Last week, I spoke with Steve Russell, a two-term Republican Congressman from Oklahoma who served in the last two years of the Obama presidency and the first two years of the Trump presidency.

He’s also the author of We Got Him!, which covers his time in the Army and his role in the capture of Saddam Hussein. (The memoir was just released as an audiobook.)

Give it a listen! Details below.

Topics from my conversation with Steve Russell

* 0:00 – 6:14: Introduction, including Steve’s background, service with the Army, and time in Congress.

* 6:15 – 17:47: Government waste and inefficiency, and how you actually make government more efficient.

* 17:48 – 23:11: How politics changed between 2014 and 2016.

* 23:12 – 25:30: Comparing Trump’s first and second terms.

* 25:31 – 29:44: Comparing Hillary Clinton’s server scandal to Pete Hegseth’s Signal scandal.

* 29:45 – 32:56: Political forgiveness and admitting that you’re wrong.

* 32:57 – 39:52: Anything that you regret from your time in Congress?

* 39:53 – 52:12: The politics of refugees in the U.S., and how we get people to care.

* 52:13 – 56:34: How quickly the pendulum of politics can swing.

* 56:35 – 59:19: The challenges of a commuter Congress, and conclusion.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bensamuels.substack.com