Live from Music Row Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – Leahy and Carmichael were joined on the newsmaker line by the original all-star panelist and founder of the New American Populist, Jeff Webb.
During the segment, Webb expressed his discontent for Congressmen Cooper and Cohen’s recent vote to continue with articles of impeachment against President Trump. He then went on to describe how the middle class is underfunded, underrepresented, and under-supported and that his new organization was created to help voters hold elected officials accountable to their campaign promises.
Leahy: We called you and had to get you on the air because the breaking news yesterday. Now you’re from Memphis. Lived there for many years. Have a very successful business in Memphis. You’re represented by Congressman Steve Cohen. Here in Nashville. Davidson represented by Jim Cooper. The only two Democrats in the Tennessee delegation. They came out yesterday in favor of supporting the articles of impeachment. What do you make of that Jeff?
Webb: Well is anybody surprised? Frankly, Steve Cohen is a congressman who is really more of a professional stunt man when you get right down to it. I don’t know how anybody can take him seriously. He appears in the judiciary committee munching on his KFC chicken at one point. I think it’s actually pathetic.
I want to ask wouldn’t you like to have Steve Cohen and Cooper, what is it about what President Trump has done that you really don’t like? What is it about his policies? You guys are so immersed in this impeachment charade. And all of the focus and all of the time of Congress’s Democrats has been on this which has kept us from getting all the things for the working Americans in this country done.
Again, they’ve fought President Trump the whole way. Again, ask what is like? How about lowering taxes an additional $6 million your average per working Americans as a result of what the economy has done. How about the lowest unemployment in history for African Americans and Latin Americans. Amazing unemployment rate across the board.
How about now, the USMCA treaty that’s going to help with hundreds and thousands of jobs. And the new China deal that will do the same thing. What is it that you don’t like about what he is doing? Why are you not helping create more jobs and a better economy for all of us? Rather than being focused on this ridiculous partisan charade.
Carmichael: Jeff, my guess is that if you gave them some truth serum (Webb laughs) and they had to answer the question they’d say that President Trump is hurting the government employee unions. And the government employees are really my constituency. Not the working men and women across the country.
In the case of Jim Cooper, he’s getting a challenge in the primary from the Left. It’s pretty hard to get to the left of Jim Cooper anyway. (Webb laughs) But he is getting challenged. His brother is the mayor, and I really like his brother. I think his brother is tackling some very, very difficult issues here in Nashville. And I am very glad that his brother is our mayor and not Jim Cooper. Because Jim Cooper’s spine is made of noodles.
Webb: It’s interesting through my organization New American Populist traveling the country and really getting to the folks at the grassroots level. In this case and how angry they are about how this evolved and is going down. I think when you get to 2020 all bets are off. Even in the district like Coopers. Especially if he’s going to have to shift to the left. I think he’s gonna be vulnerable. And I think the turnout on the conservative side is just going to be gigantic. It’s going to be interesting.
Leahy: And you’re the organization the New American Populist is out there to support the deplorable, the middle-class Americans who aren’t part of the elite. You have identified and really called out many of these so-called swing district Democrats who are sort of on the fence about impeachment. You had a terrific piece out the other day about this guy from Minnesota, Colin Peterson. You said it was time for him to be a profile in courage.
Webb: That’s right. Let’s go back to 2018. I remember quotes from each one of these candidates in the 31 congressional districts that President Trump carried in 2018 which are now seats held by Democrats. I really like to listen to their redirect about their non-bipartisan. When President Trump is right I will support him.
None of that has happened. What we’re doing out there is just trying to find out where people have been disingenuous. What they are doing that’s not partisan. And when they are not following through to help the middle class and Americans in this country. And that’s what our organization is all about. President Trump is the first president we’ve had in many years to take up the mantle of the middle class. Again I enumerated some of the benefits a little bit earlier in this conversation.
There’s still much work to be done. The middle class is much smaller. Has less spending power. It has less saved wealth if you will. It’s more exposed. And it will be tough. Congress is going to have to get on board and help them. And when they’re not. We’re going to be there to help the people in those districts make sure those representatives are held to account.
Leahy: And if people want to be part of your group it’s newamericanpopulist.com. You’re looking for supporters and people that want to jump in and help support the Trump agenda and the middle class in America right?
Webb: That’s right. To be honest, we’re technically non-partisan. But I go back again. Look at what President Trump has done for the middle class.
Listen to the full third hour here:
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Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 am to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.
