On today's podcast, Chris Cillizza and Matt discuss:

— Is Trump looking to replace Chief of Staff Susie Wiles (per Politico Playbook) just 19 days before the midterms?

— Why Wiles was the perfect non-traditional chief for Trump (mother figure, not James Baker) and why he still wants a new character for the next season

— Top potential scapegoats if Republicans lose: John Thune, Pete Hegseth, Ken Paxton, Wiles, and more

— New press secretary Katie Zacharia’s rough first briefing, and how the job has shifted under Trump

— Trump’s aggressive midterm barnstorming and repeated “pretend I’m on the ballot” line — smart base play or self-own at record-low approval?

— Trump in the twilight: aging, lame-duck status, better as outsider than governing, and the walnut-tree effect on the GOP bench

— Democrats letting a thousand flowers bloom vs. Republican top-down control and the thin post-Trump pipeline

— Mike Johnson’s decision to stay on as Speaker or Minority Leader (no matter what happens in the midterms)

— Matt’s Senate races to watch: Texas and Kansas

— And MUCH more!

Make sure to check us out again next week!Subscribe to Matt Lewis on Substack: https://mattklewis.substack.com/Support Matt Lewis at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattlewis

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattLewisDCTwitter: https://twitter.com/mattklewisInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattlewisreels/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVhSMpjOzydlnxm5TDcYn0A

– Who is Matt Lewis? –Matt K. Lewis is a political commentator and the author of Filthy Rich Politicians.

Buy Matt's books:

FILTHY RICH POLITICIANS: https://www.amazon.com/Filthy-Rich-Politicians-Creatures-Ruling-Class/dp/1546004416TOO DUMB TO FAIL: https://www.amazon.com/Too-Dumb-Fail-Revolution-Conservative/dp/0316383937

Copyright © 2026, BBL & BWL, LLC

On today's podcast, Chris Cillizza and Matt discuss:

— Trump’s repeated Texas and Ohio stops as a sign of a Republican base-motivation problem

— Ken Paxton’s leaked audio, and whether Senate Republicans are laying groundwork to throw him under the bus

— Who actually decides? — John Thune and the Senate Leadership Fund versus MAGA Inc. — and the scapegoat risk if Texas is abandoned

— Chuck Schumer might not be so stupid after all?

— Mike Rogers’ Canada-tariff reversal, and other Republicans distancing from Trump on tariffs and Iran

— JD Vance as a tenuous heir: charisma, shapeshifting, and the VERY ONLINE trap

— Buy-low 2028: Why Ted Cruz is a dark horse to watch

— And MUCH more!

Subscribe to Matt Lewis on Substack: https://mattklewis.substack.com/Support Matt Lewis at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattlewis

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattLewisDCTwitter: https://twitter.com/mattklewisInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattlewisreels/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVhSMpjOzydlnxm5TDcYn0A

– Who is Matt Lewis? –Matt K. Lewis is a political commentator and the author of Filthy Rich Politicians.

Buy Matt's books:

FILTHY RICH POLITICIANS: https://www.amazon.com/Filthy-Rich-Politicians-Creatures-Ruling-Class/dp/1546004416TOO DUMB TO FAIL: https://www.amazon.com/Too-Dumb-Fail-Revolution-Conservative/dp/0316383937

Copyright © 2026, BBL & BWL, LLC