Spencer Pratt lost the race, but his donor list may have revealed something much bigger.

What did Jeffrey Sprecher, Jeanie Buss, and a Tinder founder see in a reality-TV outsider? Joe follows the publicly disclosed money and identifies three possible signals: attention, aligned interests, and a candidate carrying zero political debt.

This episode examines why sophisticated donors might place money behind an unconventional candidate—and what that decision may say about confidence in Los Angeles institutions and the political establishment.

This is not an allegation of corruption or secret coordination. It is an evidence-based examination of what the donor pattern may be signaling.

Does donor money follow the candidate—or the collapse?

Why Power Players Backed Spencer Pratt | Follow the Money

Are supposedly local grassroots political movements actually self-contained, or are they functioning as national franchises bankrolled by out-of-state capital?

In this investigative monologue of Both Sides Politics, host Joe walks the public FEC filings and OpenSecrets data to trace the national funding pipeline connecting California's political establishment to local primary races. We examine the massive operational contradiction between anti-wealth grassroots slogans and out-of-state financial realities, detailing how progressive campaigns across Michigan, New York, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Texas rely heavily on remote capital networks. 

We break down the raw, unvarnished receipts surrounding the DSA governing board, examine the high-profile endorsements from open communist media surrogates like Hasan Piker, and analyze the systemic "smurfing" fundraising anomalies flagged in recent campaign finance data. Look past the party jerseys and see exactly what local voters are actually getting when the check comes from thousands of miles away.

Connect with Both Sides Politics Network for unscripted, non-partisan data analysis and long-form investigative commentary: joe@themiddlegroundmic.com

Support the network and walk the receipts with us: https://buymeacoffee.com/bothsidespolitics



The Communist Franchise: California Money Funding Local Primaries

In this Michigan political analysis episode, we break down Abdul El-Sayed's major primary victory and how Hasan Piker acted as a core surrogate for the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) strategy. 

They keep calling it a smear. It's not a smear when they say it on camera. Abdul El-Sayed just won Michigan's Democratic primary, powered heavily by the DSA, while the upcoming general election presents a candidate attempting to pivot toward broader appeal.

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Same person. Two labels. That's the Trojan Horse strategy, and the DSA built it, loaded it, and wheeled it through the gates themselves. While the general platform tries to soften its image, the underlying policy goals remain clear: abolish ICE, abolish police, abolish prisons, and dismantle core institutions. The radical ideologies being laundered through a major American party right now are winning crucial local primaries, drastically shaping the future of Michigan politics.

00:00 Abdul El-Sayed & Hasan Piker: Smear or Truth?
01:05 Hasan Piker's Praise for Mao and Stalin Explored
02:10 Democratic Socialists of America: The Two Labels Con
03:20 Abolish ICE & Police: The DSA Platform
04:30 Cutting Voting Power: The New Version of Democracy
05:40 Why Hasan Piker is a Communist-Curious Mascot
06:45 Running From Their Own Brand: Toxic Political Names
07:40 Where I'll Defend Them: Affordability Is Real
08:40 How El-Sayed's Win Affects the Michigan Democratic Party
09:10 The Verdict + The Challenge
10:20 Your Turn



The Communist Trojan Horse in the DSA (with Hasan Piker & Abdul El-Sayed)

Abdul El-Sayed just won Michigan’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary after earning the backing of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) and Bernie Sanders. As the progressive wing gains power, host Joe from Both Sides Politics examines what the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) actually says it wants — using its own words and documents. 

INSIDE THIS EPISODE: 
• DSA National Political Committee member David Jenkins: “Our goal is communism.” 
• What the Democratic Socialists of America’s new 2026 political program actually says. 
• The DSA proposal to abolish the U.S. Senate. 
• The proposal to replace the presidency and Supreme Court with institutions subordinate to Congress. 
• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bernie Sanders and the growing influence of democratic socialism inside Democratic politics. 
• Abdul El-Sayed’s victory in the Michigan Democratic Senate primary and his connection to prominent progressive leaders. 
• Why an important distinction matters: El-Sayed says he is not a DSA member. 
• Zohran Mamdani, Ilhan Omar, Hasan Piker and the larger progressive movement. 
• Where democratic socialism ends, where communism begins, and what the actual evidence shows. 

Both Sides Politics doesn't do party jerseys. Joe follows the evidence, walks the receipts, and lets the record determine the verdict. 

☕ Buy me a cup of coffee and support independent political coverage: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/bothsidespolitics



DSA Leader: “Our Goal Is Communism” — AOC & Abdul El-Sayed

Joseph Steagall (@jsteagall) · Zencastr

Joseph Steagall (@jsteagall)

 Both Sides Politics doesn't do balance. It does evidence.

Host Joe Steagall builds the case, walks the receipts, and returns a verdict — on Democrats, on Republicans, on whoever the record convicts. Not a debate show. Not a panel. An indictment.
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No Left. No Right. Forward.

Every episode takes the story your feed is being fed and takes it apart: what actually happened, what the documents say, where the money moved, and who is counting on you not to check. Both parties get investigated. Which one comes out worse depends on the evidence, not the jersey.

The MiddleGround Mic is the interview arm — foreign policy experts, investigative producers, authors, and people who were in the room when it happened. Long-form political conversation with no shouting and no talking points.

This is independent political commentary from a Michigan garage studio. No network. No donor class. No party to protect. Nobody to call for permission.

New episodes Monday-Friday. Follow Both Sides Politics on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so new episodes land automatically. If an episode holds up, send it to the person who disagrees with you most — that's how an independent political podcast grows without a budget.

Both Sides Politics

The MiddleGround Mic is a centrist politics and news commentary podcast for independent voters, moderates, and anyone tired of partisan talking points. Hosted by Joseph Steagall, the show covers elections, foreign policy, Michigan and Detroit local politics, media accountability, and the economy — grounded in verifiable receipts instead of tribal loyalty. No Left. No Right. Forward.

Ranked Top 30 in Politics (June 2026) with more than 1.3 million downloads, the show brings bipartisan analysis and long-form interviews with journalists, policymakers, foreign policy experts, candidates, and everyday people — not scripted talking heads. Recent conversations have covered Iran's nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz, the Wayne County SMART bus millage, media trust and investigative journalism, election law and ballot access, and the collapse of institutional trust in America.

Being centrist isn't fence-sitting. It's refusing to hand either party a free pass, and having the spine to say what the loudest voices on both ends won't. If you're an independent, a moderate, or just exhausted by the screaming, this is politics without the team jersey.

Watch full video episodes on YouTube and Spotify. Support the show at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tmgm. Subscribe, follow, and leave a rating — it's the biggest way new listeners find the show. No sacred cows protected. No side gets a free pass.