The panel discusses the new Pentagon program being led by Newt Gingrich, Anduril founder Palmer Luckey, and SpaceX's Elon Musk. Described as a 120-day effort examining the future of warfare, planning for the use of drones, AI, and space in warfare.

Department of War: Commissioning of Project Meridian: The Future of Warfare (https://media.defense.gov/2026/Sep/30/2004009287/-1/-1/1/COMMISSIONING-OF-PROJECT-MERIDIAN.PDF)

"Why don't they just call it Skynet and be done with it?" Cannon joked.

***

20:39 (https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/10/01/rcp_podcast_.html) - Emptying the War Chest for Paxton

USA Today columnist Nicole Russell joins the program to discuss Ken Paxton's remarkably expensive Texas Senate campaign, his refusal to debate James Talarico, and an off-mic remark blaming Donald Trump for his flagging poll numbers.

Russell's latest USA Today report: Vance Shouldn't Have To Rescue Paxton in Ruby Red Texas (https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/09/30/vance-rally-paxton-texas-senate-race-midterms/91987733007/)

"I think his decision not to debate him shows a huge sign of weakness," Russell said. "I think that Paxton just doesn't want to own the fact that he is not a great candidate.

"Talarico has somehow gained momentum," she said. "He looks that way. He looked that way at the beginning... He's truly a progressive, but he picked up some traction by looking that way."

"I was struck by the $155 million being spent on behalf of Camp Paxton, and I look at that map, and I thought how far that money would have gone in Kansas and Nebraska and South Carolina, Alaska," Carl Cannon commented. "And if they wanted to maybe flip a Democratic state, how much help they could have given Michelle Tafoya. And I thought, are they going to regret spending, you know, $200 million, even if this guy ekes it out, because this money could have really been used in all these other states where the Republican nominee's in trouble?"

***

37:07 (https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/10/01/rcp_podcast_.html) - Bright Spot for Republicans in Maine?

The group looks at improving polling for Susan Collins in Maine, and how she made her comeback after the Graham Platner incident.

Watch: 2026 Maine Senate - Collins vs. Jackson (https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/senate/general/2026/collins-vs-jackson) | Jackson +0.2

"Never, ever, ever count Susan Collins out. Ever," Tom Bevan repeated.

***

43:19 (https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/10/01/rcp_podcast_.html) - The Plumber Who Stopped a Hijacking

The episode ends with the story of a plumber and fellow passengers who reportedly helped thwart an attempted hijacking of a Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight.



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