The Erick Erickson Show

Erick Erickson breaks down a brutal debate night in the 2026 midterms: Mike Rogers presses Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed on whether Israel or Iran is the bigger threat, his mother's ties, his Hasan Piker friendship and his Dubai property, while Susan Collins lands her sharpest blow yet on Maine's Troy Jackson. Erick also explains why Mike Collins is sinking in Georgia against Jon Ossoff, why you must vote all the way down the ballot, and remembers Chicago Bears legend Mike Ditka, who passed away today.
Mike Rogers vs. Abdul El-Sayed in the Michigan Senate debate: Israel or Iran, Hasan Piker, the Muslim Brotherhood question and Leland Vittert's viral follow-up
Susan Collins vs. Troy Jackson in Maine, plus the Vermont Lieutenant Governor race and the family farm migrant worker controversy
Why Mike Collins is dragging down Georgia Republicans against Jon Ossoff, and Erick's struggle over leaving a line blank
Vote down the ballot, become a poll watcher, and the Peruvian candidate named Hitler Mussolini who just won an election
Coach Mike Ditka dies, a Gulf Coast hurricane heads for Mobile and Pensacola, and the Not Safe Radio Show at Gas South Theater

Erick Erickson welcomes State Department deputy spokesman Luke Ortega to unpack Secretary Marco Rubio's Acropolis speech defending Western civilization, the new Greenland deal with Denmark, and the 250,000 visas revoked under President Trump. Then Erick breaks down the New York ICE shooting of Oscar Bergall, Mayor Mamdani's attack on federal agents, and the Obama appointed federal judge who blocked his deportation. Plus Tommy Tuberville's 7 to 0 win at the Alabama Supreme Court, Iranian AI influence operations, a rant on "super intelligence," and the White Sox in the playoffs.
State Department deputy spokesman Luke Ortega on Marco Rubio's Acropolis speech in Greece, the Iceland, Greece and Portugal trip, and the call for Europe to rebuild its industry and defense
The Greenland deal with Denmark: two new US defense areas, a bar on adversary bases and critical minerals investment, and no expiration date
Over 250,000 visas revoked, why tourist, work and student visas are pulled, and the new travel.state.gov visa fraud tip portal
ICE agents shot Oscar Bergall after he rammed federal vehicles, Mayor Mamdani's response, and a federal judge's order blocking his removal
Alabama Supreme Court rules 7 to 0 it cannot hear the Tommy Tuberville residency challenge in the governor's race, plus Iran's OpenAI fake journalist campaign and Erick's refusal to say "super intelligence"

Erick Erickson makes the case, as a Christian who supports the death penalty, against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's plan to stage a public, live-streamed execution of Fort Hood terrorist Nidal Hasan, citing Army regulations, Tertullian, Augustine, Ezekiel 33:11 and the risk of turning a paraplegic terrorist into a martyr for Islam. Erick also explains how his faith has changed his politics, takes on progressives who twist scripture and conservatives who ignore the refugee on immigration, and then turns to TV: Slow Horses, 24, Silo, Severance, Game of Thrones and how pornography and gratuitous language coarsen the soul. Plus the Cornell seven text message, the Not Safe Radio Show, Hurricane warnings for the Southeast and a Friday round of golf.
Pete Hegseth and the Pentagon's plan to publicly live stream the execution of Nidal Hasan: why Erick Erickson supports the death penalty but opposes public execution, the Army regulation that bans it, and the martyrdom propaganda risk across the Middle East
Faith and politics: Tertullian's De Spectaculis, Augustine and the Colosseum, Ezekiel 33:11, Proverbs 24:17, and progressive revelation versus progressives rewriting scripture on James Talarico, same-sex marriage and abortion
Immigration and the Christian conscience: supporting deportation of illegal aliens without cruelty, care for the refugee, the widow and the orphan
Family friendly TV: Slow Horses on Apple TV, 24 with Kiefer Sutherland, Silo, Severance, Shogun and Game of Thrones, and why gratuitous language and sex are coarsening culture
Pornography, fathers talking to sons, the Cornell seven situation, plus tickets for the Not Safe Radio Show and a Southeast hurricane warning

Erick Erickson makes the case that the Republican midterm bloodbath is overstated, backing Ken Paxton over James Talarico in Texas and Mike Rogers over Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, with a look at Senate races in Minnesota, Iowa, Ohio and North Carolina. He then digs into the new CBS News report on the Iranian attack on Camp Buehring in Kuwait, the aircraft losses the Pentagon downplayed, and word that President Trump wants a plan to finish the Iranian regime before the midterms.
Texas Senate race: Ken Paxton versus James Talarico, the new UMass poll putting Paxton ahead, Texas suburban voters, Greg Abbott, and why Erick still thinks Paxton can pull it off
Michigan Senate race: Abdul El-Sayed's silence on October 7th, his refusal to say whether Israel or Iran is the bigger threat, Mike Rogers, and the eight point polling miss on Republicans in Michigan
Midterm elections 2026: Alan Lichtman's 52 Senate seats prediction, Michelle Tafoya in Minnesota, Ashley Hinson in Iowa, North Carolina and Ohio, and Erick's call of a 50-50 Senate with JD Vance as the tiebreaker
Iran war: CBS News video of the attack on Camp Buehring in Kuwait, more than 80 aircraft lost or damaged, Jack Keane on Hamas rebuilding in Gaza, three carrier groups, Marco Rubio's Acropolis speech, and Trump's push to finish Iran
Lighter moments: the zigzag yellow line Orange County, Florida spent $150,000 on, the Atlanta Braves loss to the Dodgers and defending manager Walt Weiss, and Saturday's Not Safe Radio show at Gas South Theater

Erick Erickson opens with a Gulf Coast hurricane warning for Alabama and the Florida panhandle, then breaks down the New York Fed report showing tariffs raised prices on 67 categories of goods by 2.9 percentage points, plus Morgan Stanley data on the stock market slump and an AI boom holding up the economy. He defends Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent against a Wall Street Journal hit job, takes on the Kimberly Guilfoyle stories, and warns Republicans that corruption is now a top midterm issue.
Gulf Coast hurricane: category two storm headed for Gulf Shores, Alabama and Pensacola, hurricane warning from Ocean Springs, Mississippi to Gulf County, Florida, flooding risk through Meridian, and the Georgia and Alabama game in Tuscaloosa
Tariffs and prices: the New York Federal Reserve study of 67 categories of goods, the 2.9 point price hit, 26 percent pass-through to consumers, Erick's case that tariffs are 1950s protectionism, and the comparison to modern monetary theory under Biden
Stock market and AI boom: Morgan Stanley data showing 89 percent of stocks down more than 10 percent since June 1, autos and semiconductors hit hardest, banks holding up, and Nvidia and data centers carrying GDP growth
Iran sanctions and oil: Trump says no attack before the midterms, Treasury sanctions 17 shadow fleet tankers, West Texas crude near $90 and Brent at $103
Scott Bessent, Kimberly Guilfoyle and corruption: the Wall Street Journal hit job on Bessent, Howard Lutnick's orbit, the Guilfoyle Greece ambassador stories, why corruption is a top three midterm issue, and Erick's call for Republicans to clean house, plus the listener stress test of his new website