The following podcast contains explicit language.

Hello and welcome to the Slate Political Gab Fest for July 5th, 2018, the Abolish Ice Edition.

I am David Plotz of Atlas Obscura.

I'm in Washington, D.C.

John Dickerson is absent today. Probably on vacation.

It would be my guess. I saw an Instagram of him out trap shooting or skeet shooting with his kids. So that suggests he's on vacation since that doesn't sound like work.

But sitting in for John, we have Jacob Weisberg, host of Trumpcast, chairman of the slate group. Hello, Jacob in New York, Jacob in New York Times Magazine. Howdy, Emily?

Hello, hello. Also, you guys are cuddled up nice and close in the studio. And you're both wearing... It's a little hot here in New York.

But the studio is perfectly pleasant. You're both wearing white. It's very summery. I feel like I'm in a garden party and I'm underdressed. It's true. You are. But we love you anyway. I'm just, yeah, because I'm in some ratty Star Wars t-shirt. On this week's Gab Fest, President Trump is really, really enjoying his open tryouts for Supreme Court justice.

Is he going to choose Amy Coney Barrett?

Is he going to choose Brett Kavanaugh?

Is he going to surprise us with a dark horse candidate?

Then the new progressive rallying cry is abolish ICE.

Is that a winning policy? is that a winning political strategy.

And then Scott Pruitt, who is involved in so many, so many ethics investigations, is finally out.

The EPA administrator resigned on Thursday afternoon. We will talk about how he survived for so long and what comes next. Plus, we'll have cocktail chatter. And don't forget, GapFest listeners, we have a live show coming up in Philadelphia in just two weeks, July 18th on Wednesday at 7.30 p.m. at the Keswick Theater in Glenside, PA, just outside

Philadelphia. We have a live GabFest. Emily John and I are going to be there. It's going to be

super fun. It's obviously going to be right in the heart of the summit that President Trump

is having and the Supreme Court nomination will be out. There's going to be a lot to discuss. So join us there. Go to slate.com slash live to pick up a ticket to our show at the Keswick Theater on July 18th. Emily, how many of your family members are actually going to be there? Have you figured that out?

Every single person related to me or who's ever heard of me. No, I'm not

sure how many, but my parents will definitely be there. Really? Are you going to give them a cameo?

Are they going to get to do a cocktail chatter? I don't, I don't know if that's necessary.

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