New CPF Fellows on Politics Today

Описание: USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future (CPF) Director Bob Shrum joined Spring 2026 CPF Fellows, Mark Campbell, Yemisi Egbewole, Garret Graves, and Seema Mehta, for a discussion on the current state of politics today on Tuesday, February 3. They discussed the 2026 midterms, the Trump Administration's impact on the upcoming elections and media, ICE raids, and how the Democrats and Republicans are approaching the midterms. The conversation also explored the Fellows’ study groups and their wide-ranging careers in politics and public service.

Featuring:
Mark Campbell: GOP Campaign Strategist; Spring 2026 CPF Fellow
Yemisi Egbewole: Former Chief of Staff and Advisor to the Biden White House Press Office; Spring 2026 CPF Fellow
Garret Graves: Former U.S. Representative (R-LA); Spring 2026 CPF Fellow
Seema Mehta: Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times; Spring 2026 CPF Fellow
Bob Shrum (Moderator): CPF Director; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife

Learn more about the Fellows Program: https://bit.ly/cpfFellows
Learn more about the Center: https://dornsife.usc.edu/center-for-p...
Learn more about this event: https://calendar.usc.edu/event/new-cp...

Timestamps:
0:00-3:28 - Welcome Remarks and Fellows Introduction by Bob Shrum
3:28-6:56 - Looking at the upcoming midterms, how do you view the likely outcome–and more broadly, do you believe the election will be free and fair, or be undermined without a full and accurate count?
6:56-8:15 - Do you see any likelihood that President Trump will try to interfere with the election in terms of ballots?
8:15-9:58 - What impact is the President likely to have in the midterms?
9:58-14:41 - Is the Democratic Party likely to nominate in a pragmatic way or in an ideologically driven way?
14:41-17:00 - What would you recommend the Republican message to be on affordability?
17:00-21:15 - Are we on the verge of shattering the post-war order that the US created and headed towards isolationism?
21:15-25:18 - What is the Republican Party going to look like in the future? How will Democrats respond?
25:18-29:40 - Is there any give on the part of the Administration in terms of the way they are approaching ICE enforcement? How should Democrats be dealing with this?
29:40-31:32 - Is it a mistake for the new Administration to not make personnel changes?
31:32-33:22 - What are some insights that can be given about the Biden administration's attitude towards border security and why more wasn’t done on it during his term?
33:22-41:38 - How do you view the Trump administration's approach to the media? Does it hinder the media’s ability to do their job or give them the motivation to dig deeper?
41:38-52:09 - Audience Q&A