Full transcript
0:00Donald Trump is desperately backpedaling
0:02now. He's trying to tamp down the
0:03criticism that's coming from our
0:05American farmers. Whether it's the
0:07300,000 metric tons of foreign beef
0:11trimmings, whether it's his
0:13multi-billion dollar bailout of other
0:15countries and their agricultural
0:17industries, whether it's the destruction
0:19that he has wreaked because of these
0:21tariff wars with neighbors to the north,
0:23for example, like Canada.
0:25He hasn't had to account to voters and
0:29more specifically to the farmers and our
0:31rural communities across this country.
0:34But [snorts] that day of reckoning is
0:35coming and very soon. Hal Schoffner is
0:38running against Tom Cotton in the state
0:41of Arkansas to be the next United States
0:42Senator to go to DC. Now, look, she had
0:45to shut down her family farm that had
0:48been around for a 150
0:51years. She did it last year, in 2025.
0:54The family business could not withstand
0:56the economic headwinds that were coming
0:58as a result of Donald Trump's policies.
1:01And she, like many others that have
1:03running for Congress right now, she
1:04said, "Look, I have solutions
1:08for these hard questions and these hard
1:11problems. I have the work ethic and the
1:15wherewithal to get things done."
1:17And she's exactly the kind of person
1:19that I have wanted to speak with about
1:22the desire to do something entirely
1:24different than what she was raised,
1:26trained, or educated to do.
1:29And becoming a politician maybe is
1:31something that other people are born
1:33into, maybe into dynasties or families,
1:35maybe they're born with the privilege to
1:38be able to do something like that. But
1:39Hal Schoffner is not.
1:41And she joins me to be able to talk
1:43about her policies, her plans. She
1:45actually has answers to what needs to be
1:48done.
1:49And a big part of it is making sure that
1:51somebody like Tom Cotton, who is just a
1:53yes-man to convicted felon Donald Trump,
1:55that Tom Cotton doesn't continue to be
1:58allowed to hurt, damage, and destroy
2:01what's left of Arkansas's economy.
2:04Take a listen because I think you'll be
2:06very interested in what Halley has to
2:08say. Joining me now is Halley Schoffner
2:11who's going to be the next United States
2:12Senator from the great state of
2:14Arkansas. Halley, thank you so much for
2:15joining us here at Katie Phang News.
2:17>> Well, thank you and thank you for
2:18putting that out into the universe. I
2:20appreciate
2:21>> Yeah, we're going to manifest that.
2:22We're going to make it happen. Look,
2:24Halley, I but listen, I'm not alone and
2:26I'm not even a constituent, but I can
2:28tell you that that is the energy that I
2:30am reading, that I am seeing, that I am
2:31feeling.
2:32Uh look, Tom Cotton doing himself no
2:35favors, especially when it comes to your
2:39communities, the needs of your
2:40communities. You just launched a
2:42statewide listening tour this week. Talk
2:45about what you are hearing from the
2:47people in Arkansas.
2:49>> I mean, it's it's kind of the same thing
2:51we're hearing all over the country. It's
2:53all about costs. It's about the fact
2:54that we can't afford our groceries and
2:56our gas. On top of that, you know,
2:58Arkansas is the most food insecure state
2:59in the country. We are the second
3:01sickest, we're the fourth poorest. We
3:02have lost 25% of our family farms in the
3:05last 18 months.
3:07And and and folks are struggling and
3:08they really feel like Washington has
3:10stopped working for them. And I think
3:11they really identify with me as a
3:14candidate because I have a story that so
3:16many Arkansans identify with. It's it's
3:19I am a farmer. Um I'm a small business
3:21owner. I'm also a wife. My son Max is 7
3:24years old. He's going into the second
3:26grade. I care for aging parents. My dad
3:28has dementia.
3:30I wouldn't be here today if I hadn't
3:31closed my family's 150-year-old farm
3:33last year because of the economic
3:35crisis.
3:36I have lived the rising costs and the
3:38broken system and I decided I want to
3:40fight back. I want to fight for
3:41Arkansans and not just Washington
3:44insiders, which is a sight better than
3:45what we have in Tom Cotton.
3:48Halley, this you just There's so much to
3:49unpack from what you just said. I have
3:51total empathy for you're going through.
3:53My late father, who passed away in 2019,
3:55passed away Louis body dementia and
3:58Alzheimer's. And I also have a daughter
3:59who's 11. I like to say 11 going on 30
4:01though.
4:02But I understand the needs of being a
4:04sandwich generation, right? We have to
4:06take care of our aging parents and our
4:08little ones. But the Republican agenda
4:11right now,
4:13not only federally, but even on the
4:14state level frankly,
4:16it's it's not caring for our elderly and
4:19our and our aging parents. It's not
4:20helping us on child care. It's not
4:22allowing us to be a part really in a
4:25equality way
4:27to be able to be a part of
4:29the the economics of what's going on
4:31here. I'm really stuck though on the
4:34closure of your family farm. Will you
4:36will you get into the details of that
4:37cuz I do find that that is an incredibly
4:40impactful reason to run for Congress.
4:42>> Yeah, and it is the same as as for any
4:44family in Arkansas too. It's just based
4:46on the fact that costs were rising.
4:48It was also based on the fact that the
4:50trade war has completely eliminated the
4:51market for soybeans, which is the
4:53largest agricultural product out of
4:55Arkansas soybeans. We have nowhere to
4:57sell our product. I was looking down the
4:59barrel of a pretty significant loss for
5:02the planting year of 2025.
5:04As a multi-generational farmer, I don't
5:06own anything. It all belongs to my
5:08parents and I called my mom and I said I
5:10just I cannot guarantee you that if we
5:13go another year, we might not be in a
5:14hole so deep you could lose your house.
5:17>> Wow.
5:18>> With my dad needing the kind of care
5:20that he does, my parents are going to
5:22need to to maintain their legacy, to
5:24make sure that we can afford his care.
5:26And it just reinforces this idea that
5:30Arkansans, whether you're a farmer or
5:32not, we're working harder than ever and
5:34we're not making it. And it's not
5:36because we failed, it's because the
5:38system is rigged by and for politicians
5:41like Tom Cotton, their biggest donors,
5:43and their own national political
5:44ambitions.
5:46>> You gave a number which also was jarring
5:48to me. I did not know 25% of
5:50family-owned farms closing in Arkansas.
5:53>> Yeah, so we we do not lead the nation.
5:55We're the second in the nation for farm
5:56bankruptcies,
5:58and we lead the nation in farmer
5:59suicides. 15,000 farms across the nation
6:02have closed, and it is primarily because
6:05of inflation, the war in Iran, and the
6:08fact that we no longer have a global
6:09market to sell our product into.
6:12>> I mean, Holly,
6:14I feel like Tom Cotton being from your
6:17state, knowing these numbers, knowing
6:18that each one of those number is a is a
6:20person, it's a family, it's a legacy at
6:24risk or gone, why would he be voting
6:26against the farm bill?
6:27>> Again, I we really feel like in Arkansas
6:30he has leveraged us as a stepping stone
6:32for his own national political
6:34ambitions. You know, he didn't even live
6:35here. He lives in Virginia. He doesn't
6:38come home. He has no constituent
6:39services program to speak of. He hasn't
6:41had a town hall in 9 and 1/2 years. He
6:44voted for the one big beautiful bill,
6:46and because of that, our Medicaid
6:48expansion in Arkansas is at risk, which
6:51means 250,000 Arkansans could lose their
6:54health care coverage.
6:55>> Wow.
6:55>> Um, he voted against the farm bill
6:59twice, and he did it because he doesn't
7:00like food stamps, even though we're the
7:03hungriest state in the country.
7:05I mean, this man is completely clueless,
7:07and I would argue completely callous
7:10when it comes to whether or not his
7:11constituents literally live or die.
7:16>> And so, as part of your listening tour,
7:19you've been meeting with people, talking
7:20with them. You mentioned that cost is
7:22top of mind. That is not uh unusual. I
7:25think that cost and affordability is
7:27most certainly top of mind for many, if
7:30not all, Americans right now. Kind of
7:33lay out for the people that are tuning
7:34in your plan, because I know it it's
7:37focused, obviously, on the people that
7:39would be in Arkansas, but I suspect that
7:41your plan would most definitely benefit
7:43all Americans.
7:44>> Oh my gosh, I I I really think so. And I
7:46know this is such a low bar to jump
7:50over. But when I get to Washington, I
7:52would like to work with anyone. I don't
7:54care Democrat, Republican, independent,
7:55whatever, to build a Congress with a
7:58backbone again. Who's able to stand up
8:01and say we are done with this war in
8:03Iran. It's time to start negotiating and
8:05reopen the Strait of Hormuz because our
8:06truckers can't make it, our farmers
8:08can't make it, our families can't make
8:09it. Um take back the power of the purse
8:12and start reinvesting in our citizens
8:13and making sure we have rural health
8:15care. Make sure that people can afford
8:17to go to the doctor if they need to.
8:20These are all things that Congress could
8:21do, but we've now had two of the most
8:24unproductive Congresses in US history.
8:27>> Yeah.
8:27>> I mean, we down here in Arkansas, we can
8:29have a conversation between Democrats
8:31and Republicans and agree on 85% of the
8:33things and actually come up with
8:34solutions. Why can't they?
8:37>> The numbers are speaking to what you are
8:40saying right now.
8:42The latest polls and and people who know
8:44me know Holly, I'm not a poll girl at
8:46all. Like I don't love polls, but when I
8:49see trends, I pay attention. And the
8:51latest polls have you either
8:53neck-to-neck
8:54with Cotton or ahead of Cotton, which is
8:57remarkable. I wanted to read a little
8:59bit of a of from a piece that just came
9:01out last couple of days. It said,
9:04"The most significant finding about this
9:06poll I'm talking about wasn't just that
9:08the race was within a margin of error.
9:09It's that an incumbent senator with
9:11nearly universal name recognition
9:12remains below 50% while a challenger,
9:15being you, who's still introducing
9:17yourself to voters is the only candidate
9:18with a net positive image."
9:20>> Yeah.
9:21>> I mean, truly now beyond a competitive
9:25race. I mean, it's it's definitely
9:26something that you have within arms
9:28reach, right?
9:30>> And we're very excited about it. I will
9:32say part of it is because Tom Cotton
9:34sucks and nobody likes him in Arkansas.
9:36>> Amen.
9:37>> So that helps. Um I think the other
9:38thing again is that I have a story that
9:40a lot of Arkansans identify with and I'm
9:41doing the work. You know, 80% of success
9:43is showing up. We are all over the
9:45state. Um also we know that Tom Cotton
9:48has the same poll that that we do um
9:50because he's now thrown three and a half
9:53million dollars in attack ads at me
9:55specifically. Which in Arkansas a dollar
9:58in Arkansas is like $3 everywhere else.
10:00So folks are
10:00>> are you serious? That's a lot of money.
10:02>> Oh my gosh, it's we are seeing this ad
10:04every 15 minutes. It is now showing up
10:07when folks are watching Moana with their
10:09children on Disney Plus.
10:11>> gross.
10:11>> And they see this attack ad on me. Um
10:14and again, it's just an indication of
10:17the fact that he's scared. But you know
10:18what? He's scared because he didn't do
10:21the work. This election, it is his job
10:24performance review and he's about to get
10:26an F grade and get fired.
10:29>> Listen, independent voters as well,
10:31which is a very interesting group in
10:33Arkansas of all places, are stepping up
10:35to show support for you. What is it
10:37about the independent voters that you
10:39think really resonates with what you're
10:40saying?
10:42>> Well, in in Arkansas, you know, we talk
10:44about voting person over party and that
10:45most of us are independent. Actually,
10:47most of our voters are registered
10:48independent. They are not registered
10:50with a party. 15 years ago, even during
10:53the red wave, we elected a Democrat as
10:55governor and he won all 75 counties.
10:59And so when I'm around, I talk to folks
11:01and I'm like, regardless of which way
11:02you lean, um even if you have voted
11:05Republican in the last several
11:06elections, I bet you voted for Mike
11:08Beebe and he has endorsed me. You do not
11:11have to change your party
11:13to want a better senator for Arkansas
11:15and nobody owes anyone party a straight
11:18ticket vote.
11:20>> That's true. You know, I love that you
11:22say that because I have been emphasizing
11:24especially in the lead up to the general
11:28in in November. You know, I I'm big on
11:31having conversations with people like
11:33you who have different lived
11:35experiences. I think we need to abandon
11:37this idea that candidates have to be
11:39cookie-cutter, they have to be from the
11:41same mold. I think what you've been
11:42through makes you uniquely positioned to
11:44understand the needs of your
11:45constituents in Arkansas. But again, to
11:48have that understanding that you have
11:49empathy with the rest of us that may not
11:51live in that state, but definitely want
11:52more. We want more for our families and
11:55for ourselves and that we don't want
11:57more of the same out of DC. You are
12:00doing the work also with the youth vote.
12:03You're the only one. Tom Cotton is not
12:05going and meeting with college kids.
12:08Talk about them cuz they're very
12:09interesting voting group. They're not a
12:11monolith, but I'm sure they're letting
12:13you know how they feel about everything
12:14from this illegal war to the cost of
12:17tuition to job prospects, right?
12:20>> Yes, and it's it's really interesting
12:21because I was at the University of
12:23Arkansas yesterday meeting with about 60
12:25kids. And my god, I was a little
12:27shell-shocked because they have so much
12:29energy. And I was like, did I have that
12:31much energy a decade ago? And my
12:32campaign manager was like, "Uh, girl,
12:34two decades ago."
12:35>> [laughter]
12:36>> Which is like, oh my god.
12:37>> Don't Don't let her do the math on my
12:38age, but keep on going, yeah.
12:40>> So, it they do not identify with a
12:43party. They are They do not say they're
12:45Republicans or Democrats cuz they truly
12:47do feel left behind by both parties. And
12:50and understanding that, you know,
12:52they've only known this current
12:54administration. Like, they don't
12:56remember what it was like to have
12:57politics that were, I would say,
12:59relatively normal and civil and
13:02productive. And so, they are, I think,
13:04hungry in this kind of desperate way for
13:08someone who they can look at and say,
13:10"She gets it. She understands me, and I
13:14can trust her to do what's right, even
13:17if I don't understand every policy
13:18position." And that's not just young
13:20people, but there is the sentiment,
13:22regardless of whether I'm in a farm shop
13:24or a diner or a Democratic County Party
13:27meeting, we're tired of the rhetoric of
13:28left and right and liberal and
13:30conservative because we're real people.
13:32We have real problems. We are crying out
13:34for someone who believes the purpose of
13:36government is to create progress, not
13:38just posture around for the next
13:39election.
13:41>> Yeah, real problems deserve real
13:43solutions and you know, there is a
13:45measure and exhibition of impotence that
13:47is coming out of this Congress right now
13:49that has abdicated its duties
13:50specifically on the Republican side.
13:52It's like they've decided that they just
13:54don't have any ability to do something.
13:56I will tell you that people that do get
13:58things done are moms. And you don't have
14:00to be a mom to get things done, but I
14:03also empathize with you with your
14:047-year-old. I mentioned I have an
14:0511-year-old. I'm also a big proponent of
14:08having moms in Congress. I think there
14:10is something to be said about being able
14:12to juggle a lot of stuff all at once.
14:16>> Oh my gosh.
14:16>> Why do you think that's also important
14:19because your your son is only seven?
14:21Being in Congress will take you away.
14:23It's funny because nobody really asks
14:25that question to the men, right? They're
14:26like,
14:27"Oh, like like who would ask that
14:28question?" Um because you know, because
14:30we know it's different. But I do think
14:31moms bring a different perspective and
14:33there's not enough moms in Congress
14:35right now.
14:36>> Yeah, no, I completely agree. And and
14:37moms do so much work and I'm not saying
14:41that that dads don't. My husband is an
14:44incredible man. He's extremely
14:45supportive. Uh when I told him I wanted
14:47to run, I said, "I'm so sorry. This is
14:49about to be the Holly Shaffer show."
14:52>> [laughter]
14:52>> And his response was it's always been
14:54the Holly Shaffer show, which is which
14:55is true.
14:56>> like my husband. Yes, he does.
14:57>> very very supportive. Um but you're
14:59right, moms are able to juggle, we're
15:02able to hold a lot of things in our head
15:04at once and it does kind of seem like
15:06and this is true for Tom Cotton, he has
15:08blinders on. Like all he cares about is
15:11the fact that he's the chairman of the
15:12Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
15:14Well,
15:15>> Yeah, how is that helping us with this
15:16illegal war? I'm not quite sure how
15:18that's been helping us.
15:19>> Well, and he's wanted this war for for
15:2112 years. He got the war he wanted. We
15:23are now all paying for it. I mean, in
15:242019, the man said, "We could win a war
15:27with Iran in two strikes."
15:29The first strike and the second strike.
15:30And I'm like, um, but how do you do
15:32that?
15:33>> Yeah, that really hasn't worked. Oh, we
15:35had a guy, it was the chairman of the
15:37House Intelligence Committee in Arkansas
15:39a couple days ago,
15:40and they said, "What do we do about the
15:41war in Iran?" And he said, "Bomb them
15:43and keep bombing until they negotiate."
15:46>> But how is that lowering tariffs? How is
15:48that saving farms? How is that putting
15:50food on the table? How is that giving
15:52health care? How is that giving
15:53benefits, snap benefits? How does any of
15:55that help the people in Arkansas?
15:57>> It doesn't. And that's the thing is
15:59we're spending a billion dollars a day
16:00in Iran when that kind of money would be
16:02best served in communities like the one
16:05I'm from that need updated roads and
16:07infrastructure and electrical grids, all
16:10the things that that build a foundation
16:12upon which industry can come in, small
16:15businesses can thrive, they can create
16:17new jobs, and in rural Arkansas
16:20especially, which is which is dying
16:22especially as the farm economy
16:23collapses,
16:25these are all things we desperately
16:26need. And again, it's this feeling of
16:28being left behind. And I'll say this for
16:30both Republicans and Democrats, we just
16:32want somebody who's going to show up and
16:34say, you know, "I understand you, shake
16:36my hand, I will look you in the eye and
16:37ask you for your vote." That goes a long
16:39way here.
16:40>> Well, look, this is the kind of energy
16:42that Arkansas needs and wants,
16:44obviously. And it's also the the kind of
16:46energy that America would really benefit
16:48from. Holly, people are interested in
16:50learning more about your campaign. If
16:52they want to donate, if they want to
16:53help, where should they go to get more
16:55information?
16:56>> So, hollyshafner.com is the best place
16:59to go. I am also on all of the social
17:01channels. We are very active on social
17:03media. So, please like, share, follow.
17:06Um, obviously, all donations are very,
17:08very much appreciated. We want the eyes
17:11of the US to turn to Arkansas and see
17:14how much potential we have here. It We
17:17are not just the the fear and the hate
17:19that is spewed by Tom Cotton. We are an
17:21excellent people. We are worth believing
17:24in um and we would welcome anyone who
17:26wants to join the fight.
17:28>> Well, Holly Shofner, as I started this
17:29conversation with you today, I will end
17:31it the same way. The next United States
17:33Senator out of Arkansas. Thank you so
17:35much for joining me. We'll be watching
17:36your race, of course, very carefully and
17:38giving you the support that you need,
17:40but I really appreciate you taking the
17:41time.
17:42>> Thank you, Katie, for having me. I
17:43really appreciate it.
17:44>> Of course. Katie Phang here. We launched
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