WSJ Opinion: Free Expression

Donald Trump found himself the target of a second attempt on his life, this time from a gunman who was lying in wait for hours, only to be thwarted by the Secret Service. What’s happening with the former president’s security? And with less than 50 days to go to the 2024 election, has the intensity of campaign rhetoric become dangerous? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) tells Gerry Baker about the mistakes made by Secret Service leadership in both assassination attempts on Donald Trump. They also discuss the election itself and what will determine the outcome as well as the changing nature of the GOP and whether it can be the party of working people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The verdict is in - Donald Trump came a distant second this week in his first - and perhaps only - presidential debate with Kamala Harris. The former president was repeatedly on the defensive and easily baited by the vice president, despite the fact that she is the candidate of the incumbent and largely unpopular administration. What went wrong? Will there be another chance for Trump to link Harris to the Biden record and to remind voters of the far left policies she supposedly no longer espouses? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Trump presidential transition co-chair and former independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tells Gerry Baker what he told Trump before the debate and how it went unused, why he thinks Trump should agree to another debate and Harris should not, if he will take a role in a possible second Trump term administration and what priorities that administration should pursue.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While most voters are focused on the contest between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, there are key Senate races across the nation that will decide who will be in control of the chamber in January. One of the most important is in Pennsylvania, where Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Casey is being challenged by Dave McCormick, a businessman and combat veteran who previously ran for the Republican nomination for Senate in 2022. On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, McCormick speaks with Gerry Baker about how the national debate on abortion is playing the Keystone State, whether the Democratic ticket change to Kamala Harris and Tim Walz could change the Senate race, and about that day in Butler, PA when Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt and what role the former president may play in determining the outcome of this and other Senate races. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kamala Harris told the Democratic National Convention that she has plans for what she called an “opportunity economy.” But with little detail about what such a platform entails, except for promises to end so-called price gouging and raise taxes on companies and the better off, voters don’t seem to have a clear picture of what they will get if the Vice President wins in November. Meanwhile Donald Trump is pledging to extend and widen his tax cuts from 2017 that are due to expire next year, raise tariffs across the board and roll back regulation. So what might all this mean for a U.S. economy where inflation seems finally to be under control but growth may be slowing? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, former World Bank President and Trump administration Treasury official David Malpass explains why a Harris administration would mean more government takeover of the private sector, why the world looks to China instead of the U.S. for economic leadership and what needs to be done to lift long term growth in the U.S. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A month after abandoning their death march to the polls with President Joe Biden and switching to a campaign of joy with Kamala Harris, Democrats are in Chicago to formally nominate Vice President Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota. But beyond spreading the happiness, what are the Democrats offering? On the strength of her few policy announcements, so far it looks likely that Harris is trying to put distance between distance herself and Biden. But can she really escape the record of the last four years? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) joins Gerry Baker from the site of the Democratic National Convention to discuss the changed nature of the race, how Kamala Harris plans to tackle the border and price controls, and addresses controversies surrounding her running mate.       Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kamala Harris, a key Democratic candidate, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz discuss the shifting political landscape as Harris gains momentum in the polls. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump grapples with challenges in his campaign, navigating conspiracy theories and public perception. The conversation reveals strategies Republicans might use to counter Democratic gains, highlighting the importance of policy over personal attacks. The guests delve into election integrity measures and the implications of immigration on voting rights, bringing crucial insights to the political table.

During Tim Walz’s first rally as the Democratic vice presidential candidate, Americans got to see a quick-witted and effective speaker who knows how to go on the offensive when he needs to. But beyond the theatre, what’s his actual record as Minnesota governor? Two political insiders who’ve been following Walz for decades sit down with Gerry Baker to size up his tenure. John Hinderaker, president of the Center of the American Experiment, and Scott W. Johnson, a retired Minneapolis attorney and contributor to the site Power Line, paint a bleak picture of rising crime, economic decline and tumbling school performance. They also see Harris’s selection of Walz as confirmation that she's willing to keep up with the demands of the far-left flank of her party.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this encore episode of the Free Expression Podcast, Gerry Baker speaks with Jonathan Haidt, author of “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness." Haidt discusses the dangers that are present on social media platforms and how easily accessible they are to kids with very little obstacles to get in the way of them being harmed psychologically.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Republican Party gathered this week for its presidential nominating convention and the message coming from the gathering is clear: Donald Trump, after the failed assassination attempt on his life, has rallied the party successfully heading into the final stretch of the election. The selection of Sen. J.D. Vance as vice presidential nominee has doubled down on the party’s populist message, to the concern of some cons. Meanwhile, the chorus of Democrats calling for Joe Biden to step aside has reached a fever pitch, and it seems a new candidate will be taking over any day. On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Republican Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise tells Gerry Baker what he was able to tell Donald Trump regarding the attempt on his own life, what J.D. Vance brings to the Trump campaign, and why he wants Joe Biden to keep running for President.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In what is the most important week of Joe Biden's presidency, Democrats are in disarray about the man at the top of the ticket for November's election. Despite strong pushback from the White House to calls for him to step down, the drumbeat demanding change is growing louder. Several members of Congress have called for him to go and many more are privately expressing despair about the party's prospects - in congressional elections as well as at the presidential level - if he remains the candidate. On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), the president's most vocal supporter in the Senate, explains why he thinks Biden is the only plausible candidate, excoriates those in his party refusing to unite behind him, and talks about his passionate support for Israel and why so many in his party no longer seem to share it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices