On Thursday’s RealClearPolitics podcast, Tom Bevan, Andrew Walworth, and Richard Porter discuss President Trump creating political headaches for Republicans with comments about the Iran war’s economic impact, and Vice President JD Vance launching a new anti-fraud task force. Hoover Institution fellow Michael R. Auslin joins the program to discuss his new book, “National Treasure: How the Declaration of Independence Made America,” America’s civics and civility crisis, and why Xi Jinping citing the “Thucydides Trap” suggests China is “running on fumes.” The show closes with new Emerson polling in the California governor’s race and the Los Angeles mayoral race, two contests drawing national attention. Listen live weekdays at 11:00 a.m. Eastern on SiriusXM’s Megyn Kelly Channel 111, or on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or other platforms.

00:00 – Opening: Trump Doesn’t Think About Cost Of Living? Walworth, Bevan, and Porter discuss President Trump causing political headaches for Republicans with his comments about the domestic economic impact of the war in Iran. Can Trump persuade voters that stopping Iran’s nuclear program is worth short-term pain at the pump? Watch | Trump on Iran Deal: “I Don’t Think About Americans’ Financial Situation,” I Think About Iran Not Having A Nuclear Weapon “It’s like the opposite of Bill Clinton biting his lip and saying he feels your pain,” Tom Bevan said. “Trump could have said, ‘Hey, listen, guys, Americans are going to have to buck up for a few months and pay a little bit more at the pump so that…’ He said, ‘I don’t care.'” *** 10:12 – Vance: War On Fraud Coming To Red States? The panel turns to Vice President JD Vance’s new anti-fraud task force, and his promise that the effort will not be limited to blue states. Watch | Vice President Vance In Maine: Welfare Fraud Creates Two Victims–Taxpayers And Those Denied Legitimate Services “It’s good he pointed out that it’s not just an attack on blue states, because there is obviously fraud everywhere,” Tom Bevan said. “It might be worse in places like California and Minnesota, where you’ve got sort of uni-party progressive governments that are just shoveling cash out the door.” *** 19:27 – The Three Lives Of The Declaration Of Independence Hoover Institution fellow Michael R. Auslin joins the show to discuss his new book on the Declaration of Independence and America’s civics and civility crisis. Auslin’s book: National Treasure: How the Declaration of Independence Made America Excerpt on RCP’s “America 250” series: “National Treasure” “The Declaration is a covenant between and among Americans. That’s why the founders pledged to each other their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor,” he says. “It’s also a covenant between Americans and God, and this was how they viewed the world. Jefferson puts in a few references to God, and Congress adds a few more.” “I think we need to focus more on civility than civics; that is the difference between an ordered and disordered society,” Auslin said. *** 32:05 – Xi’s China Is Running On Fumes Auslin reacts to Xi Jinping citing the “Thucydides Trap” as a warning to the U.S., arguing that China frequently uses vague threats of war to freeze U.S. action, and Xi’s ideological rhetoric has grown stale. Watch | Xi Jinping: Can China and the U.S. Overcome The Thucydides Trap And Create A New Paradigm For Great Powers? “He uses it because it’s a tool to freeze the Americans in place by raising the fear that we’re going to stumble into war–as China has done for decades,” Auslin said. “It’s very retro. Xi has nothing new to say. I was actually shocked he brought up the Thucydides Trap. It’s so 2010s.” “China has enormous troubles,” he said. “There’s got to be something new that he could have come up with, and he didn’t, which means to me, ideologically, he’s running on fumes.” *** 38:27 – Are California Republicans Hitting a Ceiling? The episode ends with new Emerson polling in California, including Steve Hilton dropping to second place behind Democrat Xavier Becerra in the race for governor, and Spencer Pratt hitting 22% after bringing national attention to the primary for Los Angeles mayor. Emerson Polling: Becerra Continues to Surge, Steyer and Hilton Compete for Second Spot “Spencer Pratt will make it into the top two, but where is the rest of his vote going to come from?” asked Tom Bevan. “Even if he wins whatever independents are out there, whatever undecideds are out there, it’s going to be really tough for him to actually win this race. But he is, as we said, making it interesting.” “I think this race has national implications,” Porter added. “Not because Spencer Pratt is likely to win it, but he’s really damaging the Democratic brand.”

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