About this episode
What desperate maneuvers will Donald Trump unleash as his grip on power slips away? On this provocative episode of the Tara Palmeri Show, co-founder of the Lincoln Project and host of the Lincoln Project podcast Rick Wilson dismantles the myth that MAGA fades with Trump, arguing instead that it mutates into a more entrenched authoritarian force fueled by elite interests in Silicon Valley and private equity. Joined by congressional bureau chief Burgess Everett and host Tara Palmeri, the discussion unpacks Trump's wired-in chaos as a lame duck—ignoring laws, precedents, and traditions to burn down institutions while profiting personally—and explores whether he'll gamble on a third run despite legal barriers, echoing his 2020 election denial and Capitol riot incitement. The panel probes MAGA's evolution beyond Trump, from Tea Party remnants clashing with fiscal conservatives over tariff checks to a potential Marjorie Taylor Greene-led "America First" strain laced with white nationalism, Proud Boys extremism, anti-Semitism, and racism that strains the GOP's immigrant coalitions. With Trump's popularity dipping and Senate holdouts like RFK Jr.'s confirmation stalling, the conversation warns of escalating dangers on civil liberties through ICE overreach and foreign policy blunders like the Ukraine deal, questioning if the movement splinters or hardens into an executive weapon against opponents. What new leader could possibly harness MAGA's fractured coalitions without Trump's celebrity pull? For more of her reporting, subscribe to her weekly newsletter, "The Red Letter." https://tarapalmeri.substack.com/ https://www.tarapalmeri.com/subscribe Latest from the Red Letter: https://www.tarapalmeri.com/p/did-trump-just-slap-his-name-on-obamacare https://www.tarapalmeri.com/p/the-irony-of-the-epstein-files-transparency https://www.tarapalmeri.com/p/inside-a-white-house-under-pressure To support her mission of independent journalism, consider donating to her GoFundMe account: https://gofund.me/0c46f9a5 Tara Palmeri is one of the most feared and fearless reporters covering power and politics. She has 15 years of experience covering national politics and foreign affairs. She was formerly a White House Correspondent for ABC News where she covered the first Trump administration. She was the chief National Correspondent for POLITICO during the Biden administration. She has been a political analyst for CNBC, CBS and CNN. She started her career as a columnist for the Washington Examiner and then went on to report for the New York Post. She was a foreign correspondent for POLITICO Europe, where she covered international affairs, including Brexit. She hosted the Ringer's political podcast "Somebody's Gotta Win" and wrote a column for Puck. Tara also hosted two acclaimed podcasts on Jeffrey Epstein, "Broken: Jeffrey Epstein" and "Power: The Maxwells." Tara currently hosts the Tara Palmeri Show. Follow Tara: https://www.instagram.com/tarapalmeri/ https://x.com/tarapalmeri https://www.tiktok.com/@tarapalmeri For inquiries, email: TaraPalmeriInfo@gmail.com #MAGA #Trump #DonaldTrump #MarjorieTaylorGreene #RickWilson #LincolnProject #AmericaFirst #Project2025 #GOP #MTG #Republican #RepublicanParty #TaraPalmeriShow #TaraPalmeri The End of MAGA? MTG Leaves Sinking Ship Chapters: 00:00 Welcome to the Tara Palmeri Show 00:10 Rick Wilson: MAGA doesn’t die, it mutates 02:15 Trump as lame duck: burning it all down 04:05 Tara joins Katy Tur Reports on MSNBC 05:20 Marjorie Taylor Greene and the America First split 07:10 GOP factions clash over Trump’s next moves 08:38 Thanks for watching the Tara Palmeri Show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices