Republicans are Jumping Ship Days Before the Midterms | The Week

Heather Cox Richardson framed the midterms as another break point in American party politics, arguing that the Republican Party as it had existed was dissolving as some Republicans “jump ship” from Trump and MAGA. She compared the moment to the 1850s, when a new coalition formed around a larger constitutional fight over who the government served and who controlled power.

The host argued that the most expensive midterm on record may also prove that money has diminishing political power. With ad spending above $11.2 billion and a Texas Senate race costing about $850 million, he said the return on political spending could be falling sharply, even for ultra-wealthy donors like Elon Musk.

The housing segments made the same “entrants versus incumbents” case in policy form. The guests argued that homeowners have gained too much control over permits, creating a supply problem that locks young people out of homeownership. On housing affordability, the host said the cure is to change incentives toward building, not just subsidize demand. The episode ended on Anthropic’s S-1, where the host highlighted more than $800 billion in future compute commitments and Steve Eisman’s warning that a business with no moat and huge spending obligations is dangerous.