#TalkRadio – March 18: Leadership Crisis? Trump, The Courts, The GOP, & The Dems

SPEAKERS:

Rev. Jesse Jackson, Jr.: 12:00 PM – 12:57 PM Eastern Time
Currently, hosts a podcast called “The Jesse Jackson Jr. Show” on KBLA Talk 1580;  He spent his 21st birthday in a District of Columbia jail cell after being arrested in an anti-apartheid protest at the South African Embassy in 1986; He was on the stage in Cape Town in 1990 when Nelson Mandela delivered his historic speech after his release from 27 years in a South African prison; Earned a Master of Arts degree in theology and then a law degree in 1993; served as national field director for the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, a role that included leading the campaign to register millions of new voters; In 1995, the 30-year-old Jackson became the 91st African-American elected to Congress. Until 2012, he represented Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District, which includes parts of Chicago’s South Side and Cook County suburbs. 

INTRODUCTION:

Hi Igniters For Change! The Igniting Change Radio Show on Tuesday, March 18th, 2025, from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Eastern Time, entitled “Leadership Crisis? Trump, The Courts, The GOP, & The Dems”, with Radio Show Co-Hosts and Transformative Justice Coalition (TJC) Co-Leaders Attorneys Barbara Arnwine, Esq. and Daryl Jones, Esq. will feature a special one-on-one interview with Rev. Jesse Jackson, Jr. 

Since our last show, many major political events have happened that have serious consequences for our democracy. President Trump has continued to issue more questionable and unconstitutional Executive Orders. DOGE has continued to wreak havoc with federal governmental agencies. The GOP-controlled Congress continues to capitulate totally to the President. Indeed, last week, both the House (with oe democratic vote) and the Senate (with the help of Minority Leader Schumer and 8 other Democrats) passed a horrible 6-month continuing resolution (CR) averting a government shutdown. Among its many horrific provisions, this continuing resolution actually expands Trump’s executive authority. The perceived defection of Senate Democrats in support of the CR has created a major division between the House Democrats and the Senate Democrats, with many folks calling for the resignation of Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. 

In addition to all of these political developments, on the legal front, many have stated that the USA is headed towards a Constitutional Crisis as the Trump Administration seems on the verge of defying orders of the federal courts enjoining the implementation of Executive Orders and DOGE activity perceived as in contravention of the Constitution and federal statutes. Indeed, on Friday, President Trump announced that he would invoke the wartime powers of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to facilitate the deportation of alleged gang members and others considered as national security threats. This is on top of the public furor raised by the arrest and deportation of green card holder and legal permanent resident Mahmoud Khalil, and others. 

Our non-partisan show will look at all of these developments and many more through the lens of our very special guest, former Congressman, author, political analyst, and radio show host, Rev. Jesse Jackson Jr. 

QUESTIONS:

[Co-Hosts Arnwine and Jones and guests will begin the show discussing upcoming TJC events: thanking everyone who participated in the Amazon Economic Blackout through March 14th, is participating in the Target Fast for Lent, TJC’s #NoDEINoBUY Campaign, and those who have taken even greater measures in their own individual boycotts, call into Congress, and march in the streets; and will thank recent donors and call for people be sure to donate to our voting rights work]

• Welcome back, Rev. Jesse Jackson Jr.! These are tumultuous times. Indeed, one of my ACLU colleagues has called these “treacherous times”. To get underway, how would YOU characterize this moment in history in which we find ourselves?
• As a former Congressman, what do you make of the way in which the House and Senate are acting in relationship to President Trump and to DOGE?
• What kind of reactions have you received from the public, colleagues, and associates regarding last week’s passage of the continuing resolution?
• What do you make of the dichotomy of the public resistance in the streets and the more moderate behaviour of the so-called opposition in the House and Senate?
• Why do you think the Democrats in the latest NBC poll received a favorability rating of only 27% from the public? Note that a CNN poll found a 29% favorability rating. 
• The NBC poll also has bad news for the President, finding his favorability rating being the lowest ever for any president at this time in their term except for President Trump in 2016. What does this public perception mean?
• What do you make out of Elon Musk and DOGE? 
• What do you see as the impacts of this emerging oligarchy and its effects on US domestic and foreign policy?
• In a post on X/Twitter, Elon Musk supported the call for the impeachment of federal judges to be impeached after rulings overturning DOGE firings. Reuters noted that since the end of January, “Musk has lashed out at judges in more than 30 posts on X calling them ‘corrupt, radical, and evil’ after the dealt DOGE legal blows. Some federal judges that spoke with Reuters said they have fears over their safety in light of Musk’s social media threats.” What do you make of this confluence of the richest man in the world using his platform that he purchased, without any oversight as to truthfulness, waging this kind of campaign against the judiciary on behalf of DOGE and President Trump? 
• Federal judges issued 14 nationwide injunctions against the Biden administration during its first three years. In comparison, the Obama administration faced 12 nationwide injunctions over its entire eight-year tenure. (Trump’s first administration faced 64 injunctions out of the total 127 nationwide injunctions issued since 1963. Trump’s return to the Oval Office in January has brought with it more than 120 lawsuits from activists, government employees and others targeting his executive orders and actions as of March 17th, 2025. The lawsuits have resulted in nationwide injunctions in some cases, including 15 in February alone, according to Trump’s acting solicitor general, Sarah Harris.) How should racial and social justice advocates address the Constitutional Crisis?
• If you were in Congress right now, what would you be advocating that the House and the Senate do in this political moment?
• In your opinion, what should be done to best protect the social safety net?
• What are your top recommendations right now for how our listeners can get involved and be active in this moment?
• In addition to activism, what are the best resources that people should be using at this time- like listening to your podcast, our radio show, books, Roland Martin’s show? How do people best be informed when there is so much misinformation and disinformation?
• What is your best advice for how people keep their and their followers’ and friends’ spirits uplifted at this time, when there’s so much negativity?
• What are your final one-minute thoughts?
• Thank you so much for joining us today. How do our listeners get in contact with you?

[Barbara Arnwine and Daryl Jones will remind people to participate in the April 5th major National “Hands Off” Day of Action. The “Hands Off!” movement is organizing a nationwide mobilization on April 5, 2025, to protest against what they describe as a “billionaire power grab” by figures like Donald Trump and Elon Musk. The event aims to rally against issues such as cuts to social services, rising healthcare costs, and attacks on workers’ rights. Demonstrations are planned across the country, including marches, rallies, and other nonviolent actions. There will be a large march in Washington D.C.. Learn more at HandsOff2025.com ]

[Barbara Arnwine will mention to the audience of the March 5th re-introduction of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. To get more information, people can go to sewell.house.gov. That’s S-E-W-E-L-L dot house dot G-O-V. And when you make those daily calls to the Congress at 202-224-3121, be sure to tell your Congressperson to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act!)

[TJC will continue to vigorously defend the rights of all Americans and will fight the implementation of Project 2025 and our future shows will continue to cover any hate crimes and how we effectively protect ourselves while advancing our agenda for justice.]

[Daryl, Barbara, and guests may share their favorite books and encourage people to donate towards TJC’s giveaways of banned and affirming books.]