Trump’s Dumb Midterms Strategy and Platner’s Sexting Scandal

Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarlov take a high-level look at the 2026 landscape as Republicans continue centering their messaging almost entirely around Donald Trump. Scott and Jessica examine whether the GOP has developed any coherent platform beyond Trump himself — and whether voters may finally be tiring of the constant culture-war politics and personal attacks. And, as California heads into a major statewide primary election featuring hotly contested races for Gavin Newsom’s successor governor, and for Los Angeles mayor — where former reality star Spencer Pratt has had a surprisingly high appeal with voters. Meanwhile, Graham Platner — the presumptive Democratic nominee for Senate from Maine, who’ll be vying to beat Susan Collins this November— faces more scrutiny, after reports surfaced that he sent explicit texts to other women early in his marriage. Scott and Jessica debate whether political scandals still matter in modern campaigns — or whether voters are more willing than ever to write off “purity tests.” They also unpack growing tension between Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance amid reports Trump privately doubts Vance’s political strength and future as a MAGA successor. Does Marco Rubio really have what it takes to inherit the MAGA movement? And finally, Bernie Sanders goes viral for giving dating advice to young people in the age of screens and social media. For ad-free episodes, exclusive livestreams, and to connect with Scott, Jessica, and the Raging Moderates community, join us at ProfG+ on Substack: https://ragingmoderates.profgmedia.com/ Get The Monday Rage newsletter: https://profgmedia.com/s/monday-rage/ Follow Raging Moderates on IG, Tiktok, and Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/ragingmoderatespod/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ragingmoderates https://www.facebook.com/ragingmoderates Follow Jessica Tarlov on Instagram, Substack, and Bluesky: https://instagram.com/jessicatarlov https://substack.com/@jessietarlov https://bsky.app/profile/jessicatarlov.bsky.social Follow Scott on Instagram, Substack, and Bluesky: https://instagram.com/profgalloway https://substack.com/@profgalloway https://bsky.app/profile/profgalloway.com Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@RagingModerates Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices