Politics and cultural commentator Kaivan Shroff joins me to discuss Will & Grace actor Debra Messing’s endorsement of Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman. Trump has endorsed and campaigned for Blakeman, who would end New York’s sanctuary city status and welcome ICE with open arms. He’s promised to ban transgender students from girls’ school bathrooms and locker rooms statewide.
Messing had previously endorsed Gov. Kathy Hochul and even supported Cynthia Nixon’s 2018 primary campaign for New York governor. She’s justified her Blakeman endorsement with concerns for “public safety,” which are not consistent with actual data. (Crime is steadily decreasing in New York.)
It’s easy to dismiss Messing as another has-been actor who’s gone MAGA, but considering that politics is an additive enterprise, it’s worth unpacking what’s happening, as well as acknowledging the growing tension within the party over Israel/Gaza.
Kaivan Shroff is a media and culture expert, attorney, and television commentator. He appears on CNN, Fox News, NBC, NewsNation & more. A Harvard, Yale and Brown graduate, he advises the Institute for Education and has written for HuffPost, The Hill & many others. He hosts the extremely enjoyable Extremely Reasonable podcast.
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