Every Thursday, the Spy hosts a conversation with Al From and Craig Fuller on the most topical political news of the moment.
This week, From and Fuller discuss former president Donald Trump’s indictment by a federal grand jury investigating alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Al and Craig also outline how this specific trial will impact the Republican party and perhaps American democracy itself.
This video podcast is approximately 18 minutes in length.
To listen to the audio podcast version, please use this link:
Background
While the Spy’s public affairs mission has always been hyper-local, it has never limited us from covering national, or even international issues, that impact the communities we serve. With that in mind, we were delighted that Al From and Craig Fuller, both highly respected Washington insiders, have agreed to a new Spy video project called “The Analysis of From and Fuller” over the next year.
The Spy and our region are very lucky to have such an accomplished duo volunteer for this experiment. While one is a devoted Democrat and the other a lifetime Republican, both had long careers that sought out the middle ground of the American political spectrum.
Al From, the genius behind the Democratic Leadership Council’s moderate agenda which would eventually lead to the election of Bill Clinton, has never compromised from this middle-of-the-road philosophy. This did not go unnoticed in a party that was moving quickly to the left in the 1980s. Including progressive Howard Dean saying that From’s DLC was the Republican wing of the Democratic Party.
From’s boss, Bill Clinton, had a different perspective. He said it would be hard to think of a single American citizen who, as a private citizen, has had a more positive impact on the progress of American life in the last 25 years than Al From.”
Al now lives in Annapolis and spends his semi-retirement as a board member of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University (his alma mater) and authoring New Democrats and the Return to Power. He also is an adjunct faculty member at Johns Hopkins’ Krieger School and recently agreed to serve on the Annapolis Spy’s Board of Visitors. He is the author of “New Democrats and the Return to Power.”
For Craig Fuller, his moderation in the Republican party was a rare phenomenon. With deep roots in California’s GOP culture of centralism, Fuller, starting with a long history with Ronald Reagan, leading to his appointment as Reagan’s cabinet secretary at the White House, and later as George Bush’s chief-of-staff and presidential campaign manager was known for his instincts to find the middle ground. Even more noted was his reputation of being a nice guy in Washington, a rare characteristic for a successful tenure in the White House.
Craig has called Easton his permanent home for the last five years, where now serves on the boards of the Academy Art Museum, the Benedictine School, and Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. He also serves on the Spy’s Board of Visitors.
With their rich experience and long history of friendship, now joined by their love of the Chesapeake Bay, they have agreed through the magic of Zoom, to talk inside politics and policy with the Spy every Thursday.
Craig Fuller says
I launched into this week’s discussion talking about the characteristics of a sociopath. If you wish to learn more there are many resources. Here is a link to the article from which I quoted: https://www.acfmw.com/what-is-a-sociopath-definition-traits-and-treatments . And, here is the link to an excellent book by Dr. Martha Stout who studied sociopaths for decades: https://amzn.to/3KpWWdJ .
Jerry McConnell says
Pretty obvious why this article is referenced …Trump is a true sociopath….A narcissistic, unabashed and unapologetic 5*, varsity sociopath.
How is it that so many people in this country admire and support him?
Obviously he’s exactly the guy that those people want to be : arrogant, rich, nasty, unscrupulous and stupid.
Al Sikes says
I share the outrage but a more granular analysis would probe why Trump’s voters feel as they do and that No Labels would not have any prospect but for the negative views about the incumbent. The Democratic Party needs its best leaders to compete for it’s nomination.
Susan C Johnson says
please put these videos available to major media get these guys on MSNbC or CNN
Donald Martin says
Let’s agree that former President Trump is likely a sociopath as Craig Fuller suspects based on his extensive studies of psychology. Let’s agree the Al From is suffering from Trump derangement syndrome so that whatever question he might be asked he will respond, directly or by implication that Trump needs to be stopped by any means if Democracy is to be saved.
Since Trump is a sociopath, Mr. Fuller says he doesn’t understand why so many Republicans have not abandoned him or rather denounced him as the bad man right thinking people know him to be. Perhaps a clue may be found in the sources of the Russia Collusion hoax and other perceived unfair allegations. Justified or not this may explain his extra MAGA support.
We might ask, while their remarks might be interest and embraced by many if not most readers of the Spy, what insight do their remarks offer the the question put to them today? Both Fuller and From claim to have read the 45 page inditement but neither man was ready to discuss its substance or whether it is likely to be successfully in making Trump accountable for his sins against Democracy as both gentlemen with. Nor did either of them comment on the fact that the inditement did not allege that Trump conspired to foment the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Why is that? What does it mean? Does it matter?
Unfortunately their remarks were disappointing if you were interested in the question as it was put to them.
Michael Pullen says
I suggest you read the indictment, watch the January 6 attack on the capital, review the extensive evidence developed by the Congressional Committee investigating the events of Jan. 6, most all of which came from Republicans in Trumps administration. Then explain those facts with any scenario that resists in Donald Trump not being the true sociopath we have all watched him being since 2015.
Bob Parker says
Two points in rebuttal:
1. While you are correct that inciting the insurrection on Jan 6th was not charged, count #1 charges Mr. Trump for conspiracy to defraud the United States which encompasses efforts to overturn the election. Counts #2&3 are related to obstructing an action of the gov’t, i.e. the vote certification, and count #3 is for conspiracy to violate the civil rights of Americans, i.e., counting of votes. Each of these counts amount to participating in an insurrection against the U.S. government. Consequently, need for a specific count charging “insurrection” is moot.
Eric Ploeg says
Obviously, both From and Fuller hate Trump so much that listening to them is comparable to customary commentary on MSNBC-DNC. It seems they’re both suggesting that only a fool wouldn’t prefer the typical ol’D.C. world of Biden and Hillary. That the devious Russian collusion hoax, spying on the opposition’s campaign and deceitful not-my-laptop must be acceptable over the brash, crude and too often disrespectful “other guy”. C’mon man, Hillary, the Bidens and co. gave us Trump. Collectively their enormous power is doing everything possible to prevent any outsider from ever residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Reed Fawell 3 says
Name calling is not serious political analysis.
Serious political analysis also requires respect for facts. For example, a “typical settlement agreement” is not a Plea Agreement combined with a Diversion Agreement into a settlement agreement that is unique in the history of American Jurisprudence. In that case, it is a settlement agreement without precedence.
And, in serious political analysis, a “broken man” does not become a “psychopath” in a few weeks, just in time for his third presidential campaign. Nor is this a legitimate medical diagnosis. This is propaganda.
Unfortunately, this conduct has fallen into a pattern going back to the presidential election of 2016.
christine durham says
I’m not a very politically-minded person but decided to take the time and listen to your podcast which I found to be very rewarding in its accuracy and description of donald trump, wondering however why his niece, mary trump, (clinical psychologist) is never mentioned and the book she wrote describing his mental condition which apparently goes far beyond being just a sociopath.
Mickey Terrone says
Speaking of Mary Trump, she recently made an interesting comment. “I hear people say that Republicans are afraid on Donald. No, they’re not. They are him, they are sticking with the guy who gives them permission to be their worst selves.” Perhaps Trump’s worst impact on America will be his legacy of fascism, bigotry, racism and perpetrating falsehoods as facts. His supporters can’t seem to grasp that he is lying to them, too. Perhaps they are pleased to make campaign contributions that go to pay his legal bills.
The numerous and growing number of court cases against Trump will bring a sun-like spotlight on Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election, and thus, the basis of our democratic republic. While Trump’s favorability ratings have risen with each new legal proceeding, his persecution complex is getting old. As evidence in his court cases becomes public and Republican witnesses come forth to corroborate the government’s cases, Republicans will be forced to acknowledge their undying support for the man who sought to overturn the republican form of government to which they pledge allegiance regularly.
This is the part of the tragic effect of blindly following a demagogue down the dark path of racism, bigotry and corruption while employing christianity as a mask for the legitimacy of his anti-immigrant and anti-minority dog whistling to further divide Americans.
I hope that our local podcasters and columnists will focus on Trump and the Trumpism that threatens to outlive Donald Trump himself to infect and eat away at true American values long after he himself escapes to Russia or departs for the next world.