Welcome back to THE BRODCAST.

Episode three brings the show’s first guest, and it was recorded on a day when the news would not wait.

Hours before Michael Brodkorb and Billy Grant sat down with State Rep. Max Rymer (R-North Branch), the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota announced charges against an 18-year-old accused of planning a mass shooting at the Mall of America. The arrest followed a week of gang-related gunfire in Edina, Eden Prairie, and Bloomington, including a shooting outside the Eden Prairie homecoming game.

That sets up the question now hanging over every Minnesota race:

Does public safety change the dynamics less than a month before the election?

Rymer, a first-term legislator from Chisago County who ran Scott Jensen’s 2022 campaign for governor, describes what the 67-67 House looked like from the inside. He explains how the DFL’s position on fraud shifted from denial to “it happens everywhere” to “we always cared,” why his bill on local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement hit a wall, and why he thinks Minnesota may be heading toward a “blue state revolt.”

After the interview, Michael and Billy walk through the criminal complaint, the FBI’s 21-month investigation, and the parents who rebuffed agents’ warnings while their son was still a minor. They debate how candidates should confront Somali gang violence without painting an entire community, why Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty’s December video has become a political liability, and why Michael gave Amy Klobuchar’s campaign an A+ for how fast it responded.

But they don’t fully agree. Michael, a self-described “homeless Republican” who has never voted for Donald Trump and plans to split his ticket, makes the case for divided government. Billy says Republican candidates should talk only about public safety for the final four weeks.

IN THIS EPISODE

00:00 Opening

00:27 Welcome to THE BRODCAST

00:56 Our first guest: Rep. Max Rymer

01:55 The Mall of America plot and what it means 27 days out

04:20 What Republican candidates are missing

07:10 Has Minnesota’s compassion made us soft?

11:19 Fraud: from denial to “we always cared”

14:50 Taxes, HF 16, and hitting a brick wall in a tied House

21:11 A “blue state revolt” in Minnesota?

26:13 Billy: run the ads

29:35 Debrief on our first interview

31:27 Homeless Republican vs. Mr. MAGA on divided government

32:44 Inside the Mall of America criminal complaint

42:56 The FBI’s warning to parents

45:56 A week of shootings in Edina, Eden Prairie, and Bloomington

47:22 Mary Moriarty’s video and “a masterclass in gaslighting”

49:18 How Trump broke brains on the left

56:09 Klobuchar’s fast response

57:04 How Billy would run this race

59:11 What we’re watching

Michael Brodkorb and Billy Grant host THE BRODCAST.

Politics. Power. What’s next?

Subscribe to THE BRODCAST wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show for new episodes, clips, and conversations.

Welcome to THE BRODCAST.

In the first episode, Michael Brodkorb and Billy Grant introduce the show, explain why two people who don’t always agree politically sat down together, and make the case for something increasingly rare in politics: honest disagreement without personal confrontation.

Then they get to the big question:

Is Minnesota immune from the national political environment?

Michael and Billy examine the forces shaping the upcoming election, from voter enthusiasm and turnout operations to fundraising, campaign spending, messaging, affordability, fraud, and how national politics influences Minnesota races.

They also discuss how campaigns identify vulnerabilities, respond to misinformation, and “inoculate” candidates before attacks take hold, and why the fundamentals of campaigning still matter even in an increasingly nationalized political environment.

It’s the first conversation in what THE BRODCAST is designed to become: candid discussions about politics, campaigns, power, and the people and decisions shaping what happens next.

IN THIS EPISODE

00:00 — Welcome to THE BRODCAST01:19 — Who are Michael and Billy?06:55 — Why do a podcast with someone you disagree with?09:24 — Respectful disagreement in modern politics12:50 — The stakes of the upcoming election14:37 — National political trends vs. Minnesota17:09 — Reading election trends19:57 — Campaign messaging and the issues that matter23:55 — Is Minnesota immune from the national environment?29:55 — Turnout operations and campaign infrastructure35:29 — Fraud, misinformation, and campaign strategy43:20 — Media narratives, fundraising, and campaign spending48:32 — What’s next for THE BRODCAST

Michael Brodkorb and Billy Grant host THE BRODCAST.

Politics. Power. What’s next?

Subscribe to THE BRODCAST wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show for new episodes, clips, and conversations.