Mike and Joey open with a look at U.S. missile strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug boats and the seizure of an oil tanker, debating whether Article II authority is enough or whether Congress should have a say. Mike presses on limiting principles, civilian deaths, and why Coast Guard interdiction might achieve the same ends with fewer moral costs, while Joey argues the strikes fit long-standing counterterror logic and reflect the president’s duty to act decisively against narco-terror networks 

Next, they pivot to Trump v. Slaughter and the fate of Humphrey’s Executor, unpacking what presidential removal power means for “independent” agencies. Joey leans toward a unitary executive reading that restores democratic accountability, while Mike agrees the precedent is weak but worries that blowing it up without Congress rebuilding its own capacity could turbocharge executive whiplash and regulatory chaos 

After that, the discussion widens into the administrative state itself, with both circling the same problem from different angles: Congress has offloaded too much responsibility, leaving courts and agencies to fill the void. Mike stresses the need for narrow, well-defined lanes where experts handle technical matters but elected officials own big policy choices, while Joey pushes the idea that forcing Congress back into the driver’s seat may be the only way to fix the incentive rot 

The guys close with a sober reflection on stability versus accountability, warning that unchecked executive swings risk long-term incoherence at home and weakness abroad. Despite sharp disagreements, they converge on a rare point of unity: the system’s dysfunction is less about any one president and more about a legislature that has forgotten how to govern 

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Trey & Justin continue their dive into contemporary political ideologies. This week they dive into Marxism. Topics covered include:

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Trey and Justin start the show discussing last week’s tragic incident involving the National Guard in Washington DC. Here, both Trey and Justin agree on the terrible nature of the attack. Trey highlights the emotionally charged nature such an episode will have on immigration conversations. Specifically, Trey discusses how media frames impact policy. Justin highlights that the White House is simply using the incident to crackdown further on immigration. The pair both agree that Afghans who assisted the U.S. were due help and that an individualized tragic incident does not change the need for a robust asylum policy.

Next, the guys talk about Secretary Hegseth. Here, the conversation focuses primarily on the strikes on the narco-boats, but briefly includes a conversation about the findings in Hegseth’s Signal chat. There is large agreement between Trey and Justin that international law and American Rules of Engagement specifically state that shipwrecked individuals are no longer combatants. Trey suggests that the entire incident is about a larger policy from Hegseth to get back to a “warrior culture.”

After that, the guys turn to Alina Habba and what her disqualification means for the power between the branches of government. A lack of Senate confirmation and a loss of the ruling means the issue heads to the Supreme Court, yet there appears to be no indication that the White House or the Department of Justice are changing policy in light of the court ruling. Trey says his faith in the Supreme Court will be shaken if they allow Habba to continue. 

Then the pair turn to the takeaways from the Tennessee Special Election. Trey highlights the unique nature of special elections and doesn’t think it offers much, although he does question the choice of Democratic candidates to be more competitive. Justin discusses that it might be a warning light for Republicans.

They close by discussing the controversial academic assignment at the University of Oklahoma and the ramifications for academic freedom and standards in higher education. 

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Mike, Tim, and Michael open with the “Deciding to Win” memo and the broader question of how Democrats can reconnect with working-class voters while staying true to core values. Mike argues that Democrats already face structural disadvantages and will lose even more elections if they treat politics as a mass pedagogy project instead of meeting voters where they are with authentic, non-condescending economic populism. Tim contends that Democrats are ripping themselves apart over issues like trans rights, women’s sports, and abortion limits, and that these fissures are driving away Hispanics and moderates in a way no amount of polling or data can paper over. Michael embraces the memo’s focus on bread-and-butter economics but insists Democrats cannot simply bury generational fights over climate and trans rights, warning that throwing vulnerable groups under the bus for short-term wins risks both moral failure and long-term political costs.

Next, the guys tackle the explosion of legal sports betting after Murphy v. NCAA, weighing the tax revenue and entertainment value against addiction, integrity scandals, and the corrosive rise of in-game micro-bets. Mike stresses that problem gamblers provide a huge share of industry revenue and that once you factor in social services, law enforcement, and economic substitution, every state gambling dollar likely costs several more dollars in external damage, all while leagues gorge on betting-related income. Tim frames gambling as a perennial human impulse that should be managed rather than banned, suggesting a middle ground that allows traditional game-outcome betting but sharply restricts corruption-prone prop bets instead of pretending the state can save people from every self-destructive choice. Michael admits to enjoying small, controlled wagers but argues today’s always-on apps and prop-bet interfaces amount to “addiction by algorithm,” fueling both personal ruin and match-fixing risks in lower-tier sports, even as states and leagues grow dependent on the cash.

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Mike, Tim, and Michael open with Trump’s 28-point Ukraine peace plan, built on Russian terms that demand territorial concessions, a NATO ban, limits on Ukraine’s army, and sweeping amnesty. Tim focuses on trading some Ukrainian territory for ironclad security guarantees, including foreign troops on the ground as real deterrence. Mike argues the U.S. should massively ramp up weapons and capabilities for Kyiv, rejecting escalation fears and warning that half-measures only reward aggression and embolden China over Taiwan. Michael sees the plan as politically and militarily a nonstarter, doubts any near-term peace is possible, and warns that Zelensky is trapped between unrealistic war aims and rising domestic disillusionment.

Next, the guys dig into the dismissal of criminal cases against James Comey and Letitia James after a judge ruled prosecutor Lindsay Halligan’s appointment violated federal law and the Appointments Clause. Michael says DOJ’s handling looks amateurish, highlights Halligan’s lack of prosecutorial experience, and argues the underlying Comey case is legally flimsy at best. Tim thinks it still helps Trump politically, since it looks like unpopular figures “beat the rap” on a technicality and feeds a narrative of lawfare gone soft on the powerful. Mike frames the prosecutions as part of Trump’s broader strategy to intimidate critics like a political mob boss, stressing the danger of normalizing legally thin cases even against people he personally dislikes.

After that, the guys turn to the Democratic veterans’ video reminding troops to refuse illegal orders and the revelations about “no survivors” strike instructions in the Venezuela boat attacks. Michael sees a collision between basic military law and hyper-polarized politics, worries about pressure to treat oaths as loyalty to Trump rather than the Constitution, and questions labeling Venezuela a full narco-terrorist state as a pretext for undeclared war. Tim dismisses the video as a political stunt, defends aggressive action against Venezuela’s regime as morally justified and broadly popular, and argues U.S. power can legitimately push the constitutional envelope without breaking it. Mike likes the stunt precisely because it exposes Trump’s appetite for a loyal praetorian-style military, opposes any invasion of Venezuela given America’s dismal nation-building record, and rejects the idea that good ends can justify shredding constitutional constraints.

Tim’s dataset on US troop deployments (and Tim’s Substack)

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Mike and Joey open with the spiraling Comey prosecution, where a Trump-aligned U.S. attorney faces judicial scorn for alleged grand-jury missteps that could collapse the case. Mike argues the real play is intimidation and precedent-setting revenge politics rather than a credible legal charge. Joey counters that Comey was central to what he considers the most serious political scandal in decades and sees the prosecution as predictable fallout, while defending Halligan against “rookie mistake” criticisms.

Next, they roll into the looming ACA subsidy cliff and the GOP’s strategic paralysis: extend subsidies, rebrand them through Trump-style direct payments, or let the system go over the edge. Mike frames the issue as evidence of a party without a health-care philosophy and warns that voters will torch anyone who lets premiums double. Joey situates himself in the reform-and-replace camp, arguing for a freer-market architecture and suggesting Trump’s instincts align with bottom-up consumer control.

After that, they follow the thread into Trump’s governing style, debating whether he represents bold, necessary disruption or impulsive hyper-personalized rule. Mike sees a president driven more by grievance than strategy, surrounded by sycophants who shield him from hard truths. Joey insists Trump’s instincts, energy, and willingness to ditch elite orthodoxies are precisely what makes big-ticket change possible, arguing that populist policy—not personality—is what matters.

Then, they take a listener question on executive power and enforcement discretion, especially around immigration raids. Mike presses the boundary between legitimate law enforcement and coercive overreach. Joey stresses constitutional guardrails, arguing that immigration enforcement is squarely federal turf and that the real structural rot is legislative dysfunction, not executive authoritarianism.

The guys close with rants and recommendations: Mike honors recently deceased singer-songwriter Todd Snider, playing a clip from one of his signature political tracks. Joey recommends that Steelers fans quit fantasizing about firing Mike Tomlin, praising Tomlin’s consistency and warning that “be careful what you wish for” applies as much to NFL coaching as politics. Mike responds with a full-throated, exasperated Steelers fan rant about Tomlin’s fear-driven conservatism and Pittsburgh’s quarterback purgatory.

Conservative Christian, Right Wing, Republican, Straight, White, American Males - Todd Snider (YouTube)

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Mike and Joey open with the blowback to Joey’s claim that “the hubris of the left” is the biggest obstacle to national unity . Mike frames Trump’s behavior as the more obvious example of hubris, while Joey argues that Trump’s personality is massive but incidental and that the real divide is between people focused on ideas and people hung up on identity. Joey sees Trump as a magnanimous, big-ideas president undermined by small-minded opponents, while Mike counters that Trump’s “magnanimity” looks more like dominance dressed up as charm.

Next, they dig into Congress’s overwhelming vote to release the Epstein files and Trump’s reversal from calling it a “Democrat hoax” to signing the legislation. Mike sees the release as driven by conspiratorial right-wing pressure and fundamentally a distraction, while Joey argues the real fallout will be inside the Democratic Party as younger progressives weaponize the material against older establishment figures. Joey claims transparency is good but predicts an unwieldy political circus; Mike frames the whole thing as shallow opposition research dressed up as reform.

After that, they turn to Trump’s meeting with MBS, Saudi investment pledges, and the F-35/tank purchases. Joey casts Trump as structurally reversing American decline through aggressive foreign investment recruitment and realist deal-making. Mike says the strategy makes sense in AI geopolitics — cheap energy, fast authorit­arian permitting — but finds Trump’s moral indifference toward MBS (e.g., Khashoggi) disturbing. Joey describes Trump as historically consequential; Mike worries the price of these “structural wins” is accelerated presidential authoritarianism.

The guys close with California’s new ban on masked law-enforcement officers, particularly ICE, and whether states can dictate federal operational rules . Mike argues the law violates the Supremacy Clause and that mask bans and ID rules materially impede federal safety, while also warning that ICE impersonators and unidentifiable agents are democratic-norm problems. Joey sees the law as unconstitutional commandeering and says masked ICE agents are now necessary because doxxing threats have escalated. Mike pushes for bodycams, higher pay, and stricter standards as a more rational reform path; Joey says data-driven paralysis lets crises fester and that Democrats won’t accept enforcement even when voters do.

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Travis talks with Dr. Michael Cohen, author of Modern Political Campaigns, and Julie Sweet, author of the American Association of Political Consultants’ Deepfake Law Compliance Guide for Political Campaigns, about the role of artificial intelligence in political campaigns.

Topics Travis, Julie, and Michael cover include:

How campaigns are using AI and how they can be compliant with state laws and regulations

What the use of AI will mean for the future of the campaign workforce

The current state of and future prospects for academic research on AI in campaigns and elections

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Trey & Ken begin a new supporter's series on The Federalist Papers. This week's episode includes an overview of The Federalist Papers themselves and introduces Federalist Paper No. 1. Topics covered include:

The history behind writing the original essays

The attack on the Constitution by Anti-Federalists

How Hamilton and Madison became the principal authors

The controversy over who wrote each essay

Follow along with Trey & Ken by following Trey's New Substack. Each episode has a Substack article for more detailed information on each Federalist Paper! Subscribe now!

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