This week, we’re reacting to the debate. That’s why I’ve got one of the top political reporters in the country on the show.
Dave Weigel is a writer for Semafor, who runs their Americana newsletter. He has been covering national politics across major outlets for decades now. He is one of the best-sourced reporters out there.
He said Kamala Harris bringing up her gun ownership at the debate was a bit of a surprise since she hasn’t talked much about that before. He agreed the fact she owns a handgun for self-defense could make her more relatable to the average gun owner than Tim Walz, who centers his gun ownership around hunting. But he doubted that would become a major part of her campaign going forward.
Weigel said guns have been a relatively minor issue in the election thus far. He said that was likely due to two factors. One is the relative lack of high-profile shootings. The other is the limits on what gun control is even possible under the Supreme Court’s Bruen precedent.
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Plus, Contributing Writer Jake Fogleman and I discuss my time in Texas covering the NRA’s latest board meeting, where the group came to an agreement on a reform plan but failed to overhaul its legal strategy after a marathon executive session. We also discuss new corruption allegations against the group in a recently filed lawsuit from a former employee, as well as the group’s first big election ad buy of the cycle. Finally, we cover new evidence of a modest bump in support for stricter gun laws in the aftermath of the Georgia shooting.
