The Politics Guys

Mike and Trey open with their thoughts on Donald Trump’s inauguration and inaugural address. Trey considers Trump’s rhetoric, while Mike points out the typical Trumpian exaggerations and compares the speech to Trump’s 2017 “American Carnage” address. Then they turn to pardons. Mike is sympathetic to President Biden’s use of preemptive pardons for his family and officials subject to potential polit...

In the preview of this midweek supporters’ episode, Justin and Jay weigh in on several big tech cases in front of the Supreme Court. First, the 9-0 ruling on the TikTok ban, and whether there will be some resolution from the Trump administration. Next, they discuss the Texas adult website age verification case that was heard this week, a conversation that covers the balance between privacy, safety...

Jay and Justin open with a discussion of the political and practical challenges surrounding the LA fires, including the role of climate change, disaster preparedness, environmental regulation, and political blame games. Then they turn to Trump nominee confirmation hearings, focusing on Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, and RFK Jr.  Politics Guys on Facebook | X Listener support helps make The Politics...

Mike talks with Justin Talbot Zorn, who has served as Legislative Director to three Members of Congress and is a Senior Adviser to the Center for Economic and Policy Research. In his policy and communications work, Justin specializes in climate, innovation, manufacturing, and economic competitiveness. In this conversation, Mike and Justin focus on PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ and environmental policy....

Trey and Ken continue their journey through the U.S. Constitution by examining the long-dormant history of the 15th AMendment, the history of the goals of the 15th Amendment, and the modern jurisprudence on the 15th Amendment and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X  Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of suppo...

Trey and Ken open their first episode of 2025 discussing Trump’s felony conviction. Next, they consider Trump’s comments on international foreign policy, specifically his aggressive stance on Canada, Greenland, and Panama. They finish the show by discussing special council Jack Smith’s report release and its court rulings thus far. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X  Listener support helps make The...

Mike and Jay open this midweek supporters’ episode with a discussion of the potential threat posed by Chinese technology to US national security. Between issues with market-leading TP-Link routers and the TikTok ban scheduled to go into effect later this month, how worried should we be about China’s ability to use technology against us? Next, they look at a story that’s been underreported in most...

Mike and Jay open the first episode of 2025 with a discussion of the recent terror attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas, followed by a look at the upcoming vote for Speaker of the House. Next, they consider the life and legacy of President Jimmy Carter, looking at the awful situation Carter inherited from Ford, the thumping Carter took in losing to Reagan in 1980, and Carter’s long and impressive...

Mike talks with Jeremy Young, PEN America’s Freedom to Learn program director, about the recently released report, America’s Censored Classrooms, 2024. Topics Mike & Jeremy Discuss Include: - how big of a problem educational censorship is - where it’s happening - the deviousness of ‘stealth censorship’ - institutional neutrality and viewpoint diversity - how universities are responding to cens...

Jay and Justin discuss the Democratic strategy as an opposition party. Will Democrats do better to oppose everything, or to attempt bipartisanship to blunt the edges of Trump's policy? They wrap up with a discussion of the ethics and optics of Biden's proposed commutation of some (or all) federal death sentences. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X  Listener support helps make The Politics Guys pos...

Jay and Justin cover the freshly minted debt ceiling deal and the implications for the strategies for both parties headed into the new year. They then discuss Trump's lawsuits and threatened lawsuits against ABC, the Des Moines Register, and Lynne Cheney, and whether these are undemocratic chilling of the fourth estate or a means of holding them to some ethical standards. The Politics Guys on Face...

Mike and Jay open the preview of this midweek supporters’ episode by considering everything Donald Trump has promised to do on his first day in office. It’s a huge list, and they get into the probable, possible, and unconstitutional. Then they look back at their predictions for 2024 and make new and improved predictions for what they expect in 2025. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Listener suppo...

Mike and Jay open with a discussion of the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. While they agree that Luigi Mangione’s actions were absolutely wrong, Mike makes the case for a more nuanced understanding of both Mangione and the people in charge at health insurance companies like United Healthcare. This leads to a broader discussion of American healthcare. Mike argues that the system is...

Trey and Ken discuss the implications of the 14th Amendment's state action doctrine. The 14th Amendment cannot be enforced against private individuals or relationships. But what happens when state action and private action intermingle? As a special, this normally supporter-exclusive show is available to everyone free of charge! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices The Pol...

Trey and Ken start with a look at the Hunter Biden pardon. Trey forcefully argues that it didn’t have to be a terrible move for President Biden. Still, because it involves lying and taking unnecessary shots at the Justice Department, it is wrong and bad for the Democratic Party. Ken argues that the pardon was not only necessary but justified. In Ken’s view, the primary problem is that the pardon d...

This weekend's episode will be delayed due to technical issues. Trey and Ken recorded on Friday evening, and while they made it through just fine, Trey's microphone didn't. They'll be re-recording on Sunday and we'll have the weekend episode up for you by Sunday evening. Our apologies for the delay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Li...

Mike and May open the preview of this midweek supporters’ episode with a discussion of the gender gap in American politics. Mike thinks that part of the reason for it is that Democratic candidates do a poor job of projecting strength and aren’t offering much to young males. May believes the issue is more policy than vibes, with Mike wondering if he’s overreacting to a loss for his party that can p...

Mike and May open with a look at where the many legal cases against Donald Trump stand as Inauguration Day approaches. They agree that there won’t be any further action on them until Trump is out of office again, with May believing there’s much more of a chance of future Democratic administrations reopening them than Mike does. Next is a discussion of the latest tariffs Donald Trump said he’d enac...

Trey talks with Jim Wallis, author of the new book The False White Gospel: Rejecting Christian Nationalism, Reclaiming True Faith, and Refounding Democracy. Topics Trey and Jim discuss include: - the origins of white and black Churches - how evangelicalism has become home to white nationalism - the deeper meaning of the good samaritan  - true faith in the modern world The Politics Guys on Facebook...

Mike and Jay open the preview of this midweek supporters’ episode with a discussion of transgender awareness in the wake of the recent International Transgender Day of Remembrance. They get into whether Capitol bathrooms should be open to Delaware Democratic Representative Sarah McBride – the first openly trans person to serve in Congress – as well as other issues surrounding transgender policy. N...

Mike and Jay open with a discussion of President-Elect Trump’s nominations to this point. Mike isn’t surprised by the picks overall, as they’re about what one would expect from Donald Trump given his belief that establishment insider picks in his first term were a major impediment to his administration. Jay believes that new AG nominee Pam Bondi will likely do a better job than Gaetz ever could. T...

Mike welcomes back Heather Cox Richardson, a professor of history at Boston College and author of the “Letters from an American” Substack. Professor Richardson is also the author of Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America, which has recently come out in paperback. Topics Mike & Heather discuss include: - why the elections went so well for Republicans - why Harris’ messaging failed t...

Elections have consequences for the winning and losing parties. Justin and Jay start this midweek supporters’ episode by discussing how united Republicans are, whether Republicans are ever united, and where there might be dissent that potentially sinks Trump's policy priorities. For the Democrats, will the coalition hold? What does the future of the party look like? Or is it all just the economy?...

Jay and Justin open by explaining why the election results weren’t really all that surprising – at least for those who believe that fundamentals matter more than candidates or campaign strategies. That said, Jay and Justin agree that Republicans generally fielded stronger candidates this time around than they did in the 2022 midterms, which probably helped them to maintain control of the House and...

Trey talks with Stephanie Baker, author of the new book Punishing Putin: Inside the Global Economic War to Bring Down Russia. Topics Trey and Stephanie discuss include: - Putin's rise to power - the economic transition in Russia  - the size and scope of sanctions on Russia - the effectiveness of sanctions on Russia - the future of Russia under Putin - the war in Ukraine  The Politics Guys on Faceb...