11.20.25 The Joe Mangiacotti Show - Thursday

WCRN 830 AM – Radio Central
Call-in: 508-871-7000
Good afternoon, my friends. Welcome to The Joe Mangiacotti Show here on WCRN 830 AM — Radio Central. The center of the dial, the center of New England, and the center of information. We’re live, we’re streaming everywhere, and as always, the conversation starts with you at 508-871-7000.
Today’s lineup is a perfect snapshot of where America finds itself in late 2025: a country struggling to reconcile political narratives with real-world facts… a government that often asks for trust it hasn’t earned… and institutions that seem to break their own rules faster than they enforce them.
1. The White House and the Jobs Report That Doesn’t Tell the Full Story
“We begin with the latest White House victory lap over the new jobs report. You’ve seen the headline by now — ‘private-sector gains’ and ‘wage growth for American-born workers.’ But when you dive into the data, that headline starts to unravel.”
“Most of the net job growth continues to be driven by non-citizen labor. Much of it is part-time. And the wages story is… let’s say, selectively framed. Families across New England aren’t feeling a boom — they’re feeling pressure.”
“You know my position: I want every American-born worker to succeed. I want strong markets, predictable rules, and opportunity. But I also want truth. If the federal government is going to claim success, it should be based on honest numbers, not narrative-building.”
“We’ll unpack that today because the gap between the official story and the lived reality is becoming wider — and that gap feeds distrust.”
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2. Jasmine Crockett’s Epstein Accusation Fiasco
“Second story: Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett’s attempt to explain why she falsely accused Republicans of taking money from Jeffrey Epstein. And the explanation… was not confidence-inspiring.”
“She blamed confusion. She blamed misunderstanding. She blamed context. She blamed basically everything except the one thing that mattered — responsibility.”
“When a Member of Congress throws the name ‘Epstein’ at opponents without evidence, that’s not oversight. That’s mudslinging at the highest possible volume. And walking it back with half-hearted excuses is not good enough.”
“This is why political discourse is broken. We have leaders treating truth as optional and accusations as performance art. Today we’ll talk about accountability inside Congress — because if Congress won’t police its own rhetoric, the entire system suffers.”
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3. A Sitting Congresswoman Indicted — Alleged FEMA COVID Funds Diverted Into Her Campaign
“Third — and this one is extremely serious — U.S. Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida has been indicted by a federal grand jury. Prosecutors allege she diverted $5 million in FEMA-funded COVID vaccination contract overpayments into her own congressional campaign through straw donors and other schemes.”
“She also faces conspiracy charges over false tax returns and campaign finance violations.”
“She denies everything, calling the indictment a sham, but she has stepped down from her committee leadership role.”
“Folks, this is the kind of story that hits every principle I talk about:
• Rule of law — no elected official is above it.
• Limited government — because the bigger the federal programs, the greater the opportunity for abuse.
• Institutional trust — which evaporates when disaster relief dollars end up in campaign coffers.”
“This case raises deep questions about oversight of emergency funds, the vulnerabilities of massive federal programs, and whether Congress has meaningful ethics enforcement left.”
“And yes — we’re going to dive into what this means for public faith in FEMA and for the idea of equal justice under the law.”
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4. Operation Charlotte’s Web — 250 Immigration Arrests, Protests, Walkouts, Fear
“Our fourth story: the federal government launched Operation Charlotte’s Web in Charlotte, North Carolina — resulting in more than 250 arrests in just four days. DHS says 44 of those arrested have criminal records, including gang ties, assault, and DUI.”
“But the community response has been explosive. We saw school walkouts. Tens of thousands of absences. Immigrant-owned businesses shutting down. Protests erupting in multiple neighborhoods. And deep concern about the tactics — masked agents, unmarked vehicles, and absolutely no coordination with local law enforcement.”
“You know my position on immigration: sovereign borders matter. The rule of law matters. Enforcing immigration law is not optional.”
“But enforcement must always be balanced with transparency and constitutional protections. And when enforcement sweeps cause fear across an entire city — schools emptying, local economies freezing — that’s a sign of something deeper. A sign that trust between government and community is fractured.”
“We’re going to examine that balance: How do you enforce the law robustly without creating the perception of overreach? And is the federal government using these operations to protect the public, or to send a political message?”
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5. The Comey Indictment May Collapse — Because Prosecutors Didn’t Follow the Constitution
“And finally — an extraordinary story from the Justice Department. Federal prosecutors in Virginia admitted they filed the final indictment against former FBI Director James Comey without proper grand-jury approval.”
“One version of the indictment was presented. The jury rejected a count. A revised indictment was then filed in court without re-submission to the grand jury. A magistrate judge called the whole thing ‘an unusual series of events’ that casts doubt on ‘the presumption of regularity.’”
“This isn’t a small mistake. The Fifth Amendment exists to prevent exactly this kind of prosecutorial shortcut. If the government can bypass a grand jury in a high-profile case — what does that say about cases involving ordinary citizens?”
“And given the political pressure around this prosecution, the whole sequence raises legitimate questions about whether the justice system is being used for law… or for vendetta.”
“This is what happens when institutions lose discipline. When process becomes flexible. When the rule of law becomes something you can lean on or ignore depending on political preference.”
“Today we’re asking the big question: if the government can’t get its own procedures right in the biggest cases — what confidence can the public have in anything else it does?”
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THE HOUR AHEAD
So that’s our roadmap for today:
• The jobs report and the widening gap between data and reality.
• A Member of Congress throwing the word ‘Epstein’ around without evidence.
• A federal indictment alleging COVID relief fraud at the congressional level.
• A major immigration sweep shaking an entire American city.
• And a DOJ case against a former FBI Director now threatened by its own procedural failures.
All of these stories point to a deeper truth: America’s institutions are under strain — not from outside, but from within. And restoring trust requires honesty, transparency, and accountability.
I want your voices on this. I want your perspective. 508-871-7000.
You’re listening to The Joe Mangiacotti Show on WCRN 830 AM — Radio Central.
We’ll take a quick break and then start with the jobs report and what the White House isn’t telling you.