5/29/26 - Todd Rokita wages war on weed, Social Security going down, Bipartisan plan to save NCAA

Today’s episode of The Rob Kendall Show focuses on the Indiana Secretary of State race and a joint appearance by Diego Morales, Max Engling, and David Shelton in McCordsville. Rob says the event showed the race may not be over for Morales, even after major Republicans abandoned him, because some delegates still appear receptive to his message about Trump, redistricting, closed primaries, and campaign fundraising. He argues Morales should use the next few weeks and his campaign money to fight back against the party figures who enabled him before turning on him. Rob also criticizes Max Engling’s speech, saying Engling essentially admitted he only entered the race after Jim Banks gave him permission. Rob argues that confirms the concern that Engling’s candidacy is really about Banks trying to control the Secretary of State’s office and the Indiana Republican Party. He says opposing campaigns should use that moment to frame Engling as a Banks proxy rather than an independent candidate for a statewide office. David Shelton also gets attention as the candidate Rob believes is clearly the most qualified for the job. Rob says Shelton understands elections, wants to remove politics from the office, and seems genuinely interested in administering the Secretary of State’s duties rather than using the office as a stepping stone. The problem, Rob argues, is that Shelton’s low-key style may struggle at a convention where delegates often respond more to energy, personality, and political theater than basic competence. The show also returns to the bigger picture of why this race matters so much to the future of the Indiana Republican Party. Rob argues the entire Morales panic is driven by fear that Greg Ballard could qualify for the ballot and give disaffected Republicans a viable third option. He says the mere possibility of a serious third-party challenge has already exposed weakness inside the GOP monopoly and forced party leaders to react in ways they likely would not have if the race were simply Morales versus Beau Bayh. The episode closes with a discussion of Attorney General Todd Rokita joining a lawsuit against the federal government over marijuana reclassification. Rob says the move is especially frustrating because Indiana politicians have long blamed federal law for blocking medical marijuana, only to resist when the federal government moves toward recognizing medical use. He argues the issue should be between patients and doctors, especially for people dealing with serious pain, and says Rokita’s position protects the current system while limiting options for Hoosiers who need relief. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices