LEAKED TAPE: Ken Paxton admits Trump’s convention hurt Republicans
Oct 1, 2026 · 41m
Summary
Chris Hayes reports on Trump’s illegal use of taxpayer funds for campaign ads and the damaging impact of his low approval ratings on Republican midterm prospects. The show features Senator Lisa Murkowski discussing election security concerns and Senator Chris Van Hollen analyzing the failed plane attack near Israel and intelligence failures. Hayes also covers the public humiliation of Senator Eric Schmitt, who mistakenly accused Jack Smith of being at a Caitlin Clark game, and Alex Wagner critiques the GOP’s strategy of using the Jack Smith hearing as a political distraction.
Topics discussed
Sponsor: Wise App
Intro: Trump's campaign promises and Eric Schmidt
DHS spending on Trump propaganda ads
Trump's defense and campaign finance issues
Trump's popularity and midterm convention failure
Debate on convention viewership numbers
Ken Paxton's nomination and Trump's influence
MAGA candidates' struggles and Michigan race
Interview: Sen. Elissa Slotkin on Michigan race
Authoritarian playbook and election integrity
Military involvement in elections and DoD response
Precedent setting and future political risks
Emergency landing: Pilot attack on flight to Israel
Netanyahu's warnings prior to Oct 7 attack
Interview: National security and Iran tensions
Trump's handling of the Iran war
Vote on reporting West Bank settler violence
Interview: Sen. Chris Van Hollen on accountability
Sponsors: Angie and Monday.com
Eric Schmidt's botched gotcha and Caitlin Clark mix-up
Sponsor: Angie
Interview: Alex Wagner on Senate hearing and Trump
Outro and upcoming segments
Sponsor: Zepbound
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