RCP’s new White House correspondent, Carolina Lumetta, joins the show to discuss Vice President Vance hosting a briefing with reporters, the details behind the Justice Department’s new “weaponization fund,” and where the president’s ballroom stands as Congress fights over funding.
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: Massie Falls
Walworth, Cannon, and Bevan discuss Thomas Massie’s primary defeat and criticize his comments about Israel from his concession speech. They debate whether his defeat reflects Trump’s power, AIPAC’s influence, or a broader split within the Republican Party.
Watch: Massie Concession Speech: “… it took a while to find Ed Gallrein in Tel Aviv.”
“AIPAC coming into Republican primaries, I mean, it probably might even be counterproductive because it sort of lends some credence to this idea — that they’re spending millions of dollars to help candidates they want,” Tom Bevan suggested.
***
09:20 — Is Cornyn Next? Trump Endorses Paxton
The panel discusses Trump’s endorsement of Ken Paxton over John Cornyn in the Texas GOP Senate primary.
Watch: Trump Mocks James Talarico: I Don’t Think A Vegan Can Get Elected In Texas
“Trump likes to be associated with winners. I think Ken Paxton has the upper hand in this race,” Bevan said. “According to the polls right now, it will be a close race with either of them.”
***
16:58 — New ‘Squad’ Member in PA?
Does Democratic-Socialist Chris Rabb winning the Democratic primary in Pennsylvania’s third district reflect a change in the party’s direction, or is he just another member of “the squad”?
“He won 44% up in Philadelphia. That’s the bluest district in the country, they say. So he’s coming to the House,” Andrew Walworth noted.
***
19:05 — Ossoff in Danger in GA?
The panel also discusses the Senate race in Georgia, where Republicans are heading into a runoff to pick someone to challenge Sen. Jon Ossoff.
“Jon Ossoff, to me, is the most vulnerable Democratic incumbent in the country,” Carl Cannon said. “We don’t know who his opponent is going to be yet, but we know that they didn’t get to 50%, so the Republicans are beating the living crap out of each other for another several weeks.”
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26:50 — Vance Storms WH Podium
RCP’s new White House correspondent, Carolina Lumetta, joins the program to discuss Vice President Vance’s press briefing yesterday.
Watch: Vance on Iran: “This Is Not A Forever War”
“He gave pretty much the same answer, just reworded 50 times over,” she said. “Everyone is comparing him to Marco Rubio’s briefing a few weeks ago. He seemed a little more comfortable being up there. Vance tends to be a little more combative with the media.”
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29:56 — What Is DOJ “Weaponization” Fund?
Carolina Lumetta also explains the Justice Department’s new “weaponization fund.”
“A lot of reporters also had questions about this weaponization fund that the DOJ just released as part of a settlement with the IRS, where the Trump family has agreed to drop its lawsuits and extra claims against the IRS in exchange for this $1.776 billion,” she explained. “This is supposed to be a fund that will be open to anyone who believes that the Biden administration specifically weaponized the justice system against them.”
“Vance made it clear yesterday that the Trump family is not taking part of these funds, but anybody can apply. They’ll be determined on a case-by-case basis,” she said. “And the IRS has promised it is forever banned and precluded from auditing any member of the Trump family.”
***
38:09 — The Ballroom is Getting Bigger…
The episode ends with the president’s impromptu press briefing at the ballroom construction site yesterday, as Congress fights over funding, and Carolina’s report on her first day as White House pool reporter.
Watch: Trump: Ballroom Is Also A “Strong Military Complex”
“I was in the pool on Sunday, and we motorcaded out to the president’s golf course in Virginia. Whenever that happens, we’re sitting in a van for a couple of hours waiting for the president to exit the White House, and then we sit in a windowless room in the tennis club and maybe get some food, and then just go home,” she said. “The importance there is that the ballroom funding seems to be pretty stalled, and the White House is making a request for funding for the Secret Service to build a secure bunker where the East Wing used to be. That needs congressional appropriations, and if they want to get it through without Democrat votes, they need it in reconciliation.”
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