Norm Ornstein on Another Chaotic Week in DC

Listen to this episode from The Al Franken Podcast on Spotify. Chaos has ensued across the federal government as we face another shutdown. We're joined by political scientist, an emeritus scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, and friend of the show, Norm Ornstein, to make sense of it all. What is this shutdown all about? Healthcare. With Republicans in charge of the House, the Senate, the Presidency, AND the Supreme Court, can they dodge the blame? Meanwhile, Trump and OMB Director (and Project 2025 author) Russell Vought will use this moment to further gut the federal government. What kind of long term damage could this cause? Also this week, Trump proposed a deal to end the war in Gaza. Norm walks us through the terms and what comes next. Could peace be on the horizon? Plus, Norm breaks down the bizarre address from Trump and War Secretary Pete Hegseth to the top military generals. This entire stunt cost millions of dollars, but did it accomplish anything? Listen to Norm's podcast "Words Matter" with fellow friend of the show David Rothkopf: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dsrs-words-matter/id1420216970