VILLA SASSETTI
Villa La Pietra
Via Bolognese, 120
60139 Firenze, Italia
A Dialogue with top american politics experts and insiders.
Program
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19
10:00am – Registration / Coffee
10:15am – Welcome Remarks Ellyn M. Toscano, Executive Director, NYU Florence Cristina Giachi, Deputy Mayor of Florence Benjamin V. Wohlauer, US Consul General in Florence
10:30am – Panel 1: “Trump Administration: First Year Review”
This panel will review the successes, failures and unexpected developments that occurred during the first year of the Trump Administration.
Moderator: Jay Newton-Small, Founder of MemoryWell and Time magazine journalist Steve McMahon, Democratic strategist Jonathan Capehart, Journalist, The Washington Post Ron Christie, Republican political analyst Elise Jordan, MSNBC political analyst and writer
12:00pm – Lunch
1:30pm – Panel 2: “An Uneasy Relationship: Congress and the White House”
This panel will discuss the Trump Administration’s relationship with Congress. Will the Trump Administration and the Congressional Republican Leadership begin working more productively, or will President Trump and the Democratic Leadership form an unlikely partnership on certain initiatives? Will more Republicans in Congress begin to openly oppose President Trump and his base, or will they fall back in line as election season approaches?
Moderator: Jonathan Capehart, Journalist, The Washington Post Rob Collins, Republican political strategist Doug Thornell, Democratic public affairs strategist Todd Harris, Republican media and communications strategist John Anzalone, Democratic pollster
2:45pm – Coffee Break
3:15pm – Panel 3: “What Party Has Greater Challenges Ahead?”
This panel will analyze the current fractured nature of both political parties. Are there now two Republican parties: Trump Populist Republicans and Traditional Reagan-style establishment Republicans? Are there two Democratic parties: Bernie Sanders-Elizabeth Warren Democrats and Traditional Obama-Clinton establishment Democrats?
Moderator: Jay Newton-Small, Founder of MemoryWell and Time magazine journalist Ron Christie, Republican political analyst Doug Thornell, Democratic public affairs strategist Elise Jordan, MSNBC political analyst and writer Rob Collins, Republican political strategist
5:00pm – Film Screening (Capture the Flag) and Discussion Elizabeth Hemmerdinger, Producer Anne De Mare, Director Laverne Berry, Voting rights activist and lawyer Steven Miller, Voting rights activist
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20
10:00am – Registration / Coffee
10:30am – Panel 4: “Forecasting: What Could Be Next?”
This panel will make some predictions about how the next year will play out for the Trump Administration and Congress. Can Congress and the administration work together to achieve a legislative policy victory in the coming year? Can the Democrats take control of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018? Looking at 2020, who are the Democratic candidates to watch as potential presidential nominees? Can Trump keep a fractured Republican party together heading into 2020?
Moderator: Steve McMahon, Democratic strategist Jonathan Capehart, Journalist, The Washington Post Todd Harris, Republican media and communications strategist John Anzalone, Democratic pollster Jay Newton-Small, Founder of MemoryWell and Time magazine journalist Ron Christie, Republican political analyst
