Will and Brian begin with a discussion about Trump’s official re-election announcement. Both agree that Trump has better odds than the average pundit gives him to keep his position, but they differ slightly on why he could win. Will argues that the base will be enough to see him through while Brian posits that Democrats could likely unseat him if they spent less time debating one another and instead focused on a concentrated campaign against Trump. Ultimately, Brian argues that his base sees him as Teflon Don and that his control of the media is underacknowleged by political opponents. Will argues that with the economy doing well and no actual military conflict, Trump should be able to keep America great.
Next, they turn to Hope Hicks’ testimony before the House Judiciary Committee. Neither Will nor Brian are surprised that Hicks has not been willing to discuss what Democrats want to hear about, but they both acknowledge Democrats will keep trying to find information to help make a case that Trump has obstructed justice. Brian sees this as essential to preserving democracy as we understand it in America while Will believes Democrats are costing themselves time and resources by focusing on an already galvanized issue rather than going after the president on policy grounds. In the end, they both wonder what utility Democrats will ultimately gain from this and what could be accomplished if efforts were devoted to other areas.
They then turn to discussing the Eddie Gallagher trial currently underway. Both believe this is an issue that merits an investigation, but they differ on culpability. Brian finds the alleged actions reprehensible while Will believe Gallagher needed greater support prior to being sent back into a combat zone. While neither excuses his alleged behavior, Will finds the testimony of a medic to raise serious questions. Both believe this is reasonable doubt, but Will points to the immunity granted to the medic as a potential sign that the government was looking to muddy the waters and avoid President Trump having to ultimately pardon Gallagher for his crime. Brian agrees and adds that if we want to improve our image abroad, avoiding allegations of incidents like this would be a great first step.
Lastly, Will and Brian conclude with a discussion of recent activities in Iran, focusing on the Revolutionary Guard’s decision to shoot down an American drone this week. Will is perplexed by the response to last week’s cargo ship bombing allegations and the announcement this week that it must have been a mistake to shoot down the drone. Brian is concerned about maintaining territorial sovereignty while also protecting national interests. Both agree that a war with Iran would not be a useful endeavor given the lack of an endgame.
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Life After Roe, Trump’s Primary Success, COVID, Ukraine/Russia, Inflation, Expat Mike?
Adam Probolsky on Polling and Partisan Identification
Abortion Leak, Intelligence Leak, Puerto Rico, JD Vance, Shurtleff
Paul Brandus on Presidential Communication in the Biden and Trump Administrations
Disney & Florida GOP, Musk & Twitter, Russia & Ukraine, Title 42
McCarthy’s Lie, Mask Mandate, DeSantis vs. Disney, Russia & Ukraine, Tax Day, 4/20
Jennifer Sciubba on How Sex, Death, and Migration Shape Our World
Brooklyn Shooting, New NATO Members, Oklahoma Abortion Ban, Tax Policy, Pakistani Espionage?
Larry Jacobs on Democracy Under Fire
Jackson Confirmation, Russian War Crimes, Amazon Union, Title 42, GOP Insurrectionists
Chris Brady on the Politics and Promise of Cryptocurrency
Prosecuting Trump, Russia, Anti-Lynching Law, Biden’s Budget, Responding to Anti-Trans Laws
Ketanji Brown Jackson, Hunter Biden, Ukraine, Idaho Abortion, Indiana & Utah Anti-Trans Bills, Inflation
Isaac Saul on Media Bias, Ideological Diversity, and How Tangle Can Help
Ukraine & Russia, Federal Reserve, COVID Surge, Sunshine Protection, Biden & the 9th
Justin Gest on Majority Minority
Russia, Biden on Crypto, Bipartisanship Breaks Out, LGBTQ+ Laws
Andrew Rice on The Year That Broke America
Russian Invasion, Trump Criminal Violations, Biden's State of the Union Address, White House COVID Strategy, Texas Primary, Egbert v Boule, U.S. v Abu Zubaydah
Russian Invades Ukraine, Biden’s Nominates Ketanji Brown Jackson, 1st Amendment vs LGBTQ+ Anti-Discrimination
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