Matt Lewis Can't Lose

On today's podcast, Chris Cillizza and Matt discuss:

— Trump’s repeated Texas and Ohio stops as a sign of a Republican base-motivation problem

— Ken Paxton’s leaked audio, and whether Senate Republicans are laying groundwork to throw him under the bus

— Who actually decides? — John Thune and the Senate Leadership Fund versus MAGA Inc. — and the scapegoat risk if Texas is abandoned

— Chuck Schumer might not be so stupid after all?

— Mike Rogers’ Canada-tariff reversal, and other Republicans distancing from Trump on tariffs and Iran

— JD Vance as a tenuous heir: charisma, shapeshifting, and the VERY ONLINE trap

— Buy-low 2028: Why Ted Cruz is a dark horse to watch

— And MUCH more!

Subscribe to Matt Lewis on Substack: https://mattklewis.substack.com/Support Matt Lewis at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattlewis

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattLewisDCTwitter: https://twitter.com/mattklewisInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattlewisreels/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVhSMpjOzydlnxm5TDcYn0A

– Who is Matt Lewis? –Matt K. Lewis is a political commentator and the author of Filthy Rich Politicians.

Buy Matt's books:

FILTHY RICH POLITICIANS: https://www.amazon.com/Filthy-Rich-Politicians-Creatures-Ruling-Class/dp/1546004416TOO DUMB TO FAIL: https://www.amazon.com/Too-Dumb-Fail-Revolution-Conservative/dp/0316383937

Copyright © 2026, BBL & BWL, LLC

On today’s podcast, The Washington Monthly’s Bill Scher talks with Matt about:

— Abdul El-Sayed told CNN he will win Michigan by 7 points, while recent public polls mostly show leads of 1–4

— El-Sayed reportedly reached out o Hasan Piker, asking him to lay low.

— Why Michigan, Maine, and Minnesota look softer for Democrats than Texas

— Bill’s own poll average (all non-internal polls, fixed recent window) model

— Can the polls be trusted this close to the midterms?

— The alternative reading of “missing” Republican respondents: demoralized rural voters hit by tariffs, diesel, and fertilizer costs rather than only “"shy Trump” voters

— Texas as a GOP money sinkhole: Ken Paxton’s weak fundraising and leaked complaint that he does not control his own campaign’s message

— Candidate quality across the map (Talarico, Roy Cooper, others) and whether Chuck Schumer’s recruitment record looks better people think

Subscribe to Matt Lewis on Substack: https://mattklewis.substack.com/Support Matt Lewis at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattlewis

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattLewisDCTwitter: https://twitter.com/mattklewisInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattlewisreels/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVhSMpjOzydlnxm5TDcYn0A

– Who is Matt Lewis? –Matt K. Lewis is a political commentator and the author of Filthy Rich Politicians.

Buy Matt's books:

FILTHY RICH POLITICIANS: https://www.amazon.com/Filthy-Rich-Politicians-Creatures-Ruling-Class/dp/1546004416TOO DUMB TO FAIL: https://www.amazon.com/Too-Dumb-Fail-Revolution-Conservative/dp/0316383937

Copyright © 2026, BBL & BWL, LLC

On this week's podcast, Matt talks with Chris Cillizza about his latest column at The Washington Sun: "I Almost Never Vote for Democrats. I’m Making an Exception This Year." https://www.washingtonsun.com/perspectives/i-almost-never-vote-for-democrats-im-making-an-exception-this-year

They also discuss whether we can believe the polls showing a blue wave next month, whether the walls really are (finally) closing in around Donald Trump, and MUCH more!

Subscribe to Matt Lewis on Substack: https://mattklewis.substack.com/Support Matt Lewis at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattlewis

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattLewisDCTwitter: https://twitter.com/mattklewisInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattlewisreels/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVhSMpjOzydlnxm5TDcYn0A

– Who is Matt Lewis? –Matt K. Lewis is a political commentator and the author of Filthy Rich Politicians.

Buy Matt's books:

FILTHY RICH POLITICIANS: https://www.amazon.com/Filthy-Rich-Politicians-Creatures-Ruling-Class/dp/1546004416TOO DUMB TO FAIL: https://www.amazon.com/Too-Dumb-Fail-Revolution-Conservative/dp/0316383937

Copyright © 2026, BBL & BWL, LLC

On today's podcast, The Washington Monthly's Bill Scher talks with Matt about:

— Sen. Eric Schmitt’s attempted perjury trap on Jack Smith.

— The Atlanta Hawks vs. Iowa Hawkeyes mix-up, the poster-board texts, Katie Britt’s face, and why Smith pausing made it worse for Republicans

— Why this hearing happened just weeks before the midterms — and why it’s a microcosm of Republicans placating Trump instead of addressing cost of living

— Broader diagnosis: a party that’s sloppy, shoots first, and can’t distance from an unpopular president

— Why Sen. Susan Collins is so resilient, and why Troy Jackson is underperforming in Maine.

— And MUCH more!

Subscribe to Matt Lewis on Substack: https://mattklewis.substack.com/Support Matt Lewis at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattlewis

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattLewisDCTwitter: https://twitter.com/mattklewisInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattlewisreels/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVhSMpjOzydlnxm5TDcYn0A– Who is Matt Lewis? –Matt K. Lewis is a political commentator and the author of Filthy Rich Politicians.

Buy Matt's books:

FILTHY RICH POLITICIANS: https://www.amazon.com/Filthy-Rich-Politicians-Creatures-Ruling-Class/dp/1546004416TOO DUMB TO FAIL: https://www.amazon.com/Too-Dumb-Fail-Revolution-Conservative/dp/0316383937

Copyright © 2026, BBL & BWL, LLC

On this week’s podcast, Charlie Sykes and Matt discuss:

— Trump doubles down on AI, Iran, and China, while voters feel gas and grocery pains

— Are the polls real? Why Republican behavior (Trump is campaigning in Alabama and Oklahoma!) says “yes”

— Why hundreds of millions in ads and Elon’s money may matter less than you think in the midterms

— Affordability and “they’re for them, we’re for you” is the potent message that Democrats still aren’t fully exploiting

— Former Special Counsel Jack Smith testifies before Congress, and Charlie contrasts Smith’s courage with author Jacob Weisberg’s list of cowards (Bezos, Bush, Roberts, McConnell, Megyn Kelly, and more)

— Why tribal loyalty beats reason — and why George W. Bush fundraising for Senate Republicans — and Karl Rove’s “Nazi problem” discovery — still fall short

— Peter Thiel and the tech oligarchs got Trump wrong; now they want trust on AI?

— And MUCH more!

Subscribe to Matt Lewis on Substack: https://mattklewis.substack.com/Support Matt Lewis at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattlewis

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattLewisDCTwitter: https://twitter.com/mattklewisInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattlewisreels/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVhSMpjOzydlnxm5TDcYn0A

– Who is Matt Lewis? –Matt K. Lewis is a political commentator and the author of Filthy Rich Politicians.

Buy Matt's books:

FILTHY RICH POLITICIANS: https://www.amazon.com/Filthy-Rich-Politicians-Creatures-Ruling-Class/dp/1546004416TOO DUMB TO FAIL: https://www.amazon.com/Too-Dumb-Fail-Revolution-Conservative/dp/0316383937

Copyright © 2026, BBL & BWL, LLC

On today's podcast, The Washington Monthly's Bill Scher swings by to break down why 2026 is lining up as a Democratic midterm year: collapsing Trump energy in MAGA country, a sense of betrayal over prices and the Iran war, real disposable income going the wrong way, and GOP incumbents starting to inch away from the president — too late and too timid.Then, Matt talks with Rory Riley Topping, about her new book 'Draw the Line in Ohio: How One State's Fight for Fair Maps Explains Gerrymandering in America.' Get 'DRAW THE LINE IN OHO' https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Draw-the-Line-in-Ohio/Rory-Riley-Topping/9781493098033Subscribe to Matt Lewis on Substack: https://mattklewis.substack.com/Support Matt Lewis at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattlewisFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattLewisDCTwitter: https://twitter.com/mattklewisInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattlewisreels/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVhSMpjOzydlnxm5TDcYn0A– Who is Matt Lewis? –Matt K. Lewis is a political commentator and the author of Filthy Rich Politicians.Buy Matt's books: FILTHY RICH POLITICIANS: https://www.amazon.com/Filthy-Rich-Politicians-Creatures-Ruling-Class/dp/1546004416TOO DUMB TO FAIL: https://www.amazon.com/Too-Dumb-Fail-Revolution-Conservative/dp/0316383937Copyright © 2026, BBL & BWL, LLC

During this week's podcast, Chris Cillizza and Matt discuss:

— Multiple Republicans in competitive midterm races are publicly distancing from Trump for the first time in years.

— Why candidate behavior and ad strategy are more revealing than polls.

— Trump assembled an unusually broad 2024 coalition (Hispanics, young men, farmers, MAGA, some America First doves, podcast audiences) and then chose fights that fractured it.

— The “Roadhouse”/Patrick Swayze Rule” of immigration: enforce the border, but “be nice.”

— Trump as a gifted outsider candidate who is a poor governing president: the same instincts that built a non-traditional coalition and broke opponents fail when he has to deliver prices, end a war, and hold a fragile majority together.

— Mary Peltola / “mean boss” story vs. Democratic “woke” staff culture.— The GOP’s MONEY advantage. But can they make the voters eat the dog food??— It looks like AOC is gonna run. But is that bad news in a world where female candidates keep losing to Trump?

— And MUCH more!

Subscribe to Matt Lewis on Substack: https://mattklewis.substack.com/Support Matt Lewis at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattlewis

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattLewisDCTwitter: https://twitter.com/mattklewisInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattlewisreels/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVhSMpjOzydlnxm5TDcYn0A

– Who is Matt Lewis? –Matt K. Lewis is a political commentator and the author of Filthy Rich Politicians.

Buy Matt's books:

FILTHY RICH POLITICIANS: https://www.amazon.com/Filthy-Rich-Politicians-Creatures-Ruling-Class/dp/1546004416TOO DUMB TO FAIL: https://www.amazon.com/Too-Dumb-Fail-Revolution-Conservative/dp/0316383937

Copyright © 2026, BBL & BWL, LLC

David M. Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of The Carlyle Group and owner of the Baltimore Orioles, talks with Matt about his new book, 'INSIDE THE OWNERS BOX.'

During this podcast conversation, Rubenstein and Lewis discuss the following:

— Why Rubenstein wrote 'Inside the Owner’s Box' after finding almost no books from the owner’s perspective

— Buying the Orioles as a philanthropic bet on Baltimore, not just a business deal

— The emotional gap between private equity and owning a team fans live and die with

— Why the textbook rebuild (Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Jackson Holliday) hasn’t delivered

— Process vs. results when judging a General Manager after last-place finishes

— How player prices and free agency have exploded since he bought the team

— Where owners actually sit: suite, bunker, dugout, or the bleachers

— The childhood house that wouldn’t let him in — and the baseball cards that were thrown away

— Sports betting, prop bets, and whether Pete Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame

— Cal Ripken, Brooks Robinson, Jim Palmer, and the Orioles pantheon

— Should baseball have a salary cap?

— What makes a good owner: passion, city, and trusting the baseball people

— Camden Yards, instant replay misses, and “Thank God I’m a Country Boy”

— Philanthropy, the Giving Pledge, and lessons from Bob Kraft, Ted Leonsis, and other owners

— And MUCH more!

GET YOUR COPY OF 'INSIDE THE OWNERS BOX' https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Inside-the-Owners-Box/David-M-Rubenstein/9781668022498

Subscribe to Matt Lewis on Substack: https://mattklewis.substack.com/Support Matt Lewis at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattlewis

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattLewisDCTwitter: https://twitter.com/mattklewisInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattlewisreels/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVhSMpjOzydlnxm5TDcYn0A

– Who is Matt Lewis? –Matt K. Lewis is a political commentator and the author of Filthy Rich Politicians.

Buy Matt's books:

FILTHY RICH POLITICIANS: https://www.amazon.com/Filthy-Rich-Politicians-Creatures-Ruling-Class/dp/1546004416TOO DUMB TO FAIL: https://www.amazon.com/Too-Dumb-Fail-Revolution-Conservative/dp/0316383937

Copyright © 2026, BBL & BWL, LLC

On this week's podcast, Charlie Sykes and Matt discuss:

— Trump’s Truth Social rant justifying the media ban and calling outlets “third-rate clowns”

— Appeasement at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner — and why it failed

— Approval ratings near the “Hoover line” and Republicans distancing themselves

— How the 2024 coalition is fracturing: farmers, Hispanics, Gen Z, and the podcast bros

— Another ICE shooting in Austin, Texas.

— Kash Patel’s FBI policy change on bestiality and what it signals about recruitment

— Pete Hegseth, lame-duck risks, and the 2026 Senate map (Texas, Iowa, Alaska, and more)

— Data centers as a sleeper issue and why Trump’s daily distractions aren’t helping Republicans

— And MUCH more!

Subscribe to Matt Lewis on Substack: https://mattklewis.substack.com/Support Matt Lewis at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattlewis

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattLewisDCTwitter: https://twitter.com/mattklewisInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattlewisreels/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVhSMpjOzydlnxm5TDcYn0A

– Who is Matt Lewis? –Matt K. Lewis is a political commentator and the author of Filthy Rich Politicians.

Buy Matt's books:

FILTHY RICH POLITICIANS: https://www.amazon.com/Filthy-Rich-Politicians-Creatures-Ruling-Class/dp/1546004416TOO DUMB TO FAIL: https://www.amazon.com/Too-Dumb-Fail-Revolution-Conservative/dp/0316383937

Copyright © 2026, BBL & BWL, LLC

On this week's podcast conversation, Charlie Sykes and Matt discuss:

— A Putin-linked Russian oligarch spent hundreds of thousands on Don Jr. Bahamas wedding weekend. Why this would have been a career-ending scandal in any other era, and how it lines up with Trump’s posture toward Putin and Ukraine.

— Trump goes all-in as cheerleader for AI data centers while polls show almost nobody wants them next door.

— Midterm weather report: Mary Peltola’s good debate in Alaska, Roger Marshall’s Kansas mess, and Ted Cruz getting booed by college football fans. — The Senate is the real prize: blocking Trump’s Supreme Court and appellate appointments, and Cabinet-style MAGA appointments.

— SCOTUS slaps down Trump’s Postal Service scheme on mail-in ballots, 7–2 — and why Alito and Thomas dissenting is the tell.

— Mitch McConnell finally gets wheeled out for votes, and why we have to fix geriatric Washington.— And MUCH more!

Subscribe to Matt Lewis on Substack: https://mattklewis.substack.com/Support Matt Lewis at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattlewisFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattLewisDCTwitter: https://twitter.com/mattklewisInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattlewisreels/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVhSMpjOzydlnxm5TDcYn0A

– Who is Matt Lewis? –Matt K. Lewis is a political commentator and the author of Filthy Rich Politicians.

Buy Matt's books:

FILTHY RICH POLITICIANS: https://www.amazon.com/Filthy-Rich-Politicians-Creatures-Ruling-Class/dp/1546004416TOO DUMB TO FAIL: https://www.amazon.com/Too-Dumb-Fail-Revolution-Conservative/dp/0316383937

Copyright © 2026, BBL & BWL, LLC