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John McLaughlin, one of America's most prominent political pollsters and a longtime advisor to Donald Trump, joins Adam Goodman on 13th and Park for a wide-ranging conversation on the state of American politics heading into the 2026 midterms. McLaughlin, who has also advised Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu since 2003, opens with a look at the Israeli election and what his polling reveals about American attitudes toward Iran, including the finding that 61% of Americans believe Iran would use a nuclear weapon against the United States and its allies if it obtained one.

On the domestic front, McLaughlin zeroes in on what he sees as the defining fault lines of the midterms: economic issues including taxes, healthcare affordability, and housing costs, and the growing influence of progressive candidates reshaping the Democratic Party from within. He argues that the biggest sleeper issue for Republicans is the Democrats themselves, pointing to the rise of figures like New York City Mayor Mondame as evidence that the far left is now driving the party's direction in ways that could alienate mainstream voters.

McLaughlin also raises pointed concerns about polling methodology, arguing that several major outlets systematically undersample Trump voters and skew results toward adults who do not vote. He contrasts that with his own likely voter model and explains why the generic congressional ballot still shows a gap that Republicans need to close. The conversation covers the 2028 Democratic presidential field, the role of legacy media versus new media in shaping voter perception, and why the Republican midterm convention in Dallas could be a critical moment for framing the fall campaign.

Adam Goodman closes with a tribute to McLaughlin's career, tracing his roots in the Arthur Finkelstein school of campaign strategy and his decades of work translating hard polling data into message that moves voters. The two reflect on past races they worked together, including a come-from-behind win for Frank Rizzo, and what it takes to deliver honest numbers to candidates who do not always want to hear them.

Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:23 Israel Election and Netanyahu
3:06 Trump's Historic Poll Numbers
4:48 American Patience and the Strait of Hormuz
5:20 Economy, Oil, and Midterm Turnout
7:56 Sleeper Issues in the 2026 Midterms
9:27 Polling Methodology and Media Bias
10:45 Democrats, Progressives, and 2028
14:16 Comparative Messaging and Media Fragmentation
15:34 American Values and National Pride
16:46 Republicans as the Change Party
18:53 McLaughlin's Career and Closing Thoughts

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Senator Tim Scott, Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, joins Adam Goodman on 13th and Park for a wide-ranging conversation on the 2026 midterm landscape, the Republican Senate majority, and the personal journey that shaped one of Washington's most optimistic voices. Recorded at Ballard Studios in the nation's capital, the conversation opens with a reflection on Scott's landmark 2010 primary victory over Paul Thurmond, son of Strom Thurmond, a moment Scott describes as proof that hearts in the Deep South have genuinely changed and that voters in the 1st Congressional District cared more about values than what a candidate looks like.

Scott traces his path from growing up in poverty in North Charleston, failing four subjects as a high school freshman, and hitting a light switch that didn't work because the family couldn't pay the bill, to finding a mentor at a Chick-fil-A franchise who taught him unconditional acceptance and the discipline to hold on through hard times. He frames that experience through what he calls grit and grace, two lessons passed down by his grandfather and his mother, and connects them directly to his broader message that hope in America is not empty, and that perseverance pays off.

On the political battlefield, Scott lays out his theory for why Republicans can break the historical pattern of losing Senate seats in a first-term midterm. He highlights candidate recruitment as a top priority, pointing to Michelle Tafoya in Minnesota, Johnson Nunu in New Hampshire, and Mike Rogers in Michigan as authentic fits for their states. He argues that President Trump is effectively on the ballot even without his name on it, and that Republican engagement on affordability, tax cuts, and border security gives the party a real message to run on.

Scott identifies Maine as the bellwether race of the cycle, backing incumbent Susan Collins against a Democratic challenger he describes in blunt terms, and singles out Mike Rogers in Michigan as a key pickup opportunity. He closes with a direct-to-camera argument: Republicans delivered on affordability, reduced taxes for 97 percent of Americans, and closed the border, while every single Democrat voted the other way. His closing message is vintage Tim Scott: forward-looking, rooted in lived experience, and unapologetically hopeful.

Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:33 Scott Joins the Show
1:37 Defeating Paul Thurmond in 2010
3:49 Herman Cain and America's Progress
5:30 Selma, the Pettus Bridge, and Change
7:07 Cotton to Congress: Scott's Life Story
7:58 Grit, Grace, and His Chick-fil-A Mentor
11:08 Hope and the American Dream Today
13:32 Republican Wins for Working Americans
14:53 The 2026 Midterm Battlefield
15:32 Candidate Recruitment Strategy
16:50 Trump on the Ballot
17:57 Democrat Brand vs. Republican Agenda
19:38 The Bellwether Race: Maine
22:04 The Republican Message in 30 Seconds
22:57 Closing: From North Charleston to the Senate

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Jane Horton, senior advisor in the Office of the Secretary of War and Gold Star wife of Specialist Christopher Horton, joins 13th and Park for a deeply personal and policy-driven conversation on sacrifice, military family readiness, and what America owes its fallen. Christopher Horton, an Army sniper, was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2011 at age 26. Jane was 24 when she received the knock at the door. Rather than retreat from that grief, she has spent the years since dedicating herself to Gold Star families across the country, accumulating what host Adam Goodman estimates is more than 25,000 hours of service on their behalf.

Jane describes what it means to be a Gold Star wife, pushing back against the idea that donating to a nonprofit is enough. She urges Americans to find a Gold Star family in their community, learn the hero's story, and engage directly. She shares portraits of families she has come to know personally, from a Gold Star mom who visits Arlington National Cemetery every Sunday, to Kelly Sullivan, the only surviving granddaughter of the five Sullivan brothers from Waterloo, Iowa. She also reflects on a growing community of GWOT-era children, now teenagers and young adults, who never knew their fallen parent and are searching for a connection to who that person was.

The conversation turns to her role advising the Secretary of War, where she argues that military family readiness is a national security issue, not a soft afterthought. She draws a direct line between caring for families and maintaining a force capable of fighting. Jane also recounts her trip to Afghanistan with General Dunford as a special assistant, describing what it meant to stand on the ground where her husband took his last breath, and the quiet revelation she reached there about his courage and character.

Jane closes by reflecting on the emotional weight of carrying so many stories, her Christian faith, and the community that holds her accountable. She describes the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 tribute, where Gold Star families were honored alongside drivers who featured fallen heroes on their vehicles, as a powerful example of the country choosing to remember. Her closing line captures her entire mission: "May I be worthy of the fallen in everything I do."

Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:17 Who Was Christopher Horton?
2:44 Turning Loss Into Purpose
3:50 What It Means to Be a Gold Star Wife
5:04 Meeting Families at Dover
6:14 Biggest Challenges for Gold Star Families
7:22 Stories That Steel Her Resolve
10:05 Military Family Readiness as National Security
11:37 Returning to Afghanistan with Gen. Dunford
14:29 How Jane Sustains Herself
15:58 The NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 Tribute
19:14 Closing Tribute

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Bob Pudney, President of Black Sea Technologies, joins 13th and Park to discuss how autonomous and unmanned surface vessels are redefining naval power. A Naval Academy graduate and 21-year veteran of surface warfare and naval special operations, Pudney brings firsthand perspective to one of the most significant shifts in military technology in generations. From the Black Sea to the Strait of Hormuz, unmanned boats are no longer experimental. They are operational.

Pudney explains how Black Sea Technologies, headquartered at a former World War II shipyard in Baltimore's Curtis Bay, has spent three decades developing autonomous maritime systems for DARPA and the Office of Naval Research. The company built hundreds of the Navy's first autonomous vessel, the Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft (GARC), and recently unveiled two new platforms, Chaser and Comet, named after Baltimore privateer vessels from the War of 1812. Comet, a 43-foot armed unmanned surface vessel capable of carrying weapon systems and counter-drone missiles, represents exactly the kind of rapid, scalable innovation the Navy is demanding.

The conversation covers contested logistics in the Indo-Pacific, the new Night Train platform designed to deliver cargo to troops in denied areas, and the recent headline moment when an unmanned vessel rescued two downed Apache helicopter crew members in waters near Oman. Pudney frames that rescue as proof of concept and a preview of the thousands of untold stories yet to come once warfighters have the right tools in hand.

Pudney also reflects on the culture at Black Sea Technologies, a workforce he describes as a Star Wars bar of software engineers, blue-collar shipbuilders, and roughly 50 former military operators who train alongside sailors in the field. His guiding philosophy: deliver outcomes, not just products. And do it on time, on budget, and at scale.

Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:28 How Fast Is Naval Warfare Changing?
2:23 Historical Inflection Points in Naval Power
3:30 Mine Hunting and Unmanned Operations
4:18 What Black Sea Technologies Does
5:46 Chaser and Comet Unveiled
7:21 Replicability and Open Architecture
8:05 Training Sailors on Autonomous Systems
8:52 Building 30 Boats a Month in Baltimore
10:03 The Curtis Bay Shipyard Legacy
10:51 The Workforce Behind the Vessels
11:31 21 Years in the Navy, Now Building Its Future
13:02 Night Train: Contested Logistics Platform
14:27 The Apache Rescue: Proof of Concept
15:25 Rethinking Naval Power and Fleet Size
16:30 Public Reaction to Autonomous Boats
16:56 The Risk of Falling Behind
18:26 Speed of the Current Administration
19:18 Service After Service
20:12 Closing Remarks

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Pat Condo, CEO of Seekr Technologies, joins 13th & Park for a wide-ranging conversation on artificial intelligence, national security, and why the next great power competition may be decided not by who builds the smartest AI, but by who builds the most trustworthy one. Drawing on decades of work across defense programs, intelligence, and technology, Condo frames AI as the defining feature of 21st century superpower status, comparing its geopolitical weight to the role nuclear weapons played in shaping the post-World War II world order.

Condo breaks down the core challenge facing AI today: provenance, lineage, and intent. He explains how training data shapes the outputs of AI models, how bias and misinformation get baked in from the start, and why the explosion of open-source models and AI agents, including those originating from China, poses a serious and underappreciated national security risk. He points to 60 million deepfakes generated daily as evidence that the unintended consequences of AI are already here, and warns that the race to build fast is outpacing the effort to build safely.

The conversation explores how Seekr Technologies approaches AI governance the way a financial auditor approaches a balance sheet, tracing assumptions through a system to verify that what comes out can actually be trusted. Condo argues that the solution is not to slow AI down, but to channel it through the right governance frameworks and transparency standards, the same principles that made institutions like the SWIFT financial system reliable at global scale.

Condo also reflects on his own path from the MX missile guidance program at Northrop to Digital Equipment Corporation to founding companies around search and discovery. He closes with a direct message: the debate over AI should not be framed as good versus evil, but as a civilization-scale opportunity that demands urgency, governance, and a commitment to transparency before the chaos of an uncontrolled rollout becomes impossible to reverse.

Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:34 AI as a Civilizational Shift
2:38 Controlling and Validating AI
3:57 Provenance, Lineage, and Intent
5:46 Deepfakes and Hallucinations
8:35 China and the AI Arms Race
9:29 How Seekr Technologies Works
10:49 Ethics, Laws, and Human Oversight
12:55 What Keeps Pat Up at Night
13:49 The Speed of AI Development
15:10 Pat Condo's Background in Tech
16:44 Government and Technology
18:16 Why Every American Should Care
19:27 Closing Thoughts

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Abe Sutton, Director of the CMS Innovation Center and Deputy Administrator at CMS, joins Adam Goodman and Alison Anway on 13th & Park to break down one of the most consequential but least understood corners of the federal government: the agency responsible for testing new ways to pay for healthcare, improve outcomes, and lower costs for millions of Americans on Medicare and Medicaid.

Sutton explains the core mission of the CMS Innovation Center in plain terms: move fast, test new payment models like a venture portfolio, and scale what works. He discusses the shift away from fee-for-service toward outcomes-based care, why downside risk is essential for changing physician behavior, and how the center is deploying models focused on drug innovation, digital therapeutics, and rural health access under the Trump administration's broader MAHA agenda.

Drawing on his experience as a co-founder of healthcare companies that participated in CMS programs, Sutton offers a rare insider-outsider perspective on what it actually takes to get providers to invest in new care models. He talks about the importance of operational dependability, the challenge of designing payment bundles, and why productivity growth in healthcare has lagged every other sector of the economy.

The conversation closes on a personal note, as Sutton reflects on watching his father navigate his grandmother's Parkinson's care and a dangerous medication interaction that first drew him to this work. His message to talented people in the private healthcare sector: the Innovation Center is hiring, and the chance to reshape care delivery for an entire nation is worth the trade-off.

Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:29 What Does the CMS Innovation Center Do?
3:34 Why Congress Created the Center
4:24 The Venture Model for Healthcare
5:04 Fee-for-Service to Outcomes-Based Care
8:49 New Models: Elevate, Access, and More
10:45 Explaining Healthcare Reform to Americans
11:59 Digital Healthcare Tools and Older Adults
13:43 Blending Public and Private Sector Experience
16:00 Rural Healthcare and Digital Access
18:12 The CMS Leadership Team Under Dr. Oz
20:35 Why Healthcare? A Personal Story
22:29 MAHA and Taking Back Control

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Senator Jim Risch, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and one of Washington's most experienced voices on global affairs, joins 13th and Park for a wide-ranging conversation on American foreign policy, nuclear energy, veterans, and the state of the republic.

Risch opens with a stark assessment of the world order, describing a deepening divide between democracies and autocracies and arguing that the central challenge of the 21st century is for both sides to coexist without going to war. He reflects on how the Biden administration's withdrawal from Afghanistan damaged American credibility abroad, and offers his view that it was a precipitating factor in Putin's decision to invade Ukraine. On China, Risch frames the recent presidential visit as a necessary reset, one built not on agreement but on the practical need to get along.

The conversation shifts to nuclear energy, where Risch explains why Idaho has been at the center of the industry since 1951 and why small modular reactors and micro reactors represent a genuine renaissance in clean, reliable power. He connects this directly to the exploding energy demands of artificial intelligence and the European shift away from Russian gas. He also speaks personally about his work on behalf of Idaho veterans, including a breakthrough conversation with President Trump that finally unlocked funding for a long-delayed veterans home in Boise.

Risch closes with reflections on his career, from his days as Ada County's prosecuting attorney at age 27 to his current role shaping U.S. foreign policy alongside a president he describes as far more deliberate and thoughtful in private than what the public sees. Through 37 elections alongside his wife Vicki, Risch remains clear-eyed and unhurried, convinced that America's messy democratic experiment is built to last.

Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:24 Welcome: 37 Elections with Vicki
1:45 Global Tensions and Trump's Foreign Policy
3:08 Senate Foreign Relations Committee
4:10 Biden's Weakness and Afghanistan
5:14 China and the Global Divide
7:24 Nuclear Energy Renaissance and the ARC Act
10:32 Supporting America's Veterans
12:45 Public Lands in Idaho
14:07 Career Reflections: Prosecutor to Senator
15:01 Knowing Trump Behind Closed Doors
17:37 The Daily Cards and Legacy
19:14 America's Resilience and Closing Thoughts

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Noel Hacegaba, CEO of the Port of Long Beach, joins 13th and Park for a conversation on global trade, supply chain resilience, and how the Port of Long Beach handled 2.3 million container units in the first quarter of 2026. That makes it the busiest container port in the nation, even as geopolitical disruptions push oil prices higher and add costs across the entire transportation network.

Hacegaba breaks down the port's landlord business model, the shift in cargo origins from China to Southeast Asia, and why that geographic change is putting new pressure on speed and infrastructure. He outlines the port's 2050 vision to double container throughput to 20 million units, anchored by a $3.3 billion capital investment program and the Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility, a project he calls a game changer for reducing a four-day container transaction down to 24 hours.

The conversation also covers what Congress and the Trump administration can do to support port infrastructure through Surface Transportation Reauthorization, the port's workforce development partnerships with schools and universities, and the role Long Beach will play as a logistics hub during the LA 2028 Olympic Games.

Hacegaba closes with the story of how a chance seating mix-up at a chamber of commerce event led to his first job at the port, and the lesson he now shares with students: never underestimate the power of networking and first impressions.

Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:21 Strait of Hormuz Impact
3:19 How Ports Generate Revenue
4:27 Port of Long Beach is leading the Nation in Containers
4:57 Noel Hacegaba's Message to Washington
6:45 What Congress Can Do
8:08 The $3.3B Infrastructure Plan
9:01 Why Long Beach Leads
9:48 Where the Cargo Comes From
11:41 Noel's Unlikely Career Path
13:35 Workforce and the Future
15:06 The Port of long beach and LA 2028
16:18 Closing Remarks

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Congressman Mike Thompson joins Anthony Williams on 13th and Park for a wide-ranging conversation recorded at Ballard Studios' remote location in Sacramento, California. A Vietnam War veteran who earned a Purple Heart, Thompson reflects on how his military service shaped every chapter of his life, from dropping out of high school to eventually earning a GED, an undergraduate degree, a high school diploma, and a master's degree, and how combat gave him an unshakeable standard for voting to send American troops into harm's way.

Thompson shares the story of uncovering Project Shad, a classified military program in which U.S. service members were unknowingly exposed to deadly chemical agents and then denied the healthcare they had earned. He describes working across party lines with then-Representative Jerry Moran to get those veterans recognized and covered, delivering one of the episode's most powerful lines: "If that's a problem, quit making veterans."

The conversation turns to the state of healthcare in America today, with Thompson breaking down what families in his district are telling him about the Affordable Care Act, the impact of HR 1, and what cutting a trillion dollars from the healthcare system means for hospitals, clinics, and everyday people regardless of how they receive coverage. He also discusses his role as chair of the Congressional Bike Caucus, the reauthorization of anti-doping legislation, and his efforts to secure the Congressional Gold Medal for cycling legend Greg LeMond.

Thompson closes with a reflection on what still gives him faith in America, pointing not to institutions or legislation, but to the people themselves, and the importance of keeping them in the loop.

Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:27 Assembly Fellows and Shared History
3:14 California Governor's Race
3:43 Vietnam Service and the Purple Heart
6:41 Vietnam Veterans Still in Congress
8:07 The Vietnam Wall
8:30 Project Shad and Veterans' Healthcare
11:09 The Affordable Care Act Today
13:22 Congressional Bike Caucus
14:23 Greg LeMond and the Gold Medal
17:27 Representing Wine Country
18:28 Faith in America

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Former Congressman Patrick Kennedy and Collin Gage, CEO of ARMR Sciences, join Alison Anway, Ballard Partners Health Policy Chair, for a candid and deeply personal conversation on addiction, mental health, and the fentanyl crisis reshaping American life.

Kennedy reflects on his own public struggle with addiction, from being outed by a fellow rehab patient early in his political career in Rhode Island, to a DWI on Capitol Hill that sent him back to treatment. Rather than derailing his career, those experiences ultimately gave him the credibility and conviction to champion the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, landmark legislation that required insurers to cover mental health and addiction treatment on par with physical illness. He also discusses his ongoing work through the Kennedy Forum to build a bipartisan political movement around mental health.

Gage shares the personal losses and family experiences that led him to found ARMR Sciences, a biotech platform developing vaccine-based and prophylactic technologies designed to prevent overdose death rather than simply react to it. He describes how the drug supply has become exponentially more dangerous, with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids now lacing everything from counterfeit prescription pills to marijuana and vape products. Both guests argue that the fentanyl crisis has escalated beyond public health into a national security threat, with Chinese precursor chemicals fueling what Kennedy calls a strategic asymmetric warfare campaign against the United States.

The conversation closes on a message of hope, emphasizing community, family-centered treatment, and the importance of open dialogue as essential tools in addressing an epidemic that touches every corner of American society.

Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:43 Welcome and Context
2:08 Kennedy on Being Outed and Going Public
4:49 DWI, Rehab, and Passing Parity
7:11 Collin Gage's Personal Story
9:24 What ARMR Sciences Is Building
12:10 How the Drug Supply Has Changed
13:29 Kennedy Forum and Political Strategy
16:51 Fentanyl as a National Security Threat
19:42 Personal Legacy and the Kennedy Family Mission
22:04 RFK Jr., Holistic Recovery, and Culture Change
25:31 Hope for the Next Five Years
27:43 Closing Thoughts

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About 13th and Park:
13th and Park is a dynamic media platform produced by Ballard Partners. We bring you insightful discussions, expert interviews, and in-depth analysis on key issues shaping industries, policy, and business trends. Our content features thought leaders, industry experts, and policymakers exploring topics ranging from policy influence, business innovation, trade regulations, and more.

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