Trump “Death” Rumors Made Him Stronger, Sen. Schmitt on GOP’s Best Defense, DC Power Player Circuit

Next Up with Mark Halperin

MK Media

News, Daily News, Politics

4.6 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 4 September 2025

⏱️ 74 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Mark Halperin opens the show with his reported monologue on the viral “Trump is dead” rumors and how they mirror the 1969 “Paul is dead” controversy about Paul McCartney. Just as conspiracy theories around McCartney’s supposed death only strengthened his legend, Mark argues that Democrats’ public wish-casting of Trump’s obituary reveals more about their own anxieties than Trump’s future. Far from weakening him, those fueling speculation about Trump’s health only reinforce his larger-than-life presence in American politics. Then, Senator Eric Schmitt of Missouri joins for a wide-ranging interview on the Republican agenda heading into 2028. Schmitt details his new best-selling book, and why the courts are the GOP’s “Last Line of Defense” against progressive policies. He also weighs in on Section 230, federal overreach, lessons from COVID, and the role of government in protecting children online. Plus, Schmitt offers an inside look at how Senate Republicans are preparing to fast-track confirmations for Trump’s nominees. Finally, Politico’s Rachael Bade shares her reporting on Trump’s evolving relationship with congressional Republicans, including how Senate GOP leader John Thune has quietly built a working partnership with the president. She explains why that alliance matters, what it signals for power dynamics on Capitol Hill, and how Democrats are positioning their next generation of leaders for 2028. Plus, Rachael takes us behind the scenes of Washington’s social circuit, and where to find Trump-era power players. Grasshopper Escapement: Go to https://amazon.com and buy your copy of CAPITALIST BABY! Birch Gold: Text NEXT to 989898 and get your free info kit on gold

Transcript

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0:00.0	If you check the calendar on your phone or your sundial, you'll know today is Thursday.
0:06.9	And you know what that means.
0:07.9	It's time for another episode of Next Up.
0:10.9	Welcome back, Nexters.
0:11.8	I'm Mark Kalpren, editor-in-chief of the live interactive video platform two-way host of this program, where I bring you my exclusive reporting.
0:19.0	All my analysis of the top news.
0:20.5	Great guests. Everything that matters now. So you know what is coming. Okay. where I bring you my exclusive reporting, all my analysis of the top news. Great guess,
0:21.5	everything that matters now. So you know what is coming next up. That's why we call it next up.
0:27.2	With us in just a little bit, the Republican senator from Missouri, Eric Schmidt, he's got a new book out about the courts.
0:33.9	It's a barn burner. And truly it is. It's a great set of stories about his time as Attorney General of his state dealing with
0:40.8	COVID and big tech, et cetera.
0:43.0	Eric Schmidt will be here.
0:44.0	And then the Politico Capitol Health Bureau Chief Rachel Bade will be here.
0:48.4	We'll talk about the anthropology of Washington, Donald Trump's relationship with Congress and
0:53.8	the Democratic presidential field
0:55.1	for 2028. Stay tuned for all of that. But first, my new reported monologue on what's going on
1:01.6	with Donald Trump's mortality. Yes, we spent a lot of time over the last few days dealing with
1:08.2	a lot of people online and on cable TV on the left saying Donald Trump
1:12.8	was either really sick or perhaps dead. Yes, I said dead. Donald Trump is no more dead. I'm here
1:20.6	to report according to multiple sources than Beal Paul McCartney was in 1969. We'll explain that. Just when we thought we'd seen it all in terms of various
1:31.2	manifestations of the frustrations of people in this country who don't like Donald
1:35.8	Trump and how that expresses itself. Over the last week, we got this thing. Incredible to me.
	...

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