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August 31, 2025; 7am: All eyes are on Chicago after President Trump's continued threats to deploy the National Guard to the Windy City. On Saturday, Chicago's Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order demanding that Trump stand down. In response, President Trump continued his threats, warning Illinois Governor JB Pritzker to “straighten out” Chicago quickly or the city will be subjected to federal law enforcement takeover. The President has echoed these threats to several Democrat-led cities, and elected officials are issuing a warning: military troops who carry out Trump's orders might be at risk for prosecution. Philadelphia's District Attorney, Larry Krasner, joins “The Weekend” to discuss. For more, follow us on social media:Bluesky: @theweekendmsnbc.bsky.socialInstagram: @theweekendmsnbcTikTok: @theweekendmsnbcTo listen to this show and other MSNBC podcasts without ads, sign up for MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts.

Listen to Zooming In at The UnPopulist in your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | RSS | YouTubeLandry Ayres: Welcome back to Zooming In at The UnPopulist. I'm Landry Ayres.We find ourselves in a deeply troubling moment for American democracy, grappling with the stark realities of a political landscape increasingly defined by fear, performative cruelty, and a conscious assault on established norms and institutions.This special live recording from ISMA's “Liberalism for the 21st Century” conference features host Aaron Ross Powell, as well as longtime observer of the militarization of police and author of the Substack, The Watch, Radley Balko, and co-founder and former contributor of The Bulwark, Charlie Sykes, author now of the Substack To the Contrary. They explore the mechanisms of this assault, how a manufactured crisis of fear is being weaponized by law enforcement, and the profound implications for civil liberties and the rule of law in America.The discussion is insightful, if unsettling.A transcript of today's podcast appears below. It has been edited for flow and clarity.Aaron Ross Powell: Welcome to a special live recording of The UnPopulist's Zooming In podcast here at the “Liberalism for the 21st Century” conference in Washington, D.C. I am Aaron Powell and I'm delighted to be joined by Radley Balko and Charlie Sykes to talk about the situation we find ourselves in.To me, the most striking image of Trump's campaign, months before he was reelected, was from the RNC. Before that, there was the weird one of him in the construction vest. But the most terrifying image was the one depicting the “Mass Deportation Now!” signs and the sneering and cruel faces celebrating the culture that they were wallowing in. Those faces made me think, as I was looking at them, of the faces in photographs during the Civil Rights Movement of police officers about to inflict violence, turn on firehoses, let dogs loose, and so on. And it felt like what we are seeing now.The “Mass Deportation Now!” images characterize not just the policies of Trump 2.0, but the attitude that they're trying to inflict upon the country. It feels like a rolling back of what we achieved in the 1960s from the Civil Rights Movement—it feels like we're in a retreat from that. This is a conscious attempt to roll that back. So I wanted to talk about that.Radley, I'll start with you. We're sitting in D.C. right now as National Guard troops and members of all sorts of agencies are patrolling the streets. Is this surprising to you—the pace at which these nominally public servants, who are supposed to serve and protect, have embraced this role of violence and fear and chaos?Radley Balko: I'm surprised at how quickly it's happened. I've been talking to people about this day for the last 20 years. I've been warning about the gradual militarization of our police, which is something that has happened in conjunction with the drug war and then the war on terror over 40 or 50 years.That debate was always about, “How militarized should our police be? How do we balance safety, and giving police officers what they need to protect public safety, with civil liberties and constitutional rights?” The fear was always that another Sept. 11 type event would cause what we're seeing now—that there would be a threat, a threat that everybody acknowledges as a threat, that would cause an administration, states, mayors, to crack down on civil liberties. But it would at least be a threat that everyone recognizes as a threat. We would be debating about how to react to it.When it comes to what's playing out today, there's no threat. This is all manufactured. This is all made up.Your juxtaposition of those two images—the clownish image of Trump in the construction vest and the other one depicting this genuinely terrifying anger and glee a lot of his followers get from watching grandmothers be raided and handcuffed and dragged out of their homes—show the clownishness and incompetence of this administration juxtaposed with the actual threat and danger, the hate and vitriol, that we see from his followers.We always hear that story about Ben Franklin after the Constitutional Convention: a woman comes up to him and says, “So, what is it, Mr. Franklin, do we have a republic or a monarchy?” And he says, “A republic, if you can keep it.” That phrase, of course, has been echoed throughout the ages. If Franklin were alive today, he would say, “You know, when I said that, I was worried about a Caracalla or a Sulla or a Caesar.” Instead it's like, this guy, the guy that has to win every handshake, that's who you're going to roll over for?I saw a lot of libertarian-ish people making this point before the election—that Trump's not a threat, he's a clown, he's incompetent, he's not dangerous. And you know what? He may be incompetent, but he's put people around him this time who do know what they're doing and who are genuinely evil.So, on some level, this was the worst case scenario that I never really articulated over the years when I've talked about police militarization. This is actual military acting as police, not police acting as the military. But here we are and they're threatening to spread it around the country to every blue city they can find.Powell: He's a clown, he's rightfully an object of ridicule, he doesn't know anything, he's riddled with pathologies that are obvious to everyone except him. And yet it's not just that he won, but that he effectively turned, not all of the American right, but certainly a large chunk of it into a personality cult. Charlie, given that he seems to be a singularly uninspiring personality, what happened?Charlie Sykes: Well, he's inspiring to his followers.Let me break down the question into two parts.I was in Milwaukee during the Republican Convention, when they were holding up the “Mass Deportation” signs—which was rather extraordinary, if you think about it, that they would actually put that in writing and cheer it. It's something that they'd been talking about for 10 years, but you could see that they were ramping it up.But you put your finger on this culture of performative cruelty and brutality that they have embraced. Trump has made no secret of that. It's one of the aspects of his appeal. For many, many years he's been saying that his idea of law and order is to have cops who will break heads and inflict harm. He's talked about putting razor blades on the top of the wall that Mexico was going to pay for. He's told stories about atrocities. One of his standard stories—that I think the media just stopped even quoting—was about Gen. “Black Jack” Pershing in World War I taking Muslim terrorists and shooting them with bullets that had been dipped in pig's blood. Totally b******t—he made the whole thing up. But it was an indication of a kind of bloodlust. He's talked about extrajudicial killings. He has expressed his admiration for strongmen like Duterte in the Philippines who have done this. He's talked about having drug courts that would have trials and executions the same day. So this is not a secret.What is really remarkable is the extent to which he's communicated that to his base. I mean, there are Americans who legitimately have concerns about immigration and about the border. But what he's also tapped into is this really visceral hatred of the other and the desire to inflict pain and suffering on them. I think that that is one of the ugliest aspects of his presence in our politics, and we saw that with the “Mass Deportation Now!” signs.Now, the second part is how he is implementing all of this with his raw police state, his masked brute squads sent into the city streets. And, again, he's made no secret of wanting to put active military troops into the streets of American cities. He was blocked from doing that in Trump 1.0, but obviously this is something that he's thought about and wants to do. And one of the most disturbing parts about this is the embrace of these kinds of tactics and this culture by law enforcement itself. Radley's written a lot about this. Donald Trump has gone out of his way, not only to defend war criminals, but also to defend police officers who've been accused of brutality. So he's basically put up a bat signal to law enforcement that: The gloves are off. We're coming in. There's a new sheriff in town.What's happening in Washington, D.C. is just a trial run. He's going to do this in New York. He's going to do this in Chicago. He's going to do this in one blue city after another. And the question is, “Will Americans just accept armed troops in their streets as normal?”Now, let me give a cautionary note here: Let's not gaslight Americans that there's not actually a crime problem. I think Democrats are falling into a kind of trap because there are legitimate concerns about public safety. So the argument shouldn't be: There's no crime problem. The argument should be: This is exactly the wrong way to go about dealing with it. Having mass, brute squads on the street is one step toward really running roughshod over a lot of different rights—due process rights and other constitutional rights—that most Americans are going to be reluctant to give up. But we're going to find out, because all of this is being tested right now.Balko: I'd like to jump in on the crime point. I mean, crime is down in D.C. D.C. does have a comparatively high crime rate for a city of its size. There's no question. It's always been that way here. But the idea that there's something happening right now that merits this response is what I meant when I called it a manufactured crisis.I think it's important to point out that, like you said, he's always wanted to do this. This is just the reason that he's managed to put his finger on and thinks is going to resonate.“I've been talking to people about this day for the last 20 years. I've been warning about the gradual militarization of our police, which is something that has happened in conjunction with the drug war and then the war on terror over 40 or 50 years. That debate was always about, ‘How militarized should our police be? How do we balance safety, and giving police officers what they need to protect public safety, with civil liberties and constitutional rights?' The fear was always that another Sept. 11 type event would cause what we're seeing now—that there would be a threat, that everybody acknowledges as a threat, that would cause an administration, states, mayors, to crack down on civil liberties. But there would at least be a threat that everyone recognizes as a threat. We'd be debating about how to react to it. When it comes to what's playing out today, there's no threat. This is all manufactured. This is all made up.” — Radley BalkoI do think we need to talk about crime and about what works and what doesn't. But I think it's important to acknowledge that “crime” is just the reason that he's found right now. This is something that he's been planning to do forever. Like Kristi Noem said, it is basically about deposing the leadership in these cities. In Los Angeles, she said that their goal was to “liberate” it from the socialist elected leaders.Sykes: I agree with you completely about that. I'm just saying that there is a danger of putting too much emphasis on the idea that there is not a crime problem—because in Chicago, there's a crime problem, in New York, there's a crime problem. People feel it. And, I mean, didn't Democrats learn a lesson in 2024 when there was inflation and they said, “Oh no, no, no, there's not really inflation here. Let me show you a chart. You can't think that the cost of living is a problem because here are some statistics that I have for you. There's not really a problem at the border—if you think there's a problem of immigration, a problem at the border, here, I have a chart showing you that there isn't a problem.” Well, you can't.If the public honestly thinks that there is a problem at the border, that there's a problem with inflation, and that there's a problem with crime, it's politically problematic to deny it because as David Frum wrote presciently in The Atlantic several years ago: If liberals will not enforce the border—you could add in, “or keep the city streets safe”—the public will turn to the fascists. If they think you will solve this problem and you're pretending it does not exist or you're trying to minimize it, they'll turn to the fascists.Balko: I don't want to belabor this, but I just think it's dangerous to concede the point when the premise itself is wrong.So, Trump made crime an issue in 2016, right? Recall the American Carnage inauguration speech. When Trump took office in Jan. 2017, he inherited the lowest murder rate of any president in the last 50 years. And yet he ran on crime. I think that it's important to push back and say, “Wait a minute, no, Obama did not cause a massive spike in crime. There was a tiny uptick in 2015, but that was only because 2014 was basically the safest year in recent memory.”Trump is also the first president in 30 years to leave office with a higher murder rate than when he entered it. You know, I don't think that presidents have a huge effect on crime, but Trump certainly does.So, I agree with you that we can't say crime isn't a problem, but we can also point out that crime went up under Trump and that what he's doing will make things worse.Sykes: I think these are all legitimate points to make. It's just that, Trump has this reptilian instinct to go for vulnerabilities. And one of the vulnerabilities of the progressive left is the problem of governance. If there is a perception that these urban centers are badly governed, that they are overrun with homeless encampments and crime and carjacking, then the public will see what he's doing as a solution.By the way, I'm making this argument because I think that we can't overstate how dangerous and demagogic what he's doing is. But I'm saying that this is going to be a huge fight. He's going to go into Chicago where crime is just demonstrably a problem, and where I think the mayor has an approval rating of about 12 to 16%, and he's going to say, “I am here with the cavalry.”There's got to be a better answer for this. There's got to be a way to focus on the real threat to the constitutional order that he is posing, as opposed to arguing on his ground and saying, “No, no, don't pay attention to crime, inflation, the border.”And, again, I'm making this argument because this is one that I think the country really has to win. Otherwise we are going to see militarization and an actual police state.Powell: Let me see if I can pull together some of the threads from the conversation so far, because I think there's a nexus, or something that needs to be diagnosed, to see the way through.When you [Charlie] were mentioning the bullets covered in pig's blood, what occurred to me was ... I was a kid at the height of '80s action movies. And that's the kind of thing that the bad guys did in '80s action movies. That's the kind of thing that justified the muscular American blowing them up or otherwise dispatching them.There's been a turn, now, in that we're seeing behavior from Americans that they would have at one point said, “This isn't who we are.” The Christianity that many Americans hold to, this is not the way that Jesus tells them to act. There's been a shift in our willingness to embrace this sort of thing, and it's behavior that I would have expected to horrify basically everyone watching it happening.And it is—his approval readings are declining rapidly. It is horrifying a lot of people—but fewer than I would have hoped. One of you mentioned that, on the one hand, there's the cruelty, but there's also the fear—and those are feeding into each other. And what I wonder is, yes, there's crime, but at the same time, if your media consumption habits are those of a committed Trump supporter, you are being told constantly to be afraid that everybody outside your door, except for the people who you recognize, or maybe the people who share your skin color or speak with the same accent you do, is a threat to you and your family.I see this with members of my own family who are Trump supporters. They are just terrified. “I can't ride the subway. It's too scary to ride the subway.” Or, “I go out in D.C. and I see youths doing the kinds of things youths do, and now I don't feel safe having my family there.” We don't have a war. We don't have a crisis. But we've told a huge portion of the country, “You should be afraid of every last thing except your immediate family and that guy who now rules the country.” And the crime rates are part of it. It's like, “You should be scared of every single one of these cities.”Sykes: It's a story. One of the speakers today was talking about the power of stories, that demagogues will tell a story. And a story of fear and anger is a very, very powerful story that you can't counteract with statistics. You need to counteract it with other stories.“This culture of performative cruelty and brutality is one of the aspects of his appeal. For many years he's been saying that his idea of law and order is to have cops who will break heads and inflict harm. He's talked about putting razor blades on the top of the wall that Mexico was going to pay for. He's told stories about atrocities. He would tell the story about Gen. ‘Black Jack' Pershing in World War I taking Muslim terrorists and shooting them with bullets that had been dipped in pig's blood. He's talked about extrajudicial killings. He has expressed his admiration for strongmen like Duterte in the Philippines who have done this. He's talked about having drug courts that would have trials and executions the same day. What is really remarkable is the extent to which he's communicated that to his base. He's tapped into this really visceral hatred of the other and the desire to inflict pain and suffering on them. I think that that is one of the ugliest aspects, and we saw that with the ‘Mass Deportation Now!' signs.” — Charlie SykesPart of the problem is that Trump has made that narrative. So, for example, you have members of your family who are Trump supporters. My guess is that they could name the young women who had been raped and murdered by illegal immigrants. Because, I mean, on Fox News, this is happening all the time, right? On Fox News, illegal immigrants are criminals. “Look at the crimes they are committing.” They tell that story in the most graphic way possible, and then turn around and say, “If you oppose what Donald Trump is doing, you are defending these ‘animals'”—as Trump described them.It is deeply dishonest. It is deeply dangerous. But it is potent. And we ought to look at it in the face and recognize how he is going to weaponize those stories and that fear, which is really the story of our era now. We're living in this era of peace, prosperity, general safety—and yet he's created this “American carnage” hellscape story.Balko: Yeah, I also think there's this weird paradox of masculinity in the MAGA movement. It's not about masculinity—it's about projecting masculinity. It's about co-opting aspects of masculinity. And it's like, “We're the manly men. We need men to be men again. And that's why we support men who sexually assault and sexually harass women. And, at the same time, we're all going to genuflect and debase ourselves in front of this 79-year-old man, because he's our leader and we need to let him insult our wives. And we're also scared to take the subway.” I think there were 10 murders last year in the New York city subway. The subway is one of the safest public spaces you'll find anywhere. But you'll regularly see MAGA people go on Fox News and talk about how scared they are of it.I mean, I don't know how persuadable any of MAGA is, but I do think pointing out the sheer cowardliness might resonate. When Markwayne Mullin goes on the Sunday shows and says he doesn't wear a seatbelt anymore because he's afraid he'll get carjacked and he needs to be able to jump out of his car quickly ...Sykes: ... He actually did say that.Balko: Yeah. And, I don't know what the stats are, but it's something like you're 40 or 50 times more likely to die in a car accident than you are in a carjacking. So, you know, he's sealing his own fate, I guess.But I do think that maybe there's something to appealing to their lack of masculinity when they try to push some of these narratives.Sykes: Well, yeah, I do think there are narratives out there.We have National Guard troops here in Washington, D.C.—where were they on Jan. 6th? Why did the president not bring them in then? We had one of the greatest assaults on law enforcement. So we can call b******t on Donald Trump being the “law and order,” “back the blue” president.One of the first things he did when he took office was issue the blanket pardons to all the rioters and seditionists who not only assaulted the Capitol, but specifically the ones who attacked police officers. We can stand up and say, “I don't want to be lectured by the man who gave the Get Out of Jail Free card to the people who tased and bear sprayed police officers in this city. Not to mention,”—before he brings up the whole “defund the police” thing—“the man who right now is dismantling the nation's premier law enforcement agency, the FBI.” Because all of these FBI agents who are being gutted or tasked with hassling homeless people in Washington, D.C., you know what they're not doing? They are not investigating child sex trafficking. They are not engaging in any anti-terrorism activities.So, what you do is call them out, saying, “You are not making this country safer. You are not the ‘law and order' president. You are a convicted felon. You in fact have freed and celebrated people who actually beat cops.” If Barack Obama would have pardoned someone who had attacked police officers, the right would have been utterly incandescent. And yet Donald Trump does it and he's not called out on it.I understand that there are some who are reluctant to say, “Well, no, we're actually the party of law and order. We're actually the party of public safety.” But you hit him right in what I think is a real vulnerability.Balko: One of the guys who literally told Jan. 6 rioters to kill the police is now a respected senior member of the Justice Department, whereas the guy who threw a sandwich at a cop is facing a felony charge. That is Trump's approach to law enforcement.Sykes: I always hate it when people go on TV and say, “This should be a talking point.” But that ought to be a talking point. Don't you think everybody ought to know his name? We have the video of Jared Wise saying, “Kill ‘em! Kill ‘em!” and calling the police Nazis. And he is now a top official in Donald Trump's Justice Department.Powell: This is my concern, though—and this allows me to belabor my Civil Rights Movement point some more. One of the reasons that the anti-civil rights movement, the counter-movement, was as vicious and as ugly as it was is because it was a group of people who felt like they had a status level by virtue of being white, of being men. As they saw things, “If we help minorities and others rise up, that lowers the baseline status that I have.” So they wanted to fight back. It was, “I'm going to keep these people down because it keeps me up.” And when Radley said that they're “projecting masculinity,” I think that's a big part.A big part of the appeal is, “Now I'm seeing guys like me dominating. Now I'm seeing guys who are from my area or share my cultural values or dress like me or are into the same slogans or have the same fantasies of power as I do, or just aren't the coastal elites with their fancy educations and so on, dominating.” And my worry is if that's what's driving a lot of it—that urge to domination coupled with the fear, which I think then allows them to overcome any barriers they have to cruelty—if you marry, “I can have power” and “I'm scared of these people,” that to them justifies their actions in the same way that it does the action movie heroes killing the guys who put the pig's blood on bullets. It becomes justified to inflict cruelty upon those they hate.My worry is if you go after them in that way, it feels like, “Okay, now what you're saying is these guys who look like me, who were dominating, don't actually deserve it.” I don't think that means that we stay away from it, but I think it risks triggering even more of this, “What I want is for it to be my boot on people's necks and I want them to stop putting me down. And I want them to stop telling me that I'm not good, that I'm incompetent, that it's not okay for me to beat my wife” (or whatever it happens to be). Trump is like an avatar for very mediocre men.Sykes: Well, I wouldn't use that as a talking point.Balko: A few years ago, I wrote a piece about a Black police chief who was hired in Little Rock by a mayor who ran on a reform platform and this police chief had a good record. He was in Norman, Okla. before that—he was the first Black chief in Oklahoma. And he was not a progressive by any means, but he was a reformer in that he wanted things to be merit-based and Little Rock has a really strong white police union. I say that because they also have a Black police union, because the Black officers didn't feel like they were represented by the white union.One of the first things that Chief Humphrey did was make the promotional interviews, that you get to move up through the ranks, blind. So you didn't know who you're talking to. If you were white, you didn't know if it was a fellow white person you were interviewing. Most of the people in charge were. The result of removing race from that process was that more Black officers were getting promoted than before. And I wrote about him because he ended up getting chased out of town. They hit him with fake sexual harassment charges; the union claimed he was harassing white women. Basically, they exerted their power and managed to chase him out.But one of the things he told me when I interviewed him was—and other people have said different versions of this—that when your entire life you've been the beneficiary of racial preferences as a white person, as happened in this country for most of its existence, meritocracy looks a lot like racial discrimination. Because things that you got just simply because you were entitled to now you have to earn. And that looks like, “Hey, this Black guy is getting this job over me. And that's not right. Because my dad got that job over the Black guy and his dad got the job over the Black guy.”And I think this backlash that we're seeing against DEI—I'm sure there are parts of this country where DEI was promoting unqualified people just to have diversity, and I do think there's there's value in diversity for diversity's sake—is white people, who have been benefiting from our racial hierarchy system that's been in place since the Founding, were starting to see themselves passed over because we were now moving to a merit-based system and they saw that as discrimination. That's a big part of the backlash.I don't know what the solution is. I don't know that we just re-impose all of the former policies once Trump's out of power, if he's ever out of power. But I do think that there is value in diversity for diversity's sake. Obviously I don't support strict quota systems, but I do think it's important to make that point that addressing historical injustices is critical.We went to the art museum in Nashville the other day and they had a whole exhibit about Interstate I-40 going through Nashville. It was supposed to go through this industrial area where there were no neighborhoods or private homes. And the Tennessee legislature deliberately made it run through the wealthiest Black neighborhood in Nashville and destroyed about 80% of Black wealth in the city. That was 1968—that was not 1868. That's relatively recently that you're destroying a ton of wealth. And you can find that history in every single city.I think a big part of this backlash is not knowing that history—and only knowing what's happening now and experiencing it out of context. For those people, it feels like reverse discrimination.Sykes: So, yes, a lot of this is true. But it's not the whole story. In the state of Wisconsin, overwhelmingly white voters voted for Barack Obama, a Black man, twice in a row before voting for Donald Trump. So we do have that long, deep history of racism, but then also an America that I think was making some progress. I'm just going to put this out as a counterpoint: I think that if people were appealing to the “better angels of their nature,” a lot of these people would not be buying into the cruelty, the brutality, the racism. Instead, we're appealing to their sense of victimization.But let's be honest about it. We moved from a Civil Rights Movement that was morally based on fairness and the immorality of discrimination to one that increasingly was identity politics that morphed into DEI, which was profoundly illiberal. What happened was a lot of the guys we're talking about were thinking not just that they want their boots on people's head, but they're constantly being told that they were bad, that their contributions were not significant. There were invisible tripwires of grievance—what you could say, what you could do, the way you had to behave. In the before times, a lot of the attacks on free speech and the demands for ideological conformity on university campuses were not coming from the illiberal right—they were coming from the illiberal left.And as I'm listening to the speakers at this conference talk about the assault on liberalism, I think one of the questions we have to ask—and maybe this is a little meta—is why it was so brittle. Well, it was brittle because it was caught in a pincer movement by the illiberal left and the illiberal right. My point is that a lot of this reaction is in fact based on racial animus, but there's also a sense that I hear from a lot of folks, a sense of liberation that they feel, that the boot was on their necks and is now being taken off, that they're not having to go to these highly ideological DEI training sessions where they were told how terrible and awful they were all the time. And how, if you believed in a race-blind society, that was a sign you were racist. If white women actually were moved by stories of racism and wept, that was white women's tears. This was heavy handed.“I do think the people who signed off on extraordinary rendition and snatching people off the street and sending them to a literal torture prison in El Salvador, those people need to be criminally charged. But I also think there need to be civil society repercussions. There are so many people in media—pundits, politicians who know better—who have a long record of pointing out how dangerous Trump was and then turned on a dime and started supporting him. I don't wish any physical harm on those people. I don't think any of those people should be put in prison. But I think those people should never be trusted as public intellectuals.” — Radley BalkoSo there was a backlash that was going to be inevitable. What's tragic is the way that it has been co-opted by the people who have really malign motives, who are not acting out of good will—the Stephen Millers who have figured out a way to weaponize this. But that line that goes from the racism of 1957 to the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, to a broad-based civil rights consensus—and, again, there's caveats in all of this—to identity-based politics. Let's be honest about it. That was not without sin. That was not without problems.Balko: So, I agree that there was I guess what you could call an illiberal approach to a mutual exchange of ideas on college campuses. There was a lot of shouting down of conservative speakers. In some cases, there were invitations revoked to valedictory speeches. There was some cutting off of funding for conservative speakers. But I want to make sure we're not delving into false equivalences here. I mean, the boot that you're talking about, Charlie, was a metaphorical boot, and we're talking about a very literal boot now.Sykes: Absolutely. That distinction is a significant one.Balko: So, my preferred way of expressing my disagreement with someone isn't to shout them down. I will say, though, that protest is a form of speech. I think, even to some extent, interrupting speeches that are particularly problematic or extremist is a form of speech. It's not one that I personally would engage in. But the type of censorship we're seeing now is direct. It is government censorship. It is not a violation of the spirit of free expression that we were seeing on college campuses before.Sykes: Oh, it was more than just that kind of violation. You had universities that required people to sign a DEI statement where they had to make ideological commitments in order to get a job. I mean, this was very heavy handed. There were no literal boots, but ... I like Jonathan Rauch's analogy that the illiberalism of the left is still a real problem, but it's like a slow-growing cancer. Right now, what we're facing with the illiberalism of the right is a heart attack. We have to deal with the heart attack right now, but let's not pretend that everyone who objects to some of the things that were happening are doing so because they are just vile, white racists.This is part of the problem. People spent decades accusing others of being racist on flimsy grounds. If you support Mitt Romney, you're a racist. If you support tax cuts, you're a racist. You know what happened? I come from this world and there was a time when to be called a racist was the worst thing you could possibly say about somebody. And it got to the point where, literally, if you were in favor of school choice, you were racist; in favor of tax cuts, you were racist. If you voted for a Republican … John McCain was a racist, George Bush was a racist. So when the real thing came along, guess what people said? They just rolled their eyes, shrugged, and said, “We've heard this before.” I mean, it was crying wolf for decades.And I've had these conversations when I would say, “How can you support someone who is just espousing this raw, vicious racism about Haitians eating dogs?” You know what I would get? “Oh, we've been hearing this for 20 years. Literally everyone I know has been accused of being a racist.”So we need to come back to a consensus. If we're going to restore that liberal consensus, we're going to have to say, “This is acceptable behavior. And this is not acceptable behavior.” But we are not going to use these labels to vilify. The politics of contempt is just not helpful. It is not helpful to tell people, “By the way, I think you're an idiot. I think you're stupid. I think you're racist. Would you like to hear my ideas about taxes now?” It doesn't work. And I think that one of the things that, tragically, Trump has tapped into is the sense that these elites look down on you.So, Aaron, when you say that this is the revolution of mediocre men, not helpful. Now, some of them are mediocre. I certainly agree. I write about mediocre people all the time—but, again, the politics of contempt is not the way to get ourselves out of this.Powell: I think there's a distinction between messaging and diagnosis. And if we're to understand how we got here, or the kinds of beliefs or values that can lead someone ... and I don't mean, you've been a partisan Republican voter for your entire life, and you come from a family of this, and you pulled the lever for Trump, but you're mostly an uninformed voter, which is a lot of people—I mean, the people who are cheering on Stephen Miller, they're in a different category. So it might be that, if you have one of those people in front of you, the message is not to say, “There's a broken set of morals at play here,” or “there's a cramped view of humanity at play here,” because they're not going to hear that in the moment.But if we're to understand how we got here and what we're up against, I think we have to be fairly clear-eyed about the fact that the [Trumpian] values that we've discovered over the last 10, 15 years have much more appeal and purchase among a lot of Americans than I think any of us had really expected or certainly hoped, and then figure out how to address that. And, again, it's not everybody—but it's more than I would like. If those values are central to someone's being, and the way that they view others around them and the way they relate to their fellow man, then I think a lot of the less condemning arguments also won't find purchase because, ultimately, it's not a policy difference. It's a, “I want a crueler world.”Sykes: This is where I think the argument that says, “Let's look at this cruelty. Let's look at this brutality. Let's look at the Stephen Millers” ... believe it or not, I actually think it's potent to say to somebody, “Do you want to be like that? Is that really what you want America to be? You're better than that.” And then, “Let me tell you the story of decency.”The story that we heard earlier today about how neighbors who are Trump voters will be there if your house is burning down or your father dies ... you appeal to that innate decency and say, “Do you really want this cruelty?” This is what's lacking, I think, on the right and in the Republican Party right now: people who say, “Okay, you may want less taxes, smaller government, a crackdown on street crime, less illegal immigration ... but is this who you want to be?” Show them the masked officer who is dragging the grandmother away. I do think that there is the better angel that says, “No, that is really not the American story.” You have to appeal to them as opposed to just condemn them. I'm not sure we're disagreeing, but I actually think that that's potent.Balko: I think there is not only room for ridicule when you're up against an aspiring authoritarian, but a lot of history shows it's often one of the few things that works because they really hate to be disrespected.I agree with Charlie that I don't think it's necessarily productive to make fun of people who have been tricked or who have been lied to, but I also think it's worth pointing out that Trump has contempt for his own supporters. I mean, one of the great ironies of our time is that when Trump would need a boost of self-esteem, he would go hold a rally in a state that, before he ran for president, he would never have been caught dead in. He grifts from his own supporters. His lies about Covid got his own supporters killed at higher rates than people in states that didn't vote for him. But I agree that it doesn't serve much benefit to denigrate people.Sykes: But do ridicule the people who are doing it. I mean, don't get me wrong. South Park is doing God's work right now.Balko: Absolutely.Powell: What, then, is the way forward?“This is part of the problem. People spent decades accusing others of being racist on flimsy grounds. If you support Mitt Romney, you're a racist. If you support tax cuts, you're a racist. You know what happened? I come from this world and there was a time when to be called a racist was the worst thing you could possibly say about somebody. And it got to the point where, literally, if you were in favor of school choice, you were racist; in favor of tax cuts, you were racist. If you you voted for Republican. John McCain was a racist. George Bush was a racist. So when the real thing came along, guess what people said? They just rolled their eyes, shrugged, and said, ‘We've heard this before.' I mean, it was crying wolf for decades.” — Charlie SykesLet's assume that democracy survives this current moment and that we somehow put Trump behind us. We can't go back to the status quo before this. We can't just say, “We're going to go back to the kind of politics we had during the Biden administration.” That seems to be off the table. We need something new. We need a new direction. What does that look like?Sykes: I honestly do not know at this point. And I don't think anybody knows. But I do think that we ought to remember, because we throw around the term “liberal democracy” a lot, that democracies are not necessarily liberal. Democracies are not necessarily kind. And I think we need to go back to things like the rule of law.I think it's going to involve some kind of restoration of balance in society. The damage that's being done now is so deep and some of it is so irreparable that I'm hoping that there will be a backlash against it, that there will be a pendulum swing back towards fundamental decency. And even though we keep talking about democracy a lot, I think we need to start talking about freedom and decency a little bit more.You know, I was listening to the Russian dissident who spoke tonight and he asked us to imagine what it's like trying to create a democratic society in Russia with all of their history and all their institutions. As bad as things are for us, we have a big head start. We still have an infrastructure, compared to what he is up against. We still can restore, I think, that fundamental decency and sense of freedom and equality before the law.Balko: I also don't know exactly what it's going to look like. I will say this: I think one of the big reasons why we are where we are today is that there wasn't a proper reckoning, and no real accountability, after the Civil War and Reconstruction. It's been the same with Jan. 6. There was no real accountability. The Democrats waited too long for impeachment. The DOJ was slow.I do think there have to be repercussions. I'm not saying that we throw everybody in the Trump administration in prison, but I do think the people who signed off on extraordinary rendition and snatching people off the street and sending them to a literal torture prison in El Salvador, those people need to be criminally charged.But I also think there need to be civil society repercussions. There are so many people in media—pundits, politicians who know better—who have a long record of pointing out how dangerous Trump was and then turned on a dime and started supporting him. I don't wish any physical harm on those people. I don't think any of those people should be put in prison. But I think those people should never be trusted as public intellectuals. We shouldn't employ them in that realm. I think they should be able to earn a living. I don't think they should earn our trust.I have zero confidence that that's going to happen. But I can personally say that I have no interest in participating in events like this with those people. I have no interest in giving those people any kind of legitimacy because they tried to take our birthright away from us, which is a free and democratic society—the country that, for all its flaws, has been an exemplary country in the history of humankind. They literally are trying to end that. And I don't think you just get to walk away from that and pretend like it never happened.Sykes: I totally agree.Powell: With that, thank you, Radley. Thank you, Charlie.© The UnPopulist, 2025Follow us on Bluesky, Threads, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and X.We welcome your reactions and replies. Please adhere to our comments policy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theunpopulist.net

With the Republican Party simply being a vessel for Trump and his authoritarian inclinations, it's more important now than ever that the Democratic Party rise up and defend our democracy. But whether its national leadership is unwilling, or simply unable, to do so, they are largely not meeting this moment; the chaos unfolding at the CDC is a flashing red warning about the politicization of public health in America. But there is a critical lesson we can learn from recent history; and as the war in Gaza reaches day 694, Israel has now begun the initial stages of its operation to take control of Gaza City and more than 500,000 Palestinians are experiencing famine.

To fully explain how demented the Left are, understand that we are to believe that Donald Trump was so unpopular that from 2020 to 2024, Democrats lost 2.1 million votes and Republicans gained 2.4 million.Consider the logic that would try to convince you that Trump is unpopular with those as the statistics.And if you want to play Devil's advocate, you could. You could pretend that the loss for Democrats and gain for Republicans isn't Trump's doing. But if that is the case, please tell me who is the leader of the Republican Party? What are the other reasons that happened. Is there a Democrat as popular as Democrats claimed Joe “81 million” Biden was supposed to be?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

August 30, 2025; 7am: CDC Director Susan Monarez was fired after refusing to resign.  Her attorneys said the firing came after she refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives in line with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In response, top officials at the agency quit, and hundreds of staffers staged a clap out in support. Plus, Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook has sued the Trump administration over their attempt to oust her. In an emergency hearing, the judge expressed concern over Trump's comments about securing a majority on the board. Neera Tanden and George Conway join “The Weekend” to discuss how this could impact everything from your finances to your physical health.For more, follow us on social media:Bluesky: @theweekendmsnbc.bsky.socialInstagram: @theweekendmsnbcTikTok: @theweekendmsnbcTo listen to this show and other MSNBC podcasts without ads, sign up for MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts.

The Democratic National Committee just wrapped up its meeting in Minneapolis, and one of the big ideas floated behind closed doors was a midterm convention. The logic is clear. Democrats are dealing with a brand problem. They want to reset, energize, and show that the party still has fresh faces and energy. That means television time. That means spectacle. So: midterm convention. And I'm all for it. I would love to cover one. I love conventions. Give me a big show with music, lights, messaging — I'm there.I don't know if Trump caught wind of this plan early or just read it when the story dropped, but it's clear what happened next. He jumped on Truth Social and declared that the Republican Party would also hold a midterm convention. Because if the Democrats are getting a big TV moment, then he's going to get one too — and he's going to make it better. That's how Trump operates. If you're doing a spectacle, he's doing a bigger one. The man knows television, and conventions are made-for-TV moments. So now we might have two of them.What would those look like? For the Democrats, expect the same tightly-scripted, ultra-managed production they've always delivered. Nobody does a convention script like the Democratic Party. For all their other dysfunctions, they know how to build a prime-time political package. The Republicans? Expect a Trump rally — but bigger, glossier, and even more overloaded with segments, guests, and applause lines. Multiple nights, probably. A celebration of Trumpism that looks less like a traditional political event and more like an awards show.The Path to a Shutdown is ClearMeanwhile, Axios also reported that Democratic leaders in Congress have landed on their key demand to avoid a government shutdown: the reversal of Medicaid cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill. And this is where things get interesting. Because while I'm not here to defend either side — I come from media, not partisanship — I can tell you that this is exactly the kind of story that drives conservatives crazy. This is what fuels the belief that the media covers these fights with blinders on. Because here's the reality: Democrats want to shut down the government. They are choosing this. They want a shutdown — not because they think it will solve something, but because they think it's a strong midterm frame.That frame is Medicaid cuts. Specifically, Medicaid cuts for rural hospitals. That's the message. Not the whole bill, not the fiscal fight — just the healthcare piece. That's the issue they believe will mobilize their base and let them go on offense. So everything that happens next, from press statements to floor speeches, is about setting up that narrative. The Republicans will try to pass a continuing resolution. Democrats will have to decide: do they agree, or do they shut it down?I don't think Schumer or Jeffries can survive politically if they don't let their caucus go through with this. That's the point we've reached. The shutdown is happening, and this is why. The date to watch is September 30 — that's when the funding runs out. And unless a miracle happens, we're going to see this showdown play out just like they've mapped it. And the messaging is already here. Elizabeth Warren said, “If Republicans want Democrats to provide votes to fund the Trump administration, they can start by restoring the health care they ripped away to finance more tax handouts for billionaires.” That's the line. That's the campaign.It's already baked in. Democrats sent a letter to Speaker Johnson and Senator Thune saying this has to be bipartisan — while knowing full well that their demands are nonstarters. It's the same dynamic we've seen from Republicans in the past: throw out a demand that won't be met, use the denial to justify the shutdown. The only difference is that Democrats usually don't do this. But this isn't the same Democratic Party as it used to be, now is it?Chapters00:00:00 - Intro00:06:42 - Midterm Conventions00:09:35 - Dems Shutdown Plan00:15:34 - Update and Minneapolis Shooting00:18:28 - Epstein00:22:56 - CDC00:24:33 - Mark Teixeira00:27:01 - Interview with Howard Mortman01:04:10- Wrap-up This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.politicspoliticspolitics.com/subscribe

Reflections on Life as a Political Prisoner, Attacks on the Church and SovereigntyConversations on Groong - August 28, 2025TopicsImprisonment and Political PersecutionInternational and Diaspora ResponsePashinyan Regime Attack on the ChurchThe Managed Capitulation ProcessGuestArmen Ashotyan, VP of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA)HostsHovik ManucharyanAsbed BedrossianEpisode 465 | Recorded: August 27, 2025Subscribe and follow us everywhere you are: linktr.ee/groong

Jason Kander and Ravi Gupta break down the stunning upset in Iowa as Democrat Catelin Drey flips a ruby red state Senate seat with an 11-point margin, ending the GOP's supermajority and signaling a major warning for Trump's Republican Party. They analyze what Drey's victory means for the balance of power in Des Moines, how her message on child care and abortion rights resonated with voters, and why Republicans are scrambling to protect their maps. Kander and Gupta also dive into Trump's increasingly authoritarian behavior, from embracing the “dictator” label to attempting to fire a Federal Reserve governor, while lying about mortgage records and pointing to foreign autocrats as models for U.S. policy. Plus, they discuss Gavin Newsom's surge in early 2028 polling, the aging of Congress, and what the California governor's rise says about the Democratic bench. This and more on the podcast that helps you, the majority of Americans who believe in progress, convince your conservative friends and family to join us—this is Majority 54! Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at https://SHOPIFY.com/majority Subscribe to Ravi's Substack: https://realravigupta.substack.com/ Majority 54 on Twitter: https://twitter.com/majority54 Jason on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JasonKander Jason on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonkander/ Ravi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RaviMGupta Ravi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ravimgupta Ravi on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LostDebate Remember to subscribe to ALL the MeidasTouch Network Podcasts: MeidasTouch: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/meidastouch-podcast Legal AF: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/legal-af MissTrial: https://meidasnews.com/tag/miss-trial The PoliticsGirl Podcast: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-politicsgirl-podcast The Influence Continuum: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-influence-continuum-with-dr-steven-hassan Mea Culpa with Michael Cohen: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/mea-culpa-with-michael-cohen The Weekend Show: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-weekend-show Burn the Boats: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/burn-the-boats Majority 54: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/majority-54 Political Beatdown: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/political-beatdown On Democracy with FP Wellman: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/on-democracy-with-fpwellman Uncovered: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/maga-uncovered Coalition of the Sane: https://meidasnews.com/tag/coalition-of-the-sane Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While “Interesting Times” is on vacation, we're sharing a conversation from “The Opinions” between Meher Ahmad, an editor for Times Opinion, and the Opinion writer Jessica Grose. They talk about the aesthetics of MAGA women — think Kristi Noem and Nancy Mace — and what they signal about femininity and power within the Republican Party. Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com. Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel, Interesting Times with Ross Douthat.A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

In this episode, Lisa sits down with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich for a candid conversation about Donald Trump’s lasting impact on American politics. Gingrich shares insights on Trump’s deep bond with everyday voters, how the former president has changed following the assassination attempts, and why his influence continues to shape the Republican Party. They also examine the challenges facing Democrats as the political landscape shifts heading into the next election cycle. The Truth with Lisa Boothe is part of the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Podcast Network. Listen to Newt's Podcast HERESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Original air date: September 20, 2024 Donald Trump is a crummy candidate, but he's certainly not the only example of rot in the Republican Party. With so much of the Trump campaign focused on hate and division, we have to ask: how low can the Republican Party really go? The Washington Post's Jen Rubin and Words Matter host Norm Ornstein join David Rothkopf for an examination of how far the Republican Party has fallen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode #1,050 of The Clay Edwards Show, host Clay Edwards delivers an unfiltered, no-holds-barred discussion on what he calls "trans terrorism," sparked by a recent school shooting in Minnesota where a transgender individual killed two children and wounded others at a Catholic school. Strap in for a raw dose of reality radio as Clay breaks rules when necessary, challenging censorship and speaking hard truths about transgenderism, politics, and societal issues. Clay opens with a warning: this isn't a light-hearted episode. He addresses the sensitive nature of the content, advising listeners with kids to tune out if they haven't discussed transgender topics yet. Fresh and fired up, Clay declares transgenderism isn't a mental illness—it's pure evil, engineered by Democrats and progressives, unleashed like a lab-created virus on America and the world. He argues we've been forced to affirm delusions, calling out the charade of gender swaps and refusing to play along. Pulling no punches, Clay lists recent violent acts involving transgender or gender-fluid individuals: the Minnesota church school shooting, Nashville school shooter, Colorado Springs non-binary shooter, Denver and Iowa school shooters, Aberdeen shooter, Colorado Tesla arsonist, Republican Party firebombing, and an AMC stabber. He sees a pattern—an epidemic of trans-involved terror—and slams calls for gun control, especially from figures like Trey Gowdy, who Clay mocks for blaming "young white males" without acknowledging the transgender element in many cases. Clay dives into cultural critiques, calling out Black Democrats for supporting a party he says funds evil while claiming Christianity. He differentiates "normal gay people" from the LGBTQ agenda, insisting trans ideology is evil incarnate, grooming vulnerable people—especially autistic youth—via the internet. Using AI queries, he highlights research showing transgender individuals are 3-6 times more likely to have autism traits and face suicide rates 7 times higher than cisgender adults (80% have considered it, 40% attempted). He labels "gender-affirming care" as mutilation, akin to genocide targeting the spectrum. The episode unpacks political angles: the shooter's manifesto mentioning "Kill Trump," ties to Obama-era policies, and criticism of Minnesota's mayor for defending the trans community post-shooting while ignoring victims. Clay plays clips, including Tim Walz's gaffe about being "friends with school shooters" and Trey Gowdy's gun control remarks. He warns trans people hate conservatives and Christians, urging caution around them and questioning why Catholic schools hire trans staff—likening it to letting a fox in the henhouse. Listener calls add fire: one praises quick service from a sponsor but pivots to blaming parents for pushing trans trends on kids (citing celebrity examples like Magic Johnson's and Dwyane Wade's children); another shares a story of a school's open house decked in BLM and rainbow flags, suggesting it sowed seeds for tragedy. Clay corrects misconceptions—like defining trans as men pretending to be women (and vice versa)—and addresses violence against trans people, arguing most cases involve sex workers tricking clients, not broad transphobia. He teases potential retribution from fed-up patriots but clarifies he's not calling for it, emphasizing America's crossroads: good vs. evil, no gray areas. Fired up and unapologetic, Clay vows to shake off "weak men and cuck punks" for better times, blending humor, rage, and common sense. This episode fights for America's soul, spotlighting corruption in Jackson, Mississippi, and beyond. If you're ready for uncensored talk on cancel culture, culture rot, and breaking tyrannical rules, this is your show. Award-winning podcaster Clay Edwards keeps it real—boom shaka laka boom!  

Original air date: September 20, 2024 Donald Trump is a crummy candidate, but he's certainly not the only example of rot in the Republican Party. With so much of the Trump campaign focused on hate and division, we have to ask: how low can the Republican Party really go? The Washington Post's Jen Rubin and Words Matter host Norm Ornstein join David Rothkopf for an examination of how far the Republican Party has fallen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Air Date 8/27/2025 RFK Jr. and the Make America Healthy Again movement aren't completely wrong about everything, they often identify the larger structural problems with the US health industrial complex even if their proposed solutions are wildly off the mark. But the problem they failed to see coming when partnering with Trump and the Republicans is that they're only going to be allowed to misguidedly defund and dismantle parts of the government that support health which is in line with the broader burn-it-all-down vibes of the MAGA movement, but under no circumstances will they be allowed to implement new regulations that might actually do the public some good at the expense of corporate interests because that would go against the pro-corporate/deregulation obsession of the Republican Party. So, MAHA might be a mixed bag but what the country is getting is a lose/lose. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: RFK Jr. Is Putting American Lives At Risk Part 1 - What A Day - Air Date 8-8-25 KP 2: What the Wellness Industry Doesn't Want You to Know Part 1 - More Perfect Union - Air Date 8-4-25 KP 3: Aryn Melton Backus of 'Fired But Fighting' on RFK's War on Public Health Part 1 - The BradCast - Air Date 8-11-25 KP 4: Despite 'MAHA' Fuss, Truth of Trump Admin's Health Priorities Seen in Drastic Cuts - The Briefing - Air Date 5-23-25 KP 5: The Nutrition Lies We All Fell For Part 1 - Rich Roll - Air Date 8-11-25 KP 6: Dr. Mikes Fight to Save Medicine From RFK Jr. Part 1 - Bulwark Takes - Air Date 8-4-24 KP 7: You're on Your Own MAHA Dismantles Public Health Rob Wallace & Rita Valenti Part 1 - This Is Hell! - Air Date 8-7-25 (00:53:06) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On why regulations are written in blood DEEPER DIVES (01:01:33) SECTION A: MAHA AGENDA A1: Kennedy's MAHA Report Targets Vaccines, Food Supply and Prescription Drugs - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 5-22-25 A2: Raul Ruiz Absolutely Hammers RFK Jr. Over MAHA Report 'That's Lying And Dishonest' - Forbes Breaking News - Air Date 6-24-25 A3: 270 Kennedy's Bloodbath Part 1 - Conspirituality - Air Date 8-14-25 A4: RFK Jr.'s New Vaccine Advisors Signal Big Changes to Come - Short Wave - Air Date 6-30-25 A5: RFK Jr. Is Putting American Lives At Risk Part 2 - What A Day - Air Date 8-8-25 A6: 270 Kennedy's Bloodbath Part 2 - Conspirituality - Air Date 8-14-25 A7: You're on Your Own MAHA Dismantles Public Health Rob Wallace & Rita Valenti Part 2 - This Is Hell! - Air Date 8-7-25 (01:53:49) SECTION B: THE GRIFTERS B1: What the Wellness Industry Doesn't Want You to Know Part 2 - More Perfect Union - Air Date 8-4-25 B2: Make America Healthy Again Part 1 - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - Air Date 8-18-25 B3: The Nutrition Lies We All Fell For Part 2 - Rich Roll - Air Date 8-11-25 B4: Dr. Mikes Fight to Save Medicine From RFK Jr. Part 2 - Bulwark Takes - Air Date 8-4-24 B5: Make America Healthy Again Part 2 - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - Air Date 8-18-25 (02:36:28) SECTION C: CON-TRADICTORY POLICIES C1: The Nutrition Lies We All Fell For Part 3 - Rich Roll - Air Date 8-11-25 C2: 4 Ways SNAP Benefits Will Change After Trump's Big Policy Act - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 8-9-25 C3: Aryn Melton Backus of 'Fired But Fighting' on RFK's War on Public Health Part 2 - The BradCast - Air Date 8-11-25 C4: Ending Corporate Harm Undue Influence Within Corporate Product Health and Safety with Dr. Tracey Woodruff, PhD, MPH - Cult Conversations The Influence Continuum - Air Date 7-28-25 SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: Composite image showing a circular screen grab showing from HHS Secretary RFK Jr. wearing the MAHA hat and pulling down the brim to show the “Make America Healthy Again” text, on a green background. Credit: Composite design by A. Hoffman. Image Source: HHS “Netzpolitik Demonstration for press freedom in Berlin” by Sebaso, Wikimedia Commons | License: CC BY-SA 4.0 | Changes: Cropped   Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

But I don't want to focus on the Democrats right now. I want to focus on the Republican Party because one of the big things that's going to shape the midterms — which, make no mistake, are going to be nationalized — is how the American public feels about the GOP. That includes the party's overall image, the fact that they currently hold the House, Senate, and the White House, and the role of Donald Trump as president. Historically, that's usually the kiss of death in a midterm. The public looks at single-party control and, whether consciously or not, pulls back a bit. It's a check on power, and more often than not, it happens.I still believe, sitting here in late August of 2025, that Democrats are in a good position to take the House back in 2026. The redistricting mess adds some chaos, but even assuming that plays out neutrally or slightly in their favor, the historical precedent is clear — they should be competitive. That said, if we were heading toward something other than a typical midterm correction, you'd start to see signs. Not signs that Democrats are collapsing — that's already evident in other areas — but signs that voters are unusually comfortable with Republican governance.And you know what? Those signs are there.If I had to judge the early terrain by three hard metrics, I'd go with national fundraising, party registration, and the president's approval rating. Let's start with the money. The Republican National Committee currently has $65 million in cash on hand. That's not an overwhelming total, but it's strong — especially with a year to go. More importantly, it's four times what the Democratic National Committee has. The DNC is sitting on just $15 million. That gap alone is bad enough, but it gets worse when you factor in spending decisions like Proposition 50 in California. That fight — to temporarily override the independent redistricting commission — is going to vacuum up cash from the same organizations and donors who would otherwise be investing in House flips. So the Democrats are undercapitalized, and they're committing resources to side projects.Then there's registration data. According to a recent New York Times report, Democrats have lost 2.4 million registered voters in swing states that track party affiliation. In the same set of states, Republicans have gained nearly that same amount. That's a five million voter swing. It's not just that Democrats are losing — Republicans are growing. That kind of shift doesn't usually happen in the middle of a polarizing presidency. People don't suddenly start checking the box for the incumbent party unless something is resonating. And considering the kind of term Donald Trump is having — rapid policy implementation, constant headline churn, immigration crackdowns, inflation waves, even distractions like the Epstein debacle — you'd expect backlash. Instead, you get a net positive in party affiliation.That brings us to approval ratings. Trump's RealClearPolitics average stands at 46.3 percent. He's still underwater, with 50.8 percent disapproving. But let's add context. That number is higher than Joe Biden, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, or even Ronald Reagan had at this same point in their second terms. That's unusual. And while being underwater is never ideal, that 4.5-point spread is about what you'd expect for Trump when you factor in how he's consistently undercounted in national polling. And the range of poll results is all over the map — Rasmussen has him up one, Harvard Harris has him down two, YouGov has him down 12, and Gallup just released a poll with him down 16. But even Gallup's number is an improvement from previous weeks, which suggests that Trump's “tough on crime” stance — especially in DC — is landing.So when I step back and look at the full picture, what I see is a Republican Party that isn't being punished. That might sound basic, but it's a big deal. Historically, you'd expect that by now — with the administration moving aggressively, Democrats hammering every misstep, and inflation rising — the electorate would be turning. But instead, Republicans have a funding advantage, a registration advantage, and a president who's polling better than most of his second-term predecessors.That doesn't mean they're going to hold the House. The historical pattern still favors Democrats picking up seats. But it does mean that the GOP is better positioned than it has any right to be under these circumstances. And if your theory of the midterms is based on Trump's agenda — the one big, beautiful bill, cutting Medicaid, handing out tax breaks, and all the rest — then you have to reckon with the fact that, at least for now, it isn't hurting them. Maybe that changes. But if this were going to backfire, I would have liked to have seen a little something from it by now.Chapters00:00:00 - Intro00:04:20 - Early Midterms Thoughts00:16:21 - Update00:16:42 - Abigail Spanberger00:23:47 - Trump's Chinese Students Plan00:27:55 - Lisa Cook00:33:54 - Interview with Amanda Nelson01:26:10 - Wrap-up This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.politicspoliticspolitics.com/subscribe

Listen to Wednesday's "Dan O'Donnell Show" as Dan dives into the Minneapolis school shooting, which killed two children and was apparently committed by a transgender gunman. Plus, Dan breaks down the Republican Party's analysis of this year's Supreme Court election loss.

Realizing that having no message other than resistance to President Trump will not gain them enough seats to wrest either the House or the Senate from the Republicans, Democrats are seeking a new message to attract voters. One idea gaining popularity is the Abundance Movement that is based on the book Abundance written by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson. In this commentary we look at the pros and cons of some of the authors ideas.

In the United States, today's Republican Party is what political scientists call “personalist.” Power is concentrated with one individual, and other party elites don't have much ability—or willingness—to oppose that leader. In other countries around the world, when personalist parties have won control of national government, the result has been democratic backsliding and growing authoritarianism. Understanding why this is a problem for the future of democracy can also help us understand what to do about it. Erica Frantz studies authoritarian politics, with a focus on democratization, democratic backsliding, conflict, and development. She is an associate professor of political science at Michigan State University and a research fellow at the Charles F. Kettering Foundation.

Marc Cox talks with former Missouri Senator John Lamping about Mike Kehoe's appointment of Catherine Hanaway as Attorney General and her pledge to focus on law over politics. Lamping breaks down divisions in the Republican Party, with Hanaway and Kehoe tied to the establishment wing against MAGA influences. They discuss her tough-on-crime background, plans to work with prosecutors, and redistricting battles in Missouri.

A public feud has erupted between Donald Trump and the Republican leadership in the Senate, revealing a deep divide within the party. The transcript claims that Senate Republicans, led by Chuck Grassley and John Thune, are actively blocking Trump's judicial and other nominees. The speaker argues that this is not only an act of sabotage but a "hostage situation" designed to force Trump to abandon his plan for spending cuts, known as "Doge Cuts." This internal conflict, the transcript suggests, is a consequence of the Republican party becoming the "biggest spending party" in history, a reality that the leadership is allegedly trying to hide. The broadcast challenges prominent Republicans like Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott to take a side, highlighting the high stakes of this intra-party war. It's a look at a Republican Party at a crossroads, where loyalty to the party's leadership is in direct conflict with the agenda of the president.

August 24, 2025; 9am: Recent polling shows President Trump's self-proclaimed “Big Beautiful Bill” is unpopular and many constituents are imploring Democrats to push back harder against his agenda. Several Democrats see this as an opportunity to rally through red states and remind voters who is to blame when they cast their ballots this November. Representative Maxwell Frost joins “The Weekend” to discuss the reaction from his latest town hall in Omaha, Nebraska, and Democrats' messaging around the spending bill leading into the midterms.For more, follow us on social media:Bluesky: @theweekendmsnbc.bsky.socialInstagram: @theweekendmsnbcTikTok: @theweekendmsnbcTo listen to this show and other MSNBC podcasts without ads, sign up for MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts.

On this week's show: – David Levine, professor at UC Law San Francisco – Jack Newell, director of the film “American Schemers,” coming soon to the Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival – “Clare” on leaving your family's Republican Party politics and moving to the center-left Visit "The Turi Ryder Show" page at heartlandsignal.com/programs/the-turi-ryder-show.

The discussion began with an examination of juvenile crime in Washington, D.C., where Brian  and Jeffrey noted the lack of prosecution for minors involved in violent acts, leading to a cycle of crime. They referenced a recent incident involving children released to home detention after committing violent acts. The conversation then shifted to sports, highlighting O'Neal Cruz's impressive home run, and included reflections on the devastating flash floods in Pakistan, drawing parallels to severe weather events in the U.S. Political topics were a significant focus, with Testecleese and Brian analyzing Kamala Harris's book tour, noting its Democratic leanings and questioning its relevance in light of upcoming elections. They discussed the suspension of two boys in Loudoun County for questioning a transgender student's presence in their locker room, viewing it as a violation of constitutional rights. The conversation also covered Massachusetts gun laws and the evolving dynamics within the Republican Party, expressing frustration over the party's indecisiveness and referencing contentious political events involving Texas Democrats.

August 23, 2025; 9am: After years of public pressure to release the Epstein files, the Department of Justice sent the first batch of documents to the House Oversight Committee on Friday. However, there are mixed reactions about the latest drop. While the Committee's chair, Congressman James Comer, praised the DOJ for “moving at a pace far faster than anything ever produced by the Biden DOJ,” Representative Robert Garcia said most of the files they've received were already public. Representative Ro Khanna, who is also a member of the committee, confirmed Rep. Garcia's assertion on this hour of “The Weekend.”For more, follow us on social media:Bluesky: @theweekendmsnbc.bsky.socialInstagram: @theweekendmsnbcTikTok: @theweekendmsnbcTo listen to this show and other MSNBC podcasts without ads, sign up for MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts.

Geoff Kabaservice joins the program to talk about the historical parallels between today's politics and some of history's more notorious authoritarian leaders. They discuss the redistricting “Civil War” going on, and what Ronald Reagan would say about today's Republican Party. Mark then shares a story about the death of Dr. James Dobson and how his legacy was one of pain and discrimination. Rational Revolution with Mark Becker is a part of the Civic Media radio network and airs Saturdays at 2 across the network. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows to see the entire broadcast line up. Follow the show on Facebook and X to keep up with Rational Revolution with Mark Becker. Guest: Geoff Kabaservice

Frank Schaeffer In Conversation with Geoffrey Kabaservice, exploring his work and the themes of his book, Rule and Ruin: The Downfall of Moderation and The Destruction of The Republican Party, From Eisenhower to The Tea Party._____https://www.niskanencenter.org/https://www.niskanencenter.org/author/geoffrey-kabaservice/https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-vital-center/id1554124916https://www.lovechildrenplanet.com/events/it-has-to-be-read-rule-and-ruin-by-geoffrey-kabaservice_____I have had the pleasure of talking to some of the leading authors, artists, activists, and change-makers of our time on this podcast, and I want to personally thank you for subscribing, listening, and sharing 100-plus episodes over 100,000 times.Please subscribe to this Podcast, In Conversation… with Frank Schaeffer, on your favorite platform, and to my Substack, It Has to Be Said. Thanks! Every subscription helps create, build, sustain and put voice to this movement for truth. Subscribe to It Has to Be Said. Support the show_____In Conversation… with Frank Schaeffer is a production of the George Bailey Morality in Public Life Fellowship. It is hosted by Frank Schaeffer, author of Fall In Love, Have Children, Stay Put, Save the Planet, Be Happy. Learn more at https://www.lovechildrenplanet.comFollow Frank on Substack, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, and YouTube. https://frankschaeffer.substack.comhttps://www.facebook.com/frank.schaeffer.16https://twitter.com/Frank_Schaefferhttps://www.instagram.com/frank_schaeffer_arthttps://www.threads.net/@frank_schaeffer_arthttps://www.tiktok.com/@frank_schaefferhttps://www.youtube.com/c/FrankSchaefferYouTube In Conversation… with Frank Schaeffer Podcast

The police officer who died responding to the shooting at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta two weeks ago was memorialized Friday; Senior state judge David Emerson has set an emergency hearing for next week after the Fulton County Commission did not follow his order to appoint two Republican nominees to the county's elections board; The national Republican Party elects a new chairman during a meeting of the Republican National Committee in Atlanta Friday.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump and the Republican Party pretend to represent conservatism even though they clearly don't know what it means to be a conservative.

   Sam McDowell of the KC Star reports that a bullet was shot through the window of Andy Reid's office in May of 2024 while Andy was in the room.   Why would it take 18 months for this story to get out?  The timing is curious to say the least, we have a couple theories.    JD Vance is speaking out about bringing Elon Musk back into the Republican Party and according to reports, Musk is on board.  This could mean the end to any attempt at a third party.   An American in Alaska with a WW II era Soviet motorcycle is gifted a brand new Russian bike by Putin.    The Royals give one away in the 9th inning but don't lose any ground.  The Chiefs trade Skyy Moore which is no small miracle.  The Pats coach has a problem at Starbucks.    And Lee Sterling of www.paramountsports.com is back with a preview of the SEC and Big 12 and a couple free picks for you in Week Zero of college football.  

Tara Setmayer and Michelle Kinney are co-founders of the bipartisan superpac The Seneca Project, Tara's a former GOP Communications Director on Capitol Hill and most recently served as a Senior Advisor for The Lincoln Project. She's a political writer and commentator who's appeared on MSNBC and other news outlets, The View, and Real Time with Bill Maher. Her writing has been featured on CNN.com, Bloomberg, Cosmopolitan, The Daily Beast, and NBC.com. In November 2020 she left the Republican Party after Donald Trump refused to concede the election to Joe Biden. Michelle Kinney previously she served as the Creative Director at The Lincoln Project. She's also a photojournalist, previously served as Vice President of WestSide Democrats in NYC, and was publicly elected to the New York County Democratic Committee. Michelle and Tara share their thoughts on Trump first 200 +days; the awesome Newsom trolling; Texas redistricting, mail-in voting, the attack on the 19th Amendment, and the overall assault on our voting process; the "liberal media's" role in shaping the narrative; and the need for Democrats to stay positive, engaged, strong and to fight fire with fire. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

The Relentless Patriot Scott LoBaido joins Sid live in-studio for his weekly Wednesday morning appearance to rant about his recent visits to Seaside Heights, New Jersey, participating in rallies and events to raise awareness about environmental issues, primarily focusing on opposing windmills that he claims harm marine life. He also talks about his provocative art aimed at drawing attention to these causes, including a viral piece depicting a sea turtle injured by windmills. The conversation covers a wide range of topics, including the role of art in therapy, the Republican Party's support for Curtis Sliwa in the New York mayoral race, and broader political issues facing New York and the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's Wednesday, August 20th, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark Muslim Nigerians killed 7,000 Christians this year A Nigerian-based nonprofit reports Islamic extremists have killed over 7,000 Christians in the country so far this year. The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law also found that nearly 8,000 Christians were violently seized and abducted.  The report notes this translates into “an average of 30 Christian deaths per day and more than one per hour.” Since 2009, Jihadists in Nigeria have killed over 125,000 Christians and destroyed nearly 20,000 church buildings.  Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ in Nigeria. The country is ranked seventh on the Open Doors' World Watch List of the most difficult countries to be a Christian.  Psalm 14:4 asks, “Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call on the LORD?” Absurd charges dropped against Scottish pro-life grandmother Authorities in Scotland dropped charges against a 75-year-old grandmother who was arrested for holding a sign near an abortion mill.  Back in February, Rose Docherty held a sign that read: “Coercion is a crime, here to talk, only if you want.” Officials arrested her for violating a “buffer zone” law that restricts free expression near abortion mills. Docherty reacted to her case being dropped. She said, “This is a victory not just for me, but for everyone in Scotland who believes we should be free to hold a peaceful conversation.” Conservative Canadian Pierre Poilievre wins election In Canada, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre (pronounced PAH-lee-ev) won a special election in the province of Alberta on Monday.  Poilievre heads back to Canada's parliament after losing his seat earlier this year. He will continue his work as the opposition leader against Canada's ruling Liberal Party. Listen to comments from Poilievre. POILIEVRE: “We will work together. We will fight together. We will sacrifice together to restore the opportunity that our grandparents left for us, so that we can leave it for our grandchildren, so that we can once again restore a country that is strong, self-reliant and sovereign. That is why we stay united. That is why we go forward. May God keep our land glorious and free.” Trump wants to end mail-in ballots In the United States, President Donald Trump said Monday that he wants to end mail-in ballots as well as voting machines. Listen to comments from Trump.  TRUMP:  “You can never have a real democracy with mail in ballots. We, as a Republican Party, are going to do everything possible that we get rid of mail-in ballots. We're going to start with an executive order, that's being written right now by the best lawyers in the country, to end mail-in ballots because they're corrupt.” Trump wrote on Truth Social, “With their HORRIBLE Radical Left policies, like Open Borders, Men Playing in Women's Sports, Transgender and ‘WOKE' for everyone, and so much more, Democrats are virtually Unelectable without using this completely disproven Mail-In SCAM.” Bank of America will stop "debanking" conservatives The New York Post reports that Bank of America scrapped a rule used to “debank” conservatives. Major banks have also used the rule to deny services to religious groups, especially Evangelical ones.  JP Morgan Chase dropped the rule last year. Bank of America finally followed suit.  Jeremy Tedesco with Alliance Defending Freedom said, “Over the past two years, ADF and our partners in both the private and public sectors have repeatedly engaged with Bank of America's leadership to advocate for this change.” Fewer Americans are moving The Wall Street Journal reports that U.S. domestic migration rates are down. Only 7.9% of Americans relocated to a new town or city last year, down from about 20% in the 1950s and 60s. The rate has been steadily declining since then. People are also moving less within their own county. That rate is down 47% over the past three decades.  The falling domestic migration rates are associated with high mortgage rates, dual-income households, an aging population, and remote job opportunities.  Church-engaged Christians have less stress, anxiety, and loneliness And finally, the American Bible Society released the fifth chapter of its State of Bible: USA 2025 report. The chapter measured church engagement as the level of a person's involvement in the life, mission, and community of a local church. Only 34% of self-identified Christians attend church weekly. In terms of generations, Gen Z had the lowest levels of church engagement. Women, married people, Evangelicals, and people in small cities were more likely to be highly engaged with their church. John Plake with the American Bible Society said, “Our survey shows that church-engaged Christians have significantly less stress, less anxiety, less loneliness, and more hope.” Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Wednesday, August 20th, in the year of our Lord 2025. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Anja Raudabaugh, Chief Executive Officer of Western United Dairies joins Darcy and Darcy this week and shares how she led the effort to defeat Sonoma Ballot Proposition Measure Ja citizen-led initiative which would have banned dairy as well as similar farming operations. The ballot initiative was defeated with 85% of voters, NOT supporting the proposition. Anja was able to get the Republican Party of Sonoma County, but also the Democratic Party of Sonoma County AND the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board to oppose the measure? How? That's what the Darcy's wanted to know! To find out Anja's secrets, listen in!  To learn more about Anja and Western United Dairies, visit www.wudairies.com.  Send us a textWe Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

The discussion begins with an analysis of a shift in voter registration, with a large number of people reportedly switching from the Democratic to the Republican Party. The conversation then turns to economic concerns, examining polling data from Georgia that shows a decline in approval for the current administration's handling of the economy, despite strong performance in other areas like crime and national security. The episode explores the connection between record-high federal spending and rising inflation, and discusses how Republican leadership in Congress may be contributing to the problem. It also highlights positive developments on other fronts, including a significant drop in crime in Washington D.C. and new foreign policy initiatives.

This week, state politics reporter Kyle Ingram is your guest host. He talks to D.C. correspondent Danielle Battaglia about the anticipated matchup between two high profile candidates in the North Carolina U.S. Senate race: Former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and Republican Party leader Michael Whatley. Host: Kyle Ingram Guest: Danielle Battaglia Executive Producer: Laura Brache Want even more North Carolina politics news? Our Under the Dome newsletter dives deep into all things #ncpol and legislative happenings. It's sent to your inbox Sunday to Friday. Sign up here. Please consider supporting local journalism with a subscription to The N&O. If you're already a subscriber, thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PLUS - Opportunities abound for citizen engagement with The Republican Party of Texas.

Join us on this episode of Braving Business as we delve into the world of politics, resilience, and leadership with Adam Kinzinger, a former U.S. Congressman and current senior political commentator at CNN. Known for his unwavering stance against the tide of misinformation and his commitment to democratic principles, Adam shares his journey from the halls of Congress to the forefront of a movement aimed at depolarizing American politics.Key Topics Covered:Adam's transition from a rising star in the Republican Party to a vocal critic of the MAGA movement.Insights from his tenure on the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack.The founding of Country First and its mission to restore core democratic values.The challenges and strategies of navigating political and personal pivots.Guest Background:Adam Kinzinger served as a U.S. representative from Illinois from 2011 to 2023. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard, he continues to serve as a Lieutenant Colonel. Adam's political career is marked by his courageous stand against voter fraud claims following the 2020 presidential election and his dedication to truth and accountability.Main Insights:The importance of conviction over ambition in leadership roles.How to remain resilient in the face of political and social adversity.The role of integrity and transparency in restoring public trust.Actionable Takeaways:Strategies for maintaining personal and professional integrity amidst external pressures.Approaches to fostering bipartisan dialogue and reducing polarization.Lessons on leading with courage and conviction, even when it means standing alone.Tune in to explore how Adam Kinzinger's experiences can inspire business leaders and entrepreneurs to navigate their own challenges with resilience and integrity.

In this episode, Tudor speaks with political strategist Jim McLaughlin about the upcoming midterm elections, the shifting dynamics within the Democratic Party, and the importance of voter turnout. They discuss the impact of complacency on election outcomes, the economic policies affecting manufacturing, immigration issues, and the role of race and identity politics in contemporary politics. McLaughlin emphasizes the need for Republicans to present clear contrasts to Democratic policies and to engage with voters on pressing issues. The conversation also touches on the Michigan governor's race and the broader national mood as the elections approach. The Tudor Dixon Podcast is part of the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Podcast Network. For more visit TudorDixonPodcast.com Watch The Tudor Dixon Podcast on RumbleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Donald Trump and the Republican Party low in the polls, Texas is resorting to one of their favorite ways to win voters: cheating. They've drawn new maps to implement unprecedented gerrymandering, taking away five Democratic-held seats - all done at Trump's insistence, of course. We're joined by Ari Berman, national voting rights correspondent for Mother Jones, to walk us through Texas Governor Abbott's scheme. Democrats are attempting to fight back in Texas and across the country… even if it is a fight they are likely to lose. We discuss how the Supreme Court continues to erode voting rights and how Chief Justice John Roberts is NOT the moderate that he'd like us to think that he is.  If history is any indication, Democrats SHOULD have a successful midterm election. But history may not be enough to overcome this gerrymandering lollapalooza and the attacks on voting rights. READ Ari's work in Mother Jones: https://www.motherjones.com/author/ari-berman/ 

August 17, 2025; 7am: Saturday,  the Democratic National Committee organized hundreds of “Fight the Trump Takeover” protests in 43 states, according to the event website. Protesters took to the streets to oppose what they see as a sweeping power grab by Texas Republicans: a gerrymandering plan designed to lock in Republican control of the House of Representatives in the midterms. Protestors also took to the streets in Washington, DC, to rally against President Trump's federal police takeover as more Republican-led states plan to deploy National Guard troops to the city. Miles Taylor, former Department of Homeland Security chief of staff during Donald Trump's first term, joins “The Weekend” to discuss.For more, follow us on social media:Bluesky: @theweekendmsnbc.bsky.socialInstagram: @theweekendmsnbcTikTok: @theweekendmsnbcTo listen to this show and other MSNBC podcasts without ads, sign up for MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts.

August 16, 2025; 7am: On Friday, President Trump hosted President Putin in Alaska to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine with the hopes of brokering a peace deal. However, the nearly three-hour meeting ended without a ceasefire or peace agreement. Now, just hours after the summit, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy announced his plans to travel to Washington on Monday. Richard Haass and Celeste Wallander join “The Weekend” to discuss. Then, Richard Engel joins “The Weekend” from Kharkiv, Ukraine, with reaction from the region.For more, follow us on social media:Bluesky: @theweekendmsnbc.bsky.socialInstagram: @theweekendmsnbcTikTok: @theweekendmsnbcTo listen to this show and other MSNBC podcasts without ads, sign up for MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts.

One God Christian, USMC , Leader Of The Alberta Republican Party - Cam DaviesCameron Davies is a former US Marine, oil patch worker and current leader of the Republican Party of Alberta

Today, I'm pleased to welcome journalist Emily Jashinsky, the D.C. Correspondent at UnHerd, to discuss the rise of the “New Right,” the split between old-guard conservatives and MAGA-aligned populists, and why Democrats should not underestimate J.D. Vance.Populism isn't just a passing phase—it's reshaping both the Republican Party and American politics for the long haul.Listen in and please subscribe to the TLP Podcast if you haven't already!A transcript of this podcast is available on the post page on our site. Get full access to The Liberal Patriot at www.liberalpatriot.com/subscribe

Will Rogers joked that when thousands of rural Oklahomans fled the 1930s Dust Bowl and migrated to California: “It raised the intellectual level of both states.”Following that line of thought, it occurred to me that America could benefit mightily if the Democratic Party's overbearing corporate contingent were to migrate to their natural domain, the Republican Party. Seriously, as Robert Reich recently wrote: “Who in the world needs corporate Democrats?”Thomas Jefferson warned of the democracy-crushing threat of America's emerging “moneyed corporations.” And, sure enough, here they are today – literally owning the White House, Congress, Judiciary, most state governments… and suppressing democracy itself.They're entrenched not because they're championed by the Republican Party, but because the once-proud party of America's broad working class has also yoked itself to corporate money and embraced Republican policies of corporate supremacy. Where does that leave the great majority of working stiffs on election day? Staying home, feeling abandoned as both parties cater to the moneyed elite.While many corporate Democrats insist they're “social progressives,” it would be a profound public service for them to carry those social values directly into Republican primaries, softening that party's raw minginess a bit. At the same time, their departure would free the Democratic Party from being financially shackled to the corporate agenda, letting it return to its roots as the unequivocating champion of working-class, little-d democrats.By clarifying the core policy differences of both parties, elections could matter to most people again, presenting honest choices between a democratic or a plutocratic future. Pie-in-the-sky? Maybe, or even probably. But baking a pie starts by turning on the heat.Jim Hightower's Lowdown is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jimhightower.substack.com/subscribe

This week's show is sponsored in part by EPIC-MRA Public Opinion Research MIRS News

Shawn Farash joins the show to discuss the problems with the GOP and how we can fix them at a grassroots level. Also: Shawn impersonates Trump in some HILARIOUS situations. Conservative Star Gina Carano Wins Major Settlement in Lawsuit Against Disney https://www.dailyfetched.com/conservative-star-gina-carano-wins-major-settlement-in-lawsuit-against-disney/ Trump-Putin summit could happen as soon as next week https://www.foxnews.com/world/trump-putin-summit-could-happen-soon-next-week Hamas says Israel choosing to ‘sacrifice' hostages with Gaza City takeover https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/hamas-says-israel-choosing-to-sacrifice-hostages-with-gaza-city-takeover/ Patriot Mobile - patriotmobile.com/Vince promo code VINCE for a FREE MONTH of service Howloo Inc. - BlackoutCoffee.com/Vince to get 20% off Brickhouse Nutrition - go to takelean.com use code VINCE20 for 20% off Birch Gold - Text VINCE to the number 989898 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy.Our mailbag runneth over! Unsurprisingly, we received so many excellent questions from subscribers for our most recent episode that we decided to answer even more of them. Once again religion seemed to be on the minds of listeners, and we take up charismatic Christians and the evolution of both the religious right and the Republican Party, as well as the role of Christian Zionism in U.S. policy toward Israel. But that's not all: other topics include leftist theory bros; Roy Cohn, Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, and the politics of sexual blackmail; Gore Vidal at 100, and more.Sources:Hal Lindsey, The Late Great Planet Earth (1970)Daniel G. Hummel, The Rise and Fall of Dispensationalism: How the Evangelical Battle over the End Times Shaped a Nation (2023)Wilson Carey McWilliams, "The Bible in the American Political Tradition," in Redeeming Democracy in America, ed. Patrick Deneen & Susan McWilliams (2011)The Correspondence of Walter Benjamin and Gershom Scholem, 1932–1940, ed. Gershom Scholem (1992)Cedric Robinson, Black Marxism: The Making of the Black Radical Tradition, (1938)Phil Christman, Why Christians Should Be Leftists (2025)Sam Tanenhaus, Buckley: The Life and the Revolution That Changed America (2025)Nicholas von Hoffman, Citizen Cohn: The Life and Times of Roy Cohn (1988)Christopher M. Elias, Gossip Men: J. Edgar Hoover, Joe McCarthy, Roy Cohn, and the Politics of Insinuation (2021)Gore Vidal, United States: Essays 1952-1992 (1993)