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

— Barack Obama on the stump: Is his return helpful or a reminder of the old brand? Breaking down the “Saddam Hussein and the "Cheesecake Factory” line.

— Why a big polling error is less likely this cycle (Trump isn’t on the ballot) and why Democratic nervousness is actually a healthy sign

— The DOJ’s frivolous Alaska lawsuit and other early signs Republicans are laying groundwork to challenge or refuse results

— Viktor Orbán floated as UN Secretary General, and how hard it is to tell real from surreal

— Democrats’ Epstein ad strategy: Why tying corruption, affordability, and broken promises is potent, and how Sen. Jon Ossoff has modeled the message

— Vivek Ramaswamy’s nasty ad in Ohio probably backfired

— Bonus: Tech oligarchs, free-speech hypocrisy, and why we’re still rooting for the Brewers!

Subscribe to Matt Lewis on Substack: https://mattklewis.substack.com/Support Matt Lewis at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattlewis

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– 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 this week’s podcast, Chris Cillizza and I discuss:

— The possibility of a 2006/1994/2010-style disaster for Republicans, with Democrats potentially gaining 5–9 Senate seats.

— Polling reality check: Races remain stubbornly close (mostly 1–4 points) despite the expanding Senate map.

— Fake polls and market manipulation: The Wedgewood Polling scandal, its claimed impact on Mallory McMorrow’s Michigan Senate primary exit, inclusion in aggregators, and how single polls can move prediction markets (Kalshi, Polymarket, etc.).

— Speaker Mike Johnson is confidently declaring the polls to be wrong “wrong,” and why Trump’s dominance makes a leadership challenge unlikely.

— Vivek Ramaswamy’s scummy ad, JD Vance’s defense of it, and potential backlash in Ohio.

— Will fresh faces (Jon Ossoff, James Talarico, Rob Sand, AOC) run in 2028 and remake the Democratic brand? Timing is everything!

— And MUCH more!

Check out my latest piece, “Mike Johnson Really Needs to Stop Insisting the Polls Are Wrong": https://www.washingtonsun.com/perspectives/mike-johnson-really-needs-to-stop-insisting-the-polls-are-wrong

Sign up here to get Matt's Washington Sun☀️ columns sent directly to your inbox! https://www.washingtonsun.com/matt-k-lewis-newsletter-sign-up

Subscribe to Matt Lewis on Substack: https://mattklewis.substack.com/Support Matt Lewis at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattlewis

Facebook: 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 podcast, Charlie Sykes and Matt discuss:

— Why November 3 is not the finish line, and the post-election period through January could bring chaos.

— Trump’s “Kansas kickback” is a sign of Republican panic about losing the House and Senate.

— Trump’s embrace of Putin and betrayal of Ukraine as a stunning historical act that further fractures his 2024 coalition

— Endorsing Bibi Netanyahu (low U.S. approval) and other foreign meddling instead of focusing on America First.

— The sickening feeling that comes from being right about Trump, reflections on the “Flight 93” narrative, and why a stable society chose to set itself on fire.

— JD Vance’s weak CBS town hall performance, lack of charisma, baggage from Trump

— Ted Cruz as an undervalued dark horse/Goldilocks candidate if Trumpism crashes further

— Post-election dangers and what Democrats should do if they gain power: lean into economic populism, drop the woke excesses, maintain border control, prepare for AI-driven job disruption, and more!

Subscribe to Matt Lewis on Substack: https://mattklewis.substack.com/Support Matt Lewis at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattlewis

Facebook: 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 podcast, Chris Cillizza and Matt discuss:

— Is Trump looking to replace Chief of Staff Susie Wiles (per Politico Playbook) just 19 days before the midterms?

— Why Wiles was the perfect non-traditional chief for Trump (mother figure, not James Baker) and why he still wants a new character for the next season

— Top potential scapegoats if Republicans lose: John Thune, Pete Hegseth, Ken Paxton, Wiles, and more

— New press secretary Katie Zacharia’s rough first briefing, and how the job has shifted under Trump

— Trump’s aggressive midterm barnstorming and repeated “pretend I’m on the ballot” line — smart base play or self-own at record-low approval?

— Trump in the twilight: aging, lame-duck status, better as outsider than governing, and the walnut-tree effect on the GOP bench

— Democrats letting a thousand flowers bloom vs. Republican top-down control and the thin post-Trump pipeline

— Mike Johnson’s decision to stay on as Speaker or Minority Leader (no matter what happens in the midterms)

— Matt’s Senate races to watch: Texas and Kansas

— And MUCH more!

Make sure to check us out again next week!Subscribe to Matt Lewis on Substack: https://mattklewis.substack.com/Support Matt Lewis at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattlewis

Facebook: 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 this week's podcast, Charlie Sykes talks with Matt about:

— Kimberly Guilfoyle’s resignation as ambassador to Greece: the “MAGA queen” deemed too grifty even for the Trump orbit.

— Money versus money: Elon Musk’s roughly $366 million (and the potential for far more) versus voter concerns over affordability, consumer sentiment, and Trump’s checks.

— Populist irony and conservative reversals: Trump capitalizing on anti-elite anger then surrounding himself with billionaires and swamp figures; the old small-government, anti-“jackbooted thugs” right now defending the opposite.

— Culture-war distractions: GOP literature and messaging focuses on bathrooms, sports, and “tampons in men’s restrooms” while affordability dominates voter concerns.

— Musk amplifies false claims about James Tallarico’s health.

— Trump’s personal comments on examining Jon Husted’s “ass,” the new press secretary’s rocky debut, and MUCH more!

Subscribe to Matt Lewis on Substack: https://mattklewis.substack.com/Support Matt Lewis at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattlewis

Facebook: 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 podcast, Chris Cillizza and Matt discuss:

— Trump’s repeated Texas and Ohio stops as a sign of a Republican base-motivation problem

— Ken Paxton’s leaked audio, and whether Senate Republicans are laying groundwork to throw him under the bus

— Who actually decides? — John Thune and the Senate Leadership Fund versus MAGA Inc. — and the scapegoat risk if Texas is abandoned

— Chuck Schumer might not be so stupid after all?

— Mike Rogers’ Canada-tariff reversal, and other Republicans distancing from Trump on tariffs and Iran

— JD Vance as a tenuous heir: charisma, shapeshifting, and the VERY ONLINE trap

— Buy-low 2028: Why Ted Cruz is a dark horse to watch

— And MUCH more!

Subscribe to Matt Lewis on Substack: https://mattklewis.substack.com/Support Matt Lewis at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattlewis

Facebook: 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 podcast, The Washington Monthly’s Bill Scher talks with Matt about:

— Abdul El-Sayed told CNN he will win Michigan by 7 points, while recent public polls mostly show leads of 1–4

— El-Sayed reportedly reached out o Hasan Piker, asking him to lay low.

— Why Michigan, Maine, and Minnesota look softer for Democrats than Texas

— Bill’s own poll average (all non-internal polls, fixed recent window) model

— Can the polls be trusted this close to the midterms?

— The alternative reading of “missing” Republican respondents: demoralized rural voters hit by tariffs, diesel, and fertilizer costs rather than only “"shy Trump” voters

— Texas as a GOP money sinkhole: Ken Paxton’s weak fundraising and leaked complaint that he does not control his own campaign’s message

— Candidate quality across the map (Talarico, Roy Cooper, others) and whether Chuck Schumer’s recruitment record looks better people think

Subscribe to Matt Lewis on Substack: https://mattklewis.substack.com/Support Matt Lewis at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattlewis

Facebook: 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 this week's podcast, Matt talks with Chris Cillizza about his latest column at The Washington Sun: "I Almost Never Vote for Democrats. I’m Making an Exception This Year." https://www.washingtonsun.com/perspectives/i-almost-never-vote-for-democrats-im-making-an-exception-this-year

They also discuss whether we can believe the polls showing a blue wave next month, whether the walls really are (finally) closing in around Donald Trump, and MUCH more!

Subscribe to Matt Lewis on Substack: https://mattklewis.substack.com/Support Matt Lewis at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattlewis

Facebook: 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