Matt Rooney, Cory Booker And Trump's Tariff Checks

Oct 13, 2026 · 41 min · 13 segments

Matt Rooney joins us for Rooney Tuesday as we turn to New Jersey's U.S. Senate contest between Cory Booker and Republican Justin Murphy. We revisit their debate, including Murphy's memorable response to a question concerning President Trump's war with Iran, and examine the campaign's prospects in a state where Democrats maintain considerable advantages. Matt offers his perspective on the obstacles facing Republican challengers, the importance of campaign organization, and the need for voters to participate rather than simply complain about political outcomes. We also discuss candidate presentation, the value of a strong debate performance, and whether Murphy can generate enough momentum to challenge Booker. The conversation widens into a discussion about Republican leadership, congressional spending, and dissatisfaction among conservative voters. We debate the national debt, the federal government's spending habits, and the failure to deliver certain legislative promises, including the SAVE America Act. Matt weighs in as we examine whether Republicans are doing enough with their control of Washington. Nick and Greg clash over Trump's tariff policies and the possibility of returning tariff revenue to Americans through rebate payments, with competing arguments over whether those payments represent a dividend to taxpayers or another form of federal spending. We also revisit pandemic-era payments and the economic consequences of government intervention. We return to the credibility of political claims circulating on social media, including questionable material involving James Talarico and a purported Denzel Washington endorsement of Trump. The crew debates the responsibilities of commentators who share inaccurate stories and why corrections matter, with Greg taking his share of friendly fire.