The Last Republican Documentary: Our Review
We just watched “The Last Republican,” Steve Pink’s new documentary about Adam Kinzinger - the Illinois Congressman who broke ranks with his party after the January 6th hearings, and let’s just say, it sparked a conversation. Actually, several. We’re Nicole (liberal) and Jolene (conservative), friends for nearly 40 years and living proof that you can tackle politics, religion, and money without ending up in a shouting match. Here’s our take on the film, the politics, and the very human messiness at the heart of it all.
First Impressions: More Than Just Politics
Neither of us went into this as Kinzinger superfans. Nicole barely knew much about him before the hearings, while Jolene had her own set of assumptions. Some positive, some skeptical. What the film did brilliantly was peel back the layers: you see Kinzinger not just as a politician, but as a guy wrestling with loyalty, conscience, and the cost of speaking out when your tribe turns on you. For Nicole, it was an unexpectedly moving window into the personal toll of political courage. For Jolene, it raised tough questions about what motivates a politician to break ranks, and whether it’s about principle, ambition, or a bit of both.
Media, Motives, and the Mess of Modern Politics
One of the biggest eye-openers? Just how divided the media landscape really is. The documentary lays bare how major stories, like the January 6th hearings, simply didn’t make it onto certain networks, shaping two completely different versions of reality. Nicole was floored by how much this information gap fuels misunderstanding and distrust. Jolene, meanwhile, couldn’t help noticing the slant in how the hearings were presented, especially from a Republican perspective. The whole thing left us both asking: how can we even begin to find common ground when we’re not even starting from the same set of facts?
The film also forced us to wrestle with the idea of ulterior motives in politics. Is speaking out always about doing the right thing, or is it sometimes about self-promotion? And does it matter, if it leads to real change? The documentary doesn’t offer easy answers, and neither do we, but it made us both more aware of the tangled web of ambition, principle, and public image that drives so much of what happens in Washington.
What really stuck with us was the way the documentary painted Kinzinger as a whole person, not just a headline. Childhood stories, early ambitions, moments of doubt and hope - these details reminded us that every politician is a human being with a backstory, not just a soundbite or a voting record. It’s easy to forget that when you’re caught up in the outrage cycle.
Despite our different political leanings, we came away agreeing on something important: accountability matters, and so does honest conversation about our history. No matter how uncomfortable it is. If we want a better future, we have to be willing to look back, learn, and talk it out, even when it’s messy.
Why You Should Watch (and Talk About) This Film
“The Last Republican” isn’t just a documentary about one man or one party, it’s a mirror held up to the state of American politics and an invitation to have the kinds of conversations most people avoid. We hope you’ll watch it, and then talk about it with people who agree with you, and especially with those who don’t. That’s where real understanding starts.
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
The Last Republican Buy Or Rent:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksFrcUdEa9A
Good For the Soul:
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/vhsdates/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/top.music.songs/?hl=en
Other sources mentioned:
https://youtu.be/qydEt3wbPXQ?si=IxpLVIpLT7GByzOc
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[00:00:00] nicole: She's a conservative and I'm liberal, and yet we've been friends for almost 40 years. Everyone says you shouldn't discuss politics, religion, or money. And we say, that's exactly what friends should be talking about. Join us as we tackle the conversations you're having in your head, but are too scared to say out loud.
[00:00:20] Hello, Jolene.
[00:00:21] Jolene: Hello Nicole and welcome to, we've got to Talk.
[00:00:25] nicole: Yes. How are you doing?
[00:00:28] Jolene: I am great. Thank you.
[00:00:29] nicole: Good, good.
[00:00:31] Jolene: you all tuning into, we've got to talk another weekly podcast talking about all the important things that we've got to talk about. And please do us a favor, like it, subscribe to it, comment, share it, do all of the things.
[00:00:47] nicole: Yes. Follow share with your friends.
[00:00:51] Jolene: shout
[00:00:51] nicole: a
[00:00:51] Jolene: from the rooftops.
[00:00:53] nicole: shout it. Yes.
[00:00:56] Jolene: It
[00:00:56] nicole: Um,
[00:00:56] Jolene: and it helps get our message out. And,
[00:00:58] nicole: yep,
[00:00:59] Jolene: you [00:01:00] would like to sponsor, we've got to talk, then we'd like to talk to you.
[00:01:05] nicole: that's right. And you would just go to our website, we've got to talk.com. Go to the contact page, say, Hey, I wanna sponsor you guys, and we will get right back to you and we will make it happen. today we are doing something a little bit differently, but it kind of reminds me of our, um, when we did the read the David Brooks article, how America Got Mean This Time We are Jolene and I watched the documentary The Last Republican.
[00:01:38] It's a film by Steve Pink and you can get it on Amazon, you can get it on Apple. I actually ended up buying it. You can rent it, I think for $4 or buy it for $8 and I did it on Amazon. What did you do, Jolene?
[00:01:56] Jolene: I rented it from Amazon Prime.
[00:01:59] nicole: On Amazon. So you're on [00:02:00] Amazon. Okay, great.
[00:02:00] Jolene: Yeah.
[00:02:01] nicole: we will put that in the show notes so that you can have a chance to, uh, take a look at this film and listen to our podcast again after, uh, listening, after watching the film too.
[00:02:15] But I think that this conversation, I'm very anxious about it, Jolene, because there's so much that went into why this film was made and why he's no longer a representative of this country. and I found the film incredibly enlightening. in a way that there, I learned a ton.
[00:02:37] Jolene: Mm-hmm.
[00:02:38] nicole: I'm curious, what was your experience watching the film?
[00:02:42] Jolene: so I used to be a fan of Adam Kinzinger is the, uh, the Illinois Congressman that, that this film is based on. it's a documentary really about his experience. And, I used to be a fan of Adam Kinzinger just because he [00:03:00] was, he, he was a really noteworthy Republican in terms of just being charismatic and kind of shoots from the hip and isn't, you know, polished and, and poised, kind of, you know, tells it, likes it, like it is kind of guy. but then I kind of got to the point where I just felt like Adam Kinzinger loves Adam Kinzinger I just
[00:03:24] nicole: Was that be, was that before this?
[00:03:27] Jolene: be,
[00:03:27] nicole: Because this was the, the, the documentary for everyone to, to give context. Sorry to interrupt you, Jolene, but the co the, the documentary is truly based on his last. 14 months, may 18 months of his, of his, uh, term, and it was based around the January 6th experience and the hearings.
[00:03:49] It wasn't his, 'cause he was in office for 12 years. So when did you feel like he started to become to
[00:03:58] Jolene: I mean, it was [00:04:00] probably, uh, during Trump's first, first term. you would see him in interviews, like he was a person that they would go to for comments on different issues. And he had a really compelling story because he was, military, I mean, he has a military background and he's from Illinois, you know, a, a predominantly Republican state, if you take out Chicago. he was a guy that you went to high school with, you know, that type of, of, you know, charisma. but I just, I'm always leery of someone who is, um, is self-promoting.
[00:04:38] that was really kind of the feeling that I got from when I would watch him. now that, I
[00:04:44] nicole: but I mean.
[00:04:45] Jolene: I mean, how Donald Trump is that way. I mean, you know, there's a lot of people who are that way. So I, I'm, I'm not saying that I didn't like him because he was, um, that was his personality. But I'm always cautious [00:05:00] of people. What's their ulterior motive? you know, it's like Marjorie Taylor Greene right now.
[00:05:04] Is she, is she doing all of these things to self promote is she really looking out for the best interest of the country? And I think, you know, I think we both think that she's got an, again, you know, an ulterior motive. I would kind of put her in the same category as Adam Kininger.
[00:05:24] I mean, they
[00:05:24] nicole: Well do you,
[00:05:25] Jolene: of crazy things to, to get in the limelight because people in politics who have the limelight, get the money get the special interests to, to back them because that's their mo.
[00:05:37] nicole: did your experience of Adam Kininger change watching the movie?
[00:05:41] Because I didn't have an ex, I didn't have an experience of Adam Kininger. I did not know him until January 6th. I did not know him. like I was very familiar with what was going on in the documentary because I watched all the hearings.
[00:05:57] Jolene: Mm-hmm.
[00:05:58] nicole: And one of the [00:06:00] things that was so shocking to me and so clarifying, is in, one of our very first podcasts, you and I, where I knew every detail about the January 6th day and about this hearings, I heard, I watched every single hearing. And one thing that struck me in the documentary was what, how they said that Fox didn't air it.
[00:06:24] Jolene: I
[00:06:25] nicole: And I was so shocked. And then I was like, oh my God, this makes so much sense now because if I am seeing all of this information and I'm watching all of this storytelling and and I'm having the experience like, well, all the country is still, is also seeing everything that I'm seeing and how can they not?
[00:06:49] Of course we're all on the same page. Of course, this was a horrific day. Of course. And then find out, oh my gosh, Fox didn't air it. And not only did Fox not air [00:07:00] it, they would like skew the narrative and be like, uh, January 6th, it's about inflation and it's just, it was so that was mind boggling to me that that was what was going on in this country because I'm very aware of that, that bait and switch mentality now that we've done this podcast. But I really didn't know at all what really goes on. So I had only seen Adam Kinzinger as this person from the AP appearance that he thought he was doing the right thing and the painful thing.
[00:07:36] Jolene: Hmm.
[00:07:37] nicole: and so watching the documentary, of this journey, I really felt for him. I don't have the experience of him being a self-promoter before. And I also think it was very ballsy for him to go with this documentarian, who is, he called him communist, but he's a progressive.
[00:07:56] Jolene: Yeah.
[00:07:57] nicole: that was also interesting that [00:08:00] that's who he went with.
[00:08:01] 'cause I think it reminded of us.
[00:08:03] Jolene: I think my, my first thought is, why did Stephen Pink to do story on Adam Kinzinger? Here's Stephen Pink, who is a self-proclaimed, liberal, uh, progressive. and they joke about that, you know, at the very beginning and, and actually at the end too. why would he want to do a, a documentary on Adam Kininger? Other than the fact that he, that Adam Kininger is going against, um, is bucking the system is going against the Republican party and is gonna get kicked out for it.
[00:08:42] Obviously that's always a red flag. To me that if, if the opposite side is propping this person up, what is, what's in it for them?
[00:08:53] you know, I love a good conspiracy
[00:08:55] nicole: uh, yes you do.
[00:08:56] Jolene: I always have to think about the next, [00:09:00] the next step or
[00:09:01] nicole: Yeah, but it's interesting, Jolene, because considering what we're doing here now, I actually trusted it more because it was this person, this filmmaker, that was very curious about this person bucking the system. And they played with each other a little bit. And I have to say that as a liberal, I was like, dude, lay off of him.
[00:09:25] I felt strangely protective of Adam King Inger because it was very clear that like, the liberal here was, got a little rubbed the wrong way when he would say, well, you're still a Republican. And like, and he, and you could hear in his tone that he sort of meant it, I don't know what he feels, but, but he would make these little snide comments and I'm like, Ugh, you're not helping this.
[00:09:47] But I also thought, well, this is interesting. And I also appreciated that there were times that Kinzinger pushed back with him. It was like, listen, I know you liberals think that we're all just Democrats waiting to, to [00:10:00] happen, you know? it's an interesting story as a filmmaker, as an artist that there's conflict in it.
[00:10:07] And so that seems like a really interesting thing to, Make a film about, and then not knowing about what it was gonna turn into is pretty astounding what it turned into. was anything in the movie surprising to you? Were you, I mean, I was honestly surprised the whole way.
[00:10:25] Jolene: Why were you surprised if you had watched the, the hearings? What surprised you? Yeah.
[00:10:31] nicole: number one, uh, like I said before was the, I had no idea that Fox didn't air it. And that Fox was so actively, trying to, uh, push the story away, dismiss the story, like change the narrative, and, and this is something that really bothered me. This didn't surprise me, and I wonder what you felt about it.
[00:10:57] So during the first hearing of [00:11:00] January 6th, the police officers, uh, give their testimony and it's, and they see a lot of video and it's very upsetting, and Adam Kinzinger is very emotional trying to speak to them and. Then you see Eclipse on Newsmax and Tucker Carlson on Fox. And they are, and I'm gonna say it Linda, they're so fucking mean.
[00:11:25] And it made me really upset. I just was like, this is the problem. We don't treat each other with respect at all. And this is not news. This is just mean. It's mean, and it creates a mean culture. And, and we can just like, be bad to each other and be rude to each other. And like, and this, this creates great ratings.
[00:11:46] And I just, it made me sick to my stomach. I thought it was more, that part wasn't surprising. It was more, it was more like getting hit with a sledgehammer, doing this podcast going, this is why we're here. All of [00:12:00] these years of, of media culture and meanness is why we're here.
[00:12:04] Jolene: Yes, I would agree. But I will say that, um, as a Republican,
[00:12:15] nicole: We don't cry.
[00:12:16] Jolene: we, there's no, no, there's no crying in politics. No, I, I think that we've all condemned what happened and, and as you, um, as, as you listen to Cassidy Hus Hutchinson talk about, you know, her experience and what she could hear Trump saying and, and all that, like, we've all condemned what happened.
[00:12:38] I don't think there's anyone who at this point says, you know, oh, January 6th was nothing. I mean, it was truly a riot that then went wrong. And um, and there were people, there were bad actors who were really wanting to harm people. I think we've all agreed with that and it should have [00:13:00] stopped. And it was a stupid, it was a stupid event.
[00:13:02] It was a stupid day and Trump should have done something before it got outta hand. Full
[00:13:07] nicole: Full stop.
[00:13:08] Jolene: of story period. However, I think the Republicans would like. And again, this, this seems like there are so many Republicans who go, why are we, why are we even still talking about this?
[00:13:21] Like we all said it was stupid and bad. I mean, can we move on now? I think there are a lot of Republicans that felt like the January 6th committee hearings were very biased. You had Liz Cheney and, um, Adam Kininger, who were the Republicans in the group Who Nancy Pelosi, you know, put on this committee? sure
[00:13:44] nicole: I'm sure they.
[00:13:44] Jolene: Adam said he was not happy to be on the committee. I feel like he was. I mean, I don't know how that process works. So I'm not gonna, you know, say that he was, that he had a choice or whatever. I don't know about that. But what I'm saying is I feel like [00:14:00] it that the Democrats are continuing to, publicize this event as such a horrible, um, mark on our country and a reflection of Trump and all of the, all of the, you know, things that we have heard. like Republicans are going, wait a second. there, there were some things that could have been done differently on both sides. Nancy Pelosi was at fault for, um, they said it, it was, this is gonna be a big gathering. She was the one who was in charge of security as a speaker of the house.
[00:14:37] You're in charge of, of security at the, at the capitol. Why didn't she call in the National Guard? I mean, I
[00:14:44] nicole: Hold on. You've said this, you said this before, and, but, but here's the thing, Jolene, I mean, it's kind of, it's almost like
[00:14:52] we, we have brushed aside that, that President Trump created a lie and, and, [00:15:00] convinced thousands of people to come to the Capitol to say that the election was stolen. And everyone knows the election wasn't stolen. And every single senator and congressperson knows that the election wasn't stolen.
[00:15:13] And yet, and it's, and it's also in the film and everybody knows it's bullshit. And then Kevin McCarthy, which I found totally wild, is that he's the one that leads the charge to continue the lie. And then. Goes down to Mar-a-Lago and Trump is back like doing his finagling, and all of a sudden you go from McCarthy and McConnell saying Trump, was the reason that they charged the capital to, oh, there's nothing to see here within a matter of 10 days.
[00:15:54] I mean, the bottom line, Jolene, is millions of people voted for Trump again. They don't care. [00:16:00] Like, so I could debate this with you but they don't care. I care because I don't think it's okay that we. Destruct or destroy, uh, federal property. I don't think it's okay. Right. And we agree on that. I don't think it's okay that, um, all of these, uh, politicians' lives were threatened.
[00:16:28] I think like in the, in the film, uh, when you hear the playback of the death threats that he was getting and the 24 hour security, I'm like, hold on a second, what's going on here? Like, we can, and we can debate Nancy Pelosi and, and Trump and all the things, but the bottom line is more Americans said, I don't care.
[00:16:56] I want Trump again. and Trump went in, [00:17:00] in like day one or two and pardoned all the people that destroyed the property of the Capitol. And that hurt people. And there's nothing we can do about it. That's, that's really it.
[00:17:14] Jolene: Can I tell you, and I, I think I've shared this with you
[00:17:18] nicole: yeah.
[00:17:19] Jolene: but can I tell you my experience with the 2020 election,
[00:17:24] nicole: Sure.
[00:17:25] Jolene: we're living in New Orleans and I have to go to the post office.
[00:17:29] This was, I mean, I, I dunno what the date is. So let's just call it, December, maybe January. And, um,
[00:17:38] nicole: Of 2020 or 20? 21.
[00:17:40] Jolene: Of
[00:17:41] nicole: 21. January of 21.
[00:17:43] Jolene: Correct,
[00:17:44] nicole: Okay.
[00:17:45] Jolene: yeah. So I pull up to the post office and there's a, there's a gentleman sitting outside of the doors of the post office. I'm getting my
[00:17:55] nicole: Getting my package
[00:17:56] Jolene: I'm getting out. And as I go in, as I [00:18:00] start to go in here comes an elderly lady. I mean, not elderly, but, um, probably sixties. Um, and
[00:18:09] nicole: that's not elderly.
[00:18:09] Jolene: I know, I know. Sorry. I, she was very slow walking, so she looks disabled in some manner. Um, or injured or something. So she makes her way up the this ramp, and I'm coming in after them then with my packages, I'm standing in line behind them.
[00:18:29] Then there's four or five people in front of us when, and they're not talking to each other. And, when they get up to the counter, they walk up together, but the guy takes a step back and the lady says, I need to change my address. And the postal worker is a female. And she said, okay, where are you changing your address from?
[00:18:53] And she said, Atlanta. And the postal worker said, or have you moved from there? And she goes, [00:19:00] well, I used to live here, but I moved there and now I'm moving back And the postal worker kind of, you know, like kind of rolls her eyes a little bit, gets a change of a dress card, gives it to her and says, okay, you're gonna have to fill this out. And the lady fills it out, she hands it back to her and the postal worker says, is this a permanent change? And she said Yes. she goes, okay, thank you. the two of them walk out together. walk
[00:19:28] nicole: I.
[00:19:29] Jolene: and I think, what a weird interaction that was. so I asked the postal lady, I go, do you get a lot of those?
[00:19:36] And she goes From New Orleans to Georgia every day. I'll get 10 more today. I'll get 10 more tomorrow. I had 10 the day before. And I went, wow, that's odd. That was the only experience that I've had that in my mind I'm going, was there some sort of concerted effort people who lived [00:20:00] in Louisiana. To change their address to Georgia and then to come back after the, after the election and change it back to New Orleans. And the thought occurred to me as I saw this, this, you know, almost disgusted by the postal worker. Wait a second. is this some sort of concerted effort? So I'm not saying it's election fraud, but I'm saying something was very off with that whole exchange. And as the lady, so then I, I care of my packages and as I went back out, the guy is standing on the top of the steps waiting. I get back in my car, I let, I don't see the lady anymore. And I'm like, he just sitting? I mean this tell me that's not suspicious.
[00:20:49] nicole: I am speechless. I don't know how to respond to this.
[00:20:56] Jolene: So when people talked about, you know, that there was, there was [00:21:00] election rigging and, you know, all of, all of the stories that people had. I mean, I don't know what to think.
[00:21:06] nicole: Interesting.
[00:21:07] Jolene: say it was a stolen election, were there stories like that that people knew but they couldn't prove or that they were aware of or, I mean, I just, I feel like yeah, that they, there sure could have been. Now again, I'm not saying that what happened on January 6th have, there was any justification for it, but to try to convince people who have had experiences like I did that there wasn't some type of, of funny business going on. Nah, I think there probably was, So your point of, you know, this was not a rigged election and everybody just needs to be okay with it. Ah, maybe, I mean,
[00:21:54] nicole: that's what Kininger said, and I as to why he said [00:22:00] it wasn't stolen. Let's move on and win the next election, which is what we've done, at least in our lifetime. It's how, um, politicians acted,
[00:22:13] Jolene: We're right.
[00:22:14] nicole: right?
[00:22:15] Jolene: would assume we, you should assume that everything is on board and on the up and up, and there's no. It there that there's not cheating going on. But who's to say there wasn't cheating going on in the last election where Trump won? You
[00:22:31] nicole: Yeah.
[00:22:31] Jolene: say, you know what? We are not gonna, we will not let the Democrats beat us in this game. can play this game. So who's to say that he didn't cheat or he
[00:22:42] nicole: You know,
[00:22:43] Jolene: factions that
[00:22:44] nicole: I mean, maybe it's, maybe this kind of stuff has been going on since the beginning of time. I don't know. I, I really liked the movie. I liked how human he was and how honest he was. I liked when they showed like his [00:23:00] childhood, he was such a dork.
[00:23:01] Oh my God. Just like that he would play political office in his bedroom. And he was a civil, right? It was a civil war and Reenactor, I'm like, you are such a dork. But he is like, but he, like, it was his thing, he was your people. He loved Bush and all the things, and he'd wipe the, wipe the, um, signs off when they, when it rained.
[00:23:26] And you know, and I'm also quite aware, you know, I know about film and I know that you're telling a story and I know that you're feeding a narrative. but it just, the film also made me very sad, that this person who at least as a kid started off as this like, hopeful, you know, like you said, the boy in high school, like once September 11th happened, he wanted to fly and he was a
[00:23:56] Jolene: Mm-hmm.
[00:23:57] nicole: pilot guy and,
[00:23:59] And like [00:24:00] I know that I, my beliefs if he and I sat down and said, Hey, do you believe this? And I know we'd probably be opposite on almost everything. Um, but I really appreciated number one, I appreciated his courage.
[00:24:13] Jolene: Mm-hmm.
[00:24:14] nicole: And again, he wasn't sure that he would call it courage. But I, I like that in a person and I recognize it.
[00:24:21] I, I feel very similarly in different situations. I find myself, like, I will say something, it might not be popular or, or welcomed, but I can't help it. Like if I feel like something is wrong, I like, here, here we are in this podcast, and it's like, I felt like this is, we needed to do this podcast because I was like, I can't take it anymore.
[00:24:46] I admired that quality in him, that he felt like that he didn't have a choice, that he had to do what his feeling, what he thought was right. I totally [00:25:00] get your possibly aversion or whatever to, He being, um, you didn't use these words, but like, about him, like braggy or self-promoting and it seems that, I mean, I think all politicians are, they have to be,
[00:25:16] Jolene: Yeah.
[00:25:17] nicole: and as it said in the movie, like, which I didn't occur to me, but it's sort of a duh where the more that politician is in the limelight, the more they can get stuff done.
[00:25:29] And I I it, yeah.
[00:25:31] Jolene: you find it interesting that at one point said, I feel like we could start a new party like we are the new Republican party. And
[00:25:43] nicole: That moment, those, yes. That moment was really interesting. It was ripe. It was, yes.
[00:25:50] Jolene: that he
[00:25:50] nicole: Hmm.
[00:25:51] Jolene: be You know, the rainmaker, like he was going to be the one to change the, you know, from, you know, Trump [00:26:00] is, is a, a bad guy and I will be the new Republican party and I'm going to get, because he kind of had a plan.
[00:26:08] He said, we gotta get these super pacs that will give their money to us. And we,
[00:26:13] nicole: Well, he was talking about the 10 people, the 10 Republicans that voted to impeach Trump
[00:26:20] Jolene: Yep.
[00:26:20] nicole: and that and what, but what was interesting, Jolene, I didn't necessarily uh, take it in as like, I, it was more like, why didn't we? But everyone went silent. And I also thought, well, why didn't you do something?
[00:26:33] Jolene: Right,
[00:26:34] nicole: Could you do, or were you, I don't know. It's, you could, everything is like, well, if I, I look back, I would've done this, this, and that. But I thought that was really an interesting point too. Jolene.
[00:26:46] Jolene: And so it made me think that, again, we don't get to see the, you know, everything in its entirety of, of this documentary, but it made me think that, that he to kind of [00:27:00] coalesce this group of, of people that were, um, antit Trumpers and say, okay, we can get this done. Because he had a, he had a plan of which corporations that he was going to go to to get the Super Pac money and to, to get this off the ground.
[00:27:14] nicole: there are 10 people that, 10 Republicans that voted to, uh, impeach Trump. And they talked about right after the January 6th that all the corporations for a year said, we are not giving money to people that, uh, wouldn't certify the election. And it worked for a year.
[00:27:34] And then they, I guess they said Forget it. And they do whatever they do. 'cause you always say, it's all about money and power. If I haven't learned anything on this podcast, is my friend Jolene tells me it's all money and power. But that these 10, it's fascinating, you know, human behavior that these 10 people, these 10 Republicans said.
[00:27:56] I wanna, I, I believe this man should be impeached [00:28:00] and that, like you were saying, that Adam was saying we could have created a new Republican party about, as he put it, like a pro-democracy Republican party.
[00:28:10] Jolene: Mm-hmm.
[00:28:11] nicole: and that everyone went silent. And I'm thinking, and it, and I didn't have a chance to look it up.
[00:28:18] I'm curious, Jolene, and maybe we could take a moment, but who's still in office? I'm guessing of those 10,
[00:28:28] Jolene: Yeah.
[00:28:28] nicole: right?
[00:28:29] Jolene: According to recent reporting, only two of the 10 remain in the house today. Dan Newhouse, a Republican from Washington and David g Vedo, Valdi, EO Republican from California.
[00:28:44] nicole: Bella.
[00:28:46] Jolene: the other eight.
[00:28:48] nicole: So Liz Cheney was out, Anthony Gonzalez out, Jamie Herrera Butler, [00:29:00] John Kako, Adam Kinzinger, Peter Meyer, Tom Rice, and Fred Upton out. So you're saying Dan Newhouse and David Val
[00:29:14] Jolene: Mm-hmm.
[00:29:15] nicole: are the only ones still in power.
[00:29:17] Jolene: Yep.
[00:29:18] nicole: That's intense. Jolene, because it just made me think, and I don't know how you, if, if it hit you the same way, but when he was sort of fantasizing of what could have been or what might have been. And he was saying, and everyone went silent, like you said about the, the, the, your post office experience. Like for me, I felt like who was behind that?
[00:29:44] Were they bullied into silence?
[00:29:45] Jolene: Mm-hmm.
[00:29:46] nicole: ' cause it feels like, right, like it's the same, like there's so much behind the scenes that you and I have, have no concept of and let alone, and any of us in the, in the American [00:30:00] public. but there was a chilling feeling of like, well, where'd they go?
[00:30:04] Jolene: Mm-hmm.
[00:30:05] nicole: And I also, I have to say that when Adam Kinzinger, just when I, when he was in office and I was watching the news or whatever, when he didn't run again, I was like, as Nicole just not knowing anything.
[00:30:23] I was like. I thought, what a coward, not knowing that he had been gerrymandered, like that was new information from the film that they had gerrymandered his district and that there was gonna be some MAGA guy in there. And he's like, I can't, I can't win. But I also think, and maybe it's just too much money or energy or something, and he probably felt quite defeated at that point, but I thought, why not run?
[00:30:52] Why not try?
[00:30:53] Jolene: Mm-hmm. I don't know that, that's
[00:30:55] nicole: I don't know.
[00:30:56] Jolene: is he going to reemerge at some point? You
[00:30:58] nicole: Yeah. [00:31:00] Yeah.
[00:31:01] Jolene: enough of his background to know what he's doing now. And, um, you know, what, what's
[00:31:06] nicole: follow him on the Instagram. Actually.
[00:31:10] he's, he is. Uh, I guess trying not to, as, as he said, his second chapter was, uh, trying to fight the CI cynicism. Uh, he seems to be, you know, having a lot of opinions, trying to, you know, I don't know. I, I don't know what he is doing other than
[00:31:32] Jolene: Taylor Green are going to start a new Republican party.
[00:31:36] nicole: I can't imagine they are going to have a baby.
[00:31:42] Jolene: Oh God,
[00:31:43] nicole: No. I mean, Marjorie Taylor Green claims that she is not going to run again, and
[00:31:51] Jolene: maybe, who knows?
[00:31:54] nicole: who knows? Who knows? Who knows.
[00:31:58] Jolene: So I would say it was a [00:32:00] good film. Uh, I think the, the thing as, uh, for, for me as a Republican though, I think once Trump got reelected, one of the first things that they did was, yeah, let's have the Republicans said, let's have a Jan. Yeah, let's have a January 6th committee now, but let's, let's, you know, let's stack it with Republicans instead of Democrats except for two. you know, I, I, I mean, what
[00:32:26] nicole: what happened?
[00:32:27] Jolene: were they, I don't think they've ever done anything with
[00:32:29] nicole: Yeah.
[00:32:30] Jolene: think they've ever done anything. I don't know.
[00:32:32] nicole: Yeah.
[00:32:34] Jolene: because, because I think so many Republicans are like, ah, let it go.
[00:32:40] nicole: But,
[00:32:40] Jolene: we want to continue to, to talk about this?
[00:32:43] nicole: but this is the thing that is confusing to me. Jolene Republicans, traditional Republicans believe in the system. we can't learn, this is my feeling. We can't learn from our mistakes and [00:33:00] without going and examining it and figuring out how this, to have this not happen again. And so this is what I struggle with, whether it's this discussion, it's mostly the January 6th thing, I guess.
[00:33:11] Like, you know what, I don't get this. Like we're all Americans full stop. And you might disagree with things that I like, things that I don't agree with or whatever, but we're, we are all part of this American experiment. And when I don't trust when people are like, ah, let's not talk about it anymore.
[00:33:36] You don't wanna talk about it because it's uncomfortable.
[00:33:39] not you, but it's like, we've gotta figure out how this, how this happened, how we move forward, how we don't let this happen again. I don't think so, because a lot of people are like, it doesn't matter. And I mean, again, we have a president that is now pardoned everyone.[00:34:00]
[00:34:00] So that's even like, I don't even know what,
[00:34:04] Jolene: but but haven't we said it was a horrible thing. Trump should have done something. He didn't do
[00:34:11] nicole: I don't think so Joe. I think,
[00:34:13] Jolene: was
[00:34:13] nicole: I think you, I think you do. I think you do. But I don't know if all people feel that way.
[00:34:20] Jolene: I, I would say a majority of Republicans think that it was a, a horrific event that
[00:34:26] nicole: I think, you know, I, it, it, yeah. I, I'm only gonna speak for myself. I just really want people to be held accountable and, and unfortunately when he pardons people, I mean, he's, the guy's pardoning everybody. And not just, you're like, wow, I guess people can get away with stuff.
[00:34:50] And that really, I find that really disheartening, because I feel like laws are put into place to, [00:35:00] to keep us in check, to keep this experiment working.
[00:35:06] Jolene: But if, uh, if people were prosecuted, unfairly,
[00:35:12] nicole: That I'm not saying that Jolene, like I know that there was, I don't believe that everyone that went into that building, I would say like if you were in the back and you got, I like, we talked about this a little bit before,
[00:35:27] Jolene: yeah.
[00:35:28] nicole: if you were, um, if you hurt people, I don't think you should be pardoned.
[00:35:34] Jolene: Yeah.
[00:35:34] nicole: can also understand that, especially learning about the Fox non-coverage and, and whatever, that they also have created a narrative of like, oh my god, enough already. And then we're getting, uh, the liberals are getting the narrative of no one's, no one's being held accounted for.
[00:35:58] And so there, [00:36:00] that is like a bumping up against just in itself.
[00:36:03] Jolene: But
[00:36:04] nicole: Do you know what I mean?
[00:36:05] Jolene: yes. However, I think most Republicans think that the whole January 6th hearings were, were biased from the very beginning. It were, it was only Democrats and two Republicans that didn't like Trump. And so how were they, how were they going to cover a hearing that was completely one-sided?
[00:36:24] I mean, they weren't really looking for other than what they wanted to see. I think that was predominantly the Republican feeling. If you are going to have, an unbiased, a
[00:36:38] nicole: But the, but the government was, so,
[00:36:40] Jolene: that was able to look at this event through, you know, with both of them together looking at the same information, then that's one thing. But this was, that's not what this was.
[00:36:51] nicole: You think that was even possible? It seemed like it was so deeply po polarized at that point. Because that's the thing, Jolene, like, I feel [00:37:00] right, that I, I, I would've loved it. I think you would've loved it. Like, okay, let's do this, let's get in the room. But it felt like, 'cause Trump is not a typical Republican either.
[00:37:12] Like it, he's created a situation where you're in a line with him or you're not.
[00:37:17] Jolene: Yep.
[00:37:18] nicole: if you're not, you get kicked out of the party. And so I am, I'm curious how the next three years are gonna go because he's seeming to do and say some things that maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm crazy, but I'm kind of hoping that some of those Republicans are like, yeah, I can't, I, no, no.
[00:37:46] I mean, listen, Marrie Taylor Green stuff spoke up and I'm not quite sure how that went. And I'm very, I'm just curious about her too,
[00:37:56] Jolene: I think that it's going to be, it's [00:38:00] gonna be a rocky road for the
[00:38:02] nicole: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
[00:38:04] Jolene: I also think. Man, he's, you've heard me say this before. He's getting stuff done.
[00:38:11] nicole: God, girl,
[00:38:12] Jolene: I look at, at like this whole, and this, I know this is a whole nother topic. We could look at the, the Venezuelan boat bombings. Drug trafficking is down 90%. 90%.
[00:38:28] nicole: proving that they're drug dealers
[00:38:30] Jolene: Uh,
[00:38:30] nicole: and I, and listen,
[00:38:32] Jolene: sure they're
[00:38:33] nicole: no, no, they're not.
[00:38:34] Jolene: drugs,
[00:38:36] nicole: But there's no due process and they're not an American soil.
[00:38:39] Jolene: But if the, if it's a narco terrorist, I mean, we
[00:38:43] nicole: They're just making the decision that they're nar not narco terrorists.
[00:38:47] Jolene: Well, I
[00:38:48] nicole: is a whole other episode.
[00:38:49] Jolene: I, it is, you're right. But I, I mean, I mean, who's against killing drug dealers.
[00:38:57] nicole: Me without due [00:39:00] process,
[00:39:00] Jolene: Oh,
[00:39:02] nicole: I don't wanna be in a country where you just kill people.
[00:39:04] Jolene: Are you
[00:39:05] nicole: I,
[00:39:05] Jolene: killing terrorists?
[00:39:08] nicole: if they, I, they need to be proved that they've proven in a court of law that they have, that they're a terrorist.
[00:39:15] Jolene: is that the way that we've always conducted wars?
[00:39:18] nicole: We're not at war with Venezuela. If we were in war, declare the war. That's different.
[00:39:24] Jolene: I think he's declared, he has
[00:39:26] nicole: he is not declare.
[00:39:27] Jolene: narco terrorists,
[00:39:29] nicole: Yeah, but he is not declared war
[00:39:31] Jolene: But
[00:39:32] nicole: and con Congress needs to declare war.
[00:39:34] Jolene: but they have deemed these, drug lords and, and these, the drug boats as. As terrorists. I know. Uh, it's, it is something we've got to talk about.
[00:39:48] nicole: Yes. But we're going on a ho a holiday hiatus. So that's why we're not talking about
[00:39:53] Jolene: We're
[00:39:54] nicole: the drug killers. The drug boats. The drug boats. The drug [00:40:00] boats.
[00:40:00] any other thoughts about, about the last Republican.
[00:40:03] Jolene: we all have to be exposed to this stuff to be able to either to defend our side or to be able to learn something about the other side. So, um, there's nothing wrong with watching this movie, whichever perspective you come from.
[00:40:17] nicole: Yeah, I mean, listen, I, I, I felt for the guy and he's not a, he's not in my party.
[00:40:24] Jolene: Mm-hmm.
[00:40:24] nicole: So there's that,
[00:40:25] Jolene: That's because you're kind, he's in my party. I didn't
[00:40:31] nicole: and you're like, and you're like, there you go. There you go. You had a lot more experience with him, though. A lot more exposure than I did. I looked at him much more as just this human being, which makes it very different.
[00:40:45] Jolene: Because you are nicer than me too.
[00:40:46] nicole: well.
[00:40:47] Jolene: why.
[00:40:47] nicole: Listen. Listen. No. Okay. I think maybe we should go to a good for the soul.
[00:40:58] Jolene: Oh, I've got
[00:40:59] nicole: Are you?
[00:40:59] [00:41:00] Ooh, good. Do it, girl.
[00:41:02]
[00:41:06] Jolene: it's called VHS dates. Have you seen it? a collection
[00:41:11] nicole: it?
[00:41:11] Jolene: found from an old dating service.
[00:41:14] nicole: Shut up.
[00:41:16] Jolene: They are so funny.
[00:41:18] nicole: Oh my gosh. Yes.
[00:41:22] Jolene: Oh my gosh.
[00:41:24] nicole: So it just makes you laugh.
[00:41:26] Jolene: yep.
[00:41:27] nicole: Okay.
[00:41:28] Jolene: just flipping through here, you get to
[00:41:30] nicole: Oh, that's some good stuff.
[00:41:32] Jolene: oh, it's, it's real good. So somebody got a hold of these and said, we should post these
[00:41:40] they have 771,000 followers.
[00:41:43] It's good. You will not be disappointed.
[00:41:47] nicole: Oh my God, I can't wait the hair on these people.
[00:41:49] Jolene: yeah.
[00:41:51] nicole: I hope that they gave permission. Can you imagine if you're like,
[00:41:56] Jolene: to look at it
[00:41:57] nicole: that was me. That was [00:42:00] me. Right.
[00:42:01] Jolene: we should go. Flip through there. Make sure there's nobody we know.
[00:42:04] nicole: Well, it's looks like from the hair that they're from the eighties,
[00:42:08] Jolene: Yeah.
[00:42:09] nicole: they'd be like our parents' age now.
[00:42:11] Jolene: Oh,
[00:42:12] nicole: Maybe. Maybe your mom's on it,
[00:42:14] Jolene: bit
[00:42:14] nicole: Sally.
[00:42:18] Jolene: Wait. No. She was
[00:42:19] nicole: No. Yeah. So was my dad. Not always.
[00:42:24] Jolene: Bob,
[00:42:25] nicole: Bob, were you on the VHS dates? Oh my gosh. Too funny.
[00:42:31] Jolene: for the soul?
[00:42:32] nicole: Okay. I have two.
[00:42:34] Jolene: Oh,
[00:42:35] nicole: is just really sweet and lovely and will make you feel good. And it's called TOP dot music, dot songs
[00:42:51] picking the thousand greatest songs of all time. Not in order.
[00:42:56] Jolene: Oh wow. [00:43:00] Okay,
[00:43:00] nicole: And they did like a cover of Tears for Fears. It was the Tears for Fierce guy with his daughter.
[00:43:06] Jolene: Oh
[00:43:07] nicole: It just, it was great. It was really great. Uh, the second good for the soul is www.bridgegrades.org. We'll put it in the show notes. It's a report card for Congress, like rotten tomatoes for politicians. It's this guy Brad Portus, and I actually was checking our Facebook page last night and, um. Saw this Fox affiliate interview and it was about this guy, Brad, he was being interviewed about his website, bridge grades.org.
[00:43:45] And it was really interesting to me. I was like, oh, I love this kind of thing and I know that Jolene will too, 'cause she loves like, who's trading what, like figuring out what they're all doing and, and, and keeping tabs on them. And so I, I wrote him on LinkedIn and [00:44:00] boom, he writes me right back and he actually we're gonna try to figure out a way to get him on the podcast next year, which is really exciting.
[00:44:07] And so he can tell you all about this, um. This organization, he has keeping tabs on whether your congress person or your senator is an A, A B, a C, or an F. And it has to do with courage and collaboration. Are people dividers or are they bridgers? Which is really interesting. And there's a whole algorithm that they, they figure all this data.
[00:44:36] He's a big old tech guy. I understand none of it, but it'll be really great to have him on next year to, um, introduce his project to them and,
[00:44:46] Jolene: You can take it from there.
[00:44:48] nicole: Yes.
[00:44:49] Jolene: me your, would you rather.
[00:44:52] nicole: Okay.
[00:44:52]
[00:44:57] nicole: Would you rather go [00:45:00] back to kindergarten with
[00:45:01] everything you know now or know now everything your future self will ever learn?
[00:45:13] Jolene: Oh, oh, that's a hard one
[00:45:24] nicole: Did that make sense to you?
[00:45:25] Jolene: yeah, I mean, but I wouldn't be mature enough as a kindergartner to know everything. I would be completely nerd. And so then, I mean like what do you do with all that knowledge as a 5-year-old or everything there is to know right now? And so I don't ever learn anything new.
[00:45:50] nicole: I know, but what could you do? You could do a lot with that knowledge. What if you knew things? It's a hard one.
[00:45:59] Jolene: [00:46:00] Yeah,
[00:46:00] nicole: It's a hard one.
[00:46:01] Jolene: It was a hard one to like figure that out in my head.
[00:46:05] nicole: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
[00:46:06] Jolene: Okay. I guess I'm gonna, I'm gonna have to know everything there is to know right now, but I hope that I can get to learn more.
[00:46:15] nicole: Well, maybe if you knew everything that your future self would know it could help you infor, like inform your choices. Or maybe you could heal the world in a way because you know things.
[00:46:30] Jolene: And you'd never make a mistake.
[00:46:34] nicole: Well, I didn't say that, but you could throw that in the mix.
[00:46:37] Jolene: Well, I don't think you would if you knew everything. Oh, I don't know. God,
[00:46:41] nicole: I don't know.
[00:46:43] Jolene: That's really hard.
[00:46:44] nicole: You'd know now everything, your future life, your future self would learn. I know. I didn't think of it that way, Jo Jolene, that Oh, you wouldn't be learning anything else. 'cause learning is so much fun.
[00:46:58] Jolene: And you'd be so [00:47:00] cocky. you'd be like that. I know. And somebody would tell you something and you'd go,
[00:47:05] nicole: You are like, no, I know.
[00:47:07] Jolene: No,
[00:47:07] nicole: my 90, my 90 year year old self knew that, and so I know it. Now.
[00:47:12] Jolene: Yeah.
[00:47:13] nicole: I'm 40 years ahead of time.
[00:47:15] Jolene: Yeah.
[00:47:15] nicole: Do you notice that I just knocked off six years of your life?
[00:47:19] Jolene: oh, thank you.
[00:47:20] nicole: You're welcome.
[00:47:22] Jolene: No, you'd be so arrogant. Ew. Nobody would wanna be around me.
[00:47:27] nicole: But then if you're five and you know that's gonna be hard too.
[00:47:30] Jolene: I would never have a friend.
[00:47:33] nicole: I'll be your friend.
[00:47:35] Jolene: Oh,
[00:47:35] nicole: Come on.
[00:47:36] Jolene: Okay.
[00:47:36] nicole: I know.
[00:47:38] Jolene: Um, okay. Here's yours. Mine is
[00:47:40] nicole: Okay. Okay.
[00:47:43] Jolene: Would you rather have a gift a gift certificate?
[00:47:48] nicole: Oh yeah.
[00:47:52] Jolene: The control freak that you are.
[00:47:54] nicole: I know, I know, I know, I know. But I ha I'm gonna shout out my friend Rachel, [00:48:00] because she, uh, recently for my birthday, gave me a gift certificate to this woman, Tara Glow with Tara in Salt Lake City. I'm shouting it out.
[00:48:17] Jolene: Hmm.
[00:48:18] nicole: Such an amazing facial. It was the most amazing gift, and it was a gift certificate.
[00:48:24] And I'd never met this person. Talk about not control, like, control issues.
[00:48:28] Jolene: Mm-hmm.
[00:48:29] nicole: like, I'm go, okay, I'm gonna trust. And I have to say, it was an amazing gift in that respect. Shout out Rachel. Shout out. Tara loved it, loved the gift in that respect, it was very thoughtful. Uh, because I knew that she loved this woman and she wanted to share her with me, and now I love this woman.
[00:48:54] So there you go.
[00:48:55] Jolene: that's a, that's a gift certificate though for
[00:48:58] nicole: It was a gift certificate.
[00:48:59] Jolene: [00:49:00] gift
[00:49:00] nicole: It was a gift certificate.
[00:49:02] Jolene: yeah,
[00:49:03] nicole: a, it said gift certificate.
[00:49:05] Jolene: I, I'm sure it
[00:49:07] nicole: I'm, I'm clock, I'm clicking. It was a gift certificate. I can show it to you. Um,
[00:49:13] Jolene: but it was still a gift.
[00:49:15] nicole: I understand what you're saying. A gift certificate. So what does that mean? Explain your, would you rather to me please?
[00:49:22] Jolene: Like
[00:49:23] nicole: I rather have, like
[00:49:24] Jolene: an
[00:49:25] nicole: here,
[00:49:25] Jolene: like somebody gives you a
[00:49:27] nicole: he
[00:49:27] Jolene: they give
[00:49:28] nicole: here, here is, and it's thoughtful.
[00:49:31] I might not like it, but it's thoughtful.
[00:49:33] Jolene: or it might be
[00:49:34] nicole: Or like the, the, or like the card that, the Amazon gift card that you have at Barnes and Noble,
[00:49:40] Jolene: Yeah.
[00:49:41] nicole: I don't have the gift. I, I, even if I don't care, I don't, but we've talked about this when we talked about this on our, on our Christmas special. I don't care about gifts.
[00:49:54] I really don't. I like people. I like being with you. That's [00:50:00] the gift for me.
[00:50:00] Jolene: oh, that
[00:50:01] nicole: I know that's corny, but it's true.
[00:50:04] Jolene: no. That is
[00:50:05] nicole: It's the best. I, I, I, I have stuff. I don't need more stuff. I like my friends. I like more time.
[00:50:13] Jolene: Oh, that's good. Maybe that should be my next. Would you rather
[00:50:17] nicole: Do you want time or a gift certificate?
[00:50:20] Jolene: facial?
[00:50:21] nicole: Facial
[00:50:22] Jolene: Hmm.
[00:50:24] nicole: Always time.
[00:50:25] Jolene: wow.
[00:50:26] nicole: time. Facials. Close. Second. I love a good facial. Anyway, here was the thank you friend and thank you for, uh, listening. If you've listened this far. Thank you. Uh, we really appreciate you. Please like, subscribe and follow wherever I get your podcast.
[00:50:46] And if you're interested in being a sponsor or if you know a business that is interested, uh, please share our information with them. 'cause we would love to, uh, speak with them.
[00:50:56] Jolene: And we love your comments. Let us
[00:50:58] nicole: Yes,
[00:50:59] Jolene: you think [00:51:00] of this episode. If you've watched the last Republican with Adam
[00:51:02] nicole: yes.
[00:51:03] Jolene: what your thoughts were, we would love to hear them.
[00:51:05] nicole: We would love to hear it and listen, it is now 2026 everybody. So give us your shout outs for things you want us to talk about. You can go to our website, you can comment on the YouTube page, you can comment on Facebook, you can comment on my personal LinkedIn. You can comment on our Instagram, all the things.
[00:51:24] Shout out some topics. We are so open and ready to listen to you guys. We had some great topics last year that were reader and list, uh, listener and viewer, uh, inspired and we're super grateful for you.
[00:51:37] Jolene: Yeah.
[00:51:38] nicole: Yeah, amen.
[00:51:40] Jolene: you.
[00:51:40] nicole: All right, peace out baby.
[00:51:42] Jolene: Bye-bye.
[00:51:43] nicole: Bye-bye.
[00:51:44]
