Vintage Trump and a Car Wreck Debate— The Weekly Roundup

Can Donald Trump use the UAW strike to win over voters in Michigan?

Did anyone need to hear Mike Pence tell a sex joke?

Has a key member of the Senate been compromised by Egypt?

On this weekly roundup, guest host Hagar Chemali (Former spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the UN) and guests Susan Del Percio (MSNBC political analyst and crisis communications expert) and Marc Polymeropoulos (Former CIA Official) dive into all of that and more. 

They break down Donald Trump’s speech outside Detroit and his return to the economic populism that fueled his 2016 campaign. 

Then they turn to the second Republican Presidential debate and the growing rifts in the party over support for Ukraine 

Next, they look at NJ Senator Robert Menendez’s indictment over allegations he aided the Egyptian government in exchange for cash

Finally, they look at bombshell new reporting that Iran orchestrated an information campaign to influence how the West views Tehran

Segments to look forward to:

(02:10) Trump’s Speech and the Republican Debate 

(19:29) The Menendez Indictment 

(42:57) The Iran Experts Initiative 

[Politicology+] The whistleblower testimony alleging the CIA tried to cover up its own assessment that Covid-19 likely came from a lab leak. 

Politicology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To join us there, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts.

Check out Hagar’s show Oh My World on YouTube: https://www.ohmyworld.tv/

Follow this week’s panel on X (formerly Twitter):

https://twitter.com/HagarChemali

https://twitter.com/DelPercioS

https://twitter.com/Mpolymer

Related reading:

Segment 1: 

NYT—Trump Tries to Court Blue-Collar Workers at a Nonunion Factory

WP—Opinion | Vivek Ramaswamy has a China problem — and a Hunter Biden problem

WP—Candidates’ differences on Ukraine reflect stark divide within GOP - The Washington Post

Segment 2: 

SDNY—U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, His Wife, And Three New Jersey Businessmen Charged With Bribery Offenses | United States Department of Justice

NPR—Senate Democrats to Bob Menendez: Resign : NPR

NBC News—Sen. Bob Menendez pleads not guilty to bribery charges as resignation calls grow louder

Just Security—The Ongoing National Security Threats Posed by Senator Bob Menendez

Segment 3: 

Semafor—Inside Iran’s Influence Operation | Semafor

Iran International —Inside Tehran’s Soft War

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