Al and Mark Leibovich on The Midterm Landscape

Al Franken and The Atlantic's Mark Leibovich deliver a blistering assessment of the 2026 midterm landscape, arguing that Donald Trump’s erratic behavior—his love for inflation, his near-collapse on live TV, and his relentless attacks on election integrity—has become the Democrats’ greatest asset. The episode reveals a Republican Party in disarray, demoralized by Trump’s self-destructive tactics and his family’s brazen corruption, including Don Jr.’s rare earth metals startup that doubled in value after Pentagon funding. Yet, despite the chaos, Democrats are dangerously overconfident, risking a repeat of their 2024 self-inflicted wounds. The hosts spotlight key races where the stakes are highest: Georgia’s Jon Ossoff, who’s running a devastatingly effective campaign against Trump’s wealth, and Texas’s James Talley Rico, whose progressive views and theological provocations are being weaponized by Republicans. In Minnesota, Al Franken passionately endorses Peggy Flanagan, his former Native American advisor, as a transformative candidate who embodies legislative excellence and authenticity—proving that the most powerful political moment may not be a policy speech, but a five-year-old boy taking your hand and dancing with you in a powwow circle.