Normally Podcast: Trump, Vance & the GOP’s 2026 Problem, Plus Luigi Mangione and California’s Wealth Tax

Mary Katharine Ham and Karol Markowicz are back together on Normally to break down a packed political landscape heading into the 2026 midterm elections.

They start with the races that could determine control of the Senate, including Florida, Michigan, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina and New Hampshire. Is the Democratic Party moving too far left for voters — or could Republicans still find a way to sabotage their advantage?

Then, Mary Katharine and Karol react to President Donald Trump’s comments about scaling back U.S.-South Korea military exercises and Vice President JD Vance’s remarks about the U.S. dollar and reserve currency. What do these comments reveal about where Trump and Vance are taking the Republican Party?

Plus, California’s proposed wealth tax has Mark Cuban warning about an exodus of entrepreneurs and investment, while Democrats face a growing fight over socialism, billionaires and taxing the rich.

The conversation also turns to Luigi Mangione’s guilty plea in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, the disturbing fandom surrounding Mangione, and the political reaction to the murder.

Finally, America’s education divide is getting harder to ignore. UC Berkeley professors are confronting students who struggle with basic math, the University of Michigan is hiding first-semester grades on transcripts, while Mississippi and Louisiana are showing what can happen when schools return to phonics, accountability and educational basics.

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