Mike and Joey open with a discussion of President Trump’s meeting with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Mike sees it as a weak Trump being once again played by alpha-dog Putin, while Joey believes it’s Trump who is cleverly playing to Putin’s ego. They both agree that we won’t know which interpretation is closer to right until we know the details of any potential peace deal.

Next, it’s a look at the Trump administration’s efforts to combat crime in Washington, D.C.. Joey argues that the President is well within his rights to do what he’s doing, while Mike believes that there are some potential legal issues. Mike also raises the issue of the authoritarian feel of what’s going on and the lack of a clear exit strategy. They’re both hoping that in the longer run, the MPD gets the resources it needs to keep the Capitol safe. 

They close with a consideration of the California redistricting effort announced by Governor Newsom. Joey points out that California already seems very gerrymandered, which Mike argues has much more to do with geography than politics. Mike finds himself torn between his good-government instinct to preserve California’s independent redistricting commission and his concern about Democrats ceding seats to Republicans willing to engage in more aggressive gerrymanders.

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