The Politics Guys

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castbox | PocketCasts | Overcast

Trey and Justin open the show by bypassing the shutdown, at least for a moment, and starting with the 2025 elections. Trey argues that the results are a victory for Democrats, but must be contextualized. His key point is that the economy is becoming an issue for Republicans. Both hosts outline what off-year elections such as this can and don’t mean more generally and how the Democratic Party still faces structural issues facing the midterms.

Next, the guys turn to the issue of the government shutdown, which is now the longest in history. Trey asks Justin where he sits on the length and duration of the shutdown. Justin believes Democrats to be in a relatively strong position, but Trey counters that the Democrats lose even if they win. Trey especially argues that the data is not as clear for a Democratic mandate.

The guys close the show by discussing the likelihood of ending the Senate’s filibuster (zero) and the legacy of Nancy Pelosi as she announces she will not run for reelection.

Check out Trey’s New Substack

The Politics Guys on Facebook | X

Check out the excellent Sustainable Planet podcast.

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.

The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castbox | PocketCasts | Overcast

Mike, Tim, and Michael open with the fifth week of the government shutdown, now poised to become the longest ever. Tim argues that while the disruption is real, the economic impact will be minor and short-lived, suggesting resolution will come after the elections. Michael delivers a fiery critique, calling the shutdown political theater that hurts ordinary people and decrying Republican fiscal hypocrisy. Mike underscores the tangible harm to citizens, emphasizing that the ACA subsidy fight shows how deeply broken the system is.

Next, the guys turn to President Trump’s Asia tour — a mix of spectacle and deal-making. Michael frames it as an ego-driven “performance arc” aimed at power consolidation rather than strategy. Tim sees the trip as a qualified success, strengthening ties with Japan and South Korea and signaling the need for supply-chain diversification away from China. Mike argues that Trump’s trade policy reflects crony capitalism more than economic strategy, with questionable legality.

After that, they debate Trump’s foreign policy more broadly — from China to the Middle East and North Korea. Tim contends Trump deserves serious credit for hostage negotiations and for pursuing peace on the Korean Peninsula, even suggesting Nobel Peace Prize consideration. Michael and Mike counter that Trump’s erratic style and self-interest undermine any sustainable progress, calling him a great self-promoter but poor negotiator.

The guys close with the administration’s effective shutdown of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Mike details how nearly all CFPB functions have been halted despite the agency’s legal mandate, and Michael condemns what he sees as rule-of-law erosion and dismantling of the federal government by decree. Tim responds that the CFPB is redundant and a waste of taxpayer dollars, arguing the country needs spending cuts and less bureaucracy, not more agencies. Mike and Michael push back, stressing that strong consumer protection remains vital in a system tilted toward corporate power.

Check out Tim’s Substack 

The Politics Guys on Facebook | X

Check out the excellent Sustainable Planet podcast.

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.

The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castbox | PocketCasts | Overcast

Mike talks with former Democratic activist Lisa Ekman, whose recently released book is titled Deprogramming Democrats & unEducating the Elites: How I Escaped the Progressive Cult.

Topics Mike &  Lisa discuss include:

• Ekman’s background in Democratic politics
• government and expert failure during COVID
• the tension between public health policy and liberty
• the problem with replacing equality with equity
• communist thinking in classrooms
• returning power to the states and the people

Lisa Ekman on X

The Politics Guys on Facebook | X

Check out the excellent Sustainable Planet podcast.

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.

The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castbox | PocketCasts | Overcast

Trey and Ken start by letting Ken weigh in on the government shutdown. Ken argues that the Democrats are winning and are doing the right thing. Trey disagrees and sees Democrats as eventually the party that will back down and let people get paid. Ken doubles down by saying the shutdown will last until December when Republicans will then back down.

Next, the guys overview the demolition of the White House’s East Wing. Trey is concerned about the larger issue of buying favor with the government for those who help fund it. Ken, meanwhile, thinks strong language is needed and suggests that what Osama bin Laden failed to do, President Trump did: level part of the White House.

After that, it is a look into the 9th Circuit Court of Appeal’s ruling on the National Guard in Portland. Ken convinces Trey that Trump won the battle, but that it is merely a technicality. The court will eventually change because it currently is not ruling on the full facts.

Then they discuss the suit against Speaker Mike Johnson to seat the newly elected member from Arizona. Neither host thinks Speaker Johnson is wrong, but they both point out that when she is seated, it will mean the discharge petition on Epstein will move forward.

The guys close with a discussion of what The Atlantic called the Group Chat Presidency. What is the future of politics in an era of the group chat?

The Politics Guys on Facebook | X

Check out the excellent Sustainable Planet podcast.

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.

The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castbox | PocketCasts | Overcast

Mike and Joey open with the continuing government shutdown and whether blame is shifting. Mike criticizes Republicans for spreading false claims about Democrats’ immigration spending demands. Joey maintains that Democrats are increasingly seen as the problem, adding that media silence signals their growing liability.

Next, the guys debate Trump’s firing of federal workers during the shutdown. Mike condemns the administration’s disregard for legal procedures, framing it as part of a broader “rule of law” problem. Joey defends the firings as legitimate executive discretion, comparing them to Clinton-era downsizing and insisting the Trump team operates within the law’s intent, if not always its letter.

After that, Mike and Joey turn to Trump’s landmark Middle East peace deal. Mike doubts it will last but concedes that if it does, Trump would deserve a Nobel Peace Prize. Joey praises Trump’s unconventional diplomacy and credits his team for reshaping the region’s alliances, calling the deal potentially one of America’s greatest foreign policy achievements.

The conversation then shifts to Portland, where Mike offers the left’s view of federal crackdowns on protesters as disproportionate and authoritarian. Joey responds that Trump is lawfully enforcing immigration policy and that claims of authoritarianism ignore left-wing obstruction and violence. Mike argues that Trump’s tactics lack prudence and escalate conflict; Joey counters that he’s confronting lawlessness that previous leaders tolerated.

The guys close with a reflection on polarization and unity. Mike blames Trump’s divisiveness and thirst for vengeance; Joey blames what he calls “the hubris of the left” for refusing to compromise. Despite their disagreements, both end on a rare note of optimism that America’s democratic debate—and perhaps Trump’s Middle East peace—can still point toward a better future.

The Politics Guys on Facebook | X

Check out the excellent Sustainable Planet podcast.

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.

The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castbox | PocketCasts | Overcast

In this episode of The Politics Guys, Trey and Justin discuss what they call an episode on the unilateral presidency and nihilism.  The show kicks off the ongoing budget standoff and government shutdown, including Trey’s overarching point that the imperial presidency comes to us one small move at a time and is not limited to President Trump.

Next, they turn to the recent Gaza ceasefire brokered by President Trump. Trey argues that the president deserves credit for pressuring Prime Minister Netanyahu, while Justin sees no good future scenarios. Neither host hazards a guess as to the future but are encouraged by the peace. 

After that is a discussion of the complexities of Trump calling for the jailing of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. The rhetoric of President Trump is concerning and Trey argues there are certain things that never should be said, even in a “Trumpian” fashion. Both agree that there are issues occurring in Portland, but the question is the power of the President to send in the National Guard. They also discuss the likelihood of the Supreme Court to intervene, but they both believe the court will allow the National Guard deployment to happen.

They finish the show by quickly discussing Attorney General Pam Bondi’s recent Senate hearing.

Check out Tim’s Substack

The Politics Guys on Facebook | X

Check out the excellent Sustainable Planet podcast.

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.

The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.