The Rob Kendall Show

5/22/26 - Banks says Morales lied about Deputy Chief of Staff, Diego fights back, Rokita piles on

Today’s episode of The Rob Kendall Show focuses on the growing fallout around Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales and the Republican Party’s sudden push to move on from him. Rob argues the real story is not just Morales’ scandals, but the fact that powerful Republicans knew about many of these issues for years and did nothing until they feared losing the office. He says party leaders are now trying to make Morales disappear politically rather than fully exposing what happened inside the Secretary of State’s office. Rob spends much of the show calling out what he sees as gaslighting from Republican officials who previously ignored, defended, or endorsed Morales. He points to questions surrounding the India trip, no-bid contracts, the $90,000 vehicle, use of state resources, and the recent reporting about former deputy chief of staff Elena Copsey. Rob argues that if party leaders were serious about accountability, they would be demanding investigations and answers, not simply pushing Morales aside before the convention. The show also digs into Jim Banks’ role in backing Max Engling as the new Republican alternative for Secretary of State. Rob questions Banks’ explanation that the Copsey story was the final straw, arguing that Engling’s name had already been circulating before that reporting became public. He suggests powerful Republicans may have known about the issue earlier and held it back until Morales became too big of a political liability. Another major topic is whether Copsey, who reportedly rose to deputy chief of staff in Morales’ office, was not only a noncitizen but possibly in the country illegally. Rob highlights comments from Treasurer Daniel Elliott that appear to suggest that possibility and says reporters should press Banks, Rokita, Elliott, and Morales for clear answers. He argues the distinction matters because Republican leaders built their politics around “America First” messaging while apparently ignoring major questions inside one of Indiana’s most sensitive statewide offices. The episode closes with Rob arguing that Morales should stay in the race rather than allow party leaders to quietly push him out and bury the story. He says the situation could expose how the Republican power structure really works, especially if Morales starts talking about the people who enabled him. Rob also highlights Greg Ballard’s reaction, saying the chaos helps prove Ballard’s argument that more competition is needed in Indiana politics because the current system protects insiders instead of voters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

5/21/26 - GOP Hypocrisy on Morales, Trump rips parliamentarian, Greene says Epstein stopped Massie

Today’s episode of The Rob Kendall Show focuses on the growing effort inside the Indiana Republican Party to move on from Secretary of State Diego Morales. Rob argues party leaders are not truly trying to hold Morales accountable, but instead trying to protect themselves after years of ignoring scandals, questions, and warnings about his conduct. He compares the situation to Democrats pushing Joe Biden aside in 2024, saying Republicans praised Morales until they decided he had become too much of a political liability. A major part of the show centers on Max Engling entering the Republican Secretary of State race and the role Rob believes Jim Banks is playing behind the scenes. Rob questions why party leaders suddenly describe Engling as the “viable” alternative when David Shelton, a county clerk with actual election experience, has already been running. He argues the move is less about qualifications and more about power, control, and preventing Morales from dragging the party down in November. Rob also reacts to Jim Banks and Todd Rokita withdrawing their endorsements of Morales. He criticizes both for backing Morales despite years of controversies, then only changing course when it looked like Republicans could lose the office. Rob says the real issue is that they still are not publicly demanding answers about Morales’ India trip, no-bid contracts, use of state resources, the $90,000 car, or the recent questions surrounding former deputy chief of staff Elena Copsey. The show also looks at how Republican officials and state lawmakers are responding to Rob’s criticism. Rob says politicians are trying to dismiss him as irrelevant or bitter while avoiding the underlying issue: they failed to deal with Morales when they had the chance. He argues the audience continues to support the show because it says plainly what many people in Indiana politics already know but refuse to say publicly. The episode closes with Rob urging people not to let the Morales story disappear just because party leaders may try to replace him. He says the public still deserves answers about what happened inside the Secretary of State’s office and why so many powerful Republicans protected Morales for so long. Rob also highlights his latest IndyStar column on school referendums, arguing that Indiana lawmakers should eliminate a system he says is rigged in favor of local governments and school districts seeking more taxpayer money. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

5/21/26 - Statehouse Happenings

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5/20/26 - Welcome to the New Republican Party

Today’s episode of The Rob Kendall Show focuses heavily on the Republican Party’s reaction to Congressman Thomas Massie losing his primary after being targeted by President Trump. Kendall argues Massie’s record lined up with many things Republicans claim to support, including lower spending, less debt, transparency, and accountability on the Epstein files. He questions why Massie became a top enemy of the party while figures like Lindsey Graham are treated as allies, saying the message now seems to be loyalty to Trump matters more than conservative principles. Kendall expands that into a broader warning about where the Republican Party is headed. He argues the party is increasingly demanding total obedience to Trump, even from lawmakers like Lauren Boebert who have been loyal but still supported Massie. Kendall says the real test will come in November, when Trump-backed primary winners have to face the larger general electorate, which polling shows is far less enthusiastic about Trump’s policies than Republican primary voters are. The show also revisits new reporting from Indy Politics about Secretary of State Diego Morales and a former high-ranking employee in his office. Kendall highlights questions about whether Elena Copsey, who reportedly served as deputy chief of staff, was a noncitizen and how someone with limited government experience rose to such a senior role. He argues Morales needs to answer basic questions about her status, what she did in the office, why she left, and whether she had access to sensitive information tied to elections and Indiana businesses. Another major topic is the sudden entrance of Max Engling into the Republican Secretary of State race. Kendall explains how the state convention process works and says Engling’s candidacy likely reflects growing concern among delegates that Diego Morales could be a disaster in the general election. While Kendall says David Shelton remains the most qualified candidate, he argues both Shelton and Engling need to directly confront Morales’ record if they want to beat him at convention. The episode closes with a broader look at Republican primary voters versus the general electorate. Kendall argues that while Trump endorsements remain powerful inside GOP primaries, national polling suggests the wider public is increasingly unhappy with inflation, gas prices, spending, and the direction of the country. His warning is that Republicans may keep winning internal party fights while setting themselves up for major losses in the fall if they ignore what voters outside the Trump base are saying. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

5/19/26 - Judgment Day for Massie, Dems About to Get War Powers Win, Copenhaver Challenges Freedom

Today’s episode of The Rob Kendall Show opens with new reporting from Indy Politics involving a former deputy chief of staff in Secretary of State Diego Morales’ office. Kendall walks through Abdul-Hakim Shabazz’s reporting that the employee, Elena Copsey, was paid $160,000 a year and carried a driver’s license restriction associated with non-U.S. citizens, while also having previously signed a voter registration form affirming U.S. citizenship. Kendall says there are still unanswered questions, but argues the story is especially serious because Morales has built much of his public image around election integrity, Trump loyalty, and “America First” messaging. Kendall focuses heavily on the implications of a high-ranking official in the Secretary of State’s office potentially being a non-citizen, especially in an office that oversees elections, businesses, and sensitive information tied to millions of Hoosiers. He questions how someone with no listed prior government experience rose so quickly to a senior role and why the position was not publicly posted. He also says Morales should immediately answer the questions raised by the reporting instead of falling back on his usual strategy of attacking the media and waiting for the story to fade. The show also covers Paula Copenhaver officially requesting a recount in her extremely close Senate primary race against Spencer Deery. Kendall says a recount is fair given the margin, but criticizes Copenhaver’s legal strategy of trying to subpoena 14 voters and question whether they were eligible to vote in the Republican primary based on alleged crossover voting. He argues that if voters are legally registered and cast legal ballots, attempting to invalidate them over presumed political intent is dangerous and could set a terrible precedent. That discussion leads into a broader critique of Indiana Republicans pushing to close primaries after the Deery race. Kendall points out that Republicans have benefited from open primaries in the past, including Mike Braun’s own explanation years ago that he voted in Democratic primaries because those races determined local offices where he lived. Kendall argues that if taxpayers fund party primaries, voters should be allowed to choose which ballot they want, especially in heavily gerrymandered areas where the primary is often the only election that matters. The episode closes with a look at the Chicago Bears stadium situation and whether Indiana is still being used as leverage against Illinois. Kendall says he originally believed the Bears were mostly using Indiana to force a better deal in Illinois, but now thinks Indiana’s offer may be so generous that the team could seriously consider leaving. He argues the Bears are ultimately a business chasing the best financial deal, and warns that Indiana taxpayers could end up subsidizing a multibillion-dollar franchise if Illinois fails to get its act together. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]