Trump's Crucial State of the Union, the Key Difference Between 2016 and 2026, and AI and China Challenges

Next Up with Mark Halperin

MK Media

News, Daily News, Politics

4.6 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 24 February 2026

⏱️ 71 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode, Mark Halperin uses his reported monologue to reflect on how Donald Trump’s path from 2016 to today reshaped American politics — and why the country remains deeply divided in his second term. Drawing on signature moments with Stephen Colbert and Tucker Carlson, he looks at why what once felt to some like a shocking political moment has now become a defining era, and why millions of Americans still struggle to understand each other across that divide. Acre Gold: Start building physical gold with simple monthly payments and enter to win two Ancient Collection gold bars at https://GetAcreGold.com/MARK Bank On Yourself: Discover the retirement plan banks Don't want you to know about—get your free report at https://BankOnYourself.com/Mark Cardiff: Get fast business funding without bank delays—apply in minutes with Cardiff and access up to $500,000 in same‑day funding at https://Cardiff.co/MARK Mark is joined by Beverly Hallberg and Hyma Moore to discuss one of the biggest challenges ahead: how government should deal with artificial intelligence. They debate what role the president and lawmakers should play as AI transforms jobs, the economy, and society, and why government leaders struggle to keep up with technological change. The conversation also turns to the global economic race, as Alex Roy explains how China’s dominant rise in electric vehicle manufacturing threatens American automakers and the future competitiveness of the U.S. industry. From political division at home to technological competition abroad, this episode looks at the forces shaping where America goes next.

Transcript

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0:00.0	You want to know what next up? I got what next up. Hi there, Mark Calpren, editor-in-chief of
0:06.4	Two-Way, live interactive video platform. And thank you for joining this show. Next up, glad to have you
0:12.3	here as a nexter. Great program for you today on the State of the Union Day. We start out with a panel
0:17.9	of two smarty-pances, two great thinkers, Haima Moore.
0:21.2	He's a principal at Cornerstone Government Affairs, former director at the office of the DNC chair for the Democratic Party.
0:28.3	And Beverly Hauberg, a Republican strategist president, district media group, and also a fellow at the Independent Women's Forum.
0:35.4	We'll talk to them about my new obsession, which is
0:38.0	what is we doing as a country, a society, a people about AI and the threats and opportunities
0:44.5	that are there. And then Alex Roy will be here. He's an extraordinary guy with an extraordinary
0:49.3	career who understands two things, again, that I'm super focused on. One is electric vehicles
0:53.9	and the other is self-driving cars.
0:55.9	There's an overlap there.
0:57.3	Alex understands it all.
0:58.5	And these are two huge topics that just don't get enough conversation, enough discussion.
1:03.4	They have to do with our future, our economy, our competitiveness in the world, including with China.
1:08.5	So we'll talk all about that.
1:10.3	But before we get to our
1:11.3	guests in just a moment, my reported monologue on just the way Donald Trump inspires so many
1:19.6	and depresses so many, who has been a divisive figure for his entire political career. And I've
1:27.1	been thinking a lot this week
1:28.3	about on the stay of the State of the Union, where we stand in the face of Donald Trump as the
1:35.2	president of the United States, for beloved by some and to say the least, not beloved by others.
	...

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