald Trump has tapped into. Fred sits down with Ilyse Hogue, cofounder of Catalyst for American Futures and longtime activist ranging from 8 years at the helm of NARAL Pro-Choice America to Media Matters and more. She dissects the odd connection between Trump’s tariffs and the entire testosterone fueled toxic mess of masculinity influencers and MAGA. The entire conversation is eye-opening and head shaking at the same time. Sponsors: VIIA: If you’re 21+, try VIIA during their annual SPRING 420 SALE for Black Friday-level savings up to 35% OFF site wide! Go to https://viia.co/FRED and use code FRED!