Shutdown Continued, The East Wing, The 9th Circuit on Portland, Arizona Sues Johnson, The Era of Group Chat

Shutdown Continued, The East Wing, The 9th Circuit on Portland, Arizona Sues Johnson, The Era of Group Chat

Author: Michael Baranowski October 25, 2025 Duration: 54:30
Trey and Ken start by letting Ken weigh in on the government shutdown. Ken argues that the Democrats are winning and are doing the right thing. Trey disagrees and sees Democrats as eventually the party that will back down and let people get paid. Ken doubles down by saying the shutdown will last until December when Republicans will then back down. Next, the guys overview the demolition of the White House’s East Wing. Trey is concerned about the larger issue of buying favor with the government for those who help fund it. Ken, meanwhile, thinks strong language is needed and suggests that what Osama bin Laden failed to do, President Trump did: level part of the White House. After that, it is a look into the 9th Circuit Court of Appeal’s ruling on the National Guard in Portland. Ken convinces Trey that Trump won the battle, but that it is merely a technicality. The court will eventually change because it currently is not ruling on the full facts. Then they discuss the suit against Speaker Mike Johnson to seat the newly elected member from Arizona. Neither host thinks Speaker Johnson is wrong, but they both point out that when she is seated, it will mean the discharge petition on Epstein will move forward. The guys close with a discussion of what The Atlantic called the Group Chat Presidency. What is the future of politics in an era of the group chat? The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Check out the excellent Sustainable Planet podcast. Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support atpatreon.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

Tired of political conversations that feel more like shouting matches? The Politics Guys offers a different space, one built on civility and genuine expertise rather than partisan performance. Host Michael Baranowski guides discussions with a rotating panel of knowledgeable voices-political scientists, law professors, and attorneys who've worked within government. These aren't just pundits; they're practitioners and scholars who bring evidence and experience to the table. Each episode digs into the nuances of American policy and the political landscape, ensuring multiple perspectives are heard not as debate points, but as integral parts of a complex whole. You'll find the analysis here is grounded and deliberate, a conscious step away from the reactive news cycle. This podcast thrives on the principle that understanding different viewpoints is the foundation of a healthier democracy, not a compromise of one's own. It’s for anyone seeking depth over drama, and substance over soundbites, in their political listening.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Politics Guys
Podcast Episodes
Ukraine Peace Deal, Comey Case Tossed, Military Orders [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:02
Mike, Tim, and Michael open with Trump’s 28-point Ukraine peace plan, built on Russian terms that demand territorial concessions, a NATO ban, limits on Ukraine’s army, and sweeping amnesty. Tim focuses on trading some Uk…
Comey Indictment, ACA Subsidies, the MAGA Theory of Power [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:51
Mike and Joey open with the spiraling Comey prosecution, where a Trump-aligned U.S. attorney faces judicial scorn for alleged grand-jury missteps that could collapse the case. Mike argues the real play is intimidation an…
Epstein Files, Trump MBS Meeting, California vs ICE [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:31
Mike and Joey open with the blowback to Joey’s claim that “the hubris of the left” is the biggest obstacle to national unity . Mike frames Trump’s behavior as the more obvious example of hubris, while Joey argues that Tr…
A.I. in Political Campaigns [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:12
Travis talks with Dr. Michael Cohen, author of Modern Political Campaigns, and Julie Sweet, author of the American Association of Political Consultants’ Deepfake Law Compliance Guide for Political Campaigns, about the ro…
Federalist Paper No 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:38
Trey & Ken begin a new supporter's series on The Federalist Papers. This week's episode includes an overview of The Federalist Papers themselves and introduces Federalist Paper No. 1. Topics covered include: The history…
Saving Ourselves From Big Car [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:56
Mike talks with David Obst, a former journalist, publisher, screenwriter, and film producer. He’s also the author of a new book on the automotive industry called Saving Ourselves from Big Car, which is the focus of their…
Ideologies: Conservatism [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:21
Trey & Justin continue their dive into contemporary political ideologies. This week, they dive into conservatism. Topics covered include: The underlying principles of conservatism, including tradition and gradual change…
Democrats Win, Government Shutdown, Senate Filibuster, Nancy Pelosi [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:37
Trey and Justin open the show by bypassing the shutdown, at least for a moment, and starting with the 2025 elections. Trey argues that the results are a victory for Democrats, but must be contextualized. His key point is…
Nations Apart: Colin Woodard on the Regional Cultures That Divide Us [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:03
Mike talks with New York Times bestselling author, historian, and journalist Colin Woodard. His latest book is Nations Apart: How Clashing Regional Cultures Shattered America, which they discuss on this episode. Topics M…