Rational Radio Daily with Steele and Ungar

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"Ultimately, it's a question of facts." May 04, 2018

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Rudy Giuliani, a recent addition to President Trump’s legal team, revealed in an interview with Sean Hannity Wednesday night that Trump reimbursed Michael Cohen, his personal attorney, $130,000 that Cohen paid to former porn star Stormy Daniels as part of a settlement agreement before the 2016 election. In the same interview, Giuliani claimed that nothing about Cohen’s payment or Trump’s reimbursement violated federal campaign finance law. Many other legal experts disagreed. Election law professor Ned Foley, director of "Election Law @ Moritz" and Ebersold Chair in constitutional law at the Ohio State University's Law School, breaks down both arguments and the potential legal implications for the president. Rick and guest co-host Ed Morrissey discuss the tragic case of Alfie Evans and what it says about government overreach.

"I think it's a head-fake" May 03, 2018

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The Washington Post reported Tuesday night that special counsel Robert Mueller warned President Trump's legal team back in March that he could subpoena the president and bring him before a grand jury if he won't agree to sit down for an interview. Legal experts began debating and discussing whether a sitting president could be subpoenaed at all, let alone by the special counsel. Former federal prosecutor Doug Burns talks to Rick and guest co-host Rick Tyler about whether Mueller can and will subpoena President Trump. He also shares his thoughts on the potential interview questions that were leaked earlier this week. Former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price acknowledged in a speech Tuesday to the 15th annual World Health Care Congress that repealing the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate will increase premiums for all Americans. It was a surprising admission from a long-time opponent of Obamacare. The guys discuss what this hypocrisy says about our politics and our policies.

"This is a presidency where one day feels like a week." May 02, 2018

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NBC News reported Monday that White House chief of staff John Kelly, increasingly frustrated with the president, called President Trump an “idiot” in one meeting and has tried to portray himself as a bulwark to hold back the president’s chaos. According to eight current and former White House officials, Kelly's comments to aides has eroded morale in the West Wing. Kelly pushed back against the story, calling it “total BS.” Will the chief of staff get the boot? Carol Lee, a national political reporter for NBC News who helped break the story, talks about Kelly's future in the administration. Keziah Daum, an eighteen-year-old student in Utah, bought a Chinese dress to wear to her prom. When she posted a photo of herself in the dress, she was attacked on social media and accused of cultural appropriation. Daum joins Rick and guest co-host Bill Tucker to discuss the whole ordeal.

"We have to have a conversation about the dinner going forward." May 01, 2018

Show notes

Michelle Wolf’s roast of Washington media, politicians and other Beltway power players at Saturday’s White House Correspondent’s Association dinner left many with a sour taste in their mouths. The controversy around Wolf’s performance has dominated the social and news media conversation for the last 48 hours, inspiring debate and discussion about the role and purpose of the dinner in promoting the 1st Amendment. Olivier Knox, SiriusXM’s Chief Washington Correspondent and the incoming president of the White House Correspondent’s Association, notes that some members of the WHCA were critical of Wolf's performance because it “sends the message that we are in fact anti-Trump…that we are at war, not at work.” However, Knox adds, “I happen to think we’re not at war. We are at work.” Knox joins the guys to discuss the controversy and how the WHCA plans to continue in its work to support journalists covering the White House. Rick and guest co-host Bill Tucker also talk about ACU Chairman Matt Schlapp’s assertion that journalists should not call out the president and his staff when they lie, but should let the American people decide for themselves who is telling the truth.

"I'm not buying it. Nobody should." Apr 28, 2018

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South Korean president Moon Jae-in announced Friday evening that, together with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, North and South Korea will work towards a formal end to the Korean War by the end of 2018. The two countries will also work together on the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. The announcement sent ripples of hope and suspicion across the globe. North Korea has a track record of promising peace only to later continue business as usual. Gordon Chang, a Daily Beast columnist and author of “Nuclear Showdown: North Korea Takes On The World”, thinks the new push for peace talks may be an attempt by Kim Jong-un to divide the U.S. and South Korea. Chang joins Rick and guest co-host Matt Mackowiak to lay out his concerns and suspicions as we witness the historic summit between the North and South Korean leaders. Mark McKinnon, executive producer and co-host of Showtime’s “The Circus” talks about documenting “the wildest political show on earth.”

"It's a mess...Our vets deserve better." Apr 27, 2018

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Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson, physician to Presidents George W. Bush, Obama and Trump, withdrew from his nomination as Secretary of Veterans Affairs early Thursday morning. Lawmakers, experts and the media criticized Admiral Jackson’s nomination from the start because of his lack of administrative experience. He faced further scrutiny this week after members of the White House medical staff raised allegations of “over-excessive” drinking while on the job, over-prescribing medication and creating a hostile work environment. This is the eighth nominee for VA Secretary since 9/11. Why does the VA never seem to get a win? Paul Rieckhoff, founder and CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, gives a veteran's perspective on Admiral Jackson’s decision and the VA’s track record in the 21st century. Disgraced comedian Bill Cosby was found guilty of three counts of indecent assault by a Pennsylvania jury today. Mr. Cosby's assaults spanned decades and there were dozens of allegations against him. Washington Post features writer Manuel Roig-Franzia, joined Rick and guest co-host Matt Mackowiak to talk about the trial and verdict.

"When a new administration comes in, it's entitled to change policies from the prior administration" Apr 26, 2018

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A federal judge for the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia ruled Tuesday night that the Trump administration would have to continue protections for current DACA recipients and continue accepting qualified applicants to the program. Two other federal judges, one in Brooklyn and one in San Francisco, handed down similar orders to the Trump administration, saying it had to continue to protect Dreamers. However, Judge Bates is the first to rule that the president must continue accepting applicants. Judge Andrew Napolitano noted on Fox News that this could force presidents to support predecessors’ policies, even if they campaigned against them. Steven D. Gordon, a litigation attorney in Holland & Knight’s D.C. office, breaks down the ruling.

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt instituted a new “transparency” rule that will limit what kinds of research are used in writing regulations. Pruitt’s allies say that it will increase public trust, but members of the scientific community say it will block the EPA from using myriad landmark studies that rely on personal, confidential information. Rick and guest co-host Matt Mackowiak weigh in on the potential implications of the transparency rule.

"We have a solution here that could save thousands of lives a year." Apr 25, 2018

Show notes

On Tuesday morning, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon and CNN's chief medical correspondent, published an open letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions on CNN.com. Dr. Gupta shared stories and corresponding scientific evidence about how marijuana treats pain better than opioids and could even help end the opioid crisis. Is pot the secret weapon we’ve needed in the fight against the opioid epidemic? Rick Ungar talks to Dr. Gupta about his research and upcoming CNN special report: “Weed 4: Pot vs. Pills”. Rick and guest co-host Bill Tucker, a veteran TV journalist, discuss the recent backlash against celebrities like Kanye West, Shania Twain and Roseanne Barr who have voiced support for President Trump. Have we reached a new level of intolerance?

"He's giving up the honor and prestige of the United States." Apr 24, 2018

Show notes

Kim Jong-un announced through North Korean state-run TV on Saturday that North Korea is ceasing all of its nuclear missile tests. The North Korean dictator stated that tests would no longer be necessary as “the weaponisation of nuclear weapons has been verified.” Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) said that he was glad that Kim “learned PR.” Is this just a PR move by North Korea and what should we make of this newest overture? Career counterintelligence officer Malcolm Nance breaks down North Korea’s latest move and what we can expect from the summit between Kim Jong-un and President Trump. Andy Puzder, former CEO of CKE Restaurant and President Trump’s first nominee for Secretary of Labor, talks about his new book “The Capitalist Comeback: The Trump Boom and the Left’s Plot to Stop It”.

"This does not add up to me." Apr 21, 2018

Show notes

Fox News host Sean Hannity accused the news media of being partisan hacks and "nothing more than an extension of the Democratic Party” during the opening monologue of his primetime TV show on Tuesday night. Hannity went on to express how he thinks all the “fake news media” does is “parrot liberal talking points” and try to delegitimize President Trump “24/7.” Is it hypocritical for Sean Hannity to slam the media for “bias” when he says things that could be seen as biased in their own right? Is there real bias against conservatives in the “mainstream news media” or is it more of a rallying and talking point for conservatives? Michael Steele and Rick Ungar dig into the question of whether there is inherent liberal bias in the mainstream media. On Thursday evening, the Department of Justice gave Congress access to former FBI Director James Comey’s memos about his meetings with President Trump. They were leaked to the public almost immediately. Our hosts dive into the meat and potatoes of the memos and share their thoughts on the potential political and legal impact they could have on the president and the Mueller investigation.

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