Show Notes
Iowa Republicans picked Zach Lahn over the Trump-backed Randy Feenstra in the gubernatorial primary. Lahn’s a farmer who spoke about the pain of high fertilizer prices and cancer caused by pesticides, earning him support from the MAHA. Was this some rebuke of Trump, or just voters looking for the right person to make their lives better? Critics say ICE detainees face horrific conditions. Trump won over a lot of voters arguing that tough immigration policies were needed to keep the country safe. Does what’s unfolding at these detention centers cross a line? Plus, the President’s short-lived Anti-Weaponization Fund seems to be dead, and one listener asks when AI political ads cross a line. Producer: Leo Duran Host: David Greene Guests:
Mo Elleithee, executive director at Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service - @MoElleithee
Sarah Isgur, senior editor at The Dispatch - @whignewtons
More from Left, Right & Center
If 28 people are arrested for voter fraud in a massive state like California, does that mean an election is unfair? The Justice Department is carrying out President Trump’s orders to find and root out non-citizens who may be voting. But what if these isolated cases feed a narrative that an election is being stolen, a narrative that President Trump may want out there if his party loses big in November? Mo and Sarah identify the bellwether Senate races to watch, and they actually say they’re both keeping tabs on the same contest in one state. Also, we talk about a tense exchange between a voter and Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed about whether he disavows the Muslim Brotherhood. Producer: Leo Duran Host: David Greene Guests:
Trump stunned European leaders and members of his own party in congress when he announced the U.S. would buy diesel from Russia. He also told Ukraine to stop targeting Russia's energy infrastructure, and publicly criticized Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky saying he should be replaced. What motivates President Trump right now when it comes to Russia and Ukraine? Federal agents raided the home of Democratic lawmaker Ilhan Omar, a fierce Trump critic. The Justice Department won’t say what they’re investigating, but Omar and her allies say the president is weaponizing federal law enforcement in an intensifying campaign of political intimidation. When stories like this surface in this political climate, do the facts of the investigation even matter, or do too many of us stay firmly planted in our echo chambers and pass judgment immediately? And a listener asks us for help to keep hope alive that his local elected leaders can and will do the right thing for their constituents. Producer: Leo Duran Host: David Greene Guests:
The Supreme Court started its new term. On its docket are cases involving the president’s immigration policy and whether communities can sue fossil fuel companies over climate change. But the court may also be drawn into fights over the upcoming midterms at a time when public trust in the court is at historic lows. Plus, we talk about the civil suit brought against Cornell University over its handling of a 2024 alleged sexual assault. The victim says the university and local law enforcement failed to protect her. What role does the public play in pushing for justice, and what needs to change on college campuses? And this election, more Democratic candidates are campaigning on their Christian faith including James Talarico in Texas and Pastor Adam Hamilton in Kansas. We look at how they’re talking about it on the campaign trail, and if they can they gain ground among religious voters who tend to vote Republican. Producer: Leo Duran Host: Susan Davis Guests:
The White House released what it described as a “public service announcement” warning Americans of so-called enemies like communists and Marxists. But the TV spot is mostly a replay of a campaign ad Trump ran just two years ago with a new caption, “Paid For By The U.S. Government.” Where is the line between PSA and propaganda, especially so close to those big midterm elections where his party could lose control of one or both sides of Congress? Affordability remains high on voters’ minds, and the president says he’s helping by lowering fuel economy standards for U.S. automakers. He says that will make it cheaper for Americans to buy cars. But if there is relief there, is it outweighed by those sky-high prices at the pump that came with Trump’s war in Iran? And bipartisanship breaks out in the Senate with passage of a bill to regulate the big dollar world of college sports. We talk about the real winners and losers. Producer: Leo Duran Host: David Greene Guests:
President Trump kicked three news organizations out of the White House, but a judge ordered them back in…for now. There are deeper issues here about freedom of the press and, however this plays out, understanding what to do when a brazen president tries to dictate the story of his presidency. President Trump’s foreign policy is also in the spotlight as he speaks at the UN and hosts China’s leader Xi Jinping. What is that foreign policy exactly? Trump launched a war in Iran and targeted Venezuela, but the Russia-Ukraine conflict drags on. If this is a president who promised that he could pick up the phone and influence any world leader, is it time for him to prove it with Vladimir Putin? Producer: Leo Duran Host: David Greene Guests: