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Democrats Must Get Tough to Win Congress and Defeat Trump
26 July 2026

Democrats Must Get Tough to Win Congress and Defeat Trump

The Lean to the Left Podcast

About

Democrats must get tough to win Congress and defeat Donald Trump and his MAGA allies in the House and Senate, says longtime activist Patrick Reynolds.


Watch four killer ads he produced to hammer Trump and his MAGA allies in the key House and Senate races that could determine control of Congress.


The grandson of tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds, Patrick became nationally known when he turned against the industry that made his family wealthy and spent decades fighting Big Tobacco -- largely because RJR's products caused his father's death.


Now, he's taken on a new political battle: helping Democrats regain control of Congress.


As leader of the Congress Majority PAC, Reynolds argues that Democrats must fight harder, sharpen their message, and directly confront Trump and the Republican Party as a whole—not simply rely on traditional candidate-versus-candidate advertising.


In this Lean to the Left interview, Reynolds explains what Democrats must do to win the critical House and Senate races that will determine control of Congress.


You will also see four killer political ads Reynolds produced for use in key races across the country. The ads target:


Donald Trump and his MAGA allies

Republican policies on climate change

The economy and cost of living

Disaffected voters who no longer feel loyal to the Democratic Party


Reynolds intends to place these hard-hitting, nationally relevant messages in the battleground races where they could make the greatest difference.


Can Democrats finally stop playing defense, get tough, and win back Congress?


Watch the interview, see the four ads, and share your reaction in the comments.


Subscribe to Lean to the Left for independent political commentary, interviews, and analysis.


CHAPTERS:

00:00 Trump Party Cold Open

00:11 Meet Patrick Reynolds

01:39 Why Start a Super PAC

03:30 Vote Democrat Ad Strategy

05:23 Privilege and Family Fallout

07:28 Tobacco Legacy and Disinheritance

09:58 Introducing the Ad Lineup

10:43 Ad 1 Anti Trump Message

11:50 Ad 2 Climate Change and Big Oil

14:07 Ad 3 Economy and Cost of Living

16:02 Ad 4 Disaffected Democrats

17:27 Whats at Stake and Call to Action

21:11 Closing Thanks and Support