Trump Launches 'Operation Freedom'

NRSC Chair Tim Scott Handicaps the Senate Midterm Map

The 2026 primary season is in full swing, and both parties are gearing up for record midterm spending. As Republicans battle to maintain their Senate majority, where is the party placing its biggest bets? On this episode of All Things, National Republican Senatorial Campaign Chair Tim Scott (R., S.C.) walks Kim Strassel through the dynamics of his map, from Maine to Texas to Alaska. Where is the GOP placing its biggest bets? What states are keeping Scott up at night? With voters in a sour economic mood, could Democrats put Republicans on defense in even more places? And what's the one thing this GOP Congress could do right now to brighten its party's chances?   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Mike Pence's Mission to Rekindle the Conservative Conscience

Donald Trump’s second presidential term has produced conservative victories, but has also sparked a populist right that is pushing the Republican Party away from its Reagan foundations. Former Vice President Mike Pence sees the movement once again at "a time for choosing," and is working to push it back toward those foundational principles. On this episode of All Things, Kim Strassel and Pence talk about the rise of the populist right, where it is veering off the conservative path, the role online influencers have on the debate, and why he felt compelled to write his new book, “What Conservatives Believe: Rediscovering the Conservative Conscience.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

The Left's Exercise In Political Self-Deception

The Democratic Party ducked an honest discussion about why it lost 2024 presidential election, releasing an incomplete autopsy of Joe Biden’s abandoned campaign, Kamala Harris’ struggles, and the party's disconnect with voters. What's next for the left? On this episode of All Things, Kim Strassel and political scientist Ruy Teixeira look at what the DNC did (and didn’t) say, the reasons behind the dodge, the why the party's current messaging and candidates are unlikely to fix the longer-term problem.     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

A Crucial Swing Senate Race in North Carolina

Primary season has come for the 2026 midterm election, and with razor-thin margins in both chambers of Congress, so-called purple states have become crucial battlegrounds for control of the Senate. In North Carolina, Republican Michael Whatley has secured his party’s nomination and will face off against former Democratic governor Roy Cooper to replace the retiring Thom Tillis. On this episode of All Things, Kim Strassel breaks down the race with Whatley, including why Cooper’s record on crime is an issue, how tariffs are playing with voters, and why the whole race may come down to, “the economy, economy, economy.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

The Imprisonment of Jimmy Lai

Donald Trump will travel to Beijing this week for a high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. President Trump has said that one issue he will bring up during the meeting is the imprisonment of Jimmy Lai, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for crimes against the National Security Law. On this episode of All Things, Kim Strassel speaks with Lai’s close friend and Wall Street Journal Opinion columnist William McGurn about what led to Lai’s arrest and why his cause has been taken up by journalists around the world.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]