Is Bruce Pearl Too Liberal for the GOP? (w/ Ryan Cagle)

This week, Josh and David tackle the rampant hypocrisy and political rot festering in Alabama and beyond. They kick things off with a fiery breakdown of the right-wing media's reaction to the political assassination of a Minnesota lawmaker, exposing the cynical machinery that fuels lies and deflects blame.

Then, they dive into the shamelessness of modern politics, exploring how Donald Trump's presidency has normalized cruelty and why so many voters have been duped by a con man who preys on their worst instincts.

To get a ground-level view of what it takes to fight back, they bring on a fantastic guest. Minister and community activist Ryan Cagle joins the show to discuss his race for the State House and his courageous fight for justice in Walker County, where a corrupt sheriff's department has been plagued by scandal, abuse, and the death of Tony Mitchell.

Finally, the show closes with a look at the emerging GOP primary for the U.S. Senate, asking if Bruce Pearl is a better choice than Steve Marshall, and crowns a new "Right-Wing Nut of the Week": a Supreme Court Justice who praises a convicted felon while lying about crime statistics.

👇 JUMP TO A TOPIC (YOUTUBE CHAPTERS) 👇

• 00:00 Intro: The President Without Shame
• 13:30 The Right-Wing Lie Machine & The Minnesota Assassination
• 31:00 GUEST: Ryan Cagle on the Fight for Walker County's Soul
• 1:16:30 DEBATE: Is Bruce Pearl the GOP's Best Hope for Senate?
• 1:24:40 Right-Wing Nut: The Supreme Court Justice Who Can't Google

GUEST IN THIS EPISODE

➡️ Ryan Cagle: Minister, community advocate, and Democratic candidate for Alabama House District 5. Ryan details his grassroots campaign and his frontline efforts to demand accountability for the death of Tony Mitchell and expose the corruption within the Walker County Sheriff's Office. He discusses the need for new approaches to mental health crises and what it means to fight for change in a deep-red district.

RESOURCES & SOCIALS

➡️ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/alpoliticsthisweek.com

➡️ X/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/alathisweek

➡️ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alathisweek

SUPPORT THE SHOW

👍 Like this video and SUBSCRIBE to our channel!

⭐ Leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

📧 Send us a question or a voice recording to [e-mail]. We take a bit of time each week to answer questions from our audience about Alabama politics. Make sure you include your name and the city or county where you live.

ABOUT OUR SPONSOR

Alabama Politics This Week is sponsored by Wind Creek Hospitality. Gaming is the heart of Wind Creek Hospitality, but they offer so much more. Wind Creek's 10 distinct properties in the U.S. and Caribbean — including four in Alabama — provide world-class entertainment, dining, hotel stays, amenities and activities. As the principal gaming and hospitality entity for the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, Wind Creek continues to grow and offer guests luxurious destinations and opportunities for escape.

Music courtesy of Mr. Smith via the Free Music Archive.