Senate Budget Showdown: Chuck Schumer vs. AOC

03/14/25 • 45 min

1 Listener

Andrew Walworth, Tom Bevan, and Carl Cannon discuss Senator Chuck Schumer's decision not to oppose the GOP spending bill in order to avoid a government shutdown, and the angry responses to Senator Schumer from some of his fellow Democrats. Also, judges rule that Trump didn’t follow the law when firing probationary employees, but confirms the executive branch’s authority to reduce the federal workforce if done in accordance with existing rules and regulations. They also talk about the Trump administration's withdrawal of its nominee to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and they look at Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s defense of deporting Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, who has been illegally detained by ICE. Plus, President Trump's takeover of the Kennedy Center and the broader implications of the Right’s asserting itself in American culture and entertainment. Then finally, Tom Bevan interviews Senator Eric Schmidt (R- MO) about his plans to end what he calls “a shadowy network of NGOs, tech groups and governments working to the censor the Left’s enemies”.

Previous Episode

Democrats on the Move: The 2026 Senate Map Gets Tougher While Presidential Hopefuls Embrace “Alternative Media”

Andrew Walworth, Tom Bevan, and Carl Cannon discuss key players to watch, including Pete Buttigieg, Rahm Emanual, Gavin Newsom and Tim Walz, as well as Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) who announced her decision not to run again in 2026. Also, how Democrats, including former first lady Michelle Obama, are embracing podcasting to reach new audiences. Then, they talk about Russian president Vladimir Putin’s positive statements about a possible armistice in Ukraine, and Trump’s threat of a 200 percent tariff on imported European alcoholic beverages. Next, Carl interviews Andy Rotherham, co-founder and senior partner at Bellwether and member of the Virginia Board of Education, on Randi Weingarten, the teachers’ union, and layoffs at the Department of Education. And finally, Andrew Walworth interviews Real Clear Investigations journalist James Varney about his RCP article "A New Beltway Mystery: Follow the Biden EPA Money" which outlines how $27 billion in green grants were funneled to nonprofits in a process that new EPA administrator Lee Zeldin calls “a deeply entrenched pattern of political favoritism” aimed at Democratic-aligned groups.

Next Episode

Deportation Showdown: Trump vs. The Courts

Andrew Walworth, Tom Bevan, and Carl Cannon discuss President Trump's orders to deport 137 alleged Venezuelan gang members, as well as the deportation of a Lebanese doctor with an H1B visa and a teaching position at Brown University. Is the clash between the courts and the White House on immigration policy coming to a head? They also talk about Donald Trump’s social media post challenging the legitimacy of Joe Biden’s pardons because they were signed by autopen. Plus, the cold war between the press and the White House continues at the Gridiron Dinner this past weekend and the upcoming White House Correspondents Dinner, two signature spring social events for the Washington press. Next, Andrew Walworth interviews Jeffrey Gedmin, president and CEO of the Middle East Broadcasting Networks, on this weekend’s executive order cutting support for the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, and other public diplomacy organizations funded by the US government. And finally, Tom Bevan interviews Nicole Russell, columnist for USA Today, about the state of the US economy. She argues that inflation will cool, interest rates will drop and consumer confidence will return, all as a result of Trump’s policies. Image of Donald Trump courtesy of Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.