Despite tough questions from fill-in co-hosts Kelly O’Grady and Ed O’Keefe, Monday’s CBS Mornings Plus chose to dedicate the “By the Way” segment — a block meant to do a deeper dive on one of the major headlines but often becomes a free block for liberal narratives — to a supposedly viral guest column from a rural Virginia factory worker lamenting the rise in cost of living and the erosion of the American dream.
Unsurprisingly, that wasn’t all he said and what made it viral was its excoriation of President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill as cruel to the working class and only meant to puff up the rich. And sure enough, the obscure outlet this column was originally published on — The Daily Yonder — has billed itself as a rural news site, but is just a blog for hardened rural Democrats.
But as for CBS, O’Keefe kept it broad at the start:
Most of us have an idea of what the American dream looks like, whether it’s owning a house with a white crooked fence, turning an idea into a successful business, or giving your children a better life than you had. By the way, if reaching that dream has become a bit of a nightmare, you’re not alone. In a powerful letter published by the Daily Yonder titled, “Living in the Shadow of the American Dream,” a self-described Virginia factory worker, farmer, and father of two reflects on the financial struggles facing his working-class family. In it, he writes, “I’m not ashamed of our life. It’s honest work and it’s full of love. However, I am ashamed that in a country as wealthy as ours, people like us are left out in the cold.” “You shouldn’t be able to carry $100 worth of groceries in two hands, but these days you can, and that’s not just wrong, it’s dangerous. I’m ready to ask one simple thing. Who is this country really for?” “So, if you’re in power, hear me. We are not okay. We are drowning quietly.”
Bringing in husband, father, and factory worker Andrew Tait, O’Keefe wondered why he felt “compelled...to write this essay.” Tait was vague: “Honestly, not really too sure what compelled me. I just know that doing nothing felt worse.”
O’Keefe prodded him to say more, to which Tait said “every day” is “a struggle” and he’s no longer sure if the American Dream of “clean water, safe schools,” and “a living wage” are “ in reach.”
Still only scratching the surface with struggles Americans of all stripes could agree with, O’Grady brought to light Tait’s actual ideology and political views, noting the (false) claims he made about the Trump legislation and then fact-checked him by citing the child tax credits and no taxes on tips (click “expand”):
O’GRADY: And Andrew, I want to quote a line from your letter. You said that “when the so-called big beautiful bill passed, it was marketed as a win for working Americans. From where I stand, it looks like the opposite.” Now, a lot of people would argue that extending the tax cuts, increasing the child tax credits, provisions for more take home pay. Now, if you rely on tips, would help those working Americans. So, what specifically do you take issue with? Do you think doesn’t help those working Americans?
TAIT: Well, for me, I think, you know, cutting of medical assistance and food assistance for the people who need it most is very important. Also, I think that some of those provisions are temporary, that are going to be a relief for working class, while the wealthy one percent have tax cuts that are now permanent.
O’KEEFE: You know, that bill was written by, passed by a bunch of politicians, obviously. What do you think those in elected office are missing or forgetting when they’re thinking about the needs of the American people?
TAIT: That’s just it. I don’t know that they are thinking of the needs of the American people. I think they’re too busy fighting with each other, Democrat and Republican both. I think that for a long time, every time I voted, it’s — who do I hate the least? And I think that’s wrong. I think we should find someone who is inspiring, someone who, you know, treats the position like it is. Like, it’s, you’re a public servant. You need to serve your people.
Fact-check: The White House has noted the 2017 Trump tax cuts save the average family $2,000 a year, meaning they would have seen a huge bite taken out of take-home pay if the Big Beautiful Bill did not pass.
And as we’ve pointed out in the past, the left has lied to the American public about the so-called “cuts to Medicaid” and ignored other provisions like baby bonds and money to hire more immigration officers as well as those looking to work in aviation.
O’Grady and O’Keefe didn’t pry any further, returning to a broader discussion about the struggles of working people with Tait’s predictable talking points declaring neither party cares about people like him (click “expand”):
O’KEEFE: You’ve obviously spent some time thinking about this. Is there anyone out there right now who you think is doing it right? In either party?
TAIT: I just think we need unity. I think we need less division. I think that, you know, we could really just need to listen to each other more.
O’GRADY: I mean, listening to you say, who do I hate the least? I think that does resonate. You and I have both covered a lot of issues.
O’KEEFE: And we hear a lot of that from voters.
O’GRADY: We do hear a lot of that. I’m curious, your article, you present the question, who is this country really for? Now that a bit of time has passed since you’ve published this, you’ve spoken to people in their reaction. I mean, what are you hearing? Do you think it resonates with them?
TAIT: Honestly, it’s a little overwhelming. I was not expecting the feedback that I received. You know, I sent it to a few local papers, friends and family. But it’s just been an outpour of support. I’ve got letters from strangers. I’ve got, you know, interview requests. I mean, here I’m on CBS Mornings. Definitely not something someone like me does. But I think maybe it, you know, resonated with folks because I’m not alone. We’re not alone. You know, I don’t think that I’m special or different in any way. I think it’s all of us collectively are struggling and hurting. I think that, you know, as we live in this country, you know, we talk about the rat race and trying to get ahead, trying to get to the next promotion, trying to get to the next level. But then they keep moving the goalpost. You know, what I -- what I make now won’t matter in 15 years, in 20 years. And it seems to be trending that way that the more you make, the more that you have to pay.
Concerning The Daily Yonder’s slant, here was their top story upon this story’s publication: “Neighbors Don’t Let ICE Arrest Their Neighbors Without a Warrant.”
A few others headlines included “Trump Wants to Eliminate a Grant Program Because It Funds ‘Equity-Building and Green Energy Initiatives’,” “Texas Abortion Bill Could Disproportionately Hurt Rural Communities,” “In Texas, Federal Cuts to Renewable Energy Projects Mean Lost Revenue for Rural Communities,” “Q&A: Carbon Credits in Rural Communities,” “Medicaid Cuts Are Likely to Worsen Mental Health Care in Rural America,” and a column with the title “On Whitewashing History”.
To see the relevant CBS transcript from September 1, click here.
