New polls this week served up a surprise: They showed Robert F. Kennedy’s presidential run pulling more support from Donald Trump than from President Biden. And even some Republicans are publicly insisting that they fear the same. One person who is deeply skeptical of this reading is veteran Democratic strategist and podcaster Joe Trippi. We […]
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New polls this week served up a surprise: They showed Robert F. Kennedy’s presidential run pulling more support from Donald Trump than from President Biden. And even some Republicans are publicly insisting that they fear the same. One person who is deeply skeptical of this reading is veteran Democratic strategist and podcaster Joe Trippi. We […]
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Now that Mike Johnson allowed Ukraine aid to pass the House on a broad bipartisan basis, an enraged Marjorie Taylor Greene is ramping up her threats to oust the Speaker. But a funny thing has happened: For many reasons, Greene’s efforts could end up accomplishing little for the MAGA right, even as they do more […]
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This week, arguments begin in Donald Trump’s hush money trial in Manhattan, and he’s raging over the unfairness of it all. Amazingly, some are rushing to insist the trial won’t pose a serious problem for his presidential chances. But progressive political strategist Anat Shenker-Osorio disagrees: She writes in a new piece for Slate that due […]
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At a fundraiser with oil and gas industry executives last week, Donald Trump reportedly ranted angrily about, of all things, wind power. “I hate wind,” Trump told the executives. That may seem like a joke, but it gets at a deadly serious topic: If Trump wins this fall, he’d very likely try to repeal President […]
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Kari Lake, a die-hard MAGA Republican who’s running for Senate in Arizona, told a rally this week that it’s time for supporters of her and Donald Trump to “put on the armor of God and maybe strap on a Glock just in case.” There you have it: God and Glock, side by side. We talked […]
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Here on the podcast we’ve repeatedly argued that Mike Johnson might ultimately allow a vote on military aid to Ukraine, even if it risks his ouster as speaker by MAGA forces in the House. Now that moment has arrived: House GOP leaders are preparing to move forward with Ukraine aid as part of a package […]
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign is expressing confidence that he’ll appear on the ballot in all the key swing states, inspiring fears among Democrats that he’ll boost Donald Trump. But now Kennedy faces a new foe: The Kennedy clan, which is taking urgent new steps to thwart his candidacy. We chatted with Jill Lawrence, […]
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With jury selection in Donald Trump’s hush money trial beginning this week in Manhattan, some have dismisses District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case as weak. Yet Trump, who is accused of falsifying business records to conceal payoffs to Stormy Daniels, is certainly not acting as if he’s in the clear. Dave Aronberg, a prosecutor in Florida […]
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Donald Trump’s presidential campaign has been hit by a lot of bad news lately. His former vice president declined to endorse him. His legal travails are getting worse. And some states are lurching to new extremes on abortion, making it impossible for Trump to shrug off responsibility for the end of Roe v. Wade. Yet […]
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On Wednesday, Donald Trump declared that he won’t sign a national abortion ban if elected president, a clear sign he recognizes the issue poses a severe threat to his prospects. But this week, the Arizona State Supreme Court upheld an 1864 law banning almost all abortions, demonstrating that Trump will be forced to answer for […]
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At a recent fundraiser, Donald Trump promised big tax cuts to some of the richest donors in the country. He also suggested he wants more immigrants from countries like Norway—hint, hint—while blasting Latin American migrants as criminals and worse. This corrupt bargain—offer huge giveaways to wealthy elites so they embrace far right governance—is an old […]
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In a February 12 letter to Attorney General Garland, Comer and Jordan requested the audio of Biden’s interview with Hur, which made news when Hur, who did not recommend charges for the president, editorialized in his report, including “gratuitous” details about Biden’s poor memory and inability to recall details about his life. Critics have called […]
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This week, Mike Johnson finally appears set to decide whether to hold a House vote on funding military aid to Ukraine. If so, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has threatened to try to oust him as Speaker. Yet something funny has happened: A lot of House Republicans want to vote on Ukraine aid. Is there any […]
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It’s a new trend: GOP legislatures are advancing bills that place onerous new kinds of restrictions on public or school libraries in states like Idaho, Alabama, Georgia and others. On the front lines of taking on this trend is Emily Drabinski, the president of the American Library Association, who also grew up in Idaho and […]
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This week, The New York Times reported that Donald Trump recently spoke privately with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. Trump’s team won’t say word boo about what was discussed, and we can guess why: His private business dealings with the Saudis are going gangbusters even as he’s locking up the GOP presidential nomination, creating all […]
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This week, special counsel Jack Smith made a surprise move in his prosecution of Donald Trump for stealing classified documents. He called on Judge Aileen Cannon to make a quick decision on a key matter, flaunting his frustration over numerous rulings putting the thumb on the scale for Trump. We chatted with Philip Rotner, a […]
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One of Donald Trump’s central campaign promises has been to pardon untold numbers of rioters who attacked the Capitol—people he’s described as martyrs, victims and “hostages.” Now, a surprising and important new analysis finds that many of the inmates Trump has referred to are ones who violently attacked law enforcement officers. We talked to Tom […]
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GOP members of Congress facing tough races are suddenly worried that having Donald Trump at the top of the ticket might present them with a problem, according to new reports. They fear having to answer for Trump’s degeneracy and extremism, even as the GOP’s small donor base is not delivering at the very moment as […]
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Donald Trump’s announcement that he is now peddling something called the “God Bless the USA Bible” drew outrage from some religious figures, but one group that’s been conspicuously quiet about it lately are evangelical leaders. Why? Perhaps because Trump has begun making subtle promises to them that we absolutely must not ignore. We talked with […]
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You’ve probably heard someone say we’re in the midst of a “racial realignment.” The idea: Donald Trump is surprisingly strong among nonwhite voters, helping explain why polling looks rough for President Biden. But political analyst Ron Brownstein has written an important new piece that crunches a lot of data and adds sorely needed nuance, finding […]
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Two days after a major bridge collapsed in Baltimore when a cargo ship rammed into it, we still know little about six bridge workers who are presumed dead after an intensive search. Little by little, we’re learning that police were just about to alert the workers about the pending crash but were a hair too […]
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Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene suddenly seems to be attacking House Speaker Mike Johnson almost daily over all kinds of things, especially his promise to find a way to pass military aid to Ukraine. Does that mean Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans will successfully thwart that effort? Why is the House GOP in such chaos, anyway? […]
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NBC News is taking heavy fire over its decision to hire former Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel as a political analyst. McDaniel actively participated in Donald Trump’s effort to steal the 2020 election, pressuring state officials not to certify the outcome, and personalities like Joe Scarborough and Chuck Todd have been harshly critical. We […]
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In recent days, Donald Trump opened the door to cutting Social Security, and he’s also threatened to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would throw millions off health insurance. All this comes as President Biden’s economy is by many metrics booming. Yet Trump is favored on the economy, and his MAGA support remains solid, even […]
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