Independents have hit 47% of the country. Republicans are at 26%. Democrats at 27%. That's not a trend line — that's a tectonic shift, and the new CNN poll out today confirms what this show has been saying for years: the angry middle isn't homeless, it isn't tribeless, it's free. Paul Rieckhoff breaks down the numbers, what they mean for the 2026 midterms, and why younger voters, male voters, and white voters without college degrees are walking away from the GOP — and not running to the Democrats.
From there, it's a full no-BS briefing. Iran has de facto control over the Strait of Hormuz and Trump is negotiating what looks like a surrender. Eight crew members are dead after a B-52 crash at Edwards Air Force Base — a story buried under the noise. Closed primaries on Tuesday continue to disenfranchise nearly half the electorate. The NYPD is rising to meet a wild week of Knicks, World Cup, and parade security. And the big question hangs over Thursday: will Trump show up and shit on New York's joy, or stay in his tower? It's a sanctuary in a chaotic week — and a reminder that you're not alone in the angry middle.
In this episode
- The new CNN poll: independents at 47%, the highest in a decade, and what it means for 2026
- Why younger voters and white voters without college degrees are leaving the GOP — and not joining the Democrats
- Travis Endicott: the IVA-backed veteran who spent under $1,000 and became mayor of Ridgecrest, California
- Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, and why the ceasefire framework looks like a surrender
- The B-52 crash at Edwards Air Force Base and the eight crew members lost in service
- Tuesday primaries in Alabama, DC, Georgia, and Oklahoma — and how closed primaries still lock out independents
- The NYC parade, the Knicks White House question, and whether Trump will disrupt it all
- Props to the NYPD after a wild weekend of Knicks, World Cup, and Times Square gun arrests
- Recap of last night's CNN hit with Erin Burnett on UFC, Newsom, and Michelle Obama
