Matt Lewis Can't Lose

On this week’s Substack LIVE, Charlie Sykes and Matt return for a no-holds-barred discussion on controversial left-wing streamer Hasan Piker — and the accelerating chaos of Trump’s second term. Along the way, they discuss: — Trump’s shocking Easter bleat: The F-bomb threat to bomb Iranian power plants and bridges — is this the most deranged presidential statement ever? — Defining deviancy down: Pr...

David Sirota (former Bernie Sanders speechwriter, Don't Look Up co-writer, The Lever founder) joins Matt to break down Season 2 of his award-winning podcast Master Plan. They trace the decades-long plot — from Nixon and Watergate to Dick Cheney, Reagan's Justice Department, and Ed Meese — that transformed the presidency into an "imperial" office via unitary executive theory, sett...

In this candid conversation, Bulwark writer Will Saletan discusses his latest piece on Donald Trump's disturbing compulsion to attack deceased critics and opponents. The trigger? Trump's Truth Social post rejoicing over former FBI Director Robert Mueller's death. Will and Matt unpack the full list of "greatest hits": Attacking Gold Star parents, smearing John McCain even afte...

Democrats just flipped TWO Republican seats in Florida — including the state House district that includes Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home. Is this the start of a massive 2026 midterm wave against Trump? In this wide-ranging Substack Live conversation, Chris Cillizza and Matt break down: — The shocking 30-0 trend: Democrats flipping 30 state legislative seats since Trump’s inauguration… Republicans...

On today's podcast, Charlie Sykes and Matt break down how Trump’s character flaws — flaws we’ve been warning about for 10 plus years — are now endangering everyone. Here are some key moments we cover: — Trump’s Truth Social rant: Democrats top Iran as top enemy — what does this mean for half the country? — Trump celebrating Robert Mueller’s death (Purple Heart vet) + hypocrisy on grief (the Ch...

Today's conversation with Washington Monthly's Bill Scher was as a wide-ranging, candid conversation dissecting 2026 political flashpoints under Trump’s second term. We discussed: — Sen. Rand Paul’s feud with Sen. Markwayne Mullin during Mullin’s contentious DHS Secretary confirmation hearing (where Paul grilled him over temperament, past insults), Mullin’s stubbornness, cross-aisle likabi...

Join Chris Cillizza and Matt Lewis for a candid, in-depth chat breaking down the latest in American politics. In this episode, they discuss: — Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker is prepping for a presidential campaign in 2028. Why last night’s Illinois primary was a step in the right direction for that. — The generational shift shaking up the Democratic Party: Longtime “old bulls” like Sen. Dick Durbin (...

— In this episode of Sykes & Lewis LIVE, we dive deep into the chaos of Trump’s second term amid the escalating Iran war. — From symbolic coin changes to authoritarian threats and a messy foreign policy quagmire — here’s what we cover:— The New “Trump Dime” Drama — The redesigned dime reportedly drops the olive branch (peace) and keeps only arrows (war). Is this a deliberate message during the...

On this week's DMZ, Bill Scher and Matt dive into the chaotic mess that is Donald Trump’s second term. We discuss the following: — Trump’s Iran War Escalation & Quagmire Risks — The U.S. military campaign has deepened into potential endless conflict, fears of Iran mining the Strait of Hormuz, spiking oil prices to extreme levels, asymmetric retaliation, and no clear exit strategy despite T...

On this week’s LIVE discussion, Charlie Sykes delivers a blistering critique of President Trump’s Iran policy from a right-of-center perspective — calling out the chaos, contradictions, and long-term damage. We also dissect how “America First” became the most flexible slogan ever, bad optics (video game sizzle reels, golf caps during dignified transfers), economic fallout (oil spiking to $100+/bar...

On today's episode, The Washington Monthly's Bill Scher and Matt discuss: — Kristi Noem’s dramatic ouster as DHS Secretary: chaotic mass deportations, deadly ICE mistakes, lavish taxpayer-funded ad campaign, disastrous House Judiciary hearing, and personal scandals — including the Corey Lewandowski rumors — Noem’s replacement by Sen. Markwayne Mullin — and what it means for the deportation...

This week’s Substack LIVE conversation with Chris Cillizza is a dive explainer on what happened in the Texas primary elections. Here’s what Chris and Matt discuss: — Texas primary election results 2026: James Talarico defeats Jasmine Crockett in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary, while John Cornyn and Ken Paxton head to a brutal May 26 runoff — Republican civil war ahead: $100M+ already spent, mo...

In this insightful episode, New York Times columnist David French joins Matt to unpack the Trump administration's military strikes on Iran — launched without congressional approval, barely mentioned in the State of the Union, and now escalating into a potentially weeks-long war. French calls the justifications "utterly absurd," slams the backfilling excuses (including claims Israel &...

On this week's episode of "Sykes & Lewis," Charlie and Matt discuss the following: — Trump’s contradictory goals, from “regime change” to “Venezuela model” puppetry — Why this feels like a war of choice with no clear rationale — preemptive? Distraction? Personal vendetta? — there’s no coherent endgame as casualties mount and the conflict spreads — Warnings of depleted U.S. resour...

On this week's DMZ, Bill Scher and Matt Lewis discuss: — The Epstein Files Bombshell & Alleged Cover-Up — Bill and I go through a deep-dive on the details behind accusations that Donald Trump sexually assaulted a 13-15-year-old girl in the 1980s surfaced — and debate whether the DOJ’s handling of this allegation constitutes a “cover-up." — Why MSM Must Step Up on the Trump-Epstein Sto...

During today's unfiltered breakdown of President Trump’s record-length 2026 State of the Union address, Chris Cillizza and Matt Lewis dive into the following: — “Dems can only win by cheating”: Trump’s explosive claim echoes 2020 rhetoric— setting stage for midterm fraud narratives if Republicans lose the House? —Faces in the crowd & medals: Heavy on patriotic moments, but is it genuine or...

On today’s podcast conversation, Charlie Sykes and Matt Lewis discuss: — The Supreme Court’s major ruling blocking Trump’s broad use of emergency powers for tariffs: A strong reaffirmation of separation of powers, or another way to save Trump from himself? — The looming risk of military conflict with Iran, including the potential for regime-change, and why Iran might prefer war over capitulation —...

Stephen Colbert says CBS blocked his interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico over Trump FCC "equal time" rule fears (Brendan Carr guidance). The YouTube version exploded to 5M+ views — did it just hand Talarico a huge primary boost against Jasmine Crockett? In this raw Substack Live, Chris Cillizza and Matt Lewis break it all down: — How the controversy helps Tala...

Eileen Gu is back at the 2026 Olympics for China — American-born, Stanford-educated, earning millions (including reported Chinese payments), yet facing almost no mainstream backlash. Mike Pesca & Matt Lewis unpack why America still loves her: media both-siderism, cultural tolerance trumping geopolitics, China's propaganda wins, and what it says about our weakness vs. a real adversary. We a...

In this raw episode, Charlie Sykes and Matt Lewis rip into President's Day 2026 — calling it a diluted holiday that now celebrates presidential "awesomeness" amid Trump's cult of personality and Putin admiration. They also discuss: — Trump’s escalating cult of personality, as dissected in Peter Baker’s latest NYT analysis — Marco Rubio’s Munich Security Conference speech: A slick...

In this eye-opening DMZ discussion, Bill Scher (Washington Monthly) and Matt Lewis break down Donald Trump's sinking approval ratings in February 2026 — down to the low-to-mid 40s (or even 36% in some polls) amid economic anxiety, immigration chaos, tariffs, and self-inflicted controversies. Is Trump's second term already unraveling? And could a midterm backlash hand Democrats a real shot...

Trump's Commerce Sec Admits Epstein Island Lunch – Why He Won't Resign The Bulwark's Will Saletan and Matt Lewis break down the mounting scandals rocking the Trump administration in February 2026. Howard Lutnick, Trump's Commerce Secretary, admitted under oath to lunch with Jeffrey Epstein on his private island in 2012 — years after claiming he'd cut ties in 2005 over disgust a...

Jonathan Martin, POLITICO's senior political columnist and politics bureau chief, joins Matt Lewis for a candid deep dive into the 2026 midterms. With Donald Trump in year two of his second term, is the Senate truly in play for Democrats? Martin breaks down: — Why the map is a structural nightmare for Dems (tough targets in Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, plus defending Michigan & Georgia) —...

On today’s Substack LIVE conversation, Charlie Sykes and Matt Lewis discuss... — Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show — Trump’s angry reaction and Truth Social meltdown — MAGA counter-programming failure (Kid Rock & TPUSA event) — Trump’s blatantly racist post about the Obamas — How ICE is buying off local police departments — J.D. Vance booed at the Olympics! — Sen. Jon Ossoff’s great speech...

The Atlantic's David Frum returns to discuss Donald Trump's second term one year in. From making $1-4 billion through family enrichment and foreign deals (including Abu Dhabi investments tied to national security favors), to unprecedented corruption on a scale never seen in American history, Frum argues Trump has turned the presidency into a personal ATM — dwarfing petty scandals like Hunt...