Michigan's Democratic Primary

The Real Clear Politics Podcast on May 1, 2026, opened with a heated discussion on a controversial Rhode Island immigration case involving a Dominican national wanted for murder in his home country, arrested for assault in Massachusetts, and released by a Biden-appointed federal judge despite a deportation order and Interpol Red Notice. Hosts Andrew Walworth, Tom Bevin, and Carl Cannon condemned the judge’s decision as reckless and dangerous, linking it to broader concerns about bail reform, judicial overreach, and the perceived leniency toward criminal defendants. The conversation expanded to include a harrowing Chicago case involving a violent felon who smuggled a gun into a hospital via his body fat and killed a police officer, reinforcing the hosts’ argument that the justice system has swung too far toward criminal rights at the expense of victims. The episode then shifted to Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary, where a new poll shows a tight race between Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed, with incumbent Senator Mallory McMorrow falling to third after purging 6,000 pre-2020 social media posts that criticized Michigan and praised California. The hosts debated whether McMorrow’s establishment image and perceived elitism hurt her chances, while El-Sayed’s controversial online rhetoric and progressive stance raised concerns about Democratic viability in a swing state. The discussion touched on the broader ideological shift leftward in the Democratic Party, with Carl Cannon suggesting the country is moving left, while Tom Bevin argued the base’s influence is undermining electoral competitiveness. The segment concluded with a discussion of Trump’s nomination of Nicole Sapphire as Surgeon General, praised for her mainstream appeal and Fox News background, and a bipartisan Senate move to ban members from betting on prediction markets due to insider information concerns. The episode ended with the hosts’ 'You Cannot Be Serious' segment, highlighting a woman who sued a cruise line after drinking 14 tequila shots and falling down stairs, winning $300,000 in damages.