The Politics Guys

Mike & Jay open with a discussion of what we know so far about President Biden’s mishandling of classified documents and how this case compares to former President Donald Trump’s mishandling of classified documents. After that, they consider Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s pledge to remove three prominent Democrats from House committees, the prospects for the House Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, and the House Oversight Committee’s Biden Family Investigation. The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this midweek supporters’ episode preview, Mike & Jay discuss Donald Trump’s tax returns and IRS authority, our political predictions for 2023, followed in the full episode by George Santos and the importance of lies in the Republican Party, and the crazy idea of enlarging the House of Representatives. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this first episode of 2023, Mike & Jay discuss the 15 rounds of voting required to elect Kevin McCarthy Speaker of the House, Chief Justice Roberts’ report on the federal judiciary and the MIA Supreme Court leak investigation, and the impact President Biden has had on the judicial branch two years into his term. Mike’s Recommendation Year of the Rabbit Jay’s Recommendation Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage to the Antarctic. Alfred Lansing The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter | Mastodon Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike talks with Pierre Bergeron, a judge on Ohio’s 1st District Court of Appeals about judicial elections, state constitutional interpretation & abortion rights, the lack of good sentencing data & why it matters, and Judge Bergeron’s concerns about how few cases result in trials by jury. Measures for Justice How a Spreadsheet Could Change the Criminal Justice System. Pierre Bergeron and Michael Donnelly. The Atlantic, December 14, 2020. The Missing American Jury. Suja Thomas The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter | Mastodon Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike & Ken discuss the many lies of Rep-elect George Santos, the final report of the House January 6th Committee, whether the House Ways & Means committee should have released Donald Trump’s taxes and IRS audits of high-income taxpayers, important non-budget items in the recently passed federal budget, Ukrainian President Zelensky’s address to a joint session of Congress – minus a majority of House Republicans, and Texas Governor Greg Abbott busing migrants to Vice President Kamala Harris’ DC residence on Christmas Eve. Ken’s Recommendation Needles & Plastic: Flying Nun Records, 1981-1988. Matthew Goody Mike’s Recommendation Irrationality: A History of the Dark Side of Reason. Justin E. H. Smith The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter | Mastodon Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike & Jay open this episode with a discussion of the FY 2023 federal budget, followed by a look at the movement to ban TikTok in the United States, and close with the fall of Sam Bankman-Fried and the FTX crypto exchange, and what it says about our campaign finance system. Mike’s Favorite Christmas Album Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics Mike’s Top 5 Christmas Songs #5 Tiny Tree Christmas. Ryan Miller #4 Fairytale of New York. The Pogues #3 All I Want for Christmas is You. Mariah Carey #2 Swiss Colony Beef Log. Eric Cartman #1 White Christmas. Otis Redding Jay’s Christmas Music Recommendations Joy to the World. Handel O Holy Night. Tabernacle Choir Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. Bing Crosby White Christmas. Bing Crosby Christmastime is Here(Charlie Brown). Vince Guaraldi Trio The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This Mike & Ken episode features a discussion of the Brittney Griner Viktor Bout prisoner exchange, Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema’s announcement that she’s leaving the Democratic Party, the implications of Raphael Warnock’s victory over Herschel Walker in the Georgia Senate runoff, the 17 count conviction against the Trump Organization, independent counsel Jack Smith issuing subpoenas in his investigation of Trump, and the Democratic National Committee’s plan to upend the presidential primary system. Ken’s Recommendation Harvest Time Mike’s Recommendation Bullet Train The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike & Jay open the show by talking about the 11th Circuit reversing District Court Judge Aileen Cannon’s order for a special master in the Trump document seizure case. Mike sees it as a clear rebuke of Cannon’s ruling while Jay thinks it’s not quite that and believes that despite the ruling there’s some justification for what Judge Cannon did. Next they discuss legislation imposing an agreement between freight rail workers and railroads. Jay is no fan of government imposed labor agreements but he feels that in this case it was both justified and reasonable. Mike makes the point that the railroad industry is very profitable and that they should be doing more to take care of their workers. After that it’s the Supreme Court’s announcement that it will hear arguments in the case of the six states opposing the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness order. Mike and Jay agree that the Court is likely to find that Biden doesn’t have the authority to do what he did. They close with a look at the sedition conviction of two Oath Keepers leaders and consideration of how the Capitol Breach investigation has progressed nearly two years later. Jay’s Recommendation Of Plymouth Plantation. William Bradford Mike’s Recommendation Tulsa King (Paramount+) The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Kristin returns to the podcast! She and Mike start off by discussing Attorney General Merrick Garland’s appointment of Jack Smith as Special Counsel in the Trump investigations. They also unpack the Trump Tax Return saga, as well as the Biden Administration’s ruling that Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman has immunity in a civil lawsuit concerning the brutal torture and murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. They close with prospects for bipartisan cannabis legislation in the lame duck Congress in the form of the SAFE Banking and HOPE Acts. Kristin’s Recommendations The Splendid and the Vile. Erik Larson Yellowstone Mike’s Recommendations Caravan. John Wasson Inside Man The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike & Ken kick off the episode with a brief discussion of a story that just broke as they were starting to record – Attorney General appointing a special counsel in the Trump case. Following that, they look at the nearly final results of the 2022 midterms, discussing what each party might take away from the elections, and then look toward the 2024 presidential and congressional races. Then they turn to legislation – the Senate’s same sex marriage bill, which is expected to pass with bipartisan support and be signed into law by President Biden. They close the show with a discussion of the meeting between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 Summit in Bali, the likelihood of even more aggressive Chinese action against Taiwan, and the G20 statement on the war in Ukraine. Ken’s Recommendation Chuck Berry: An American Life. R.J. Smith The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s all midterms on this episode, with Mike & Jay starting with the results and their reactions, thoughts on why the ‘fundamentals’ got it so wrong, how the polls (mostly) got it so right, the Georgia runoff election, how this affects the Trump / DeSantis battle for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, what both parties should take away from the midterms, and how ballot issues related to abortion, marijuana, and election law changes fared. The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike & Jay open the show with a discussion of the response to the attack on Paul Pelosi, which sent the 82-year-old spouse of the Speaker of the House to the hospital with a fractured skull. Next is a look at Supreme Court oral arguments in Students for Fair Admissions v Harvard. It seems likely that the Court will find racial preferences in college admissions unconstitutional, overturning its 2003 precedent in Grutter v. Bollinger. Then the Guys turn to Chief Justice Roberts order preventing the House Ways and Means Committee from seeing Donald Trump’s tax returns. They consider the right of the committee to obtain the records, separation of powers issues, and how much this is likely to matter in the end. Following that it’s the tumultuous takeover of Twitter by Elon Musk. Is Twitter being unfairly targeted by “woke” activists as Musk seems to think? Will Donald Trump soon be back on the platform and, if so, how much will this matter to his soon to be announced 2024 presidential campaign? The episode closes with final thoughts on the 2022 midterm elections – Mike is preparing for what he sees as the almost inevitable, followed by some grim years for Democrats. The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trey talks with Robb Willer and Jan Voelkel about their research on the interventions that increase Americans' democratic attitudes. Topics Trey, Robb, and Jan discuss include: - What led to studying democratic attitudes? - How can we decrease partisanship? - What are antidemocratic behaviors? - Democratic backsliding - Relating to those who are not like us Follow Robb Willer and Jan Voelkel on Twitter The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike & Jay open the episode with a discussion of the debate between Pennsylvania US Senate Candidates John Fetterman and Mehmet Oz. They agree that Fetterman’s performance was difficult to watch, though Mike suggests that Fetterman’s difficulty on the debate state doesn’t necessarily tell us that much about his ability to function as a United States Senator. Jay raises concerns about the Fetterman campaign deceiving voters and wonders whether the Democratic Party shouldn’t have replaced Fetterman as a candidate. He also suggests some parallels between Fetterman and Georgia US Senate Candidate Herschel Walker. After that, they discuss the midterm elections more generally. Both Mike and Jay stick with their predictions from a few weeks back, though Mike is more pessimistic about the chances of the Democrats maintaining control of the Senate and Jay more optimistic about his party’s shot at being in control of both chambers in January of 2023. They close with a discussion of if a GOP-controlled House will continue to support Ukraine’s fight against Russia. Both Mike & Jay believe that Republicans will support Ukraine, and Mike points out that there are legitimate concerns about sending billions of dollars to the Ukrainian government, which has some not-insignificant problems with corruption and institutional capacity. Jay’s Spooky / Holiday Recommendations The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Washington Irving H.P. Lovecraft Short Stories. H. P. Lovecraft Mayflower. Nathaniel Philbrick Mike’s Recommendation Keychron Q-Series Mechanical Keyboards The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trey & Ken start the episode with Liz Truss and her 44 days as Prime Minster of the United Kingdom. They consider not only what led to this moment, but also what the probability is for her successor. This includes the possibility of Boris Johnson returning. Next, they discuss both Putin’s use of martial law, his implementation of strikes on civilian targets in Ukraine, and the involvement of Iran. Ken believes Iranian behavior is solely due to the miscalculation of former President Trump, Trey believes it is more likely related to the inherent biases of authoritarianism. After that the pair discuss the numerous Senate debates over the weekend, but focus a lot of time on Ohio, Georgia and Nevada. They also include a discussion of their predictions for the midterms as we move closer to November. They close the show with quickly looking at two court rulings: the 11th Circuit Court of Appeal denying Lindsey Graham’s immunity claims and Justice Barrett’s denial of an emergency injunction on the Biden administrations Student Loan Forgiveness Program. The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike & Jay kick off the episode with a discussion of the January 6th committee, including allegations that Trump knew he lost the election and chose to knowingly promote a false narrative as well as encourage the January 6th rioters. They also consider what the committee has accomplished overall, with Jay admitting that they ended up doing a better job than he expected. Jay predicts that Trump will be indicted for January 6th related charges, whereas Mike doesn’t think so. Next, they move into the latest in the Trump documents seized by the FBI. Both Mike & Jay agree that the Supreme Court was right to not grant Trump’s very narrow emergency request. Mike wishes Attorney General Garland would make a statement condemning the leaks in the investigation, which Jay thinks Garland may have possibly had a hand in orchestrating. They close with a look at the trial of Igor Danchenko, the third person Special Counsel John Durham has indicted as part of his two-year-long investigation in the FBI’s ‘Crossfire Hurricane’ probe into Trump collusion with Russia in the 2016 election. Mike says that while Durham’s investigation hasn’t led to the sort of widespread, high-level convictions some Trump supporters might have hoped for, it served to point out the sloppy nature of the FBI’s investigation. Jay agrees, though he takes a somewhat less charitable interpretation of the Bureau’s motives than does Mike The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike & Jay open the show with a few updates followed by a discussion of President Biden’s comment that. “We’ve not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis”. The guys agree that while this may be technically true, it wasn’t the most politically astute thing for Biden to say, and it’s yet another example of his penchant for less than helpful public statements. Next they consider the recent Biden administration ban of advanced computer chip technology to China. While Mike & Jay favor free trade as a default, in this instance they feel the administration made a wise decision. Following that, it’s a look at Biden’s mass pardon of everyone convicted on federal marijuana possession charges. Once again, the guys are in agreement that this was a good thing to do. They get into a broader discussion of pot legalization where they express some concerns over the move to legalize it in the absence of a solid body of research on the long-term effects of marijuana use. After that, they turn to the latest developments on the documents seized by the government in the search of Donald Trump’s home and office. Jay explains the legal technicalities, and both Mike and Jay conclude that even if the Supreme Court gives Trump what he wants, it will ultimately be a delay that probably won’t have a major effect on the outcome of the investigation. They close by discussing the state of the federal judiciary as the Supreme Court starts up its new term. The focus is on corruption – why Ken regularly uses the term to describe actions of various conservative judges, what he means by the term, why Jay takes issue with that usage, and how bias and motivated reasoning are inherent parts of any human decision-making process. The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trey opens the episode with a brief tribute to the passing of Coolio before Trey & Ken start the episode with the recent sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines. Relatedly they discuss Russia's recent annexation of parts of Ukraine and what political or military changes that might bring. Next, they discuss Judge Cannon's overruling of special master Dearie. Ken explains why he was wrong about the appointment and the legal oddities of arguing for executive branch privilege against the executive branch. Then it's a discussion of McConnell's support for the Electoral Count Act. The guys discuss the differences between the Senate and House version of the bills and why McConnell has decided to agree to legislation on the issue after Jan 6. They close the show with a discussion of Joe Biden's age in regards to his Jackie Walorski comments and the White House follow-up. Trey argues that there is eventually a reason for individuals to age out of the executive office while Ken argues a dead Democrat is better than a live Republican. The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike & Jay open the show with a discussion of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that District Judge Aileen Cannon abused her discretion in denying the Department of Justice use of the roughly 100 classified documents they seized in their Mar-a-Lago raid until a special master reviewed them. Jay doesn’t entirely agree with the 11th Circuit, arguing that Judge Cannon acted reasonably given the history of deception by the FBI and the more general perception that the government is out to get Donald Trump. Mike agrees that this is a perception, but only on the right, and that one can acknowledge unlawful behavior by some people in law enforcement without believing that this requires that judges create a more lenient set of standards for Donald Trump. Next is a look at the civil lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James against Donald Trump and three of his children for misrepresentation of assets. Mike surprises Jay by coming out against the lawsuit – not because Mike thinks Donald Trump didn’t overvalue assets, but because he sees it as a largely victimless offense (those who lent to Trump seemed willing to accept his valuations without independent confirmation) and nearly impossible to prove, making it not only a questionable use of government resources, but also something that might actually strengthen Trump’s “they’re out to get me” narrative. They close by considering Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s announcement of sham elections in four Russian controlled Ukrainian areas, and Putin’s threat to use any means necessary to defend “Russian territory” from attack. Mike expects that the West won’t be willing to risk escalation over a low-yield Russian nuclear strike and that in the end, Putin will come away from this in control of at least part of Ukraine. Jay is more optimistic about the potential for Ukrainians to reclaim much of their territory as well as the willingness of not only the West, but China to punish Russia for using nuclear weapons. The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike & Jay open the episode with an update of developments in the FBI search of Donald Trump’s home and office, including the special master appointed by Judge Cannon, Cannon’s denial of DOJ’s request to allow them access to certain documents, and how they expect the process to play out. Next, they take a look at the August inflation report. Mike & Jay agree that the current inflation picture is troubling, but Mike points out that things could potentially look a lot better before too long. They conclude that while the Fed should continue to raise rates, they shouldn’t raise them too high too quickly. Then it’s a discussion of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis flying a bunch of migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. The guys both see it as a political stunt – along with fellow GOP Governor Greg Abbott’s migrant relocations – but Jay believes it’s making an important point about our broken asylum system. Mike doesn’t dispute the brokenness of our system but argues that the Biden administration has tried to advance immigration legislation, only to have it spurned by Republicans in Congress. They close the show with a discussion of the 15-week national abortion ban proposed by South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsay Graham. Mike thinks it would be a reasonable compromise policy if only it didn’t include a provision allowing stricter state limitations on abortion. Jay isn’t quite sure whether Graham’s proposal is politically brilliant or a dumb move just before the midterms, but in either case, he agrees with Mitch McConnell that this is an issue best left to the states. The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike talks with Bill Kuhn, co-founder of Fight for a Better America and author of Facts & Fury, where he make the argument that the Republican Party has done significant damage to American democracy. Topics Mike & Bill discuss include: how Republicans are strategically smarter than Democrats the electoral advantages of the GOP important differences between Republican activists and ‘regular Republicans’ the potential value and danger of inflammatory rhetoric the GOP’s ‘unhealthy obsession’ with private enterprise pushing unpopular policy through manufacturing outrage & division Republicans and cancel culture and lots more! The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike & Jay open the episode with a discussion of Judge Aileen Cannon’s order to appoint a special master to review the Trump Mar-a-Lago raid documents. Mike agrees with many legal analysts (including former Trump Attorney General Bill Barr) that the ruling is on shaky legal ground but sees is as politically wise. Jay agrees, though he thinks that Cannon’s order is more defensible than Mike believes it is. Next, they turn to Donald Trump’s Pennsylvania rally, which was full of the usual Trump tropes – wild unsupported assertions, airing of grievances, as well as the occasional mention of the candidates he was ostensibly there to support. Mike and Jay agree that Trump may have willingly walked into a trap set by Biden and Democrats, who are eager to make the upcoming midterm elections about Trump. But Jay doesn’t think that it’s likely to move the needle much, while Mike cautions his fellow Democrats to not be too surprised if Republicans end up with control of both chambers in January of 2025. Then it’s a look at the decision of a New Mexico judge who removed county commissioned Couy Griffin from office, citing his violation of the 14th Amendment’s Insurrection Clause. Mike & Jay agree that what Griffin did doesn’t amount to insurrection, and that it’s a bad precedent for judges to start deciding that those convicted of no more than misdemeanors are insurrectionists who are barred from office. Finally, they discuss California’s Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act, which Governor Newsome signed into law on Labor Day. Mike really likes the sectoral bargaining basis of the law, but he was disappointed in finding no good analyses of the costs and benefits of the legislation. Jay comes out firing, as he hates pretty much everything about the new law. The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike & Trey open the episode with a look back at the political legacy of Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, who died this week. They believe that even though Gorbachev has long been out of power, his impact is felt to this day and there are important lessons we can take away from his failure to preserve the Soviet system. After that, they’re joined by Ken Katkin for a discussion of President Biden’s prime-time speech warning of the danger to democracy posed by MAGA Republicans. Ken and Mike end up being somewhat more critical of Biden’s speech than Trey, who believes it was important for Biden to make a strong, public statement against forces that turned the current GOP into a party Trey finds difficult to support. Then it’s a discussion of the search of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home and office. They get into what the unsealed affidavit revealed (not much, due to all the redactions), Trump’s call for a special master to go through the seized materials, the potential dangers of a Trump prosecution, and how they envision events playing out. They close the episode by looking at the special election to fill Alaska’s lone US House seat, where Democrat Mary Peltola came out on top of Republican Sarah Palin. Mike, Trey, and Ken consider what this election might tell us about the upcoming midterm elections, as well as their thoughts about rank choice voting more generally. The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trey & Ken start the show by deep diving into Biden’s executive action on student loan forgiveness. Ken argues it is good for the country, won’t impact inflation, and is constitutionally valid. Trey argues that it will increase the cost of higher education in the long run and is simultaneously a sign of a President overstepping his power in order to win midterm votes. Next, the pair looks not only at the most recent primaries on Tuesday, but they get deep into midterm predictions, especially for the Senate, New York and Florida. Ken stands by his argument that the Senate remains in Democrats hands. They also talk about what more local races may mean for the national midterms. The close the show by discussing a brand new district court ruling that public universities that use proctoring software may be violating the 4th Amendment’s protection against unlawful searches. The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike & Jay kick off the show by discussing the possibility that the affidavit used to obtain the FBI’s search warrant on Donald Trump’s home and office might be made public, at least in redacted form. They both agree that the unusual circumstances seem to merit more public information than we currently have, though they remain doubtful as to whether we’ll ever see much of the affidavit. They also consider the larger issues concerning the wisdom of the search and how this is likely to improve Trump’s 2024 presidential chances. Throughout, they make far too many Roscoe P. Coltrane (from The Dukes of Hazzard) references. They follow this up by considering Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul’s call to repeal the Espionage Act. While on one level it may seem like a Republican partisan attempting to shield Trump from prosecution, the Guys point out that the Espionage Act has been used for what they see as unjust (and unconstitutional) prosecutions. But the portions of the Espionage Act that were clearly unconstitutional have long been repealed. Next, they turn to primary elections in Alaska and Wyoming and what they say about Donald Trump’s hold on the GOP. Mike is inclined to not read too much into Alaska because of its unique politics. Jay argues that Liz Cheney may have succumbed to anti-Trump hysteria and doesn’t see her as a viable 2024 presidential candidate. Mike's Recommendation Reacher (Amazon Prime) The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike talks with Michelle Wilde Anderson, professor of property, local government, and environmental justice at Stanford Law School, about her recently released book, The Fight to Save the Town: Reimagining Discarded America. Topics Mike & Michelle Cover Include: the problem of citywide poverty poor cities and gateway cities ineffective “solutions” to citywide poverty how pathologizing poor cities as failed and corrupt makes things worse the importance of rebuilding trust in tackling citywide poverty poverty & hope in Stockton California; Josephine County, Oregon; Lawrence, Massachusetts; and Detroit Michigan Michelle Wilde Anderson on Twitter Mike on Instagram (lots of dog pictures 🐶) Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike & Jay devote the bulk of the episode to an in-depth – and at times heated – discussion of the FBI’s execution of a search warrant on Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home and office. They discuss the wisdom of seizing files in Trump’s possession, whether or not the Department of Justice exhausted all other means before taking such an unprecedented step, how Attorney General Garland has handled the raid and political fallout, and what they think the consequences of the seizure may be. Next, they look at the latest inflation numbers, which are an improvement from the last few months. This has Mike feeling at least somewhat optimistic, but as Jay cautions, there are still major issues with inflation and it may be too soon for anyone to start celebrating. After that they discuss the PACT Act, which makes it easier for veterans who may have suffered ill effects from toxic burn pits to get VA medical care. Both Mike and Jay think it’s good legislation, with Mike having a personal interest, having been exposed to toxic burn pits while serving with the Marines in Saudi Arabia. The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After discussing Ken’s need for a title like Jay’s, Trey and Ken tackle the recent upset vote in Kansas on the “Value Them Both” ballot initiative. Ken thinks this means that the Democrats will hold or gain seats in the Senate. Trey isn’t sure that it changes the midterm outcomes, but he does see important cleavages inside the Republican Party. Trey argues that it is easier, and more viable electorally, to take positions than to govern. Next they talk more broadly about the primary races across the country. One big question is how well Trump supports did, such as in Arizona. Ken, again, sees this as bolstering Democrats in the midterm. Trey, pointing to the most recent polling data, cautions that given that President Biden is being outpolled by former President Trump. They discuss the meaning of the data and how it applies in Pennsylvania. After that the pair discuss the Senates attempt to codify Roe. The question is: how many votes should the Senate take on various measures to get themselves and the Republicans on the record. Ken argues that they should and they should do so repeatedly in order to maximize their advantage on the social issue. Then it is a brief discussion of the Senates vote to include Finland and Sweden in NATO. They also discuss Josh Hawley’s lone dissenting vote and what, if anything, it means. They close with a discussion of Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan. While they are both in agreement over the value of the trip, they disagree over what they see as the tactic by Biden to isolate the trip. Trey sees it as Biden playing into a view of being weak, while Ken thinks it is strategically smart not to attach the one China policy head on right now. The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After opening with an update on the Brittney Greiner situation, Mike and Jay discuss the big week of legislative activity. They start by discussing the “Inflation Reduction Act of 2022”, aka “Baby Build Back Better” (Mike’s hoping that name sticks, though don’t hold your breath). Mike is a big fan, while Jay isn’t nearly as comfortable as Mike (or Joe Manchin) with the tax hikes that not only pay for the climate spending but make it a significant money raiser for the government. Then they move into the CHIPs Act, the rare major legislation that has attracted bipartisan support. Mike and Jay are on board too, though Mike would like to see it bigger to better compete with China, Taiwan, and South Korea, whereas Jay would have been more comfortable with a pared-down version of the bill. After that they discuss another bipartisan measure – the Respect for Marriage Act, which recently passed the House with 47 Republican votes. Mike thinks it’s a good idea given his view of the precariousness of the constitutional protection for same-sex marriage. Jay doesn’t think that any state will be willing to run the risk of instituting a same-sex marriage ban, and so sees the legislation as addressing a problem that’s not likely to exist. They close with a discussion of Monkeypox. Mike argues that it’s yet another public health failing, and that not enough is being done to contain the spread. Jay is more concerned with government overreach and believes that existing funding can be repurposed to deal with this outbreak. The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike talks with Bryan Caplan, Professor of Economics at George Mason University and blogger at Bet on It. He's the author of multiple books, including four that we’ve previously discussed on the show: The Myth of the Rational Voter, The Case Against Education, Open Borders, and Labor Econ vs The World: Essays on the World's Greatest Market. On this episode, Mike and Bryan talk about his most recent book, How Evil Are Politicians?: Essays on Demagoguery. Topics Mike & Brian Discuss Include: The meaning of evil – is it more than just self-interest? Bryan’s contention that the vast majority of politicians are, in fact, evil Why we should hold politicians to a higher standard The almost utter lack of “moral due diligence” on the part of politicians If people don’t know or just don’t care about evil politicians Demagoguery as the politics of social desirability Liberal vs Conservative forms of evil The extent to which evil politicians are a result of a bad system The pragmatic case for pacifism If any US hostilities since WWII were justified What, if anything, we can do about evil politicians Bryan Caplan on Twitter The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trey & Ken kick off the show with a look at the missing secret service text messages. They discuss the ongoing legal ramifications and the likely reasons why they disappeared. They then turn to the other issues which came out of the final Jan 6 Committee hearing. Next, they turn to all the guns. More specifically they discuss the juxtaposition of the Indiana good guy’s action compared to the Uvalde police. Trey argues this highlights a point he agrees with the left on: the problematic nature of the police in the United States and this explains why weapons, in part, are more prevalent in the U.S. Ken agrees with some of the issues of the police, but disagrees on the need for weapons. After that they look at two separate instances of police and correction officers shooting African Americans and the aftermath of those cases. This continues the disagreement between the hosts, with Trey saying that this explains the uptick in gun ownership by African Americans. The pair close the show discussing the seventeen members of Congress who were arrested for protesting the Supreme Court over abortion rights and the possible ways that may effect the midterm election. Recommendations Trey: Shots in the Dark Ken: Can You Forgive Her? The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike & Jay kick off the show with a look at the Biden administration’s recent guidance to health care providers and pharmacies regarding federal law on abortion services. Mike believes that the guidance is well within the authority of the federal government and should make at least a marginal difference in providing women access to abortion services. Jay doesn’t entirely disagree but feels that the language of the guidance was heavy-handed and could have a chilling effect on medical care providers. Next, they turn to the most recent inflation report and the state of the economy. Mike believes that while the most recent numbers are bad, there’s a good chance that we’ve turned a corner, though there are some serious structural issues to consider. Jay feels that the Fed should have acted sooner to raise interest rates, and questions the extent to which we should trust “expert opinion” on these matters. After that comes a discussion of COVID in the wake of the BA.5 variant’s rise. Mike believes that we’re still not doing nearly enough to get the world vaccinated. Jay doesn’t disagree but has much greater concerns than Mike does about how this would happen, and the waste of money due to incompetence and corruption. Following that, they consider Joe Manchin – the Democrat other Democrats love to hate. Jay argues that Machin’s position on not going along with Democratic proposals on climate change make good policy sense, and his somewhat newfound refusal to consider tax increases is a smart political move. Mike agrees, though he points out the inconsistency between Manchin’s concerns about inflation and his position on tax increases. Then the guys turn to the case of Brittney Greiner. They conclude that the State Department may need to do a better job of warning travelers heading to particularly dangerous countries, and that high-profile Americans should be especially concerned. While they have reservations about prisoner-swaps, they end up agreeing that they’re almost certain to happen in certain circumstances. Finally, they consider the “independent state legislature” theory – the idea that state legislatures can make federal election laws that are unreviewable by state courts, even if they may violate the state’s constitution. While they find it an intellectually intriguing argument, in the end Mike & Jay don’t think it holds water, and that when the Supreme Court hears Moore v. Harper – the case that revolves around this theory – a majority of the justices will agree with them. The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kimberly Weir. Professor of International Relations at Northern Kentucky University, talks with international management consultant Dr. Joe Zammit-Lucia about his latest book, The New Political Capitalism: How Businesses and Societies Can Thrive in a Deeply Politicized World. Topics Kimberly & Joe discuss include: Why business and politics are inseparable How the interaction between business and government is like football Policy regulation and deregulation as public goods Why living in Florida would be impossible without government subsidies Why so many corporations give China a pass on its authoritarian policies Why Harley Davidson workers voted to axe their own jobs Tony Chocoloney and the problem of moving away from slave labor chocolate The instability of the current tri-polar trade bloc system The reality that ‘no brand can remain apolitical for too long’ Markets as essentially political constructs Joe Zammit-Lucia on Twitter The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike & Jay kick off the episode by discussing a bunch of topics related to the Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling of two weeks ago, including President Biden’s latest executive order, state constitutions and reproductive rights, Mike’s novel interpretation of the Takings Clause, Trey & Ken as proponents of a “living Constitution”, and a lot more. Next, they turn to the Court’s decision in West Virginia v EPA, a case in which Jay wrote one of the amicus briefs before the Court. They end up agreeing that the Court got it right on the merits, but Mike thinks the dissenters were right that the case didn’t present a live controversy for the Court to hear in the first place. After that it’s another Supreme Court case – Biden v. Texas, concerning the Biden administration’s attempt to end the Trump administration’s “Remain in Mexico” policy for asylum seekers. While both Jay and Mike have sympathy for Justice Alito’s dissent (at least in part), they believe that the Court got it right and that the Biden administration can legally end the Trump-era program. Following that is Mike’s brief interview with Jenna Spinelle, the host of a great new podcast on citizen initiatives called When The People Decide, more general thoughts on the Supreme Court’s latest term, and a look at the latest work of the January 6th Committee. When The People Decide The McCourtney Institute for Democracy The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trey & Ken record early this week and do something unique: they give additional insight into the cases of Dobbs and New York State Rifle & Pistol Association covered by Mike and Jay last week. The duo start by discussing the Cassidy Hutchinson testimony. Ken thinks the likelihood of a Trump inditement has increased. Trey asks what could actually be demonstrated in court. Further the pair discuss the intersection of politics and law in a case such as this. The finish the topic by discussing the implications for Trump challengers to the Republican primary including Ron DeSantis and Mike Pence. Next is a discussion on the major establishment vs. expression question at the heart of Kennedy v Bremerton School District. Trey is supportive of the bottom line outcome, although he doesn't believe there was a need to overturn precedent to do it. Ken believes that it is just a particular outcome that was destined to win and that it was a violation of the establishment clause. After that they close the show by moving on to something unusual: they examine what Mike & Jay had to say on abortion and guns in the Dobbs and New York cases. In Dobbs Trey agrees with the outcome, but disagrees with the reasoning. Specifically he, like Ken, agree that there are more rights than specifically outlined in the constitution. In this way they both disagree with Mike & Jay. On guns Trey believes a close reading of history shows a conflicted set of frames over the meaning of the 2nd Amendment, but that it included an individual right to bear arms. Ken gives no ground and thinks it is historically only connected to states. The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike & Jay start off this episode with the landmark Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade. They have an in-depth discussion on all five of the opinions as well as what they see as the political implications of the ruling. That’s followed by a discussion of a major ruling on gun rights in which Justice Thomas announces what Mike sees as a radical departure for the Court with disturbing implications. Along with this they talk about the bipartisan gun legislation recently approved by Congress. They close the show by considering the Court’s ruling in an important religious freedom case. The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike talks with Matt Sienkiewicz, an Associate Professor and Chair of the Boston College Communication Department. He's the co-author, along with Nick Marx, of That's Not Funny: How the Right Makes Comedy Work for Them. Topics Mike & Matt Discuss Include: - why most political comedy is left of center - the main types of right of center comedy - “punching up” vs “punching down” in comedy - conservative humor challenging liberal pieties - the biggest names in right wing comedy - why right-wing comedy matters, even if you don’t think it’s funny Right-Wing Comedy Links The Political Orphanage. Andrew Heaton Greg Gutfeld Ryan Long Michael Malice Matt Sienkiewicz on Twitter The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trey and Ken kick off the episode with a discussion of the Federal Reserve's .75 percent rate increase. Ken doesn't think it is deficit spending and is more related to war. Trey believes while war and COVID are contributing factors they are exasperated by current monetary policy. The pair also weigh in on the idea of greedflation. Next the pair discuss the primaries in Main, North Dakota, Nevada and South Carolina. They also discuss the rule of law and the Couy Griffin in New Mexico not certifying the vote. After that it is the most recent revelations concerning Pence with the January 6 Committee along with Trump's twelve page response. Trey and Ken dive into both the questions of the modality of Trump's response and the content. They also ask what the probable audience is for the hearings and response. After that there is a brief update on the major issues facing gun compromise and Ken's belief that Republican Senators, led by Mitch McConnell, are corrupt. Trey suggests that there are other readings of the impasse. Finally Trey and Ken talk about Biden's executive order on LGBTQI+ rights and what impact it is intended to have, and might pragmatically have, on states like Florida. Trey’s Recommendation The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness by Meghan O’Route Ken's Recommendation Mountain Community Radio The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike talks with Will Moravits, a former police officer who became a college professor, earning his Masters in Political Science from Texas State University and a PhD in Public Policy and Administration from Walden University. He's the author of the recently published book The Blue Divide: Policing and Race in America. Topics Mike & Will Discuss Include: - Will’s unique perspective as a former cop / current academic - effectiveness of police use of force training - understanding how humans respond in high-stress situations - myths and misconceptions surrounding police use of force - what Will learned from studying multiple high-profile police shootings - the case Will makes for a lack of racial bias in police shootings - defunding the police - President Biden’s Executive Order concerning federal law enforcement - Will’s thoughts on how to improve policing Will Moravits on Twitter The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike & Jay kick off the show with a discussion of the first of a scheduled six hearings from the House January 6th Committee. They share their views on the value of the hearings, what if anything they learned, whether Fox News was right to not carry the hearings live, and more. Then it’s a look at the man who came to Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s home, armed & dangerous and intending to kill Kavanaugh. Mike and Jay consider this in light of larger protests following the leak of Justice Alito’s opinion draft that would overturn Roe v Wade, a decline in trust of government, and issues with judicial filibusters and the nomination process. After that they return to the issue of guns, talking about Matthew McConaughey’s impassioned speech at the White House, recent legislation passed by the House to address mass shootings, as well as a Justice Department investigation into the Uvalde response. Following that is a discussion of the Summit of the Americas, being held this year in Los Angeles. Mike & Jay agree that President Biden was right to not invite Latin American anti-democratic leaders, but they disagree about how best to address some of the key issues between the US and Latin American countries. They close the show with discussions of the baby formula shortage and what it tells us about government as well as markets, as well as sky high gas prices and what, if anything, government can (or should) do about them. Mike’s Recommendation Don Winslow’s ‘Power of the Dog’ Trilogy: The Power of the Dog, The Cartel, The Border The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ken breaks out his extensive Cold War spy knowledge in this conversation with journalist and New York Times best-selling author Howard Blum. They discuss his recently released book, The Spy Who Knew Too Much: An Ex-CIA Officer's Quest Through a Legacy of Betrayal. Formerly a reporter for the The Village Voice and the New York Times, Blum is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. While at the Times, he was twice nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting. Topics Ken and Howard cover include: - the uses of intelligence - moles, traitors, spies - big moles vs little moles - the war within the CIA - Angleton, Golitsyn, and the "Monster Plot" - the suspicious "suicide" of CIA agent John Paisley - human vs signal intelligence - if human intelligence really matters - spying in the US/ Russia / Ukraine conflict - and lots more! Howard Blum on Twitter The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike & Jay open with a discussion of where we’re at 100 days after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. Jay is optimistic, and much more so than he was in the early days. Mike largely agrees but is concerned that the pro-Ukraine alliance is beginning to show signs of fraying and might not hold up in the long run, especially in tough economic times. Next, they discuss the social media laws passed by Texas and Florida and the Supreme Court’s recent 5-4 decision to temporarily halt Texas’ law. Mike sees these laws as blatantly unconstitutional on multiple grounds, while Jay points out that some of the reasoning used in defense of the laws isn’t all that far-fetched. After that they look at the acquittal of Democratic attorney Michael Sussman, who was indicted by Special Counsel Robert Durham for making false statements to the FBI. Mike thinks it was the right verdict, but also points out that there’s often a significant difference between wrongdoing and wrongdoing that can be successfully prosecuted. Jay agrees, though he tends to be less skeptical of Deep State narratives surrounding the Trump-Russia story than Mike is. Then it’s more on guns in the wake of yet another mass shooting. This time, Mike attempts to better understand strongly pro-gun, anti-government people by making the best argument he can for more guns and fewer regulations. Jay responds by critiquing Mike’s argument with what he sees as the strongest pro-regulation points. They wrap things up with stories that involve free speech, the #MeToo movement, and social justice: The Johnny-Depp / Amber Heard trial and the firing of tenured Princeton Professor Joshua Katz. Jay’s Recommendation Fear of a Setting Sun. Dennis Rasmussen Two Songs Mike Would Use For His Campaign Theme Everybody Knows. Leonard Cohen American Idiot. Green Day The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike & Jay open the show with an extended conversation on the tragic mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. They discuss the police response, the problem of gun violence in the United States, and a raft of policy proposals from both the left and the right. Next, they look at the recent primary elections in Georgia and consider whether the shellacking of two high-profile Donald Trump endorsed candidates means the waning of Trump’s influence in the Republican Party. They also look at the upcoming Michigan primary election, where five of the 10 Republican gubernatorial candidates were disqualified from appearing on the ballot. After that, it’s President Biden’s recent Executive Order on police accountability. Mike & Jay weigh in on the EO, and also whether it should serve as a template for the majority of law enforcement personnel who are not federal and therefore not covered under the order. They close with a discussion of bipartisan Senate legislation that would force Google and Facebook to sell significant portions of their businesses. Is this idea – which seemingly unites the Libertarian right and the corporate-skeptical left good policy? And what chance does it have of becoming law? Mike’s Recommendation America’s Philosophy, with Cornel West. (Vox Conversations) Jay’s Recommendation District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trey & Ken open the show talking about the Buffalo shooting with a focus on the shooter’s, Payton Gendron, screed. They discuss why the screed is hard to find, its contents, and they tackle the problems of fascism in the United States. They also discuss the underlying racial shifts that fascism and racism has taken. Next they move to the razor thin Pennsylvania Senate primaries between Oz and McCormick and how Trump’s influence continues, or not, to hold sway. They also discuss how election law and closeness impact election counting. After that it is scandal ridden Cawthorne’s House loss and a discussion of his comments on “dark MAGA” on instagram. There is also a brief discussion of the gubernatorial primary in Idaho. Then it is off to the Supreme Court for a conversation on Federal Election Commission v. Cruz and what constitutes a bribe. Here also is a conversation about Supreme Court precedent. Next is a discussion of Bezos, President Biden, and inflation — specifically the relationship between tax policy and inflation. They close by revisiting the issue of abortion upon listener request. They discuss, and vigorously disagree over, the philosophic and moral arguments of abortion. The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike & Jay open the show with a discussion of the post Roe landscape, given the near certainty of the Supreme Court finding that there is no constitutionally protected right to terminate a pregnancy. They look at some data on pregnancy and abortion, discuss the recent efforts of Democrats to codify Roe’s protections into law, how states are likely to act, and whether a future Republican chamber might pass a national abortion restriction. Next they turn to Donald Trump’s success as a primary endorser and what it means for Trump’s control over the GOP, followed by the latest on Ukraine – including Finland & Sweden applying for NATO membership and a $40 billion Ukraine package. After that it’s inflation: the latest downturn (sort of), what the Fed has been and likely will do in the future, how markets have reacted, how big of a role the American Rescue Plan has played in fueling inflation, and whether US tariffs against China should be rolled back. They close the show with Mike’s announcement that he and his wife are thinking about retiring to either Uruguay, Chile, or Portugal in the next few years. Mike explains why, brings up some data on how those countries compare to the US in terms of freedom and corruption, and he and Jay discuss the tension between American nationalism and Stoic cosmopolitanism. The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trey talks with Adam Probolsky, President of Probolsky Research, a full service opinion research firm specializing in market research and opinion research on elections and public policy, working on behalf of business, government, non-profit, special interest and media clients. Trey and Adam's conversation includes: A conversation on political and public policy research. Adam's overview of quantitative data and polling. How qualitative measures can help create better polling data. Probolsky research on political identification and predicting voting behavior. The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trey and Ken open the show with a two-pronged discussion of the leaked Alito opinion overturning Roe v Wade. First the pair discuss the opinion itself, the location of the right to privacy, and, ultimately, the legal obligations states can (or should) impose based on the question of what constitutes life. Second, the pair discuss the implications of the leak and who may be the source of the leak. After that, they turn to another leak: the intelligence community leak in the New York Times suggesting that the U.S. was helping Ukrainian forces target Russian generals. Then they turn to the recently decided U.S. v Valero Madero concerning the applicability of the 5th Amendment to Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories. To what extent should the Constitution apply to territories and what are the larger effects of having it apply more uniformly? Then they turn to the Republican primaries in Ohio and Indiana. The question here is what the data says Trump’s seal of approval means for candidates? How do MAGA candidates fair in the primaries compared to the more mainstream conservatives or if MAGA is the mainstream for the Republican Party. They close the show by briefly discussing the case of Shurtleff v. City of Boston and why a straightforward case made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Ken’s Recommendation Bernie Trey’s Recommendations The Everything Store The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trey talks with Paul Brandus, independent member of the White House press corps and founder of West Wing Reports (@WestWingReport), columnist, and author of books including Under This Roof and This Day in Presidential History. Trey and Paul's conversation includes: Paul's assessment of former President Donald Trump's communication strategy Paul's thoughts on President Biden’s communication strengths and weaknesses Discussion of what makes a better presidential communication strategy The effect of social media on presidential communication The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike, Jay, and Trey open the show with an extended discussion of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, Disney’s response to it, and Florida’s state government retaliation. They get into what the law actually says, whether Disney was violating unwritten rules of lobbying by coming out against the law after it had passed, if the state was right to retaliate against Disney for doing so, and if Florida’s retaliation might be an unconstitutional restriction of speech. After that, the Guys consider Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter, discussing how big of a deal it is, who it’s likely to help and hurt, and whether or not Twitter unfairly censors conservative voices. Then they turn to the latest in Russia’s war against Ukraine, including Russia cutting off gas supplies to Poland & Bulgaria, Russia’s increasing comments about a nuclear option, Biden’s latest Ukraine funding request, the resolve of the West to hold out in a long conflict, and whether or not it’s justifiable to liquidate the assets of Russian oligarchs and use them to provide funds for Ukraine. They close the episode with a discussion of the Title 42 program of migrant expulsion, and whether a federal district court judge’s halt of the phase out of the program is justified, whether the program will be forced to continue, and what a better solution might look like. The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike & Jay open the show with a discussion of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy being caught in a lie about recommending that Trump resign, Trump’s reaction, and what this might tell us about Trump and Trumpism in the GOP of 2022. Next is a look at the ruling that ended the federal mask mandate. Mike and Jay get into administrative power, judicial deference to agency decisions, a Congress that may have good political reasons to not legislate, and more. Following an update and discussion on the current state of Russia’s war against Ukraine, they turn back to domestic politics – lax enforcement of tax policy and IRS funding, followed by the current state and future of marijuana laws. Jay’s Recommendation A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal. Ben Macintyre Mike’s Recommendations Louis Prima & Hoopla The Politics Guys on Facebook | Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices