Monday on the RealClearPolitics radio show, Tom Bevan, Andrew Walworth, and White House reporter Phil Wegmann discuss Vice President Vance’s attempt to consolidate the fracturing MAGA movement at Turning Point USA’s convention this weekend, why some Republicans like Sen. Rand Paul aren’t lining up behind Vance going into 2028, and who could fill the vital role Charlie Kirk played as a “glue guy” of conservative politics. They next turn to Larry Kudlow’s prediction that Trump’s economic agenda could deliver 5% annual GDP growth next year, and GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik backing out of running for governor of New York. Finally, the panel debates CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss pulling a “60 Minutes” story about the Trump administration’s deportation of criminal migrants to El Salvador just hours before it was set to air. You can listen to the show live, weekdays at 11:00 a.m. on SiriusXM’s Megyn Kelly Channel 111, and then on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and here on our website. *** The show opened with a discussion about the divides inside the conservative movement on display at TPUSA’s AmericaFest, where Vice President J.D. Vance denounced factional purity tests amid public sparring between Ben Shapiro and Tucker Carlson. “Trump doesn’t seem interested in moderating these debates. That’s why Charlie Kirk was so important,” Wegmann said. “Now, in his absence, it seems like Vance has had to step in and say we have to unite around something. Antisemitism is out of bounds, but as the vice president and Nicki Minaj said, no one should be taking away people’s free speech rights.” “We didn’t appreciate how much of a ‘glue guy’ Charlie Kirk was for the conservative movement,” Tom Bevan added. “Trump is the other glue guy, the one who holds all this stuff together. When he’s gone, can Vance do that? Can he have the same influence Trump has, or will some of these factions go back to doing their own thing-going rogue, sowing their oats?” *** After that, starting at minute 15, the group considers Sen. Rand Paul not backing Vance in 2028, arguing that Trump’s policies contradict the free-market and non-interventionist promises he ran on. Were these libertarian principles ever a bigger driving factor for MAGA than pure anti-establishment anger? Bevan said Rand Paul is articulate and ideologically consistent, but a less interventionist foreign policy has always been a minority position inside the GOP. “Vance-if he is the nominee-has got to be able to put forward his own vision. It’s kind of similar to the question Kamala Harris was asked. ‘Is there anything that you disagree with Trump on? Is there anything that you would have done differently?’ He’s got to think seriously about that and how to answer it, and what those issues might be.” Wegmann cited something Rep. Thomas Massie told him years ago, reflecting on the Tea Party movement: “All the time I thought they were voting for libertarian Republicans, but after some soul-searching, I realized they weren’t voting for libertarian ideas. They were voting for the craziest SOB in the race, and Donald Trump won best in class.” “More than anything, the animating impulse here has been an anger with the establishment,” Wegmann commented. “I don’t see the Republican primary being about, ‘Ah, let us reason about markets and war power authority.’ I don’t know if we’re going back.” *** At minute 27, the group discussed Larry Kudlow’s recent op-ed making the case that Trump’s economic policies have set the stage for 5% GDP growth. “This is Larry painting the best-case scenario, right? This is as rosy as rosy could get,” Bevan said. “But even if it’s half of that, that would be good for Republicans. They really need to move the needle on the economy if they want to have a chance in 2026 … Wages are the key. People have to feel like they’re gaining ground against inflation.” “Republicans are just chasing the 2019 economy,” Wegmann said. “The economy is improving, but it would have to improve really fast for there to be a change in the midterms … The American public is an expert on one thing: how much money they spend.” *** Next, at minute 35, the group discusses even more drama inside the Republican Party, as Rep. Elise Stefanik ended her campaign for governor to spare the party “an unnecessary and protracted primary.” Now she’s leaving the House to spend more time with her family. The panel says that for a young mother, that phrase deserves to be taken at face value. “She was incredibly loyal, and what did she get for it?” Wegmann explained. “She’s nominated to be ambassador to the United Nations, only to have that nomination pulled because they want to keep their majority in the House. It seemed like she was ready to make a serious play for New York governor. But then Trump puts his arm around Mamdani and throws her under the bus. Stefanik was loyal to Trump, and he was not loyal to her. Now her political career is in tatters.” “She was considered a rising star. She was in Republican leadership. The move to run for governor made complete sense to me,” Bevan added. “When Trump decided to stay neutral-encouraging a contested primary-she probably felt disappointed. Betrayed might be a strong word, but certainly disappointed.” *** Finally, at minute 42, the group discusses CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss facing internal backlash after delaying a “60 Minutes” story about El Salvador’s CECOT prison, where the U.S. has sent illegal immigrants, just hours before it was scheduled to air last night. The reporter, Sharyn Alfonsi, says the story was delayed for political reasons and that if an administration’s refusal to comment becomes grounds to delay a story, it could effectively give the White House a veto over coverage it finds inconvenient. “I’m not sure whether Bari Weiss saved them from themselves or whether she was overly cautious,” Bevan said. “Either way, it highlights the fact that there are plenty of folks in that newsroom who do not like her or what she’s doing.” “Time will tell,” Wegmann said. “If, next Sunday, there’s a bulletproof, aggressive, smart piece on this prison that airs on 60 Minutes, with the White House responding on camera, then the reporters who complained will have overreacted. But if she killed this story just to play nice with Trump and avoid a mean Truth Social post, that doesn’t look good.” *** Don’t miss a single episode of the RealClearPolitics weeknight radio show – subscribe at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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