Rational Radio Daily With Steele And Ungar

President Trump announced Thursday that he was considering leveling $100 billion in further tariffs on China. The first round of tariffs, set to the tune of $50 billion, aimed to punish China for violating World Trade Organization rules and dumping steel into both U.S. and international markets. Another reason President Trump cited in imposing these tariffs is decades of intellectual property theft carried out by Chinese businesses. China stated earlier today that it will not hesitate to respond with high tariffs of its own. Are we at the brink of a trade war? Gordon Chang, a Daily Beast columnist and author of “The Coming Collapse of China,” explains why he thinks what we're seeing isn't a trade war, but a struggle between two economic superpowers vying for technological dominance. EPA chief Scott Pruitt is in hot water following several recent scandals. Will he be able to weather the storm?

Democrats are celebrating this week in the wake of Judge Rebecca Dallet’s election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. She is the first Democrat to win an open seat on the court since 1995. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker warned that Dallet’s win means we could see a “blue wave” in November's midterm elections that would give Democrats control of the House. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told a Kentucky newspaper earlier this week that Republicans know the wind is in their face, saying, “We just don’t know if its category three, four or five.” Could the Dems still manage to mess it all up? Jeff Greenfield, an award-winning television journalist, talks about how the Left’s unforced errors and “Year of Magical Thinking” could potentially ruin their prospects for a "blue wave". Jamie McIntyre, a senior writer for the Washington Examiner, discusses President Trump’s decision to reverse course and keep U.S. troops in Syria.

50 years ago today, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was fatally shot by James Earl Ray while staying at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. King gave his final speech—now remembered as the “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech—at the Masonic Temple of Memphis, where King had been for a few days to support striking public sanitation workers. In the days that followed, riots broke out across the country. Many are wondering, especially in the wake of events like Charlottesville, where Dr. King’s legacy stands in our culture and public discourse. Are we any closer to achieving his dream or have we actually taken steps backwards? Andrew Young, former executive director of the SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference), former Ambassador to the United Nations and a friend and confidant of Dr. King, reflects on Dr. King’s last days, his legacy and why he feels his friend is still with us. Rick and guest co-host Rick Tyler discuss the potential political and economic impact of the $50 billion worth of tari

Deadspin published a video on Twitter over the weekend that demonstrated the growing monolithic hold that Sinclair Broadcasting Group exerts on local TV news stations across the country. The video shows dozens of anchors reading the same script, mandated by Sinclair to be read on air, which lambasts “biased and false news.” Media watchdogs are concerned with Sinclair’s record of conservative bias and how its editorial content seems to be in-line with the talking points of the Trump White House. If Sinclair completes its acquisition of Tribune Media, it could reach 72% of U.S. households and could push even more “must air” scripts on its audience, giving them less coverage of local news and local politics. Pam Vogel, a research fellow at Media Matters, talks about Sinclair’s effect on local news and the difficulty in regulating the ambitious media behemoth. President Trump said he wants the military to guard the Mexican border until his border wall is in place. Michael and Rick examine what might be motivating

As American military forces and its allies force ISIS to the brink of defeat, U.S. commanders are worried that their efforts might be wasted. An NBC News report says commanders and senior officials are concerned that a lack of guidance could potentially destroy their mission despite being "on the two-yard line." Career counterintelligence officer Malcolm Nance joined Rick and Michael to discuss how the chaos in the White House is jeopardizing the war against ISIS. Nick Tabor of New York Magazine explained how corruption, not Russia, might be President Trump's biggest political liability.

After two years of legal battles, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu prevailed and oversaw the removal of four prominent Confederate monuments in the city. The Kennedy Library Foundation announced this week that Landrieu will be awarded the John F. Kennedy Courage in Profile Award. The foundation's president, Jack Schlossberg, said, “In a year marked by continued racial injustice, in a moment of misguided national leadership and heightened division, Mayor Landrieu’s courage stands out brightly as an affirmative step in the right direction.” Mayor Landrieu talked with Michael Steele and Rick Ungar about the fight to remove the statues and his new book, "In the Shadow of Statues." Retired Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Peters recently left his role as a contributor at Fox News. He joined the guys to discuss why he left and how we can and should try to overcome hysteria in the media.

Former Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin wrote an op-ed for Wednesday's New York Times and explained why he's against privatizing the VA. Before he was fired earlier this week, Shulkin was reportedly unhappy with scandals and infighting at the agency that undermined his agenda and credibility. Mere hours after his dismissal, Shulkin joined NPR's Morning Edition and blamed much of the recent turmoil in the VA on political appointees that believe "that we are moving in the wrong direction or weren't moving fast enough toward privatizing the VA.” Jeremy Butler, the Chief Operations Officer for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, discusses why he opposes the privatization of the VA. Congressman Ro Khanna (D-Calif. 17) talks about why he thinks the Republicans’ “Balanced-Budget Amendment” is nothing more than a political play in a fiercely competitive election year.

President Trump dismissed Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin this evening with a tweet. The president also tweeted his preferred replacement for Dr. Shulkin in the same series of tweets. Robert Wilkie, assistant secretary of defense for legislative affairs, will serve as acting director and Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson, the physician to Presidents Bush, Obama and Trump, will be the president's nominee to become the next VA Secretary. This shake-up at the VA comes amidst fierce internal debate over questions of privatization and outrage over wasteful spending. Former VA Secretary Anthony Principi, who served under President George W. Bush, reacts to Shuklin's ouster and shares his thoughts on what the VA needs to get back on course. Stephon Clark, a 23-year-old father of two from Sacramento, California, was shot 20 times by two police officers in his grandparents' backyard earlier this month. Michael and Rick discuss how we can address the root of these shootings in a more holistic way.

In 1979, Baptist minister Jerry Falwell founded the Moral Majority to represent and promote the values and viewpoints of the Christian Right. During the March for Our Lives this past weekend, Matthew Dowd, ABC News' chief political analyst, believed a new moral majority had formed, tweeting, "New Moral Majority in America. And it isn’t white evangelicals, or the supporters of Trump. It is the majority of the country who believe in integrity in government, compassion, the rule of law, and justice." Dowd joins Rick Ungar to discuss this new moral majority and how it is beginning to show itself across the political spectrum. The Supreme Court will begin hearing a oral arguments in a gerrymandering case about redistricting in Maryland. The guys discuss how the court's ruling could influence coming elections and change the balance of power in Congress.

This past Saturday, students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School organized the March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C. and rallies in major cities all over the country. People of all ages and backgrounds gathered to hear speakers, including some of the survivors of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, share their stories and talk about why gun control legislation is so important. Congressman Eric Swalwell (D-Calif. 15) joins Michael and Rick to share his thoughts on the impact of the March for Our Lives and how it could affect the current and future political landscape.

John Tamny, the political economy editor at Forbes, joined Rick and Michael to explain how the national debt of the United States has now exceeded $20 trillion. How did we get to this point and what do we have to do in order to get our national debt under control? The guys also look at President Trump's threat to veto the omnibus spending bill, an act that would have shut down the government. Why does the president revel in this "contrived chaos"?

The House passed a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill today that will fund the government through September 30th. Many Republicans, especially members of the House Freedom Caucus, vocally criticized the bill for continuing the “business-as-usual” big spending of Congresses past. Members were also furious because the text of the 2,232-page bill was not made available to them until 16 hours before the vote. Congressman Scott Perry (R-Penn. 04), who voted against the omnibus bill, talks to Michael and Rick about his dissatisfaction with the legislative process. Phillip Bump, national correspondent for the Washington Post, joins the guys to help us answer the question: “Can Facebook be regulated?”

When President Trump fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Twitter, he used the same tweet to name current CIA Director Mike Pompeo as his choice to fill the top job at the State Department and current Deputy CIA Director Gina Haspel to step up into Pompeo’s role. Haspel’s nomination raised questions on both sides of the aisle because of her involvement in running a CIA black site in Thailand. Many members of the intelligence community defended Haspel and many senators have not raised serious objections to her nomination. However, Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is actively and vocally opposing Haspel’s nomination. The senator said the reports of her conduct at the CIA black site makes her unacceptable as a candidate to run the CIA. Senator Paul joins Michael and Rick to explain why he thinks Haspel isn't suitable for the job. Eric Bolling, a former Fox News host and popular conservative political commentator, lost his son to an accidental overdose. He has since become one of the leading voices in the fight aga

Senator Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) says he knew the Republican Party was headed in the wrong direction in the mid-2000's when it "stopped talked about fiscal conservatism and started talking about flag-burning.” Senator Flake, then a member of the House of Representatives, says the GOP abandoned its conservative principles, spending vast sums of taxpayer money and focusing on fighting at the front lines of the culture wars. On March 15th, the senator stirred up some controversy in a speech at the National Press Club, declaring, “My party might not deserve to lead.” Senator Flake joins Michael and Rick to discuss his concerns with the direction of the Republican Party under President Trump. Congressman Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas 16) talks about his campaign to unseat Senator Ted Cruz and his push to turn Texas purple.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe Friday night, two days before McCabe intended to retire and collect his full benefits as a federal employee. The FBI’s Office of Professional Responsibility recommended McCabe’s termination earlier this month, citing an incident in 2016 where he allowed FBI agents to give information about the Clinton investigation to media outlets. Some lawmakers on both sides of the aisle agree that McCabe’s firing seems justified in the wake of the OPR report. Others, mostly Democrats, argue this was a vindictive move carried out largely at the behest of President Trump—who has been publicly attacking McCabe for months. Ron Hosko, a former assistant FBI director, shares his perspective on the possible mishandling of McCabe’s dismissal and Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-Fla. 01) explains why he thinks special counsel Robert Mueller should step down from the Russia investigation.

In the wake of the Parkland shooting, a number of Republican lawmakers want to call for stronger gun reform. However, these rank-and-file congressmen are concerned that they'll be skewered by the NRA and primary challengers if they try to voice their opinions or push legislation without support from Republican leadership. Elaina Plott, a staff writer for the Atlantic, talked to a number of Republican lawmakers for her piece, “I Think We Have a Leadership Problem.” Ms. Plott talks to Michael and Rick about the GOP's leadership void on gun control and how it affects other lawmakers on Capitol Hill. The guys also discuss Jeff Flake’s recent comment that “My party [the GOP] might not deserve to lead” and whether President Trump could face a credible primary challenge in 2020.

The House Intelligence Committee is suffering from infighting over the handling and conclusion of its Russia investigation. Meanwhile, Republicans and Democrats alike are searching for answers and insight in the wake of Conor Lamb’s apparent victory in the special election for Pennsylvania’s 18th Congressional district. Members of Congress and world leaders are wondering where alliances and agreements stand amidst the shake-ups at the State Department and in the Trump administration. To make sense of the recent chaos, Michael and Rick speak with two of our favorite congressmen. Representatives Joaquin Castro (D-Texas 20) and Ted Lieu (D-Calif. 33) provide insight into this particularly wacky week in Washington.

The special election in Pennsylvania’s 18th district remains somewhat unsettled. The New York Times officially called the election for Democratic candidate Conor Lamb, who leads Republican candidate Rick Saccone by mere hundreds of votes. Many in the GOP, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, said Lamb won because he ran more like a Republican than a Democrat and that Dems won't be able to replicate Lamb’s strategy nationally in November. Ed Henry, chief national correspondent for Fox News, discusses why Conor Lamb's expected win in PA-18 represents a challenging rift for House Democrats and the party at large. Career counterintelligence officer Malcolm Nance explains the severity of the Russian-orchestrated nerve agent attack in the United Kingdom and his frustration with President Trump continuing to downplay such aggressive and egregious Russian behavior.

President Trump fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson via tweet in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. The president’s decision came after months of reports that the president was upset with his top diplomat over policy differences and an incident in which Tillerson referred to Mr. Trump as a “F***ing moron.” Secretary Tillerson leaves the State Department under-staffed, with low morale, and low standing in the international community. As Max Bergmann, a former State Department official, said to Michael and Rick, “I think he’ll go down in history as the as the worst Secretary of State we’ve ever had.” However, Bergmann noted that Tillerson could lose that title depending on how Mike Pompeo—current CIA Director and Trump’s pick for Tillerson’s successor—and his more establishment, neo-con sensibilities clash with the president’s. Rick and Michael share their thoughts on Tillerson’s ouster and his legacy while Max lays out how the State Department might function under Director Pompeo’s leadership.

Senator Jeff Flake called for a Republican to launch a primary challenge to President Donald Trump in the GOP primary in 2020. Is there anyone in the GOP that could give the president a run for his money? Evan Siegfried, a political strategist and author of “GOP GPS: How to Find the Millennial and Urban Voters the Republican Party Needs to Survive”, doesn't think so. He says no one in the GOP could beat Donald Trump in a primary right now. However, Siegfried does think there are candidates in the GOP that could do some damage to the president’s campaign and others who are planning for a future presidential run. Michael and Rick also discuss recent reports suggesting that President Trump wants to use his instincts more and rely on his staff less.