Earlier this year, Congress reached a disappointing milestone: 86% of Americans, a record high, disapprove of its performance. But this summer, there have been some signs that changes are underway. On the left, House Democrats have 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 shocked by the sudden death of Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina senator and one of Donald Trump’s staunchest supporters. Mitch McConnell, the former Senate majority leader, is in self-isolation after the health crisis in June, raising questions about whether security measures could be changed there too. Kai Wright and Carter Sherman are joined by the Guardian’s Washington bureau chief David Smith and Midwestern political correspondent Rachel Leingang to discuss gerontocracy, transparency, the rise of the Democratic Socialists of America, and what a turning point this summer could be for both parties.
