Steve Cortes, founder of The League of American Workers and leading voice for patriotic populism, dives into the economy, analyzes the Israel-Iran conflict, and shares insights from his latest polling.
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I wanted to spend time with a really smart guy, and I appreciate important voices to this show. Steve Cortez is the founder of the League of American Workers. I want to talk about this populist sort of right pro-laborer advocacy group. But Steve is a guy that you know. He served in the Trump campaign. 16 and 20 campaigns as spokesman, senior advisor for strategy, headed outreach to the Hispanic community. I want to talk a little bit about polling and how, frankly, legal immigrants are responding to Trump’s mass deportation effort. Steve, it’s been a while. Great. Welcome back to The Mike Gallagher Show. Good to see you.
SPEAKER 02 :
Hey, wonderful to be here. And thank you for everything you do for our movement and for our country, Mike.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, we’ve got a lot of people that are working hard. We all feel like we’re trying to row in the same direction. Now, there’s a little bit of a rift, I guess, over Israel and Iran, and I want to pick your brain on that a little bit. But I want to start here at home. I want to start with some polling that you were able to share with us. A lot of polling is so favorable for the Trump administration, and of course the mainstream media never wants to highlight it. This week, as you probably heard, the Harvard-Harris poll came out. For the first time in four years, a majority of Americans believe that today’s economy is strong, 52%. And that’s the Harvard-Harris poll that just came out. I believe that Americans are with President Trump domestically, and I think foreign policy as well. But I’m also… convinced that Americans appreciate and understand and expect the mass deportation that we’re witnessing. And Steve, as I think you’re discovering firsthand, a lot of the support is coming from the Hispanic community.
SPEAKER 02 :
Absolutely. It’s broad based support from almost every demographic group and including from people who don’t voice approval for Donald Trump. So I’ll get to the specific numbers here in a moment. But I do a lot of polling, Mike, at least every month in election season. I poll even more often than that. And the main pollster I use is TIPP Insights. They have a very good track record. Last fall. my polling via this firm really nailed the election we had trump winning the national popular vote by one percent which is exactly what he did and we got six out of the seven swing states correct we did not get pennsylvania we didn’t show trump winning pa and we were wrong about that but we had the other six including the sunbelt states where we uh we believed and were confident that it was going to be a sizable win for donald trump not actually close in nevada arizona georgia and north carolina so i I say that only to point out that I hope there’s some credibility in the numbers I’m about to tell you about. And the numbers on immigration are overwhelmingly positive for Donald Trump. And I think very importantly, regarding the timing of my most recent poll, Mike, we started taking this the Monday after The L.A. riots. So Friday, Saturday, Sunday, L.A. was in flames. Battles against the cops. The Newsom versus Trump battle had already broken out very publicly. We were then polling Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of that week following the weekend mayhem. in Los Angeles. So I think it was a perfect time to take the temperature of the country and say, OK, do these rioters, do these violent malcontents in Los Angeles, do they have some point? Do they have wider support among the American public? And what my polling shows is that if anything, they’ve done nothing but steal the resolve of patriotic Americans all over this country to say we demand mass deportations and that violence is totally unacceptable as a means of protest. So let me give you some of the specific numbers in terms of support for mass deportations in my poll, almost two to one in favor. 60% favor mass deportations, only 32% against. That’s overall. Among seniors in this country, 65% support mass deportations. We also asked, and I’ll get to the Hispanic part here, Mike, we also asked, Whether people who use violence in these protests or people who interfere with deportation operations, should they be criminally prosecuted? Overall, 68-21 in favor. 68% of Americans said yes, prosecute them, arrest them and prosecute them. Only 21% said no. 64% of Hispanics said yes, prosecute these people. So that is a very significant supermajority in a country, Mike, where because I do a lot of polling, I know this as well as anyone in a country where almost any issue breaks down in a roughly 47, 47 world. And then we’re fighting over, you know, roughly that middle 5%. These kinds of numbers in the 60s and upper 60s and even into the 70s in some of these immigration related numbers. These show a massive public consensus. And by the way, the most important poll of all, of course, are not the polls I take, even though I think they’re important, clearly. But the most important poll, if you will, of all is last November’s election. And Donald Trump made this immigration his signature issue. And as his signature pillar foundation, he won all of the swing states. He won the national popular vote for his time in 20 years for a Republican to do so. So clearly the people delivered a strong verdict last November. And if anything, they’re getting more adamant about it now. Just one other quick point, Mike, about this poll. I also ask approve, disapprove of Donald Trump. And just to let you know that I’m not cherry picking some sort of crazy MAGA sampling, okay, in terms of my polling universe, I got 43-50 approve, disapprove of Donald Trump. So upside down by minus 7%. And what that tells you is I’m not getting a crazy pro-MAGA, pro-Trump universe. We’re trying to be very representative and scientific in our polling. But even though Trump is seven points upside down overall on approval in my poll, he is massively disapproving massively with the will of the people when it comes to these core issues of immigrants. And the people include a lot of bad hombres, a lot of Hispanics.
SPEAKER 01 :
You know, even though I don’t love the 43% approval rating, I do kind of appreciate people’s ability, apparently, to separate how they might feel about Trump personally or even as president and some of the policies that are enormously popular. I want to go back to one of the categories that you cited in your polling. You mentioned seniors. You know, I know you saw the faces of many of the people who participated in the idiotic No Kings protests all over the country this past weekend. But, Steve, you know, it’s so… And it’s so astounding to me to look at the demographic of these protesters. They all look like you and me. These are all white boomers. You know, you don’t see you see almost no people of color. You see not a lot of young people, but you see a lot of 60s and 50s and 70s and 80s. You know, even some 80-year-olds who are out there hobbling around saying orange man bad. Have you tried to kind of dive into this phenomenon of why white boomers want to take to the streets on a perfectly normal Saturday afternoon and complain about something that they can’t change?
SPEAKER 02 :
Right. Mike, you make a great point. It was obvious from the videos, right, that it was a right. There was no diversity. It was all old people and all old white people and particularly lean female. And by the way, what you saw there anecdotally is reflected in the polling as well. And again, also in last November’s election results, even more important than polling. But for example, in this poll I just took among seniors, seniors overwhelmingly agree with Trump. on law and order and on immigration but overall they are actually far less favorable on trump than young people are and that’s quite a flip right the republican party did not used to be the party of the young um and it has become that for example looking at last note so that’s in my poll but looking at election results donald trump won 18 year olds in this country Since 18-year-olds were given the right to vote, it’s the first time that that has happened. It’s the first time that any Republican has won 18-year-olds nationally in this country. He won 18-year-old men running away, but he also won 18-year-old women, not as much tighter, but he did win 18-year-old women in this country. He won 18-year-old minorities in this country, which of course is very much a growing group because the youth of this country are way more diverse than older Americans are. That’s really significant. He won Hispanic men overall of any age group. So you’re right that our movement, the America First movement, is much younger and far more diverse than our opponents on the other side. They are increasingly relying on an aging boomer demographic, heavily tilted toward older women who do admittedly vote a lot. However, when you look to the future, that’s just not a group that’s going to be around in 10 to 20 to 30 years. That’s the reality. And so it’s one of the reasons that I’m really long-term optimistic is that we are earning the support of the young. We are capturing particularly young men, capturing their imaginations. Young men, Gen Z, for example, and the polling shows us, not just my opinion, they have rejected the tides. toxic liberal nonsense that has been thrust upon them, the indoctrination that they’ve had to endure in their schools where they’re told that there’s something wrong with them because they’re male, that if there’s something toxic that they should feel ashamed about, if they happen to have white skin that they should feel guilty. They have firmly rejected that, thankfully. And they see in Donald Trump, this nearly 80 year old president, it’s somewhat paradoxical. They see in him their champion and they reject the liberal orthodoxy, thankfully. And it’s a really it’s a real reason. I’m not a believer, Mike, in hopium, you know, hoping just for the sake of it. But I am a believer in valid reasons to be longer term optimistic. And people like you and I, middle aged folks and older on the right. We can we can really take some comfort and confidence in knowing that what the polling numbers tell us, what the election results from last November tell us is that this is a strengthening, young, diverse movement and we can dominate politics for decades in this country.
SPEAKER 01 :
We’re visiting with Steve Cortez. He’s the founder of the League of American Workers, a group I want to get into with you here in just a moment, Steve. I also follow you on X, and I couldn’t help but notice you reposting an article from Axios. Israel urges the United States to join the war with Iran to eliminate nuclear program, and your comment was a succinct and not-so-subtle pass. No thanks, no can do. And look, you know, this is a very interesting debate that our side is having, kind of proof that we don’t always march in lockstep agreement with everything that President Trump is inclined to do. You’ve got people like Tucker Carlson and Marjorie Taylor Greene saying this is a very bad idea. Let them fight their wars. I suspect, Steve, and you’re a numbers guy, Steve, Anecdotally, based on my incoming texts, phone calls, emails, even my sort of MAGA audience disagrees with Tucker, disagrees with MTG, disagrees with the idea that we need to let Israel fend for itself. Can we dive into this a little bit? I saw Marjorie Taylor Greene say, well, look, we don’t want to get involved with this. We’re already involved, Steve. And she kind of suggested, look, if we if we bomb Iran, if we help take out this nuclear facility, well, then they’re going to start, you know, we’ll start being subjected to terrorist attacks. Look, do we really think they’re going to play nice? Do you think they’re going to like us any more if we don’t aid Israel? Aren’t we sort of linked to Israel in terms of our alliance, and it’s sort of inevitable that we help them out? What did you mean by saying pass to that Axios article, Steve?
SPEAKER 02 :
You bet. No, listen, let me explain myself. And I certainly respect my colleagues, my allies on the right. Sounds like you’re one of them who don’t agree with me on this. And there’s a lot of really significant voices who clearly do not agree. Most of all, of course, President Trump right now. But even people out there sort of in the commentary like Kurt Schlichter would be a good example. Somebody who I just have such regard for, longtime Army veteran, super smart lawyer. He and I agree on 95% of things, but he’s doing a little bit of battle with some of the folks on my side. And then people on my side, I would say somebody like Sean Ryan, who has a very successful podcast, millions of people now listen to, served in some of the most intense battles of the recent war on terror. He just posted today, as a matter of fact, he said, not interested in another one of your fake wars. I’ll sit this one out. So there is strong disagreement among people who respect each other and who generally agree on almost all issues. But here’s my point regarding direct U.S. involvement. Look, we are aiding Israel massively. Now, I’m not sure that’s a good idea because most Israelis economically live better than most Americans. I’m not in favor generally of aid at all to wealthy nations, whether it’s France or Germany or Israel. Just I don’t I fundamentally don’t think that is a good idea, even when they are our friends. If they are wealthy, they should be supporting themselves like big boys and girls. I believe that first. But secondly, as far as direct involvement in attacking Iran. uh look i am i am worried about and i think for valid reasons the slippery slope and i see a lot of the same arguments being made that were made over 20 years ago about invading iraq and some of those arguments are being made by the very same people including by the way bb netanyahu uh who was adamant at that time and it was a very long time ago for younger americans they don’t even remember this uh but bb netanyahu was absolutely adamant that there were weapons of mass destruction in iraq and that it was vital for the United States’ own national security interests to go over there and invade and fix that situation. Well, we now know, of course, that was a great lie at enormous cost in American blood and treasure. And the ramifications of that ill-fated adventure in Iraq, we’re still dealing with all over the world, but especially in the Middle East. So I am incredibly skeptical that it makes sense for the U.S. to get directly involved, particularly when Israel is so capable of doing this on its own. I guess in a sense, I’m praising Israel more than perhaps some of the pro-Israel folks on the right. I’m saying Israel can handle its business. Israel can police its neighborhood. Our main problems, in my view, and I know they’ll say we can talk and chew gum at the same time, but we haven’t shown that ability very well as a country. Our priority to me has to be the southern border of the United States, not the eastern border of Ukraine, not the borders of the Middle East. That our southern border marks us right here in the United States needs to be a priority. Now, that doesn’t mean America alone. Obviously, we have global interests. I get that completely. But in terms of is there a global interest in America rather than Israel attacking Iran? I just don’t see it that way. And I’m very, very worried about where this trend can take us. And I get nervous when I hear people whom I agree with on almost every issue. When I hear them start to talk like Bill Kristol did or Dick Cheney did at the beginning of the Iraq war, that causes me great worry.
SPEAKER 01 :
And I don’t like that, and I also… It’s not. Well, and it’s also gotten so personal. I mean, the anger that is associated with criticizing a Steve Cortez or a Tucker Carlson for that view that you hold is kind of mystifying to me because, look, this is complicated. And there’s a lot of smart people who aren’t going to come to the table the same way. Ultimately, this is going to come down to what President Trump decides. And I have a hunch, and I say this respectfully, you might be on the wrong end of this when the president is concerned. I mean, yesterday he called Tucker kooky and said he ought to go out and get his own TV network. So he took a little pot shot at Tucker. And, you know, Tucker and Trump have hung out before. So, look, again. Right. Smart people can disagree. The only thing I would say about this Israel can handle themselves argument and that they’re wealthy and all of that, as somebody who’s been blessed to go to Israel many, many times, I’ve probably been there, I don’t know, 20 times in the last 10, 20 years, I am very aware of this tiny nation surrounded by hostile people. countries that want to decimate the very people who exist in Israel. It is such a unique situation and such a different alliance that we have. We are connected to Israel, I believe, not only… demographically and geographically, but biblically. I mean, I frankly believe that we have a spiritual alliance with Israel that is unlike any alliance we have with any other country in the world. So that would be my respectful pushback to the idea that they can take care of themselves. I think they could, despite their success financially and technologically and all the achievements that Israel has come up with, which I think is fairly miraculous, they can use all the help they can get. I hear you. And let me say this.
SPEAKER 02 :
If you’re correct, and I think you probably are, that Donald Trump is going to get more directly involved if he is commander in chief, makes that decision. And he knows far more than I know about this. He knows far more than, you know, because of his access to the best intel in the world, we hope. Right. I will firmly support him, of course, you know, in that decision. And I would also say this. I did not poll on this question in this most recent poll, but I did poll on Ukraine. And I understand they’re very different situations, but in some ways related in terms of U.S. intervention abroad. And public opinion has completely turned on that situation because I asked specifically in my poll as a preface to the question, I stated the fact that. Not an opinion, but the fact that Donald Trump has brought Ukraine and Russia into talks. And I think that alone is a huge achievement that they’re even talking. And I stated that as a predicate to the question said, now, if the two sides cannot come to a peaceful resolution, should the United States start to disengage from Ukraine? Public opinion has massively changed. They’re kind of similar, actually, to my immigration numbers in terms of in favor of disengagement. 62 to 34. Yes, we should disengage. This number was fascinating to me. Among parents with children at home, 72 to 17 in favor of disengagement in Ukraine. 72% of parents with children at home. I suspect that that’s because many of them fear that eventually their sons or daughters could be called to fight in an overseas war of adventure, knowing how awful the last ones turned out under George W. Bush. And Barack Obama. And they don’t want to see a repeat of that in the Black Sea. Now, again, the Black Sea situation is very different from Israel. But that tells me that there is at least an appetite in the public realm for an America first foreign policy of realism and restraint. Now, I think if I had pulled Israel, I think I’d get a very different answer on Israel, to be perfectly honest.
SPEAKER 01 :
I thought so. I mean, I really hope you’ll consider doing polling on America’s involvement with this Israel-Iran, because I’m really intrigued. A listener sent me – actually, a viewer to Salem News Channel sent me today a text showing – they said it was a conservative website, but do you agree with Tucker’s position – against being involved in Israel, 71% said no, according to that poll. Now, I didn’t see what the source was, and I trust your polling, so I hope you’ll dive into that, because I’d be really fascinated to see what the results would be. In the time we have left, let’s talk the League of American Workers. Tell us what the organization is about, because I know you’ve had great success with it, and I’d like to share with everybody what you’re up to.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, thank you. Yes. Listen, I’ve been blessed to start this organization. And we worked on behalf of the Trump campaign of 24. So I worked directly for Donald Trump in 16 and 20. Now, as an outside group in 2024, we worked very hard, particularly in the battleground states, to help elect Donald Trump. And what we are is a pro-laborer right wing advocacy organization, because I thought there was a need for it, because the only pro-labor organizations out there essentially are are the labor unions, which I think private sector labor unions have a critical role in the American economy and in American society, frankly. However, they’ve been totally corrupted by leftist, politicized, selfish leadership at the top of those organizations, unfortunately. Union leadership does not represent union rank and file. So I started this group as an advocacy group to actually represent American workers and to do it the right way and to do it from the populist right perspective. So what does that mean specifically on issues? There’s two primary issues that my League of American Workers is focused on. The first one is trade. And we are absolutely in lockstep with the America First movement, with President Trump, Vice President Vance. We demand reciprocity and fairness in trade. America has been abused. for decades and predatory trade practices have decimated American workers for far too long. So we as an organization support everything that Donald Trump is doing in that realm. And then the second issue, which I believe they’re inextricably linked, they are interrelated, is immigration. American workers should not have to compete with unlawful, unjust competition in the labor market from illegal migrants who are competing against them directly. And by the way, I actually just posted this on my social media today. You can see the evidence from the Secretary of the Treasury, Besant, who I think is doing an amazing job. Real wages, meaning pay adjusted for inflation, real wages are galloping higher right now for blue-collar Americans. I think there’s a lot of reasons for that, but I believe one of the reasons for this wonderful new trend is immigration restriction you know we know for example that according to the new york post at least one million illegals have self-deported have decided i don’t want to get chased out by ice and life is becoming more difficult for me harder for me as an illegal to find a job in the united states remittances are probably going to be soon taxed i’m going to go back home and maybe i’m going to try to do this the legal way also the trump administration i think very magnanimously offered some incentives to those folks and said we will literally pay you a small amount of money. We’ll pay for your plane ticket, put a thousand bucks in your pocket if you self-deport. And if you self-report and self-deport, and you can then apply again legally. Apparently a serious number of illegal migrants are taking advantage of that, of that magnanimity from the Trump administration. So I think we’re seeing that blow into increased wages for Americans, especially blue-collar Americans. So that’s what my organization does. AmWorkers.com is our website. You can see some of our content there, and all of my content is at CortezInvestigates.com.
SPEAKER 01 :
AmWorkers.com, check that out. And Steve, you know, you’re an important voice, and we appreciate you stopping by and visiting with us here on the Mike Gallagher Show. Keep fighting the good fight, and come back and see us again soon.
SPEAKER 02 :
Mike, I appreciate everything you do. You’re a patriot. You’re informative. You’re entertaining. Keep it up. We’ve got a country to save.
