# Gaza. Mitch McConnell. Is Congress finally being forced to change?

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/stateside-with-kai-and-carter-7845609/gaza-mitch-mcconnell-is-congress-finally-being-forced-to-change
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/stateside-with-kai-and-carter-7845609/gaza-mitch-mcconnell-is-congress-finally-being-forced-to-change.md
Podcast: [Stateside with Kai and Carter](https://stenobird.com/podcast/stateside-with-kai-and-carter-7845609)
Published: 2026-07-22T20:50:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/series/stateside
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/69f1f631d7e73f5a692d1d3c/e/6a6110eff4dc2ac490165d5e/media.mp3
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Duration seconds: 2545

## Resource

Earlier this year, Congress reached a depressing milestone: 86% of Americans, a record high, disapproved of its job performance. But this summer, there have been some signs that shifts are underway. On the left, House Democrats have just voted in unprecedented numbers to withhold military aid from Israel, and across the country, progressive candidates are running competitive primary campaigns that are energizing a base fed up with the status quo. On the right, Republicans are reeling from the sudden death of South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, one of President Trump's staunchest supporters, and former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell remains sequestered following a health scare in June, raising questions of if a changing of the guard might be underway there too. Kai Wright and Carter Sherman are joined by Guardian Washington bureau chief David Smith and Midwest political correspondent Rachel Leingang to discuss gerontocracy, transparency, the rise of the Democratic Socialists of America, and just how much of an inflection point this summer might be for both parties. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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## Transcript

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