Transcript
Jane Coston (0:03)
It's Friday, May 8th. I'm Jane Coston, and this is what a day. The show wondering if the Atlantic's reporting about FBI Director Cash Patel's alleged drinking was so incorrect that the FBI director filed a lawsuit against the outlet. Then why is the FBI reportedly going after leakers and demanding Patel's security detail take polygraphs? So weird. On today's show, Russia preps for its annual Victory Day parade, and President Donald Trump tries to square up with a child in the Oval Office. Huge turn here. But let's start with the midterms and redistricting. Tennessee Republicans approved a new map on Thursday, splitting the majority black voting district that encompasses the city of Memphis and possibly eliminating the state's only blue congressional seat. They did so despite massive protests from Democrats and the people of Memphis, who gathered outside the state Capitol building in Nashville on Thursday. Hands on, Memphis. Hands on, Memphis. Hands on, Memphis. 1. Tennessee Republican State Representative Todd Warner was photographed using a Trump flag as a cape as he went to vote for the plan. In case you needed the subtext to be made, you know, text. Because this is all about giving Republicans and Donald Trump more power in Congress after last week's Supreme Court decision weakening section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. And speaking of Trump's power, the president got to flex his muscles this week in Indiana's Republican primary. Candidates with his support beat at least five Republican incumbents who had voted against his redistricting plans in the state. So what does all of this mean for the midterms? To find out, I talked to Jon Favreau. He's a co host of Pod Save America. Jon, welcome back to what a day.
Jon Favreau (1:49)
Good to be here.
Jane Coston (1:50)
On Tuesday, Indiana Republicans sided with Trump and voted out a handful of state senators who didn't support the president's redistricting push. Were you surprised at all?
Jon Favreau (2:00)
No. I mean, Donald Trump's approval rating in Indiana is above water, right? One of the few states where that's true. Not as popular as he is in, like, Wyoming, but he's more popular than, like, Ohio. And some of these people, some of these candidates won with like 7,000 votes, right? 8,000 votes total.
Jane Coston (2:22)
Because it's a primary. Like, it feels like this is going to be, like, the most MAGA of the most MAGA voting anyway.
Jon Favreau (2:29)
It's not surprising that, like, a low turnout primary on the Republican side would feature a lot of Trump supporters, especially if he made it a big deal, which he did.
