Top Political Soundbites of 2025, Trump's Israel and Tucker Friendships, and Life After a Pardon

Start 2026 right and subscribe to Mark's show Next Up: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/next-up-with-mark-halperin/id1810218232 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2f0n8G4xqUo8aGxbbbtRjH YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nextuphalperin ?sub_confirmation=1 Mark Halperin opens the episode with his 2025 top political soundbites, revisiting the moments from politics and media that best captured the power shifts, internal party tensions, and national mood of the past year. From JD Vance’s viral confrontations, to Gavin Newsom’s rise, to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s dominance of the attention economy, to Ted Cruz–Tucker Carlson clashes inside MAGA, Mark explains why these clips mattered — and what they reveal about leadership, influence, and where American politics is heading in 2026. Mark is then joined by Dan Senor to discuss U.S. foreign policy and power inside the Trump administration. Senor explains why antisemitism thrives when leaders tolerate it, how political incentives shape silence on both the left and right, and why President Trump’s record on Israel has made him one of the nation’s strongest allies. He also breaks down how Secretary of State Marco Rubio has emer…