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Badlands Daily: 2/27/26 – SOTU Optics, Clinton’s Border Hypocrisy, and the Senate’s Puppy Parade
Description
CannCon and Chris Paul break down the political theater surrounding President Trump’s recent State of the Union, analyzing its optics-heavy strategy, the targeted jabs at congressional opposition, and Trump’s push for tariffs to replace the federal income tax. They examine viral footage comparing Trump’s 2026 immigration remarks to Bill Clinton’s 1995 State of the Union, highlighting the stark reversal in Democratic positioning on border enforcement.
The conversation shifts to healthcare and pharmaceutical pricing reform, with Trump’s “most favored nation” prescription drug proposal and calls to codify it into law. The hosts debate the SAVE Act, mail-in voting vulnerabilities, black box machines, and whether proposed election reforms are meaningful fixes or controlled opposition.
Internationally, they explore the UK’s fragmented political landscape following a Green Party parliamentary win and what it signals about populist shifts abroad. Back home, they critique Senate priorities after lawmakers staged a puppy parade amid government shutdown drama. The episode closes with discussion of Citizens United, corporate influence in elections, and the $100 million Republican primary battle in Texas between John Cornyn and Ken Paxton.