During this week's Substack LIVE, Charlie Sykes and Matt discuss:

— Trump’s Megalomania and Historical Self-Comparison: Donald Trump has reportedly begun comparing himself to Hegel’s legendary “heroes of an Epoch”: Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Napoleon Bonaparte. What could possibly go wrong?!?

— Trump’s Collapsing Polls and Political Damage: Sharp drops in approval, especially among independents; dismal ratings on Iran war handling, economy, inflation, and cost of living tied to gas price spikes, and more;

— Scott Jennings’ On-Air Meltdown: CNN contributor Scott Jennings dropping an F-bomb and losing his temper against a young liberal YouTuber (Adam Mockler). So why hasn’t he been fired?

— MAGA Congressman Riley Moore and the New Bishop: West Virginia Congressman Riley Moore — a Catholic Republican who gave a thumbs-up photo in front of El Salvador prison cages with migrants — got a surprise, recently. Pope Leo appointed a new bishop for West Virginia who is a former undocumented immigrant from El Salvador.

— Rudy Giuliani’s Fallen Legacy: Giuliani in critical condition in hospital; dramatic squandering of his post-9/11 hero status (would have had schools, airports, etc., named after him); comparison to Benedict Arnold as someone whose early heroism was destroyed by later flaws and choices.

— 2028 Trump Family Dynasty Speculation: Charlie and Matt agree that Trump might decide to back a family member in 2028 (Don Jr. or Ivanka!) as successor to retain influence and protection; Don Jr. as the more obvious but flawed candidate; Ivanka as potentially stronger (more likable, electable, historic first-woman angle).

— And MUCH more!

Subscribe to Matt Lewis on Substack: https://mattklewis.substack.com/Support Matt Lewis at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattlewisFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattLewisDCTwitter: https://twitter.com/mattklewisInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattlewisreels/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVhSMpjOzydlnxm5TDcYn0A– Who is Matt Lewis? –Matt K. Lewis is a political commentator and the author of Filthy Rich Politicians.Buy Matt's books: FILTHY RICH POLITICIANS: https://www.amazon.com/Filthy-Rich-Politicians-Creatures-Ruling-Class/dp/1546004416TOO DUMB TO FAIL: https://www.amazon.com/Too-Dumb-Fail-Revolution-Conservative/dp/0316383937

Copyright © 2026, BBL & BWL, LLC

On today's Substack LIVE conversation, Chris Cillizza and Matt discuss:

— Trump’s “No More Mr. Nice Guy” meme — why Trump is posting Terminator-style AI images in the middle of the night (and what it says about his mindset).

— Trump’s Revenge Obsession – The DOJ going after James Comey while the economy and gas prices suffer.

— Trump at 33% Approval – Historic lows, Republican panic over 2026 midterms, and why the “MAGA” namebrand is toxic in competitive districts.

— Supreme Court Bombshell – Landmark Voting Rights Act ruling could allow Republicans to redraw Southern districts and potentially flip 5-10 House seats.

— GOP Fracturing in Congress – Chaos on FISA reauthorization, the Farm Bill, closed parts of DHS, and the upcoming Tom Massie primary (Trump’s #1 target).

— 2028 Early Outlook – Field vs. JD Vance, Trump’s slipping grip on the party, and rising talk of Rubio, Don Jr., or a Tucker-style candidate.

— And MUCH more!

***** Sign up to hear Matt and Chris speak at the Leadership Institute's Content Creator Bootcamp on Friday, May 8. https://leadershipinstitute.org/event/701VL00000gVUkoYAG

Subscribe to Matt Lewis on Substack: https://mattklewis.substack.com/Support Matt Lewis at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattlewisFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattLewisDCTwitter: https://twitter.com/mattklewisInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattlewisreels/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVhSMpjOzydlnxm5TDcYn0A– Who is Matt Lewis? –Matt K. Lewis is a political commentator and the author of Filthy Rich Politicians.Buy Matt's books: FILTHY RICH POLITICIANS: https://www.amazon.com/Filthy-Rich-Politicians-Creatures-Ruling-Class/dp/1546004416TOO DUMB TO FAIL: https://www.amazon.com/Too-Dumb-Fail-Revolution-Conservative/dp/0316383937

Copyright © 2026, BBL & BWL, LLC

During today's podcast, Matt talks with Charlie Sykes about:

— Chaos at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner: An attempted shooting turned the glitzy event into near-tragedy, exposing major security gaps and prompting immediate political finger-pointing instead of reflection.

— The Bizarre “Build the Ballroom” Pivot: Trumpworld shifted with laser-focused message discipline to demand a $400 million White House ballroom — weaponizing the violence to advance Trump’s obsession and keeping the topic of conversation off of Iran.

— The 60 Minutes Meltdown: Trump’s defensive interview, including unsolicited Nixon-esque denials (“I am not a rapist… I am not a pedophile”) and lashing out at host Norah O’Donnell.

— The Security Bubble Problem: From cabinet members living on military bases to calls for presidents never leaving fortified compounds, the Trump administration is increasingly isolated from regular people, worsening governance and public distrust.

— Conspiracy Theories Biting Back: The same conspiratorial mindset Trump once fueled (birtherism, Stop the Steal, etc.) is now turning inward.

— And MUCH more!

Subscribe to Matt Lewis on Substack: https://mattklewis.substack.com/Support Matt Lewis at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattlewisFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattLewisDCTwitter: https://twitter.com/mattklewisInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattlewisreels/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVhSMpjOzydlnxm5TDcYn0A

– Who is Matt Lewis? –Matt K. Lewis is a political commentator and the author of Filthy Rich Politicians.

Buy Matt's books:

FILTHY RICH POLITICIANS: https://www.amazon.com/Filthy-Rich-Politicians-Creatures-Ruling-Class/dp/1546004416TOO DUMB TO FAIL: https://www.amazon.com/Too-Dumb-Fail-Revolution-Conservative/dp/0316383937

Copyright © 2026, BBL & BWL, LLC