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James Lynch, Andy Kroll, and Hagar Chemali discuss the Secret Service director’s congressional testimony and resignation in the wake of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, how the lack of transparency has allowed conspiracy theories to flourish, and the history of secret service failures and the need for reforms.


Related reading:

CNN - Takeaways from the congressional grilling of Secret Service Director Cheatle on the Trump assassination attempt | CNN Politics
NYT - Assessing Kimberly Cheatle’s Secret Service Hearing Testimony - The New York Times
Axios - Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle resigns after Trump assassination attempt
NYT - The Government Has Failed America Since the Trump Shooting
Morning Consult - Trump Assassination Attempt Poll Finds Voters Blame Rhetoric, Media
(from 2014) WP - Critical decisions after 9/11 led to slow, steady decline in quality for Secret Service - The Washington Post

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This week: Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the presidential race, Kamala Harris clears the field as she rides a tidal wave of support to the top of the Democratic ticket , Republicans switch gears to campaign against her, and the dizzying narrative change about Joe Biden’s capacities that have devastated trust in media. 

Finally, in our exclusive Politicology+ episode we discuss the Secret Service Director resigning in the wake of the assassination attempt of Donald Trump and how the lack of transparency about the attack has allowed conspiracy theories to flourish.

Not yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t miss the extra episodes on our private, ad-free version of the podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus.

Joining guest host Hagar Chemali on this week’s panel: 

Stef Kight (Politics Reporter at Axios) 

Andy Kroll (Investigative Reporter at ProPublica)

James Lynch (Communications Strategist)  

Send your questions and thoughts to podcast@politicology.com or leave a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬

Check out Oh My World!: https://www.ohmyworld.tv/

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

https://x.com/HagarChemali

https://x.com/StefWKight

https://x.com/AndyKroll

https://x.com/JamesGLynch


Related reading:

Axios - Inside Harris' sprint to the Democratic nomination
WSJ - Democrats Destroy Democracy to Save It - WSJ
CNN - Harris’ immigration work comes under scrutiny as campaign takes shape | CNN Politics
Deadline - White House And 'Morning Joe' Blast Wall Street Journal Report That Joe Biden "Shows Signs Of Slipping"
(from July 2) CNN - Biden’s mental fitness could have been better covered leading up to the debate, some White House reporters acknowledge | CNN Business
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Host Ron Steslow welcomes Mike Brock, CEO of TBD, a subsidiary of Block Inc. (formerly Square), the financial technology firm led by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey.

The Internet is dominated by massive, corporate walled gardens like Google, Facebook, and Twitter (now X), where centralized control makes their users (us!) vulnerable to censorship and manipulation.

In this episode, we explore how the movement to decentralize technology empowers individuals, protects against corporate and government abuse, and addresses real problems in finance and social media.

We’ll also discuss how decentralized technology can enhance financial access and freedom, bypassing intermediaries and censorship, and shifting power from financial corporations to individuals.

Finally, we turn to the political landscape, focusing on the Democratic party’s approach to decentralized technology and early signs it may be changing.


Segments to look forward to:

(04:45) Mike’s background 

(10:50) Empowering individuals through decentralized finance and identity 

(15:45) Building infrastructure for a decentralized future 

(19:10) The potential of decentralized identity 

(29:49) The importance of Bitcoin’s decentralization 

(31:31) Financial Access and Freedom 

(34:27) Preserving agency 

(44:44) Changing the balance of power 

(50:54) The varied stance of the Democratic party




Follow Ron and Mike on X (formerly Twitter):

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://x.com/brockm

Email your questions to podcast@politicology.com or leave us a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬ 

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To unlock Politicology+ visit politicology.com/plus

After three of the most chaotic weeks in American political history, Ron Steslow and Mike Madrid (Cofounders of the Lincoln Project) discuss:

- Joe Biden leaving the Presidential race after the pressure campaign from Democrats

- Kamala Harris consolidating support and whether it changes the electoral college map

- Whether Harris helps or hurts with the erosion of non-white, non-college educated voters away from the Democratic ticket, and whether her VP pick will matter, electorally

- How a change in the Democratic nominee will impact the Trump campaign operation

- How to read developments in the coming weeks smartly and what movement Mike will be looking for in polling

To unlock Politicology+ visit politicology.com/plus

Get Mike’s book, The Latino Century: https://bit.ly/4a7ZCqg
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To unlock Politicology+ visit politicology.com/plus

This week, we discuss the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, the Republican National Convention, the state of the Republican Party, and the state of the Democrats’ effort to oust Joe Biden.

Joining Ron Steslow on this week’s panel: 

Matt Bennett (Founder & Executive Vice President for Public Affairs at Third Way)

Lucy Caldwell  (Board Advisor to the Renew Democracy Initiative and advisor to the Forward Party)

Segments this week:

(02:58) The assassination attempt 

(17:42) The Republican National Convention

(40:50) Renewed attempts from Democrats to push Biden out of the race

[Politicology+]  What you need to know about J.D. Vance, Donald Trump’s new running mate

Not yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t miss the extra episodes on our private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus.

Send your questions and thoughts to podcast@politicology.com or leave a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬

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

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://x.com/ThirdWayMattB

https://x.com/lucymcaldwell

Related reading:
Segment 1:
NYT - Rally Shooter’s Phone Had Searches for Trump and Biden, FBI Officials Say - The New York Times
ABC News - Secret Service spotted Trump rally shooter on roof 20 minutes before gunfire erupted

Segment 2: 
Axios - Trump tramples unity theme in two-act convention speech
Politico - Opinion | Trump Derailed His Own Convention Speech - POLITICO
Politico - A new kind of Republican Party is forming at the RNC - POLITICO

Segment 3:
AP - Biden is isolated at home as Obama, Pelosi and other Democrats push for him to reconsider 2024 race
NYT - People Close to Biden Say He Appears to Accept He May Have to Drop Out - The New York Times
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Lucy Caldwell, Matt Bennett, and Ron Steslow discuss 39-year old Senator J.D. Vance’s transition from rising star of the liberal elite to Donald Trump’s Vice Presidential running mate, and the ticket’s radical anti-Constitution agenda.


Related reading:

USA Today - JD Vance cast doubt on 2020 election results, wouldn't have certified result
The Bulwark - J.D. Vance Thinks Trump Should Defy the Supreme Court
CNN - KFILE: Ohio Sen. JD Vance once called Trump a ‘moral disaster,’ and possibly ‘America’s Hitler’ | CNN Politics