A New GOP Scandal Erupts

Summary

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What A Day - "A New GOP Scandal Erupts"

Date: August 4, 2026
Host: Jane Coston
Guest: Jake Sherman (Punchbowl News)

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Episode Overview

This episode dissects the latest turmoil inside the House GOP as serious allegations against Rep. Max Miller (R-OH) threaten to upend the party's already fragile congressional majority. Jane Coston talks with Jake Sherman, founder of Punchbowl News, exploring the political fallout from scandals, the unique intra-party and intra-family dynamics at play in Ohio, and how all this could impact GOP control in the upcoming midterm elections. Sprinkled with sharp analysis and dry wit, the episode dives into what scandal and disarray mean for House Speaker Mike Johnson and the broader Republican Party as November nears.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. House GOP Scandals Threaten Midterm Prospects

• Setting the Scene: Serious allegations against Ohio Rep. Max Miller—including spousal and child abuse—are causing chaos just months before the midterms.
• Family Drama: Miller's ex-wife, Emily Moreno, is the daughter of OH GOP Senator Bernie Moreno, increasing the personal and political stakes ([05:45-08:10]).
• Intra-Party Tension: The case is both a family crisis and a Republican-on-Republican political battle, exacerbating GOP headaches in Ohio.

“Miller might be reaching new heights on the towering slopes of Mount Republican male garbage people, but he's not alone.” – Jane Coston [05:45]

2. The Political Calculus and GOP Reluctance to Act

• Lack of Pressure: Miller isn’t receiving significant public pressure to resign, and House Speaker Mike Johnson is deferring to the Ethics Committee—though no investigation was pending until Miller himself requested one ([06:24-07:10]).
• Strategic Concerns: Miller’s ouster would risk making a safe GOP seat competitive, as Democrat Brian Poindexter is polling closely in a district Trump won by 11 points ([08:49-10:42]).

“Speaker Mike Johnson, as of our conversation right now, has not said anything to push him out... there's no case pending right now, although Miller said today he is asking the Ethics Committee to investigate himself.” – Jake Sherman [07:10]

3. Broader Republican Ethics Issues

• Mounting Problems: The problems extend beyond Miller. North Carolina Rep. Chuck Edwards is also under Ethics Committee scrutiny for workplace behavior ([08:49], [13:27]).
• GOP Vulnerability: Losses in just a couple of “safe” seats could flip the House majority, given its current narrow GOP margin.

“Every seat matters in a House majority that is as narrow as Republicans majority is...” – Jake Sherman [09:30]

4. The Speaker’s “Living Hell”

• Johnson's Dilemma: House Speaker Mike Johnson is caught between scandal-plagued colleagues, possible expulsions, and looming government shutdown threats ([13:27-14:59]).
• Potential for Expulsion: Expulsion requires a two-thirds vote—rare, but possible. This risk, combined with close races elsewhere, could cost him the majority.

“The big challenge for Johnson would be if Democrats or a Republican vote moves to expel Max Miller or Chuck Edwards... That would make Johnson's life incredibly, incredibly difficult.” – Jake Sherman [13:41]

5. Dysfunction and Fragility of the GOP Majority

• Comparison to 2006: Jake Sherman draws parallels to the 2006 midterms—an unpopular Republican president, unpopular war, and a party mired in ethics scandals ([14:59]).
• Trump’s Disinterest: There’s reporting that Trump personally doesn’t care if Republicans hang onto the House, viewing executive orders as his main vehicle ([14:59-15:36]).
• Consequences If Democrats Take the House: Trump would face constant investigations and gridlock. He ignores this at his own peril.

“If Democrats take the House, he will spend the final two years of his presidency dealing with investigations, with subpoenas, with pushback on a whole host of issues... It will be a very, very messy 2027 and 2028.” – Jake Sherman [00:00], [15:55]

6. Senate GOP Drama & Must-Pass Legislation

• Senate Problems: Infighting and weak candidates in Senate races further threaten the GOP’s legislative agenda ([17:12]).
• Shutdown Looms: A stopgap spending bill must pass before the election. While it seems non-controversial, Trump has a record of using must-pass bills as leverage ([17:49-19:23]).
• Possibility of Trump-Driven Chaos: Trump could threaten a shutdown over his "Save America Act," but leaders hope to placate him or delay drama until after elections ([19:23]).

“Chaos is not good for either party. No party ever wins a shutdown... But I do think they end up passing it. There's probably going to be some drama.” – Jake Sherman [17:49]

7. News Roundup: Other Key Stories

• Mitch McConnell’s Absence: The Senate is voting on A.G. Todd Blanche's nomination, but McConnell’s hospitalization could threaten GOP margins ([01:24]).
• Primaries in Battleground States: Michigan, Missouri, Virginia, and others have key races reflecting ideological divides, with national implications ([01:20-02:00]).
• Immigration & Security: DHS is strapping ankle monitors on Haitian immigrants; the U.S. missile stockpile is depleted from the war in Iran ([02:00-04:20]).
• War Consequences: Trump’s Iran war is draining U.S. resources and straining alliances, while killing civilians and putting U.S. security at risk ([04:20]).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Party Inaction:

  “It’s a weird... I am not even sure if I could call it a pressure campaign.” – Jane Coston [06:56]

• On Miller’s Safe Seat Becoming a Toss-Up:

  “This is not a seat that should be anywhere close to competitive.” – Jake Sherman [09:10]

• On Parallels to Past Political Meltdowns:

  “We wrote about this yesterday. Similar to 2006, a president in an unpopular war, a Republican Party that is beset by ethics issues just like they were in 2006, and a midterm election coming up. That's a really difficult hand to play.” – Jake Sherman [14:59]

• On What Democrats Taking the House Means for Trump:

  “If Democrats take the House, he will spend the final two years of his presidency dealing with investigations, with subpoenas, with pushback on a whole host of issues.” – Jake Sherman [00:00], [15:55]

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Segment Timestamps

• [00:00] – Opening: Stakes of House Control for Trump’s Presidency – Jake Sherman
• [00:39] – Jane Coston Opens Episode, Mitch McConnell staffers' pay satire
• [01:20] – News Roundup: Senate AG Vote, Battleground Primaries, Immigration, Iran war and missile shortages
• [05:21] – Emily Moreno’s silence & the family saga; Rep. Max Miller allegations
• [06:24] – Interview: Jane Coston and Jake Sherman on GOP’s Max Miller scandal
• [08:49] – Implications for Ohio GOP, national impact of Miller’s vulnerability
• [13:27] – Impact on House Speaker Mike Johnson, Ethics Committee, possible expulsions
• [14:59] – Parallels to 2006; rise of ethics issues and possible outcomes
• [15:36] – Trump’s nonchalance and dangers if GOP loses House
• [17:12] – Senate Republican turmoil; looming government shutdown
• [17:49] – Likelihood and politics of funding bill, possibility of Trump-driven chaos
• [19:23] – Save America Act and government shutdown threat
• [20:06] – Wrap-up and guest thanks

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Conclusion & Takeaways

• The GOP's fragile majority is imperiled by deepening scandals, especially in pivotal districts that should be safe.
• The party is plagued by inaction and internal dysfunction, rendering Speaker Mike Johnson nearly powerless and increasing the odds of Democratic control.
• Trump’s focus on executive power and perceived indifference to House control may be strategically shortsighted, as a Democratic House would turn his presidency into a “very, very messy” final two years.
• The stakes for the midterms are massive, with all sides bracing for more chaos and uncertainty in the crucial months ahead.

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End of Summary

Transcript

[Jake Sherman]

If Democrats take the House, he will spend the final two years of his presidency dealing with investigations, with subpoenas, with pushback on a whole host of issues. It is not going to be easy to have Democrats in the majority. If you are Donald Trump, they don't want to do business with him. And if they did want to do business with him, Trump wouldn't want to do business with them while they're investigating him. It will be a very, very messy 2027 and 2028 if Democrats take back the majority.

[Jane Coston]

Foreign.

I'm Jane Coston and this is what a day. The show congratulating staffers for Kentucky Republican Senator Mitch McConnell. See, Senator McConnell has been in the hospital for nearly two months, but his staff still hard at work doing something. And whatever that something is, they're getting paid for it to the tune of nearly half a million dollars pre tax for the last 50 days, according to Beast. Great job team. On today's show, we talk to Punchbowl's Jake Sherman about how repulsive behavior in the House GOP is putting their majority at serious risk. Before we get into the trash baggery of it all, here's where we're following today. Tuesday, August 4th now turn to the

nomination of Todd Blanche to be Attorney General. The clerk will call the roll.

Mr. Cornyn, aye. Mr. Lee, aye. Mr. Cruz, hi. Mr. Holley, aye. Mr. Tillet, aye. Well, well, well, would you look at that. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche finally swayed his Republican holdouts and cleared a critical hurdle to take on the post full time. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 1210 along party lines to advance Blanche's nomination and the full Senate could vote later this week. But Kentucky Republican Senator Mitch McConnell's absence may pose a new challenge for Blanche. If all Democrats oppose him, he can only afford to lose two Republican votes if McConnell does not return to the Senate before then. All eyes are on the great state of Michigan today as the state's primaries will offer the country its clearest gauge yet on the direction of the Democratic Party. Scary, I know. Primary voters in the battleground state are choosing between a progressive standard bearer and an establishment backed candidate. Although there have been similar contests around the country, this one holds extra weight because Michigan is a key state in presidential races. Abdul EL Sayed, backed by Vermont independent Senator Bernie Sanders, is up against four term Representative Haley Stevens, supported by Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. We'll have more on that tomorrow. Primaries are also happening in Kansas, Missouri, Virginia and Washington state. Voters in Missouri are faced with a key rematch between former Democratic Representative Cori Bush, who is attempting a political comeback, and Representative Wesley Bell, who ousted her two years ago. The Department of Homeland Security has started strapping ankle monitors on Haitian immigrants with temporary protected status in Ohio. Let me say that again. The Department of Homeland Security has started strapping ankle monitors on Haitian immigrants with temporary protected status in Ohio. The Washington Post reported that the executive director of the Haitian Bridge alliance said about 50 Haitians with TPS were summoned to ICE offices last week. According to the Post, local attorneys said the immigrants were released with electronic monitoring devices and told not to travel further than 75 miles from their homes. In June, the Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration, saying it could end temporary protected status for 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians. But attorneys and labor unions have argued protection for some remains through work authorization until lower courts lift an injunction. The war in Iran has cost the United States billions of dollars and the lives of more than a dozen soldiers. But according to exclusive reporting From Reuters, the U.S. military may have lost something else nearly its entire stockpile of long range missiles. The news organization detailed on Tuesday how the U.S. supply of surface to surface missiles has been almost entirely depleted by the war in Iran. The missiles cost more than $1 million each and have also been supplied to Ukrainian forces fighting Russia. Reuters reporting follows previous reporting from the New York Times, which found that the military was rapidly running out of Patriot missile interceptors. Those cost more than $4 million each and are critical to efforts to defend American military bases across the Middle East. According to the Times, those diminishing supplies might be why President Donald Trump canceled plans for a larger bombing attack on Iran this past weekend. So Trump's war on Iran is killing Iranian civilians, making life worse for everyday Americans, and now it's putting American national security at risk because we're running out of everything. But at least we're getting. Wait, what are we getting out of this war again? And that's the news. Let's talk about the House gop. Yesterday we discussed the serious allegations of spousal and child abuse being made against Ohio Republican Representative Max Miller by his former wife, Emily Moreno. Her father, Ohio Republican Senator Bernie Moreno, finally spoke out against Miller on Twitter on Sunday after weeks of silence. On Tuesday, Moreno explained to TMZ that part of why he had kept quiet for so long was because of his daughter and her safety needs as she continues to face a truly unimaginable situation.

Do I want all this in public? No. Do you have any idea that what it's like to go through physical Abuse and then mental abuse and then to relive it over and over and over again. That's what my daughter has tried to avoid. She hasn't made a single solitary public statement. Max feels like he needs to go on a publicity tour, which I just don't understand.

Miller has denied all of the allegations, and as of our recording on Tuesday, he's shown no indications that he wants to resign from office, even as several Senate Republicans have said he should quit. On Monday, he even reportedly got a call from Trump himself, who reiterated that Miller's reelection race would be, quote, tough. Miller might be reaching new heights on the towering slopes of Mount Republican male garbage people, but he's not alone. And the drama within the House GOP isn't making life any easier on House Speaker Mike Johnson just a few months before the midterms. For more, I spoke to Jake Sherman, founder of Punchbowl News. Jake, welcome to what a Day.

[Jake Sherman]

Thanks for having me.

[Jane Coston]

Ohio Representative Max Miller is facing horrifying deeply concerning very bad allegations of child and spousal abuse from his ex wife. He is the Republican candidate for Ohio's 7th District. He won his primary back in May. He's getting a fair amount of pressure, as much pressure as you're gonna get from a Republican towards another Republican to drop out of the race. But he doesn't show any signs of being interested in stepping. What's going on with him?

[Jake Sherman]

I'm not actually sure. He's getting a lot of public pressure to leave the race.

[Jane Coston]

That that was my question is like, there seems to be a bit of a, like, well, this seems bad, but, you know, it's a family issue. It's a. It's a weird. I am not even sure if I could call it a pressure campaign.

[Jake Sherman]

Speaker Mike Johnson, as of our conversation right now, has not said anything to push him out. Johnson's typical MO Is to allow the Ethics Committee, the internal kind of House judge, jury, and all of that stuff to conduct a case. There's no case pending right now, although Miller said today he is asking the Ethics Committee to investigate himself. He's asking for an investigation into himself, theoretically, because he thinks it would clear his name. But listen, the political reality here is pretty. I don't want to say nasty, but it's pretty obvious if Miller leaves the race, it would help Democrats win the seat or it would help Republicans win the seat. Rather, Democrats have a competitive candidate in this race and they think they could knock Miller off. I don't know where Miller's going to end up. He denies all of these claims, but they are pretty horrifying. And he has said he will not drop out.

[Jane Coston]

Something that's also strange about this is that Miller's former wife is the daughter of Republican Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno. And now after weeks of not really saying anything about this, Moreno is now coming out and talking about this case and basically saying that he was quiet because his daughter wanted him to stay quiet. So what we're actually dealing with is a weird Republican on Republican intra state terrible thing. Ohio Republicans are currently locked in tough battles for the governorship, for Senate and also for House. How is that impacting Ohio's GOP?

[Jake Sherman]

Tremendously. Let's start with that. I mean, it is not only, as you said, an intra party intra state saga, it's also an intra family saga. Bernie Moreno has said, as you, as you mentioned, that he stayed quiet because of his daughter and at her wishes. And his daughter Emily, to be clear, has not said anything about these divorce issues. She's not made any public statements. But Miller's seat, which kind of runs from the exurbs in the suburbs of Cleveland southwest in the state, should be a Republican stronghold and is likely to not be. Both parties have this race. The poll between Brian Poindexter, the Democratic candidate, and Miller, very close, within a couple points. This is a seat that Donald Trump won by 11 points in the last election. This is not a seat that should be anywhere close to competitive. And you know, every seat matters in a House majority that is as narrow as Republicans majority is. And you could see if Max Miller loses his seat, if Chuck Edwards, the North Carolina Republican who has come under increasing pressure from the Ethics Committee about how he behaved toward his young female staffers if he loses. Those are two seats that they should not lose. It makes it even easier for Democrats to take back the House in just about three months. I mean, we have to remember this election is coming quickly. We are less than 100 days out. Most states the ballot is closed and you can't replace somebody in, in Ohio, you do have a couple of days until this weekend to replace someone on the ballot. Although as I said, Miller has shown absolutely no signs that he's going to do so.

[Jane Coston]

If you're also thinking to yourself, Max Mailer hasn't shown signs of doing anything good, stick around. We'll get back to my conversation with Jake Sherman in a moment. In the meantime, be sure to subscribe, leave a 5 star review on Spotify and Apple podcasts, watch us on YouTube and share with your friends. More to come after some ads What a Day is brought to you by Acorns. So many people are focused on where their money is today. Acorns is your financial wellness app that cares about where your money is going tomorrow. And with the Acorns potential screen, you can find out what your money is capable of. Acorns is a smart way to give your money a chance to grow. Acorns is easy. You can sign up in minutes and start automatically investing your spare money. Even if all you've got is spare change. Acorns grows with you. Whether you're just starting out or thinking about settling down. Acorns supports your big and small goals across every life stage. Sign up now and Acorns will boost your new account with a $5 bonus. Investment join the over 14 million all time customers who have already saved and invested over $27 billion with Acorns. Head to acorns.com wad or download the Acorns app to get started. Paid non client endorsement compensation provides incentive to positively promote Acorns tier 2 compensation provided potential subject to various factors such as customers, accounts, age and investment settings. Does not include Acorns fees. Results do not predict or represent the performance of any Acorns portfolio. Investment results will vary. Investing involves risk. Acorns Advisors LLC and SEC registered investment advisor view important [e-mail] wad what a day is Brought to you by Casper There are a few things in life you should never cheap out on, and the thing you spend eight hours a night on is definitely one of them. This podcast is sponsored by Casper. Casper makes reliable, high quality mattresses designed to deliver consistent, comfortable sleep night after night. That's why out of 99 mattresses, Consumer Reports named Casper's the 1 Mattress their top rated all foam mattress of 2026. That's a big deal. There is no sponsor of this podcast whose product I use more than Casper, which always ensures I get the best sleep possible. Remember, the day always ends well with Casper. Right now, save up to 20% on mattresses and up to 25% on everything else when you go to Casper.com one last time. That's C A S-P E R dot com and save up to 20% on the mattress you deserve. Let's get back to my conversation with Jake Sherman. I like to joke that leader Mike Johnson has the worst job in D.C. and lives in hell. And as you mentioned, Max Miller Seat matters. Chuck Edwards seat matters. He's up for reelection. The House Ethics Committee, as you were just saying, has recommended he be censured for being creepy. So how much harder does all of this nonsense make Mike Johnson's life now? What is this doing to his ability to do his job well, lucky for

[Jake Sherman]

him, the House is not in session for another 27 days. A nice summer recess in the middle of an election season before taking all of October off before the election. So there's not a ton of business to be conducted. But all of that said, the big challenge for Johnson would be is if Democrats or a Republican vote moves to expel Max Miller or Chuck Edwards, meaning kick them out of this Congress. That vote needs a 2/3 majority. It is extremely rare. George Santos was the last person to be expelled. And before that, it hadn't happened for many, many years. That would make Johnson's life incredibly, incredibly difficult. It could. It would bring him closer to being in the minority this Congress. Now, all of that said, there's not a ton of business that the House has to conduct in the coming months. There's the government shuts down September 30th. That should be on a glide path. Congress should be able to avoid that shutdown at the end of September. But otherwise, I mean, it is campaign season, which actually in many ways makes this much more dangerous because there is a narrative building. We wrote about this yesterday. Similar to 2006, a president in an unpopular war, a Republican Party that is beset by ethics issues just like they were in 2006, and a midterm election coming up. That's a really difficult and to play.

[Jane Coston]

Yeah, I mean, all you need is a horrifying natural disaster and you'd really have Bush Part three. I guess. So to that point, it seems like for the first year ish of Trump's term, House Republicans really fell in line and focused on executing Trump's agenda. But it seems like they're all caught up in all kinds of drama. And there has been some really great reporting from Axios and elsewhere that Trump just doesn't really care. He doesn't really care if the Republicans lose the House because he just used executive orders anyway. Is this the least powerful GOP majority you can remember?

[Jake Sherman]

It's an interesting question. It is probably the most subservient, I would say much more subservient than last time around. I mean, remember the last time Trump had the presidency, Paul Ryan was the speaker. He did push back on Trump on a number of occasions or at least pretended to. That is far in the rearview mirror. I mean, we're talking about a decade ago now. But all of that said, I think Trump is mistaken to not care if that is indeed the case. If Democrats take the House, he will spend the final two years of his presidency dealing with investigations, with subpoenas, with pushback on a whole host of issues. It is not going to be easy to have Democrats in the majority. If you are Donald Trump, they don't want to do business with him. And if they did want to do business with him, Trump wouldn't want to do business with them while they're investigating him. He it will be a very, very messy 2027 and 2028 if Democrats take back the majority.

[Jane Coston]

But then he can just focus more on getting his arch. He loves his arch.

[Jake Sherman]

But remember, I will say, like even things like that, Democrats could put handcuffs on or try through spending bills or other priorities that Donald Trump needs. They could say, you can't do that. I mean, and he would be faced with, you know, a dilemma. So it would become exponentially harder for him to operate even within the kind of broad confines that he's been operating in for the last two years.

[Jane Coston]

So there's House Republicans and then there's more drama going on with Senate Republicans. Trump and Senate Majority Leader John Thune are trading barbs about math. There's other infighting. Republicans are mad that they're running Attorney General Ken Paxton in Texas because he's trailing Democrat James Talarico in the polls. There's a host of Senate Republicans who won't be in their seats next year and don't seem to care very much anymore. The so called YOLO caucus. In the middle of all of this, there's that stopgap funding bill that has to pass before the midterms. You mentioned that it was kind of on a glide path. Why? And what are the chances that gets done?

[Jake Sherman]

Well, I'll take that back. I think glide path is a little bit too easy. The Senate's going to pass it. The House is going to have to come back and pass it as well. My understanding is Donald Trump from the White House is in favor of it. A Ben, a shutdown really benefits nobody at the end of September. Truly it does not. Chaos is not good for either party. No party ever wins a shutdown. It whoever instigates it usually loses. But the blame is kind of diffuse and people hate Washington and incumbents lose on both sides of the aisle. So I don't think anyone benefits from it. I do think they end up passing it. There's probably going to be some drama within that time period, but that's what most of September is going to be focused on, it's going to be focused on averting this shutdown. It is a pretty non controversial spending bill that keeps government funded until December 11th. And remember, by December 11th, we'll know. We should know who will control the House and Senate. So that lame duck session of Congress between the election and the seating of the new Congress in January is going to be very high stakes, very busy and very frenzied.

[Jane Coston]

Now, you said it's non controversial, but this is Washington and Trump, so anything can become controversial very quickly. Is there a chance Trump pulls something with regard to the Save America act, which he's still obsessed with? He still is obsessed. That's why he didn't sign that housing bill. Is there a chance he's like, until I get the Save America act that no one wants and you get rid of the filibuster, which no one also wants, I will let the government shut down?

[Jake Sherman]

The answer to that is yes. I think that is a distinct possibility. I don't think the Save America act is going to pass in the budget reconciliation bill, which is that fast track budget process that gives Republicans or either party in the majority the ability to pass any kind of tax and spend bill with a simple majority. But I do think there will be a chance that Donald Trump would say, I'll shut down the government if I don't get saved. I think Republicans will try to walk him away from that, but that's a very good point. That will be kind of the last must pass bill leaving the station before the election. But he'll have another crack at that in December. Another must pass bill will be up and that will be, you know, to renew government funding again. But I think that's a distinct possibility.

[Jane Coston]

Trump making lives difficult. Jake, thank you so much for joining me.

[Jake Sherman]

Thank you.

[Jane Coston]

That was my conversation with Jake Sherman, co founder of Punchbowl News. Before we go, the midterm election is less than 100 days away and Democrats have to win back the House of Representatives to stop Donald Trump's agenda. Vote Save America has identified 12 of the most beatable Republicans up for re election this year who are called the Crooked Dozen. Kicking out the Crooked Dozen is doable, but it's going to take all of us. Stepping up between now and election Day. Vote Save America is here with practical actions you can take right now to help us win. Sign [e-mail] for all the tools you need to vote, volunteer, amplify good information, and most importantly, talk to the people in your life and get them to join you. It literally takes 2 seconds. Sign [e-mail] this message has been paid for by votesave america votes of america.com it is not authorized by any candidate or candidates committee. That's all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe, leave a review, sympathize with a man who was so tired of theater people he did a crime and tell your friends to listen. And if you're into reading, I'm not just about the musical director for a production of the Rocky Horror Picture show in Vermont who allegedly sent himself threatening text to get the show canceled because he was tired of dealing with actor drama like me. What a Day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and [e-mail] subscribe I'm Jane Coston and if you have ever participated in theater of any kind, you understand this man at an almost cellular level. What a Day is a production of Crooked Media. Our show is produced by Kaitlyn Plummer, Emily four, Erica Morrison and Adrienne Hill. Our team includes Haley Jones, Rick, Greg Walters, Matt Berg, Joseph Dutra, Johanna Case and Desmond Taylor. Our music is by Kyle Murdoch and Jordan Kanter. We had help today from the Associated Press. Our production staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America east

hi,

[Jake Sherman]

my name is Mitch Landry.

[Jane Coston]

My name is Aaron Haynes.

[Jennifer Palmieri]

My name is Jennifer Palmieri and we're hosting a new series called Long Play. The south is the new political epicenter of the country. Democrats are way on their heels in this region, but Republicans are going through their own reckoning in the south too.

[Jane Coston]

I mean, the south has always shaped American politics.

[Jennifer Palmieri]

We know that the stakes could not be higher. But to win the south, you have to understand it.

[Jane Coston]

People in the south feel really misunderstood,

[Jake Sherman]

left behind, put down on and they

[Jane Coston]

want to explain that to somebody.

[Jennifer Palmieri]

We're traveling across six Southern states to explore the people, the issues, the assumptions that no longer hold and the what the rest of us are missing about a region that will shape the future of our politics and our country. From left, right and crooked media starting July 27th. Watch long play series on YouTube at YouTube.com longplayseries or listen wherever you get your podcasts.