There is no doubt that Liz Cheney's primary defeat in Wyoming last night was a major victory for Trump. He humiliated his most prominent Republican critic; she declared war on him, and lost; her political career is essentially finished.
But it is not clear what the implications for Trump may be. Cheney did as much to defeat herself as Trump did to unseat her. She persisted with her January 6 obsession, to the exclusion of issues Wyoming voters care about, ad infinitum.
So while some pundits are saying -- both approvingly and otherwise -- that the Wyoming result cements Trump as the leader of the Republican Party, that is premature. He is the most important figure, but he does not control outcomes.
Just look at what has happened in some other primaries -- notably Georgia, where his gubernatorial candidate lost badly; and Pennsylvania, where his chosen candidate is losing to a weak Democrat who can barely campaign.
What is clear from Wyoming is that Republican voters are sick of the obsession with attacking Trump. It is not yet clear that Republican voters are ready to fall in love again with Trump -- though the FBI raid has rallied support around him.
There is a long way to go before 2024, and though the presidential primary will essentially kick off on the day after the midterm elections, if not sooner, I still see it as a wide-open field. Never Trump is discredited; Trump has a way to go.
This is my first broadcast from the new office and studio in Washington, DC, where I'll be for a couple of years my neighborhood back in L.A. cleans up -- and as we follow the Trump administration from a little closer up than usual.
Topics:
- The anniversary of the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump
- The escalating tariff battle with various different trading partners
- The future of the Middle East peace talks, and ongoing antisemitism
- The Jeffrey Epstein files and whether they mean anything at all
- The continued crisis of the Texas floods, and stories of heroism and survival
And more!
Special guests:
- James Rosen - Newsmax chief Washington correspondent
- Bob Price - Breitbart News Texas reporter, on the ongoing floods
- Robert Cahill - Trafalgar Polling, on a new alliance of reliable pollsters
- Rabbi Yaakov Menken - Coalition for Jewish Values - on Israel & antisemitism
Tune in: 7-10 p.m. ET, 4-7 p.m. PT
Call: 866-957-2874
This week’s portion tells the grand story of the prophet who tried to curse people of Israel and instead ended up blessing them.
I am reminded that these portions continue to be relevant anew, as this particular reading lent the title for Israel’s recent 12 Day War against Iran, “Operation Rising Lion.”
This week's portion includes the commandment of the red heifer -- one of the classic "irrational" commandments whose fulfillment is an expression of faith. It also includes the regrettable episode in which Moses strikes the rock.
I referred to this story in a wedding speech last night. Why was Moses punished for striking the rock in Numbers, when he struck the rock without incident in Exodus -- both for the purpose of providing water to the people?
The answer is that in the interim, the Jewish people had received the Torah, which is like the marriage contract between the people of Israel and God. In a marriage, you do not resolve things by breaking boundaries, but through love.
The additional reading, from Judges Chapter 11, is the story of Jephthah (Yiftach), a man whom the leaders spurn, but to whom they must turn to save the nation. The parallels to our present political circumstances are striking.
Shabbat Shalom and Happy Fourth of July!
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