President Trump has been impeached but the odds are strongly against him being removed from office. Mike & Jay open the show talking about the impeachment vote, what happens next, and the potential electoral consequences.

After that, they discuss the aftermath of Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s findings on the FBI’s conduct of the ‘Crossfire Hurricane’ investigation, including Horowitz’s Senate testimony and the FISA court ordering the FBI to clean up its act.

Then it’s a look at the $1.4 trillion 2020 budget, which has something for everyone but which neither Mike nor Jay are entirely happy with, followed by the House of Representatives’ approval of the USMCA trade agreement (or, as Mike likes to call it ‘CAMUS’).

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The show opens with Mike and Jay discussing the aftermath of the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida. Mike takes issue with the inflammatory rhetoric of NRA head Wayne LaPierre, and while Jay agrees, he points out that there are those on the left who are equally inflammatory. In terms of policy proposals, Mike points out how rare schools shootings are, the difficulty in making them even more rare, and the almost certain unintended consequences of any such effort. Jay agrees, though seems less skeptical of proposals to arm teachers than Mike clearly is. Next, the Guys discuss the latest round of U.S. sanctions against North Korea. They both agree that North Korea has taken advantage of previous administrations - of both parties - with Jay arguing that this sort of tough approach is called for, given that history. Mike appreciates the logic, but is concerned about possible consequences if the U.S. backs North Korea into a corner with no way out.  Then it's more on gerrymandering, in the wake of Pennsylvania's Democratic-majority supreme court drawing a Congressional map for the state after the Republican-controlled legislature and Democratic governor couldn't agree on their own map. While Mike and Jay believe that courts shouldn't draw Congressional maps, Mike believes it's an unfortunate last option when a court finds legislative maps to be in violation of a constitution (whether it's a state or the federal constitution).  Finally, Mike and Kay discuss the new indictments against former Trump campaign operatives Paul Manafort and Rick Gates. Jay doesn't see the link between these charges and collusion with the Russians in the 2018 elections, and while Mike agrees, he points out that these investigations typically take years, and that Mueller is likely building a case.  What Jay's Watching:  **** The Times of Harvey MilkWhat Mike's Reading: Who Needs Congressional Districts?   Here's the link to take the Stony Brook survey on the messages that political parties send to their members. (The researchers request that you don't post about the survey so as to not influence others who haven't yet taken it.)    Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. If you’re interested in supporting the show, go to politicsguys.com/support.

Mike talks to Patrick Deneen, a Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame. In his book Why Liberalism Failed, Deneen argues not only that liberalism has failed (which you probably picked up from the title) but more importantly, he argues that it failed because it was based on a fundamentally unsound understanding of human beings.

In this talk, Mike and Professor Deneen discuss the individual autonomy, liberalism & capitalism, how liberalism’s success led to its failure, virtue ethics & Judeo-Christian values, education, Alexis de Tocqueville, Wendell Berry, and lots more.

Patrick Deneen on Twitter

Recommended Reading

Articles The World Is Better Than Ever. Why Are We Miserable? (Andrew Sullivan on Steven Pinker and Patrick Deneen)Can Democracy Save Us? (Ryszard Legutko's review of Why Liberalism Failed.)The Dead End of the Left? Augusto Del Noce’s Critique of Modern Politics.

BooksThe Revolt of the Elites and the Betrayal of Democracy. Christopher Lasch The True and Only Heaven: Progress and Its Critics. Christopher Lasch The Culture of Narcissism: American Life in an Age of Diminishing Expectations. Christopher LaschThe Demon in Democracy: Totalitarian Temptations in Free Societies. Ryszard Legutko The Crisis of Modernity. Augusto Del NoceThe Age of Secularization. Augusto Del NoceThe World-Ending Fire. Wendell BerryDemocracy in America. Alexis de Tocqueville 

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This week, Mike and Jay open the show with a look at the accusation of attempted rape leveled at Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh by Christine Blasey Ford. The Guys have a lot of differences of opinion on this issue, though they do agree on the importance of a process that is fair to both Professor Ford and Judge Kavanaugh.

Next is a discussion of President Trump’s call to release intelligence related to the Russia investigation. Jay advances that argument that President Trump is lying when he said he hasn’t read the documents and that the president is timing his order for maximum media impact and the greatest political benefit.

After that, the Guys talk about the latest in the ongoing trade war with China. Mike points out that the best possible outcome for the United States would be President Trump being right about his risky, unorthodox strategy. Jay adds that even if Trump is right regarding China, his trade strategy with our EU and Canadian allies still seems highly suspect.

Then Mike and Jay discuss an important federal court ruling on political contribution disclosure rules. Mike thinks the ruling is both an example of what happens when Congress delegates too much authority to regulators, as well as a win for transparency. Jay agrees on the delegation issue, but has his doubts about the wisdom of the ruling, as well as whether it will be affirmed on appeal.

Our listener mail question this week comes from Don, who asks if terms limits might make government more responsive and effective.

Help Mike decide the topic of his next book by taking this super-quick one question survey. (The survey is open until Friday, September 28.)

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This week, Mike and Jay open the show with a discussion of the summit between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland. They agree that President Trump’s performance was bizarre and awful. Mike says this, combined with everything else we’ve seen regarding Trump and Russia, is enough to convince him that President Trump is either compromised by Russia or believes he may be compromised, which amounts to the same thing in real terms.

After that, the Guys discuss new rules that would make major, industry-friendly changes to the Endangered Species Act. Mike says that he’s all in favor of streamlining environmental approvals for industry, but not at the cost of endangering and destroying biodiversity. Jay has a more positive take on the proposed rules, believing they’re a much-needed corrective to a policy that’s unnecessarily hampered economic growth.

Next is a look at the European Union’s latest fine against Google for engaging in anticompetitive practices. Mike says that ensuring competitive markets  is a key role of government, and that the EU is doing a better job of it then the US is doing. Jay is also all for competitive markets, but thinks that the EU’s position is overreach and that consumers have more options than EU regulators seems to believe.

Finally, the Guys talk about the withdrawn nomination of Ryan Bounds to serve on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Mike finds it disappointing that Bounds even got to this point, as both of his home-state senators returned negative ‘Blue Slips’ which traditionally meant that the nomination would be quashed. He argues that the Blue Slip tradition is yet another casualty of our hyper-partisan environment. Jay is less sad to see the Blue Slip go, arguing that it’s no longer serving its intended purpose, but he agrees with Mike that making judicial nominations filibuster-proof has been a step in the wrong direction.

What Mike and Jay are ReadingWhy I’m No Longer a Russiagate Skeptic

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This week's show opens with Mike and Jay's discussion of the 'Nunes Memo', in which the GOP majority of the House Intelligence Committee suggests that the FBI obtained a FISA warrant to spy on Trump campaign associate Carter Page using highly questionable evidence. Jay believes that it's important for this information to come out, while Mike argues that the GOP was wrong to release what he believes to be partial and misleading information. Next is a look at President Trump's State of the Union address. Both Mike and Jay agree that the SOTU is painful and largely pointless political theater - after explaining why they move on to discuss the two major substantive policy proposals in the speech: a four-point immigration plan and an outline of an upcoming $1.5 trillion infrastructure proposal. What Jay's Reading: Polarization is an Old American Story. (Wall Street Journal - paywall)   What Mike's Reading: TV Gave Us the Modern State of the Union. Then It Killed It. (Politico)  We hope you'll check out the sponsors of today's show:Policygenius.com - the easy way to compare and buy life insurance online. SeatGeek - Politics Guys listeners get $20 off their first SeatGeek purchase. Just download the SeatGeek app and enter promo code POLITICSGUY Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. If you’re interested in supporting the show, go to politicsguys.com and click on the Patreon or PayPal link.

This week's show starts with a discussion of the 'national security' tariffs President Trump announced he planned to impose on steel and aluminum. Mike and Jay are in agreement that the tariffs are a terrible idea and not at all related to national security. Jay points out that this is an issue where President Trump is getting more support from Democrats from his fellow Republicans, who were generally upset and dismayed at the announcement. The president further disturbed many in his own party this week by suggesting he was in favor of tougher gun laws than most Congressional Republican are likely to support. Mike makes the point that we've seen the president make similar statements on other issues - immigration most notably - and then fall back into GOP orthodoxy in the end. The Guys also look at a variety of other gun policy related developments that took place over the last week. Next is a discussion of Russian president Vladimir Putin's bellicose speech about the U.S. threat to global security and new weapons systems Russia has developed to thwart U.S. missile defenses. This comes shortly after NSA and U.S. Cyber Command chief Mike Rogers told the Senate Intelligence Committee that we're not doing enough to prevent Russian cyberattacks on our election systems. Finally, it's a look at what seems to be a West Wing in disarray, following the departure of Hope Hicks as communications director. Mike and Jay agree that the extremely high level of turnover - especially in the communications area - is yet another indication that Donald Trump is an impulsive person who hates being managed and bridles at the necessity of message discipline. What Jay's Reading : The Only Good Thing About Donald Trump Is All His Policies. Joseph Epstein. (WSJ. Unfortunately, it's behind a paywall and there's no non-paywall version of this article. But you really should check out Epstein's wonderful writing, which you can do without having to deal with a paywall at The Weekly Standard.)   What Mike's Reading The Fractured Republic. Yuval Levin   Republic, Lost: Version 2.0. Lawrence Lessig Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. If you’re interested in supporting the show, go to politicsguys.com/support.

Trey and Mike open the show outlining the latest developments on the inclusion of a citizenship question on the 2020 census. Trey focuses on the larger picture that an executive order circumventing a court order would mean for presidential power. Mike considers the actual immediate policy implication and sees it unlikely that an executive order is feasible.

Next, they turn Trump’s push for lower drug prices. Mike argues that President Trump is looking for a win for 2020. Drug prices are an easy potential win, but it certainly isn’t a free market position. Trey agrees that President Trump generally is not a free market individual, but sees this as normal Trumpian policy. The pair also address President Trump’s tweet on using an executive order to lower drug prices.

After that they turn to the controversy surrounding a private Facebook group titled “10-15” for current and former border patrol agents. Trey sees the issue as one where the nexus of public and private speech of blended. Social media creates the ability to know more about people than we ever dreamed possible — even things some of us thought were not as mainstream as they are. Mike argues that the investigation should move forward, but that human nature might suggest being faced with an insurmountable problem we can at least, intellectually, understand the frustration of border patrol agents.

They close the show by returning to what, until recently, seemed a 1970s era policy question: school busing. Trey asks if this is really just an issue of whether or not former Vice-President Biden is “woke” or not. Mike makes the liberal argument against busing and challenges policy makers to address residential segregation.

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Mike talks with journalist and best-selling author Kurt Andersen about his most recent book, 'Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire: A 500-Year History'. Mike and Kurt discuss America's founding by 'a nutty religious cult', the long history of American pseudo-empiricism, the dynamic equilibrium between fantasists and realists that made American great, how the fantasists ended up in the driver's seat, ways in which the 1960s empowered the modern right, Donald Trump as a 21st century P.T. Barnum, and lots more. Kurt Andersen on Twitter Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. If you’re interested in supporting the show, go to politicsguys.com/support.

Mike talks with economist Branko Milanovic. Dr. Milanovic is  Visiting Presidential Professor at the Stone Center of Socio-Economic Inequality at the Graduate Center, City University of New York. He was formerly Lead Economist in the World Bank's research department. He's also the author of a number of books, including Capitalism, Alone: The Future of the System That Rules the World, which they discuss on this episode.

Topics covered include:

- the benefits of capitalism- the different forms of capitalism- the liberal meritocratic capitalism of the United States- rising economy inequality since the 1980s- sustainable growth under current models of capitalism- capitalism and corruption in China- the future of capitalism

Branko Milanovic on Twitter

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On this week’s show, Mike and Kristin take on President Trump’s firing of State Department Inspector General Steve Linick, a move prompted by a recommendation from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. They also discuss Trump’s threats to withhold funding from Michigan and Nevada after each state announced plans to mail all voters statewide requests for vote-by-mail forms and the actual ballots, respectively. Finally,  Mike and Kristin weigh in on the relationship between the WHO and China, whether President Trump’s threat to withhold funding was warranted, and the WHO’s  subsequent move to independently investigate the response to COVID-19 within its own organization. 

Mike’s Weekly RecommendationsThe books of P.G. Wodehouse Insight Timer (meditation app)  Android | iPhone

Kristin’s Weekly RecommendationCalm (meditation app)

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Mike & Jay start off the show with Mike trying to explain that while he’s for the recent Title IX sexual harassment / abuse procedural rules (as is Jay) he has more of an issue with their being a mandate (in theory, at least). 

Then, it’s a discussion of the latest developments in the case against Michael Flynn. Mike sees a lot of bad behavior all around, and Jay doesn’t disagree. They both seem to think that the biggest potential problem is an intelligence & law enforcement community that seems to be doing more than just cutting a few corners here and there.

Finally, it’s a look at the House proposal for $3 Trillion in additional coronavirus aid, with nearly $1 Trillion of that set aside for state and local governments. While conservatives - including Jay - balk that that, especially in light of the enormous sum that’s already been spend, there seems to be some ground for compromise.

Mike’s Weekly RecommendationsThe Reluctant Detective (Mike’s book in progress)NYPD BlueUPS Dogs (Facebook)

Jay’s Weekly RecommendationThe Good Place

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It's big week for due process.  Mike and Jay talk about the Justice Department's decision to drop the case against Michael Flynn, FBI abuses, and Mike makes a pitch for an Independent Justice Department. Then they discuss the new Department of Education rules guaranteeing rights to the accused in school sexual harassment and assault cases.  Then it gets sort of weird.

The full text of the DOJ filing to dismiss charges against Michael Flynn

Mike's YouTube page

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Mike talks with A’shanti Gholar, creator and host of The Brown Girls Guide to Politics podcast. Topics they discuss include:

• COVID-19’s disproportionate effects on minorities
• whether President Trump is racist, and if it matters
• demographic representation in Congress
• why the Democratic Party is so much more diverse than the GOP
• what Republicans can to do attract more minorities, without abandoning their core principles & beliefs
• Joe Biden’s potential VP choices
• what women & minorities can reasonably expect from a Biden administration
• what four more years of a Trump administration might mean for women & minorities
• what white males most often misunderstand about women & minorities in politics

The Brown Girls Guide to Politics on Twitter

White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism. Robin DiAngelo

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Trey & Ken start the show talking Biden's response to sexual assault allegation from Tara Reade. Next the pair move to discussing COVID, but primarily focusing on the armed protests in Michigan. Trey & Ken close the show discussing the entrance into the presidential race of newly minted Libertarian Amash and potential Green Party candidate Ventura.

This Week's Recommendations

Trey suggests you check out Jack Ryan on Amazon Prime.

Ken is reading The New York Review of Books.

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On this week’s show, Mike and Kristin take on more COVID-19 related stories and policy issues, including the most recent aid package, President Trump’s immigration proclamation, and state “exit strategies” for lockdown and plans to reopen economies. Mike and Kristin also discuss the complex, recently-decided Supreme Court case of County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund. They also share their recommendations for some non-COVID related entertainment.

Mike’s Weekly RecommendationOpen Psychometrics ‘Which Character Are You?’ QuizThe Reluctant Detective (Mike’s P.I. book in progress)

Kristin’s Weekly RecommendationImagineering in a Box (Disney & Khan Academy)

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Mike & Jay open the show with a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of federalism in light of President Trump’s claim of ‘total authority’ and his suggestion that Democratic governors were like mutinous sailors. Following that, they grade the preparation and response of both the administration and Congress to the pandemic. They close by talking about whether or not the WHO was too credulous or complicit in supporting China’s erroneous early reports about COVID-19.

This Week’s RecommendationsMike suggests you check out (and even comment on) The Reluctant Detective, his book in progress. He also recommends the TV show I’m Sorry.

Although Jay was driven from their dorm room on Mike’s ‘country music nights’, he’s found the Ken Burns documentary Country Music very enjoyable.

What You Love (and hate) About The Politics Guys Hosts (our Reddit BipartisanPolitics Group)

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Trey and Ken open the show discussing the suspension of Sanders' campaign. The pair talk about what it means for democratic socialism and the Democratic Party more widely. Trey sees this as the broader failure of ideologies of class and Ken sees it as the beginning of a potential turn for democratic socialism.

Next, in a bit of disagreement, Trey and Ken spar over the Supreme Court's ruling concerning the Wisconsin primary. While both agree that the fault primarily lies with the state, they disagree over what role the Supreme Court should have played. They also disagree with over the power states should have to conduct their elections without interference, even when there is partisan influence.

Finally, the pair close talking about the removal of Michael Atkinson and Glenn Fine. The two agree that the removals are wrong, but Trey specifically worries that it is the continued sign of congressional deference to Presidential power in times of crisis.

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This week, Mike and Kristin talk about all things COVID-19. The bigger issues involve President Trump’s extended stay-at-home guidelines, the cultural impact of social distancing and stay-at-home orders, and some encouraging statistics. They also discuss the reality of economic issues we face, jobless numbers, the SBA loan program rolled out this week, states haggling over resources, and changing information about wearing face masks to reduce the virus spread. 

This Week’s RecommendationsMike suggests you check out (and even comment on) The Reluctant Detective, his book in progress. He also recommends the Hulu show Puppy Prep and the rationally optimistic blog post, “No, You Didn’t Just Lose Half of your Retirement Savings.”

Kristin recommends Erik Larson’s Dead Wake, about the Lusitania disaster during WWI and the events and tension leading up to it - and after.  She also recommends the documentary Antarctica: A Year on Ice, a cool take on what it’s like to live and work in the isolated environment of Antarctica.

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Mike, Jay, and Trey open the show with a discussion of the federal government’s economic response to the coronavirus pandemic - both the $2 trillion legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump as well as the Federal Reserve’s multi-trillion dollar promise to do whatever it takes to keep the economy functioning.

After that, they discuss President Trump’s recent invocation of the Defense Production Act, focusing on how it may help areas most affected by coronavirus. Then they debate whether it’s too soon to restart the economy, if President Trump is being irresponsible and ignoring his public health experts, and the often agonizing tradeoffs that have to be made in crises.

RecommendationsMike suggests you check out (and comment on)  The Reluctant Detective, his book in progress. He also recommends the shows Derry Girls and Brockmire.

Jay recommends Neil Gaiman’s novel American Gods as well as this documentary on jazz great Miles Davis.

Trey’s recommendation is the book Davinci in Love. 

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In this special episode, Mike and Trey suggest reasons to feel at least potentially optimistic about the coronavirus pandemic. Their reasons for optimism cover likely outcomes, government response, and longer term ramifications. They also share some things they’ve found useful in coping with the crisis. (Such as Mike’s recommendation to fellow liberals to check out moderate-right news sources like The Bulwark and National Review.)

Today’s SponsorThe sponsor for today’s show is Coronavirus Daily Briefing.

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On this special episode Trey and Ken are joined by Mike. They begin the show discussing the California lockdown, the first of its kind in the country, and the Senate Republican direct payment relief plan. Next the trio talk about the Democratic primary, focused primarily on the primary that wasn't in Ohio. They finish the show discussing social media in an emergency and their respective weekly recommendations.

Recommendations 

Mike's Recommendation is his own, ongoing creation: The Reluctant Detective.

Mike also recommends two books, both by Pema Chordon:  When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times and Living Beautifully With Uncertainty and Change.

Trey recommends CBS All Access's Star Trek Picard.

Ken recommends the music of Paul Kopasz (aka Paul K).

Today’s Sponsor is Coronavirus Daily Briefing.

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Mike talks with Thomas Philippon, a Professor of Finance at the Stern School of Business at New York University. Professor Philippon is a member of the Monetary Policy Advisory Panel of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the author of the recently released book, The Great Reversal: How America Gave Up On Free Markets, which they discuss on this episode.

Topics discussed include:

• the many benefits of competition
• how and why the US became much less competitive over the last two decades
• how, in many ways, Europe is actually much more competitive than the US
• how lobbying and campaign finance contribute to the problem
• the ‘revolving door’ between government and the private sector
• the decline of competition in finance, health care, and the tech sector
• what can be done to increase competition

Thomas Philippon on Twitter

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Mike and Kristin discuss the many political and policy implications of the Coronavirus pandemic. They begin with a synopsis of the past week and a review of Trump’s address and press conference, the takeaways, the stock market rebound, and their thoughts. Then, they weigh some of the deeper policy issues that this crisis has dredged up - public health funding, emergency preparedness, paid sick leave, and government embracing big tech. They also discuss how moments like this often have lasting effects on culture, and vice versa.

Finally, Mike and Kristin turn to the Democratic Primary and have a conversation about Biden and whether he is a “moderate” or a “progressive”.

Nick Shabazz (the YouTube knife guy Mike recommended)

Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup (Kristin’s book recommendation)

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Mike and Jay discuss the state of the Democratic primary in the aftermath of a Biden resurgence. Mike Bloomberg makes us wonder whether anyone can,in fact, buy an election and Mike and Jay give their takes on Elizabeth Warren's "sexism" comments.  Then the discussion turns to the political and economic impact of the coronavirus and whether the crisis highlights Trump's incompetence or confirms validity of some of his platform points. Finally, Mike and Jay recommend some stuff to read that is older than the remaining presidential candidates.

Jay & Mike’s Recommended Reading- Ohio 1912 State Constitution Debates - Discourses & Handbook of Epictetus

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This week Trey is joined by Ken. The two start the show by discussing what it means for a presidential candidate to be electable. Given the focus on Sanders post Nevada the pair focus specifically on how him in a general election against President Trump. Trey and Ken explore what historically drives candidates to be viable outside of the horse race narrative. Trey's interest in the Democratic primary makes him particularly concerned for a candidate that can beat Trump. He believes that voters will more generally punish Sanders for his socialist policies, but that the recent market correction will aid him. Ken agrees that Sanders has a liability in his socialist title, he thinks it is a smaller problem and can be fixed with proper messaging. Next the pair turn to the issue of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). This agency, created via Dodd Frank, is at the center of an unusual controversy over the relationship between the President and Congress. The Supreme Court took the case this week. The key controversy surrounds presidential appointment: can president's be restricted by Congress in their removal power? Trey recounts the history of the removal power and the facts of the case, Ken explores the likely Supreme Court outcome. Finally Trey and Ken turn to the recent case of Patterson v. Walgreen. This case, which the Supreme Court declined to hear this week, more narrowly defines religious exemptions for employees. Specifically, as outlined by Trey, Patterson was fired for not coming to work on a Saturday due to his Seventh Day Adventist practices. The lower courts ruled that Walmart did have the power to fire him. Ken believes the lower courts were wrong, but he surprises Trey by suggesting that he disagrees with religious exemptions for generally applicable laws.

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This week, Mike and Kristin first take on the issue of pardoning. They discuss Trump’s most recent 11 pardons and commutations. Mike’s concern is rooted in who President Trump has pardoned - largely his political friends and allies. Kristin brings up historical pardoning to these ends, as well as the First Step Act in relation to Mike’s point that Trump could be doing much more for overlooked nonviolent offenders. On a broad scale, they also discuss the Founding Fathers’ original intentions when creating the power of pardoning and whether this deserves a second look, as we seem to have drifted from these intentions over time. 

Next, Mike and Kristin give their impressions of the Democratic Debate that took place in Nevada (ahead of the Nevada Caucuses) this past week. Mike elaborated on his impressions as a Democratic voter, the factors he feels are most important for voters to consider, and the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate. Kristin also gave her impressions about candidate strategy. In the end, Mike said that he wasn’t sure who he’d cast his primary vote for, but that he’d let the audience know soon. 

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After a big announcement about some significant changes to the podcast, Mike and Jay turn to a discussion of the independence and integrity of the Justice Department and its leader, Attorney General William Barr. Mike attempts to understand Barr based on his views of executive authority, which Mike believes are wrongheaded. Jay, on the other hand, thinks that Barr is absolutely right about sweeping executive authority. One thing Mike and Jay agree on is that President Trump’s tweets about ongoing Justice Department cases make it very difficult for Barr to convince people that the department is acting with integrity.

After that, they turn to the New Hampshire primary and the state of the Democratic race. Mike argues that it’s far too soon for anyone to panic, though Jay thinks that some panic might be appropriate for Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren. With Bernie Sanders emerging as an early frontrunner, the Guys next discuss what a Sanders presidency might look like, and whether or not Democratic Socialism is something to be applauded or shunned.

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Trey talks with Allan Lichtman, a Distinguished Professor of History at American University and author of many books including on impeaching Trump and on the keys to the White House. In this episode they discuss Allan's latest book Repeal the Second Amendment: The Case for a Safer America

Topics Trey and Allan Discuss include:

• What compelled him to write such a provocative book (and provocative title)
• What the framers actually meant by the second amendment
• The likelihood of truly repealing the second amendment
• The usefulness of repeal in making actual gun policy
• The power of the NRA over gun policy
• The shift in the meaning of the second amendment
• An open invitation to debate the NRA on the second amendment
• Data on gun violence and gun control
• What kind of gun control may help society

Allan Lichtman on Twitter

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Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. If you’re interested in supporting the show, go to patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support.