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5 min readTrump's Granite Helipad and the Unlawful Administration
When Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the White House, Donald Trump's most urgent priority was showing off the new helipad—specifically, that it was made of granite. "He has a great interest in granite. He likes granite. He's an expert on stones," Trump reportedly said about Xi, as relayed by propagandist Eric Dorty. This happened while China is actively helping Iran launder money from oil sales, building chemical precursors for ballistic missiles, and supplying drone parts—the same Iran whose proxies had recently killed three American soldiers. Alex Wagner, host of Runaway Country and author of the new book The Steal, calls this dynamic "calculated sabotage." The conversation with Tim Miller on The Bulwark Daily centers on a single thesis: the Trump administration is not merely incompetent or corrupt, but actively and knowingly operating as an unlawful administration that is dismantling American institutions from within.
The Hollow Vessels of the Republican Senate
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What you'll learn
- 1 (01:36) **Opening & Guest Introduction** - Tim Miller welcomes back Alex Wagner, host of *Runaway Country* and author of *The Steal*, to discuss the unlawful Trump administration and her new book.
- 2 (02:51) **Mitch McConnell’s Hollow Vote on the War** - Tim plays video of a silent, motionless McConnell casting the deciding vote against a war powers resolution, sparking a debate on Republican cowardice.
- 3 (07:58) **Mike Rogers’ Grocery Store Ad & War Hypocrisy** - Tim dissects a bizarre ad where Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers, a former war hawk, now vaguely calls for ending the war without offering a plan.
- 4 (11:03) **Trump’s Granite Helipad & Xi Jinping Visit** - Tim and Alex analyze Trump’s state dinner with China’s Xi, where Trump bragged about a granite helipad while Xi aids Iran in killing U.S. soldiers.
- 5 (14:59) **Conservative Podcasts Ignore Trump** - Tim cites a Wall Street Journal study showing conservative podcasts mention Trump far less since the Iran war started, while liberal ones remain steady.
- 6 (19:25) **Ken Paxton’s Weak Candidacy & Texas Senate Race** - Focus groups show Texas voters associate Paxton with “crook” and “corrupt,” while Tim and Alex debate his chances against progressive James Talarico.
- 7 (24:55) **Mary Peltola’s Toxic Workplace Allegations** - Tim and Alex discuss a New York Times story detailing Peltola’s alleged abusive behavior toward staff, including homophobic slurs and physical intimidation.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Trump pulled out all the stops at the state dinner to regale the guy who is working with our enemy: Not only has China been helping Iran target and kill American soldiers, it's also been shipping Tehran component parts for drones and missile guidance systems. Senate Republicans, of course, blocked an effort to end the war as one of their last votes before the midterms. Meanwhile, election deniers keep showing us that they're going to try to monkey around with the election results in November. Plus: Alex discusses her new book about the origin story behind today's supermajority Supreme Court, and warns that Republicans may try to steal another SCOTUS seat in the lame duck Congress.
Alex Wagner joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.
show notes:
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