Incumbent Purge, Anti-Weaponization Fund, Senate War Powers Breakthrough Vote, Raúl Castro

Trey and Justin kick off this week’s episode by examining the shifts in this week’s primary elections. Trey argues the GOP has firmly solidified into a MAGA populist party. They highlight the historic and incredibly expensive defeat of long-time incumbent Representative Thomas Massie in Kentucky to a Trump-backed challenger, alongside Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy placing a distant third in his own state's primary race. The pair also discuss the increase in party-line voting.  Next, the pair dive into a staggering one-page settlement published by the DOJ which permanently bars the government from ever auditing or pursuing tax claims against Donald Trump or his family. Arising from a lawsuit over leaked tax data, Trump bypassed a cash payout to establish a $1.776 billion taxpayer-funded "anti-weaponization fund" that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche testified features no limitations, potentially directing funds to individuals convicted in the January 6th Capitol riots. While Justin details the profound corruption and the constitutional objections raised under the 14th Amendment’s insurrection clause, Trey emphasizes that the fund will likely prove highly popular among a dedicated third of the American electorate. After that, they move to the Senate where the Trump administration suffered a symbolic 50 to 47 loss on a War Powers Resolution aimed at forcing a halt to all unauthorized military operations in Iran. Fresh off his primary defeat, Senator Cassidy joined a handful of Republicans to cross party lines, though House leadership subsequently denied a vote on the measure to stall it until after the Memorial Day recess. Both hosts agree the measure is ultimately a toothless piece of political theater destined for a presidential veto, reflecting less of a seismic shift in congressional backbone and more of an electoral panic among marginal swing-district Republicans facing $4.50 gas prices and a multi-billion dollar war toll. Finally, the duo analyzes the newly unsealed federal criminal indictment charging 94-year-old former Cuban President Raúl Castro with murder and conspiracy stemming from the 1996 attack on two civilian aircraft. Trey and Justin question whether this legal maneuver provides genuine justice or functions merely as a ham-fisted pretense for military intervention to topple a new regime. Check out the ⁠⁠Future of Our Former Democracy⁠⁠ podcast  Read ⁠Trey's Substack⁠ for a deep dive into the Federalist Papers⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Politics Guys on ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠X⁠⁠ Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at⁠⁠ patreon.com/politicsguys⁠⁠ or⁠⁠ politicsguys.com/support⁠⁠. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. The Politics Guys is part of⁠⁠ The Democracy Group⁠⁠, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices