What Trey Gowdy Leaving Means for Republican Party
Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) announced Wednesday he will not seek reelection. The decision comes one day after President Trump's first State of the Union. Republican political strategist Rick Wilson explains what this means for the Republican party, and shares his top moments from the SOTU.
"Frankly I think a lot of the Trump folks were expecting him to stay there," said Wilson. "I think its a blow for the Trump defenders in the House."
When looking at Tuesday night's State of the Union, Wilson says Trump stayed to the teleprompter. "It wasn't a disaster, it wasn't a resounding success," said Wilson. "But at any moment he could tweet and blow up the night."
Even amid the spread of the Delta variant, Republican governors in states like Florida and Texas have taken actions like banning mask mandates for school districts that will soon bring students back for the year. This argument happens amid a stark increase in pediatric COVID cases.
Bianca Quilantan, education reporter at POLITICO, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss.
In stories sure to move markets next week, Robinhood and several retail giants report earnings, Jerome Powell takes the podium, New York City's mask mandate goes into effect, and Tesla hosts its 'AI Day.'
Former President Trump remains the standard-bearer of the Republican Party in his first six months removed from office. But despite his position atop the party, others are moving to shore up their own bona fides. Chief among them is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis who has signed a bevy of bills popular among conservatives this year. He's viewed as a potential successor to trump, and that's creating tension with the still-present Trump.
Matt Dixon, POLITICO Florida bureau chief, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss.