This week, Mike and Justin are joined by Joey Ashbrook, a new conservative voice on The Politics Guys. They open with a discussion of the escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran. Justin argues that Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal “set the ball in motion” for today’s crisis. Joey contends that Iran’s uranium enrichment past peaceful-use levels justifies Trump’s hardline stance. Mike suggests Netanyahu may have maneuvered the U.S. into deeper involvement by initiating strikes that only American assets can complete.

The conversation then turns to the politically motivated murders in Minnesota. Justin calls Trump’s refusal to contact Governor Walz “classless” and emblematic of his failure to provide unifying symbolic leadership. Mike warns that rising political violence is fueled by social disconnection and online radicalization. Joey concedes that some GOP reactions were misjudged but argues that rejecting “fake unity” is a core—and clarifying—feature of Trump’s political ethos.

The Politics Guys on Facebook | X

Mike’s Substack: What Fresh Hell is This?

Get 50% off your first Magic Mind subscription using the code POLITICSGUYS50 at https://www.magicmind.com/politicsguys50 #magicmind #mentalperformance

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.

The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike, Trey, and Tim open with a look at one part of the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ that could have some bipartisan support - the plan to give every child born in the US a $1,000 investment account.

From there, they turn to Elon Musk, who issued a sort of apology for some of the things he said about President Trump, as well as a lawsuit alleging Musk conducted a “brazen scheme to bribe Wisconsin citizens to vote”.

They close by considering Tim’s recent Substack post about how he’s changing his teaching to deal with LLMs and the broader issue of what LLMs mean for higher education and democracy.

Check out Tim on Substack and X

The Politics Guys on Facebook | X

Mike’s Substack: What Fresh Hell is This?

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.

The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Trey are joined by a new co-host, Tim King, a Professor of Economics at the University of Austin. The guys start off with a discussion of the civil unrest in Los Angeles. Tim argues that Democrats are hurting themselves politically by appearing to side with violent protesters. Trey points out that the administration’s legal justification for deploying troops is on shaky ground. Mike highlights that while the president receives broad deference on these matters, the failure to follow proper legal procedures is a real problem.

From there, they move to the parade in honor of the Army’s 250th birthday and the ‘No Kings’ counterprogramming scheduled for the same day in multiple locations across the country. Tim sees the parade as a positive show of support for the military, but doubts protests will change anything. Trey views these events as more about organizing and building activist networks than immediate impact. Mike warns that counterprotests like these risk alienating voters and undermining the cause they hope to advance.

They close by considering HHS Secretary RFK Jr firing all 17 members of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices and quickly naming eight replacements, just weeks before the committee’s next meeting. Tim downplays the impact, suggesting public trust in government health advice was already damaged during COVID. Trey stresses that the advisory board’s decisions have real consequences for vaccine access. Mike finds RFK’s claims of conflicts of interest unconvincing, seeing little justification for such a sweeping shake-up.

The Politics Guys on Facebook | X

Check out Tim on Substack and X

Mike’s Substack: What Fresh Hell is This?

Get 50% off your first Magic Mind subscription using the code POLITICSGUYS50 at

https://www.magicmind.com/politicsguys50

#magicmind #mentalperformance

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.

The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trey and Justin begin the show by discussing two Supreme Court cases. The first case resulted in a unanimous decision against Mexico’s lawsuit against gun manufacturers. The case sparked a discussion between the hosts about their own positions on gun rights and the merits of the case. Trey viewed it as a pointless case.

Next, the hosts addressed the split decision to allow DOGE access to social security information. While acknowledging the problematic nature of the institutional presidency, the hosts agree that DOGE, despite its policy issues, should be granted access to the data. This led to an extended conversation about the evolution of the presidency and the concept of the imperial presidency.

The show concludes with a discussion about the possible  party realignment occurring in the United States, focused on the departure of former President Biden’s press secretary from the Democratic Party. 

The Politics Guys on Facebook | X

Mike’s Substack: What Fresh Hell is This?

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support atpatreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.

The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trey and Justin join forces for the first time in this week's episode! The pair begin with a discussion of Trump's new travel ban and its relationship to the attack in Boulder. Then they discuss both the social media battle between Elon Musk and President Donald Trump and whether this is the last gasp for economic conservatives in the Republican Party. They close the show discussing the impact of Ukraine's drone strikes and how it borders, as close as one can, to the workings of a James Bond-like movie.

The Politics Guys on Facebook | X

Mike’s Substack: What Fresh Hell is This?

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support atpatreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.

The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike talks with Lura Forcum, president of the Independent Center, an organization that represents people who are fed up with partisan politics and feel politically homeless.

Topics Mike & Lura discuss include:

Check out Lura's podcast: We Made This Political

The Independent Center on X

The Politics Guys on Facebook | X

Mike’s Substack: What Fresh Hell is This?

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.

The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike, Justin, and Sam open with the Russia-Ukraine war and Trump’s shifting tone toward Putin. Sam calls Putin “crazy like a fox” and blames Biden’s weak deterrence, arguing Ukraine will ultimately have to concede territory. Mike notes that while Congress is pushing for more sanctions, “if you give Putin an inch, he’ll take three and a half miles.” Justin worries that conceding ground may only encourage further Russian aggression and doubts anyone has real leverage to end the stalemate.

Next, the hosts discuss Elon Musk’s exit from his government role. Sam says Musk’s departure was legally inevitable and credits him with shaking things up, though he sees missed opportunities. Mike frames Musk’s tenure as a classic story of a corporate titan facing the reality of government, describing Musk as both brilliant and clueless. Justin argues Musk overpromised and underdelivered, leaving behind a mess and ongoing conflict-of-interest questions.

The conversation closes with Trump’s executive orders targeting law firms and the politicization of legal representation. Sam claims big law has been “weaponized” against conservatives but admits the orders were drafted too broadly. Mike finds the summary judgment against Trump unsurprising and warns that crackdowns on law firms threaten the free market. Justin sees the rulings as a win for free speech and says if lawyers can’t find a firm, they can start their own, adding that Trump’s style is a big part of the backlash. 

The Politics Guys on Facebook | X

Mike’s Substack: What Fresh Hell is This?

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.

The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Mike and Justin welcome conservative attorney Sam Dewey to the podcast. They start with a discussion of the big rulings this week on President Trump’s tariffs. Sam says the real issue is Congress giving too much tariff power to the president. Justin sees a troubling pattern of executive overreach. Mike highlights the irony that conservative legal doctrines may now limit Trump’s power.

Next, they turn to the latest bunch of clemency actions from President Trump. Sam defends the pardons as a response to “weaponized” prosecutions. Justin argues the beneficiaries are mostly Trump’s allies, not everyday people. Mike notes Trump’s deeply personal approach to justice.

The Politics Guys on Facebook | X

Mike’s Substack: What Fresh Hell is This?

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.

The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike talks with Eric Heinze, professor at Queen Mary University of London and author of Coming Clean: The Rise of Critical Theory and the Future of the Left. 

Topics Mike and Eric discuss include:

why critical theory resists a single definition

the Radical Critique of Western Liberal Democracythe left’s greatest legacy: redefining history as collective self-scrutiny

the left’s big blind spot

prospects for change

Eric Heinze on X

The Politics Guys on Facebook | X

Mike’s Substack: What Fresh Hell is This?

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.

The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Justin and Ken kick things off by diving into the recent wave of controversy at university graduation ceremonies, focusing on student protests, administrative discipline, and the fallout from pro-Palestinian activism. Ken highlights how some universities have responded with severe penalties, while Justin points out the broader context of political pressure from the Trump administration.

Next, they discuss the Trump administration’s escalating battles with Harvard, Columbia, and other top universities, especially over international student visas and federal research funding. Justin notes the chilling effect on university recruitment and reputation, while Ken explains how the courts have quickly intervened to halt what he sees as flagrant violations of basic administrative law.

The conversation zooms out to examine the post-WWII origins of government-funded research at American universities and why those dollars are vital to national leadership in science and technology. Ken gives a primer on the policy rationale and the global “soft power” benefits, while Justin reflects on the risk of brain drain as talented researchers leave for more stable opportunities.

Wrapping up, the hosts cover the recent White House visit by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, exploring Trump’s rhetoric around “white genocide” and the realpolitik behind the meeting. Justin observes how Ramaphosa skillfully held his ground with Trump, while Ken unpacks the interplay between Trump, Elon Musk, and domestic politics, seeing little actual policy at stake.

The Politics Guys on Facebook | X

Mike’s Substack: What Fresh Hell is This?

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.

The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices