I recall a story about a football coach -- I think it was Alabama legend Nick Saban -- who won a national championship and then came into work the next day to study game films and prepare for the next season.
That's how Republicans have to be. On the one hand, you have to act quickly, because it's a strong possibility Democrats will pick up seats in the 2026 midterm elections, as opposition parties do, despite the current left-wing disarray.
On the other hand, you want to govern so successfully that voters reward you with continued governing power. This is, in fact, possible -- not just because the Democrats are going to have trouble regrouping, but because Republicans can achieve wins.
Republicans face a challenge, in that Trump -- unexpectedly -- outperformed the Republican ticket in general. He won't be on the ballot in 2026 (or 2028), so the wins are going to have to be especially salient for Republicans to do well.
The top priorities must be:
- Closing the border
- Resolving wars in Europe and the Middle East
- Lowering inflation and improving economic optimism
These are all doable. There are many, many other things that Trump should do, but these are the priorities for voters who came to Trump from nontraditional backgrounds (disaffected whites, former Democrats, minorities).
What you don't want Democrats to be able to say is that the Republicans took the votes of these people for granted and then did what old-fashioned GOP elites had always wanted to do. Delivery has to be on everyone's mind.
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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