The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

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   Number 1: Trump’s Canada Trade War, GOP Loyalty Tests & Economic War on Iran

   Mike and Jay open with a discussion of what President Trump hopes to gain from 50% tariffs on America’s second-largest trading partner, whether Trump fundamentally misunderstands the value of allies, and how his approach could strengthen China rather than contain it.Then they turn to Republican politics after Trump-backed candidates win closely watched races in South Carolina and Oklahoma. How much does Trump’s primary endorsement record really tell us about his hold over the GOP? The discussion expands to political dynasties, inexperienced senators, the decline of the Senate’s old “apprenticeship” norm, and the tradeoff between political experience and entrenched party machines.Finally, six months into the Iran war, the Trump administration launches “Operation Economic Outcast,” threatening banks and companies that continue doing business with Tehran. Mike and Jay debate whether Trump is really prepared to impose serious costs on China, how long Iran can survive economically, and whether staying the course could eventually force Tehran to accept a deal—or simply deepen an already costly strategic mistake.The Politics Guys on Facebook | XListener 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.

   August 29, 2026·1h 5min
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   Number 2: Florida & Alaska Primaries, Iran War Strains, and AOC on “Woke 1”

   Mike is joined by fellow political scientists Michael Levy and Justin Holmes to break down what the latest primaries say about the Democratic and Republican parties, whether the Iran war is exposing serious limits in U.S. military readiness, and what AOC means when she says “Woke 1 was crazy.”They start with Florida, where Trump-backed Byron Donalds won the Republican gubernatorial nomination and former Republican David Jolly became the Democratic nominee. The guys look at Florida’s dramatic shift toward the GOP, Democrats’ struggle to build competitive state parties, and the growing number of Democratic Socialist candidates poised to enter Congress. Then it’s Alaska, where Mary Peltola’s strong showing against Republican Senator Dan Sullivan suggests one of Democrats’ better Senate pickup opportunities.Next, they turn to the war with Iran and reports of mounting strain aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. Is this simply the inevitable cost of a long deployment—or evidence that the Trump administration badly underestimated the logistics of an extended war? They also consider what pulling naval assets from the Pacific could mean for U.S. deterrence against China.Finally, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says “Woke 1 was crazy.” Is that a substantive rethink of progressive politics, a shift in rhetoric, or simply recognition that some of the left’s post-2020 language became politically toxic? Mike, Michael, and Justin debate whether progressive politics has primarily a messaging problem—or a policy problem too.The Politics Guys on Facebook | XListener 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.

   August 21, 2026·1h 2min
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   Number 3: SCOTUS Clears the White House Ballroom, House Censures Rep. Chuck Edwards, Army Secretary Resigns, and Record High Corruption Perceptions

   On this week’s episode of The Politics Guys, Trey Orndorff (Oklahoma Christian University) is joined by Justin Holmes (University of Northern Iowa), filling in while Ken Katkin takes a few weeks away from the show. The pair start by looking at breaking down the decision of SCOTUS to allow the White House Ballroom Construction to continue. Trey and Justin discuss the mechanics of standing and why both agree that on its merits the petitioners lack standing. They dig deeper to discuss why unsigned orders draw criticism, and how congressional inaction creates systemic blind spots in checking executive power.Next, they move to the 413-2 vote to censure Rep. Chuck Edwards. Trey and Justin evaluate the rare bipartisan consensus behind the vote, contrasting it with recent disciplinary battles involving former representatives Matt Gaetz, Eric Swalwell, and Tony Gonzales. Trey posits that the bipartisan anger, including the MAGA wing of the Republican Party, over Epstein might be a contributing factor in the unanimity.After that, they move to the resignation of Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. With Driscoll’s exit following the previous departures of top civilian and military officials, Trey and Justin examine how the turnover affects the ongoing military operations in the Middle East. They also discuss the potential presidential aspirations of both VD Vance and Hegseth in the dealings behind the scenes.They close the show by looking at Gallup’s tracking poll on government corruption. Gallup’s question on widespread corruption hit a new high, with 89% of American adults indicating they view government corruption as widespread. This is up significantly from 79% in 2025 and 74% in 2024. Justin dives into survey question methodology and how the question has flaws, but still has merit. Both hosts analyze how declining social capital, negative media incentives for institutions, and institutional alienation impact democratic stability.The Politics Guys on Facebook | XListener 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.

   September 04, 2026·55min
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   Number 4: Trump’s Crypto Fortune, Data Center Backlash, America’s Crime Drop

   Mike, Justin, and Michael open this supporters’ exclusive midweek episode with a look at the Trump crypto fortune, conflict-of-interest questions surrounding World Liberty Financial, Trump’s newly approved national trust bank, and the stalled CLARITY Act. Then, they consider why data centers have suddenly become a bipartisan political liability. The guys dig into rising electricity costs, water use, local tax incentives, surprisingly few permanent jobs, NIMBYism, and the national-security argument for keeping America ahead of China in AI.Finally, they discuss some genuinely good news: U.S. violent crime is falling sharply, with homicides potentially reaching their lowest level in generations. But why? Better policing, demographics, less lead exposure, improved trauma medicine, incarceration, changing drug and alcohol use—or some combination of all of them?The Politics Guys on Facebook | XListener 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.

   August 25, 2026·18min
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   Number 5: Primary Shockwaves, Trump’s Vaccine Overhaul, and the 2029 D.C. Guard Mandate

   On this week’s episode of The Politics Guys, Trey Orndorff (subbing for Mike) is joined by political scientist Michael Levy for their first show together. They begin with Michael breaking down the August 11 primaries. This includes discussing David Crowley’s narrow victory over Democratic Socialist Francesca Hong in Wisconsin, along with races in Minnesota and South Carolina. The pair discuss why polls missed by wide margins, and Trey discusses the difficulty of modeling primary elections and new tech challenges, including automatic call-screening available on smartphones.Next, the pair move to Executive Order 14407, or the “Gold Standard” of childhood vaccines. Trey and Michael highlight the order’s mandate to split the combined Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine into three separate single-disease shots administered across three visits. Trey points out that such shots do not currently exist, rendering the directive unworkable in the short term. The duo also discuss the public-facing crisis that public health officials now face.They close the show with a look at the one-year anniversary of the federalization of D.C.’s Police and the deployment of National Guard troops to the district. The hosts discuss both the confirmation that troops will remain in D.C. through Inauguration Day 2029 and the cost of it at approximately 3 million dollars per day. They finish by discussing the effects of normalizing domestic military policing.The Politics Guys on Facebook | XListener 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.

   August 14, 2026·1h 6min
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