The Politics Guys

Mike talks with David Beckemeyer, fellow Democracy Group podcaster and host of Outrage Overload, about why American politics so often feels like a permanent rage machine. They dig into why people badly misread their political opponents, how outrage media works on both the left and right, why more information doesn’t necessarily make us more reasonable, and how social media creates false consensus and rewards the most extreme voices. Mike and David also discuss the deeper civic problem: Americans often misunderstand not only the “other side,” but the political system itself—checks and balances, coalition-building, compromise, and the messy realities of governing. The conversation ends with practical ways to resist outrage overload without pretending that genuinely outrageous things don’t exist.The Politics Guys on Facebook | XListener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Mike and Jay dig into a chaotic week in politics, starting with the Trump administration’s memorandum of understanding with Iran—a deal meant to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, end the war, waive oil sanctions, and postpone the hardest nuclear questions. They debate whether the agreement was a pragmatic off-ramp, a capitulation, or a deal already collapsing under pressure from Iran, Israel, Hezbollah, and Trump’s own political incentives. Then they turn to Trump’s strange handling of Jay Clayton’s DNI nomination, Bill Pulte’s interim role, FISA Section 702 renewal, and the SAVE Act fight over documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration. They also break down major 2026 primary results in Georgia, Alabama, and Oklahoma, including Trump’s mixed endorsement record, Mike Collins vs. Jon Ossoff, and Rick Jackson’s staggering spending in the Georgia governor’s race. Finally, they discuss the legality, symbolism, and tackiness of UFC Freedom 250 on the White House lawn—and the alleged plot to attack it. The Politics Guys on Facebook | XListener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

In this supporters’ exclusive midweek episode, Mike and Ken work through four fights over executive power, legal process, and institutional trust: Judge Leo Sorokin’s ruling striking down Trump’s $100,000 H-1B visa fee as an unconstitutional tax, the furor over California’s slow vote count, mail ballots, and Trump’s fraud claims, the Broadview Six grand-jury scandal and what it says about DOJ misconduct and the courts’ usual “presumption of regularity,” and the messy question of who gets tariff refunds after the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s IEEPA tariffs.The Politics Guys on Facebook | XListener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Mike talks with former Tennessee governor, U.S. senator, education secretary, and presidential candidate Lamar Alexander about his new book, The Education of a Senator, and what his long career reveals about how American politics actually works. Alexander argues that while Washington’s “dysfunction screen” gets most of the attention, the Senate can still produce major bipartisan accomplishments when members build trust, respect institutional roles, and accept the slow work of compromise. The conversation covers the difference between executive and legislative leadership, the decline of social relationships in Congress, the rise of social media incentives, the erosion of Article I congressional power, the filibuster, federalism, impeachment, presidential relationships, and why Alexander still believes “the republic will survive” if more people choose to be builders rather than performers. Senator Alexander on X. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesThe Politics Guys on Facebook | XListener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Trey Ken opens this week’s episode by dissecting the deteriorating situation in the Persian Gulf, where a nominal ceasefire is currently on life support. Ken argues that the administration is merely using ceasefire nomenclature to bypass Congressional oversight and stabilize financial markets. The conversation then shifts to Trump's high-stakes visit to Beijing, where President Xi Jinping warned that Taiwan’s independence cannot continue, while intelligence reports suggest Chinese companies are masking arms transfers to Iran. Ken and Trey debate whether the U.S. remains a credible counterbalance in the region or if Trump is signaling a willingness to deal away Taiwan. The duo then tackles the Supreme Court's controversial shadow docket ruling allowing Alabama to proceed with a congressional map previously found to dilute Black voter influence. Ken labels the Court’s reliance on the Purcell principle as raw political corruption, prompting a deep dive into potential Democratic reforms should they regain power. They explore the possibility of reigning in the court on voting rights via Article 3, though Trey remains skeptical of the political appetite for such a move. This leads to a broader discussion on the Senate filibuster, which Ken argues must be eliminated now that it has been routinized to block virtually all legislation. Turning to domestic scandals, Trey highlights the resignation of Arcadia Mayor Wang after federal charges revealed she acted as an unregistered agent for the People’s Republic of China. Ken views this specific case as a relatively minor technical violation of the Foreign Agent Registration Act, while Trey wonders if it represents a beta test for deeper Chinese infiltration into local U.S. politics. Finally, the pair discusses the great grape vape resignation of FDA head Dr. Marty McCary, who lasted only 13 months before clashing with the White House over fruit-flavored vaping products. Ken and Trey speculate on whether McCary's departure signals a shift toward tobacco as health or to a larger break with Kennedy. Check out the ⁠Future of Our Former Democracy⁠ podcast Read Trey's Substack for a deep dive into the Federalist Papers⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Politics Guys on ⁠Facebook⁠ | ⁠X⁠ Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at⁠ patreon.com/politicsguys⁠ or⁠ politicsguys.com/support⁠. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. The Politics Guys is part of⁠ The Democracy Group⁠, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesThe Politics Guys on Facebook | XListener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Mike, Trey, and Terry open this supporters' exclusive midweek episode with Trump’s planned troop drawdown from Germany and what it says about America’s shifting posture toward Europe. Terry argues the 5,000-troop reduction itself is not strategically decisive, but looks more like retaliation than planning. Trey sees it as part of a broader Trump effort to demote NATO and reorder U.S. alliances, while Mike worries that America may be giving up a relatively inexpensive source of leverage, deterrence, and global reach. Next, they turn to the Senate reconciliation package, the parliamentarian’s limits on what can be included, and the huge increase in funding for immigration enforcement. Trey explains why reconciliation has become central in a Senate where ordinary legislating is increasingly blocked by the filibuster. Mike focuses on the institutional damage of Congress pre-funding executive priorities for years at a time, while Terry argues that although the congressional abdication is real, Trump is delivering the immigration crackdown he openly campaigned on. After that, the guys discuss Florida’s new congressional map and the escalating national gerrymandering war. Trey lays out how DeSantis is trying to maximize Republican seats while framing the map as race-neutral after the Callais decision. Mike argues that Florida’s Fair Districts Amendment should make this kind of map legally vulnerable, though he suspects the state supreme court may find a way to uphold it. Terry emphasizes that both parties are abandoning anti-gerrymandering principles when power is at stake, while also warning that Republicans may be overreading recent Hispanic voting trends. They close with Republican efforts to flip John Fetterman and what his alienation from Democrats means for the Senate. Terry thinks Fetterman has little reason to switch parties now and give up leverage. Trey notes that Fetterman still votes with Democrats most of the time and argues that party activists now treat even modest dissent as betrayal. Mike sees Fetterman as politically stranded: far too liberal to be a real Republican, too estranged from Democrats to be effective, and likely headed for a very difficult 2028 primary. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesThe Politics Guys on Facebook | XListener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.