Tensions Rise After Trump Warns Fox News Reporter, Sinks Disloyal Republican Members of Congress

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Morning Meeting Episode: Tensions Rise After Trump Warns Fox News Reporter, Sinks Disloyal Republican Members of Congress
Date: May 21, 2026
Host: Mark Halperin (2WAY) with co-hosts Kevin and Larry

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Overview

This episode dives into the escalating political drama surrounding President Trump, including his attacks on both a Fox News reporter and "disloyal" Republican members of Congress. The hosts provide a behind-the-scenes perspective of the daily conversations that set the news agenda for major TV networks, exploring how Trump's confrontational style is affecting both intra-party relations and broader media narratives during a tense news cycle. Economic anxiety, Iran negotiations, and the strategies both parties are using to frame the upcoming midterms are also debated, with a special financial segment on market reactions to global turmoil.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Programming Changes, War Coverage, & Political Focus

• Mark jokes (00:04) about the network’s decision to focus daily coverage on the rivalry between Secretaries Duffy and Buttigieg until October 1st.
  • Quote: "For the balance of the year... we're just going to cover the war between Secretary Duffy and Secretary Buttigieg every day." — Mark [00:13]
• Opening banter about sports, especially NBA playoffs, sets a relaxed, conversational tone.

2. Daybook Rundown & President’s Schedule

• President Trump's schedule is reviewed, highlighting his event with Lee Zeldin, a shellfish lunch, and an anticipated executive order on AI regulation (inviting — rather than mandating — companies to share new models).
  • Quote: "It's widely believed that that's about the AI compromise... an interesting way to regulate an industry which could destroy the human race." — Mark [02:52]
• Insight into ongoing hearings, including former Epstein associate Sarah Kellen and prominent economists.

3. Congressional Power Play

• House of Representatives is poised to defeat the Senate on the housing bill, which the panel frames as an overdue win for "the people's House."
  • Quote: "I love when that House of Lords eats it." — Mark [04:15]
  • Lively references to congressional history—Sumner Brooks and "teacup and saucer" metaphors.

4. International Affairs: Iran Negotiations

• Extended analysis of the ongoing Iran standoff: Trump’s rhetoric vs. actual progress; skepticism about Pakistan’s role as an intermediary.
  • Mark, Larry, and Kevin debate if current negotiations are performative or genuine, noting shifting players — with Arab states now more involved and Pakistan sidelined.
  • Quote: “You have all this bellicose rhetoric out of Iran... I do not see how there could be a deal.” — Mark [10:18]
  • Debate if Trump is "exhausting every avenue" to justify future military action: “Now the fact that the Arab nations... are saying, ‘let us give it one more chance.’” — Larry [12:21]
• Kevin brings in the angle of U.S.-Israeli tensions exposed by leaked calls between Trump and Netanyahu, with implications for military and diplomatic responses.

5. Norms, Ethics, and Political Distraction

• Mark introduces a list of Trump’s "norm violations" in the past week: IRS slush fund, stock trades, remodeling of the White House (the “Crooked Ballroom"), and Don Jr.'s wealth.
  • He asserts that for the first time, he believes Trump’s actions may be purposeful distractions from bad economic numbers.
  • Quote: “...doing all these things at once, at least in part... so the election is not about the economy.” — Mark [15:19]

- Democratic Strategy: Run on Corruption or the Economy?

• Jonathan Lemire and Jon Ossoff clips debate whether Democrats should run on "corruption" rather than kitchen-table issues.
• Quote: "Let’s see them prove... because they’re pro war, they’re pro tariff, they’re pro cutting health care. Let’s find out where they stand on the Crooked Ballroom and the insurrectionist slush fund." — Jon Ossoff [17:17]
• Mark challenges the resonance of "ballroom and slush fund" themes with everyday voters, skeptical they matter “in a Green Bay diner.”
• Kevin notes that while educated Republicans care, key Trump demographics (white voters without degrees) are turning against him on the economy.

6. Trump Targets Fox News Reporter and GOP Congressman—Clubhouse Ethics vs. Populism

• Trump’s public attack on Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA) and his fiancée, Fox News WH correspondent Jackie Heinrich, draws acute attention.
  • Quote: "Her husband, she’s married to a certain congressman. He likes voting against Trump... that doesn’t work out well." — President Trump [24:22]
• Mark predicts this move could be the long-feared breaking point between Trump and the Republican establishment, due to the well-liked DC couple.
• Larry and Kevin debate the appearance of journalistic conflict-of-interest, but Mark reemphasizes the unique inside-the-Beltway significance: “This could be the thing that finally changes the president’s relationship with some Republicans.” [32:45]
• There’s agreement that while the media–politics “club” dynamic is off-putting to outsiders, in DC it’s about decency and professional lines.

7. Economic Turmoil and Voter Sentiment

• Rebecca Walzer, wealth management CEO, breaks down how market fluctuations—especially oil and energy prices—are rattling consumers and shaping political risk.
  • Quote: “People can’t do $4.50 at the gas pump and vote for the current administration...” — Rebecca Walzer [36:44]
  • Commodity bifurcation (“K-shaped” economy) leaves the bottom 80% of consumers struggling, record-high credit card debt, and bleak sentiment.
  • If gas stays high, midterms are dire for Republicans—unless inflation falls. Fed is more likely to resume rate hikes due to “sticky” inflation.

8. Audience Q&A: Trump’s Timeline and the Political “Shot Clock”

• Andrew Wick asks how much time Trump has to fix bad polling before the midterms.
  • Consensus: He needs gas prices below $4 by September, or else it’s too late to shift voter perceptions meaningfully. (47:58)

9. Pop Culture and Programming Plugs

• Light moments on Taylor Swift rumors, NBA playoffs ticket prices, and a humorous segment with Billy Bush sharing his frustration about LA road conditions—used as an entry point for broader policy critiques.
• Teasers for new shows on the 2WAY platform: interactive true crime, political roundtables, and a game show.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Mark (on Trump’s distraction strategy):
  “He can’t talk about the economy. So by talking about the ballroom… he’s got Democrats talking about these things. That’s the best he could do.” [22:48]
• Larry (on DC backlash to Trump’s attacks):
  “These are two very decent people… and I see in the chat, ‘we don’t care,’ you say... but this could fundamentally change the President's relationship with Republicans in Congress.” [31:51]
• Rebecca Walzer (on the bifurcated economy):
  “We think of the economy right now as a K. 80% of the purchases are happening at the top 20%...the bottom 80% [handle only] 20% of goods.” [37:49]
• Kevin (on election themes):
  “Democrats will have a better election night if they make it a choice election and not a referendum… If it's a referendum on the president and gas prices, the window is closing quickly.” [48:03]
• Professor Kenny (on bipartisanship fatigue):
  “Nobody likes the Democrats, nobody likes the Republicans, and nobody likes Trump. So what the hell are we doing as a country?” [53:21]
• Billy Bush (on LA infrastructure):
  "This is my fourth flat tire... since November... It's a dilapidated city. Karen Bass, your timing couldn't be worse." [58:30]

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Important Timestamps

• 00:04 — Programming announcement: war coverage focus
• 02:52 — President’s schedule & AI executive order
• 04:14 — House is set to defeat Senate on housing bill
• 10:18 — Iran negotiations paradox: both sides stuck
• 15:19 — Trump’s norm violations: distraction or strategy?
• 17:17 — Jon Ossoff on Democratic messaging
• 24:22 — Trump’s warning to Fox News reporter and Rep. Fitzpatrick
• 31:51 — DC’s reaction and potential GOP break with Trump
• 35:54 — Rebecca Walzer joins: state of markets and inflation
• 44:59 — Start of Q&A: shot clock for Trump to improve economy
• 53:21 — Professor Kenny’s bipartisan pessimism
• 58:30 — Billy Bush laments Los Angeles roads

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Tone and Language

The conversation is quick-witted, irreverent, and breaks the “fourth wall” with banter and frequent in-jokes. Mark deploys sarcasm, especially on media and political players; Larry plays the outsider-insider; Kevin brings campaign and voter psychology expertise. The show blends detailed policy analysis with relatable references and live audience engagement.

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For Listeners: Why This Matters

This episode delivers a fast-paced, inside look at how Trump’s increasingly combative style is splintering GOP unity and baiting media attention while sidestepping disastrous economic polls. As gas prices and Iran tensions rise, both major parties are forced to choose between running on “corruption” or on economic insecurity—a framing likely to influence the midterms. The panel’s candor about Beltway relationships, media ethics, and class division offers rare context often missing from standard political coverage.

Transcript

[President Donald Trump]

Foreign.

[Mark]

Welcome to the morning meeting, Larry. Kevin and I, we've made a decision overnight. And some of you will think this is great and some of you will. Will not. But for the balance of the year until, until October 1st, when we'll switch coverage to the midterms, we're just going to cover the war between Secretary Duffy and Secretary Buttigieg every day. We're just going to break it down, chalk, talk it like John Madden and Pat Summerall would do. Larry, who won the day, Buttigieg or Duffy?

[Larry]

Duffy every day.

[Mark]

Duffy every day. And Kevin, you have a different perspective, I imagine.

[Kevin]

I think a different Duffy. I think Rachel Campos Duffy won the day with her new book.

[Larry]

That's what I know.

[Mark]

Yeah. Rachel is a force of nature, ladies and gentlemen.

[Kevin]

Yes, she is.

[Mark]

And her husband's just a tag along.

[Larry]

Any woman who can raise that number of kids is by definition a force of nature.

[Kevin]

God lovers.

[Mark]

And she's about to have their second. Their second grandchild. Congratulations to Duffy family and the Buttigieg family. Welcome in, everybody. This is the morning meeting based on Network News Division's morning meetings. Kevin, Larry and I are going to run through the day with you. First I'll do the day book and then we'll talk about stuff. A lot going on with the President of the United States in particular. Just one of those rare news cycles. But almost every story revolves around Donald Trump and very rare, very rare indeed. And then I love when I try to slip in the sarcasm. You guys figure it out. And then right away then to your questions and comments. If you're here in the platform or want to get your. Want to get your comment in. You want to talk about the Knicks game and how probably the Knicks can't beat Oklahoma City. I decided last night. Sorry. Thunder up. Yeah, man. OkC.

[Kevin]

Meredith is not going to be happy with that comment anyway.

[Larry]

She's all in for Oklahoma City.

[Kevin]

Yeah, I was gonna say.

[Mark]

Yeah.

[Kevin]

No one's rooting for the Knicks.

[Mark]

Yeah, I am. Anyway, if you want to get in on the conversation, please raise your hand. And I'd ask you just in the spirit of how tired I am, please don't put smack in the chat because again, I have to stay up every night doing digression analysis, regression analysis. Sorry. On the smack in the chat. So please just don't put any smack in chat. You want to go in the chat, just put in let's go nits or something. Something friendly, something nice.

[Larry]

Smack.

[Mark]

No, it's not.

[Larry]

If you're a Thunder fan, they're America's team.

[Mark]

All right, ladies and gentlemen, here's the President's schedule which isn't showing up on my phone, so put it up on the screen, please. The President's at the White House today and Paul, you're just gonna put it up because I can't remember for the life of me what the President's doing. Intelligence briefing at 10 executive time now. Oh yeah, Lee Zeldin is doing event with lee Zeldin at 11 who apparently is not going to become Attorney General. That's covered by the press pool. We'll see if the President talks there then he's having lunch with these. These Elden. They'll probably have shellfish. That's my guess. Then Ambassador credentialing ceremony, Long island shellfish. Exactly. Exactly. And then 3:30 he does signs an executive that's listed as closed press. It's widely believed that that's about the AI compromise where rather than requiring the big AI companies to turn over their new models, they're inviting them to turn them over, which is an interesting way to regulate an industry which could destroy the human race. Maybe we'll talk about that. Anyway, that's what the President's doing. The vice President don't know what he's up to, but probably no good or good one or the other Cabinet secret. The aforementioned Secretary Duffy testifies before House approved subcommittee on the budget at 2. Mark Wayne Mullen heads to Mexico for two days, meeting with government officials there to talk about all the issues between our country two countries pertaining to the border on the Hill. Dr. J. Bonachara testifies at 10 on the Senate side. A bunch of other budget hearings on the Hill and guys we didn't talk about. Oh, Sarah Kellen who was a big assistant to Jeffrey Epstein who says she was not a co conspirator but a victim testifies behind closed doors for transcribed interview with House Oversight gone right out of my head. There was a whole thing we didn't talk about. Maybe we'll. Maybe I'll think of it. Oh, I know. You know my big thing about how the House of Lords is constantly rolling the House of the people on legislation. It appears now, Kevin, that the House of the people has fought back and they're going to roll the Senate on the housing bill.

[Larry]

Yeah, and that's something.

[Mark]

I love when that happens. I love when that House of Lords eats it.

[Larry]

My man like pack.

[Kevin]

Take that saucer. Here's a hot, hot cup of tea coming your way.

[Mark]

Exactly. Piping hot. Maybe it's cocoa, maybe it's not. Tea. Maybe it's Larry.

[Kevin]

You got to do a little bit more history reading if you don't get that look at that face.

[Mark]

I like when Larry, when Larry thinks congressional history, he goes right to the Sumner Brooks affair because he likes a good. He likes a good caning.

[Larry]

I don't know. I'm kind of a tippic. Canoe and Tyler 2.

[Kevin]

There you go.

[Mark]

Pakistan's top military ruler heads to Tehran in a bid to revive the deadlock talks. And man, except for in Donald Trump's head, the talks do seem deadlocked. We'll talk about that. And then two media.

[Larry]

We'll talk about that.

[Kevin]

Sorry, Marshall, though, that field marshal. Central casting.

[Mark]

There's a great op ed piece in the Journal today giving voice to what I've been trying to say here for a month, which is why are we letting the country that hid bin Laden and reportedly hid the remnants of the Iranian air force, why are we letting them be the interlocutor in the talks? It makes no sense. I'd rather let Putin be the interlocutor. At least we kind of know where Putin stands. Anyway, two media items to tell you about here in the daybook. The Candace Owens Hunter Biden video podcast drops this afternoon. I don't know. We think it's two. Do we think it's two hours long? I'm gonna, I'm gonna listen.

[Larry]

Yeah, Normally should be about 90, right? 90 to 100 minutes.

[Kevin]

Yeah. If he's back on the sauce, he could go two hours.

[Mark]

Yeah. Normally you listen to a podcast via 1.5. I'm gonna. I so want to savor this. I'm going to listen to it at 0.5. I just wanted to go on and.

[Larry]

Oh, God.

[Kevin]

Yeah.

[Larry]

Here's a question.

[Kevin]

Three hours.

[Larry]

What's going to get more action in the intervening 24 hours? What will get more social media attention and engagement? The Hunter Biden Candace Owens interview or the final show of Stephen Colbert tonight?

[Mark]

Well, that's the second thing I was

[Larry]

going to talk about.

[Mark]

It depends on who the guests are. Stephen has not revealed who's on tonight. Larry. Give me one guess who's. Because he's already had on like Barack Obama and David Letterman and Bruce Springsteen.

[Larry]

Last night was Springsteen and Steven Spielberg. Oi. I think it's going to be self indulgent. Just Stephen looking, just looking back at clips and all of the amazing.

[Kevin]

It's how Johnny Carson. It's how Johnny Carson ended his looking back.

[Mark]

Yeah. Kevin, do you need to recuse yourself because Stephen Colbert is a fellow South

[Kevin]

Carolinian I don't, you know, there's been a lot of speculation that it's, it's Pope Leo potentially. There's been a little bit of a buzz.

[Mark]

Is that true?

[Kevin]

You know, or, or Leon Panetta or Beyonce? Either one of those three.

[Larry]

There you go.

[Mark]

Ye, I mean, who, who, who could it be in the, in the, in the orbit of Kober? Who could top Barack Obama? Johnson could be on, wasn't he, he was already on.

[Larry]

He was already on.

[Kevin]

I bet. I, I, I bet David Letterman though, comes back.

[Mark]

He was.

[Kevin]

No, he already did that. All right. He already did that. Okay. Yeah.

[Mark]

Off the roof first in a while. Yeah, he's, he's, I think it's the Pope or boss or maybe, maybe Putin. The Pope. How about the Pope and Putin?

[Kevin]

There you go.

[Mark]

All right, quick word from a sponsor and then we're going to dig into the Iran imbraloglio. How do you pronounce that word? We're just torn. Here we go. Cozy Earth. Cozyearth.com will give you 30 off everything on the site. This is great stuff, ladies and gentlemen. Some of you followed my direct orders and bought some stuff in Cozy Earth. And inexplicably, some of you have not. So right now, drop what you're doing. Grab your second screen. Go to cozyearth.com use the promo code morning to save 30% off everything on the site. And just start with one thing. That's all I ask. Buy one thing and then you will see what so many others have learned already. Which is the cozier it's stuff. It's awesome. It's soft, it's comfortable, it's well made and it's, it's great. Whatever you want to do. Sleep. Buy the bubble cuddle blanket, buy the bubble cuddle pillow, lounge around the house. Perhaps you could wear the earth jogger set. Wearing the lakehouse clogs or the bedding? All the Bedding gives you 100 night sleep trial and 10 year warranty, which tells you it's good stuff. Memorial Day sale right now. Be kind to yourself. Get the comfort that lives with you all day, not just the moment you get home. Cozyeart.com use my promo code morning. 30% off for a limited time sale ends June 1st. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

[Eric Gertler]

From the State House to the courthouse, in the emergency room and in the classroom, Americ Americans are losing trust in their leaders. In a 2025 U.S. news and World Report survey, 85% of Americans said government leaders care more about their own power than the people they serve. 73% are disappointed in health care leaders, 72% in business, and 68% in education. But there are still leaders worth believing in. I'm Eric Gertler, CEO and executive chairman of U.S. news World Report. This is the Best Leaders podcast sponsored by the Noble Reach Foundation. On this show, we'll go deeper into the stories, challenges and lessons of extraordinary leaders across public service, business, healthcare and education. You can find the Best Leaders podcast from U.S. news World Report on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Larry]

I'm told the American pronunciation is imbroglio and the British pronunciation, because, you know, they say things like aluminium and oregano. The British pronunciation is imbroglio.

[Mark]

There you go. It's something going on with Taylor.

[Kevin]

What about the Mandarin? Can we get the Mandarin pronunciation?

[Mark]

Did something just happen? Did something just happen with Taylor Swift? My phone, as the kids say, is blowing up. What happened with Taylor Swift?

[Larry]

Anybody know the engagement is going to be amazing?

[Mark]

No. Don't know what it is. Anyway, it's once again. Exactly. Once again, the President keeps saying, we don't need to bomb and shoot missiles because we're on the doorstep of a deal. And then you have all this bellicose rhetoric out of Iran. You have the interlocutors, the crooked Pakistanis, saying, oh yeah, we're going to get a deal any minute now. You have the President telling his story with the favorite narrative device. Sir, sir, they said to me, give me another few. Give us another few days. We think he can get this done. But once again, I say, there's this paradox. Neither side wants to straight open. We can't give up the leverage of opening the strait, and they can't give up the leverage to open the strait. And once again, the Iranians say, yeah, I'll gladly talk to you down the road about, about nuclear. As long as you start paying us a lot of money, I do not see how there could be a deal. And here's the latest bellicose rhetoric out of Iran. 103, please.

[Kevin]

Nope. Did we lose Mark for a second?

[Larry]

Yeah, I think you're right. I thought he was just pausing, but Mark has been attacked by the LaGuardia Airport wi fi gods. All right, well, here's what he's highlighting here. Iran's president Massoud Pezykeyan says that all paths to a diplomatic solution remain open from our side, but warns that forcing Iran to surrender through coercion is nothing but an illusion. Global condemnation is growing after Israel's far right national Security minister who's. Oh, Al Jazeera wrote this.

[Mark]

Okay, yeah.

[Kevin]

Question the source a little bit.

[Mark]

You're not. You're not a big Al Jazeera person anyway.

[Larry]

Well, far right. National Security Minister.

[Mark]

Yeah. Again, I know it's a bit of a Groundhog Day, but folks. Larry. Yeah. Are the negotiations real?

[Larry]

Well, listen, I think it was extraordinary that the Arab states intervened this time. Pakistan, obviously, is no longer at play here. And you're right. You've been saying, why are we even respecting Pakistan or trusting them? You've been saying that. I've been saying the same thing over and over again, which is Trump is trying to exhaust every avenue so that he can legitimately say, guys, I did everything possible. I kept going back. I gave him chance after chance. I even let the Pakistanis, you know, try to coordinate things. Now, the fact that the Arab nations working on our behalf, the Emiratis, the Saudis, are saying, let us give it one more chance. I think that's what we're seeing play out here. Go ahead, go ahead. You think you have an opportunity? Go ahead. That way, no one can come back and say, on, what are we doing bombing? Again, Everyone will say, listen, I was there. I was at the table. Iran, they're lunatics, and there is no peace to be negotiated.

[Mark]

Although, Kevin, yesterday again, the President went back to his rhetoric about, oh, we found some reasonable people, we found some people we can do business with. I still don't understand. Does he believe that on any level, does he believe there's about to be a deal?

[Kevin]

Again, I mean, to Larry's point, maybe he is exhausting all this. Of course, also the reporting of the phone call and conversation he had with Bibi Netanyahu. We never want to telegraph that there's a difference out there in terms of distance between our two countries. And to see that come out of the White House at leaked was also interesting. Maybe it's, you know, the, the idea that BB Wants the president to do something, you know, in terms of. Of restarting the kinetic activity, and he's telegraphing that he's unwilling to do it, maybe to give some more breathing room to the Iranians to come back to the table. I don't know. But, but you referenced that great Wall Street Journal editorial, don't quote the President. Back to the president where he says, if you're willing to start a war, you got to be willing to do what it takes to finish it, and recommended a few options. In terms of the nuclear component. It's clear the Iranians will never give up their nuclear ambitions no matter what and to go in and take it with the Israelis to restart some of the shipping lanes open with a naval naval escorts and to restart kinetic activity because the status quo is now, right now benefiting the Iranian regime with reports that they're building back their missile capabilities and their drone capabilities with every single day that there isn't kinetic activity and they're not at the table.

[Mark]

I just, I'm so confused about what's happening now. I really am. We'll talk more about Iran again. If you want to talk about Iran, please raise your hand. Let's talk about the present and ethics. I'm all for norm violation. I don't care about norms being violated. But the president has done, by my count, five things at least in the last week that don't just bother Ms. Now anchors don't just bother Paul she go but bother a lot of Republicans, including, I'll tell you, some people who worked in the West Wing. This includes the IRS slush fund. Larry. I call it that as a shorthand. This includes the president's stock trades. This includes the ballroom. This includes the arch. Some of this is for this includes reports about Don Jr. S vast wealth. This is not about whether Democrats have ever done anything wrong, ladies and gentlemen. You don't need to, you don't need to bring up anything about what Democrats have done wrong. This, this isn't right, what he's done. And Peter Baker is very offended by it. Of the New York Times. I get that. But I've been struck by what Republicans have said about it on a variety of these issues. Now, that having been said, I've always been a skeptic when Democrats have said Trump's doing this to distract. He's doing this to distract. You know, he's, he's fighting the war against Iran because they don't want to talk about the economy. I've never believed one of those theories, but I'm beginning to believe that the president might be doing all these things at once, at least in part. So we're the election is not about the economy, but the election's about what Kamala Harris was tricked into talking about the violation of norms. Here's Jonathan Lemire on Morning Joe saying maybe Democrats should run on the violation of norms. 106.

[Democratic Strategist]

You mentioned Orban. A couple of Democrats last few days have pointed out that a winning issue there in Hungary to defeat Orban was the corruption. That the issue of corruption really sort of resonated with voters and Democrats are starting to think that, yes, economy is always me first and foremost, but the idea of corruption could be a winning issue here as well, Willie, this November, that this could be something that they're able to run on and say, look, you know, not only is he not helping you, the American people, he's doing so at your expense as he enriches himself, his family and his friends.

[Mark]

Now, finally, before I throw it to you guys to tell me if you think this is all just a big trick, here's one of now considered one of the smartest people in the Democratic Party as a strategist, Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff. Here he is on MS, talking about the political landscape. 117, please.

[Jon Ossoff]

Look, I am running in Georgia against two Trump lackeys who you can rest assured, as they race for the president's approval, would be voting for this Crooked Ballroom and this insurrectionist slush fund. And in fact, every national political reporter in the country should be putting that question to these two candidates tonight. They want to be candidates for the U.S. senate. Let's see them prove to the people of Georgia once again because they're pro war, they're pro tariff, they're pro cutting health care. Let's find out where they stand on the Crooked Ballroom and the insurrectionist slush fund.

[Mark]

Kevin, how much sense does it make to you for Republican, for Democrats to start framing the election around the ballroom and the slush fund as opposed to just gas prices and the price of bacon? And I know sometimes Democrats say, well, we can do both. We can say Trump's corruption, Trump's in it for himself and we're in it for you. But to me, it just dilutes the thing.

[Kevin]

Yeah, I think there's a, yeah, there's a way to tie it together effectively. And, you know, every district is going to, you know, have its own challenges in terms of the, the ballroom and that the, the arch and stuff like that are optics in terms of what resonates with people. Right. The, the, you had so many people up in arms when they saw the East Wing being, you know, bulldozers taking it to the East Wing.

[Mark]

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I got to stop you.

[Kevin]

Yeah.

[Mark]

What you're saying, I hear all the time, Peter Baker would say this is really resonating with the American people. It's resonating with people in Chevy Chase. It's resonating on Ms. Now, are you sure that if I, if we, if the three of us went to a Green Bay Diner. Diner right now, and we, and I'm not saying there's nothing, not that there's nothing wrong with the ballroom, but if we went to a Green Bay diner now and we said, which are you more upset about, the price of bacon or the ballroom? I think someone would say, what? What now? Ballroom. I just, I just don't think. I've not seen any evidence that when you say the ballroom resonates, the arch resonates, the trust, the slush fund resonates, is there evidence that it does?

[Kevin]

Again, I was with Texas voters last night, fairly well educated room and the stock trades came up, the ballroom came up. And I think what you're also seeing potentially too is new polling out the present strong basis for what took all of us by surprise in 2016. Not you, Mark, but was the white folks without a college degree. That turned out in record numbers for the president, propelling his victory in Pennsylvania blue wall states. He is now, for the first time in seven years underwater with that key electorate on issues of the economy. And again, I think you can make it. He's getting won over on us. Right. It's a community that feels rightly so. Agreed. Because they not seen their wages increase in decades and cost of living is sky high now for them. And that's a key base of support for the president. We don't need to have those votes necessarily to win, to come over to our side, but we just need them to not turn out because they're upset at the current situation. And that really hurts the president heading into the midterms.

[Mark]

Larry, how could it be that the smartest Democratic strategist we know, Kevin Walling, has fallen for this trap? Instead of talking about gas and bacon, Kevin's talking about a ballroom and a slush fund.

[Kevin]

How could this be in this one segment? In this one segment, gas is $4.56 this morning.

[Larry]

I don't think Kevin is totally far off. This can be a winning strategy. Listen, remember the House banking scandal that was a big deal in the 90s. I think it helped Newt Gingrich in that groundbreaking election in 94. That said, they're sort of undermining their own strategy by talking out loud about what their strategy is. You know, if you think the president is corrupt, then you should talk about how the president is corrupt and you can make that case. But when you're openly navel gazing and saying, well, this is what worked when they got rid of Orban, so it's going to work here, it looks like just more efforts to just slime Trump and a lot of voters are just fatigued with it. It's like, oh, now, now you're telling me that Trump came back from retirement instead of staying in Mar A Lago went ahead and withstood a couple of assassination attempts because he wanted to be president so he could make himself and his kids rich. Really? I think he was already rich. That's going to be a powerful message to push back against this thing. It might work in some districts here and there. I wish Republicans would seize on this because this should be our issue. Republicans can say to Jon Ossoff and say to any Democrat in the House right now, okay, you guys want to play? Let's do this right? No more insider trading across the board because we've been proposing that for years. And Democrats have pushed back and resisted it in the House and in the Senate. Republicans should seize it and take this weapon away from the left.

[Mark]

So, so Matthew Bartlett just texted me and he said it's not the Democrat. It's not about what Democrats are talking about. It's a Trump, instead of talking about the economy, is talking about the ballroom. Again. I'm positing that this is a grand strategic plan. It may not work. But Trump can't talk about the economy because he's got no credibility in the economy. Here's the Fox News poll.

[Larry]

I think the ballroom helps Trump. I really do.

[Mark]

Well, I do, too, because I think it's tricking Democrats. Here's the Fox News poll. Trump's job performance. 112. Again, ladies and gentlemen, this is not a left wing poll. Even though the President likes to say here's his approval on various things. Overall, 61% disapproval on the economy, 71% disapproval, ladies and gentlemen. 71. I don't know. Did Biden ever get to 71% disapproval on the economy, on inflation, 76%. Three quarters of Americans can't agree on anything. Three quarters of Americans, according to the Fox poll, say the President's a failure on, on this issue. But what I'm saying is he can't talk about the economy. So by talking about the ballroom, by talking about the IRS slush fund, he's got Democrats talking about these things. So they're not talking about the economy. That's the best he could do. That's my theory. Here's another theory that I never believed before, but now I do. Maybe the President has finally reached a breaking point with Republicans on the Hill. We've been hearing this since, since the, since the Access Hollywood cage. Republicans are going to run out of patience with this guy. They're not going to stand for it. They can't look their spouses and their kids in the face and say, we're for Donald Trump. And, and he went after Cassidy, he went after Cornyn. They do not like him targeting incumbents. But this, I believe, if I'm right, that we could be, could be at a breaking point between the President and Republicans like Capitol Hill, who, by the way, do not like the war and they're worried the President's going to cost them their majorities. This might be the breaking point, ladies and gentlemen. The President has taken on sacred cows galore, but yesterday he took on two of Washington's most sacred cows. Here's the President of the United States in a gaggle. 108, please.

[Larry]

Really, it was quite a build up.

[Mark]

Here we go.

[President Donald Trump]

When her husband votes against me all the time. Can you imagine? I don't know what's with him. You better ask him what's with him. Her husband, she's married to a certain congressman. He votes again. He likes voting against Trump. You know what happens with that? Doesn't work out well. I don't know why he does.

[Mark]

President there is talking about Pennsylvania Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick and his fiance, Jack Yeinreich, the Fox News correspondent and anchor and incoming head of the White House Correspondents Association. Larry, try to explain to people who don't live in Washington or cover Washington full time. Try to explain if you, if you have the power of language to capture this, how beloved Brian and Jackie are by Washington. All right, I'm gonna ask Kevin because Larry's gonna pretend he doesn't know. Kevin, how beloved?

[Larry]

I don't, I'm not, I'm not in circles.

[Mark]

Kevin, how beloved, how beloved are Jackie?

[Kevin]

Totally beloved. And Jackie is a tough reporter. Right. During the Biden administration, it was the same tact in terms of questioning the, you know, with respect, the administration on a bunch of issues and the President targeting reporters like that, you know, is, you know, is problematic. And again, Brian Fitzpatrick is a go along, get along Republican, right. From Pennsylvania where you need, where you. Yeah, where you need that. I mean, he's a blue collar kind of guy that flipped a district. You need to hold those kinds of districts if you're going to be in the majority come, come November for Republicans. So taking this guy on is, you know, I don't think a winning solution either.

[Mark]

Yeah. Now, now, paradoxically, it actually helps Brian now that he doesn't have a primary to be attacked by Trump. So maybe, maybe Trump's trying to do him a favor. But I'm just telling you, if, Larry, if we were at a breakpoint here, the Washington establishment, and I'm not using establishment in a negative way in this instance, people love these two people.

[Larry]

These are two brilliant people.

[Mark]

These are. Well, but what I'm telling you is members of Congress are already pissed about Cassidy. They're already pissed about Cornyn. And to attack Brian and Jackie, I believe it's really, from just from what I'm hearing, really striking a chord. And it's not about inside the Beltway, it's about decency. These are two very decent people and

[Larry]

the president and well respected.

[Mark]

But let me just say. Okay, I'm sorry, I just want to say one more thing. To put Jackie, a White House reporter, in a position when she's trying to do her job of attacking her fiance and then and basically criticizing her fiance while she's trying to ask questions, it is unprofessional. And I'm telling you right now, he is, he is really hurting himself in a way that is not the same as attacking almost anybody else he's ever attacked. Larry. Sorry, go ahead.

[Larry]

So, and this is where I get into an awkward position because I'm in this town, but I'm not of this town. So I, I don't, I, I know people, I'm friends with some people, but I'm not like you guys. I don't have these connections. And frankly, from this is the guy

[Kevin]

putting back plenty of drinks at a correspondence dinner reception a few weeks ago

[Larry]

party, but not at the reception.

[Kevin]

I saw him.

[Larry]

Yeah, not at the reception itself. And I was only there because you were there.

[Kevin]

Beltway.

[Larry]

Larry no, I, listen, I'm, I'm, I think you may be right, Mark, and I will defer to you in understanding how culturally this affects people in this town. I can tell you outside of Washington, D.C. from, from my perspective, and I think from my audience's perspective, it seems so incestuous and so insidious this, this Democrat that should, I shouldn't say Democrat. This government media complex where people bounce. Listen, when Steve Bannon left Breitbart to work on the Trump campaign and then work in the Trump White House and then come back into the media. I didn't like it when George Stephanopoulos left the Clinton administration and now is the revered ABC News senior man journalist, people don't like it. And I think that Trump is needling her a little bit and pointing out the fact that what's going on in this town when you've got a reporter now, you know, engaged to and Getting married to a congressman. How can you be the objective journalist that you're supposed to be? And honestly, Congressman of his own.

[Kevin]

Congressman of his own party, you know,

[Larry]

but actually, frankly, I think that makes it a little bit more of a pure criticism to me.

[Mark]

Larry, I agree with you. Everything you just said, I absolutely agree with you. This is not a story for the, for a Green Bay diner, but it is a story for people in Washington because, because it's, it's. First of all, to put a professional reporter in that play in that position is rude. But he's not doing it to just any reporter. These are two people who are really well liked. You could say, well, it's clubby and all that. These are two great people. It's not, it's not that it's clubby. They're two great people. It's two people. And, and, and I see in the chat and glancing at we don't care, you say, I'm only telling you because it's going to be very significant. If there's an actual break, after 10 years of being predicted, there's an actual break between the president and Republicans in Congress. He went after two income incumbent senators.

[Larry]

If that's the reason that Republicans in Congress decide to stop supporting the president and his agenda, then that tells you more about the clubby problem that happens in this town. Guess what?

[Kevin]

The Senate is the most.

[Larry]

Can I just.

[Mark]

About decency.

[Larry]

Yes, please.

[Kevin]

Yes.

[Larry]

Okay.

[Mark]

You're right.

[Larry]

It's about decency. It should also be about professional ethics and it should be about propriety. If you are in this town and you are working in Congress at the highest levels, as one of 435 members of the House of Representatives or if you're a White House correspondent, in fact, isn't she the president of the White House? Correspondent income. Incoming, incoming, incoming. And on Fox News, the most watched cable news on the planet, if you're at the highest level there and you're doing your job and you don't have a pretty thick skin to play hardball at that level, then I don't know what to tell you, but I don't think they should be protected and put in this bubble wrap and they're free of any kind of criticism. And to me, the president is needling and pointing out because who, who? I would like to know anyone in the chat right now who knew that this reporter for Fox News who covers the White House is also married or about to get married to a sitting congressman. And whether you don't think that that raises some kind of questions about objectivity.

[Kevin]

I don't. And speaking as a Democrat, you know, you know, Jackie doesn't need my defense, but she.

[Larry]

And I'm not attacking her, by the way.

[Kevin]

No, no, I know, I know, I know, I know.

[Larry]

By the way, I'm speaker enough to think that she can take this.

[Mark]

This he means defense from Trump.

[Kevin]

I'm just. I'm just saying she was the same reporter, dogged reporter under Biden as she is under Trump, and that sometimes riles up the president. Again, my guy never really interacted with the press, so we didn't have these kinds of situations. That was part of the problem. So there's that element, too. But I think, you know, there's reports that Bill Cassidy walked into the Senate Republican Lunch and got a standing ovation after his primary loss.

[Mark]

Good for that.

[Kevin]

There's some. Again, yeah, he's got to work with these people for the last eight months. That's all I'm saying.

[Larry]

You may be right, that there's something brewing here and it might cause problems, frankly, I think in an election year, if you can go back to the people and say, yeah, they don't like me here in the club in D.C. i think that actually serves

[Kevin]

one final, final point on this. John Thune has gone out of his way to manage this relationship with the president really effectively. Right. And. And pay play peacemaker between the administration and the team. President coming out against the parliamentarian by name, attacking her. Soon's defending the parliamentarian. This. This element is interesting to see.

[Larry]

It is interesting, ladies and gentlemen, talking about it.

[Mark]

Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time ever in the history of the program, I'm reading the chat and I'm telling you, you're not listening to what I'm saying. This is inside the BET weight in its initial incarnation. What I'm telling you is this has the potential to really fundamentally change the President's relationship with the Republicans in Congress. And if that happens, it has implications for the agenda of the president and for the midterms. And if you don't think that affects America, you don't understand how big a role Washington plays in your life. Okay? So I'm not here to talk to you about the gossip or about whether Jackie's tough or whether Brian should be engaged to a reporter. I'm here to tell you from my reporting and my Spidey sense, this could be the thing, along with Cornyn and. And Cassidy, this could be the thing that fundamentally finally changes the President's relationship with some Republicans. That's why we're talking about it.

[Kevin]

And again, one last final point. This conversation wouldn't be happening if 71% of Americans didn't disapprove of the president on the economy.

[Larry]

Can I, can.

[Kevin]

I think as the president's numbers drop, drop down, you got to run towards the president to win your Republican primary, and you got to run away from him in a lot of these key districts to win in November. If the president was at 50% job approval, 48 job approval, you wouldn't be seeing this, I think.

[Larry]

Well, to that end, the final point on that, when you look at that graphic of those polls and the president's approval on issues, the worst one is inflation. 71% disapproved, 24% approved. And that's horrible. That's devastating. You know what's worse? Democrats right now have a 20% approval rating. Hey, this is, this election, you're telling me it's not happening in a vacuum.

[Kevin]

And when you vote, I said last night in the speech I gave down here, the president, the Democrats are in worse shape on a lot of these issues. For sure. Larry, like with you, you know, with

[Mark]

you both having made five final points on this topic. Are you, are you now done making your final.

[Larry]

And another thing.

[Mark]

Okay, lastly, we got to move on. Talk about the economy. Lastly, is Spencer Pratt helped or hurt to make the runoff? Not to win the general. Is he helped or hurt to make the runoff by the president praising him yesterday? Larry? Helped.

[Larry]

He did more than praise him. He said he's maga, Right. I think he's mega.

[Kevin]

Yeah.

[Larry]

Really?

[Mark]

Yeah.

[Professor Kenny]

Yeah.

[Larry]

I would normally say, well, he's going to be hurt probably by that. But I also think that his ad that he put out yesterday absolutely, like, took it on, head on, and I think it was brilliant. I don't know if you saw it or not. The guys sitting around a grill and they were saying, hey, who you voting for? And each one of them said, I'm not MAGA or anything, but. And I think it was very brilliant the way he did it, as usual. So we'll see. I think, I think, I don't think it'll hurt him in the primary.

[Kevin]

I mean, it's going to be Pratt and Bass headed to November, which is,

[Larry]

which, which fits right into what Pratt wants.

[Mark]

Yeah. Yeah. And what, and what Bass wants, by the way. Bass wants to face Pratt in the runoff. All right. The, the, the financial world continues to baffle me and my pea brain. Stocks just open. Had the market open, Brian. I mean, Michael had the market open

[Larry]

lower as oil Pops loyal as oil pops. That's what Brian says.

[Mark]

Still a lot of talk about future rate hikes. The Nvidia earnings yesterday made people happy. We've got a big, some three big IPOs coming. It's all big confusion. Ladies and gentlemen, how are we going to solve our confusion? Joining us now, Rebecca Walzer, CEO and CIO of Walzer Wealth Management. Rebecca, welcome to the morning meeting. Thank you for being here. Here she comes. Rebecca, thank you for being here. Unmute and help us. I'll go first. Explain.

[Kevin]

Rebecca has a weight. Rebecca has a better backdrop than Larry even does. That's pretty good. That's an awesome studio.

[Larry]

But her lighting is stronger.

[Mark]

Rebecca, I know the whole war, during the whole war, there's been some confusion, at least on my part. What's happening now? How are markets now feeling about oil prop, you know, earnings from the tech companies, Just what's, what's your macro view of what's happening now? And thank you again for being here.

[Rebecca Walzer]

Yes, thank you for having me. So I think that, you know, the entire time we were starting this incursion on February 28th, we really saw future oils in December, still in the 70s. And then when the ceasefire kind of didn't cease fire. Exactly. Straight up and to the right. That's kind of an equity analogy. If everything just goes straight up into the right, we'll be fine. The ceasefire, obviously back and forth. And so you saw oil obviously in the last couple of days jump up as high as 109 and obviously Trump going back out there and saying, hey, I'm ready to go. I'm ready to just bomb the, bomb them again, just obliterate them. And then the neighbors asked me to stop and pause. So now it's come back down a little bit. But obviously right now in the 118 range for West Texas Intermediate, and you know, you see a rotation. Anytime oil is spiking, yields are spiking. You see a rotation out of the hedge commodities, gold and silver. So that's a big tell because we had gold at the 47, 4800 level, and it's staying right now at 4501, almost dipping back into the 4400 level. So this is a big tell that central banks aren't buying, that this war and this energy crisis is over and that they're going to have to consistently liquidate and figure out how to create liquidity to keep the system moving and alternative, you know, energy purchases coming and those kinds of things. You hear Cuba coming out and saying, hey, we're out of energy. This is a crisis. And, and these are the kind of ripple effects that we'll start to see now in other parts of the world that will then really, really drive inflation further. And that's what we're all talking about is Trump can't go into this midterm election with these consumer sentiment numbers. We have the lowest consumer sentiment on record beyond anything. Of course, we haven't tracked it since the Great Depression. But the bottom line is people can't do 450 at the gas pump and, and vote for the current administration. So I don't care how much people love this administration on the MAGA side. They care about paying for their bills and being able to put gas in their car. So this has got to get resolved before that. If it doesn't, then obviously it'll have a delirious impact on the, the election. I will say that we see a true bifurcation between the economy, which we think is a K. We think of the economy right now as a K. You know, really 20, 80% of the purchases are happening at the top 20% and that means the bottom 80% are only buying 20% of the goods right now. It's that bifurcated. It's a K economy. But if you look at the equity market, you wouldn't know it, you know, other than bond yields, which are really, really pressing higher, like the 10 year right now over 4, 6. This is a problem. We just got the Federal Reserve minutes from April and it really shows that Kevin Marsh is coming into a much more difficult situation than he was possibly anticipating. Most of the members, the majority, are indicating that if inflation remains sticky because of this energy push situation, that they will look at hiking. And so after the minutes came out yesterday, we saw the FOMC fed watch tool give us a probability now over 56% probability that we will get a hike before the end of the year, as opposed to before when there was a less than a 50% chance of that. So that's kind of a general update, but the market is anticipating IPOs for sure.

[Mark]

Thank you, Rebecca. Larry?

[Larry]

Yeah, well, thank you for that. And I think it answers a lot of the questions that people have been having about how equities continue to surge. While you all see these other aspects, and I keep saying other than energy prices, everything else seems somewhat sound, but I know energy affects everything. Is that still sort of how people are looking at it? And the question is energy prices will come down. The question is how quickly will they come down? And then that will have the domino effect on other inflationary issues.

[Rebecca Walzer]

Yeah, I mean, I think that the biggest economic thing is that we're getting some really big cracks like OPEC breaking up. You know, that could really accelerate now with the UAE saying, hey, we are too constrained, especially in the problem with the strait. We, we're going to just leave the cartel and really not be subject to. So there's some really, you know, fundamental, fundamental foundational cracks that are forming because of this policy, Larry. But I think that in general, right now inflation is starting to show more sticky. We got CPI at 3.8% year over year, pie at 6% year over year. That is indicative. And this is why we're seeing the Fed change their tune and say, you know what, this might be really sticky inflation and we might have to raise rates. And so we are starting to see the energy costs really trickle, Larry, into other parts of the economy. Certainly air, airline costs, you know, airfare, all of those things. Summer months, most travel with gasoline and automobiles in our country. That's a problem with these gal, these gas rates, especially 250 years. You got a lot of massive celebrations for July 4th that are going to be impacted by gas prices. So I think overall the sentiment is really hitting the pulse that people are negative about this economy right now.

[Mark]

Yeah. And of course, if the war starts back up, if there's kinetic action, prices could go even higher and be harder to wind down.

[Kevin]

Kevin, Rebecca, thank you for all this and thank you for the way you're bringing this to our audience. I hope this is a regular segment where it's kind of understanding the aspects of what it means for our paychecks and the situation at home. I want to, you know, you bring up Kevin Warsh, I want to bring up Kevin Hassan, who I think in an interview last week from the White House said, you know, consumers are putting record amounts on their credit cards that we've seen and what the implications are. You mentioned consumer confidence, lowest level since the 1950s when they started tracking this. But what do you make of just record amounts of credit card usage for consumers right now in this economy?

[Rebecca Walzer]

You're bringing up a great point, Kevin, and it's telling us about the bottom of the K that that's what people are having to do. They're having to live not only on credit, but what we've really seen is the buy now, pay later BNP we call it. And that is massive as well. That is a balloon to a record. So you've got the affirms the Klarna's all of those being maxed out, people really needing them, and then you've got 1.3 trillion, I think around the highest credit card debt threshold we've ever seen. And so it's very indicative that the bottom part of our economy are really struggling and they need help. And they're not. They're going to vote with their pocketbooks. That's a problem for this upcoming midterm for sure, for the Republicans.

[Mark]

Rebecca, thank you for being here. Very grateful to you. Thank you again. Soon. All right, quick word from a sponsor and then back to your to your questions. Please raise your hand if you want in on the conversation. And as we'd like to say, if you've never raised your hand before today, be a good day to do it. Shopify is a e commerce platform used by millions that can help you get a business started. Get the word out about whatever it is you're doing. If you're starting a new podcast, a new business, whatever it is, do something for yourself to make sure everybody knows about what you're doing. 10% of all E commerce United States is done via Shopify because they've got it all templates to get you up and running on the web as well as customer support, AI powered analytics, payments marketing, everything's there. If you want to turn your what ifs into, yeah, cash money, go to shopify.com mark and they'll give you a trial offer. This is not a typo, this is not an error. This is not me misreading. $1 a month to get a trial offer to start your Shopify. $1 month per month trial offer. To start your Shopify account go to shopify.com/mark if you're starting something new, don't do it in the wilderness. Don't be a tree falling in the forest. Go start your Shopify account and see how it can work for you to get the word out. If you want to make a lot of money, there's only one way to do it. Ladies and gentlemen, Shopify. Shopify.com, we were good with the first one.

[Kevin]

We were good with the first one. There we go.

[Matt Ebert]

I started with one shop. No college degree, no big investors. It was just a willingness to work. Over time that one shop turned into a multi billion dollar business called Crash Champions. All the lessons I learned along the way came from the grind and that's what my show Pod Crash is all about. We have real conversations with people who've built things the hard way. We talk to founders, athletes and blue collar leaders who kept going when things got tough. You'll hear stories of grit, leadership and growth, plus real world lessons you can take back to your team and your life tomorrow.

[Mark]

When you get momentum, you step on the gas. That's how you get separation from everybody else. I was at Harvard Law School. I was blah, blah, blah. I looked up, let me tell you something, there's kids in my, my neighborhood putting in sheetrock that is smarter than you.

[Democratic Strategist]

AI is going to disrupt a lot of stuff.

[Mark]

It is never going to disrupt physical blue collar trade skill.

[Professor Kenny]

And the guy just looked at me

[Kevin]

and he said it's bloody impossible.

[Mark]

So I asked him this question.

[Matt Ebert]

I said it's impossible unless that's podcast with me Matt ebert, watch on YouTube and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

[Mark]

All right, now to your questions, your comments, your suggestions. Ladies and gentlemen, it is the Andrew Wick joins us. Andrew, unmute tell folks who don't know where you are, thank you for being part of two way. What's on your mind for Larry and for Kevin.

[Andrew Wick]

Thank you. Mark. I think, I think was Rebecca was previous guest talked about it a little bit. But what do you think Trump's shot clock is on resolving his political polls opinions while this war is going on? Obviously, the old rule of thumb is the population doesn't tune into politics until after Labor Day. But given gas prices and everything else like in Trump's mind, I personally believe

[Mark]

it's not my own.

[Andrew Wick]

I'm not making a political statement that Trump believes he can fix anything. So what do you think his own personal view is on pulling himself out of this? So I can kind of create a timeline in which, you know, he thinks he has X amount of time left to bomb around, fix, you know, do a deal, keep the blockade, et cetera.

[Mark]

Andrew, it's a $64,000 question and luckily Larry has $68,000 worth of knowledge.

[Kevin]

I have, I have the absolute in this economy.

[Mark]

Andrew, thank you. It's a great question. A hard one to answer though. Larry.

[Larry]

Thing that everybody's asking each other.

[Mark]

Larry, I look forward to listening to your answer. Larry, go on.

[Larry]

Here's what I'll tell a couple of factors that I think the White House is looking at and the political operation is looking at. First of all, the redistricting has given them a little bit of breathing room. They're happier with the terrain that they're gonna be playing in right now, number one. Number two, as the Democrat primary process rolls out and they can then isolate exactly who they're gonna be running against in those key maybe 15 to 20 districts, they're gonna be able to marginalize their opponents as being too extreme. That's the plan at least. And Democrats are helping by nominating some pretty easy targets. And, but, but number three, it's the, it's all about the gas prices. That was my biggest takeaway of our conversation that we just had. The gas prices and energy prices, that's the single biggest factor in the CPI that drove inflation in the last report. And it also affects prices of everything else because everything needs to be put on trucks or planes to move places. The price of gas right now is about 450. Nationally, it was 380 in the 2022 midterms when Joe Biden sort of eked out. I mean, he lost the majority in the House, but he eked out and salvaged those midterms in 2022.

[Kevin]

He really nicest thing, the nicest thing you've ever said about Joe Biden, Larry.

[Larry]

He, I have other nice things to say. He, he released oil from the strategic, the petroleum reserve at the end of March and that affected prices eventually to bring it down to 380 by election day. That 70 cent window, that delta, that's what needs to happen. They, he needs to get the price down under $4, hopefully in that 375, 380 range, I think by September. And that's, and that's what has to

[Mark]

be done by September, Larry.

[Larry]

By September the price needs to come down. I don't know how it works.

[Mark]

All right, Kevin, thoughts?

[Kevin]

Yeah, Andrew, It's a, it's a great question. Both Larry and Mark kind of hit it at this notion. Republicans will have a better election night if they make it a choice election and not a referendum. Right. So Democrats, you know, are giving every opportunity for this to be a choice election, unfortunately. And we talked about, you know, what the vice president was saying a few days ago in an interview online about the thing, the ambitious goals of the left in terms of my party, we will win if it's a referendum on the president on gas prices. I think the window is closing in terms of July, August, to your notion in terms of when voters actually really make up their minds and it's hard to switch them off of it. We saw the same dynamic with Joe Biden after Afghanistan. It's really hard for a president, once he's in this zone in terms of these numbers to build back to any kind of semblance of parody with the other party. Again, Democrats are not in great shape. We will not convert a lot of folks to our side. But if folks don't turn out in terms of the president's base and I talked about white folks without a college degree and the enthusiasm issue with them, then it's going to be a good night for Democrats. Referendum versus choice.

[Mark]

Andrew, you good?

[Andrew Wick]

I'm good, thank you. That was great.

[Mark]

Thank you for being here, by the way.

[Larry]

And the reason I say September is because most of the primary, there's still primaries going on in August. And I think Kevin's right. If the framing is a referendum on Trump, then you're right, the cake will be baked. But by then, if it is going to be a choice between candidate A and candidate B, we've got a little bit more time to work with.

[Kevin]

And listen, what, what do we have? You know, on Special Report, Brett Bears show yesterday, you know, a segment talking about this insane woman running in the primary down here for one of our House districts that wants to, you know, round up Zionists and put them in concentration camps in Texas. I mean, any day that, you know, Republicans are able to parrot our party with that kind of bullshit is not a good day for Democrats. And that's why you saw so many Democrats calling him out.

[Larry]

It is.

[Kevin]

It's the same woman out there.

[Larry]

Yeah, yeah.

[Kevin]

I want the British version of that.

[Mark]

Professor Kenny, I need, I need two pieces of data from you before you talk, before you bring up what's on your mind. It should say, first of all, what's the point spread in the next game? Any idea?

[Professor Kenny]

I know, but it's probably eight.

[Mark]

Eight. And what's the.

[Professor Kenny]

It was six and a half on the first game. So with this win, it's probably eight, eight and a half.

[Mark]

I, they said on the broadcast that the ticket price for the first game was the highest in any, what do you call these semifinals in NBA history?

[Professor Kenny]

Conference finals.

[Mark]

Yeah. What's the, what's the top 6.5 according to Bob for the six and a half over? Like, like, like on StubHub. What's the highest? 50 grand for mid court seats? 50 grand, is it. How high will the price be by 6 o' clock when I'm looking to buy some tickets? How high will it be?

[Professor Kenny]

Yeah, I think it'll stay that way.

[Mark]

One good. I think it's going to be, I think, I think there'll be some port side tickets for 75 grand. That's my prediction.

[Professor Kenny]

Well, you can get Spike Lee's tickets from him for about $1 million.

[Kevin]

Mark, I told you, if Mike Pence has the courage, Oklahoma will win.

[Larry]

I told Professor Kenny in The after show the other day, Rick Pitino's first year with Patrick Ewing, Bill Cartwright, Mark Jackson, rook. I got to go to as many Knicks games as I wanted for free. And Madison Square Garden was only about 50% full.

[Mark]

Yeah, you could. You could. You could hear a pin drop. Not in a good way.

[Larry]

And it was great basketball. We had a great time.

[Mark]

Yeah, the Bernard King years. Professor Kenny, what's on your mind, sir? Thank you for being here.

[Professor Kenny]

Well, it's just funny. Yesterday we were talking about this Trump stuff on the Post show about Trump and his trading and whatever, and you could just see now, and you know, they have surrogates who do the trading. It's not like he's doing the trading, you know, so. But if this gets.

[Mark]

I just, just interrupted those. The people doing the trading should listen to what the President talks about, and if he praises a company, they should say, you know what, just to be smart. We're not going to. We're not going to buy that.

[Larry]

It.

[Professor Kenny]

Listen, I'm with you 100% on this. This is baloney. I want in on this. That's the thing. If I was getting a cut, I'm not saying anything, but I'm not getting anything. So screw this. You know what I mean? This is ridiculous. And the audacity of this, you know, and we as taxpayers are just let these people get away with this nonsense. It's ridiculous. You know, I was thinking, Mark, first of all, what I wanted to talk about. We could save it for another day, was this great article in the Wall Street Journal about America's toxic divide reaching the jury room. That's a great topic to talk about.

[Mark]

Yes, sir.

[Professor Kenny]

Yeah, but we'll save that. I'll get to this Trump stuff. He waited way too long. I was all fine for a ceasefire in Iran, but he, you know, ceasefire meaning two weeks and then figure out what you're going to do. The idea that this guy thinks he can get a deal with somebody over there is so ridiculous. And. And he's just wasted so much time now, and the only way he can come out a winner is he literally has to go back in and take their oil and control everything, which he just does not have the will to do. And, you know, as far as this midterm election stuff, it's really sad because the Democrats will probably come out ahead on this. Although this redistricting, you know, changes things, but nobody cares. Nobody likes the Democrats, nobody likes the Republicans, and nobody likes Trump. So what the hell are we doing as a country? I don't get it.

[Larry]

Throw them all out.

[President Donald Trump]

You know what?

[Kevin]

Throw the bums out.

[Professor Kenny]

I vote for Kevin. You start running for president, I'm voting for you. Okay, all out.

[Kevin]

Mark.

[Professor Kenny]

You're out of it because you we need that. We need the independent journalist.

[Mark]

Professor thank you for that. Grateful Deal. Deal. Professor for that. Taylor Swift is.

[Kevin]

Yeah. What's the what's the news?

[Mark]

Her first live performance since the Relief of life release of Life of a showgirl June 11 at the Songwriters hall of Fame in New York City. I think that's the news. I know there are rumors that she's pregnant and there's rumors that she's pregnant. Anyway, you've all heard me say this many times. Two ways is it's always going to have political programs, National Town Square, all voices under a roof. It's always going to be part of our DNA. There'll always be programs like this because that's a big part of what can Two Way can uniquely do. But the two way concept, the idea of building authentic community around live shows can be about anything. They can do it about. Many of you know, one of the strong ambitions I have is to do this for kids who have a common childhood disease. So every week they can gather with other kids who have that disease with their families, with experts, and they can get information, but they can also feel part of a community so they don't have to feel unusual in a negative way. We have so many ideas. Here's one that's starting today with our partners at the Daily Mail. I'll tell you, I'm not the world's biggest fan of true crime, but man, is it popular. And you listen to all these true crime podcasts and video podcasts and TV shows, what are they lacking? They're lacking a two way component. They're lacking the capacity of people who are really interested in these cases to get to be able to raise their hand and weigh in to say, well, what about this theory? What about that theory? Couldn't be more excited to tell you about a new program with our colleagues at the Daily Mail that debuts today at noon Eastern. Am I right about that? I should know. Noon Eastern. Yeah, you are correct. Noon Eastern, the Crime Desk. Here's a promo for our new colleagues Kayla and Rachel for the Crime Desk, premiering today at noon. Roll taint.

[Kayla Brantley]

This is not just another true crime livestream. It's a live interactive investigation discussion where you can be part of the show. Join me, Daily Mail crime correspondent Rachel Sharp and me, Daily Mail senior correspondent Kayla Brantley for a special Interactive edition of the Crime Desk as we break down the latest developments in the Alex Murdoch case, examine the unanswered questions still surrounding the story, and discuss what could come next. Former federal prosecutor Nima Rahmani joins the conversation to provide excellence, expert legal analysis and answer viewer questions live thanks to 2way's interactive format. You can join the show via Zoom, ask questions directly to us and participate in the conversation in real time. Watch live on YouTube or register now to join the discussion on air again.

[Mark]

Of all the, all the possible topics that we could take up as programs, true crime really is one of the ones we've talked about from the beginning because people are just nuts, Kevin, to talk about true crime. They just, people love talking about it. And, and right now you can, you can vlog about it, you go on social media, but this will give you an opportunity to raise your hand, offer your theories, discuss, you know, evidence, etc. Kevin, are you a big true crime guy?

[Kevin]

I'm not, but I love this and I love, you know, the South Carolina connection with Alec Murdaugh. Yes. That was featured prominently because that's, that's all fascinating stuff right there.

[Mark]

It is.

[Larry]

People get into it. I, I'm a little distracted by their funny accents, but, but I'll get past it.

[Mark]

True crime, Trey Internationale. Anyway, watch it new exactly. Watch at noon today, go to two Way TV to register and stream on our platforms as well as on the, the Daily Mail. And again, love, love, just so excited about this show. I'm going to head over to what we call Sirius XM for the second hour of the morning meeting. I'll see some of you over there. And Larry, I'm going to trust you to promo. Next up, I've got great guests on two way tonight. Tonight, yes, yes. And, and anything else you guys want to talk about in my absence? Oh, if you have time, show the Billy Bush video. Okay, meant to do that. Thank you, guys. Thanks, everybody. I'll see you over at series XM at 5 o' clock tonight.

[Larry]

Thank you, Mark. Mark would never, Mark would never date a sitting congressman, by the way. Way, I just want to, I just want to throw that out there.

[Kevin]

There you go. I would in a heartbeat though, because, you know, I'm a. You're not status. I'm a status dater.

[Larry]

You're not, you're not an impartial journalist.

[Kevin]

Yeah, that's true. Well, let's roll. Let's roll the Billy Bush Bush clip.

[Larry]

Honestly, the Billy Bush thing, as long as it doesn't involve Access Hollywood and Grabbing anybody by a body part. Let's. I'm just saying,

[Billy Bush]

here I am in Van Nuys, California, at the Arco gas station. I've just had to call my producer in a panic, Steve Harding, because we have an interview with Spencer Pratt happening. But what happened, Steve, Tell me what happened. Why are you picking me up when we're supposed to be getting ready for an interview?

[Kevin]

Flat tire. Billy, how many times have we done this?

[Billy Bush]

This is my fourth flat tire. Fourth destroyed tire since November 4th. Because the city streets of Los Angeles and highways are dis. They're in disrepair. It's a dilapidated city. Karen Bass, your timing could not be worse. He's coming. Spencer Pratt's on. I was very, very relaxed, taking it easy, had a beautiful morning, going, ready to welcome the guy. And then. And then this. And now I'm hopped up, so I'm sort of feeling like Saka La Basura has never been. Has never been stronger or more top of mind for me. What's the definition of insanity? La do the same thing over and over again and hope for a different outcome.

[Larry]

Come on. Boy, he's looking more and more like his cousin too, isn't he? He's got that Bush sort of squint going, snake eyes going.

[Kevin]

That's wild.

[Larry]

Very jealous of his hair, too. But, you know, that's actually fantastic and indicative of exactly what the mood is like in Los Angeles and in California writ large. I keep saying it. Republicans need to sort of steer into this idea that we know how to get stuck stuff done and we can run. Look at what Trump has done in beautifying Washington, D.C. right now and bringing

[Kevin]

the fountains are back on. Well, I will say the worst roads in America are in South Carolina run by a trifecta of Republican control. So, yeah, maybe we can something. We can do something about that.

[Larry]

That's just charming.

[Kevin]

Everybody gets a. Everybody in South Carolina. Your insurance covers a free windshield every year for you because of what the. The wear and tear. But as Mark mentioned, we've got a bunch of exciting stuff coming up today and in the coming days as well.

[Larry]

Next up, today's episode is going to be former cop. By the way, before you watch today's

[Kevin]

next, another South Carolina connection right there.

[Larry]

Catch last week's next up, though, because it's me and Kevin and we're just so charming. You'll fall instantly in love with us all over again. Even more White House correspondent. It's fine to date us because we're not sitting members of Congress.

[Kevin]

That's true.

[Larry]

How do you think that dating happened so like was it, was, was it on the job? Was it. I mean I want to know how.

[Kevin]

I don't know this. I don't know the Brian Jackie story. But they're, they're, every time I see them together they are a madly in love and a really nice couple.

[Larry]

So fantastic. And I love love. I love getting married. I love people getting married. I love them having kids and I wish them the best. I think that's great.

[Kevin]

Amen. Amen.

[Larry]

But, but at the same time, you know, if your job is all right,

[Kevin]

Joe Cunningham, you gotta get on. We already spent too much time.

[Larry]

Former congressman and author Joe Cunningham and president of District Media Group, the great Beverly Hallberg in other South Carolina. Is that the South Carolina connection you were making?

[Kevin]

Both of them.

[Mark]

Both of them.

[Kevin]

It's a very South Carolina heavy show.

[Larry]

Beverly Hallberg who also is a past special guest co host with me on my radio show Love Beverly. You already heard about the new show the crime desk today live at noon. Tune in for that. And then the group chat is live today at 4pm at Emma, Joe Morris, Nina Turner, Robbie Suave, Steve Olara. They're going to discuss today's hottest topics.

[Kevin]

They've got a lot to talk about for sure.

[Larry]

Wrap things up with two way tonight.

[Kevin]

Two way tonight at 5pm with our one of our dear friends and favorites. Melissa derosa will be back in the saddle with Mark along with Ashley Hayek, the president of America First Policy Institute. Two big gets there as well. So spend the entire day with two A and then Larry, you're on at

[Larry]

noon I think right today and then we'll be back tomorrow for the morning meeting. I was supposed to tease the game show. Let's see.

[Kevin]

I think that's next week, right? Is that next week?

[Larry]

You can register now though for the game Show @TwoWay TV GameShow Signup Boy, that's Alan.

[Kevin]

The great Alan C. Shared that out. And of course Mark just saw Professor,

[Larry]

It's Mark DQ and, and Nicole Rios will be next week's game show contestants. And I'm told that that day it's arm day for Nicole Rios at the gym. So she'll be flashing the guns.

[Kevin]

How about it?

[Larry]

So you're gonna want to.

[Kevin]

How about it? So Alan, thanks for sharing that link. And then of course you also saw Professor Kenny earlier too. So stay tuned for the after show as well. The chat is open. Go over to Mark on Sirius now and then that shows at 11. So an entire day. But I'm excited about the true crime thing. I'm going to check that out at noon.

[Larry]

All right, Me, too. Well, I won't, because I'll be live with my show at noon. But the beauty of what we do is you can stream and watch everything we do live or watch after the fact. It's always there for you. So make sure you subscribe to all of our platforms so you get our content when you want it at your fingertips. And it's a long holiday weekend, so you'll have a lot of time to catch up on our shows. Thanks, Kevin.

[Kevin]

Exactly. Thanks, everybody. We'll see you tomorrow morning.

[Larry]

And take the over in the Knicks game.