Friday on the RealClearPolitics radio show — weeknights at 6:00 p.m. on SiriusXM’s POTUS Channel 124 and then on Apple, Spotify, and here on our website — Andrew Walworth, Tom Bevan, and Carl Cannon discuss President Trump’s trip to NATO and the aftermath of U.S. air strikes in Iran, one of the most expensive weddings ever, and the future of Illinois Gov. JB Priztker. Also, RCP’s Phil Wegmann interviews ‘Border Czar’ Tom Homan. *** First, more details on the U.S. air strikes in Iran this weekend and the Trump administration’s latest clash with CNN. “RCP’s Phil Wegmann reported last night-that DNI Tulsi Gabbard and the CIA came out with a new assessment saying Iran’s nuclear programs were severely compromised by the attack,” Tom Bevan said. “But we talked yesterday about the CNN report, which was the first to leak this, and it got repeated by everybody, which set the narrative that this attack didn’t do anything, only set them back maybe weeks or a month.” “So, do you believe this administration when they come out and say this?” he said. “Or do you believe, you know, an anonymous source that leaked something to Natasha Bertrand at CNN?” “I thought Pete Hegseth came across a little bit whiny today, but he has a legitimate complaint,” Carl Cannon added. “He said, you know, it’s like journalism 101. When someone leaks something to you, they have an agenda. And what is that agenda?” “I was impressed by General Caine,” Cannon added. “It was the most impressive briefing I think I’ve ever heard at the Pentagon. The planning for this literally went back 15 years, and they carried it off flawlessly. The rest of it, we’ll have to wait and see how much it damaged Iran.” *** In the next segment, at minute 8:50, the NATO summit this week has been described as “transformational,” as (almost) all members pledge to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP. Even President Trump appears impressed. Has he buried the hatchet with our European allies? “All these NATO countries had to do, it turns out, was two things. One, at least promise to double the amount of their own defense spending. And two, kiss Donald Trump’s ring. And they did both,” Cannon said. “So what’s not to like?” “Call him ‘Daddy,’ that’s all he wants,” Tom Bevan said. “Marco Rubio was just cracking up in the background. That was one of the funnier exchanges on the world stage.” “Trump badmouthed NATO for a long time because he felt like they were taking advantage of the United States. They changed their behavior, and lo and behold, he changed his posture,” Bevan added. “For Trump, as with most things, it’s a ploy, it’s a tactic, it’s a negotiation.” *** And then, at minute 15, more news out of Europe, where the world’s second-wealthiest man, Jeff Bezos, is apparently spending about $ 50 million on a lavish wedding ceremony in Venice. “I did a quick calculation based on the latest estimate of Jeff Bezos’ net worth,” Cannon said. “Comparing his net worth to mine, it would be like if I spent $ 194 on a wedding. So he can afford it.” “The invitation does say no gifts,” Andrew Walworth joked. *** After that, at minute 18, RCP’s Phil Wegmann interviews ‘Border Czar’ Tom Homan about Iranians arrested by ICE this week, two million people who entered the U.S. without registering at all during the Biden administration, and what the “Big, Beautiful Bill” will do on immigration enforcement. You can read more about Homan’s comments here *** Finally, at minute 35, Tom Bevan speaks to Richard Porter, an RCP contributor and former Illinois RCN committeeman, about the future of Gov. JB Pritzker. He officially announced he’s running for reelection in 2026. Does that rule out a 2028 presidential run starting right after that? “What it says to me is he just can’t let go of this-that it really means so much to him psychologically-to be called governor as opposed to former governor,” Porter said. “Why run for governor when you don’t actually intend to hold that office? You actually intend to run for president.” “I think the main conclusion that people ought to draw is it’s a good argument for term limits. Right? We ought to have two terms and that’s it-so that it doesn’t become the personal plaything of a billionaire,” he added. “Basically, he owns the office because he can buy it. You know, he’s going to spend $ 100 million in order to make sure that he holds on to something that’s like a trinket to him-a title, a sash he gets to wear when he runs for president.” *** 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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