Trump Blames Democrats, Demands His Ballroom, and Attacks Jimmy Kimmel Again (ft. Sen. Rand Paul)
4/28/202630 min
Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarlov sit down with Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) to unpack a volatile political moment in Washington. In the wake of the attempted assassination at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Republicans and President Trump are blaming Democrats for fueling political violence — while critics argue the response is part of a familiar cycle of partisan escalation, and that President Trump has espoused even more egregious rhetoric throughout his presidency. At the same time, Congress is debating a controversial proposal to fast-track Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom, exposing new divisions over spending, security, and priorities inside the GOP. The conversation also turns to free speech and media backlash, as Jimmy Kimmel faces renewed pressure from the Trump camp following a controversial joke that aired just days before the attack. Senator Paul weighs in on political responsibility, party loyalty, rising polarization, and what these flashpoints reveal about the state of the Republican Party heading into the midterms and 2028. Follow Jessica Tarlov, @JessicaTarlov Follow Prof G, @profgalloway Follow Raging Moderates, @RagingModeratesPod Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@RagingModerates Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsScott Galloway· Host0:00
[upbeat music] Welcome to Raging Moderates. I'm Scott Galloway.
Jessica Tarlov· Host0:05
And I'm Jessica Tarlov.
Scott Galloway· Host0:06
Today, we're joined by Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky. He's served in the Senate since 2011 and currently chairs the Homeland Security Committee, where he's backed much of President Trump's agenda in the second term. He hasn't hesitated also to speak out when he disagrees. Senator, thanks so much for being here.
Rand Paul· Guest0:22
Glad to be with you. Thanks for having me.
Scott Galloway· Host0:24
If you aren't already, please make sure to subscribe to our YouTube page to stay up to date on all news politics. All right, let's get into it. In the wake of the attempted assassination at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, many Republicans, including the president, are blaming Democrats, accusing them of fueling political violence with inflammatory rhetoric. It's a familiar pattern, calls to cool things down, followed by a shift of blame. At the same time, congressional Republicans are pushing to fast-track a proposed White House ballroom, arguing it's needed for security. But there's a split over how to pay for it. Three Republican senators introduced a bill to allocate 400 million in federal funding, saying it shouldn't rely on private donors, while others in the party disagree. Here's Trump discussing it on 60 Minutes.
Donald Trump· Soundbite1:05
I'm building a safe ballroom, and one of the reasons I'm building it is exactly what happened last night. Uh, we're building a room right there. If you walk out and move 20 yards to the left, you'll be right at the entrance to the ballroom, and that ballroom's being built on the safest piece of property in this country, probably one of the safest pieces of land in the world.
Scott Galloway· Host1:27
Senator Paul, you're one of the Republicans proposing this legislation