Matt Lewis Can't Lose

During this week's podcast discussion, Charlie Sykes and Matt discuss: — Haley Stevens Michigan meltdown: The 11th-hour switch from endorsing Abdul El-Sayed to backing Mike Rogers over a third-party ad and Hasan Piker ties — is it principle, personal snit, or political suicide? — NYT/Siena poll bombshell: Dems leading or tied in all seven key swing Senate races. — Alaska’s Mary Peltola race: T...

On this week's podcast, Chris Cillizza and Matt discuss: — The New York Times’ investigation into Mary Peltola’s Alaska Senate campaign recruiting a second “Dan Sullivan” (retired teacher) to siphon votes from the Republican incumbent. — Media ethics debate: Should the Times have run this story? — Sen. Roger Marshall’s tone-deaf “best economy of my lifetime” line in Kansas. — CNN Senate polls...

During this week's podcast, Charlie Sykes and Matt discuss: — Barack Obama on the stump: Is his return helpful or a reminder of the old brand? Breaking down the “Saddam Hussein and the "Cheesecake Factory” line. — Why a big polling error is less likely this cycle (Trump isn’t on the ballot) and why Democratic nervousness is actually a healthy sign — The DOJ’s frivolous Alaska lawsuit and...

On this week’s podcast, Chris Cillizza and I discuss: — The possibility of a 2006/1994/2010-style disaster for Republicans, with Democrats potentially gaining 5–9 Senate seats. — Polling reality check: Races remain stubbornly close (mostly 1–4 points) despite the expanding Senate map. — Fake polls and market manipulation: The Wedgewood Polling scandal, its claimed impact on Mallory McMorrow’s Mich...

On today's podcast, Charlie Sykes and Matt discuss: — Why November 3 is not the finish line, and the post-election period through January could bring chaos. — Trump’s “Kansas kickback” is a sign of Republican panic about losing the House and Senate. — Trump’s embrace of Putin and betrayal of Ukraine as a stunning historical act that further fractures his 2024 coalition — Endorsing Bibi Netanya...

On today's podcast, Chris Cillizza and Matt discuss: — Is Trump looking to replace Chief of Staff Susie Wiles (per Politico Playbook) just 19 days before the midterms? — Why Wiles was the perfect non-traditional chief for Trump (mother figure, not James Baker) and why he still wants a new character for the next season — Top potential scapegoats if Republicans lose: John Thune, Pete Hegseth, Ke...

On this week's podcast, Charlie Sykes talks with Matt about: — Kimberly Guilfoyle’s resignation as ambassador to Greece: the “MAGA queen” deemed too grifty even for the Trump orbit. — Money versus money: Elon Musk’s roughly $366 million (and the potential for far more) versus voter concerns over affordability, consumer sentiment, and Trump’s checks. — Populist irony and conservative reversals:...

On today's podcast, Chris Cillizza and Matt discuss: — Trump’s repeated Texas and Ohio stops as a sign of a Republican base-motivation problem — Ken Paxton’s leaked audio, and whether Senate Republicans are laying groundwork to throw him under the bus — Who actually decides? — John Thune and the Senate Leadership Fund versus MAGA Inc. — and the scapegoat risk if Texas is abandoned — Chuck Schu...

On today’s podcast, The Washington Monthly’s Bill Scher talks with Matt about: — Abdul El-Sayed told CNN he will win Michigan by 7 points, while recent public polls mostly show leads of 1–4 — El-Sayed reportedly reached out o Hasan Piker, asking him to lay low. — Why Michigan, Maine, and Minnesota look softer for Democrats than Texas — Bill’s own poll average (all non-internal polls, fixed recent...

On this week's podcast, Matt talks with Chris Cillizza about his latest column at The Washington Sun: "I Almost Never Vote for Democrats. I’m Making an Exception This Year." https://www.washingtonsun.com/perspectives/i-almost-never-vote-for-democrats-im-making-an-exception-this-year They also discuss whether we can believe the polls showing a blue wave next month, whether the walls r...

On today's podcast, The Washington Monthly's Bill Scher talks with Matt about: — Sen. Eric Schmitt’s attempted perjury trap on Jack Smith. — The Atlanta Hawks vs. Iowa Hawkeyes mix-up, the poster-board texts, Katie Britt’s face, and why Smith pausing made it worse for Republicans — Why this hearing happened just weeks before the midterms — and why it’s a microcosm of Republicans placating...

On this week’s podcast, Charlie Sykes and Matt discuss: — Trump doubles down on AI, Iran, and China, while voters feel gas and grocery pains — Are the polls real? Why Republican behavior (Trump is campaigning in Alabama and Oklahoma!) says “yes” — Why hundreds of millions in ads and Elon’s money may matter less than you think in the midterms — Affordability and “they’re for them, we’re for you” is...

On today's podcast, The Washington Monthly's Bill Scher swings by to break down why 2026 is lining up as a Democratic midterm year: collapsing Trump energy in MAGA country, a sense of betrayal over prices and the Iran war, real disposable income going the wrong way, and GOP incumbents starting to inch away from the president — too late and too timid. Then, Matt talks with Rory Riley Toppin...

During this week's podcast, Chris Cillizza and Matt discuss: — Multiple Republicans in competitive midterm races are publicly distancing from Trump for the first time in years. — Why candidate behavior and ad strategy are more revealing than polls. — Trump assembled an unusually broad 2024 coalition (Hispanics, young men, farmers, MAGA, some America First doves, podcast audiences) and then cho...

David M. Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of The Carlyle Group and owner of the Baltimore Orioles, talks with Matt about his new book, 'INSIDE THE OWNERS BOX.' During this podcast conversation, Rubenstein and Lewis discuss the following: — Why Rubenstein wrote 'Inside the Owner’s Box' after finding almost no books from the owner’s perspective — Buying the Orioles as a philant...

On this week's podcast, Charlie Sykes and Matt discuss: — Trump’s Truth Social rant justifying the media ban and calling outlets “third-rate clowns” — Appeasement at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner — and why it failed — Approval ratings near the “Hoover line” and Republicans distancing themselves — How the 2024 coalition is fracturing: farmers, Hispanics, Gen Z, and the podcast bros — A...

On this week's podcast conversation, Charlie Sykes and Matt discuss: — A Putin-linked Russian oligarch spent hundreds of thousands on Don Jr. Bahamas wedding weekend. Why this would have been a career-ending scandal in any other era, and how it lines up with Trump’s posture toward Putin and Ukraine. — Trump goes all-in as cheerleader for AI data centers while polls show almost nobody wants the...

On today's podcast, David Drucker, Senior Writer for The Dispatch and MSNOW contributor, talks with Matt about: — Trump tells Republicans at the Dallas midterm convention: pretend he’s on the ballot. Smart strategy or crazy? — The $5,000 “dividend” promise if GOP keeps the House and Senate — incentive or bribe? — Why the strategy may fire up MAGA voters but alienate regular Republicans — Sen....

On today’s podcast, Charlie Sykes and I discuss: — After Labor Day is when the campaign dynamics are “baked in” — Trump MAGA PAC finally spending hundreds of millions — why late money is weaker than early money — "Trumpalooza” midterm convention in Texas: turnout play vs. highlighting an unpopular president — Susan Collins on Liz Cheney and the “doom loop of relevance” — Trump AI slop and imperial...

On today's podcast, Chris Cillizza and Matt discuss: — Every traditional midterm indicator points to a Democratic year, so why do the individual races look dicey? — Why toss-up Senate races (Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, Texas) almost never split 50-50 — they move together — Michigan: Tucker Carlson says he wouldn’t vote for Mike Rogers “at gunpoint.” Serious question: Is Rogers actuall...

On today’s podcast conversation, Charlie Sykes and Matt discuss: — Why Elon Musk’s midterm cash is both a Republican windfall and a political liability — Hasan Piker vs. Elon Musk: the huge asymmetry Democrats keep ignoring — How Musk’s Wisconsin Supreme Court spend spectacularly backfired — “The richest bigot in the world” — documented racism, antisemitism, and why GOP candidates should have to o...

During today's podcast, The Atlantic's David Frum and I discuss: — Why Trump’s tariffs on Canadian aluminum are raising costs for everything from airplanes to toilet paper — Why this trade war is “picking up a hammer and hitting yourself in the head." — How America is pushing Canada and others toward “equidistance” from the U.S., China, and India instead of closer partnership — David&...

On this week's podcast conversation, Charlie Sykes and Matt discuss: — Abdul El-Sayed’s association with Hasan Piker derails Michigan Senate unity after Piker’s comments blaming American Jews for antisemitism and violence — Democratic critics (including Jeremy Moss) refuse to endorse; Republican Mike Rogers capitalizes — Cultural landmines: Transgender issues in girls’ sports (close to an 80-2...

On today's podcast, Bill Scher and Matt discuss El-Sayed's challenges in Michigan, the internecine GOP battle between Marco Rubio and JD Vance, and Natalie Harp's "Love Letters" to Donald Trump. Next, Matt talks with Jackie Gingrich Cushman about the need for a John Adams memorial in Washington, DC. Read Bill Scher's columns in The Washington Monthly https://washingtonmon...

On today's podcast, Chris Cillizz and Matt discuss: — Sen. Jon Ossoff’s comment about Trump and Natalie Harp (the “human printer”), the viral speculation, her unusual rise, the fawning notes, and why her role as gatekeeper of information is more consequential than pure personal gossip. — The debt is out of control. Why doesn’t anybody care??? — The Florida primary results, including Alex Vindm...