Rational Radio Daily with Steele and Ungar

Latest Episodes:

"My Dad [President Reagan] would not kick the Dreamers out." Sep 07, 2017

Show notes

President Trump's decision to wind down the DACA program prompted several Republicans and Democrats around the Hill to invoke President Reagan's position on amnesty as a guiding force for lawmakers. President Reagan's son, Michael Reagan, a Republican strategist, author and veteran talk radio host, talks to Michael Steele and Rick Ungar about how he thinks his dad would have addressed DACA's legal, moral and constitutional quandaries. David Drucker, senior political correspondent for The Washington Examiner, discusses GOP fears that eliminating DACA may further erode its support among Hispanic voters.

"These people who knew what I was about saw something in me I didn't even see." Sep 06, 2017

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Christian Picciolini, a reformed white supremacist, joined Michael Steele and Rick Ungar last month in the weeks after Charlottesville to try and help the guys understand the psychology and rationale of those who marched Nuremberg-style through the campus of the University of Virginia and rallied in favor of white supremacy. He described the movement he was a part of and helped organize for five years by saying, "We hated other people because we really hated ourselves." Picciolini returns tonight to give an in-depth and detailed account of his time as a skinhead, how he overcame his hatred, and his thoughts on the white supremacist movement in America today.

"Amnesty is a LEGISLATIVE act, not an executive action." Sep 06, 2017

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President Trump spent months on the campaign trail railing against DACA , the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, as an unconstitutional executive overreach by President Obama that rewarded illegal immigrants and prevented American workers from getting jobs. However, at his first presidential press conference back in February, President Trump talked about how his administration would treat the issue of DACA with "a lot of heart." President Trump decided to end the program, giving Congress a six-month window to find a legislative solution. Kris Kobach, Secretary of State for the great state of Kansas, a vocal critic of the DACA program, explains to Michael Steele and Rick Ungar why he thinks ending DACA is a good thing for the U.S. Dick Allen, foreign policy coordinator for President Nixon and President Reagan's first national security adviser, shares his thoughts on how we should deal with the North Korea quagmire.

"I felt my blood pressure rising at the idea of a presidential pardon for Mr. Assange." Sep 02, 2017

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To many in Washington, one of the most shocking aspects of the Trump presidency has been the president's continued verbal attacks on U.S. intelligence agencies. Staff at the CIA, FBI and NSA are all experiencing a drop in morale. The intelligence community is getting even antsier as reports surface that President Trump might offer a pardon to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Robert Deitz, former senior councilor to CIA Director Michael Hayden, shares his concerns for what an Assange pardon could mean for both the Russia probe and the intelligence community. Dr. Anand Parekh, former deputy assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services, talks about Hurricane Harvey relief efforts and how the government can better prepare for such disasters.

"2018 is going to be about Trump. 2020 is going to be about the Democratic Party." Sep 01, 2017

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While the 2020 election may be over three years away, Congressman John Delaney (D-Md.) is already laying the groundwork for a run at the White House. Rep. Delaney and other prominent Democratic figures, including Senator Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden, are touring key primary states like New Hampshire and South Carolina. Congressman Delaney joins Michael Steele and Rick Ungar to talk about the issues that matter most to him and what the road to 2020 looks like. The guys also discuss recent reports that special counsel Robert Mueller is collaborating with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman in his investigation of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

"Missile defense doesn't save your bacon." Aug 31, 2017

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After North Korea's missile test earlier this week, Rick Ungar and Michael Steele talked with Dr. Laura Grego, a senior scientist in the Global Security program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Dr. Grego says she doesn't believe missile defense as a concept will save the day. The guys also discussed how Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis is handling President Trump's ban on transgender military personnel.

"We have to communicate what we stand for as Democrats." Aug 30, 2017

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After losing more than 1,000 seats over the last 10 years, the Democratic Party is trying to win back majorities in the House, Senate and state governments. DNC Chairman Tom Perez joins Michael Steele and Rick Ungar to discuss how he's rebuilding the party's infrastructure and messaging. Dr. Bruce Bechtol, president of the International Council on Korean Studies, talks about North Korea's latest missile tests and how the U.S. should respond.

"In New York, the currency of exchange is money. In DC, it's power." Aug 29, 2017

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When Watergate expert Jim Robenalt joined Steele & Ungar, he explained that President Trump, like President Nixon, couldn't pardon with absolute impunity, saying, "One of the articles of impeachment against Nixon was that he was using the pardon power improperly." However, pardoning political ally Joe Arpaio sent a very loud message to special counsel Robert Mueller. Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and longtime Washington Post culture critic Henry Allen talked with Michael about why President Trump is so awkward in Washington, D.C.

"It's not an uptick. I'd call it a tsunami." Aug 26, 2017

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The day after President Trump's inauguration, millions of women gathered in cities across the United States and around the world to protest what they saw as an anti-woman administration. The impact of the Women's March is now being felt in elections across the country. Joan Walsh, MSNBC political analyst and national affairs correspondent for The Nation, talks about her recent piece that documents the huge surge in first-time female candidates in local and state-wide races because of the 2016 election and the Trump presidency.

"Everyone is presumed innocent, but the president is building a case against himself with his own actions." Aug 25, 2017

Show notes

Career counterintelligence officer Malcolm Nance shared some perspective on a recent update in the Russia investigation when he joined Steele & Ungar. "If we weren't focused on the president's speeches and tweets, this would be the top story of the week." Nance described the news that Glenn Simpson, author of the infamous 'Steele Dossier', testified about the dossier in front of a Senate committee earlier this week. Multiple news sources have also reported that Rick Dearborn, a top Trump campaign staffer and current deputy chief of staff, may have sent emails requesting meetings between the Trump campaign and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Malcolm explains the seriousness of these events and their potential impact on the Russia investigation. Reformed neo-Nazi Christian Picciolini talks about his past as a white supremacist, how he left that life and how he's helping individuals leave lives of hate and violence through his non-profit organization, "Life After Hate".