What Does the Republican Whip Actually Do? Rep. Tom Emmer Explains
Leave Us Alone with Grover Norquist
Release Date: 12/16/2025
Why Everything Keeps Getting More Expensive
Leave Us Alone with Grover Norquist
Governments at home and abroad are finding new ways to tax Americans while families struggle with inflation, housing costs, and affordability. In this episode of Leave Us Alone, Mike Palicz and James Erwin break down Europe’s digital taxes targeting American tech companies, rising energy costs, Virginia Democrats pushing new taxes, and why taxing inflation is making the housing market worse.
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Oklahoma’s Path to Zero: How Red States Are Moving to Eliminate Income Taxes
Leave Us Alone with Grover Norquist
What does it take to eliminate a state income tax? Grover Norquist sits down with Oklahoma House Speaker Kyle Hilbert to discuss how Oklahoma is charting a path to a 0% income tax and why other states are beginning to follow. Oklahoma has reduced rates, simplified its tax code, and established a trigger-based path to zero as revenues grow. The goal is to lower the burden on taxpayers while maintaining responsible budgeting. They also discuss: How Oklahoma built the coalition to pass tax reform Why a phased approach to zero is gaining traction Tort reform and its impact on insurance costs ...
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Republicans Have One Easy Win on Inflation
Leave Us Alone with Grover Norquist
Inflation is driving up costs. But there’s a simple policy change that could make a real difference. Right now, the IRS taxes inflation as if it were real income. When your home, retirement savings, or small business increases in value because of inflation, you still pay taxes on the full gain. That means millions of Americans are being taxed on “phantom gains.” Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform explains how indexing capital gains for inflation would fix this problem by ensuring taxpayers only pay taxes on real gains. He outlines how this reform could be implemented, why it...
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STAFF TAKEOVER: Gavin Newsom’s “Toddler Tax,” Trump Accounts & Capital Gains Reform
Leave Us Alone with Grover Norquist
Gavin Newsom’s administration is targeting “Trump Accounts,” tax free savings accounts designed to help families invest in their children’s future. Critics are calling the move California’s “Toddler Tax.” In this special staff takeover episode of the Leave Us Alone podcast, the ATR team breaks down: • Why California wants to tax contributions to Trump Accounts • How these accounts help families build long term savings • Why blue states are resisting pro growth tax reforms • The latest push to index capital gains for inflation • Major Senate race developments and...
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Job Growth Is Back. Government Is Shrinking. Here’s Why It Matters.
Leave Us Alone with Grover Norquist
The latest jobs report shows 172,000 private sector jobs added while the federal workforce shrinks by 327,000. Congress delivers a net discretionary spending cut, CBO projects stronger GDP growth, and Washington debates credit card interest rate caps and price controls. Grover Norquist, James Erwin, and Mike Palicz break down job growth, federal spending cuts, tax reform, Medicaid savings, and why price controls historically lead to shortages.
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Ronald Reagan’s Legacy and Why It Still Matters
Leave Us Alone with Grover Norquist
Ronald Reagan’s legacy continues to shape American politics, economic policy, and national security. In this episode of Leave Us Alone, Grover Norquist is joined by David Trulio, President and CEO of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, and Rachel Loren of the Ronald Reagan Legacy Project for a wide-ranging conversation on Reagan’s enduring principles and why they remain relevant today. The discussion explores Reagan’s role in restoring economic growth, winning the Cold War, and rebuilding American confidence. It also looks at how the Reagan Library, Institute, and...
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The Truth About Welfare, Poverty, and Income in America
Leave Us Alone with Grover Norquist
In this episode of Leave Us Alone, Grover Norquist sits down with former U.S. Senator Phil Gramm for a wide-ranging conversation on tax policy, economic growth, and the role of government in shaping economic outcomes. The discussion spans the stagflation and economic crisis of the late 1970s, Gramm’s role in passing the Reagan tax cuts, and the long-term effects of those reforms on inflation, growth, and opportunity. The episode also examines welfare spending, poverty statistics, and claims about economic inequality. Gramm explains how government benefits are often excluded from official...
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The Betrayal: 17 Republicans Vote to Expand Obamacare
Leave Us Alone with Grover Norquist
On this episode of Leave Us Alone, Grover Norquist is joined by Mike Palicz and Isabelle Marchese to break down one of the most consequential votes of this Congress. Seventeen House Republicans joined with ALL Congressional Democrats to pass a clean three-year extension of enhanced Obamacare subsidies. The panel explains how this vote expands Obamacare, masks its rising costs, and knowingly continues a program riddled with fraud and improper payments. They discuss the real cost of the subsidies, the political maneuvering behind the discharge petition, the failure to include any reforms or...
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How a Simple Pledge Protects Taxpayers
Leave Us Alone with Grover Norquist
The Taxpayer Protection Pledge is a written commitment taken by candidates and elected officials promising never to raise taxes. In this episode, Grover Norquist explains why the pledge was created, who signs it, and how it changed incentives for politicians at every level of government. From the 1986 Tax Reform Act to presidential campaigns and state tax reform, the pledge became a clear contract between officeholders and taxpayers. By forcing politicians to control their own vote rather than rely on vague promises, the Taxpayer Protection Pledge reshaped elections, restrained tax hikes, and...
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The Real Political Divide in America Today
Leave Us Alone with Grover Norquist
The real political divide in America is not left versus right. It is the Leave Us Alone Coalition versus the Takings Coalition. In this episode of Leave Us Alone, Grover Norquist explains how these two coalitions compete over tax policy, spending, and the size of government. The discussion breaks down who belongs to each coalition, why the Takings Coalition constantly pushes for higher taxes, and why the Leave Us Alone Coalition must stay united to protect taxpayers. This episode explains politics the way it actually works, through incentives, not slogans.
info_outlineThis week on Leave Us Alone, Grover Norquist is joined by Mike Palicz and James Erwin for a brief discussion on rising healthcare costs, Obamacare affordability, and end-of-year battles in Washington.
The episode then features a special guest interview with House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (MN), who explains what the Republican Whip actually does. Emmer breaks down his role counting votes, communicating with House members, and helping move legislation across the House floor in today’s political environment.
The conversation also covers the failures of the Affordable Care Act, including widespread fraud in expanded Obamacare subsidies and how those subsidies funnel taxpayer dollars to insurance companies rather than patients. Emmer discusses making the Trump tax cuts permanent, fights over must-pass legislation like the NDAA, and why he signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge to protect taxpayers from higher taxes and runaway government spending.