Episode Details

A quick note: Joe’s reporting from Capitol Hill adds something you won’t get from the headlines—what vulnerable Republicans are actually saying and doing when Trump isn’t nearly as useful to them as he used to be. If you value that kind of reporting, become a Bulwark member and help us keep making more of it.

Catherine Rampell and Joe Perticone discuss the growing signs that Republicans see Trump as a midterm liability, from candidates scrubbing his photos and endorsements from their websites to vulnerable members finding excuses to skip his big convention. They also look at the collapse of the MAGA merch business, Trump’s post about renaming New Mexico, and Kash Patel’s embarrassing AI-generated FBI propaganda.

Links:

Joe Perticone, The Bulwark — “Sorry, Mr. President. I Have a Thing.”

New York Times: As Midterms Approach, Republicans Find There Is No Escape From Trump

Axios: ‘We’re stuck’: GOP accepts Trump’s all-about-me midterms

The Wall Street Journal: In Trump’s Second Term, the MAGA Merchandise Boom Is Going Bust

CBS News: At the FBI, a history of hiring prostitutes or stealing from employer may no longer be a barrier to being hired