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The Daily Blast: Trump Screws Himself So Badly on Tex. Race that GOPers Visibly Stunned May 20, 2026

Show notes

Donald Trump just endorsed MAGA nutjob Ken Paxton in the Texas GOP primary for Senate, potentially killing off establishment incumbent Senator John Cornyn. As GOP Senators absorbed this news, reporters described them as “visibly dismayed” and “stone-faced.” Senator Lisa Murkowski openly declared that Trump has now put the seat “in jeopardy,” asking: “How does that help strengthen the president’s hand when we lose a state like Texas?” Translation: Trump has screwed himself and his party in a big way. This might cost them the seat, and at a minimum it makes it much harder to hold. So is Texas actually gettable for Democrats? We talked to Democratic operative Sawyer Hackett, a veteran of Texas races. He explains why Paxton is much weaker than Cornyn, why a perfect storm of conditions in the state could bring about the unthinkable, what Democrat James Talarico’s path to victory looks like, and what could still go wrong for Democrats.

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DSR Daily May 19: Trump Delays Massive Attack on Iran May 19, 2026

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On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we break down Trump claiming he has delayed a massive attack on Iran, a contentious Republican primary in Kentucky, a horrific attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego, and more.

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The Daily Blast: Trump’s $10 Billion IRS Shakedown Takes Darker Turn, Unnerving Experts May 19, 2026

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Donald Trump has reached a “settlement” with his Justice Department in a $10 billion lawsuit he brought against the IRS. Under it, DOJ will create a new $1.8 billion fund, controlled by Trump, that will dole out payments to allies who have supposedly been victimized by government “weaponization.” This could include the January 6 rioters. This has shocked legal observers, who called it everything from “horrible” to a “slush fund,” with others describing it as corruption that might be historically unprecedented. What happened here? Is there any recourse? Do Republicans really want to defend this, given that Trump’s economic numbers just cratered again in a brutal New York Times poll? We talked to legal expert Harry Litman, who writes for The New Republic and hosts the Talking Feds podcast. He explains why this is likely illegal but almost impossible to stop; why it’s so damaging to our system more broadly; and how Democrats can ensure that the GOP pays a major price for it this fall.

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DSR Daily May 18: Trump Drops Lawsuit Against IRS May 18, 2026

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On the DSR Daily for Monday, we cover Trump dropping his lawsuit against the IRS, the White House ballroom losing funding in the Senate, the WHO declaring an Ebola outbreak, and more.

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The Daily Blast: Trump Rages Wildly at Journo—and Accidentally Exposes Big Iran Blunder May 18, 2026

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Donald Trump desperately wants the world to recognize his world-historical defeat of Iran. In an extended tirade, Trump raged wildly at a New York Times reporter, insisting his victory is absolute. He claimed the Times is failing, accusing the journalist of being a “fake guy” and declaring his coverage betrays America: “I actually think it’s treason.” This is revealing: His insistence on having won reveals that Trump doesn’t get that military force alone can’t force open the Strait of Hormuz—meaning he doesn’t grasp the situation at the most fundamental level, perhaps his biggest failing of all. We talked to political scientist David Faris, who’s been writing well on this fiasco. We discuss how Trump got little out of China, why his failures abroad mean more authoritarianism at home, why that combination will do severe long-term damage to America, and how Trump suffers from “dictator envy.”

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DSR Weekly Wrap-up: Trump Returns from China… and He Doesn’t Seem Happy May 17, 2026

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On the DSR Weekly Wrap-up for May 15, we discuss Trump’s return from Beijing, the Supreme Court ruling that abortion pills can continue via telehealth, the courtroom showdown between Elon Musk and Sam Altman, and more.

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Words Matter: Gerrymandermaxxing: Can Dems Still Win in November? May 15, 2026

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Our democracy is failing. As we approach the midterm elections this year, the Republicans are doing all they can to corrupt our electoral process. With the Supreme Court in Trump’s pocket, what does this mean for the Democrats? Will corruption rule the November elections? Tune in as Norm Ornstein and David Rothkopf discuss the upcoming midterms and the bleak future of US politics.

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The Daily Blast: Trump’s GOP Allies Admit He’s Toxic as New Poll Stuns Analyst: “Scary” May 15, 2026

Show notes

NBC News reports that some vulnerable Republicans are privately worried about use of the slogan “MAGA majority” to describe the GOP effort to hold the House. Why? Because the term “MAGA” puts Trump “front and center,” as NBC puts it. That’s quite an admission of Trump’s toxicity. Meanwhile, CNN’s Harry Enten reports on new polling that finds his disapproval on gas prices at 79 percent, higher than under any other president. That disapproval is shared by 85 percent of independents and even 52 percent of Republicans, which Enten describes as “scary” for the GOP. Mona Charen, a writer for The Bulwark, has a good piece arguing that high gas prices are dovetailing with public revelations about Trump’s corruption to produce a particularly toxic combination for him. So we talked to Charen about why that double whammy is so potent, why corruption is a sleeper issue in the midterms, and why the GOP panic is a real moment of poetic justice.

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NTK: The Real Significance of the Trump China Summit May 14, 2026

Show notes

Presidents Trump and Xi have been all smiles at the first summit in Beijing in nearly nine years. Yet there is something profound happening beneath the politeness and declarations of friendship: the balance of power has tipped dramatically toward China. Rush Doshi, Director of the China Strategy Initiative at the CFR, joins David Rothkopf for a deep dive into the importance of this meeting, arguing that while China holds more cards than ever, cooperation will be the key to both countries’ success.

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DSR Daily May 14: Xi Rolls Out the Red Carpet for Trump May 14, 2026

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On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we break down the friendly start to the China summit, JD Vance’s latest attempt at damage control, the South Carolina governor’s redistricting attempt, and more.

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