Summary
Overview
A Pod Save America episode covering the state of Senate and House races, Trump's media crackdown, Republican candidates distancing from Trump, and Tommy Vietor's interview with activist Colin Kaepernick about his NFL protest, blackballing, and new book.
Trump's War on Media and White House Press Access
Trump attempted to revoke press credentials from CNN, MSNBC, and Politico, claiming national security concerns. A federal judge quickly ruled against the administration, forcing them to restore access. The White House's argument fell apart when it turned out their cited Politico story came from a J.D. Vance-approved briefing. While press access matters for accountability, the incident represents another distraction from substantive issues affecting Americans' daily lives.
- Judge Timothy Kelly ordered White House to restore press access for CNN, MSNBC, and Politico while lawsuit plays out
- White House cited a Politico story as national security threat, but the source was J.D. Vance in an approved briefing
- Kicking wire reporters out of the pool is more consequential than barring individual reporters for accountability
- Two-thirds of voters say Trump is focused on the wrong things, and this is one more example
" If that was happening in any other country, the State Department would send out a warning about how democracy was falling in that country. It is a blaring red light. "
Republican Candidates Running From Trump
For the first time in the Trump era, Republican candidates are actively distancing themselves from Trump as his unpopularity becomes a political liability. Florida's Byron Donalds removed Trump's endorsement from his website, Kansas Senator Roger Marshall distanced himself from ICE, and Mike Rogers suddenly appeared concerned about grocery prices. The most significant flip-flopping is happening on the Iran war, though these distancing maneuvers appear too late and too transparent to be effective.
- Byron Donalds removed Trump endorsement from campaign website, then put it back when Trump found out
- Michigan's Mike Rogers released video in grocery store saying 'the war with Iran needs to end' despite being a longtime war hawk
- Senate vote on Iran war powers resolution saw vulnerable Republicans like Dan Sullivan, Roger Marshall, and John Husted vote no
- Conservative radio host Steve Deese says Iran war is as unpopular with Iowa conservatives as COVID lockdowns and TARP bailout
" The defining characteristic of Republican politicians in this era is complete and total fealty to Trump. So all of a sudden, 40 days before an election to decide that you're against the things you've been saying you're for, that you're against the person you were saying you were for, voters are not going to believe it. "
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