Dem leader Garcia on Van Orden’s AI ‘slop,’ data center politics

Democratic Party Chair for Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District, William Garcia, stopped in studio to unpack why he believes U.S. House Rep. Derrick Van Orden is running a “desperate” re-election campaign. Garcia highlights Van Orden’s use of AI deepfake videos on social media and bringing controversial Trump cabinet officials, like RFK Jr., into the district. We also discussed state and national politics surrounding data centers — including between governor candidates David Crowley and Tom Tiffany — and the fallout from federal food safety rollbacks. Plus, we go off on a sci-fi tangent about how Dune and The Matrix reflect today’s tech and cultural conflicts. Episode Highlights: Deepfake AI Videos: Garcia calls out Van Orden for posting AI-generated “slop” videos of challenger Rebecca Cooke on social media to fool voters. RFK Jr. Photo Op: Why standing next to the Health Secretary backfires in a heavily rural, agricultural district currently dealing with widespread food recalls. The Debate Stand-Off: Garcia addresses the push to schedule a 3rd District debate and accuses Van Orden’s team of dodging negotiations to run out the clock. Data Center War: How Tom Tiffany is trying to label David Crowley as “pro-data center” in the governor’s race despite Tiffany’s own Congressional votes blocking restrictions on AI development. Scifi Meets Politics: A look at how Dune and The Matrix serve as modern allegories for AI overreach, technological dependency, and trans identity. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.