Trump Backs Paxton over Cornyn in Texas & Nightmare Scenarios in MI's Midterms | Strategy Session

The Republican Party has completely traded its oath to the Constitution for raw power—but is the MAGA dominance finally hitting a wall? In this special all-Michigan edition of Strategy Session, Lincoln Square Executive Editor Susan Demas sits down with veteran Democratic strategist Joe DeSano and senior advisor to the Lincoln Project Jeff Timmer. Together, they pull no punches on the current state of American democracy, the homoerotic subtext of Trump's iron grip on GOP candidates, and the massive 50-seat "blue wave" building across the country that gerrymandering can't stop. They break down the total collapse of the GOP coalition, the shocking decision by Colorado Governor Jared Polis to commute the sentence of J6 election denier Tina Peters, and why former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s independent run for Michigan Governor might be the ultimate political miscalculation. From Ken Paxton’s corrupt Texas Senate run to the brutal three-way knife fight in the Michigan Democratic Senate primary, get the unvarnished truth from two of the sharpest operatives in the game. #GOPCollapse #BlueWave2026 #MichiganPolitics #TrumpGrip 00:00 - Introduction: An All-Michigan Strategy Session 01:06 - How the Republican Party Lost Its Mind 03:07 - Domination and the Gimp Mask: Trump's Iron Grip 09:55 - Texas Fool's Gold? James Tallarico's Real Shot 14:54 - Too Big to Rig: Why Gerrymandering Will Backfire 20:42 - Knife Fight in a Phone Booth: How Democrats Must Fight 25:47 - The Scummy Move: Jared Polis Commutes Tina Peters 29:38 - Family Math: How to Message Against Trump's Corruption 32:54 - Mike Duggan's Independent Blunder in the Governor's Race 42:31 - The Second Battle: Preparing for 2020 Election Do-Overs 45:43 - Knife Fight in Social Media: The Michigan Senate Primary 52:59 - The Ceiling vs The Floor: Predicting the Democratic Nominee 🤝 Join the Lincoln Square community on Substack today for unparalleled insights, expert commentary, and news from your favorite pro-democracy voices. Subscribe for free at: https://bit.ly/4jCEUFj 🔔 Subscribe to Lincoln Square on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3YEQB4N -🛍️ Get Official Pro-Democracy Merch & Protest Gear Support the movement and wear it proudly. Use code YOUTUBE for 15% off 👉 https://bit.ly/4pBuhUI 💙 Support Independent, Pro-Democracy Media Your support helps inform disengaged Americans nationwide. Every $10 reaches 1,000 voters with the facts. Donate via ActBlue: https://bit.ly/4sBec40 📲 Stay Connected with Lincoln Square Instagram:   / lincolnsquarehq   Facebook:   / lincolnsquarehq   TikTok:   / lincolnsquarehq   Sez Us: https://sez.us/user/lincolnsquarehq?1... BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/lincolnsquar... YouTube:    / @lincolnsquaremedia   Xitter: https://x.com/LincolnSquareHQ Substack: lincolnsquare.media #politics #lincolnsquare #democracy #trump #lincolnproject