Tuesday on the RealClearPolitics podcast, Tom Bevan, Andrew Walworth, and Carl Cannon discuss the redistricting referendum today in Virginia and what Trump’s pick for Fed Chair signals about the future of central bank independence. Jewish Insider’s Josh Kraushaar joins the group to talk about the Democratic Party’s messy “divorce” from AIPAC, whether the party could ever nominate a Jewish candidate for president, and progressives turning on Sen. John Fetterman over his support for the war in Iran. The group also looks at President Trump’s unique sendoff for retiring Apple CEO Tim Cook and discusses what to expect from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner this weekend. 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 opens with today’s referendum in Virginia on a Democratic plan to “temporarily” radically reorganize the state’s Congressional districts to their political benefit. They’re following the example of Texas and California, but is Virginia’s plan so extreme that it could trigger a legal backlash? “This thing is going to the Supreme Court,” Carl Cannon predicted. “The language is so egregious and so Orwellian.” “Just imagine if a Republican state tried to take a 6-5 delegation and make it 10-1. Democrats would be screaming at the top of their lungs,” Tom Bevan added. “But here they are on the opposite side, going 100% all the way to the max to make this happen. Stunning hypocrisy.” *** At minute 11, the group pivots to Kevin Warsh’s Senate testimony today as President Trump’s choice to replace Jerome Powell as the next Chairman of the Federal Reserve, and whether Trump’s comments about interest rates have made it impossible for the Fed to continue to appear “independent.” Watch: Full Confirmation Hearing: Sen. Elizabeth Warren Grills Trump’s Choice For Fed Chair, Kevin Warsh “How independent will he be after he saw what happened to Powell? Calling him names, sending the Justice Department after him… We’ve never had anything like this,” Cannon said. “And then, if he does what Trump wants, people are going to treat him like a toady. Trump has made this a really difficult job.” “This might be the second-worst job in America — next to coaching the Dallas Cowboys,” Tom Bevan quipped. “The other thing he must have in his head is that Jerome Powell was appointed by Donald J. Trump back in 2017,” Andrew Walworth added. *** At minute 18, the editor in chief of Jewish Insider, Josh Kraushaar, joins the panel. First, they discuss Sen. Chris Murphy facing criticism for replying “awesome” to a report about Iranian “shadow fleet” vessels running the U.S. blockade of the Persian Gulf. Lloyd’s of London: At Least 26 Iranian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Vessels Bypass U.S. Blockade Kraushaar’s piece in Jewish Insider: Sen. Chris Murphy applauds Iranian ships against U.S. Navy “Murphy claims he was being sarcastic, but he’s a United States senator!” Kraushaar said. “But a very reputable polling firm showed this week that among younger, under-50 Democrats, who are Chris Murphy’s political base, as many of them have a favorable view of Iran as they do of Israel and the war.” *** At minute 25, the group turns to the growing trend in the Democratic Party where opposition to AIPAC has become a sort of litmus test among progressives. Is being Jewish disqualifying in this Democratic Party today? “The divorce has already happened,” Kraushaar said. “A lot of Democrats, beyond just the most left-wing and most anti-Israel candidates, are running against AIPAC in their primaries and even after they’ve already won the nomination.” Washington Post: Will Pennsylvania Turn On John Fetterman? Wall Street Journal: Alan Dershowitz: I’ve Been a Democrat Since 1959. Now I’m Joining the GOP “There’s an increasingly extreme horseshoe dynamic where the craziest things that you never would have seen in our politics are embraced by candidates. You’re seeing this more on the left and right now, especially in the context of the Middle East war. And there are no political consequences for it,” he said. “The crazier the candidate, the more Democrats seem to like them these days.” *** Finally, at minute 38, the group laughs about President Trump’s unique sendoff to Tim Cook (a.k.a. “Tim Apple”), who is stepping down as the CEO of Apple after 16 years. Truth Social: Trump: “I Was Very Impressed With Myself to Have the Head of Apple Calling to Kiss My Ass.” “He’s the president of the United States, but he’s impressed with himself because Tim Cook called him. That just doesn’t track,” Carl Cannon said. “It’s classic Trump,” Tom Bevan said. “There’s a level of insecurity there, which is why he’s always after the media. He wants the media attention, and then he gets it, but it’s not the way he wants, so he attacks the media.” *** 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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