RealClearPolitics Podcast

Andrew Walworth, Carl Cannon, and Tom Bevan are joined by RCP Senior Elections Analyst Sean Trende and White House correspondent Phil Wegmann for a special preview of tonight’s presidential debate. Topics include the latest polls, managing expectations, the stakes for CNN, issues that voters want to hear about, and topics the candidates want to talk about.

Andrew, Carl, and Tom discuss Tuesday’s primary results and Senator Joe Manchin’s remarks at the Aspen Ideas Festival about who he will vote for in November. They also chat about recent statements by Vice President Kamala Harris on Donald Trump’s position on abortion and a letter released yesterday by 16 Nobel Prize-winning economists criticizing Trump’s proposed economic policies. Next, Carl talks with White House correspondent for the National Journal - George Condon, about the press coverage of Thursday’s debate. And winding it up, Andrew talks to David DesRosiers, president of the RealClear Foundation and co-host The Energy Future Forum, a conference of experts held today in Washington, DC.

Andrew, Carl, and Tom discuss recent polls in Georgia and today’s primary races in Colorado where Lauren Boebert is favored to win and in New York where Jamaal Bowman faces a tough challenge. They also talk about the reaction to this weekend’s assault outside a Los Angeles synagogue, the change of leadership at the Washington Post, and the release of Julian Assange from a UK prison after he struck a plea deal with the United States. Next, Tom Bevan talks to pollster Frank Luntz about Thursday’s presidential debate. And finally, Andrew Walworth talks to Charlie Tidmarsh; author of the regular RCP feature “This Week in Censorship”; about court suppression of the diary of Audrey Elizabeth Hale - the transgender man responsible for a 2023 mass school shooting in Tennessee and the closure of the Stanford Internet Project.

Andrew, Carl, and Tom discuss the candidates’ preparation strategies for this Thursday’s presidential debate and this morning’s controversial exchange between CNN host Kasie Hunt and Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt: Hunt cut off Leavitt’s camera when she brought up past statements by Dana Bash and Jake Tapper about Donald Trump. They also discuss the primary race between New York Congressman Jamaal Bowman and challenger George Latimer and Bowman’s use of foul language at Saturday’s rally that featured Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Next, Tom Bevan talks to RCP White House correspondent Phil Wegmann about Trump’s process for choosing a running mate. And lastly, Carl Cannon talks with the CEO of the Open to Debate Foundation Clea Conner about what's wrong with the presidential debates and how to fix them.

Andrew, Carl, and Tom discuss Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s FEC complaint against CNN for keeping him out of next week’s presidential debate and the DNC’s plan to nominate the Biden/Harris ticket by Zoom in advance of the Democratic Convention. They also chat about the Biden campaign’s new advertising strategy to reach Hispanic voters during the Copa América soccer tournament, which starts today. Plus, a new California Supreme Court decision will keep the Taxpayer Protection Act off the state’s ballot in November, a move that is seen as a win for Governor Gavin Newsom. Next, Andrew Walworth talks to Douglas Holtz-Eakin, former director of the Congressional Budget Office, about this week’s increase by the CBO of the 2024 federal deficit and debt projections, and why neither major political party seems interested in debt reduction. And finally, Carl Cannon talks with Democratic strategist Maria Cordona about the politics behind President Biden’s immigration plans.

Andrew, Carl, and Tom discuss preparations for next Thursday’s CNN presidential debate and new polls from Fox News that show Joe Biden’s numbers improving over former president Trump. Then, they talk about a New York Times survey that shows Biden’s advantage among women declining and a new ranking of American cities based on how well they are run. Next, Tom Bevan talks to Spencer Kimball of the Emerson College Polling Center on new poll results from the swing states. And finally, Carl Cannon talks with Lindsay Chervinsky, new head of the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon.

Andrew, Carl, and Tom discuss Tuesday’s primary results in Virginia and Boeing CEO David Calhoun’s congressional testimony. They also talk about the significance of Juneteenth as a federal holiday and the passing of baseball legend Willie Mays, who left us yesterday at the age of 93. Next, Tom Bevan talks to RCP contributor Charles Lipson about the political strategy behind Donald Trump’s promise to stop taxing workers’ tips. And then, Carl Cannon talks with Jean Becker, former chief of staff to George H. W. Bush, about his legacy.

Andrew, Carl, and Tom discuss President Biden’s new executive order on immigration and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre’s contention yesterday that recent unflattering viral video clips of the President are “cheapfakes.” They also talk about new polling from Gallup that shows Democrats becoming more liberal on social issues and Donald Trump’s visit today to rally Republicans in Racine, Wisconsin. Next, Carl talks with RCP national correspondent Susan Crabtree about how a US Secret Service agent was robbed at gunpoint while on assignment with the president for Saturday’s Hollywood gala. And lastly, Andrew talks with tax historian Phillip W. Magness about Donald Trump’s plan to replace the income tax with tariffs and how the U.S. ended up with an income tax in the first place.

Andrew, Carl, and Tom discuss Joe Biden’s Hollywood fundraiser this past weekend and the controversy over a video of the president leaving the stage. Plus, the meaning of a new article from the UK Daily Mail outlining a “Secret Democrat Plot to Replace Biden.” They also talk about changes in the RCP Average of 2024 Generic Congressional Vote polls, Trump moving up in the RCP Betting Averages, and a growing debate within the progressive movement on the role of families and children. Next, Tom Bevan talks with Rachel Hoff, policy director at the Ronald Reagan Institute, about a new poll on Americans’ attitudes concerning US global engagement. And rounding it out, Carl Cannon talks with RCP White House correspondent Phil Wegmann about the Biden’ campaign’s new video focused on former President Trump’s recent conviction and his efforts to woo Black voters in Michigan.

Andrew, Carl, and Tom discuss Donald Trump’s meeting on capitol hill yesterday with GOP senators and representatives and the possibility that Trump is taking a more pragmatic approach in 2024 than in previous elections. They also chat about how voters should evaluate viral videos showing what are portrayed as Biden’s age-related gaffes, the recent polls that say Biden is doing surprisingly well among older voters, and today’s New York Times profile by Peter Baker of Hollywood producer Jeffrey Katzenberg who the author calls “Biden’s secret weapon.” Plus, they discuss a USA TODAY interview with Robert F. Kennedy who claims he'll be on the ballot in all 50 states. And lastly, Carl Cannon talks with RCP contributor Peter Berkowitz about the changing US policy toward Israel.