Steve Cortes: America Has a Muslim Immigration Problem

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Welcome to the Daily Signal Podcast, where we provide intelligence for the intelligent. Now, without further ado, here's today's take.

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Steve Cortes (0:38)

So this sort of quintessential industrial American town has been overtaken by mass Muslim migration. There's really de facto Sharia law in these towns. A lot of Americans will be shocked by that. A lot of Michigan citizens are more aware of it. And so when I polled this issue and I asked them, is there too much Muslim mass migration, by six to one margin, six to one rod, they say too much Muslim mass migration.

Rob Bluey (1:12)

Welcome back. We are joined now on Midterm Report by Steve Cortes, Daily Signal contributor. He's done some outstanding work for us and does great work for a number of other organization, including the League of American Voters. Steve, how are you doing today?

Steve Cortes (1:28)

Hey, I'm great, Rob. Thanks so much for having me.

Rob Bluey (1:30)

You bet. You bet. Well, you are keeping close track of a lot of the political races that are going to obviously shape the outcome of the next Congress and a lot of state governments. But I want to focus specifically on a couple of upper Midwest states with you today. Both of these states, Michigan and Wisconsin, played a critical role in President Trump's return to the White House in 2024 and his ability to sweep the seven swing states, as he often reminds us.

But these are a couple of states that have unique characteristics in terms of what's going on there. I'd like to start with Wisconsin. Obviously, that's a state that has gone back and forth between Republicans and Democrats, a traditional swing state, battleground state in that regard. You've produced a couple of really compelling documentary videos. You've also been tracking some of the political races there. What can you tell us about the issues that you find that are resonating in this swing state?

Steve Cortes (2:23)

Yeah, sure, and thank you to Daily Signal for all you do, of course, to help amplify and promote my work and my documentaries and my polling, all of it. When it comes to Wisconsin, yeah, Wisconsin, as you mentioned, it's not only a swing state, it is the consummate swing state because the last three cycles, it has been the tightest of all the swing states. I suspect it will be again in the next presidential cycle in 28, and I think it's going to be a relatively tight race for governor there. The sitting governor, Evers, is retiring. I think that's a good thing for the people of Wisconsin and a very contentious race. A lot of interest, a lot of money, frankly, pouring in on both sides. Tom Tiffany is the Republican nominee congressman from northern Wisconsin. I think he was a heck of a congressman, and I think he'll be an even better governor. On the Democrat side, you have David Crowley, who is the county manager for Milwaukee County. And so we are trying to, in part, highlight the mismanagement of Milwaukee and how Milwaukee, like so many big blue run cities, has really been a disaster when it comes to things like property taxes and crime. And regarding property taxes, I want to start there, please. My first documentary is about education in Wisconsin. Wisconsin right now, unfortunately, is a thoroughly Democrat run state. Their State Department of Education, which is called DPI there, Department of Public Construction, is Democrat run. Of course, Democrat governor. The teachers unions, unfortunately, hold enormous sway over educational policy in the state of Wisconsin. And what we have seen, unfortunately, is test scores under Democrat reign have plunged. And the reason I say that's relevant to property taxes is a lot of folks may not realize that a good portion, in many cases, the majority of your property taxes wherever you live, are going toward education. So in Wisconsin, what we see are property taxes are spiking. And in poll after poll, I find that Wisconsinites are extremely angry, extremely anxious about these soaring property taxes. But what are they getting for it? Well, they're getting a worse and worse outcome, particularly regarding education. And to be specific, only 30% of fourth graders in Wisconsin can read proficiently. Wisconsin is now behind Mississippi in reading. That's something that I think will surprise a lot of Wisconsinites, that it used to be a state that prided itself on really successful, good public schools. And my point is, let's give Tom Tiffany and the Republicans a try to manage education and to make sure that for the exorbitant property taxes you're paying, first of all, those property taxes should be lower, but for the taxes you're paying, let's at least get you a return on your investment in good schools that produce well-adjusted, well-formed citizens of this country who are capable to be productive in the workforce, who are capable to succeed in a digital age, who can read at the least, Rob, can read at grade level.