Did anyone land a successful punch at the Republican Debate? (And did it matter?) Our reactions to Trump’s interview with Tucker Carlson, and the new song that catapulted a relatively unknown country singer to conservative folk hero and progressive hate object status

Join our host, Ron Steslow, as he explores the most important political news with guests Susan Del Percio (MSNBC political analyst and crisis communications expert), Liam Donovan (Principal at Bracewell LLP) and Liz Gilbert Cohen (President of the 2020 Democratic National Convention).

Segments to look forward to:

(02:18) A deep dive into the first Republican primary debate, who won and who lost, Nikki Haley’s swipe at Donald Trump, and Vivek Ramaswamy’s annoying performance that could endear him to MAGA voters

(31:50) Donald Trump and Tucker Carlson counterprogramming the debate with a pre-taped interview where they discussed whether Trump’s political rivals would try to kill him and whether we’re heading toward a civil war. 

(41:40) The little known Virginia country singer who was catapulted to conservative folk hero and progressive hate object status for the song “Rich Men North of Richmond”  

[Politicology+] The continued legal troubles for Hunter Biden and how Joe Biden can respond to the Republican attacks. 

Politicology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To join us there, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts.

Follow this week’s panel on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://twitter.com/LPDonovan

https://twitter.com/DelPercioS

Related reading:
Segment 1: 
Politico—How Fox’s Republican debate moderators are thinking about the Trump question - POLITICO
NYT—Debate Live Updates: Republican 2024 Candidates, but Not Trump, to Face Off - The New York Times

Segment 2: 
X—Tucker Carlson Interview with Donald Trump 
CNN—Trump already taped interview with Tucker Carlson that will air on GOP debate night | CNN Politics
The Hill—Tucker Carlson asks Trump: Are you worried ‘they’re going to try and kill you?’ | The Hill

Segment 3
YouTube—Oliver Anthony Rich Men North of Richmond
AZ Lyrics—Oliver Anthony - Rich Men North Of Richmond Lyrics | AZLyrics.com
NY Post—What people are getting wrong about 'Rich Men North of Richmond'
NYT—How ‘Rich Men North of Richmond’ Reached the Top of the Charts
Intelligencer—Oliver Anthony and the Incoherence of Right-Wing Populism
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