In this week’s episode of Beyond the Bubble, national Republicans fret over the 2018 election effects of President Donald Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey, an ambitious Kansas politician gets a controversial gig and North Carolina Democrats cry foul over a 3 a.m. state budget vote.
Host Pati Mazzei of the Miami Herald is joined by political reporters Bryan Lowry of the Kansas City Star and Colin Campbell of the Raleigh News & Observer, along with McClatchy senior political correspondent Katie Glueck and White House correspondent Anita Kumar.
On this episode:
- Special guest Al Cardenas, the former head of the American Conservative Union, warns that Trump could be a drag on Republicans on the 2018, especially if voters get a lasting impression that the White House is in disarray.
- Bryan delves into the political future of Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who was appointed to co-chair the Trump administration’s Commission on Election Integrity. There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud, but the issue could raise Kobach’s national profile ahead of a possible run for governor.
- Colin recounts late-night budget shenanigans in the North Carolina state Senate, which included an impromptu dance party and funding to battle the opioid crisis at the expense of public education.
- Katie walks us through grassroots Republicans’ calculus ahead of the 2018 election. Political operatives are wary of Democrats’ stepped-up recruitment and recharged activism, but Trump still has plenty of on-the-ground support.
Subscribe to the show on iTunes here or Sticher here and please send questions and suggestions for upcoming shows to btb@mcclatchy.com.
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