Emptywheel Friday: Pope Bob, Seditionists with Guns, Springsteen & More! 4-17-26
It’s another Emptywheel Friday! Marcy Wheeler of emptywheel.net graciously joins us each Friday to talk with me about the news that hit since we spoke last week.
I’m running on Springsteen fumes today (he played Phoenix last night for THREE amazing hours ) but Marcy Wheeler and I still had a full show: Orban lost in Hungary, the DOJ is reversing convictions of Jan 6 convicted terrorists, Trump is losing Catholics while fighting the Pope, and ICE agents are being charged in Minnesota. Come hang.
0:00 – Intro
0:32 – Nicole’s Springsteen Phoenix recap (Land of Hope and Dreams tour)
1:32 – Iran, the Strait of Hormuz & real-world oil shortages
6:49 – MAGA’s Butler staging theories & schisms in Trump’s base
9:15 – Viktor Orban defeated! Hungary election & his far-right funding network
16:19 – What Democrats can actually learn from Magyar’s victory
23:56 – The left’s messaging problem — and how to fix it
27:14 – Jan 6 seditionists: DOJ reversing convictions & giving terrorists their guns back
40:29 – “Catapult the propaganda” — the GOP messaging machine explained
47:52 – Trump vs. Pope Bob & the Catholic voter crack-up
54:10 – Catholic Charities contract canceled; the Church vs. ICE
59:22 – Eric Swalwell: what Marcy is most furious about
1:04:57 – Ruben Gallego allegations & Arizona politics
1:05:30 – Michigan Senate race & the Hassan Piker controversy
1:09:00 – Maine Senate race & the Platner problem
1:12:47 – ICE accountability: agent charged in Minnesota, concentration camp conditions found in AZ, acting director quits
1:21:00 – Springsteen’s “Streets of Minneapolis” clip & outro
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