We check out President Trump’s peace plan to finish the battle between Russia and Ukraine, in addition to what we will anticipate now that he has signed the invoice to launch the Jeffrey Epstein information.
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Consultant Marjorie Taylor Greene introduced final evening she is going to resign in January. The Georgia Republican stated that aside from diverging from President Trump on a couple of points, together with the discharge of the Jeffrey Epstein information, she has been loyal to President Trump.
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MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE: My voting report has been solidly with my occasion and the president. Loyalty needs to be a two-way road.
SIMON: NPR’s Ron Elving joins us. Ron, thanks for being with us.
RON ELVING, BYLINE: Good to be with you, Scott.
SIMON: In response to Consultant Taylor Greene’s announcement, President Trump referred to as her a traitor on Reality Social this morning. Does this inform us one thing extra about what is going on on within the Republican Social gathering?
ELVING: Absolutely, it is the price of crossing swords with this explicit president. Insisting on absolute loyalty has been a Trump trademark. However this falling out additionally says one thing about what is going on on within the occasion. The exceptional unity that has bolstered Republicans within the Trump period has been examined, and never solely by the Epstein information, however by deep variations over coverage, particularly international coverage on Ukraine and most particularly on Israel.
SIMON: President Trump additionally this week took intention at some Democratic lawmakers, accusing them of sedition over a video they launched saying that members of the navy are legally allowed to refuse illegal orders. The president wrote in a submit on-line, that is, quote, “punishable by dying.” What sort of menace is that this, particularly at a time once we’ve seen violence in opposition to public figures, together with President Trump himself?
ELVING: It is akin to the best way Trump has talked about individuals who defied him prior to now, together with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Employees, the highest uniformed officer of the US, who refused to help Trump’s efforts to defy election leads to 2020. Now, the actual fact is our armed forces swear an oath to defend the Structure and to observe orders as long as they’re lawful. The problem is what to do when orders clearly transcend what’s lawful.
SIMON: President Trump on Thursday signed the invoice permitting for the discharge of the Jeffrey Epstein information – complete reversal of his course, after all. What’s subsequent and when?
ELVING: We’re supposed to attend as much as 30 days to see what’s within the information, however there are plenty of query marks. What are the exceptions, the off-ramps, the particular circumstances that may withhold a few of the information or elements of them? Who’s going to resolve, and who will evaluation that call, and who may push again if the information don’t all come out?
SIMON: The newest NPR/PBS Information/Marist ballot this week reveals 80% of Individuals have little or no confidence in Congress. Now, after all, we ought so as to add the political events, the Supreme Court docket, the presidency, the media rating solely barely higher. What might this imply as we enter midterm campaigns?
ELVING: Proper now, Trump’s ballot numbers are falling, and so they’re proper the place they had been eight years in the past, heading right into a cycle the place his occasion misplaced massive and misplaced management within the Home, 2018. And the departure of Marjorie Taylor Greene and others alerts a deeper unease throughout the GOP over the economic system and the final notion of Trump and his insurance policies. Meaning incumbents who often wouldn’t have any hassle getting reelected may battle this time, and that is good. Whichever occasion’s in energy, that is good for democracy. It means incumbents must marketing campaign and defend their votes.
However, Scott, let me stroll again one thing I stated final week. I stated there have been no extra elections arising earlier than the following showdown and shutdown over medical health insurance. I ought to have stated there weren’t any extra multistate election days or massive checks or one thing like that as a result of there’s a particular election arising in a deep pink district in Tennessee. There is a Trump-endorsed Republican named Matt Van Epps, and a Democrat who’s a state legislator from Nashville, and her title is Aftyn Behn. Trump received that district by 22 factors in 2024, however polls present the present race tightening. And the voting is on December 2.
SIMON: NPR’s Ron Elving, thanks a lot for being with us. Converse to quickly.
ELVING: Thanks, Scott.
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