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Trump’s Latin American revolution, the 6,000-mile ballot, and a surprising Karl Rove story

What does an American president have to do with elections in Brazil, the future of Latin America, and the fight against drug cartels? Quite a bit, as it turns out.

On Saturday’s show, I dug into a Washington Post report about a growing wave of right-leaning political victories across Latin America. Even the Post is acknowledging Trump’s expanding influence in our own hemisphere. And I think the historical implications could be enormous.

Then there was another Washington Post piece that caught my attention: a man flying 6,000 miles to Israel just to vote against Benjamin Netanyahu. His political motivations weren’t what interested me. It was the reason he had to get on an airplane in the first place. That opened a lively discussion about American election rules, early voting, and ballot harvesting.

We also examined the latest Ilhan Omar controversy, Trump’s comments about Michigan’s Senate race, and a Justice Department dispute with California over voter-registration records.

And there was a more personal moment. After Trump dismissed Karl Rove as a loser, I shared some memories of Rove, Tony Snow, and a remarkable White House luncheon with Rush Limbaugh during the George W. Bush years. Politics can get personal, but friendship doesn’t have to disappear whenever political allegiances change.

Add a little Queen, Motown guitarist Wah Wah Watson, Richard Nixon’s campaign against drug references in rock music, and my anticipation of catching up with Princess Diana, and you have quite a Saturday morning.

For more on the political transformation I discussed, read my companion column.

— Bo

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