Ed Gillespie

American Politics: The 114th Congress and 2016 Presidential Election

Skip Reimer, Mike Allen, Ed Gillespie, Jason Grumet, Frank Luntz, Van Jones

The 18th annual Milken Institute Global Conference convened over 3,500 attendees and 700 speakers to analyze the 2016 election landscape, economic stagnation affecting the working poor, and rare bipartisan consensus on criminal justice reform. Key figures including Frank Luntz, Van Jones, and Ed Gillespie identified Marco Rubio and Scott Walker as top Republican prospects while warning of an asset-based recovery that leaves the working class feeling hopeless. The dialogue further explored structural congressional dysfunction, the demographic "swarms" reshaping the Democratic coalition, and the critical electoral stakes for swing states like Virginia, Florida, and Ohio.