Are Democrats Finally Fighting Back?!?! Ft. Derek Tran

13/08/2025 57 min Episodio 23

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Episode Synopsis

Damian Galvan and Rep. Gil Cisneros (D-CA 31) sit down with Rep. Derek Tran (CA-47) for a discussion on gerrymandering, the fight to protect democracy, the latest political bombshells surrounding Donald Trump, Texas Republicans, and the dangerous distractions coming out of the Trump White House to avoid releasing the Epstein files.Rep. Tran shares his journey from the son of Vietnamese refugees to serving in one of the most competitive districts in America, a seat he won by JUST 653 votes. We discuss why Democrats must “fight fire with fire” to counter GOP power grabs, how California’s one-time redistricting plan could protect seats from Republican takeover, and why independent commissions are essential for fair elections.Chapters:00:00 – Introduction00:34 – Freshman in Congress: Derek Tran & Gil Cisneros02:27 – Mid-Decade Redistricting in Texas03:29 – California’s Redistricting to Counter Texas06:00 – What is Gerrymandering?07:41 – The Case for National Independent Commissions10:14 – California’s “Fight Fire with Fire” Strategy11:51 – Why Democrats Can’t Keep “Taking the High Road”13:24 – Texas Democrats Break Quorum to Block Redistricting16:06 – Applauding the Texas Democrats for Fighting Back17:15 – GOP Hypocrisy on Quorum Rules and Ghislaine Maxwell’s Prison Transfer19:17 – What the Epstein Files Could Reveal24:10 – Michael Wolf’s Interview with Epstein About Trump26:35 – Trump Will Do Anything It Takes To Win29:07 – House Oversight Committee Calls Subpoenas For 10 Closed-door Depositions30:34 – The Public Deserves To See The Epstein Files32:51 – Trump’s Broken Promises on IVF & More36:10 – Gaslighting and Manipulation from Trump37:20 – White House Waste: The $200M Ballroom39:16 – The Real Issues Americans Are Facing40:37 – Inside CA-47: A Diverse, Purple, High-Stakes District42:10 – Winning by Just 653 Votes in a $46M Race44:52 – Why Derek Tran Ran for Congress46:00 – Growing Up as the Son of Vietnamese Refugees48:30 – Military Service and Rep. Tran’s Love of Public Service52:20 – The Grind of Serving in Congress54:30 – Final ThoughtsThank you for tuning into the ‘Who Dem?’ Podcast! We bring on Democratic leaders, candidates, personalities, and more with a goal of truly getting to know the person beyond politics. Hosted by Damian Galvan and Rep. Gil Cisneros (D-CA 31).New episodes weekly! Subscribe now and never miss a conversation.Connect with us on socials:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whodempod/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@whodempod📩 For business inquiries: [email protected]