Tuesday on the RealClearPolitics radio show, Andrew Walworth, Tom Bevan, and Carl Cannon discuss how Washington, D.C., is reacting to President Trump federalizing the police force to try to reduce street crime, speculation about how tariffs are impacting inflation, new allegations that Sen. Adam Schiff leaked classified material, and a poll showing Mamdani way ahead in the race for New York City Mayor. Later, RCP contributor Eric Spitz on the Democratic Party’s evolving positions on Israel and inner city crime, and RealClearInvestigations writer Ben Weingarten comments on whether class action suits will replace universal injunctions as the primary way for Democrats to challenge Trump’s executive orders. You can listen to the show weeknights at 6:00 p.m. on SiriusXM’s POTUS Channel 124 and then on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and here on our website. *** First, the reaction from Washington, D.C. residents and officials to President Trump’s decision to federalize the D.C. police department. “It does look like the mayor and folks in her administration are going to play nice,” Tom Bevan said. “I think there’s hope this does make the city safer because crime has been a problem there for many, many years.” “If Washington, D.C. were a state, it would have by far the highest crime rate of any state,” Cannon said. “Nobody likes to have their city attacked, but in Washington, the police union has for years been talking about the fudging of the numbers.” *** After that, around minute 6:30, there’s a debate about new data on inflation from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and whether Trump’s tariffs are showing up in the numbers. “You notice this right away if you look at multiple sources-how differently the story was being reported,” Bevan said. “Numbers can be made to tell almost any story. If your only source is the New York Times, you’d think this is bad news for Trump.” *** Next, starting at minute 12, a congressional whistleblower is accusing California Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of leaking classified information in 2017 to discredit President Trump. “Why are we just hearing about this in 2025? Because the FBI was leaking classified information, too.” Cannon said. “A lot of stuff is coming out lately that was hidden for years,” Bevan said. “And remember, Schiff received a preemptive pardon from Joe Biden. Does it cover this? Because this is serious-it’s not just signing the wrong thing on a mortgage application.” “I think that’s exactly what the pardon was meant to cover,” Cannon commented. “At the time, I knew why Hunter Biden got pardoned. I didn’t know what Schiff had done-lying in politics isn’t a crime, or most of Congress would be indicted. But leaking classified information is a crime.” “So that begs the question: Did the White House know Schiff had committed crimes, and is that why he got the pardon?” Bevan added. *** After that, at minute 19, a new poll shows Zohran Mamdani with an impressive lead in the New York mayoral race. “If that poll is accurate, and Cuomo and Adams’ internal polls match, I could see Cuomo calling Adams and saying I need you to get out and endorse me,” Cannon said. “Even if you add Adams’ 7% to Cuomo’s 25%-and then give him all the undecided voters (10%), you still only get to 42%. Mamdani’s at 44%. To win, they’d need Republican voters to abandon Curtis Sliwa or get him out of the race, too,” Bevan said. *** And then, staring at minute 24, RCP contributor Eric Spitz speaks with Carl Cannon about the Democratic Party’s evolving positions on Israel and inner city crime. “What’s going on in Israel is unprecedented,” Spitz said. “The tectonic plates have shifted in a way we’ve not seen probably in a millennium or two – and that is that Israel eradicated their enemies in one fell swoop in the span of maybe 18 months.” “What should the Democratic Party do? I think what everybody should do is recognize the differences between, say, Israel and Zionism and antisemitism and Benjamin Netanyahu – and just understand who’s doing what, versus glomming it all together and saying, Israel is committing genocide, right?” *** Finally, at minute 35, RCP contributor Maggie Miller talks to RealClearInvestigations writer Ben Weingarten about whether class action suits will replace universal injunctions as the primary way plaintiffs and federal judges challenge Trump’s executive orders. *** 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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