Episode Details

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, hosts Chuck Warren and Sam Stone examine election security, Colorado's dramatic political transformation, one of true crime's most infamous hot-mic moments, the battle over American history at the Smithsonian, political upheaval in Latin America, and the Federal Reserve's fight against inflation.

Ethan Barton, an editor at The Washington Free Beacon and former editor in chief of The Daily Caller News Foundation, joins Chuck and Sam to discuss President Donald Trump's recent election-security speech. Barton explains why concerns about foreign interference from countries such as China and Russia deserve serious attention, while arguing that combining separate election issues can sometimes weaken the broader message.

The conversation then turns to Colorado's transformation from a competitive purple state into a reliably Democratic stronghold. Barton breaks down the role of strategic Democratic investment, liberal population centers, weak Republican infrastructure, limited donor support, taxes, business losses, and changing economic conditions.

They also examine rising anti-Israel sentiment within portions of the Democratic Party and the closely watched race in Colorado's 8th Congressional District, where Republican incumbent Gabe Evans faces Democrat Manny Rutinel in one of the country's most competitive congressional battlegrounds.

Follow Ethan Barton on X: @ethanrbarton
Read his reporting at FreeBeacon.com

Next, B's Crime Corner revisits the disturbing story of New York real-estate heir Robert Durst.

Durst was long suspected in the 1982 disappearance of his wife, Kathie McCormack Durst, and the 2000 murder of his close friend Susan Berman. His secrets finally began to unravel during HBO's The Jinx when he entered a bathroom after an interview without realizing that his microphone was still recording.

While speaking to himself, Durst uttered the chilling words that would become one of the most infamous moments in true-crime history. The recording helped renew attention on the case, and Durst was eventually convicted of Berman's murder in 2021.

B's Crime Corner returns every Friday with a new story of murder, mystery, and mayhem.

Mike Gonzalez, the Angeles T. Arredondo E Pluribus Unum Senior Fellow at The Heritage Foundation, joins the show to discuss a 162-page White House Domestic Policy Council report examining exhibits and educational materials at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

Gonzalez argues that the museum has increasingly presented American history through ideological and activist frameworks instead of providing a balanced account of the nation's achievements and failures. He also explains the Smithsonian's enormous educational reach, its dependence on taxpayer funding, and why the institution's portrayal of American history matters as the country approaches its 250th anniversary.

Follow Mike Gonzalez on X: @Gundisalvus
Learn more at Heritage.org

Carrie Filipetti, executive director of the Vandenberg Coalition and a former deputy assistant secretary of state for Cuba and Venezuela, joins Chuck and Sam to discuss the devastating earthquake in Venezuela and Colombia's recent presidential election.

Filipetti examines the enormous loss of life and infrastructure damage in Venezuela, the government's delayed response, and the difficulties of delivering assistance while holding the country's ruling regime accountable.

She also explains Colombia's rightward political shift following the election of Abelardo De La Espriella and what the result could mean for security, energy development, regional stability, and the future of relations between the United States and Colombia.

Follow the Vandenberg Coalition on X: @VandenbergCo
Connect with Carrie Filipetti on LinkedIn
Learn more at VandenbergCoalition.org

Finally, Gary Gygi, president