After Party with Emily Jashinsky Left’s State of the Union Freakout, Trump’s Media Strategy, A New Path to Citizenship, PLUS Don Lemon Sued, with Mark Hemingway
Feb 26, 2026
Mark Hemingway, senior writer at RealClearInvestigations and investigative journalist, joins to unpack political media chaos. They dissect reactions to the State of the Union and a Democratic rebuttal, probe Portland’s downtown decline and policy roots, and examine weird national cultural moments and a church livestream lawsuit. Conversation jumps between media strategy, local collapse, and political theater.
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Democrats' Gang Of Eight Pitch Repeats Biden Era Mistakes
- Emily Jashinsky argues Democrats' proposed return to a Gang of Eight style immigration bill would look like Biden-era policies that created a migration surge and political backlash.
- She cites Chuck Schumer endorsing a long path to citizenship for ~11 million people and Daniel Dale's fact check of Trump's 11,888 figure to show the politics are fraught.
Spanberger's Moderation Message Clashes With Her Agenda
- Mark Hemingway and Emily critique Abigail Spanberger's State of the Union response as a deliberate attempt to brand herself moderate and normal but lacking charisma.
- They point out she marketed moderation to win Virginia while governing with tax proposals that alienate non-Northern Virginia voters.
Media Outrage Helps Trump's Message Land With Concerned Voters
- Media pundits' outraged framing of Trump's immigration rhetoric (e.g., Scarborough calling it bigotry) feeds the dynamic that helps Trump target voters who feel ignored on crime and migration.
- Mark says focusing on crime rates or illegal-entry harms resonates even if media disputes relative crime statistics.