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This week on At Our Table, I sat down with Representative Ro Khanna of California for a conversation that reminded me why I got into politics in the first place. Rep. Khanna doesn’t just talk the talk. He shows up with principle, conviction, and clarity about what’s at stake. We covered everything from Charlie Kirk to Gaza, and while we don’t agree on everything, I respect his willingness to speak plainly about what this moment demands from all of us.
One of the themes we kept coming back to was how easy it is to tear things down—and how much harder it is to offer a vision worth building. As Rep. Khanna put it:
“The ultimate betrayal of the American promise is to allow [Donald Trump] to set a vision of a divided nation that is spiraling downwards. The defeat of Trumpism is a defeat of cynicism. It is a dispute of despair… and is to offer some affirmative vision that we can get behind.”
This isn’t just a question of policy. It’s a test of moral leadership. And Rep. Khanna made it clear that if we want to be credible at home, we have to be consistent abroad:
“If our sense is that the answer to Trump, the antidote to Trump is statesmanship, is morality, is non-transactional politics, is principle and conviction, then you can’t just say that about how we treat each other here at home. You have to say it also about how America acts in the world.”
There’s a reason I wanted Rep. Khanna at the table. He’s not afraid to challenge his own party. But he also refuses to give in to nihilism. That balance—that blend of boldness and responsibility—is exactly what we need right now. Especially with the Republican Party falling deeper into sycophancy.
“Now, if you’re a Republican, you’re basically a lieutenant for Trump. And if you are not a lieutenant for Trump, you won’t have your job… Donald Trump is far, far stronger today in his grip over the Republican Party than his first term. It’s just night and day.”
That’s not a party. That’s a cult of personality. And if we’re going to offer the country an alternative, we can’t just be against something. We have to be for something. Rep. Khanna talked about the power of that kind of politics. Of leadership that centers the American people, not personal ego or online clout.
“We’ve got to start speaking from a place of conviction… I represent more billionaires than anyone on the planet, and I’m for taxing these folks more. I’m for a wealth tax. How is this a hard vote for 434 other members of Congress?”
That kind of clarity is what it’s going to take to meet this moment. Especially when the other side is peddling division, distraction, and despair.
And look if you’ve been feeling cynical, you’re not alone. But I left this conversation with something I didn’t expect:
Hope.
“The hope for our generation is not just a hope for America, of becoming the first cohesive multiracial democracy in the world… but also that an America that really represents traditions and histories from around the world can be a moral and just leader in the world.”
That’s the fight. That’s the promise. And that’s why I keep doing this work because I still believe in that vision. I still believe in the people who make up this party, and I still believe we can get there if we listen more, fight smarter, and lead with moral clarity.
Rep. Khanna said something at the end of our conversation that I’ve been thinking about ever since:
“Anyone who wants to prove they can heal the divide between the blue and the red in America is going to first have to prove they can heal the divide within the blue in America.”
Let that sink in.
We’ve got a lot of work ahead. But we’ve also got the people, the principles, and the power to do something extraordinary—if we choose to.
Let’s choose hope. Let’s choose courage. And let’s keep showing up.
— Jaime
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