Greg Casar received reelection to the Austin Town Council the similar yr that Donald Trump received his first time period in place of job. The son of Mexican immigrants, Casar made transparent he had no plans to entertain the whims of an incoming president who had made vitriol in opposition to his neighborhood a centerpoint of his political character.
“A lot of people, together with Donald Trump, are calling for therapeutic and cohesion nowadays, ” Casar, then 27, wrote the day after the 2016 election. “I received’t name for therapeutic. I’m calling for resistance.”
Resistance has persisted to outline the profession of the native organizer-turned-progressive baby-kisser who previous this month used to be elected to switch Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) as chief of the Congressional Innovative Caucus.
Casar has lengthy hostile Trump and Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s inhumane campaign in opposition to undocumented immigration. He sponsored coverage reforms protective immigrants in Austin from larger concentrated on via regulation enforcement, granting them prison recommend, and used to be arrested for protesting S.B. 4 — a regulation that will permit Texas police to arrest undocumented migrants. Casar received a Area seat in Washington, D.C., in 2022, in a landslide victory after operating a deeply innovative marketing campaign — particularly via Texas’ requirements — highlighting prison justice reform, employees rights, and his beef up for Medicare for All. He received his district once more with 63 p.c of the vote this November.
Casar, now 35, has now been tapped to guide the Area Innovative Caucus at a an important juncture, as Democrats combat with how to reply to Trump successful a 2d time period in place of job. Casar not too long ago spoke to Rolling Stone about his trust in some way ahead. Because the incoming Trump management plans sweeping, draconian transformations of the country, Casar holds that it’s Democrats’ accountability no longer handiest to hinder the worst of the MAGA schedule however to tackle a major reimagining of the celebration — person who recenters the desires of working-class American citizens and shucks off company pursuits. Casar believes progressives can “supercharge” this push inside the celebration, and inform the true tale of what’s answerable for what ails The us, somewhat letting Trump and his cronies keep an eye on the narrative and scapegoat immigrants and different marginalized teams.
This interview has been edited for period and readability.
There’s been numerous discuss what went mistaken for Democrats this yr, and the place the celebration must be going. There’s additionally numerous anxiousness that this defeat will probably be taken as an indication that the celebration must pivot rightward, and align themselves extra with the Republican solution to immigration, the financial system, and social problems. What do you suppose the celebration must be that specialize in at this time?
I’ll caveat this with two necessary issues. One is that Republicans have an enormous accountability for what came about within the election in that they lied at each and every alternative they might. That they had a huge propaganda system, they usually did the whole thing they might in Congress to make issues no longer paintings in order that they might then whinge about issues no longer operating. I be expecting they’re going to proceed to do just that, and we will’t alternate that conduct within the brief time period. So the query is: What do Democrats do if that’s what Republicans are going to proceed to do?
The second one caveat is that it’s transparent Democrats have began dropping most of the working-class citizens who’re truly the bottom of the celebration, and we’ve been dropping the ones citizens throughout race, throughout ideology. You’ve gotten an increasing number of disaffected citizens opting for not to take part in any respect, or even some who voted for Joe Biden or Barack Obama who selected to vote for Donald Trump. If you wish to win, you simply can’t have that occur.
I believe it’s a second of soul looking out in Washington for Democrats. There are a few of us which might be truly making an attempt to determine what we must have finished otherwise. And having simply been elected chair of the Innovative Caucus, it’s possible you’ll be expecting me to mention that we must have simply been extra innovative. I’m in reality right here to argue that the celebration doesn’t want to essentially run additional left or additional to the suitable. We simply want to run at once on the problems with working-class folks and be unique leaders for that.
I believe that going and seeking to fake to be Republican-light, or to only discriminate a little bit bit not up to Republicans, or to only be the celebration that isn’t Trump obviously hasn’t labored. It isn’t proper for us to permit discrimination in opposition to folks, however I don’t suppose that it really works politically both. I believe what works is that if we inform a transparent and unique tale to the American folks about why they really feel screwed over, and that’s one thing the Democratic Birthday party hasn’t been in a position to do. We shouldn’t throw trans folks below the bus or throw immigrants below the bus. As a substitute, we must indicate that it wasn’t a trans individual that denied your medical insurance declare; it used to be a huge company that went unregulated via the Republicans. It’s no longer an undocumented immigrant elevating your hire; it’s a Wall Boulevard hedge fund that’s doing it, and Trump is appointing the ones guys to his Cupboard. I believe the Innovative Caucus is able to inform that roughly tale, and supercharge that roughly message throughout the Democratic Birthday party.
Progressives in Congress are steadily maligned for making the general public argument that Democrats had to refocus on well-liked financial problems. How are you having a look to enhance the caucus’ place on this time period, particularly coming in because the minority celebration?
We’ve heard average pundits say Democrats must have targeted extra on housing and kid care, as an example. Neatly, that’s nice, I’m glad to welcome them into the tent, as it used to be the Innovative Caucus that driven for regulation to deliver down housing prices, and that driven for regulation to stay kid care prices at 7 p.c of an individual’s source of revenue. It used to be the extra company a part of the Democratic Birthday party — crystallized via Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin — that in reality blocked the regulation to scale back housing prices and scale back kid care prices.
I believe folks can see that the Innovative Caucus has had the guidelines on find out how to cope with folks’s financial pressure and that the ones concepts are extensively well-liked. They’re well-liked amongst Republican citizens and unbiased citizens. So we need to lean in on the ones problems. In his first few months in place of job, Trump has promised to increase and amplify his billionaire tax cuts, and I believe the Innovative Caucus has an enormous alternative and accountability to supercharge opposition to these billionaire tax breaks. We need to paintings to verify each and every unmarried Democrat at the Hill votes in opposition to it, and that approach we will get started appearing individuals who modified their votes from Biden to Trump that Trump says something, however he does the other.
What do you notice as a a success consequence for the Innovative Caucus — or even the Democratic Birthday party as a complete — this congressional cycle, for the reason that Republicans will probably be in keep an eye on of the federal government?
We will be able to check out Trump’s ultimate time period. Early on, Trump and MAGA Republicans attempted to eliminate the congressional ethics place of job, and progressives mobilized folks around the nation and Republicans dropped [the effort]. Trump attempted to repeal the Inexpensive Care Act and take well being care clear of hundreds of thousands of folks, and Democrats and innovative activists have been in a position to tell such a lot of the rustic about it that Republicans apprehensive whether or not they have been extra dedicated to casting off folks’s well being care or protecting their seats. And so a couple of Republicans — John McCain, maximum famously — both out of conviction or out of political calculation, voted with the Democrats, and that’s why we nonetheless have the Inexpensive Care Act nowadays.
We have now the power, as a result of Republicans have this sort of skinny margin, to dam a few of Trump’s maximum excessive concepts. Now, a few of Trump’s maximum excessive concepts might get handed thru Republican votes, just like the billionaire tax breaks he handed ultimate time. But when Democrats mobilize no longer simply elected officers, however mobilize all the nation in opposition to those varieties of horrible concepts, it could actually value Republicans greatly in public sentiment. I believe that if we do this proper, we will take again the Area, no longer simply by small margins, however via large ones.
I’d see that as a large win if we’re in a position to turn folks within the nation that the Democratic Birthday party has been reformed to be the operating folks’s celebration once more. Outgoing [Progressive Caucus] chair Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and I simply a few days in the past put out a suite of standards that we would like for the following [Democratic National Committee] chair, and it integrated rejecting cash from a few of these large particular pursuits which might be jacking up the cost of medication and jacking up the cost of meals and housing. We want to get started decoupling the Democratic Birthday party from a few of the ones large company particular pursuits. If we do this smartly, shall we see a large alternate in public sentiment within the first few months of subsequent yr, and optimistically we will block a few of Trump’s loopy concepts.
As a member of the Austin Town Council, you advocated for some truly impactful regulation to assist curb state degree insurance policies concentrated on undocumented immigrants. How do you want to look Democrats care for the incoming management’s immigration crackdown? Particularly given how the Harris marketing campaign and a few Democrats shifted proper at the border.
Trump advised an excessively transparent tale to folks. Housing prices are up. Trump lied and mentioned you’ll blame immigrants and the Democratic Birthday party for it. He mentioned meals prices are up: Blame immigrants. He obviously recognized an issue after which created a villain, even supposing it wasn’t true. Democrats want so that you could obviously say that we’ve got answers to folks’s financial demanding situations and inform individuals who is in reality screwing them over. We should be keen to mention that it’s Giant Ag and their company abuses which might be jacking up costs. If we aren’t keen to mention that, then it creates a gap for opportunists and fraudsters like Trump to move blame anyone who’s no longer tough, and that’s the oldest trick within the autocratic and fascist playbook. Democrats should be keen to name out the true villain, which we hardly ever do as a countrywide celebration.
In Texas, even those that are extra conservative than I’m on immigration imagine that we must have a humane and orderly and prison immigration device they would like. They need to see the device paintings. Democrats must lead with a imaginative and prescient for a operating [immigration] device, as a result of if all we finally end up doing is simply complaining in regards to the device and appearing Republican-light, then the argument is simply between the true Republican argument and the Vitamin Coke model of the Republican argument. And numerous instances individuals are simply going to select the true factor at that time.
We must be speaking about prison migration and giving folks the risk to in reality follow and legally come right here. Republicans say always: ‘Neatly, pass get in line.’ Neatly, there truly isn’t one, for the reason that device is so damaged, and I believe that the American individuals are good and will probably be keen to listen to us out if we provide a imaginative and prescient for a device this is prison and that works. We again ourselves right into a nook if we simply finally end up being apologetic with no need an actual, certain imaginative and prescient for protecting folks below the Trump management. I believe that we want to be engaged in that each and every bit that we will, as a result of Trump — particularly with folks like Tom Homan on the best — goes to be coming after a whole lot of blameless folks.
What do you suppose it’s going to take for a mainstream Democratic baby-kisser to be aggressive in Texas at a state degree?
We finally end up getting this massive surge of cash within the ultimate two months of a marketing campaign, however that infusion of consideration in greenbacks coming in on the ultimate minute can handiest make a tiny distinction. There must be consideration on Texas yr spherical, for the entire cycle. … We need to encourage folks which might be disaffected via politics, and have interaction with them yr spherical as an alternative of simply appearing them a TV advert on the finish of the election.
We’ve were given to have applicants which might be for operating folks and are keen to kick particular pursuits within the shins — the ones company fossil gasoline CEOs who’re the folks that left us with huge blackouts in wintry weather whilst they raked in gajillions of greenbacks. We are aware of it’s the large funders of Greg Abbott which might be using such things as abortion bans. The abortion ban is terrible, and it’s costing girls their lives in Texas, and it’s paid for via those enthusiasts that simply make gobs of cash whilst treating their employees extraordinarily. We’ve were given to be keen to inform that tale.
Talking of company bigwigs who rake in a ton of cash whilst abusing their employees. Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy had been granted unparalleled affect as unelected civilians inside this incoming management thru DOGE. Some contributors of the Innovative Caucus, together with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), have indicated a restricted willingness to paintings with them on some problems. For your view, is that this the right kind solution to be taking with any individual like Musk? Or is it unfavorable to legitimize a undertaking like DOGE thru participation from the caucus?
I’m satisfied that Congressman Khanna is attempting to tug Musk again from the darkish aspect — anyone’s were given to move do God’s paintings over there. However for me, I believe that we must be calling out this billionaire fraudster for making an attempt to remove your mother’s Social Safety test and lower Medicare in order that he will pay much less in taxes when he’s already the richest dude ever at the face of the earth. … Maximum people must be available in the market calling it for what it’s.
I believe that Musk is certain to fail whilst he tries to cosplay as co-president with Trump. They’re gonna get unwell of one another. They’re incoherent, they’re incompetent. There’s this unlucky concept amongst some that simply because you might be value a gazillion greenbacks that you already know one thing that on a regular basis folks don’t. I don’t have top hopes for Musk’s experiment right here. I believe he’s going to most commonly have silly or horrible or hurtful concepts. If he occurs to have some first rate ones jumbled in there, in fact we’ll be for anything else that’s in reality useful to folks. I simply don’t have top hopes that he’s going to be for anything else that’s any just right.
I respect that Senator Sanders issues out that there’s misuse of greenbacks inside the Pentagon that we must be spending on folks. I’m afraid that Elon goes to seek out greenbacks inside the Pentagon that he desires spent on himself.
You serve at the Area Oversight Committee. Trump and his allies have each neglected subpoenas and tried to make use of the subpoena energy as a type of political retribution. What do Democrats want to be pushing for because the minority with a view to make sure that this important committee is in a position to in reality execute its mandate?
This ultimate Congress the Republicans concept they might use the oversight committee to question Joe Biden’s son so as to take a look at to question Joe Biden. They concept they have been going to achieve success. Democrats have been in a position to tie Republicans’ shoelaces in combination.
I believe that will probably be our technique right here once more, as Republicans attempt to flip their subpoena energy into taking political retribution in opposition to folks. I believe that we will once more divulge that. Within the overwhelming majority of those circumstances, Republicans are simply making stuff up and are consideration hogs, and simply need energy for energy’s sake. The excellent news — and the dangerous information — is that Republican leaders aren’t superb at what they do. So we will optimistically divulge them for that and feature them shuttle over themselves within the procedure.
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