President Trump has never been shy about expressing his thoughts regarding the investigation into his 2016 campaign … and whether (1) Russia played a role in his election, and (2) whether his campaign colluded with the Kremlin to make it happen. But this week’s action by the FBI, a raid on Trump attorney Michael Cohen’s offices and residences, has infuriated the president. And it once again raised the possibility that he may follow up on his threats and fire Robert Mueller, the special counsel leading the investigation. Aaron Blake of the Washington Post recaps what might happen if Trump were to take action against Mueller, or Attorney General Jeff Sessions, or Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
And, for extra measure, Aaron offers his analysis behind the surprising — but not really surprising — announcement by House Speaker Paul Ryan that he won’t seek re-election in November.
Nathan Gonzales of Inside Elections talks about the number of Republican primaries around the country, including Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio (but others as well), in which the candidates try to out-Trump each other; that is, to prove to voters that they are more loyal to the president and his agenda than their rivals.
And we go back to 1999, when former Vice President Dan Quayle announced his bid for the Republican presidential nomination. Bill Kristol, who earlier served as Quayle’s chief of staff, talked about his bid and the roadblocks that stood before him.
Photo courtesy of flickr user Gage Skidmore
Music used in this podcast:
Going Home by The Rolling Stones