The “Million Dollar Babydog” Edition

Rational Security

The Lawfare Institute

Foreignpolicy, Nationalsecurity, News, Government, Politics, Middleeast

4.8 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 18 July 2024

⏱️ 72 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by Lawfare Executive Editor Natalie Orpett to talk through one of the most eventful weeks in national security news in recent history, including:

“Too Close for Comfort.” Former President Trump narrowly avoided an assassination attempt this past weekend that ultimately left one rally-goer dead and two others critically wounded. While Trump and President Biden both made calls for national unity, several of Trump’s close allies were quick to blame the Biden administration’s rhetoric painting Trump as a threat to democracy. What will this historic event mean for the 2024 election—and for the rise in political violence and related rhetoric that’s preceded it?
“Cannon Fodder.” After months of glacial judicial proceedings, federal District Court Judge Aileen Cannon finally did what many of her critics had long expected and dismissed the special counsel’s criminal case against former President Trump, based in large part on an aggressive reading of the Appointments Clause and narrow reading of the legislation allowing for the special counsel’s appointment. How credible is her holding? And what will it mean for the future of the trial?
“Hillbilly Pedigree.” Former President Trump opened the Republican Party’s national convention this week by announcing his new pick for Vice President: J.D. Vance, the first-term senator from Ohio, author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” and a one-time critic of Trump who has since become one of his most aggressive ideological allies, going even further than Trump on issues ranging from economic populism to opposition to U.S. support for Ukraine. What does his nomination mean for the race, for the Republican Party, and for the future of national security policy?

For object lessons, Alan shared how he rediscovered his love of video games. Quinta brought us another update from the Garden State, regarding the conviction of its senior senator. Scott shared a great story from political history, about the origins of the weird relationship between Richard Nixon and NBA star Wilt Chamberlain. And Natalie endorsed her latest TV indulgence: the HBO show Hacks.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Oh, he's cute. Mr. I can never sleep when I'm traveling. He's hugging his pillow like a sloth on a branch.
0:10.0	He couldn't sleep before. Now listen to him. Sounds like an elephant with a chest infection.
0:15.0	Well, they call him a dreamer. And now they're right.
0:19.0	All aboard, Mr. I can never sleep when I'm traveling. Find all the comfort you need in the quiet lounge.
0:26.0	Piando Ferries, there is another way.
0:29.0	There is an amazing convention moment that as I watch the events in Milwaukee I want to
0:37.7	recreate or to re-happen because they say history is cyclical.
0:41.5	Do you guys remember the Makarana moment from 1992? You probably don't remember, but you've remember the Macarena moment from 1992 you probably don't remember but
0:44.7	you've seen the videos I'm not sure I actually remember either I do remember doing the
0:47.6	Macarena am I making that up it's all of it everyone Hillary Clinton
0:51.4	Hillary is like not quite on rhythm so I don't know if it qualifies at the
0:55.1	Macarian. She's like a step behind.
0:57.1	But the rest of them are that. She's just kind of clapping as I recall.
1:00.4	But the rest of them are are hardcore macaroni and I was trying to think myself what would be the
1:06.7	RNC Convention dance this year? I think we're past dugging, you know, what is the move at this point?
1:14.4	I mean, I think Gundam style is forever.
1:17.5	That's not been forever for at least a decade.
1:20.0	It's a good dance.
1:21.9	I really do not envy whoever is responsible for producing these conventions
1:26.3	it seems like a very difficult job it does I only catch little snippets but at one point there was a
1:31.7	bulldog on stage evidently that they kept cutting
1:35.0	the footage back, there's like the mascot, baby dog.
	...

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