Trump's Florida Nightmare Just Got Worse... (with Pia Dandiya)
16m 14s
Donald Trump’s political standing in Florida is in freefall, marked by a historic decline in approval among both white and Hispanic voters. Hispanic voters, once a key base for Trump, now overwhelmingly favor Democrats, with a 25-point shift in Florida's South, reflecting deep dissatisfaction with his cost-of-living promises. A Wall Street Journal poll reveals Trump’s approval is the worst in modern presidential history, with 61% disapproving and 60% blaming his economic policies for worsening the economy. This erosion is mirrored in recent special elections, where Trump-endorsed candidates have lost—ranging from Miami’s mayoral race to Mar-a-Lago and Florida House District 87—demonstrating a nationwide rejection of MAGA ideology. In Florida’s 22nd congressional district, Democrat Pia Dandia, a locally rooted educator and mother, is leading over her MAGA opponent, Casey Asker, by 46% to 44%, signaling voter demand for authentic, empathetic leadership. Voters in Florida are waking up to the reality that Trump’s promises—such as lower gas prices and affordable housing—have failed, and they are now seeking common sense, accountability, and real solutions. The political momentum in Florida is shifting decisively toward Democrats, with voters prioritizing honesty, community ties, and tangible improvements over political theater. This growing public resistance underscores a broader national reckoning with political accountability and economic hardship.
Donald Trump's nightmare in Florida is getting even worse. Take a look at the latest YouGov
Economist polling. Donald Trump is net negative 17. But zoom in on Hispanic voters right now,
where Donald Trump's approval is only 8% on the issue of cost of living. Let me repeat that.
Trump's overall approval among Hispanic voters, a group he relied heavily on in 2024,
on the issue of cost of living is 8%. And this is significantly impacting Donald Trump's
catastrophic prospects and the MAGA Republicans' catastrophic prospects in the midterms.
Because you take a look right here at Florida, the massive shift of Hispanic voters who were
Republican voters in Florida, also particularly South Florida, who now consider themselves
Democrats or who will be voting Democrats. We're talking about shifts of 25 points,
25% of Hispanic voters. And this is a significant impact on the cost of living.
And this is a significant impact on
21 points, 13, 11, 25, 11, 12. And you're seeing a lot of these districts that had
massive, massive Latino Republicans are basically either even or they're voting Democratic right now.
And Donald Trump's overall approval amongst Hispanics at an all time low. Democrats lead
amongst Hispanics by about 35%, 64 to 29. And that number is getting higher as well. You know,
you think about Florida. What else did Donald Trump announce in the past 24 hours that he would
be inviting Vladimir Putin to Florida to the G20 at Donald Trump's Doral Golf Club and resort over
there? Nothing says the quid pro quo grift while the American people suffer and pay record gas and
diesel prices like Donald Trump inviting Putin to Doral while the American people suffer. I mean,
you think about Florida. You don't really get much more of a Trump bootlicker extremist than Byron Donald's. Byron changed his
website and purged his campaign website for governor of all references to Donald Trump.
All photos, all references, they are gone. And when Byron Donald was asked why he did this,
he was like, well, you know, I just think it needed a refresh.
I just think I need a little bit of an update. I wanted to spruce it up a little bit. And so
that's why I had to do it. Meanwhile, Donald Trump is about to have a negative job approval
among white people in Florida, which has literally never happened in the history
of polling Trump ever. And he's about to be negative amongst white Floridian voters. Also
should be noted this Wall Street Journal poll that was just released late on Friday shows that Donald
Trump's overall approval is the worst in Wall Street Journal, modern presidential polling
history. Their polls date back to 1990 and Trump's is absolutely the worst with a 61% disapproval,
only a 37% approval. And when you ask questions like, how would you rate the strength of the
economy? Only 33% view it positively. Have President Trump's economic policies made the economy better
or worse? 60% say worse, only 25% of Americans say better. And that's a big deal because remember
what Donald Trump promised the people of Florida and the rest of the country? He said on day one,
cost of electricity would go down in half. On day one, he would ensure that gas prices
remained at $2 a gallon. He would make sure that interest rates declined. He says,
if interest rates increase, it means you're stupid and it means
that your country's not hot. Well, interest rates continue to rise. And it was Donald Trump's pick
of the new Fed chair who raised the interest rates in a unanimous vote with the Fed board.
Donald Trump said no more never-ending wars. He said he would end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours.
He said housing would be affordable. He said that we would be so rich, you wouldn't know
what to do with it. He said that America would be healthy again as well. And he'd come up with
health care plans. He lied about everything. Every word uttered by the President of the United States
and the utterance and sound of this guy is an absolute liar. You look right here at the Wall
Street Journal poll, presidential approval before the midterms. Donald Trump quite literally is the
lowest in history, lower than George W. Bush, lower than anyone. How low can you go? Pretty
damn low for Donald Trump. Also, I want to remind people of the races where Democrats won. We saw
in the special elections, in some of the elections that have taken place recently,
the Trump-endorsed candidates have lost. Remember the Miami mayoral runoff back on December 9th of
2025, where the Democrat Eileen Higgins defeated the Trump-endorsed Republican Emilio Gonzalez,
the first Democratic mayor of Miami in nearly 30 years. The Boca Raton mayoral election,
Democrat Andy Thompson defeated Republican Mike Liebelson by five votes, the first Democratic
mayor in decades.
There, Florida House District, 87, a special election there, March 24th, 2020. We come with
the receipts here on the Midas Touch Network. Democrat Emily, right, we're just giving you
data. Just give the people the data. Democrat Emily Gregory defeated the Trump-endorsed
Republican John Maples. This district included Mar-a-Lago, Florida Senate District 14 special
election. Democrat Brian Nathan narrowly defeated Republican
Josie Tomko by 400 votes. Previously, that was a Republican held seat. And zoom in right now
on Florida's 22nd congressional district, because to me, this tells a very big story over here.
You have the Democratic candidate. She's an educator. She founded a high school in Harlem.
She's from Jupiter, Florida. That's where she grew up. Her name is Pia Dandia, and she's beating the
MAGA extremist right now in the latest polling, 46% to 44. The MAGA extremist she's running against
is a guy named Casey Asker right there, and Pia's leading 46% to 44%. And here's the thing about
Florida's 22nd. It's one of those gerrymandered districts in Florida. It was previously a Democratic
district or a lean Democratic. And then in the massive gerrymandering, this was the one that was
Frankensteinian engineered to almost guarantee the Republican would win. And so in this district
that DeSantis and MAGA worked hard to make this a Republican district, in a generic poll,
it's tied. But people really like Pia Dandia. And so she's up 46% to 44%. And she's running a guy
named Casey Asker, who's a MAGA extremist through and through. You know what? Why don't I,
bring in Pia Dandia. Can I bring in Pia Dandia? All right, let's bring in my interview with Pia.
Let's bring it in. Now I want to bring in Pia Dandia. Pia, great to see you running for that
congressional seat in Florida's 22nd. It's one of these newly heavily gerrymandered seats over there
in Florida, which the MAGA Republicans tried to turn the 22nd into a right-leaning district.
You're running against someone by the name of Casey Asker.
It's the MAGA Republican candidate. I'm sure our viewers remember when you were on the show,
I think back in January during the primary. But here we are, home stretch, staring down these
midterms, which are just weeks away to a lot of our viewers. They're saying, finally, it's here.
But, you know, things are very tough right now, obviously. You know, you think about
all of the problems that we were discussing back then. That was before the catastrophic
war and things were heading in this direction. Then you add on top of it Trump's catastrophic
war in Iran and things are compounding. And it feels that like quite literally every day
because of all the market manipulation that's taken place and all of the lies and the failure
to actually try to address the issues. Now that the Ponzi scheme has been exposed, it's like every
day, it's like percentage of massively worse than the kind of prior day and it's escalating.
So talk to us about this moment in Florida and kind of your race, because these are really,
really tough times. And we're seeing a lot of polling data showing Florida could, you know,
have some big repercussions on the rest of the country. We are feeling the momentum here in
Florida. For better or for worse, our voters are waking up to the reality that they were sold a
promise that did not come to fruition with this administration. Every day when I'm talking to
voters, they tell me about how much they're yearning for the cost of living to become lower.
They want to protect health care and social security and stand up to the corruption in D.C.
This was a district that was gerrymandered, like you said, to try and pull a fast one on voters to
cover up for the Republican Party's deeply unpopular agenda. However, this is also a district
that Biden won in 2020 and Trump won then in 2024. It's an open race with no incumbent on either side.
Polling is on our side, showing that we are at an advantage, which goes to prove that I think this
this party is underestimating our voters, how smart they are and how clear they are on the
promise they were sold on not being delivered. They're ready to think differently. And we are
really excited and hopeful to be the ones to deliver it. I mean, you're running against someone
who has to constantly kind of change, you know, on a given notice, like everything about themselves,
you know, on the one hand, am I a Trump? Am I an ultra MAGA? You know, and then actually,
you know, I'm going to now pretend to be a little bit more moderate for the day. And so,
I mean, you know, you've been relentlessly consistent. I mean, if people want to go back
and watch the January interview we did, it's the same person, you know, because we were talking
about these issues, affordability, cost of living, you know, the fact that, you know, Trump's been,
you know, lied about everything he said about immigration and he's went after to rip families
apart. Florida's feeling, you know, the pain of that also. But your opponent just kind of,
all right, where am I today? What do I do? Donald Trump, golden ballroom. Am I with the golden ballroom?
Am I not with the golden ballroom? Stuff like that. It's just fake and phony.
Well, you know, my opponent has actually clearly chosen a side in his approach, and it is to be a
rubber stamp for Trump. In the primary and since then, he has talked about wanting to rename
highways after Donald Trump. And to this day on his website, he states a policy priority of
wanting to dismantle Obamacare once and for all.
You know, I don't want to use his words, not mine. In a state where almost 500,000 Floridians
have been hit so hard by changes to their health care coverage because of this administration.
So I have to tell you, to my own surprise, and unfortunately, to the detriment of this district,
Casey Asghar is someone who wants it to be very clear that he aligns himself with Donald Trump,
that he is not an independent thinker, and that he will be a rubber stamp for this administration.
And like I said before, voters are much smarter than that.
They know what they're looking for, and he's not even pretending to try and give them a semblance of that.
Talk to us about what you've seen over the past several months since you and I last talked, though.
Because I think we were even starting to see then some big movement of people just saying,
you know what, I just want people who are competent operators, empathy.
We talked about, Pia, your background as an educator.
How you kind of really helped with the school system, what you mean to just the education world.
But we saw that then, and now it seems that there's this massive acceleration of people saying,
don't political message me.
I've been tricked by, not tricked, but I've been, the phoniness of 2024 and all the things I was sold
and how politics was treated as a game.
That's kind of. It backfired in us all.
It's like, this is life or death stuff, and people are struggling in Florida, it seems.
And there's been a lot more of that pain and suffering, I think, you see in Florida right now
as these failed policies exacerbate those problems.
You know, the unofficial tagline of this campaign has become, make common sense great again.
And we carry around these signs at rallies and protests, and it just has this visceral reaction
from folks where they say, their eyes widen and they say, can I have one of those for my yard or for my window?
Because people are yearning for normalcy.
And in Florida, they also, like you said, want candidates who they can relate to,
who they feel like actually want to understand their challenges and deliver on them.
I was a teacher and a high school principal.
I've spent my career serving communities and being a listener first before leading.
And I have to tell you that the biggest compliment I get on the trail is when someone introduces me to someone else
and they say, this is Pia.
She's one of us.
She gets it, and you can tell her the truth.
People are hungry for that kind of honest energy representing us in D.C.
And I don't think that high school principal energy would hurt in the federal government right about now.
But what you're saying about Florida especially could not be more true.
We have had five special elections in the last few months, not to forget Emily Gregory's special state house election,
where she is now representing Mar-a-Lago as a Democrat for the first time in more than 20 years.
The Miami mayor, the Boca mayor for the first time in almost 30 years.
Voters are waking up, and they are saying, we want something different.
And what I think they want is authentic leadership that is actually rooted in their well-being.
That's exactly what I hope that our campaign can deliver on.
And we're really excited by the polling data and the predictions that show the tide is on our side.
But now we've got to get it over the hump, and I'm filled with energy and excitement to do it.
Talk to us before we go.
Final message to our viewers and where can people learn more about you and the campaign
and anything else you want to say to our nearly 7 million subscribers?
Don't sleep on Florida.
Voters here are waking up.
They are hungry for a change, and we are determined to deliver it.
I'm a mom.
I'm an educator.
I'm a Floridian born and raised who wants to make my home state proud.
And I would love for you to get involved in our race.
You can learn more at PIAforCongress.com.
Let's build something bigger than any one of us, and let's go get them.
Pia Dandia, thanks for joining us.
And it's been an incredible thing to kind of watch the journey through the primaries
where you really just stood out and really appealed to voters from all different types of voters.
And to see you here now, weeks away, we're going to be following this race, Pia.
Thank you.
Everybody hit subscribe.
Let's get to 7 million subscribers.
Before you go, our book, WTF America, is available for pre-order now.
It's the story of how we got here and how we fight our way back.
To pre-order, scan the QR code.
Or click the link in the description.
Let's do this.
Podcast Summary
Key Points:
Donald Trump’s approval among Hispanic voters in Florida has plunged to an all-time low of 8%, with Democrats leading by 35% and a significant shift of 25% of previously Republican Hispanic voters now aligning with Democrats.
Florida’s political landscape is shifting dramatically, especially in gerrymandered districts like the 22nd, where Democratic candidate Pia Dandia is leading Trump-endorsed MAGA candidate Casey Asker by 46% to 44%.
Trump’s job approval in Florida has never been negative among white voters, marking a historic political failure and reflecting deep public disillusionment with his economic and policy promises.
A Wall Street Journal poll shows Trump’s approval is the worst in modern U.S. presidential history, with 61% disapproving and only 37% approving, while 60% believe his economic policies have made the economy worse.
Trump’s promises—such as falling gas prices, lower interest rates, and affordable housing—have failed, and rising costs, market instability, and war-related pressures have fueled voter anger.
Recent special elections in Florida, including Miami, Boca Raton, and Mar-a-Lago, have seen Democrats defeat Trump-endorsed Republicans, signaling a broad rejection of MAGA politics.
Pia Dandia, a local educator and Floridian, represents authentic, empathetic leadership that resonates with voters seeking common sense, transparency, and real solutions to rising costs and systemic failures.
Voters are increasingly rejecting political performative rhetoric and demanding leaders who understand their struggles, with a clear desire for change, accountability, and genuine representation.
Summary:
Donald Trump’s political standing in Florida is in freefall, marked by a historic decline in approval among both white and Hispanic voters. Hispanic voters, once a key base for Trump, now overwhelmingly favor Democrats, with a 25-point shift in Florida's South, reflecting deep dissatisfaction with his cost-of-living promises. A Wall Street Journal poll reveals Trump’s approval is the worst in modern presidential history, with 61% disapproving and 60% blaming his economic policies for worsening the economy.
This erosion is mirrored in recent special elections, where Trump-endorsed candidates have lost—ranging from Miami’s mayoral race to Mar-a-Lago and Florida House District 87—demonstrating a nationwide rejection of MAGA ideology. In Florida’s 22nd congressional district, Democrat Pia Dandia, a locally rooted educator and mother, is leading over her MAGA opponent, Casey Asker, by 46% to 44%, signaling voter demand for authentic, empathetic leadership. Voters in Florida are waking up to the reality that Trump’s promises—such as lower gas prices and affordable housing—have failed, and they are now seeking common sense, accountability, and real solutions.
The political momentum in Florida is shifting decisively toward Democrats, with voters prioritizing honesty, community ties, and tangible improvements over political theater. This growing public resistance underscores a broader national reckoning with political accountability and economic hardship.
FAQs
Donald Trump's approval among Hispanic voters in Florida is just 8%, the lowest in history, with Democrats leading by about 35% (64% to 29%).
A significant shift of 25 percentage points has occurred among Hispanic voters in Florida, with many former Republican voters now identifying as Democrats or voting Democratic.
Trump is now negative among white Floridian voters, a historic first in polling, due to economic policies, high gas prices, and perceived failures on key issues like cost of living.
The Wall Street Journal poll shows Trump has the worst approval rate in modern history, with 61% disapproval and only 37% approval, and 60% of Americans believe his economic policies made the economy worse.
Trump promised to halve electricity prices, keep gas at $2 per gallon, and lower interest rates, but interest rates have risen, and his economic promises have not been delivered.
Pia Dandia is a Democrat and educator running in Florida's 22nd congressional district, where she is leading 46% to 44% against MAGA extremist Casey Asker, emphasizing authentic, common-sense leadership.
Chat with AI
Loading...
Pro features
Go deeper with this episode
Unlock creator-grade tools that turn any transcript into show notes and subtitle files.