Matt Mackowiak's Mack On Politics: Recent Episodes
Bernardoni Rochlen Media
Smart political talk every week from Austin, Texas political consultant Matt Mackowiak, who has served in senior roles for two U.S. Senators and the Bush administration.
China’s influence operations in the United States is the topic for the 257th episode.
Our returning guest is New York Times best-selling author and investigative journalist Peter Schweizer, author of the new book, “Red-Handed: How American Elites Get Rich Helping China Win”.
In this conversation we explore how China identifies influence targets, which industries are most valuable, what China really wants, whether this problem is truly a bipartisan one, and what can be done about it.
You can buy the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Red-Handed-American-Elites-Helping-China/dp/0063061147.
In the 256th episode, we explore a building movement that is not receiving the national focus that it deserves: The National Popular Vote Compact (nationalpopularvote.com).
Our guest is former State Senator Ray Haynes (R-CA), president of the Institute for Research on Presidential Elections and a national spokesman for the National Popular Vote movement.
Enough states have banded together to provide 195 electoral votes for the national popular vote, and once they hit 270, the national popular vote winner will be elected President of the United States as the sole determining factor for the first time in American history.
Hear how the movement is progressing, how they answer critics, and when this may actually happen.
Award-winning author and journalist Toby Harnden is the guest for the 285th episode. He is the author of the new bestseller, “First Casualty: The Untold Story of the CIA Mission to Avenge 9/11”. On the 20th anniversary of 9/11, in this conversation we look back to how the war in Afghanistan began, what role the CIA played, what the war cost, and how the war ended. The “Mack on Politics” podcast is available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. Interview subjects can be pitched by emailing matt@potomacstrategygroup.com.
In this episode we speak to author and journalist Michael Shellenberger, whose next book is “San Fran Sicko”, which examines how our major cities are objectively failing.
The war on small business is the subject of the 283rd episode.
Our guest is Carol Roth, bestselling author and small business advocate.
Her new book is, “The War on Small Business: How the Government Used the Pandemic to Crush the Backbone of America”.
In this episode we discuss how CDC guidelines and state and local emergency orders made big business essential and small business discardable, whether PPP was sufficient, how small businesses can prepare for the next pandemic and whether cryptocurrency is an option small business access to capital in the future.
Email matt@potomacstrategygroup.com if you have guest ideas for a future podcast episode.
Longtime MSNBC “Hardball” anchor and bestselling author Chris Matthews is our guest for the 282nd episode.
His new memoir is entitled, “This Country: My Life in Politics and History”.
In this conversation we explore:
His career path from the Peace Corps to being a Capitol Police officer to working in the U.S. Senate, the White House, for Speaker Tip O’Neill and then 20 years as a cable news TV host
Whether the U.S. Senate remains the “world’s greatest deliberative body”
Whether the filibuster should be eliminated
His assessment of President Biden’s first term
What he learned after 20 years hosting “Hardball”
Please give us a 5 star rating in the iTunes store and subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify.
Guest ideas? Email: matt@potomacstrategygroup.com.
The Middle East is the subject of episode 281.
Our guest is former Trump White House Envoy to the Middle East Jason Greenblatt.
In this episode we discuss:
- The state of the cease fire
- Egypt’s role in negotiating it
- President Biden’s role
- Why Hamas is doing this
- How Iran is involved
- How Iron Dome protects Israel
- Whether the Abraham Accords are holding up
- What we can make of Bibi’s future
- Whether there is any reason for hope for Middle East peace
Please give us a 5 star rating in the iTunes store and subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify.
Guest recommendations? Email: matt@potomacstrategygroup.com.
Ohio is the subject of the 280th episode.
Our guest is former U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci (R-OH), who was the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in 2018.
In this conservation:
Is Ohio a battleground state?
Why did Trump win Ohio decisively twice?
What our guest makes of the legacy of Ohio Gov. John Kasich
Our guest’s view of the COVID response in Ohio
Whether our guest thinks the U.S. Senate race in 2018 was winnable in retrospect
Whether our guest will run for Governor or U.S. Senate in 2022
What he thinks when he looks back to his time in Congress
Subscribe to the “Mack on Politics” podcast on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify.
Email comments, feedbacks, complaints and guest ideas to: matt@potomacstrategygroup.com.
A discussion of how political campaign tactics can help you grow your business — that’s the subject of the 279th episode.
Our returning guest is Go BIG Media CEO and bestselling author Phillip Stutts, author of the new book, “The Undefeated Marketing System: How to Grow Your Business and Build Your Audience Using the Secret Formula that Elects Presidents”.
In this conversation we examine how tactics used by winning campaigns can be quickly and thoughtfully utilized in business.
Leadership and mentorship are the subjects of the 278th episode.
Our guest is my longtime friend Dana Perino, former White House Press Secretary for President George W. Bush and author of the new bestseller, “Everything Will Be Ok: Life Lessons for Young Women”.
In this episode we discuss why she wrote the book, the importance of mentorship, how to manage relationships and how to get the career you want.
How the PPP program saved Main Street is the subject of the 277th episode.
Our guest is former Acting Associate Administration of the Small Business Administration Bill Briggs, who administered the PPP program.
In this conversation we review what the program was, how and why it worked, what it was like at SBA over the past year, and how we government can better support small business in the future.
The US-China relationship is the subject of the 276th episode.
Our guest is Josh Rogin, foreign policy columnist for The Washington Post and author of the new book, “Chaos Under Heaven: Trump, Xi, and the Battle for the 21st Century”.
In this conversation we examine the state of the bilateral relationship, whether tariffs worked, how the US is attempting to decouple its economy from China’s, whether TPP could be revived, how COVID broke the US-China relationship and whether a new bipartisan consensus on China has developed on Capitol Hill.
Our subject for the 275th episode is the U.S. Senate.
Our returning guest is U.S. Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN).
In this conversation we size up the recently passed COVID stimulus bill, evaluate vaccine deployment, and discuss Biden’s Cabinet, security at the U.S. Capitol and energy issues.
The Biden campign is the subject of the 274th episode.
Bestselling co-author Jonathan Allen, an NBC News analyst, wrote “Lucky: How Joe Biden Barely Won the Presidency” along with The Hill’s Amie Parnes.
In this conversation we look back to the Democratic primary, how close Biden came to dropping out in NH, how he came back, how he chose Harris, how he won and where things stand today.
The energy crisis in Texas is the subject of the 273rd episode.
Our guest is Jason Isaac, director of Life: Powered at the Texas Public Policy Foundation and a former four-term State Representative from central Texas.
We discuss why the electric grid failed, to what extend wind and solar contributed to this failure, how Texas can prevent this from happening in the future, how the Governor and legislature might respond, and where the story goes from here.
Virginia and the economic recovery are the subjects of our 272nd episode. Our guest is my old friend Pete Snyder, investor, businessman and Republican candidate for Governor of Virginia. In this conversation we discuss his business career, his recent experience helping save small businesses during the economic shutdown, why he’s running for Governor, why he wants to immediately reopen the schools, and where he wants to lead the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Congress is the subject of the 271st episode.
Our guest is freshman Congressman August Pfluger (R-TX), a member of the Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs Committees.
In this conversation, we discuss the first two weeks of the Biden administration, dive deep on the energy industry, and look back at the Jan. 6 domestic terrorism event at the U.S. Capitol.
The electoral college is the subject of the 270th episode.
Our guest is 35-year veteran of the conservative movement Pat Rosenstiel, who serves as senior advisor to the National Popular Vote Compact (http://www.NationalPopularVote.com).
In this conversation we explore arguments for and against a national popular vote, examine how it would work, consider misperceptions, and take stock of when (or if) it will become a reality.
In the 269th episode, we examine the events of the week and consider how things have changed.
My guest is Ron Christie, former senior advisor for Vice President Dick Cheney, former Capitol Hill aide, and senior fellow at Harvard’s Institute of Politics.
We discuss the domestic terrorism event at the Capitol, Trump’s role in it, the prospect of impeachment, the question of how the effects his legacy, and look forward to the Bide administration, the 2022 midterms and ponder the next presidential race.
COVID in New York nursing homes is the subject of our 268th episode.
Bestselling author Janice Dean, senior meteorologist for Fox News channel is out guest.
She’s become a reluctant activist in New York State after Gov. Cuomo’s policy of sending COVID positive patients into nursing homes harmed her own family.
In this discussion we examine what happened to her family, what questions she has now, whether she wants to meet with Gov. Cuomo, and what the response has been.
The Trump election legal challenge and the Georgia U.S. Senate runoffs are the subjects of the 267th episode. Our returning guest is Georgia statewide radio host Erick Erickson. In this conversation we begin by talking about what makes good radio and what he’s learned these past few years. Our conversation continues with an examination of the claims made by Trump’s legal team and our guest’s own conclusions based on conversations and reviewing the evidence. We finish by looking at the U.S. Senate runoffs in Georgia and take the measure of Trump’s presidency.
Longtime Republican consultant Mike Murphy, an NBC News analyst and co-host of the “Hacks on Tap” podcast returns as our guest.
In this conversation we look back at the 2020 election, consider how Trump performed, discuss the U.S. Senate runoffs in Georgia, the Biden transition, and look forward to the 2024 election.
The 2020 election and the Biden transition are the subjects of the 265th episode.
Sirius XM chief DC correspondent Olivier Knox returns to our podcast.
In this conversation we consider the Trump campaign’s election challenges, evaluate the Biden transition and legislative outlook for 2021, and discuss the urgent need for help at food banks across the country, a topic that is close to our guest’s heart.
The battle for the U.S. House is the subject of the 264th episode.
Our returning guest is David Wasserman, House editor for the Cook Political Report.
In this episode, we examine where current races stand, why the Democrats lost seats when the expectation was that they would gain seats, why polling was so bad, what lessons both parties can learn, and how Speaker Pelosi’s narrow majority will change things for the next two years.
The Georgia U.S. Senate runoffs are the subject of episode 263. Our guest is longtime GOP ad maker Fred Davis, who is producing ads for the reelection campaign of Sen. David Perdue. In this conversation we look back at the presidential campaign, consider whether Trump overperformed, examine whether Trump can maintain his hold over the GOP, and look ahead to the crucial Senate runoffs on Jan. 5.
The 2020 presidential race is our subject for episode 262.
Our guest is Saul Anuzis, former Michigan GOP chairman and current president of the 60 Plus Association.
In this conversation, we examine the current state of the presidential elections returns, where things stand in GA, PA, AZ and NV, consider whether Trump can still win, look ahead to the Senate map for 2022, and muse about how Washington will change with a President Biden and how the GOP will change in a post-Trump era.
This is our final episode before the presidential election.
Our guest for the 261st episode is journalist Howard Fineman, an NBC News analyst and contributor to The Washington Post.
In this conversation we take stock of the race, answer the question of whether Biden has earned a win, discuss the importance of unity, take a deep dive into Pennsylvania, discuss the electoral college map, consider a Biden presidency, and discuss the need that the losing candidate ultimately concede.
The 2020 presidential race is the subject of our 260th episode. Our returning guest is Brad Todd, Republican ad maker and co-author of “The Great Revolt”. In this conversation, we discuss whether Trump can win, the battle for the suburbs, the electoral map, the state of polling, key Senate races, one possible scenario and whether populism is here to stay.
The Mueller inquiry is the subject of the 259th episode.
Our guest is former Trump deputy campaign manager Rick Gates, author of “Wicked Game: An Insider’s Story on How Trump Won, Mueller Failed, and America Lost”.
In this conversation we talk to our guest about his early career, how he came to partner with Paul Manafort, who the final few months of the Trump campaign were like, how he got ensnared in the Mueller inquiry, what choice he faced, why he pled guilty, what he would do if he could do it all over again, and what he still wants to know.
The 2020 presidential campaign is the subject of the 258th episode. Our returning guest is Marc Lotter, director of strategic communications for the Trump-Pence campaign. In this episode, we discuss the VP debate, the state of the race, future presidential debates, and when President Trump can return to the campaign trail.
Cuba is the subject of the 257th episode. Our guest is David Landau, the author of “Brothers From Time to Time” about two brothers on opposite sides of the Cuban revolution in the 1950s and about what Cuba shows about socialism. In this conversation we examine why he wrote the book, how Castro was viewed in Cuba in the 1950s and since, who the two brothers were, how he wrote the book and fought to get it published, what the response has been from Cuban refugees in the U.S. and what Cuba’s experience can teach us about socialism.
Judge Amy Coney Barrett is our subject of the 256th episode.
Our guest is her friend and colleague, Carter Snead, fellow law professor at Notre Dame.
In this conversation, we discuss their friendship and her reputation, her time at Notre Dame, her likely selection for the Supreme Court, questions about her Catholicism, her views on Roe v. Wade, and the confirmation battle.
The Trump White House is the subject of the 255th episode.
Our guest is former Trump White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, author of the new bestseller, “Speaking for Myself”.
In this episode we discuss how she approached writing a memoir, a secret trip to Iraq on Christmas in 2018, what President Trump is really like, what she thinks about diplomatic efforts with North Korea, how she views the current media landscape, where she thinks the 2020 presidential race stands, why she thinks the debates will matter more than usual, and what lies ahead for her future.
For our 254th episode, we check in with U.S. Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), who is co-author of a new book, “Capitol of Freedom: Restoring American Greatness”. In this episode we discuss why he wrote the book and what he sees in the left’s efforts to change our Constitution, why he wrote a letter to DOJ about the funding of rioters in our cities, why he thinks Big Tech companies constitute a modern-day monopoly, and how he sees the 2020 election shaping up.
The U.S. Senate and the 2020 election are the subject of the 253rd episode. Our guest is U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), author of the new book, “The Mind of a Conservative Woman: Seeking the Best for Family and Country”. In this conversation we look back to August recess and the RNC convention, and look forward to the 2020 election, why she wrote this book, how the issue of abortion is viewed by women, why the Senate has devoted so much time to confirming judges, what she wants to see in the next COVID relief bill, why Nashville is a boomtown, and what she’s learned serving in the U.S. Senate.
The GOP convention is the subject of the 252nd episode. Our returning guest is Congressman Jim Banks (R-IN). In this conversation we examine the convention’s political impact, discuss President Trump’s speech which he witnessed at the White House, dig into new legislation he is proposing related to riots in our cities, explore whether violent riots could be classified as terrorism, and look ahead to legislative battles on COVID relief and government spending.
The 2020 race and the Democratic National Convention are the topics of the 201st episode. Our guest is Washington Post columnist Karen Tumulty. In this conversation we look back at the Democratic Convention, evaluate speeches by Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Kamala Harris and Joe Biden, look forward to the GOP convention, discuss the upcoming debates, and preview her new biography of Nancy Reagan.
Wisconsin is the subject of our 200th (!) episode. Our guest is former two-term Governor of Wisconsin Scott Walker. In this episode we explore the battleground status of his state for 2020, his thoughts on Biden’s VP choice, how he sees the economy rebounding, whether there are echoes to the violence in our cities and what he saw as Governor, whether the debates will decide the election, and what he is up to now.
The Constitution is the subject of the 199th episode. Our guest is UC-Berkeley law professor, Hoover Institution fellow and author John Yoo, whose new book is, “Defender in Chief: Donald Trump’s Fight for Presidential Power”. In this conversation we begin with our guest’s revelation that he just walked out of the Oval Office before our interview. Then we discussed his career, the Supreme Court’s DACA decision, the central thesis of his new book, rioting in American cities, his memo on enhanced interrogation during the Bush years, and what he makes of recent Supreme Court decisions.
Overcoming obstacles is the subject of the 198th episode.
Our guest is Gov. Larry Hogan (R-MD), the co-author of the new book, “Still Standing: Surviving Cancer, Riots, a Global Pandemic, and the Toxic Politics that Divide America”.
In this conversation we examine why he wrote a memoir and how he did it with his very busy day job, what it’s like to run as a Republican in Maryland, how he overcame challenges like his business going bankrupt and surviving cancer, and how he’s led during riots and a global pandemic. Finally, we explore whether his governing model is one that could work nationally.
John Solomon is our returning guest for the 197th episode. John is the co-author of the new book, “Fallout: Nuclear Bribes, Russian Spies, and the Washington Lies that Enriched the Clinton and Biden Dynasties”. In this conversation, we explore the purpose of the book, what the central revelation is, how Uranium sales and Ukraine fit in, what he’s learned about the Steele Dossier, what his reporting has found about Roger Stone, George Papadopoulos and Carter Page, what he expected from the Durham Report, what questions he still has about the false Russian collusion story, how he answers his critics, and why he started his own news site.
Iran is the subject of our 196th episode. Our guest is Alireza Jafarzadeh, deputy director in the US Representative office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NRCI), their parliament-in-exile. In this conversation we examine how Iran is doing economically and with the coronavirus, how ending the Iran Deal has changed things, what life is like for the average Iranian, what NCRI hopes to accomplish with the Free Iran Summit on July 17, and how Iran will become a free country in the future.
The war in Afghanistan is the subject of our 195th episode.
In this conversation, we talk to Rod Lurie, director of the #1 film in America, “The Outpost”, which profiles the Battle of Kamdesh in 2009.
We explore how he came to direct the film, what techniques he tried to use, why the story was important to him, how, where and when the film was shot, how it was released, and what the response has been.
Tim Alberta, chief political correspondent for Politico magazine, returns as our guest for the 194th episode.
In this conversation we take stock of the 2020 election, Trump’s polling disadvantage, the state of the GOP, the ‘law and order’ approach, the resignation of Black Democrats, and whether the 2020 race will likely tighten in the fall.
Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH) is our guest for the 193rd episode, and he joins us from Tulsa, OK, the scene of the Trump re-election campaign’s first rally in several months. In this conversation we discuss the protests, the current moment in our country, how rural America is surviving, what he expects from Congress for the rest of the year, what he hopes to see from the forthcoming Durham report on FISA abuse, how he sizes up Trump vs. Biden and what he sees as the stakes for the 2020 election.
The 202 presidential campaign is the subject for the 192nd episode.
Our guest is Trump reelection campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh.
In this conversation we discuss polls, protests, the economy, debates, and what will decide the 2020 race.
The George Floyd killing and resulting protests are the subject of the 191st episode.
Our guest is social commentator and activist Toure, who hosts two podcasts, “The Toure Show” and “Democracyish”.
In this conversation we take stock of this national moment, examine real solutions to police brutality, consider whether police union contracts are part of the problem, and probe the concepts of systemic racism and white privilege. Finally, we discuss how the protests will end.
The state of the Coronavirus is the subject of the 190th episode.
Our returning guest is former HHS secretary Dr. Tom Price.
In this conversation we examine the U.S. government response, the status of testing, treatment and a vaccine, the Gates Foundation’s financial commitment, whether a vaccine will be mandatory, how he views the risk of a second wave, and reflections on his time at HHS.
The Michael Flynn prosecution is the subject of the 189th episode. Our guest is Bloomberg Opinion columnist Eli Lake.
In this conversation, our guest walks us through the Flynn prosecution, explains why he was charged with lying to the FBI, examines whether the interview was necessary or the lie was material to the investigation, whether Flynn knew Kislyak was being taped, how unmasking fits into all of this, whether Crossfire Hurricane was legitimate, and why the majority of the national media continues to advance the collusion narrative.
Investigating China is the subject of the 188th episode.
Our guest is U.S. Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), one of 14 members of the appointed to the China Task Force in the U.S. House.
In this conversation, we discuss the goals of the task force, how bilateral trade has been affected, what ag prices are going up, how we can decouple from China, what options exist to punish China, what risks exist in terms of their response, what our guest makes of the Phase 4 recovery bill and whether a compromise is possible.
China’s role in the spread of the Coronavirus is the subject of this episode. Our guest is U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), ranking member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. In this conversation, we discuss China’s role, what policy options exist to punish them, how we decouple China and the U.S. and bring back manufacturing and the supply chain, where he thinks COVID-19 stands, how we are doing in ramping up testing, whether he believes a phased re-opening of the economy is prudent, when the House may come back to work, and what the next economic recovery package may look like.
The global race for a COVID-19 vaccine is the subject of the 186th episode. Our guest is Dr. Robin Robinson, who was the first director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and is now chief scientific officer for RenovaCare. In this conversation we explore stem cell therapy, the state of the COVID-19 pandemic, take stock of progress on treatments and testing, examine in depth the unprecedented global effort to develop a vaccine, and discuss the crucial role BARDA plays. Finally Dr. Robinson offers advice to the Trump administration.
The economic and public health outlook on the coronavirus is the subject of the 185th episode.
Our guest is longtime business and government relations advisor and former Assistant Secretary of Commerce Bruce Mehlman, founder of Mehlman Castagnetti.
In this conversation, we take stock on where COVID-19 is currently, delve into why testing remains insufficient, discuss whether density explains the difference between California and New York, consider how to re-open the economy amid increasing protests, examine what it would take to return to large gatherings, and identify two significant public policy consequences of the pandemic. Finally, we look forward to how COVID-19 will affect the 2020 election.
Reforming the World Health Organization (WHO) is the subject of the 184th episode.
Our guest is Lyman Stone, Hong Kong-based adjunct fellow for the American Enterprise Institute.
In this conversation, we examine the need for reform at the WHO, the timing of President Trump halting U.S. funding, what the WHO does, why China has so much influence, how the WHO delayed in responding to COVID-19, what role Taiwan has played, what life is like in Hong Kong, and how China is grappling with COVID-19.
Democratic strategist Addisu Demissie is our guest for the 183rd episode.
In this conversation, we look back at the 2020 Democratic primary when he served as campaign manager for Cory Booker, examine their decision to drop out in mid-January, discuss the DNC’s debate process, review how he became Booker’s manager, consider what explains why there were not female or minority candidates as finalists for the nomination and chat about Warren, Bloomberg and Biden.
U.S. Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) is our guest for the 182nd episode.
The coronavirus pandemic is our subject.
We discuss her ’15 Days of Giving’ campaign, why she partnered with the Salvation Army, how her home state is doing, what Congress should do next, how she views falling oil prices, how she evaluates the federal response, what role the U.S. military is playing and whether China should be held accountable. Finally, we discuss her groundbreaking military career and her U.S. Senate race in 2020.
Former NIH director Dr. Elias Zerhouni is our guest for the 181st episode.
The coronavirus pandemic is our subject.
We discuss the state of the pandemic, the importance of testing, the risk of our hospitals being overwhelmed and our first responders contracting the virus, why community spread must be avoided, whether treatments and a vaccine show promise, and what his message to the American public is.
The economic consequences of the cononavirus pandemic is the subject of the 180th episode.
Our guest is Tony Fratto, former Assistant Secretary of Treasury and partner at Hamilton Place Strategies.
In the conversation we examine the multiple stimulus proposals on the table, and discuss the important of direct payments, the proposed payroll tax cut, the idea of interest free loans to small and medium sized businesses, whether certain industries should be bailout, and whether stock buybacks should be disallowed and if the federal government should receive an equity stake in return for taxpayer investment.
The CoronaVirus (COVID-19) is our subject for the 179th episode.
Our guest is former HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt.
In this conversation we get his outlook on the virus and discuss containment vs. mitigation, the mortality rate, the risk to the average American, how the federal and state and local governments have responded, vaccines and medicine to treat the virus, how it is affecting the U.S. and global economy, whether summer will slow the spread of the virus, and how health professional are rising to the challenge.
The 2020 presidential race is the subject of the 178th episode.
Our guest is NBC news senior political correspondent Steve Kornacki, a returning guest to this podcast.
In this conversation we get our guest’s take on the state of the race, discuss the demographic trends between Biden and Sanders, consider what Sanders’ strategic options are, review how ‘electability’ has mattered, explore why Warren failed, examine how Democrats came to coalesce behind Biden, delve into Biden’s path to a delegate majority, make some predictions about Biden as a general election nominee, and remember the influence Chris Matthews had on our guest.
The presidential campaign is the subject of the 177th episode.
Our guest is Erin McPike, national spokesperson for Mike Bloomberg’s presidential campaign.
On this episode we discuss the debate in Las Vegas, Super Tuesday, Bloomberg’s paid media and ground game and a potential brokered convention.
The Democratic race for President is the subject of our 176th episode.
Our guest is Steve Schale, a veteran Democratic strategist who is running the Joe Biden Super PAC.
In this conversation we discuss the state of the race, whether the non-Bernie candidates can coalesce against him, how the paid media landscape looks, why South Carolina matters, how Super Tuesday is shaping up, what the best case scenario is for Biden and the worse case scenario is for Bloomberg, what Obama’s endorsement would mean, what to make of Bernie as the nominee and whether Florida is a battleground state in 2020.
Rising star Republican congressional candidate Amanda Makki is our guest for the 175th episode.
Makki is running to defeat U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL) in Florida’s 13th congressional district.
In this conversation, we explore her background, how her family fled Iran in 1980, why she’s running, why environmental issues are so important to Florida, what her path to victory is and what the political environment is like out there.
Big Tech is the subject of the 174th episode.
Our guest is Peter Hasson, author of the brand new book, “The Manipulators: Facebook, Google, Twitter, and Big Tech’s War on Conservatives”.
In this conversation we examine how these platforms and their algorithms have changed, how they undermine conservatives and promote liberal voices, whether shadow banning is real, why search matters, how the platforms are different, and whether de-platforming will ever end.
The Iowa Caucuses are the subject of the 173rd episode.
Our guest is Des Moines-based political consultant David Kochel, who runs Redwave Communications.
In this conversation, we examine how the Caucuses work, why ‘uncommitted’ will matter after the first ballot, how geography will play a role, who he thinks will win Iowa, how the Senate impeachment trial has effected the candidates, and whether Iowa will matter in 2020.
Darrell Issa is our guest for the 172nd episode.
He served from 2001-2019 in the Congress as a Republican from southern California.
He is now running in an adjacent district, the 50th district, just east and northeast of San Diego.
In this conversation, we discuss what he’s been up to since leaving Congress, what he makes of current border security levels, how the jungle primary and ballot harvesting work in California, how he views impeachment, what California can do to prevent future wildfires and whether he thinks Republican can retake the majority in Congress.
New York Times bestselling author Peter Bergen is our guest for the 171st episode. His new book is, “Trump and his Generals: The Cost of Chaos”. In this conversation we examine the first 3 years of Trump administration, both the national security decisions and the players, then we examine ISIS, Syria, Afghanistan, and Bergen’s 1997 interview of Bin Laden.
U.S. Senator Mike Braun (R-IN) is our returning guest for the 170th episode — brought to you from Washington, DC. In this conversation we discuss the imminent Senate impeachment trial, the Iranian crisis and the briefing provided to Senators, the state of the U.S. economy, how trade is affecting his state, and what the rest of 2020 looks like.
The New Hampshire primary is the subject of episode 168. Our guest is New Hampshire-based Fox News correspondent Paul Steinhauser. In this conversation, we examine the state of the race with one month to go, which campaigns are prioritizing New Hampshire most, whether Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have an advantage being from neighboring states, which candidates make up the first tier, how the open primary could affect the outcome, how the Iowa Caucus results could change things, what the campaign organizations look like on the ground, whether endorsements will matter and whether New Hampshire is in play in the general election.
Impeachment is the subject of the 168th episode. My guest is Rich Galen, Republican strategist, columnist for Mullings.com, and former adviser to Speaker Newt Gingrich. In this conversation, we react to the House vote on impeachment, look back to the Clinton impeachment in 1998 as a historical guide, consider what the current impeachment will mean for the 2020 presidential race and battle for Congress, discuss how the Senate trial may unfold, and look ahead to the Democratic presidential primary and Trump’s reelection campaign.
The British national election is the subject of the 167th episode. Our guest is Martin Vander Weyer, business editor and weekly business columnist for The Spectator. In this conversation we examine why the British national election went as it did, what it means for Brexit, why Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn failed, why Boris Johnson is ascending, and what it could mean for the future of the U.S.-U.K. relationship.
The uprising in Iran is our subject for the 166th episode. Our guest is Ali Safavi, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). In this conversation, we discuss why the current protests are happening, how broad the opposition is outside Iran, what regime change would look like, how weak the Iranian economy is, why Europe continues to trade with Iran, how the regime will end, what would happen if our guest were to return home today, and what gives him hope.
Bill O’Reilly is the guest for the 165th episode. He’s the former anchor of Fox News’ “The O’Reilly Factor” and the bestselling author of 15 #1 books selling more than 17 million copies. His new book is “The United States of Trump: How the President Really Sees America”. In this conversation, we review his recent interview with President Trump, discuss the narcoterrorists in Mexico, the Ukraine call and impeachment, examine the purpose of his new book, and analyze the state of the cable news industry and consider what it would take for him to return to television.
Supporting our veterans is the subject of this week’s episode. My guest is Lindsay Kin, executive director of the national veterans nonprofit Luke’s Wings. In this conversation, we discuss their unique mission, how they’ve grown 50 fold in ten years, why the need remains, and the many ways that people can get involved to reunited Wounded Warriors and their families.
The state of the Democratic race for President is the subject of the 163rd episode. Our guest is CNN contributor Bakari Sellers, a former Democratic state legislator from South Carolina. In this episode, we analyze the 5th Democratic debate, consider the first tier candidates, discuss electability, look at the general election, and wonder whether a brokered convention is possible.
Impeachment and the 2020 election are our subjects for the 162nd episode. Our guest is GOP consultant and corporate strategist Evan Siegfried. In this conversation we measure where the impeachment story is now, how the story is likely to play out and what Pelosi’s strategy is. Then we turn our attention to analyzing the Democratic presidential primary and look ahead to the general election.
Alice Stewart is our guest for the 161st episode. She’s a veteran GOP campaign operative, CNN contributor and resident fellow at Harvard’s Institute of Politics. In this conversation, we examine the politics of impeachment, what Pelosi’s strategy is, why there were no GOP defections, how impeachment will affect 2020, what she makes of the Democratic presidential candidates, and our guest sizes up President Trump’s political standing and the general election.
GOP consultant Scott Jennings is my guest for the 160th episode. Jennings served as Political Director in the Bush White House and is currently president of Run Switch PR and a CNN contributor. In this conversation we examine the strategy behind impeachment, the politics and legislative ramifications of impeachment, whether any meaningful legislation has a chance in this environment, how the Senate would handle a trial and how impeachment will affect 2020. Then we discussed the 2020 Democratic field and look forward to the general election.
Kim Strassel is our guest for the 159th episode. She’s a columnist and editorial board member, and author of the new bestseller, “Resistance (At All Costs): How Trump Haters are Breaking America”. In this conversation, we discuss why she wrote the book, what the cost of the left’s targeting of Trump will be, what she expects from the forthcoming DOJ IG report and investigation by US Attorney John Durham, why the media has such little curiosity about the Russian collusion hoax, how the Ukraine impeachment inquiry is advancing and what she makes of the 2020 election.
Syria is our subject for the 158th episode. Our returning guest for former U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford, who served from 2010-2014. In this conversation we examine the cease fire announcement, consider the goals of Turkey, the U.S., Russia and Syria, discuss the sacrifice of the Syrian Kurdish forces, explore the risks of ISIS returning to its former strength, and ask what advice our guest would have for the Trump administration.
Our guest for the 157th episode is Rich Lowry, editor of National Review and author of the forthcoming book, “The Case for Nationalism”. In this conversation we discuss impeachment, Syria, 2020, and why nationalism is on the rise in America. Finally, we wrap up with the state of the conservative movement in the Trump era.
Impeachment is the subject of the 156th episode. Our guest is Capitol Hill veteran Michael Steel, who served as Press Secretary for former Speaker of the House John Boehner. In this conversation, we explore where the votes are currently, why the Intel committee has been given jurisdiction, what rights the minority party has, what protections the whistleblower is due, how the Senate might react, whether the polls matter. And how the White House should respond.
The life and career of Vice President Mike Pence is the subject of the 155th episode. Our guest is longtime AP reporter for Indiana Tom LoBianco, who has a new biography of Pence out, “Piety and Power: Mike Pence and the Taking of the White House”. In this conversation, we examine Pence’s first two failed runs for Congress, his time in talk radio, his move up the ladder of Congressional leadership, his decision to run for Governor in 2012, his decision not to run for President in 2016, how he was selected as VP, and what ambitions he still has.
Medicare-for-All is the subject of the 154th episode. Chris Jacobs is our guest. He is the founder and CEO of Juniper Research and the author of the new book, “The Case Against Single Payer: How ‘Medicare for All’ will Wreck America’s Health Care System – And Its Economy”. In this conversation we examine the definition of single payer, how Medicare would change, what the program would cost, how it would affect private insurance, how reimbursement rates affect care, whether middle class tax increases would be required, why California and Vermont scrapped their own single payer plans, how Medicare for All would affect the economy, and what conservatives should be offering as a policy alternative.
The events of 9/11 are the subject of the 153rd episode. Our guest is bestselling author Garrett Graff, whose new book is, “The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11,” which instantly hit #1 on Amazon. In this conversation, we explore the origin of the book and his writing process, the scale of the response to the attack, what surprised him about what he learned, how United 93’s hijackers came to be overtaken, the ‘shoot-down’ order, what questions about 9/11 still remain and where the author was on 9/11.
Retired U.S. Army Captain Sean Parnell is our guest for the 152nd episode. After retiring from military service, he became a New York Times bestselling author for his memoir of combat in Afghanistan, Outlaw Platoon. His new thriller is called, All Out War. It will be released on Sept. 3, 2019. In this conversation, we begin by discussing his Pittsburgh roots and military background, recount his experiences in Afghanistan, discuss the process he used for his first book, how and why he transitioned from writing nonfiction to writing fiction, give an overview of the new novel, consider whether our veterans are getting the help they have earned, and talk about a nonprofit that he works with that helps veterans transition to civilian life.
The CIA is the subject of the 151st episode. Our guest is bestselling author Annie Jacobsen and her new book is, “Surprise, Kill, Vanish: The Secret History of CIA Paramilitary Armies, Operators and Assassins”. In this conversation, we explore the history of covert action, track Bin Laden’s movements before 9/11, examine the skills of CIA operator Billy Waugh, discuss what happens when a missions fails, consider whether there is sufficient congressional oversight and whether these missions are legal, and finally discuss sourcing, whether the CIA makes us safer, Hollywood depictions of the CIA, and her writing process.
Diversity and college campuses are the subjects of the 150th episode. Our guest is New York Times bestselling author and Manhattan Institute fellow Heather Mac Donald, author of the new book, “The Diversity Delusion.” In this conversation we examine whether diversity is a virtue, the concept of mismatch, cancel culture on college campuses, affirmative action and white privilege, the social justice movement, policing, and how conservatives can turn back the culture.
The economy and the stock market are the subject of the 149th episode. Our guest is author and Real Clear Markets editor John Tamny. In this conversation, we review a wild week for the stock market, whether the inverted yield curve is predictive, the current strength of the economy, how he views the Trump tax cut, whether indexing cap gains to inflation would be stimulative, what he makes of recent Federal Reserve actions, how a strong or weak dollar matters, and the trade war with China.
Gun control is the subject of the 148th episode. Our guest is Dr. John R. Lott, Jr., president of the Crime Prevention Center. In this conversation, we examine the recent mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton and consider whether future attacks can be prevented by any of the solutions being suggested, including expanded background checks, an Assault Weapons Ban, or a Red Flag law .
The other side of the Russia story is our topic for the 147th episode. John Solomon is an award-winning investigative reported and Executive Vice President at The Hill newspaper. He has been breaking stories on the FBI, the Mueller inquiry, the Steele dossier, and FISA abuse for more than a year. In this conversation, we explore media groupthink, scrutiny of former FBI Director James Comey’s role, FISA warrants, the I.G. report, the Steele Dossier, Mueller’s testimony, and how U.S. Attorney John Durham’s investigation may move this story in a new direction.
New York Times bestselling author Tim Alberta is our guest for the 146th episode. He is the chief political correspondent for Politico Magazine and the author of “American Carnage”, which traces the arc of the Republican Party before and during the Trump era. In this conversation, we look back the pre-Trump era and explore whether he caused the current moment or seized it, consider whether Sarah Palin foreshadowed the Trump era, discuss central figures Ted Cruz, John Boehner, Paul Ryan and Mike Pence, finally attempt to answer the question of whether Trump ran for President wanting to win, review the internal deliberations held during ‘Access Hollywood tape’ weekend, consider a post-Trump era and discuss what the author learned from writing his first book.
The Democratic Party and the Democratic presidential nomination are the subjects of our 145th episode. Our guest is Christian Hanley, Democratic consultant and founder of Defiance Strategies. In this conversation, we talk about this week’s racial storyline and whether it will matter over the long term, whether the 2020 election will be a base election, whether the Democratic Party is moving too far to the left, how he ranks the current 2020 field, how he evaluates President Trump’s reelection prospects, whether Pelosi is leading her caucus in the right direction, and whether he thinks beginning an impeachment inquiry is necessary.
The 2020 Democratic primary is the subject of the 144th episode. Our returning guest is veteran Democratic strategist Joe Trippi. In this conversation, we explore the state of the Democratic primary, who he sees as the top tier, how he assesses Biden, Sanders, Warren, Harris and Buttigieg, who he thinks can surprise people in Iowa, whether the debates matter, whether the primary will go to the convention, how the top tier ranks as general election candidates, what he makes of Trump’s general election standing, and we take a stroll down memory lane for our guest’s history on presidential campaigns.
Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist George F. Will, the author of the new bestseller “The Conservative Sensibility”, is our guest for the 143rd episode. In this conversation, we explore the balance between freedom and government, the importance of federalism, how a limited federal government should look, the state of the conservative movement, the rise of socialism and populism, how the Democratic Party is changing, what the GOP looks like after Trump, how he views the 2020 presidential election, and what challenges face America in the future.
Iran is the subject of our 142nd episode. Former U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker served in the Middle East for much of his career, representing the U.S. in Iraq, Syria, Kuwait and Lebanon. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In this conversation, we explore President Trump’s decision to pull back on a planned military strike, what a proportionate response to Iran shooting down an American drone would be, whether reopening negotiations is a worthy strategic goal, how the US can restore deterrence, whether the ‘Maximum Pressure’ campaign is working, how our allies in the region may be viewing this, what the chances of war are, and what it was like to be stationed in Iran in 1972.
Congressman Chip Roy (R-TX) is our guest for the 141st episode. The humanitarian crisis at the southern border is our subject. In this conversation, we discuss how he sees the problem, what the Democrats’ position is, what reforms he’d like to see, how the asylum process is broken, how he has used procedural tactics to draw attention to the issue, and whether it’s all been worth it.
Brad Thor is the guest for the 140th episode. He is a New York Times bestselling author of thrillers who has sold more than 15 million books. His newest book, “Backlash”, will be released on June 25. In this conversation, we discuss what he tries to do in each of his books, how this book looks at cold weather survival tactics, how training is integral to his characters, how common ‘snatch and grab’ operations are, how private intelligence companies operate, how he’s cooperated with the U.S. government, whether operatives like Scot Harvath really exist, how he learned enough about Russia, whether his books will be made into films, and what his writing process is.
The CIA is the subject of the 139th episode. Our guest is Nada Bakos, former CIA analyst and author of “The Targeter: My Life in the CIA, Hunting Terrorists and Challenging the White House”. In this conversation, we discuss how she overcame confidentiality process delays to get the book published, the importance of having women in CIA leadership, her role analyzing Iraq and 9/11, her role writing the President’s Daily Brief, the Bin Laden manhunt, her role as the targeting officer for al-Zarqawi, the current threat from ISIS and al Qaeda, and her favorite depiction of the intel community in popular culture.
The future of Britain and Europe is the subject of the 138th episode. Nile Gardiner is our guest. He is Director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at the Heritage Foundation and a former senior aide to PM Thatcher. In this conversation, we discuss PM Theresa May’s tenure, the status of Brexit, the current leadership race, potential bilateral trade deals for Britain, the state of the Tories and Labor, the EU Elections, and what Britain and the EU look like in a post-Brexit world.
Dan Abrams is our guest for the 137th episode. He wears many hats, hosting the Dan Abrams show on SirusXM, hosting #LivePD on the A&E Network and serving as chief legal analyst for ABC News. He is also the co-author of the new bestseller, “Theodore Roosevelt for the Defense”, which chronicles a fascinating ‘trial of the century’ forgotten by history. In this conversation, we explore why he wrote the book, how defamation worked at the time of the trial, what he learned about Teddy Roosevelt, how the boss system of politics of the time was central to the trial, whether current defamation laws need to be changed, what he makes of the Trump administration’s legal battle with Congress, whether today’s justice system is fair, how criminal justice reform will improve sentencing, and whether today’s perception of policing is accurate.
The resignation of British prime minister Theresa May is the subject of episode 136. Our guest is an old friend, Richard Allen Greene, deputy news editor for CNN, who joins us from London. In this episode we discuss May’s resignation, the process for choosing a new prime minister, the field of candidates, how candidates determine their strategy, and how Brexit forced May’s resignation and where it goes from here.
Rising star U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) is our guest for the 135th episode. He is the author of a new book, “Sacred Duty: A Soldier’s Tour of Arlington National Cemetery”. In this conversation, we explore why he wrote this book, how he describes the sacred mission of 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, otherwise known as the “Old Guard”, how the author conducted interviews while serving in the Senate, how Arlington has changed in recent years, what he believes is the state of the U.S. military and how our guest views current military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The migrant crisis on the southern border is our topic for the 134th episode. Our guest is Steve Hecht, an American who has lived in Guatemala for more than 40 years. He joins us from the capital city. In this conversation, we discuss what he thinks Americans don’t understand about the migrant crisis, the reality of Mexico’s southern border with Guatemala, the state of the Guatemalan economy, the upcoming Guatemalan presidential election, how children are being used by economic migrants, what Trump should be doing, whether foreign aid matters, and why he has chosen to live there all this time.
U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) is our guest for the 133rd episode. He has just written a new book, “Our Lost Declaration”, which highlights the importance of the Declaration of Independence. In this conversation, we explore why he wrote the book, why storytelling matters, whether he considers tyranny a real threat in today’s climate, how he defines the term ‘deep state’, whether Congress should seize back some of its Constitutional power, and what the legislative outlook is in the U.S. Senate.
Faith in American life is the subject of the 132nd episode. Our guest is Chris Scalia, son of the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and co-editor of a new book, “On Faith: Lessons from an American Believer”. In this conservation, we examine why they wanted to release this book with Justice Scalia’s spoken and written words on this subject, what he believed about religious liberty and the separation of church and state, what he might have thought about expanding the Supreme Court, whether a religious test should be applied to nominated judges, how his own faith journey changed over time, how his father’s jurisprudential influence endures and what his father might make of today’s court.
Career prosecutor Jim Trusty is our guest for the 131st episode. He served in senior roles at the Department of Justice and was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Maryland. In this conversation, we explore his impressions of the Mueller Report, whether the obstruction examples are serious, whether obstruction requires an underlying crime, whether a sitting President can be indicted, what the criminal referrals mean, what he makes of the entire Mueller inquiry and what he wants to know about the origin of the counterintelligence operation.
Dissecting the Mueller Report is the subject of episode 130. Our guest is David Harsanyi, a syndicated columnist and senior editor at The Federalist. In this conversation, we explore his first impressions of the report, whether the obstruction angle has merit, how concerned Trump should be about 12 unknown criminal referrals, why the collusion angle evaporated, how much Russian meddling matters, the role Attorney General Barr has played, whether Mueller should testify, what we hope to learn from the DOJ IG report on the origins of the counterintelligence investigation and how the media has covered this story.
2020 politics is the subject of the 129th episode. Our guest is Josh Holmes, former Chief of Staff to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and president of Cavalry, LLC. In this conversation, we begin by sizing up the Democratic field of presidential candidates, then discuss the relative strength of Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg, Trump’s political position for reelection, discuss the importance of the GOP launching a small dollar donor online platform, and analyze the state of the modern day Republican and Democratic parties.
The life and legacy of former First Lady Barbara Bush is the subject of episode 128. Our returning guest is Susan Page, Washington Bureau Chief for USA Today and author of the new bestseller, ‘The Matriarch: Barbara Bush and the Making of an American Dynasty”. In this conversation, we explore Page’s writing process and how she secured the subject’s unprecedented participation. We then explore how the loss of Robin Bush at age 3 shaped the rest of their lives, how Barbara went through some mental health issues in the 1970s, how Bush 41’s political career began, how the Reagan-Bush alliance formed, how dysfunctional the Nancy Reagan-Barbara Bush relationship was , how they dealt with rumors of infidelity, how the political careers of George W. Bush and Jeb Bush developed, how Barbara Bush viewed Donald Trump and the modern Republican Party, and whether she was content with the family and legacy she built at the end of her life.
Bestselling author Arthur Brooks is our guest for the 126th episode. He has served as President of the American Enterprise Institute for the past ten years and will leave that post in June. His new book is “Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from our Culture of Contempt”. In this conversation, we discuss whether ‘loving your enemies’ comes naturally, whether tribalism is the cause of contempt rising, whether the profit motive in media companies drives us further apart, what role Twitter is playing in this, how capitalism and socialism view the concept of ‘earned success’, whether the conservative movement still values ideas, how he views his tenure at AEI and what he has planned for his next chapter.
This is a story you must hear. For the 125th episode, we talked to Luke Rosiak, investigative reporter for The Daily Caller and author of the new book, “Obstruction of Justice: How the Deep State Risked National Security to Protect the Democrats”. This is not a book about the Mueller investigation or Russia. It’s a book about a Pakistani IT consultant who worked for more than 40 Democratic members of Congress who was indicted for bank fraud, theft and a host of other crimes, but was then curiously given immunity from prosecution for no apparent reason. This jaw-dropping account will make you wonder about many of our institutions.
The crisis in Venezuela is the subject of episode 124. We spoke to Rice University’s Mark Jones about where things stand currently, whether Maduro’s grip on power is weakening, how US policy is affecting his regime, how Cuba and Colombia are involved, whether a US military option is on the table, how this may end, and how Gaido could serve as a unifying figure.
Our 123rd episode comes to you from Washington, DC. In this special conversation, we interviewed two freshmen U.S. Senators, Mike Braun (R-IN) and Rick Scott (R-FL). We explored the legislative outlook for the U.S. Senate and limited opportunities for bipartisan accomplishments, the collapsing situation in Venezuela, the Green New Deal, federal deficits and spending, the state of the agricultural industry and trade negotiations, China, North Korea and the state of the American economy.
For the 122nd episode, we zero in on the real story on the southern border. Our guest is Brandon Darby, who has been covering the border for eight years as Managing Director of Breitbart Texas. In this conversation, we examine the question of whether the U.S. has operational control, how the cartels operate, how asylum seekers are profit centers for the cartels, what the drug trade has changed, whether Mexico is a true partner, and what he makes of the recent budget deal and the national emergency declaration.
Social justice is the subject of the 121st episode. Noah Rothman, Associate Editor of Commentary Magazine, is the author of the new bestseller, “Unjust: Social Justice and the Unmaking of America”, a thoughtful critique of the social justice movement. In this conversation, we examine why he wrote the book, the concepts of ‘white privilege’, excessive policing, campus culture and Occupy Wall Street, race-based Affirmative Action, abortion and school choice, and the motivations of Social Justice.
For the 120th episode, we go deep inside the Trump White House. Our guest is Cliff Sims, former Special Assistant to the President and author of the national bestseller, “Team of Vipers: My 500 Extraordinary Days Inside the Trump White House”. In this conversation, we talk about how he came to join the Trump campaign, how they weathered the Access Hollywood tape, what Election Night was like, what his considerations were when he was asked to join the White House, how it operated like a team of vipers with rival power centers and constant leaks, what Donald Trump is really like behind closed doors, what one thing would make his presidency more successful, and whether he thinks he traded private White House conversations as part of his book.
In the 119th episode, we spoke with MSNBC national political correspondent Steve Kornacki, author of the new book, “The Red and the Blue: The 1990s and the Birth of Political Tribalism.” In this conversation we examine the political intensity of the 1990s, Bush 41 breaking his ‘no new taxes’ pledge, comparisons between 1992 and 2020, the independent candidacy of Ross Perot, the leadership of Newt Gingrich, how Perot’s bid differs from a potential independent bid by Howard Schultz, and whether Trump is a populist billionaire. Finally, we look forward to the 2020 presidential election.
North Korea is the subject of the 118th episode. Our guest is Victor Cha, who withdrew from consideration to be U.S. Ambassador to South Korea in the Trump administration, and is currently Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). He formerly served on the National Security Council staff. In this conversation, we preview the upcoming 2nd Trump-Kim Summit, how China plays a crucial role, whether North Korea has made a meaningful denuclearization commitment, how sequencing matters, whether their secret weapons programs have been growing, where the negotiations currently stand, the issue of human rights, the intel challenge that North Korea presents, what message our guest would have for President Trump, and what a successful summit looks like. Finally, we delve into what life in North Korea is really like – especially compared to South Korea.
Energy is the subject of episode 117. John Tintera has 30 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, as a geologist, regulator, and now as the President of the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers. In this conversation we discuss the current strength of the U.S. oil and gas industry, where Texas fits in, how oil prices affect production, the role of state and federal regulation, how tariffs and infrastructure impact both the industry and the communities, and how expanding LNG exports from the U.S. are a game changer.
In the 116th episode, we check in with AB Stoddard, Associate Editor and Columnist for Real Clear Politics. In this conversation, we discuss the partial government shutdown and potential ways it may end, the Mueller inquiry and where it may be headed, how the new Democratic House majority is shaping up, and what the 2020 Democratic presidential primary looks like.
The economy is the subject of the 115th episode. In this conversation we are joined by Steve Forbes, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Media. We discuss the current state of the economy, how he thinks the tax cut law is working, whether new trade deals will pass and other new trades deal will be negotiated, what he makes of the current Federal Reserve, whether he thinks inflation is a real concern for the U.S. in 2019, what he makes of U.S. policy with China, how he believes President Trump should deal with Congress and how and why he believes the partial government shutdown will end.
For our final episode of 2018, we take a trip around the world with Washington Examiner columnist Tom Rogan to explore the most pressing foreign policy issues facing the U.S. In this conversation, we discuss the withdrawal from Syria and its effect on Russia, Iran and the Kurds, the state of the House of Saud, the upcoming Israeli election, the whether the U.S. should remain in Afghanistan.
A stunning District Court ruling wiping out Obamacare is the subject of the 113th episode. Our guest is South Texas College of Law professor Josh Blackman. We begin with his summary of the ruling, then delve into the concept of severability, who the plaintiffs were, whether the ruling is fully in force, how the appeal may work, how Democrats are responding, what it means for the popular provisions, why the next two weeks matter, and whether the Supreme Court will hear this appeal.
British politics is the subject of episode 112. Our guest is Alastair Campbell, press secretary and strategist for former Prime Minister Tony Blair and an advisor to the People’s Vote campaign. In this conversation we discuss this week’s unusual ‘no confidence’ vote, division within the Tory party, how difficult it is to be prime minister and usher through Brexit, if Theresa May is offering a false choice between her deal and no deal, how the votes stack up in Parliament, whether May’s lame duck status is a problem, what leverage the EU has, whether May will hold another vote on the same deal, and what the future looks like in British politics.
He survived an assassination attempt. In episode 111, we spoke to House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA), who on June 14, 2017 was the target of an assassination attempt while practicing for the congressional baseball game. We discuss his new bestselling book, “Back in the Game: One Gunman, Countless Heroes, and the Fight for My Life”. In this conversation, we discuss why he wrote the book, what actually happened, the heroes that helped save his life, how it felt, whether he faced doubts at the time, the importance of gratitude, and whether he believes he survived for a bigger purpose. Finally, we talked about the new Congress.
Russia is the subject of the 110th episode. Garrett Graff is a contributor to WIRED Magazine, and his buzzy new piece is, “Robert Mueller’s Endgame May Be in Sight” is insightful. In this conversation, we review where things stand after a busy week with new developments, how the attempted Trump Moscow development fits into this story, what the joint defense agreements could mean, what Michael Cohen and Paul Manafort are up to, what risk Donald Trump, Jr. is facing, and what major questions still remain.
Thanksgiving and giving thanks is the subject of this week’s episode. Operation Turkey began with one person, Richard Bagdonas, delivering one warm meal to a homeless person on Thanksgiving Day in Austin, Texas in the year 2000. Now they operate in seven states and 30 cities and will deliver 75,000 meals this year – accounting for 15 percent of the national homeless population. In this conversation, where this idea came from how this all-volunteer effort scaled over time, how corporate partners and individual donors make it possible, what they’ve learned along the way, how they manage tens of thousands of volunteers and what they need this week to be successful.
Brexit is the subject of the 108th episode. Our guest is pollster Joe Twyman, co-founder and director of Deltapoll. In this conversation, we examine where Theresa May’s proposed Brexit deal stands, how hard the March 29 deadline is, the specifics of the deal, what the math looks like in Parliament, her own political standing, how a no-confidence vote would occur, how a second referendum vote would occur, where the polling stands on Brexit in Britain, whether Boris Johnson is a likely successor and what Brexit would mean for a US-UK bilateral trade deal.
In this episode, we look back at the midterms elections and then look forward. Our guest is The Atlantic senior editor and CNN senior political analyst Ron Brownstein. Our topics include how the GOP is moving deeper into white working class sections in America, what both parties should worry about after the midterms, what both parties need to do for 2020, which two states will decide the 2020 election, and whether the GOP can win back the suburbs.
In this conservation, we talked to Trump economic advisor Stephen Moore about a range of subjects. His new book, coauthored with Art Laffer, is “Trumponomics: Inside the America First Plan to Revive Our Economy” is just out. We discussed the brand new jobs report, why wages are increasing and how the tight labor market is affecting the economy, what Trump is doing with China, whether the tariffs are working, how current deficits risk economic growth, what the Fed is doing, how the tax cut and regulatory rollback have played a role in the economy, what concerns he sees in the economy going forward and what Trump is really like.
Veteran journalist CBS News Chief White House correspondent Major Garrett writes about covering the Trump campaign in his new best-selling book, “Mr. Trump’s Wild Ride: The Thrills, Chills, Screams, and Occasional Blackouts of an Extraordinary Presidency”. In this conversation we explore the purpose of the book, the state of journalism, what it was like covering Trump on the campaign trail, whether Trump initially ran as a publicity stunt, whether he thought Trump could win, how Trump overcame so many obstacles and won the presidency, and how he wrote the book while also carrying out his duties in the intense job of covering the White House.
Our guest is U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE), who is the author of the new national bestseller, “Them: Why We Hate Each Other – And How to Heal”. We explored a range of subjects in this conversation, including why he wrote the book, how the national media contributes to tribalism, the role both Obama and Trump have played, whether politics can solve our problems, how the Senate is working, and what major issues he wants to see us address in the future.
Ken Starr is our guest for the 103rd episode. A former federal judge, Starr served as Independent Counsel from 1994-1999. He is the author of the new bestseller, “Contempt: A Memoir of the Clinton Investigation”. In this conversation, we explore why he wrote the book, what makes an independent counsel different from a special counsel, why his term lasted five years, how it felt to be in the middle of the storm, what the key decisions were that he faced, whether he is satisfied with the outcome and whether he has any regrets. Then we discussed the Mueller inquiry, whether a sitting President can be indicted and his view of Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
The FBI investigation into Judge Brett Kavanaugh is the subject of the 102nd episode. Our guest is Daniel S. Goldman, former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. In this conversation, we examine how the FBI investigation worked, how a supplemental background investigation differs from a criminal investigation, why Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh were not interviewed, whether our guest agrees there is no corroboration, why these allegations were never found in previous FBI background checks and whether Kavanaugh could have been charged criminally.
Making government work better is the subject of the 101st episode. Our guest is Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit founded in 2001. In this discussion , we delve into several topics: why he started the nonprofit, how government can effectively attract top talent (especially young talent), how the scale of the federal government should be a selling point, why presidential transitions matter, what three things he would do to make government work better, whether he despairs at how difficult it is to reform government and what inspires him.
Populism is the subject of our momentous episode 100 and our guest just wrote a book on the subject. Fox News politics editor Chris Stirewalt is the author of the new book, “Every Man a King: A Short, Colorful History of American Populists” and the book’s timing could not be better. In this conversation, we examine populism through the years, from Andrew Jackson through Pat Buchanan, whether increasing government dependence is a goal of populism, what he learned in writing the book, how Buchanan brought us Trump and whether Obama’s record created the conditions for the rise of populism again.
Bill Bradley is our guest for the 99th episode. He served in the U.S. Senate from 1979-1997 as a Democrat from New Jersey and ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2000. Today he serves as Managing Director for Allen & Company and hosts a weekly radio show on SirusXM. In this conversation, we talked about trade, Russia, the Middle East, and defense spending, before turning to what worries him most about Trump and how he believes the progressive movement is affecting the Democratic Party.
Our midterm election expert, Dave Wasserman of the Cook Political Report, is the guest for the 98th episode. Our topics in this conversation: The current state of play for control of the House, whether either party benefitted from the primaries, whether Trump voters will turn out, if special elections are predictive and whether this is a wave election.
The Catholic Church is the subject of the 97th episode. My guest is National Review editor at large and National Review Institute senior fellow Kathryn Lopez, who has been writing about the church for many years. In this conversation, we discuss the Pennsylvania grand jury report, the Vigano letter, Pope Francis’ response, our ideas for what how the church should respond to this crisis, whether deeper reforms are needed and whether my guest’s own beliefs have made her doubt her faith.
It was a consequential week. The Trump legal situation is the subject of the 96th episode. Our guest is attorney Gayle Trotter, a graduate of the University of Virginia law School and Fox News and Fox Business commentator. In this conversation, we begin with her take on what happened this past week, address the question of whether a sitting President can be indicted, and examine the details of the alleged campaign finance violations, the Labor Day deadline, the recent immunity deals, and the President’s pardon power. Finally, our guest makes a prediction about where the story is headed and gives her advice as to whether Trump to submit to an interview with Mueller.
Trade is the subject of the 95th episode. Our guest is Tony Fratto, founding partner of Hamilton Place Strategies, CNBC contributor, and former senior Treasury official. In this deep dive, we discuss the state of play on trade actions and reactions, NAFTA, fast track authority, the Mexican presidential transition, how trade may affect the midterm elections, the recent $12 billion agriculture bailout, the role of Peter Navarro and how tariffs are being used against the EU and China.
One man was responsible for chronicling the taxpayer dollars wasted and the fraud committed during the U.S. reconstruction effort in Iraq. His name is Stuart Bowen. He is our guest for the 94th episode – live from Austin. In this fascinating conversation, we begin by talking about the role of Inspector General and its limitations, what he found when his work was complete, how sectarianism and corruption paralyze Iraq, how ISIS has been decimated, whether Muqtada al-Sadr will be able to form a coalition government, what Iran wants in Iraq, what the future holds in Syria, whether Trump had sided with the Sunni countries over the Shi’a ones, and what Iraq’s future looks like.
U.S. Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) is our guest for the 93rd episode, taped live in Austin from the Resurgent Gathering. Davidson may be best known for succeeding former Speaker John Boehner in Ohio’s 8th district. But his story is more remarkable than that. He was an officer as an Army Ranger, then ran a successful manufacturing company, before winning a 16-way special election to serve in Congress in 2016. In this conversation, we talked about how he thinks Congress is doing, how he thinks President Trump is doing, how the midterms look, and then pivot to discuss trade, agriculture, Dodd-Frank Reform, the Mueller inquiry, and finally what it’s like to serve in Congress.
One of our nation’s most respected legal scholars is our guest for the 92nd episode. Randy Barnett is a law professor at Georgetown and the author of “Our Republican Constitution: Securing the Liberty and Sovereignty of We the People”). In this conversation, we focus on the Supreme Court and the recent Supreme Court nomination of DC Circuit Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. We begin by examining the current status of the nomination, then turned to the fight over document production, whether a judge should be reviewed differently for an appellate court versus the Supreme Court, how the Kennedy Court may become the Roberts Court, why Trump’s judicial nominations are historically consequential and how originalism and textualism came to be.
North Korea is the subject of the 91st episode. Our guest is former CIA senior analyst and CSIS senior fellow and Korea chair Sue Mi Terry. In this conversation, we begin with a gut check on where the negotiations between the U.S. and North Korea currently stand two months after the Singapore summit. Then we delved into the issue of suspending military exercises, the return of the remains of American soldiers, what a nuclear inspection regime might look like, whether both sides agree on the definition of denuclearization, whether sanctions relief is North Korea’s primary objective, how the Iran Deal experience is part of this, and what South Korea, Japan, and China are thinking. Finally, we explore what life is really like in North Korea and what advice our guest has for President Trump.
Our guest for the 90th episode is former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. He supervised Brett Kavanaugh in the White House Counsel’s office, so we began the conversation with his memory of what kind of lawyer and employee the new Supreme Court nominee was like. We then talked about the difference between the DC Circuit Court and the U.S. Supreme Court, why the public views the Supreme Court as a political institution, what role Congress can and should play, what kind of pressures he felt as Attorney General, how he thinks DOJ is doing today under AG Jeff Sessions, what he makes of the conflict between DOJ and House Republicans and how he views the recent DOJ Inspector General report and the work of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
For episode 89, we talked to Mona Charen, a syndicated columnist and senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. She is the author of the new book, “Sex Matters: How Modern Feminism Lost Touch with Science, Love, and Common Sense”. In this conversation we explore the many important themes in her new book: Does women’s equality threaten traditional families? What can be done about rape culture on college campuses? Is chivalry dead? Is gender a choice? Is modern feminism increasing the happiness of women?
Perhaps no two people have studied Trump voters with greater focus, depth, and commitment than Salena Zito and Brad Todd, co-authors of the national bestseller, “The Great Revolt: Inside the Populist Coalition Reshaping American Politics.” In this conversation, we first examine why they wrote the book and how they did it – together. Then we turned to the book’s biggest questions: Is Trump’s election a major political realignment? Are Trump voters misunderstood? How severe is the economic pain that fueled the anger that elected him? Is the media missing this story? And finally, can Trump lose this coalition, and if so, how?
Mexico is the subject of the 88th episode and I can think of no one I would rather talk to than Alfredo Corchado. He is the border correspondent for The Dallas Morning News, splitting time between El Paso and Mexico City. He is the author of the fantastic book, “Midnight in Mexico,” and his new memoir, “Homelands” is just out. In this conversation, we discuss why he wrote the book, how the guest worker program has been vital to the U.S. and Mexico over decades, where the current Mexican presidential election stands, what Lopez Oprador’s expected victory will mean for the U.S.-Mexico relationship, what life is like in Mexico today, how the trade issue is being negotiated, how Trump is viewed in the country and how the border wall issue plays.
On the 87th episode, we talk all-things-Trump with Sam Nunberg, a longtime political advisor to Trump who left in the early days of the campaign but remains close to many high ranking Trump world figures. In this conversation, we discuss the optics of the North Korea summit, the prospects for the midterms, and where he thinks the Russia inquiry stands. We discuss his questioning before the grand jury, and get his take on Roger Stone, Michael Cohen, Rudy Giuliani, Jared Kushner and Steve Bannon. Finally, we delve into the question of whether Trump should agree to be interviewed by Mueller and whether pardons are likely.
Sean Davis is our guest for the 86th episode. He’s a co-founder of The Federalist and a former aide to U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK). In this conversation, we preview the forthcoming U.S. Department of Justice Inspector General report, which is independently examining how DOJ and the FBI conducted the Clinton email investigation. We explore what questions most need an answer, who the key individuals are, and how this may connect to the Russia inquiry. Then we discuss the Mueller inquiry, the Steele dossier, Spygate, whether Trump should agree to an interview, and how this all may end.
The story of what led to the resignation of Gov. Eric Greitens (R-MO) this week is one that will be studied for many years. That story is best told by Gregg Keller, a prominent Missouri-based GOP consultant has worked with many of his state’s top elected officials. Keller has a unique perspective because he has been at war with Greitens for over a year. It was a war he won – but at great cost. In this conversation, we discuss Greitens’ outsider status, how he got himself into this mess, what the legislature was doing to force his hand, how a judiciary ruling pushed him out, what the personal toll was for Keller and his family, and what the state’s future is. Then we looked at the U.S. Senate race in that state, which will be on the of top races in the country in 2018. Finally, we discussed how he thinks President Trump is doing and how the midterms are shaping up.
The intelligence community is in the news. So for our 84th episode, we wanted to talk to former CIA Director Gen. Michael Hayden (USAF, Ret.). In this timely conversation we explore Gina Haspel’s priorities at CIA, where the line is between Congressional oversight and CIA’s right to protect sources and methods, the curious case of Stefan Halper and the FBI using an informant to collect intelligence on a presidential campaign, as well as how he views Russia, North Korea and Iran.
Our guest is Mark Dubowitz, who was recently profiled in The New York Times. He is the CEO of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, and has been called one of the most influential figures on the Iran Deal. In this discussion, we discuss the current state of play, Iran’s ballistic missile program, the sunset provisions, John Kerry’s role, Trump’s new national security team, the Iranian uprising, a new maximum pressure campaign, what the future of Iran looks like, his role in influencing the national debate, and whether the U.S. moving toward Saudi Arabia and away from Iran is a good thing.
The Iran Deal is the subject of the 82nd episode. Our guest is Matt Continetti, editor in chief of The Washington Free Beacon. His recent column, “Donald Trump Ends the Obama Mirage,” explains why he supports President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the JCPOA. In this conversation, we discuss how strong Trump’s announcement was, whether the decision will have diplomatic or economic consequences for our European allies, whether any agreement with North Korea or Iran should be a treaty and how Syria and Israel are involved.
Amy Chozick spent ten years covering Hillary Clinton. She writes about the experience in her new bestseller, “Chasing Hillary.” She’s a writer-at-large who covered Hillary’s 2016 campaign for The New York Times and previously reported for The Wall Street Journal, where she covered Hillary on the 2008 campaign after being a foreign correspondent in Tokyo. In this conversation we examine who Hillary really is, what drives her, what defines her, how the campaign unfolded, what it was like covering it, how journalism is changing, and what one question she wants to have Hillary answer.
Andy Puzder was one of the most successful CEOs in the past few decades, leading CKE Enterprises which brought back national fast-food chains Hardees and Carl’s Jr. He was then nominated to be Labor Secretary by President Trump before he withdrew after questions were raised from his past. Now he is the author of the new book, “The Capitalist Comeback: The Trump Boom and the Left’s Plot to Stop It”, which is a very timely read. In this conversation, we first check in with his current assessment of the U.S. economy and the tax law and then discuss the regulatory rollback and trade. Finally, we discuss his personal relationship with President Trump and his unpleasant experience being nominated to serve in the Cabinet as his nomination was brought down by decades-old allegations.
We examine the political environment and the midterms in the 79th episode with our guest, Josh Kraushaar, politics editor for National Journal. Our topics: The current state of play, how fundraising is going for both sides, what factors could help each party, whether GOP enthusiasm will catch up, why House GOP retirements are so high, whether Democratic primaries will threaten their chances, how the GOP may deploy Trump in the fall and whether vulnerable GOP incumbents will distance themselves from him.
Syria is the subject of the 78th episode. Our guest is Danielle Pletka, Senior Vice President at the American Enterprise Institute. As President Trump weighs his response to the most recent chemical weapons attack in Syria, we discuss whether Trump’s past military response has boxed him in, how this mess was created in the first place, what Iran and Russia are up to, how ISIS plays into this, what military options exist and what Assad’s future might be.
Our guest is EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. He’s been in the news lately, with questions about a room he rented on Capitol Hill and the costs of his travel and security detail. This was not why we initially wanted to speak to him, though we did ask him those questions. In this conversation, which was taped in The Washington Times newsroom with the video live-streamed online, my guest co-host Charlie Hurt and I discussed his mission at EPA, how it is working with President Trump, and what he believes he has accomplished in his first 16 months on the job. We then specifically talked about the “Waters of the U.S.” regulation, Superfund cleanup, fuel economy standards for automobiles, ethanol and the renewable fuel standard, and the decision to pull out of the Paris Climate Accord.
The hottest nonfiction book in publishing right now is the newly released, “Secret Empires: How the American Political Class Hides Corruption and Enriches Family and Friends”) by New York Times bestselling author Peter Schweizer and he is our guest. He is the author of several other bestsellers, including “Clinton Cash” and “Throw Them All Out”, which revealed insider trading by members of Congress. His new book reveals how some of the most prominent names in national politics have earned tremendous wealth personally and for their friends and family, including the Bidens, the McConnells, the Obamas, the Kerrys and the Kushners. In this conversation, we explore the goal of the book, whether this ties into recent revelations from the Panama Papers, whether any of what he found is illegal, how this problem can be fixed and whether it will, what effect his previous books have had, what his next project is, and how his nonprofit advances its mission.
Our subject for the 75th episode is Cambridge Analytica and Facebook. Our guest is Sasha Issenberg, who has followed the use of data and digital targeting in campaigns for many years, culminating in his groundbreaking book, “The Victory Lab”, which was published in 2013 and updated in 2016. In this fascinating conversation, we delve into what Cambridge Analytica is, how the use of data and digital strategy have been converging since at least 2004, how addressable TV may be the next innovation, how these technologies may be used in the 2020 presidential campaign, whether corporate ad campaigns are more advanced than political ones, how the Obama, Clinton and Trump digital efforts were unique, to what extent truly fake news effected the 2016 campaign, and where this story is going for both Cambridge Analytica and Facebook.
Jonah Goldberg is our guest for episode 74. He’s a senior editor for The National Review, a syndicated columnist, a Fox News contributor and a New York Times best-selling author whose new book, “Suicide of the West,” is available for preorder and will be released on April 24. In this conversation we examine the Trump staff shakeup, how cable news is affecting his presidency, where the Mueller inquiry may be headed, how Trump’s first year went, what the PA-18 special election tells us, whether Trump can be reelected, and whether ideas matter anymore.