Join Samantha and guest Will Stancil as they talk the vexed question of whether politics is driven by merely material conditions, ask why tyrants are obsessed with their own popularity, and assess why the Democratic budget standoff fizzled while Chris Van Hollen's trip to El Salvador broke through—and shifted public opinion on Trump's immigration policies.

Link to Stancil's essay, referenced in the podcast: https://www.offmessage.net/p/kilmar-abrego-garcia-public-opinion