Senior political reporter Aaron Blake and investigative political reporter Josh Dawsey discuss election denial being central to the RNC, drama with NBC/Ronna McDaniel, efforts to recruit a third-party candidate, the Robert F. Kennedy Jr. factor, and Trump's motivation to 'run for his freedom'. They explore the latest campaign developments and controversies during the 2024 election.
Election denial gaining prominence within the RNC, affecting staff loyalty.
Exploration of third-party candidates as alternative options in the political landscape.
Deep dives
Trump's Golf Course Victories
Donald Trump continues to claim victories at his own golf courses, boasting about winning championships against much younger opponents. Despite not having a recent electoral success, Trump's golf course wins raise questions about self-proclaimed victories and personal achievements.
Evolution of the Campaign Moment
The podcast introduces the Campaign Moment segment, featuring political discussions led by senior political reporter Aaron Blake and colleagues. The shift towards separate podcast feeds for in-depth political analysis reflects a strategic initiative to engage listeners with roundtable discussions and emergency podcasts on campaign developments.
Republican National Committee Loyalty Test
The Republican National Committee faces turmoil as loyalty to Trump becomes a prerequisite for employment. Recent changes in leadership, including the removal of officials deemed insufficiently supportive of Trump's election integrity claims, highlight the party's alignment with Trump's narrative and its impact on RNC staff.
Third Party Candidates and Political Landscape
Third party candidates like RFK Jr. and no labels seek to challenge the traditional two-party system and present alternative pathways in the evolving political landscape. RFK Jr.'s potential presidency is analyzed in light of growing voter discontent towards major party candidates, raising questions about the impact of third party participation on the upcoming election.
Check out The Campaign Moment, The Washington Post’s weekly politics roundtable to help you keep track of the biggest developments during the 2024 campaign. Senior political reporter Aaron Blake, who writes The Post’s new newsletter by the same name, and investigative political reporter Josh Dawsey join Martine Powers this week. They talk about how election denial is becoming more central to the RNC, what to make of this week’s NBC/Ronna McDaniel drama, the latest on efforts by a group trying to recruit a third-party candidate, the Robert F. Kennedy Jr. factor and why Josh says former president Donald Trump is “running for his freedom.”
Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here.