James Carville: Trump's Empire Running On Empty | Politics War Room Podcast (Full Episode)

James and Al give their take on the Michigan primary and push back against the DSA and their candidates while the future of the party is at stake. Then, they welcome Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Wessel to discuss the resilience of the US economy, the danger Trump has put us in, foreign currency interventions, and the need to address the national debt. They also welcome IA-03 congressional candidate Sarah Trone Garriott to explore her faith, winning in a Midwestern Red state, the perils of ideological labels when elections are on the line, agricultural politics, and how to create a bigger tent that can win in enemy territory.

Email your questions to James and Al at politicswarroom@gmail.com or tweet them to @politicon. Make sure to include your city– we love to hear where you’re from!

Topics:

Michigan's Senate primary: the DSA-backed candidate's narrow win and what it means for 2028

Why Albert and James disagree on how much the "socialist takeover" narrative actually holds up

William Lawrence's comments on Black leadership and what they reveal about the party's base

Who is Hasan Piker, and why James says he'll never be in the same political tent

Trump's meltdown over the dismissed Reflecting Pool case and the botched refurbishing job behind it

Carville's warning on military readiness: depleted munitions, overdeployed carriers, and a struggling Iran war effort

David Wessel on the surprise return of inflation fears and a surprisingly resilient AI-driven economy

The Fed under Kevin Warsh: pressure to raise rates, not cut them

What's spooking the bond market, and what it means for mortgage rates

Capital One's closure of 385 Trump-linked accounts and the money laundering allegations

The national debt: why the "catastrophe" predictions never came, and what could finally force action

How much of the $40 trillion national debt was added under Trump alone

Japan's currency intervention and why the U.S. helped using euros, not dollars

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's standing with markets and allies

Jay Powell's legacy: standing up to Trump vs. Arthur Burns' cautionary tale

The AI/data center investment boom — bubble or the next big growth engine?

Sarah Trone Garriott on pushing back against the "Democrats are turning far left" narrative

Faith-based attacks on Trone Garriott, including the debunked "satanic wedding" claim

Rep. Zach Nunn's "big beautiful bill" vote and its healthcare fallout in Iowa's 3rd District

Iowa agriculture under tariffs: destroyed soybean markets and war-driven fertilizer costs

Immigration's role in commodity farming and meat processing labor

Trone Garriott's position on congressional oversight of the Iran war

Proposals to fix Washington: term limits and a real stock trading ban

Outrage of the Week: Cornyn and Tillis caving on Todd Blanche's AG confirmation

The revolving-door incentives keeping senators in line with leadership

Listener mailbag: Musk's $100M GOP investment, the Democratic Party's 125-year record, Bernie Sanders' "establishment" comment, McConnell's health silence, extremist-labeling double standards, the party's best communicators, and a 2028 Beshear-Slotkin tease

This cycle's Idaho, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Montana Senate strategy — and the case for candidates stepping aside