Rational Radio Daily With Steele And Ungar

At today's press briefing, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders clarified that President Trump would not engage in “negotiations” with North Korea when he meets dictator Kim Jong Un. “We’re not in the negotiation right now,” Sanders said. “We’ve accepted the invitation to talk, based on them following through with concrete actions on the promises that they’ve made.” Sanders’ comments came amidst a firestorm of commentary from politicians and pundits on both sides of the aisle over President Trump’s possible meeting with the North Korean autocrat. Michael and Rick cover some of the viewpoints and share their outlook on the potential results of the meeting. The guys also discuss the Left’s surprising silence over the latest incident of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan spewing anti-Semitic hate speech.

South Korean National Security Adviser Chung Eui-yong announced today at the White House that President Donald Trump accepted an invitation from North Korea dictator Kim Jong-Un to discuss denuclearization. The meeting, which is supposed to take place before May of this year, would be the first-ever meeting between a United States president and a North Korean leader. Is this a diplomatic breakthrough or just another major ploy by the famously manipulative North Korean leadership? Career counterintelligence officer Malcolm Nance breaks down the possible motivations behind the North Korean’s sudden détente. Tom Giovanetti, president of the Institute for Policy Innovation, a conservative think tank, warns that President Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum could bring an international backlash.

The Senate is currently deliberating on the “Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act”. It seeks to update and reform some of the regulations that Dodd-Frank put on financial institutions in 2010. The idea behind Dodd-Frank was to protect consumers from another "Great Recession" and from paying for another massive bank bailout. As we approach the 10-year anniversary of the market crash, some Democrats have suggested that the Senate bill will loosen regulations that have kept the big banks in check. Ali Velshi, MSNBC anchor and business correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC, breaks down the contents of the bill and why Dodd-Frank does need revising. NYU professor Michael Oppenheimer laid out the evidence for how anti-globalist sentiment is influencing and upending politics around the world.

Anthony Scaramucci wants to make it clear that he is not an apologist for President Trump. "I call the balls and strikes as I see them,” he said. Scaramucci sees himself as an explainer or interpreter of sorts. He explains the president’s unique way of doing business. It’s a continuation of what he tried to do in his 11 days on the job as the White House communications director. Scaramucci talks with Rick Ungar and Michael Steele about the chaos in the White House, the departure of Gary Cohn and the latest on Sam Nunberg and the Mueller investigation. Christine Campbell, president of the West Virginia chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, breaks down why West Virginia's teachers were on a nine-day strike and how they were able to come to a compromise with the state government.

E.J. Dionne, longtime columnist for The Washington Post, describes the current crisis of faith in our government institutions and representatives in his column “The cost of our war on public life.” He asks, “How did we get a government of this sort? For decades, our country has been witness to a war on public life. Legitimate dissatisfaction with government has turned into contempt for government itself and a denial of the indispensability of politics.” Michael and Rick assess the battlefield of public life in the Trump era of government and debate when and where the first battles were fought. Sam Nunberg, a former Trump campaign adviser, dropped several bombshells regarding the Mueller investigation in interviews on MSNBC and CNN today. The guys discuss the implications of those comments, including Nunberg’s allegation that the special counsel does have something on the president.

After a White House meeting with CEOs of U.S. steel and aluminum manufacturers earlier this week, President Trump announced his intention to place tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. While members of the administration like Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross defended the move, domestic and international markets and governments responded very differently. The Dow plunged 500 points after the announcement, Canada threatened an “all-out” trade war and the European Union threatened to impose tariffs on American exports like bourbon. The president claims the tariffs benefit U.S. industries, but many who work in steel-dependent industries bear the scars of President George W. Bush’s one-year tariff on imported steel. Steve Lester, owner of QMF Steel, talks about the potentially disastrous consequences that President Trump’s tariffs could have on the steel business. Brandon Chrostowski, founder of Edwin’s Leadership & Restaurant Institute in Cleveland, Ohio, talks about his work trying to give former convicts

President Trump suggested an unprecedented violation of due process yesterday at a bipartisan meeting on gun control at the White House. While discussing gun confiscation the president said, “I like taking the guns early, like in this crazy man’s case that just took place in Florida ... to go to court would have taken a long time…Take the guns first, go through due process second.” Those words sent shockwaves across the political landscape and shocked and dismayed gun-owners. Cam Edwards, host of Cam & Company on NRA TV and SiriusXM Patriot, responds to the president’s comments. He also addresses second amendment questions such as whether the idea of a “well-regulated militia” is outdated or obsolete. Curtis Ellis, senior policy advisor at America First Policies, talks about President Trump’s decision to place tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

Last Friday night, CPAC communications director Ian Walters made racially-charged remarks about Michael Steele at the conference's Ronald Reagan dinner. He said Michael was elected as RNC Chair "because he was a black guy". Michael and Rick responded to Walters' repulsive remarks Saturday morning and continued this conversation Monday night. Today, Mr. Walters wrote an op-ed in The Hill to defend and double-down on his comments, disparage Michael’s management of the RNC and bash “fake Republicans on MSNBC”. Michael and Rick respond to Walters' latest comment. The guys also discuss reports that foreign officials from China, Israel, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates discussed ways they could acquire leverage on and manipulate Jared Kushner.

On Saturday, the House Select Committee on Intelligence released the Democrats' memo on alleged FISA court abuses. Democrats wrote their counter-memo because they wanted to disprove claims in a Republican memo written by Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif. 22). House Republicans say the FBI knowingly misled the FISA court in order to obtain a warrant to spy on then-Trump campaign aide Carter Page. Congressman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio 04), a member of the House Intelligence Committee and co-founder of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, talks about why he thinks the Democrats’ memo proves the FBI’s guilt. Georgia State law professor Eric Segall analyzes and handicaps three blockbuster cases currently sitting on the Supreme Court’s docket.

CPAC communications director Ian Walters made racially charged and disparaging remarks about Michael Steele at the conference's Ronald Reagan dinner Friday night. Michael and Rick responded Saturday morning, talking with CPAC chairman Matt Schlapp and other guests about Walters’ repulsive remarks. The guys continue the conversation tonight. Both liberal and conservative pundits and politicians voiced their disgust about what Walters said. Michael explains how the conversations with Schlapp and Walters reflect his experience as a black Republican. Syndicated conservative columnist Mona Charen was booed at CPAC Saturday for calling out the hypocrisy of Republicans and conservatives supporting men who have been accused of sexual assault and sexual misconduct like Donald Trump and Roy Moore. She talks about the experience and how Trump has taken over the conservative movement.

Ian Walters, the communications director for CPAC, spoke at the Ronald Reagan dinner Friday night and said that Michael Steele was elected as RNC Chair because he was a black guy.Steele & Ungar was LIVE from CPAC Saturday morning to respond to Walters' ugly and repulsive comment.

Rational Radio Daily is LIVE from CPAC! Gary Johnson, the former governor of New Mexico and 2016 Libertarian Party nominee for president, has been out of the national spotlight since the end of the election, but keeps his eyes on the direction of national politics. He tried to sum up his thoughts on the current immigration debate, saying, “If we build a wall across the border, at some point, as a nation, we’re going to tear it down because of the stain it represents on our Republic.” Governor Johnson sat down with Rick Ungar to share his third-party perspective on gun control, tax reform, dealing with North Korea and more. Ed Morrissey, senior editor of HotAir.com, joined Michael and Rick to discuss whether arming teachers in an effort to make schools and children safer has any merit.

Steve Bannon made his first public appearance as White House chief strategist at last year's Conservative Political Action Conference. During his joint interview with then-White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, Bannon famously declared that one of the Trump administration's top priorities would be the “deconstruction of the administrative state”. For the Bannon wing of the White House, this meant repealing regulations that handcuffed American businesses and cutting down the size of the federal workforce and bureaucracy. Dr. Sebastian Gorka, a former deputy assistant to the president and member of the Bannon and Breitbart orbit, discussed the progress President Trump has made on deconstructing the administrative state. Ned Ryun, a board member of CPAC and the founder and CEO of American Majority Action, talked about the president's influence on the conservative movement and what has become of the Tea Party in this new era of Trump.

President Trump responded to recent criticisms of his attitudes towards Russia Tuesday morning by tweeting, “I have been much tougher on Russia than Obama, just look at the facts. Total Fake News!” The president followed up this morning with another tweet, saying, “Question: If all of the Russian meddling took place during the Obama Administration, right up to January 20th, why aren’t they the subject of the investigation? Why didn’t Obama do something about the meddling?” Special Counsel Robert Mueller's recent indictments have given us more insight into and information about the Russian troll farms that interfered in the election. There’s clearly a lot going on in the Russia probe so Congressman Jim Himes (D-Conn. 04), member of the House Intelligence Committee, jumps on to get us up to speed. Juan Williams, political analyst for Fox News, talks about the future of the evangelical involvement in politics after the passing of Reverend Billy Graham.

David Frum, a senior editor at The Atlantic and former chief speechwriter for President George W. Bush, reports on and details the ways that the Trump presidency is corrupting our Democratic norms and institutions in his new book “Trumpocracy: The Corruption of the American Republic.” He joined Rick and guest co-host Rick Tyler, an MSNBC contributor and Republican strategist, to explain some of the paradoxes we see from Trump that are truly concerning and dangerous. He said foreign policy is one example, stating, “Donald Trump is drifting towards a conflict on the Korean Peninsula while at the same time attacking the U.S.-Korea relationship.” The Ricks try to tackle one of the defining questions of contemporary politics: Why does the NRA always seem to win?

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced today that special counsel Robert Mueller indicted 13 Russian nationals and three Russian entities with charges related to interference in the 2016 presidential election. The indictments confused some pundits and politicians on Capitol Hill because no Americans were charged. How does this relate to the allegations of collusion and obstruction of justice we associate with Mueller's investigation? Seth Waxman, a former federal prosecutor, talks about what the indictments say about the direction of the special counsel’s Russia investigation. Professor Robert Spitzer, chair of the Political Science department at SUNY Cortland, discusses the lessons we can learn about gun control from the infamous St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in Chicago in 1927.

In the wake of a national tragedy like the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, we seek solutions and ways to prevent such huge losses of innocent life. In the last 24 hours, many are calling for better understanding and training regarding mental health and the links between mental health and gun violence. Cam Edwards, host of Cam & Company on NRA TV, talks about finding solutions that don’t impede on citizens’ gun rights. Some of our listeners also call in to share their stories of loss and to give their perspective on the gun control and mental health debates.

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats testified in front of Congress this week, delivering a stark warning to the Senate Intelligence Committee and the American people, saying, “Frankly, the United States is under attack, under attack by enemies that are using cyber to penetrate virtually every major action that takes place in the United States.” Director Coats affirmed that Russians interfered in the 2016 election and that Russian state actors are aiming to influence future elections and other events in the U.S. and Europe. Malcolm Nance, a career counterintelligence officer, discusses the implications of Director Coats’ testimony and President Trump’s continued silence on Russia's interference. Historian, foreign policy analyst and Washington Post columnist Max Boot talks about why he thinks Republicans are making a mockery of their own reputations.

President Trump's new budget managed a rare feat: it managed to infuriate liberals AND conservatives. It called for slashing social safety net and welfare programs and would STILL add TRILLIONS of dollars to the deficit over the next 10 years. Dr. Merrill Matthews, a resident scholar with the Institute for Policy Innovation, joins Rick Ungar and Ron Christie to discuss this baffling budget. The guys also talk about the winners and losers in the budget and how it manages to irk Republicans and Democrats alike.

Career counterintelligence officer Malcolm Nance described North Korea’s Olympic detente with South Korea as a “regional power play by people who take masterclasses in the subject” and “the world class trolling of Donald Trump”. North and South Korea have already made several diplomatic overtures during the ongoing 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. The two countries marched in the opening ceremonies under a united banner, Kim Jong-Un’s sister is acting as an official presence at the Winter Games and Vice President Mike Pence even hinted today that the Trump administration could be open to talks with North Korea. Gordon Chang, a columnist for The Daily Beast and author of “Nuclear Showdown: North Korea Takes On The World”, discusses Pence's diplomatic faux-pas and how we should interpret this potential diplomatic thaw on the Korean peninsula. Congressman Mike Quigley (D-Ill. 05), member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, talks about the next steps for the House Democrats’ counter-memo to Committ