Matt Lewis Can't Lose

On this week's LIVE podcast, Chris Cillizza and Matt discuss: — Scott Colom defeats Cindy Hyde-Smith, becoming the first Democrat elected to a Mississippi Senate seat since 1982, and the first African American senator from the state since Reconstruction — Some talk about faith, victory speeches, and how the Democrats are reclaiming religion — The Veterans Day incident at the Tomb of the Unknow...

During this "DMZ" episode, Washington Monthly's Bill Scher talks with Matt about: — Why Thomas Massie’s privileged resolution to impeach Pete Hegseth failed — Why Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer deserve to lead — Post-midterm Republican dynamics: Stephen Miller as chief of staff, Jim Jordan as House minority leader, rallying around Hegseth, and whether the “fever” has broken — Trum...

During this week’s LIVE podcast conversation, Charlie Sykes talks with Matt about: — The post-midterms reality: Trump refuses to learn, installs Stephen Miller as chief of staff, and signals an imperial presidency — Pete Hegseth’s defiant Pentagon rant: “They’re not coming after me, they’re coming after the warriors” — plus why Thomas Massie’s impeachment articles matter — The NVIDIA/Jensen Huang...

On today’s pod, writer and journalist Charlotte Alter joins Matt to discuss how a new generation of Democrats championing economic populism without the culture-war baggage — and a growing backlash against AI and data centers — are reshaping American politics. It's a wide-ranging discussion about: — Trump’s interview with Ross Douthat: why a non-confrontational approach yielded more, and what i...

Why this election night felt overwhelming: so many races, too many surprises to process! During today's podcast, Chris Cillizza and Matt discuss: — Lauren Boebert’s likely loss — after switching to a safer district. — Fresh faces and generational change: Rob Sand, Amy Acton, Keisha Lance Bottoms, and why Dems shouldn’t nominate a 2028 candidate from California or New York. — JD Vance’s post-el...

On a special post-midterm election "DMZ" conversation, The Washington Monthly's Bill Scher talks with Matt about: — The Democratic Senate takeover — and some self praise for our accurate early predictions. — Why the midterms were a wholesale repudiation of Trump and Trumpism — What worked (and didn’t): “Secret Democrat” independent runs in places like Nebraska and Montana largely fai...

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...