A Blue Wave?, Xi’s Visit, Trump vs. the Press, Diesel Prices
With just over a month until the midterms, Mike and Jay look at the increasingly difficult electoral environment for Republicans. They discuss Democrats’ generic-ballot advantage, unexpectedly competitive Senate and gubernatorial races, the GOP’s major fundraising edge, Trump’s effect on Republican candidates, and why campaign spending may reveal more than the polls.
Next, they turn to Xi Jinping’s state visit and the striking contrast between the elaborate White House pageantry and the summit’s limited substantive results. The guys discuss the temporary tariff truce, Taiwan, Trump’s treatment of a $14 billion arms package as a negotiating chip, China’s purchases of Russian and Iranian oil, and the limits of personal diplomacy between great powers.
Then it’s Trump’s attempt to ban CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House. Mike and Jay examine the court ruling temporarily restoring reporters’ press passes, the due-process and First Amendment questions, the administration’s national-security justification, and how much power presidents have to decide who gets access to the White House.
Finally, diesel prices have hit record highs, prompting calls for a temporary ban on U.S. diesel exports. Mike and Jay consider whether Trump has the legal authority to impose a ban, whether it would actually lower prices, the logistical problems it could create, and what Trump’s growing willingness to intervene in markets—including government equity stakes in private companies—says about his economic policy.
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