Summary
Overview
Pod Save America hosts John Favreau and Dan Pfeiffer discuss Trump's midterm strategy, his reluctance to spend his super PAC money, and Republicans avoiding his convention. They also cover data center politics, AI regulation debates, and feature journalist Jasper Nathaniel's reporting on Israeli settler violence in the West Bank, examining the settlement movement's connections to the Israeli government and implications for a two-state solution.
Trump's Midterm Strategy and Super PAC Spending
With 60 days until the midterms, Trump is making the election about himself despite his 38% approval rating. His super PAC released its first ad featuring Trump, spending just under a million dollars from a $400 million war chest. Republicans are increasingly skeptical that Trump will actually spend this money on midterms, with some believing he's holding it for personal purposes. Meanwhile, vulnerable Republican candidates are finding convenient excuses to skip Trump's upcoming convention in Dallas.
- Trump summoned vulnerable Republicans to the White House and announced he'll hit the road for 35 Republican candidates in the last 30 days
- Trump's super PAC spent just under a million dollars on its first midterm ad despite having $400 million
- Republicans are skeptical Trump will spend his war chest on midterms, believing he's saving it for his own purposes
- 45 Republicans surveyed said they're not attending Trump's Dallas convention, with dozens more declining to share plans
" My takeaway from this is that anyone who has spent one minute in a focus group, looked at a poll this like, or even just like had a conversation with an actual person out in the world, would never make an ad like this. This was an ad made for one swing voter and that swing voter was Donald J. Trump so he could feel better about himself. "
" When you have a huge money advantage, you deploy it early when your opponents don't have money because money invested in infrastructure, technology, organizing, staff in 10 months before the election is worth 10 times the money invested one month before the election. "
Republican Avoidance of Trumpapalooza Convention
Republicans are making excuses to skip Trump's midterm convention in Dallas next week, with many citing scheduling conflicts. The RNC chair is calling it Trumpapalooza, but few Republicans are touting their attendance plans. Those who do attend face a price tag of $10,000 to $25,000, with some packages reaching $100,000. Mike Rogers, John Husted, and Mike Lawler are among the few confirmed attendees from competitive races.
- Over 70 Republican candidates and members surveyed, with 45 saying they're not going and dozens declining to share plans
- Attendees must pay $10,000 to $25,000, with some packages up to $100,000
- Mike Rogers, John Husted, and Mike Lawler confirmed attendance despite being in competitive races
- Republican strategists predict coverage will focus on 'whatever crazy shit the president decides to say'
" The coverage is going to be all about whatever the crazy shit the president decides to say. "
📚 10 more sections below
Sign up to unlock the complete summary with all insights, key points, and quotes
Get this summary + all future Pod Save America episodes in your inbox
100% Free • Unsubscribe Anytime
Sign up now and we'll send you the complete summary of this episode, plus get notified when new Pod Save America episodes are released—delivered straight to your inbox within minutes.