A president’s words alone can have a big impact. Like when President Trump told a reporter that the war in Iran is nearly over, oil prices dropped. That was a good sign for consumers, but was that responsible leadership from the president? We’re asking the same question of Congress where one senator said let’s not debate the war because a publicly divided legislative branch isn’t good for our troops abroad.

Also, there will be a change in leadership at the Department of Homeland Security, with Kristi Noem out and Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin picked to take her place. We’ll talk about the next secretary’s immense challenges ahead,including funding for the agency on hold and concerns about our preparedness for possible terrorist attacks.

Plus, we’ll take your questions as we talk with our panelists Mo Elleithee on the left and Will Swaim on the right.

Producer: Leo Duran

Host: David Greene

Guests:

• Mo Elleithee, executive director at Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service - @MoElleithee
• Will Swaim, CEO of the California Policy Center - @WillSwaim

The U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, killing that country’s leader and sparking celebration from some Iranians. What’s not clear is why. President Trump’s reasoning for all this has been a moving target. We’ll talk about the stakes for the region and for the Trump presidency.

Also, the Congressional effort to limit the president’s war powers falls short. Is it time to just give up on Congress playing a role in authorizing military action?

The midterm elections kicked off with primaries in several states on Tuesday, and we talk about what we learned from the results in Texas where the race for Republican John Cornyn’s senate seat is heating up. We talk with Mo Elleithee on the left and Sarah Isgur on the right.

Producer: Leo Duran

Host: David Greene

Guests:

• Mo Elleithee, executive director at Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service - @MoElleithee
• Sarah Isgur, senior editor at The Dispatch - @whignewtons

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The way President Trump saw it in his State of the Union address, our nation is getting stronger, safer and more affordable for American families. Polls paint a different picture where far more people think the economy has gotten worse, not better in Trump’s second term.

The president insists he has more levers to pull, including tariffs, despite the fact that the Supreme Court just shot his tariff policy down. We’ll talk about that defeat for Trump in court – what it says about the court’s makeup, and whether we should take this decision as a major check on presidential power.

Speaking of checks – we talk about the outrage over the way the gold medal-winning U.S. men’s hockey team responded in a congratulatory presidential phone call. There’s also outrage over a comment by California’s governor that struck some as racist. We examine when outrage is truly meaningful in this political climate – and who decides – with Mo Elleithee on the left and Sarah Isgur on the right.

Producer: Leo Duran

Host: David Greene

Guests:

• Mo Elleithee, executive director at Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service - @MoElleithee
• Sarah Isgur, senior editor at The Dispatch - @whignewtons