Connecticut Unfiltered
Connecticut Unfiltered is a podcast about the people redefining what it means to live, work, and build something meaningful in Connecticut — from entrepreneurs and creators to leaders shaping culture across the state. We talk about why Connecticut is the nation’s pizza capital, why it’s far from a drive-through state, and why this isn’t your grandma’s Connecticut anymore.
If you care about Connecticut lifestyle, local business, entrepreneurship, tourism, food culture, community, and New England living, this show highlights the voices proving Connecticut is a place people are actively choosing — not passing through.
Connecticut Unfiltered
John Larson Unfiltered
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Connecticut politics has rarely looked this uncertain. After nearly three decades in Congress, Congressman John Larson finds himself in the fight of his political career. For the first time in years, he's facing a competitive Democratic primary after losing the party endorsement to former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, while State Representative Jillian Gilchrest also secured a spot on the ballot, setting the stage for one of the most closely watched races in Connecticut politics.
In this episode of Unfiltered Connecticut, Congressman Larson sits down to address the questions everyone's asking. Is this simply a battle over experience versus a new generation of leadership? How does he respond to critics calling for change? And why does he believe he's still the best person to represent Connecticut in Washington?
We also discuss the behind-the-scenes reality of campaigning, the controversy surrounding the convention that reshaped the race, Social Security, campaign money, political strategy, and what he wants voters to know before they head to the polls. No sound bites. No debate-stage talking points. Just an unfiltered conversation with one of Connecticut's longest-serving members of Congress during one of the most pivotal moments of his career.
🎙️ Whether you're supporting John Larson, Luke Bronin, Jillian Gilchrest, or are still undecided, this is a conversation you won't want to miss. Stream now wherever you get your podcasts.
This is the voice behind the reheated coffee club, the Instagram page with 50 plus thousand followers sharing our state's hidden treasures in the little moments that can make life magical.
SPEAKER_02If Connecticut's been showing up on your feed lately, that's not an accident. The virgin your grandparents remember is long gone. This isn't a drive-thru state anymore. It's a destination. And on this podcast, we talk to the people making that happen. This is Connecticut Unfiltered. Today on Connecticut Unfiltered, we're sitting down with Congressman John Larson, a fixture in Connecticut politics, who has spent more than two decades fighting for Hartford in communities across the state. From growing up in working class Connecticut to becoming one of the most recognizable voices in Congress, we'll talk about moments, people, policies, and so much more that shaped his journey and what is next for him in Connecticut. And beyond, really.
SPEAKER_00Right.
SPEAKER_02Congress. So thank you so much for being on, first of all.
SPEAKER_00Well, great to be here, Ellie.
SPEAKER_02There is um a little tradition I do on my podcast where I give a gift to my guest.
SPEAKER_00Oh.
SPEAKER_02So I brought you something.
SPEAKER_00Oh.
SPEAKER_02Little backstory. It's not very well wrapped. It was, you know, three kids, multiple kids. You've got a great green bag, though. Um the person who reached out to me first to talk with you was your niece, Ariana. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00She's tremendous.
SPEAKER_02She she's very, very sweet. So I figured, in kind of doing some more research, that you're a big family guy. Yes. So I brought you something that I thought might be fun on the next family outing. Oh wow.
SPEAKER_00Can I look at it?
SPEAKER_02Please, yeah. So it is a board game.
SPEAKER_00Our family is so weird.
SPEAKER_02And you can uh it's like a card game. So you it'll say something like uh sleeps through the whole movie and then claims it makes no sense, and then you pick the card of the person that it goes to or has a completely full closet but nothing to wear. So fun little game for family game debate.
SPEAKER_00So our gatherings. And you know, if we're all together in a room, it's over 72 of us. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_02Wow. Family reunions must be fun.
SPEAKER_00They are. So are the holidays, et cetera. Look forward to it. And knock on wood. You know, I have uh seven brothers and sisters. They're all still here. Oh my goodness, yeah, quite a remarkable feat for my mother to have eight children in twelve years.
SPEAKER_02I cannot imagine that.
SPEAKER_00I can't either. I don't know how they did it.
SPEAKER_02But were any of them like twin or triple births?
SPEAKER_00Well, uh, we call them Irish twins, but they were born like uh, you know, uh thirteen months apart or something like that.
SPEAKER_02Oh my gosh, your mother must be a saint.
SPEAKER_00Well, yeah, they were pretty uh they must have been into the rhythm method because um I have a brother born on the 11th of December and a brother born on the 12th of December, a brother born on the 8th of November, and one born on the 9th of November. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_02A lot of Sagittarius in that house.
SPEAKER_00Well, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Some crazy energy and probably a a lot of fun.
SPEAKER_00Oh, it was a lot of fun. A lot of fun, and we're very close. So that's uh And that's great because uh we only have uh I only have a sister in Colorado. Everybody else lives within five miles of one another.
SPEAKER_02Aaron Ross Powell Oh my gosh. Yeah, so we're very close. Yeah, that doesn't happen very often. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_00It doesn't. And uh, you know, I think it's it's unique, but it's also uh tremendous uh to have your family that close and the special gatherings when you get together. It's uh it's a lot of fun.
SPEAKER_02Aaron Powell That's one thing that I probably the only thing that I miss about Florida is how much family we have there.
SPEAKER_00Aaron Ross Powell How many do you have?
SPEAKER_02I'm one of five. Oh but all of us had many, many babies. So I think my parents have like fifteen grandkids on the fabulous. Yeah. And and probably more, eventually.
SPEAKER_00Well, I became a grandfather uh you know a year and a quarter ago, et cetera.
SPEAKER_02But uh Congratulations.
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah. Yeah. Our beautiful Soleil is her name. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_02That's a great name.
SPEAKER_00Soleil Audrey.
SPEAKER_02Is she the only granddaughter?
SPEAKER_00Yeah. For us, yes.
SPEAKER_02Aaron Ross Powell So she probably gets very spoiled.
SPEAKER_00Uh absolutely. As she should. That's the responsibility of any good grandfather and grandmother.
SPEAKER_02Completely agree.
SPEAKER_00And my daughter only lives one street over, so uh my wife's up there all the time to help and assist, et cetera.
SPEAKER_02Aaron Ross Powell That's amazing.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it is.
SPEAKER_02So let's take it take it a step back a bit and talk a little bit about growing up. So you grew up in Hartford?
SPEAKER_00No, grew up in East Hartford. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_02Oh, okay. So I'm still learning the areas. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Well, I was usually because it does say on a resume, you know, I was born in Hartford because that's the hospital that you were delivered out of. But nope, I've lived in East Hartford all my life.
SPEAKER_02Aaron Ross Powell And what was that like growing up in East Hartford?
SPEAKER_00Outstanding. We grew up in a little federal housing project called Mayberry Village. It was named after Dr. uh Franklin H. Mayberry, who was a renowned doctor, uh local family doctor in East Hartford. And uh this was a project that was built primarily to house the workforce at Pratt Whitney Aircraft, which came into the town and uh obviously changed. East Hartford used to be known as a sleepy, dull community whose streets were lined with elms, uh, et cetera. And then overnight, literally, with the uh the largest manufacturer in the state of Connecticut locating there, and it became the arsenal for democracy. And a good number of the people that I grew up with also their parents worked there, as did my dad and my mother and father, and my father they're called the class of 42. But on December 7th, 1941, when Pearl Harbor was struck, they were still in high school. But my father went directly to the Navy, was only 17. And my mother, though she very much uh wanted to go to college, she was National Honor Society, the top 20 of her class, had impeccable penmanship, and always great on details and ordering, and you know, extraordinarily well organized as well. So they asked her to come down and work at Prague. So she gave up going to college, which was her her great ambition, and went to work at Bratt and Whitney. And then when my father came home from the war, they got married and uh no college. But uh she certainly was our best educator and always very well read, and we always had books in the house. She was insistent that we do a lot of reading. Plus, she ordered all kinds of magazines, et cetera. And for Christmas, our uncles and aunts, whatever, if you they were going to bring anything, she insisted that they bring, either order us a magazine. So we had Sports Illustrated and Boys' Life when we were going up and look and life and National Geographic and all coming into the house. And so even though it was, you know, a poor neighborhood, we didn't look at ourselves as poor. You know, uh in fact, we viewed coming from Mayberry Village as a source of pride, uh, because most of the kids that that I grew up with came from there, and we all played sports together growing up and went to grammar and high school together and are still friends to this day. And I think that's the bond that's created. Our street is going to be 75 yards long, and the old Sullivans had six people in their family, six kids, the Baucases had six, we had the Tonkins, had seven, the Messiers had six, we had eight, and this is just a small street in that community. And there were other houses uh that were like it. And the good news here is that it was a time when the federal government stepped up and built affordable housing, something we very much need to do today as well.
SPEAKER_04Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00We've got legislation to do that, the creation of over four five hundred thousand affordable houses, et cetera, and giving people the opportunity for home ownership. Back then, because my father was a veteran coming home from the war, they gave them preference and they you they rented the homes at first, but then they were able to buy them, and the veteran had the first opportunity to buy. So we bought what we called the brick mansion for $10,000.
SPEAKER_01Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_00You know, back in breaking my millennials back in the early 50s, etc. I drive my kids by there primarily to say, and they go, geez, dad, uh, how did you all fit in that house? That house is smaller than our garage. I said, Yes, that's that's true. But we did it work. We did. We made it work.
SPEAKER_02Wow. Yeah, when you're talking about families with six kids, eight kids, and I'm like, how are those mouths getting fed? I mean, I went to a grocery store and did like a big shop, right? It wasn't just the essentials, we did like the big shop. It was like a $500 haul. And I unpacked it, put it in the fridge, put it in the freezer, and my six-year-old comes in and goes, When are we getting food? And I was like, baby, I just did a big shop. And she's like, The fridge is like empty. And because it's like you're it's it kind of did look empty. I mean, it's crazy. I have no idea. It was just a different time. And yeah, the government was helping a lot more.
SPEAKER_00Yep, it was. And but also um back then, well, first of all, my father worked three jobs. We rarely saw him, except on Sundays, and that was a sacred day. He was very uh devout Catholic, very religious, et cetera. Uh so was my mother, but she was um not as devout, shall we say. Uh she was very open-minded and liberal in her in her thinking. And uh but uh, you know, he worked in the day during the day from five to about twenty or four at Pratt and Whitney. Then on four days of the week he worked at Whitner's garage, where he'd be on his back and underneath repairing cars, and uh didn't make a lot of money, but he got his car was always in constant repair, and he was able to get gasoline.
SPEAKER_01Oh.
SPEAKER_00And then on the weekends he worked where he worked in high school. He worked at Manier's grocery store. And so we always had, because the only time we really saw him was on Sundays. And that was uh he made sure for every Sunday he brought home a good cut of meat from Manier's grocery store. But back then, grocery stores used to deliver groceries to the home. And we had a fruit we had a milkman, we had a baker, we had a fruit man, we had a vegetable man, all came by. And you so they came and they lay out their stuff that they had. And my mother was able to order right there without having to go to, you know, the made large stores, and as you just pointed out, really, you know, putting up getting $500 worth of stuff today. And $500 today doesn't buy what $5 bought back then.
SPEAKER_02It's crazy.
SPEAKER_00It is.
SPEAKER_02I do like that Connecticut has some of those uh programs like the modern milkman that you can get like milk delivered to you. I think that's so quaint. I haven't used it yet, but I want to.
SPEAKER_00Um our favorite was the Swedish uh you know Viking bakeries when they would come by. They were out of uh West Hereford, but they drive around and they had the greatest desserts and they had the greatest bread. Uh they they were spectacular.
SPEAKER_02Not around anymore?
SPEAKER_00No, I think they may still be around, but they don't they're not around. They don't deliver like they used to do.
SPEAKER_02Okay. Um don't hold me to that.
SPEAKER_00They could have, you know, passed. I I haven't biking bakery in a long time.
SPEAKER_02So it sounds like your mom um was really influential in like kind of your liberal-minded spirit in nature and kind of like your passion for education. Because you went into teaching, right?
SPEAKER_00Yes. Yeah. Well, no, she was uh, you know, first and foremost very gifted. And um you know, she uh um was extraordinarily articulate, had exquisite penmanship, and she wrote efforts effortlessly, you know, and script I used to like just to watch her write, and everything flowed. And she used to look at my penmanship and she'd say, nope, that's not good. And actually, because of her, I developed good penmanship, not even remotely close. My father, on the other hand, looked like hieroglyphics when put out loud. It was just you could barely uh re and one of his favorite lines was, Never mind, and you know what I mean. You know, and so that message always came across, but they were a remarkable couple and supported uh one another. And uh I can still see my father gathering us and he was a very humble person. But he says, look at I don't care what you think about me. You may not like the jobs that I have, and when I'm gone and I'm working, he said, but no matter what, you respect your mother. What she has done for all of you and what she does for me is incredible. And she worked a part-time job. She worked at five in the evening to eleven at night at the travelers. My little baby sister, Mary, used to say, What does mom do at the travelers? We used to tell her she puts the light on in the tower. That was her job. So uh obviously it wasn't, but uh she did work there. And there was a group of women from the village, and one of them drove, Mrs. Pillion drove, but Mrs. O'Sullivan and and Tonkin went and they went over to uh the travelers to work.
SPEAKER_02It's funny because if she was like coming up in the working force now, she'd probably be like a CEO of a Fortune 500 company, like absolutely crushing it. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_00Well, she had the talent to do that. I think she always uh we thought about um, especially after my father passed away and the kids were out of the house, and uh she was an outstanding grandmother as too. I thought, you know, we should just pay for her to go to college. But I think she just, you know, she was uh extraordinarily well read and followed uh politics religiously, and uh but always believed beyond politics, she believed in giving back to your community. My they were both the same way. I I can remember the winters, if I was all right, you get out there and you shovel that walk, and afterwards you go up and you shovel Mr. O'Brien's too. And don't you take a dime. Uh because that they're older and they need that walk shoveled, et cetera, and they were the sweetest people. And so you couldn't take any money from it. So they said, Well, if she gives me a hot chocolate bag, can I drink that? And she always would, et cetera. But uh well, that that's how they were raised also. I think uh there's a reason why they're called the greatest generation ever.
SPEAKER_01Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_00Because they were. They lived through the Depression, they fought and won the Second World War, came home, and made the United States of America the greatest nation on the face of the earth. Pretty pretty good accomplishment, et cetera, I would say. And of course, spawned our largest population.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_00The baby boomers.
SPEAKER_02So we are right now, I was reading, in a generation where women are having the least amount of children in like history.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And I mean, I can only imagine it's from a plethora of things, not only how expensive everything is and how expensive it is to have and raise a child, but it's dangerous here. Like I I fear um a big factor for us moving from Florida to Connecticut was we felt a lot safer here, just with gun laws and regulations being a lot uh looser in Florida. They have like permitless carry and there's just shootings left and right and Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I was uh one of the things I'm proudest of is that when I was in the State Senate, we passed the first uh ban on assault weapons.
SPEAKER_02And um, and I don't know why that's not federal. Like why isn't that a universal thing in the R.
SPEAKER_00Why isn't there even universal background checks? Uh it's an anomaly, but when you go to uh it's more than an anomaly, it's a a concerted effort by the NRA and people who fervently believe in the Second Amendment, God bless them, but uh that doesn't, you know, allow you the right uh or make accessible to people who would do harm, you know, automatic weapons and the other issues. You know, if if you're hunting and uh doing it for sport or you need it based on the place that you reside in or whatever, it's a lot different in Wyoming than it is in Connecticut. I get that. But I also think that there's uh reasonable laws, and these are reasonable laws that people need to follow, et cetera. And uh that will be an ongoing battle always about, you know, making sure that you're trying to make communities safe. And one of the ways to do that is to make sure that you have to register your firearms, make sure that there is a quality check, et cetera, and that there's not a need for these automatic and assault rifles that are out there.
SPEAKER_02I feel like the only people that would oppose that bill is either somebody who has been fed a lie, like, oh, this is just the first thing and then they're gonna take your guns, or they want to cause serious damage. And I think both are fixable with education. I would agree.
SPEAKER_00I think education's the key, but there are also a number of people who fervently believe, hey, that's my right. And if I want to own a gun because I don't feel safe in my home, or if I want to own a gun because I hunt and I get my own game. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_02Sure, but you don't hunt with an assault rifle.
SPEAKER_00You know, exactly. Exactly. You don't need an assault rifle. Nobody needs that. Exactly. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_02Unless they are like fighting combat.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_02No person it's illegal to go shoot a deer with an assault rifle.
SPEAKER_00Trevor Burrus, Jr. Absolutely right. Which again made Connecticut, you know, unique in the fact that back then we passed the first family on medical leave bill in the country, uh, the first ban on assault rifles, the first state to codify Roe v. White and obviously protect women's reproductive rights. And we also did something called family resource centers, which is not well known, but uh we worked very closely with a guy named Ed Ziegler. I don't know that you would have heard of him, but he was a uh psychology professor at Yale. Uh but he developed the concept of family and medical leave and then also family resource centers. And he goes, What's a family resource center? He said, if we're gonna solve the child care problem for what we were talking about earlier, the ability for a parent to raise a child and still work, we're who takes care of them during the day? And he said, we already have it right in front of us. We have K through twelve schools. Why wouldn't we have the daycare on the same bus routes in the same area and with the idea in mind that even at a very tender age you can be educated and utilize existing buildings and schools. Yeah, you might have to expand them a little bit, but they're there and they're in the very neighborhoods where they're needed the most.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Brilliant idea. So we were the first in the country to do that following after uh Ed Ziegler's uh tremendous example.
SPEAKER_02I um I love that. There was that that these schools and the um resources for children was another big driving factor for us choosing Connecticut because it does really d really does seem like Connecticut puts uh families first, like kids first. Um that's not a very common thing in the United States, I would say, unfortunately. Aaron Ross Powell, Jr.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I think a lot of people want to strive for that, but um there's a cost associated with that, and the thing that I but there also is a common sense, practical sense and meaning to all of this. And when you consider that and you add up the cost avoidance and how more productive and efficient you become, it actually is beneficial, both to the health and well-being of children, the peace of mind of parents, and also for the ongoing education and care of our children and the next generation that moves on, who's going to uh fulfill all the jobs and vacancies and create new ones in our society. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_02I think that, and I've had this conversation with so many people, but I think that most problems boil down to education. And if we had more affordable and more accessible education starting from like two, three years old, then a lot of issues that we see as they grow up. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_00And I think equally important too is when we say education, we have a we have a tendency to look at that as a formal education with reading, writing, reptinic, and making sure that people have the All the various skills. But trades. Are equally as important as will the role of technology be in the future.
SPEAKER_02Trevor Burrus Yeah, especially with AI and how it is basically in everyone's lives at this point. There are some trades that AAI is not going to ever be able to do.
SPEAKER_00Trevor Burrus, I'm going to bring with your permission two 15-year-olds from my district to have them come on your show so you can interview them.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_00I say that because, well, they came down to visit me at the Capitol. Every year we have something called the Congressional App Contest, which is, you know, all 50 states participate, et cetera. And every year there's a winner. And uh but these two students flew down on their own. And I was on my way to a Ways and Means Committee meeting, and I was in a rush, we were late, and my staff said, Look, these two kids, you know, came down here. I says, All right, well, let's do a quick picture, and then, you know, we got to go. But I got this meeting out, and they said, Well, you know, they they paid their own way down here. They just want to talk to you for like five minutes. I go, We're late already. I mean, you know. And then I said, All right, have them come in. But five minutes. These two kids walked into my office, impeccably dressed, and I said, Oh, and you could I could tell that they were Indian. Um so I asked them, I said, you know, I knew they were from South Windsor. I said, Yes. I said, uh, where did your parents grow up? And they said, in India, where were the children of immigrants? I said, and you won the app award. What did you what did you do to win that? What was the app that you created? They said, well, you know how there's barcodes on all of uh food and uh things when you go to the grocery store? We developed an app that can scan that and tell you what's actually in that and whether or not the nutrients are good, bad, and different, and what's better. So that someone shopping. And I said, What grade are you in? And they said, Well, we're sophomores. We're 15 years old. And uh we came down here and we didn't come down to talk about our app. I said, and your app was on what? They said, gut health. I thought they were looking at me and making fun of me, but uh they uh they said, no, because of the nutritional concerns and the what the cause is for a lot of Americans, you know, uh in terms of weight gain and nutritional value and everything else. They said, and you're fifteen years old. I said, I gotta be honest with you. When I was fifteen years old, I don't think I ever thought a moment about gut health.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_00But uh but they went on to say, but that's not why we're here to talk to you. So why are you here to talk to me then? We want to talk to you about artificial intelligence. So now I'm looking up at my staff because this is a big issue in front of Congress, as you know. And a lot of a lot, there's far more questions than there are answers at this particular point, and yet we're in this global competition. So I'm assuming, A, that I said, well, it must be great that in South Windsor you have a class. They said, well, we don't have a class, we have a club that we belong to. And that's where we learned about this and where we developed our curiosity to do more. And so what we want to make sure is that Congress doesn't rush in an effort to protect people's individual rights, that you don't stifle ingenuity, creativity, and imagination that would that allowed us to create this app. And I think there's many rights as well, what about the loss of jobs? Now remember, these are 15-year-olds. They said, well, we think that that's important, but we also need to talk about the creation of jobs for the future and where that's gonna come from as technology advances. And they said, they said it's kind of like going from the horse to the automobile. Uh they then went on to say, but we're we I said, well, we ought to make sure that this is offered to all students. Again, thinking about those in disadvantaged neighborhoods that don't have accessibility to technology, et cetera, and could otherwise get left out. Now that is a responsibility of government. And they said, we're not as worried as much about the kids as we are about the teachers and the need to train the teachers who can teach this. And I'm looking at my staff going, I've learned more in 15 minutes talking with these kids and their focus. Trevor Burrus, Jr. That's wild. And so whenever you think, and you can get discouraged, and people are frustrated in these times, that there isn't a bright future for the country. And if you ever needed an argument about immigration, I think you would thoroughly enjoy meeting with these two. So now we're working on something to introduce legislation that both trains teachers so that they can educate and with all the appropriate safeguards, but not stifle the ingenuity. And they were excited about that. I said, and I want you to help write the legislation.
SPEAKER_01Oh, wow.
SPEAKER_00And they were even more excited about that. And so they're gonna come back down and they asked me, they said, Well, what's your favorite building down here? I said, the one I'm taking you to. The Library of Congress. I said, they said, Why the Library of Congress? I said, because it stores all the known knowledge in the world. And what better place for you to come and talk with the Congressional Research Service about other things and talk with them about not only your vision, but how do we expand and how do we make sure that there's safeguards in place and that we're, you know, the old rising tide that lifts all boats is making sure that all communities have the ability to pass this on, and the teachers trained to do so, and the opportunity for kids to embrace the technology in a way that's not harmful, but actually productive. And I said we're also going to need kind of a new new deal. And what do I mean by that? For anyone that's displaced because of technology, that they have a job, that there's something. And that's what Roosevelt or my mother would say, Frances Perkins, did, you know, after the Great Depression with the creation of Social Security. And uh I think that's why all of these things, both history and civics are vitally important. It should be taught. Rosa and myself have a bill that basically says you can't graduate high school unless you're able to pass the same civics test we require immigrants do to become citizens of the country. Isn't that pretty fair?
SPEAKER_01That's very fair.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And so, especially if we want citizens to continue to be committed and involved in a democracy. The thing that frightens me the most, and I think every American should be concerned about this, in the last presidential election, more people didn't vote than voted for both presidential candidates combined. That's a warning sign for democracy.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And in part the the fault of our institutions, including Congress, because people see it as not getting things done that matter in their lives or being turned off by the constant clash between these and ours and over a lot of other stuff, when what we need is the productive capability of what government was intended to do in people having their differences but working through them and making it uh always striving towards a more perfect union. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_02Sure. So I have two thoughts on that. Um you were talking about um AI, it's interesting that, first of all, I would love to meet those teenagers.
SPEAKER_00You're gonna love them. I'm very excited about your show and with your personality, this is if you're not blown away by these kids, I'll be right back.
SPEAKER_02I'm already blown away by them and I've never met them. It's also another side note, power of a good elevator pitch, because you almost passed up on meeting them, and you were like, I got five minutes, and now you guys are like gonna be in each other's lives for uh you know, maybe it's uh old-fashioned, but they were impeccably dressed and courteous.
SPEAKER_00And I said, You're a credit to your parents.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And uh and how they've raised you, et cetera. And they nodded their heads very respectively, et cetera. But uh they were really there not to get a pat on the back, but they actually flew down themselves because they had an interest in artificial intelligence that people all across Congress and beyond are struggling with, knowing the great benefits, but also the cause and concern, especially in politics.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Uh Becca Balin up in uh Vermont, person running against her for office, totally took her face, her voice, her body. If you didn't know anything about AI, or you didn't know Rebecca, they had her saying stuff that obviously she never said. It's terrifying. It is, you know.
SPEAKER_02And for children too, like the deep fakes and people can't tell the difference. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_00And uh although these two kids say there is a way to tell the difference, and that ought to be required so that you know immediately if you see something, whether it's the real thing or it's artificially brought to life through technology. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_02And honestly, there should, especially on social media, there should be like a a label AI generated. You see it sometimes, but it should be mandatory like it by law. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_00Couldn't agree more.
SPEAKER_02Um when you were talking about AI potentially taking other jobs, but then there needing to be something in place where they place these p people into another position and another career in a pivot that works for them. I think that's great in theory, but I think that people have such a distrust in our government that if they were presented with this and they were like, don't worry, we'll find you another job, they'd be like, Well, they had uh enormous distrust uh d after the Great Depression, too.
SPEAKER_00But you know, the idea is not a full-time replacement, but temporary, like the Conservation Corps and other areas where if for whatever reason you get displaced, there's an opportunity for you both to work and get a paycheck and also to be retrained. Uh and that's the focus. And uh we're probably not going to be able to stop, nor should we, the wave of technology that's coming forward, but we have to regulate it thoughtfully. And uh uh, you know, these data centers, you know, uh scare me and scare, I think, a lot of people because of what they consume. They're horrible for the environment and the amount of energy that they consume, et cetera. So uh I think um a part of uh governing is also to be eternally vigilant as well. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Um we need people way smarter than I, like those 15-year-olds, to figure out a way that data centers can operate without using so much of our natural resources. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And if you were to go to Augie and Ray's in my hometown of East Hartford and say, what do you think about data centers? They look at you like, you know, what are you talking about? Unless they happen to be impacted by one, if they happen to live near one or whatever. And so I think these are ideas that are foreign, but the technology is outpacing the responsibility. Sure. And so we've got to be very much uh aware of that and what the ramifications are, as well as understanding that we're in a global uh race, you know, to make sure that we remain on top uh and ahead of this. Uh the Chinese are not an open and free society like this country is. So we have to preserve that open and free country, but at the same time protect the individual rights of people.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, well said. Um have you seen any of those videos of um people drinking water that live near a data center?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I've seen uh clips of people with the brown water and you just say, oh my God.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And uh but i and uh government has to, again, step up. And to your earlier point, people have, I think, said, ah, pox on both their houses. I'm tired of the constant bickering, I'm tired of not seeing anything getting done. But you can't give up. I was at a um we did a coffee clash last night out in West Hartford and talking with a a number of very bright, capable people. And again, the same concerns, a lot of concerns about will elections be militarized with Trump's threats and what he's done with ICE already and his intent to utilize them. So uh I like to say, hey, the fight is ongoing, and the fight is now. You don't wait for an election. You have to engage this guy now. And I wear it as a badge of honor that I'm on his hit list, the of the people he wants to replace. Uh and you're never going to stop fighting for, you know, to demand that Elon Musk come before Congress and under oath testify why they were rummaging through your personal data and information in Social Security and why these 24-year-old doge people who have never been vetted or held accountable are stealing, and even by Trump's own judicial department saying that they have sold that for political gain and also sold the data. And the rumors abound about that information being uh stored in an insecure cloud. Now, again, a lot of people don't understand all of that, but what they do understand is that they want their personal information protected. And that's what the pledge and the goal has always been at at Social Security. But for people that make their money off of data mining, uh, this is very lucrative. And also, I don't think uh enough people understand just how lucrative Social Security is. There's two trillion, seven hundred billion of the people's money in the Social Security Trust Fund. You may recall that Trump said to Musk, I want you to find two trillion dollars in cuts in government. And uh and but he said, but I and then at the same time he was telling the people, but we're not gonna touch Medicare or Medicaid or Social Security or defense. Well, those those three agencies make up 70 percent of the budget. At least Musk was honest about that. But what he found was in not two trillion in cuts, but two trillion, they'd very much like to privatize, because that's an enormous compension day for somebody on Wall Street. We can't let that happen. And uh I certainly am, and many are, and I believe a number of Republicans are uh too, committed to the fact that this cannot be. This is the this is the safety net for all of capitalism. This is what allows us to have open markets and free enterprise.
SPEAKER_02Sure.
SPEAKER_00If you really want to freeze and for people to take risk. But knowing that there's a safety net there, and one that works. You know, by the way, has never missed a payment.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. How are we going to get to a point where we can get Republicans to actually vote in a Democratic way without feeling like they're the operative word is vote. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So you remember a guy named Mark Meadows? He was the one who founded the Freedom Caucus.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_00And the Freedom Caucus are very conservative Republicans, et cetera. They've changed their names a couple of times. But he went on during Trump's first term to be his chief of staff for Trump. I got to know him and his family because uh we served together, et cetera. Totally polar opposite in our views. But he came up to me and he said, you know, our leadership is opposed to your bill, but you've written it down so that anyone can understand it. I said, Yeah, I noticed you guys haven't put forward any proposal. But you say we have to compromise. Well, so are you saying that I have to compromise on the bill I've put forward? Where's your suggestions? Where's the alternative to compromise? He says, Well, you're right about that. He says, but I'll tell you this. If your bill comes to the floor, a lot of the Freedom Caucus is going to vote for it because we know what happens in rural America and we know how important Social Security is and what it means to people. On average, imagine this: $280 million a month comes into 435 congressional districts. That's nothing to sneeze at. But it hasn't been adjusted since 1971. Can you think of a better economic development plan where people who are on Social Security who haven't received an increase since 1971 and are on fixed incomes now, the people that are hurt the most in this economy, now have the wherewithal? Where do they spend that money? Oh, right back in the very communities that they live in. And my pitch to my Republican colleagues is this is an economic development plan. Don't think of this as a philosophical difference in terms of the socialization of America. This is the safety net for capitalism. This allows people to take risks, knowing that there is a safety net there. And oh, by the way, all of that money gets circulated right back into the economy. No one's going out and buying a new Maserati or a widescreen TV with their social security check.
SPEAKER_02Sure.
SPEAKER_00You know, they're getting the basic necessities. Sure. And that's that's vital. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_02It's crazy to think that the people who are advocating so much to just have the basic means to survive are the ones who are either very, very poor and trying to maybe make a family or very, very old and literally can't be in the workforce anymore. Like that doesn't make sense to me. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_00It doesn't. And even when they're in the workforce, they shouldn't be taxed on their Social Security either, because they already paid for it. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_02I absolutely agree with that.
SPEAKER_00Trevor Burrus, Jr. And by take and that's why it's so important that we take that trust fund and make it work more efficiently for people as well. As part of our legislation, Social Security 2100, we expand across the board benefits for everyone, and we come up with the incredible idea. We actually have people who are billionaires, and anyone making more than $400,000 pay their fair share. Most people don't know that there's a cap on Social Security. They just thought everybody paid the, and rightfully so, they should. But for a guy like Elon Musk, he pays nothing. And uh to hear other people like Jeff Beatos and others say, well, I'll tell you what, uh I won't take my Social Security. Oh, wow, thank you so much. That's so big of you not to do that. And uh You really need it. I don't think that uh I don't think that people below a certain level should have to pay into it. Well, that's a noble thought, but how about you just pay what you're supposed to pay?
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00You just pay what everybody else pays.
SPEAKER_02Right.
SPEAKER_00And that's the issue, because Social Security, as you know, it's not just a pension. It's spousal, widow, dependent children and disability.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And people, because we haven't fixed this system, people have died waiting to get their disability. It's heartbreaking. It's it's it's a crime. And something for women especially five million Americans get below poverty level checks from Social Security. Americans should be outraged that in the wealthiest nation in the world, with our most successful insurance program that's never missed a payment, not a pension, not a spousal, widow, dependent child, or disability payment hasn't been enhanced since Richard Nixon was president of the United States. And the trust fund is intact. This notion that, oh no, the government has spent that, not at all. That trust fund is intact. How about we make that trust fund more productive? How about we use the investments, not to go to Wall Street so that people can pocket individual commissions, but to use Social Security itself for an investment that can grow and expand the $2 trillion,700,000 that's there.
SPEAKER_02Let's make it happen.
SPEAKER_00We're gonna.
SPEAKER_02On that, we're gonna take a quick break and hear from our sponsors, and then we will be back with more Congressman Larson Unfiltered. If you're someone who cares about supporting local farms, you should check out Pink Tractor Crew. They're passionate about connecting people with Connecticut agriculture, whether that's finding fresh dairy delivered right to your door or tracking down maple syrup straight from the top. It's all about supporting local farmers and making fresh food more accessible. You can explore their resources at StantonsBM.com. You know how edibles can feel a little intimidating if you're not exactly sure where to start? It's actually why I love the Happy Confection. A Connecticut brand based in Westbrook, they've made edibles really approachable by creating ratio-based cannabis gummies. So instead of everything hitting the same way, the experience is dialed in depending on what you're looking for. Whether that's relaxing or feeling creative or just unwinding at the end of a day. There's even options for medical card patients looking for higher potencies. Everything is chef crafted with organic ingredients, vegan, gluten-free, and made with strain-specific terpenes, so you get a consistent experience without that bitter aftertaste that a lot of gummies can have. They're also queer-owned, women-owned, and family-run, and you can find them in over 60 dispensaries across Connecticut. You can find the closest one nearest to you at thehappyconfection.com, and don't forget to sign up for their email lists where you can find out about product launches and deals going on near you. They're called the Happy Confection, and it's cannabis crafted for joy. Looking for insurance is honestly so stressful. Every year when I have to deal with it, I feel like I need a spafter. And that's why I love Keating Agency Insurance in West Hartford. They're a third-generation family business with a real people-first mantra. They do the hard part for you, shopping multiple companies to find the best coverage. They handle home, auto, business, life, and even umbrella policies and can bundle things to save you money. So instead of spiraling online comparing policies, just call Keating and let them handle it. All right, we are back with Congressman Larson Unfiltered, and we are gonna jump right back into our very delightful conversation. So some of your challengers have framed this race around generational change. What would you say to voters who think that it might be time for a younger change?
SPEAKER_00Well, I think generational change is something that happens in every election. And rightfully so. And then it's a valid argument that they need to have or desire change. I think that's a part of life. So but I think in uh I think what's different is that we're in a constitutional crisis, and we're in a moment where uh I think experience and leadership matter. Uh I think the ability to amplify the people you voices you represent is important. So why do I say that? Well, okay, look, you know, the uh my opposition, you know, all of them would suggest that, hey, they would uh be a new voice, a new face, and provide uh a new start, a new way of looking at things, et cetera. There's something refreshing about that to voters and everybody else. But there's also uh the moment we're in. I say constitutional crisis because we have a president that ignores the Constitution. He thinks the Constitution is a suggestion, not a rule, not the rule of law for the country that has to be followed. And so he allows Elon Musk to go into Social Security and go after the data and information and his doge counterparts. He expands ICE so that it's larger than most countries' personal armies. This is Trump's personal army. And he goes to war illegally without coming before Congress. I had Jamie Raskin up here uh a couple of months ago now uh to talk about the Constitution. Not only is he a member of Congress, he's a a constitutional professor and a lawyer himself, and talking about the crisis that we face with a president who believes he's above the law. And under Article I, it's the Congress that gets to declare war, and why he needs to be held accountable and come before Congress.
SPEAKER_02So why hasn't he?
SPEAKER_00Because he ignores the law and the Republicans who control the House, the Senate, and the Presidency, so they control all three branches of government, and some would argue the Supreme Court. I don't subscribe to that, but I'm concerned about a lot of the things, decisions they've made. But uh most and most importantly, Congress under Article I needs to exert its influence, not be, you know, as the Republicans are, John the Speaker of the House, Johnson is a lapdog for Trump. And here's the perfect example, and I think a good lesson in democracy. In dis on December 17, 2025, Democrats were joined by only four Republicans. Democrats are only four seats away from taking back the majority. But we needed four Republicans to join with us to stop as part of the big beautiful bill. They were uh going after SNAP benefits, but cruelly also throwing 15 million people off of health insurance and seeing another 20 million health insurance double in cost. We fought back against him and were joined by four Republicans, and the vote was to occur December 17th. Trump said, give me to January 7th, and I'll flip one of those Republicans, and if they don't, they'll feel my wrath. And so Johnson, as he does all the time, went along with that. There was no vote taken in 2025. And in January, people were going to get the notice that A, their cost had gone up, or that they were off of insurance. And the calamity and the anxiety that that created in people's lives was incredible. So on January 7th, when we came back, not only did we keep all four Republicans with us, but 13 more joined us. Why? Because they went home and they heard from the people. And so, as I like to say at all these No Kings rallies, et cetera, your voice does matter. Those getting out there and speaking and making sure that legislators understand. They say, Oh God, the whole Connecticut delegation is all the same. You guys are okay. What else can I do? I said, you can write in, you can call in, you can call people from other states. You have to get that message out there that this is unacceptable. And what was Trump doing this all for? To give billionaires money that they weren't even asking for?
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Billionaires were even embarrassed by what he was trying to do because it doesn't make economic sense. And from the standpoint of compassion, he never pushed back on any of those problems, those 17 that ultimately voted, because he knew that the people had spoken.
SPEAKER_02Do you think that there's a chance that it was such a ridiculous proposition because they're trying to hide the evidence of the Epstein files?
SPEAKER_00Yes, I think that's I think that's part of it. He's a master of distraction. Right. You know. I mean, do you think his coming up with invading Greenland or, you know, renaming the Gulf? Putting his name on the top of the Kennedy Center. He knows that that is going to drive people cra and be a distraction. But the media say this, but they love him. Because uh he's uh he's news for them every night, and he gets people and he knows how to stir up the pot and get people focused on something else, to your point.
SPEAKER_02Sure.
SPEAKER_00Other than the Epstein files. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_02What's interesting, though, is while Fox News, CNN CBS, might be reporting on whatever new stupid distraction tactic he's doing, social media seems to be pretty intent on keeping him accountable and not letting people forget.
SPEAKER_00Yes, they are. And social media is, I mean, more people watch social media than they watch regular television. Trevor Burrus, Jr.: Absolutely. You know? And so that's what they follow for exactly the reason, not without its flaws and issues as well, but it is a way that people are able to you're able to educate the public and get the word and the truth out there. But in either case, Trump is the reason that it's fueling the flames. Yeah. And he understands that. And he's a master. He does. He's a master manipulator. Who is it? The sociopath. Great uh conservative uh columnist for the New York Times. Um I think it's uh Burns said he's a narcissistic nihilist. That's the best explanation I've ever heard about him. Uh not many people at Augie and Ray's know what a nihilist is. When I say would say that, they've looked, they know what a narcissist is. But uh and Trump certainly is exhibit A when it comes to narcissism. But uh but a nihilist is someone who's consumed about getting as much power as he possibly can that further feeds his ego in the sense that he is authoritarian and that he doesn't need to go before Congress, and that he's better than the media or Congress. And as bad as his polling data is, right? You know, he's at an all-time low for m any president at this point in their term. Who's lower than him? The media. And who's lower than the media? The Congress. Who does he attack? The media and the Congress. He's clever in a way, but that's all the more reason why, thankfully, for social media, and people say to me all the time, Well, why do you, you know, why did you have that moment when you're pounding on the table? I said, because they broke the rule of the House, they overlooked the fact that uh tr we demanded that Elon Musk come before our committee and he never showed up. Because they believe they're above the law. And neither did any of these doge employees who are have never been vetted and are not accountable to anyone other than Donald Trump and Elon Musk. That's not the democracy we know. Right. And the same thing is true of ICE. When those when they were in Newington, Connecticut and Southington, Connecticut, stripping mothers from their children, that's an outrage. I was proud to stand with the people of Newington and proud to become, you know, on his top ten list, hit list.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Because if you don't stand up to him and you don't fight for him, why are you in Congress? What do you what what do you uh think you're going to accomplish if you're not willing to stand up to a bully? Another good thing about growing up in a federal housing project, you knew how to stand up to bullies.
SPEAKER_02It's an important life lesson, everybody knows.
SPEAKER_00It really is.
SPEAKER_02I'm from a family of immigrants. My dad came from Bolivia. So four, or sorry, three out of five of my siblings were born in Bolivia. I was born in Miami. But the ICE of it all, I don't know if I've ever been more angry than what is going on with ICE.
SPEAKER_00And I don't know how people can't, but what we don't want to have happen, we want to channel that anger into people coming out to vote.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00Because ultimately, that will make the difference.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Especially in a in a democracy. But and by the same token, we don't want to m make sure that they don't get so frustrated. They don't give up. How many times have you heard people say, ah, pox on both their houses? I'm tired of all the back and forth. How about they just sit down constructively and do their job, do something we've asked them to do. How about voting?
SPEAKER_02Well, the thing about not voting is not voting is voting because you know that the cult that Trump has created is going to be there the moment the polls open. And not voting, unfortunately, is not taking a stand. It is giving Trump a vote.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And not voting also is part and parcel the responsibility of elected officials. How so? Well, because you want to make sure that you're giving people something to vote for. And if the only reason you're giving them is because you're anti-Trump, you're not going to win them over. If you're not assisting people with those kitchen table issues that with regard to affordability, that's why we introduced the Affordability Care Act, so that you're going after the basic concerns as it impacts them economically. Starting with education, it's affordability and the ability to get a degree or to get also a training in a skilled area that will allow you the opportunity to further matriculate in society with a skill that's been acquired or learned, or an education that you thought, and then the ability to pay for it. As well as making sure that with regard to housing, we need a new New Deal. And by that I mean, even though we're proposing 500,000 new house, low-income housing or affordable housing is probably a better way to phrase it, so that people have that opportunity. Not just housing. We have to focus on renting as well, so that people get a chance to reside in a community that they live in, in the city of Harford or in the suburbs of East Harford and East Windsor, whatever the case may be, we want to make sure that people have that opportunity, just like my parents did. You know, they didn't have a lot of money, but the government stepped in and said, hey, we're going to give you a reasonable way, you're going to pay for it. And again, it's not uh these are not luxury homes by any stretch of the imagination. We used to call it the cardboard city for a reason. But it was a path forward.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And it was a way for them to say, and I want you to get an education so that you don't have to live in a small house like this, that you're able to do better for your family, and you can't get there without a good education or learning, having the skills, professional skill sets, and whether you're a carpenter or whether you're a plumber or whether you're an ironworker, whatever the case may be, those demands, whether you're an electrician, they're always going to be in demand. They're in demand and they're only going to be more so. And then who knows with regard to technology, what other opportunities are going to be there as well? Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_02Right. Taking it back a step to when you were talking about giving people something to vote for, aside from just helmetly hating Trump, do you feel like some of the your people you're running against, that's more of their platform?
SPEAKER_00Trevor Burrus Well, their platform doesn't seem to be uh their platform seems to be more about replacing me than about uh about the things. Now some of them, I think uh Ruth, for example, has got a great story that she checks-cause she's in?
SPEAKER_02I know she got the signature.
SPEAKER_00Okay. And uh but it sounds uh first of all, it's not an easy thing to do.
SPEAKER_04Right.
SPEAKER_00Number one, but she did it. She has the determination, and uh she represents real, you know, she is generational change. So is Gillian to that respect, but Gillian's also been in the Connecticut General Assembly and has uh uh great progressive stats, et cetera. She's in line with most of the things I stand for, and uh including all the things we mentioned at the outset: family and medical leave, uh women's reproductive rights, um, family resource centers, bans on assault rifles, et cetera. There's a common uh analogy that occurs throughout that, but they seem like they're running more against me and my age. And age is just a number, you know. It's how effective are you at delivering for your district? And the decision that people are gonna have to make, and I was saying this last night. Listen, these are all three capable people. And, you know, and in the first district, which is the most democratic district in the state, it's likely whoever wins the primary is probably gonna win the election in November. So what's the decision the voter has to make? So in the midst of this crisis, in the midst of the militarization of ICE on behalf of the president, an illegal war, and Elon Musk and Doge going through your personal records, there isn't the time to wait for a November election. You need someone that's there currently and fighting for it, and fighting against him and standing up, even if it means you're one of his targets. Unintentionally or not, they're aligned with Trump in that everybody wants to, you know, replace me from that perspective. But in doing so, and this seat will become open in the future, there's no question about that, but it should be wide open too, and you know, it should be a large primary effort, as it was when I ran for the seat, uh, and I I was at the tender age of 50 uh back then. So uh I would I would say both that and then also when you're in a system that's based on seniority and experience, and you're gonna be the chair of a committee that will directly impact 330 million Americans' lives. And with the report of SSA coming out just this week, the state that will be hurt the most by inaction on Social Security and the most severe cuts is the state of Connecticut. People would lose $556 monthly from their Social Security check. Some will survive, they won't like it, some will survive, but for that 40% we talked about earlier, that this is the only thing they have, and for the 5 million Americans that get below poverty level checks, that's why I'm running for office. I'm not running to hold on to a seat. I'm running because I'm in a position of responsibility now, where I will be the chair of a committee, and I can amplify those voices of the citizens that I represent in all the meetings that take place with all the chairs and subcommittee chairs of committees, because I'm at that point of leadership. And that will have far more of a profound impact. Nothing against the three individuals that are running. That's just the reality of what's at stake. So in November, if you didn't know any of the candidates that were running, and you're a citizen making a choice, well, should we go with one of these three new people or should we go with the guy that's there already? And well, you know, have they said they'd vote any different than him? Not really. Have they said he's done a bad job? No, not really. Uh have they said that they would be a new voice? Yes. And uh but can they deliver back for the district what he would do? Who would it be in the best interest of the people in the community to represent them?
SPEAKER_02So it's interesting because you say that specifically Gillian and you are like very aligned in a lot of things that you are fighting for and advocating for and want change in. Um do you not feel that way about Luke Bronin and what he is trying to what his platform is becoming?
SPEAKER_00Well, I think his platform has been the same from the outset. And um look, I I have a lot of respect for Luke. Uh there was no one who worked harder with him than I did in Congress in delivering billions of dollars to the City of Hartford. Uh and he was very interested in running for governor and asked me to help him in that case and asked if he could come to my meetings and speak, which I gladly did. I said, Yeah, you know, I mean you're more than welcome. I said, anyone can speak. Uh and then when he told me that uh that he wasn't running for governor, he came to see me and said, uh, geez, um, I have a favor to ask of you. I said, Sure, what is it? How can I help you? He said, You could step down and step aside from your seat so that I could run.
SPEAKER_02He presented it like that.
SPEAKER_00Yes, like and I and I laughed, and he looked at me, he said, You think that's funny? And then I looked at him, I said, You're serious. I said I thought you were joking, but I can see that you're serious. I says, but I can also see you don't know me. So, do you think I would walk away from these people? All the things that you were applauding me before, and the fact that you contributed to my campaign and now you want to replace me? What happened? And I think only Luke can answer that, et cetera. But I think the voters will have an opportunity uh to do that as well uh come uh this August 11th. And so uh I think the exact words that he used were uh I'm I need to be remain relevant. And I said, I can think of a lot of ways for you to be relevant, but uh that's your decision. And in a democracy, anyone can run and should. Anyone has that opportunity, as both uh Gillian and Ruth do. But I think in the case when you have a sitting incumbent, if as was the case when I ran, Barbara Connelly was leaving and it was wide open, there's far greater participation. Because I would say all 27 towns in this district know what I've been able to deliver for those towns. They also know that I'm in the best position to deliver that. Is there always room for a new voice and you know, always a sediment about, hey, you know, it's time for a change? That's existed for time immemorial, uh, because that's just the nature of a beast in the in a democracy. But I think the public is a lot smarter than people give them credit for. And if you have a record, I run for election based on my record and what I've been able to accomplish, what I'm working on now, and what my vision is for the future. And in doing so, making sure that people understand, I don't go around pat myself on the back, but I can name off a, you know, half a dozen firsts that, you know, the first Blue Ways River in the country, the Connecticut River, the first national park in the state of Connecticut, Coltsville, the first uh manufacturing company that started from a concept and an idea and is now the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology in East Hartford, you know, the first to stand up and uh and author the Family and Medical Leave, and now trying to accomplish paid leave down in Congress with Rosa DeLoro. The first to get out front with respect to Roe versus Wright and codify that. Uh and fighting down in D.C. against our Republican colleagues to stand up for women's reproductive rights. I have two daughters, and I have a vested interest in this. We've we've got a record that we're running on, and I think it's a successful record and one that people respect. And we're currently taking on Donald Trump in this moment and in this crisis. And the most heartening thing for me when I come home is people say, hey, don't worry, I got your back. You're taking on Donald Trump, don't worry, I got your back. And uh I can't tell you how gratifying that is to know, because there's sometimes you scratch your head and say, you know, what's this all about? You know, was it that I've not been performing in the job that I'm working at? Uh is it that we've not delivered for the district? Is there something different? There's not much I can do about my face, you know, in terms of a new face. And uh a new voice, I don't know whether it's Soprano or Alto.
SPEAKER_02But I'm not an advocate for that. I don't think you've got a great face.
SPEAKER_00So you're saying I need plastic surgeons. No, no, didn't say it. Well, you know, so I you know, I do I do think that that's an important consideration in this. But you know what? At the end of the day, in a democracy, as long as the public has been educated and is informed, you know, that's how our system works. And I'm happy with that. So I don't, you know, resent the fact that any of them are running. That's they're right, you know. And I don't resent the fact that we have a primary. I just feel confident and hopeful that people are gonna say, yeah, you know what? He's had our back, we're gonna have his.
SPEAKER_02So what do you think happened at the conference to where Luke ended up winning the endorsement? And was that complete fine factory? Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_00That's uh 400 people in a room in a politically charged environment where there's four candidates competing, not unlike it was in 1998 when I competed. And in 98, there was no winner. There were four people that qualified for the convention. Conventions Connecticut's unique in that we have a convention primary system before the general election. The convention allows the town committees, the Democratic parties, to select a candidate. And then but the nominee becomes the winner of the primary. And so uh there was always going to be a primary. Uh everybody, I think, recognized that. Uh and the, you know, these things uh have a way of uh of going either way, but I don't think anyone felt. And uh and even beyond that, people in the past have said it's impossible for anyone to get enough signatures to be part of that. Well, Ruth is gonna prove that wrong. And uh so there's a lot to be said from that, not the least of which, with everything that's just been said in that convention process, when it comes to the ballot, even though I've been there 28 years, I'll be the lowest person on the ballot. Because it's done alphabetically.
SPEAKER_04Oh, that's interesting.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so it'll be Luke and why? Because they won the convention. Narrowly, but they won it. And uh so he's on the top row. Then it'll be Jillian because alphabetically she's next, and then Ruth, and then me.
SPEAKER_02Do you think optically that makes that much of a difference?
SPEAKER_00Hard to say, uh, you know what it does. I mean, uh the preference is always to be on the top line. Sure. Yeah. But um again, I would say if you're doing a good job and the communities that you have reached out for and worked for agree that you're doing a good job, the question is going to be getting people to the polls and voting. And I feel very confident that if we do, uh they're gonna re-elect me because they know, and nothing against the other three, that they know what I can deliver for their district, for their community. They have a record that they can judge it by. They have the accountability of how I interact currently against this current administration, and they see our vision for the future, whether it's dealing with the issues of affordability and also creating a change for the first time since 1971 that impacts 330 Americans in Social Security. And what better economic tool in this time for people on fixed incomes? So I think that that is important. And with all the groups and other people that are out there, and when I say groups, whether it's labor or whether it's um the Committee, National Committee to Preserve and Protect Social Security, Social Security Works, uh the Aging Committee of the AFL, CIL, all people who have said, listen, he's focused on this. He's put forward legislation on this that is battle-tested, that has more signatures than anyone else in Congress, and has the commitment of what we hope will be the future speaker to take that bill up in the first 100 days. What's in the best interest of the people of the first congressional district? Take everybody else out of the equation, including me. You're on the board of directors deciding who's going to best represent you and deliver most for your community. I think objectively that uh that will point uh to me. Or someone else who had that kind of skill or experience and the ability not just to be a new member of Congress, but to actually be a chairman on a on the oldest continuous committee and a committee that oversees 330 million Americans.
SPEAKER_02So I um I've noticed since I moved here, because bef prior to Connecticut, I wasn't too involved in uh state politics. I've only been here just about a year now. Um, but it's very like uh door-to-door grassroots for all the candidates. It's very impressive. Um is a part of your strategy, a lot of it going to these events and speaking at public events and just being like with the people at festivals.
SPEAKER_00Well, the good news is that I've been doing that consistently. I said we probably hold more town halls and more outreach program because part of the job is always educating the public, both in terms of, okay, what's going on, and we've read this and we've heard about this, but also what are you proposing on our behalf? And to your point, but you don't, even in town halls and teletown halls, et cetera, you don't reach all the people. So you got to get out there and bang on those doors, et cetera. Now, I'm at a little bit of disadvantage because 70% of the time, I'm doing my job in D.C. That's what they elected me to do. And so if you're in D.C., it's pretty hard to knock on a door here. Very true. But we've been fortunate enough to have people coming to rallies and turning out and knocking with us. And so having people, having that enthusiasm catch on and people who are understanding the importance of this race and the importance of both standing up to Trump successfully and then also putting forward the legislation that will impact those kitchen table discussions. That's who I am. I mean, that's where I came from. I mean, you know, I I've grown up and lived in East Hartford all my life. Uh very proud of that fact. And uh very proud that I grew up in a federal housing project. We wore that as a badge of honor. We weren't, you know, we didn't feel ashamed or humbled that we grew up. We felt we were tougher. We felt we could, you know, take on any task or any individual, and we're always proud of the fact that that's where we grew up.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, because you grit. Um so I did see your um commercial before we came in that um was kind of talking about the funding that Bronan was getting, um, and then it obviously went into a campaign for you. So because it was just targeted towards him, do you feel like that is your main competition in this race?
SPEAKER_00Uh like it or not, uh money plays an important role. And um I'm proud that Nancy Pelosi selected B, because of my experience as caucus chair, uh uh to develop and put forward campaign finance reform. It's long overdue. Gillian talks about it, and the Connecticut legislature has done it, uh, which allows Josh, in running in the governor's race, the ability that neither Ruth or Gillian have at the federal level. Luke has raised more money than anyone. Uh and you know that does play a a factor because it allows you, he's been up on TV since March Madness. So that's a that's a long time, and that that that takes a lot of money. And while that money does play an outsized role in any election process, how do you combat that? You combat it, you know, you have to raise money too, but you combat it with the truth and the diff the difference between the candidates. Now, this is not a fight that I asked for. It's a fought that uh he brought on. Uh the have you heard Luke mention any of the other two candidates? No. And uh so he he from the start has been only focused on me. And uh started his campaign off, you know, with the the gratuitous pat on the back, but by the same token, then saying, first the whispering campaign that I wasn't up to it, wasn't healthy, or whatever the case may be, and then it was, you know, time for a change. And uh so what was it that he was talking about in terms of change?
SPEAKER_02New congressperson.
SPEAKER_00Oh, he was only talking about me. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And then ram pictures of my family for what's the side of politics that I just exactly the side of politics.
SPEAKER_00And I despise it as well. But when you're getting punched by a bully, you punch back.
SPEAKER_02Do you think he's a bully?
SPEAKER_00No. I don't think he's a bully. I think though that he's got one focus. And he's myopically focused on that. And so I think he will do whatever he feels it takes to do that. And uh but by the same token, uh we don't back away or back down from anybody, no matter how much money he has. And uh so I expect, uh, as we indicated from the start, and you have to tell your family to, you know, when your children say, why are we in a commercial? What does that have to do with this? You know, I said say nothing, etc. Let's just go out there and knock on doors and continue to do that. And uh uh but um w we're not afraid to punch back either. And who's trying to defeat Social Security? Hmm. Let's see, how is that paid for, that Social Security plan? Oh, I get it, by people four hundred thousand and above having to pay what everybody else does. Oh, so that would be that billionaire class that never wants to pay taxes, but this isn't even a tax. This is an insurance premium that insures the entire nation, of which allowed them the great success and opportunity that they have enjoyed, and God bless them, that they are become billionaires. How about you just pay your fair share? But uh they know what's coming. They know that the way that we pay for this and the way that we expand benefits is to make sure that everyone pays their fair share. And Lucas said that uh, oh, he supports Social Security, but John Larson's unrealistic. Uh, even if it were to pass the House, it can't pass the Senate, and the President won't sign it. Sounds like a real positive attitude to help out the uh people that need it the most in this economy. How about this? How about we get people to vote? How about people start saying, let the Senate go out, and if it's not Democratic, uh let the Senators say that they're not voting on that. Let them hear from their constituents, whether they be like Mark Meadows or whether they be like the Republicans who went home after December 17th and uh heard from the citizens when they were losing their health care coverage. When they find out that there hasn't been an increase in over 55 years, when they find out what they're being taxed for, when they find out that there's an alternative that's already passed the House of Representatives, I think A, there'll be a vote, and B, I'm quite optimistic that it will pass. But let's say for a moment it doesn't. It will have passed the House of Representatives, and it will become the number one issue for the presidential campaign in 2028, and it will be there because there was a path forward. There was a bill, and that people believed in, and that people also recognized not only as a necessity to help those amongst us, but also a great economic opportunity for the entire country, and an opportunity for us to uplift all 330 million people. And I think that's the difference in this campaign and why uh I think people are going to vote for me, and why billionaires. Don't want me there.
SPEAKER_01They're afraid of you.
SPEAKER_00I don't know that they're afraid of me. I think they're afraid of my legislation. I think they're afraid of people looking at this. You talk to a lot of people. Do you hear people saying, geez, no, I think that's wrong-headed. Billionaires, you know, uh, you know, they're billionaires. They're very successful people, and look at what they do for everybody else. They shouldn't have to pay what I pay.
SPEAKER_02I don't know anybody that I don't know. Nobody.
SPEAKER_00There's nobody.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00You know, in every town hall I go into, I say, raise your hand. If you're making over $400,000, I've yet to see a hand go up. Well, I take that back. Once in my hometown of East Harford, and a guy whose family I know, he raises his hand. I looked at him and I said, You're making over $400,000? He said, Nope, but it felt good to raise my hand. And so, you know, well, that's East Tarford, too. But uh you know, the reason that you run is not to hold on to a seat. This isn't a seat or a stepping stone for whatever I'm gonna do next. This is what I was, I think, in this moment sent down there to do. And to be able to do something that impacts 330 million people and change their lives, change the very economy that we're in, would you walk away from that? Would you say, no, you know what? You know what? I I think if if any one of them could do a better job than I am, I would step aside tomorrow.
SPEAKER_02If it wasn't you, who do you think would do the best job in your seat?
SPEAKER_00It may not even be any of the ones that are running.
SPEAKER_02Really?
SPEAKER_00That's why I think you have to have a wide open primary.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Because that's what happened. When I ran, there were over 12, maybe 14 candidates as it started out and ended up with four. But they were all on the ballot. Yeah. And there was a vote. But more importantly, just like at the national level, the biggest mistake was that when Biden dropped out and there was no consensus about, you know, who should succeed him, et cetera, and as talented and as decent a person as uh Harris was, it's uh it ne the it it never took hold with the people. They felt that they were ignored.
SPEAKER_02Didn't feel like a choice.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, exactly. And so I think that's gonna need to happen on the national level, and also should happen on the congressional uh level as well. But before all that happens, the fight goes on daily with Donald Trump. And you got to keep taking him on. And I've made a commitment to the people of this district that that's exactly what I'm gonna continue to do. And we've had success in doing that. And more importantly, when we take back the House, not only are we gonna continue to take him on and hold him accountable. And whether it was calling for the impeachment of Noam or whether his impeachment, et cetera, when he refused to follow the Constitution and come before Congress, you have to send him a message. That's why I brought Jamie Raskin up here, a constitutional professor. And lawyer said, hey, look, this is what we have to do, but we have to follow it in a different way. The same way we got four Republicans to come with us. We do it as a discharge petition. Now I know that that's uh Congress talk, but all that means is that you can any bill can come to the floor if it has 218 signatures. But when you only have uh 214 Democrats, you're four short. But if four Republicans were to join us, the bill automatically comes to the floor. And uh So I think that uh by keeping the pressure on and by staying in the forefront and sticking up for people, and you mentioned it early on, you know, and and how do people become aware of that? Through what you're doing and through social media. I mean that sincerely. I mean it's it's that's true. That's true.
SPEAKER_02There's a level of authenticity with like creators that you trust that we're not getting from mainstream media right now.
unknownTrevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_00Right. And I and I think, you know, uh mainstream media, I'm sure you have people that are sponsored here sponsored here, but you're doing a show with minimal amount of breaks and times, kind of like public television. Why I'm such a strong advocate of public television. Stood on the floor and fought for that. Those are the kinds of things that make you feel proud to be a member of Congress and uh stand up and speak out on behalf of people and the institutions and organizations that you know need our help.
SPEAKER_02Absolutely. Um, really quick before we finish up, I always ask my guest to shout out to a nonprofit of your choice and how people can get involved if they want to.
SPEAKER_00Mothers United Against Violence.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_00Uh a great group of ladies who I've had the privilege of knowing and supporting. And after the shootings and the violence, um, you know, and there's so many different groups in Harford alone, but all across the district that I've supported. But when I saw what their mission statement was, and more importantly, when I saw uh Davis and uh Henrietta and uh uh and Frederica Graves all out there working and interacting with people, I said they really need to be funded. And we got them the funding and the work that they do with I can't even imagine what it's like to lose a child and to lose someone in a violent manner uh and for them to provide the counseling and the understanding and to work towards the creation of a more peaceful environment. And of course to be outspoken about gun violence and the need to get guns off the street. But you know, there, you know, whether it's uh Hartford communities that care and working alongside of them, our piece of the pie, uh Constep, et cetera, uh these are all worthy organizations. And what I try to do as a member is get around, it's why I believe in earmarking, uh, to those not for profits and those individuals that are vested in their community and need help. And there's no greater feeling than seeing them succeed and knowing that what their what their mission is. And the the lives that they have uplifted and interceded on behalf of. And and they're actually pretty fun to be with. And uh they've now been down in Washington a couple of times, and they've they've really they've really caught on down there as well. Because they came up with a unique idea and a unique proposal, but something that is purely common sense. Who better to understand the impact of violence than the mother who's lost a child, a son or a daughter to a violent crime? Who better to be spokesman to make to bring home the the grief and the suffering that they've gone through, but the determination to make the community safer and also to intervene and help others like them who have to endure going through that god awful situation. They're pretty unique. They're pretty unique. But um all community, all communities um have people uh like that. And uh also we will um promise they're not a not-for-profit yet, but uh probably will be at some time. Those two young Indian men that we're gonna get on your program.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I'm excited to meet them.
SPEAKER_00Uh I I I think you you will be. And as I was saying to this group last night, uh if you doubt about the mission of America, the importance of immigration, and the connections, you talk about generational change. There they are.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And uh but uh even with generational change, people need to be mentored. And whether it's through a local media channel where they get to have access and communicate their thoughts that get out to the public, or whether it's having someone who's been in Congress for a period of time and knows how to, you know, know how the system works and how to get the most out of it, and be in a position to actually amplify the votes of people who need it the most. Everybody has the right in Congress to say what they want, but not everyone is in the room when the decisions are being made.
SPEAKER_02This has been such a wonderful conversation. Thank you so much for being on Connecticut Unfiltered.
SPEAKER_00Happy to be here.
SPEAKER_02And I hope that we have more conversations in the future.
SPEAKER_00I look forward to it.
SPEAKER_02This podcast is kept afcinated by Sola Karaoke, the Happy Confection, Pink Tractor Crew, and Eating Agency Insurance. Thank you for listening to Connecticut Unfiltered. If you like the conversation, please make sure to like, subscribe, follow, and share, and keep the conversation going about how we can make Connecticut more than just the drive Tuesday.