Kate and Josh discuss Trump’s extremely lengthy State of the Union, new information about an allegation against him in the Epstein files, and the dark scandal engulfing Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX).

With Trump’s first official State of the Union of his second term upon us, I wanted to share a few previewing thoughts. First, who knows the particulars we’re going to see in this speech. We start with the degenerate unpredictability of Trump and added to it we have whatever mix of senescence or loosening we’ve seen so clearly in the last year. And there I am really open to either possibility. I think sometimes that in term two he has kind of maxed out on all his desires for power, for adulation. And getting everything we want has a way of undoing many people, at least putting a lot of slack in the inner chords that give us quickness and alacrity. In any case, we start with Trump and all the additional feralness and distention we have in this second term. So who the eff knows what to expect.

But this is the prism I think we should be looking at the speech through.

Kate and Josh discuss spox Tricia McLaughlin’s departure from DHS and more drama in the Texas Senate primary.

A new episode of The Josh Marshall Podcast is live! This week, Kate and Josh discuss the State of the Union aftermath, Trump’s Social Security slip-up and Republican Ken Buck’s unceremonious departure from the House.

You can listen to the new episode of The Josh Marshall Podcast here.

A new episode of The Josh Marshall Podcast is live! This week, Josh and Kate discuss President Biden’s big night.

You can listen to the new episode of The Josh Marshall Podcast here.

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis tweeted triumphantly this afternoon that he rejected the Biden administration’s request for states to send National Guard troops to Washington, D.C. ahead of Tuesday’s State of the Union speech.