Pod Save America

Graham Platner announces he's ending his Senate campaign, and Maine Democrats scramble to replace him. Dan and Alex Wagner discuss the state of the race, what it'll take to get a new name on the ballot, and why so many (but not Alex) were wrong about Platner. Then, they discuss Trump restarting the war with Iran, the administration's socialist plan to lower gas prices for a select few in Philadelphia, and why Trump is trading in his new Air Force One for the old one. Finally, former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper talks to Dan about his campaign for Senate and what it'll take to flip the Tar Heel State blue for the first time since 2008.

Donald Trump cancels the signing of a landmark bipartisan housing bill at the last minute, saying he won't approve it until Congress passes the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and photo ID to cast a ballot. Jon and Dan react to the President's decision and the Republican caucus's angry reaction to it, then turn to Tuesday's primary elections, where three DSA-aligned candidates won in New York City, and discuss JD Vance's attempts to charm Rupert Murdoch … and his own wife. Then, Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee in Texas, stops by the studio to talk to Jon about what it'll take to unseat Governor Greg Abbott.

Jon, Lovett, Tommy, and Dan record from Chicago after the dedication ceremony of the Obama Presidential Center, reacting to Barack and Michelle Obama's speeches, what it felt like to walk through the museum for the first time, and what lessons Democrats in the Trump era can take from Obama. Then, they react to the emerging details of Donald Trump's MOU with Iran, which he signed at the Palace of Versailles, JD Vance's efforts to seem like a normal person during his book tour, and why the algae in the Reflecting Pool is such an apt metaphor for Trump's presidency.

As Trump prepares for his UFC match on the White House lawn, Politico reports that "knives are out" inside the White House, with staffers reeling from a president "increasingly frustrated with everyone, from his own team to the Senate." Jon and Alex discuss the toxic workplace and then break down the rest of the news, including Trump's on-again, off-again relationship with Iranian negotiators, incredible new details about how the White House handled its Epstein crisis, and Trump admitting that he "love[s] the inflation." Then, veteran political journalist Ron Brownstein talks to Jon about the Democrats' chances of taking the House and Senate in November.

Will Sommer, author of The Bulwark's "False Flag" newsletter, sits down with Tommy to talk about the MAGA media world — including the right-wing personalities who may be considering a political future (Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens), those whose influence is crumbling (Ben Shapiro), and some of the most troubling — and strangest — rising voices. Tommy and Will then break down the ways some of MAGA's leading voices are abandoning the president, what their world will look like and whether it can even survive in a post-Trump future.

President Trump announces yet another D.C. construction project — a renovation to the Lincoln Memorial dubbed "The Trump Promenade" — as well as the nominations of his former personal lawyer Todd Blanche for Attorney General and shitposter-turned-FHA Administrator Bill Pulte for acting Director of National Intelligence. Alex Wagner joins Jon Favreau to discuss the latest, including California's torturously slow primary tallies, new allegations against presumptive Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner, and Scott Pelley's dramatic last stand at CBS's "60 Minutes." Then, Jon reveals how he was accidentally invited to the UFC fight on the White House lawn.

After Ken Paxton's victory in the Texas Senate Republican primary runoff, the MAGA faithful set their sights on James Talarico, attempting to disqualify him for being too much of a beta male for Texas. Will it stick? The White House is on the verge of getting Iran to the table to negotiate, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent dismisses concerns that the U.S. economy is heading toward stagflation, and Trump accelerates his quest to stamp his image on Washington, covering statues in gold and attempting to create a $250 bill with his own face on it. On the presidential family front: ProPublica reports that the administration funneled millions to a company owned in part by Donald Trump Jr., while Dr. Jill Biden finally speaks candidly about her reaction to her husband's infamous 2024 debate performance. Then, Scott Colom, the Democratic nominee for Mississippi's U.S. Senate seat, stops by the studio to talk to Jon about why he believes the deep-red state is in play.

Norm Eisen, President Obama's "ethics czar" and founder of Democracy Defenders, talks to Alex Wagner about Trump's latest avalanche of corruption: the $1.8 billion slush fund to pay off Jan. 6 rioters, the IRS immunity announcement, the ballroom, the reflecting pool renovation, the 3,000-plus stock trades placed while in office, and, unfortunately, much more. Together, they unpack how Democrats in Congress — or lawyers outside of it — could stop Trump's slush fund, and what impact this onslaught of self-enrichment, cronyism, and taxpayer abuse may have on the midterm elections.

So much for Trump's iron grip on the party. Just days after Thomas Massie's defeat, Republicans in the Senate and House begin to buck Trump on his top priorities: ballroom funding, the taxpayer-funded slush fund for his allies, and the war in Iran. Could it be that his surprise endorsement of Ken Paxton over John Cornyn in the Texas Senate primary didn't help matters? Faced with mounting leaks, the DNC finally releases its 2024 autopsy — an incoherent, error-riddled mess that Chairman Ken Martin admits was a failure from the start. The New York Times releases new polling data on what Democrats think the party needs to do to win in 2028. Then, California gubernatorial candidate Matt Mahan talks to Tommy about the race and his record as mayor of San Jose.

Republicans attempt to defend President Trump's admission that he does not "think about Americans' financial situations," while his Department of Justice is on the verge of giving him billions of taxpayer dollars to settle the lawsuit he brought against his own IRS. Jon and Dan react to the president's financial priorities and then turn to Democratic strategy, including how they should be talking about the administration's corruption, how they're fighting back against Republican gerrymandering, and the latest on the DNC's refusal to release its 2024 autopsy.

Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock stops by the studio to talk to Jon about the Supreme Court's dismantling of the Voting Rights Act, his visit to an ICE detention facility, and whether the Democratic Party is doing enough to fight back against Trump. Then Jon and the senator, who serves as senior pastor at the congregation Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once led, discuss JD Vance lecturing Pope Leo on theology, increasing political violence in America, and what lessons from Dr. King can help us build a sustained political movement at this moment.

Lovett sits down with Senator Bernie Sanders about what we need to do rein in AI, getting super PAC money out of Democratic politics, and building support for stopping weapons sales to Israel. Then, Lovett speaks with Puck Political writer Peter Hamby to talk about his reporting on the embrace of political violence and conspiracy theories in certain corners of the political left, the big news in the Maine Senate race and the latest in the California governor's race.

In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court guts the Voting Rights Act, setting the stage for Republicans to grab more Democratic seats — but will they be able to do it in time for the midterms? Dan and Alex Wagner tackle all the latest with redistricting, Pete Hegseth's testy appearance on the Hill defending the war in Iran, and Trump's new pursuit of some very familiar enemies. Then, Iowa Senate candidate Zach Wahls stops by to talk to Tommy about the primary there and what's at stake for farmers in Trump's America.

DNC Chairman Ken Martin wanted to come on and respond to criticisms about his refusal to release the 2024 "after-action report" — despite his promise to do so — and about the Committee's fundraising struggles. In this bonus episode, he talks to Jon about why he thinks the report is a distraction, and why the fundraising numbers — in his view — tell a misleading story.

FBI Director Kash Patel sues The Atlantic for defamation after they publish a well-sourced article alleging he's frequently drunk on the job. Donald Trump celebrates the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz — only to watch Iran close the strait and fire on two ships. The administration tries to win back Joe Rogan and his audience by fast-tracking a series of psychedelics for FDA approval. Potential 2028 contenders, including Jon Ossoff, Pete Buttigieg, and Kamala Harris, make high-profile appearances on the campaigns trail. Plus: J Street's Ilan Goldenberg talks to Tommy about what progressive, pro-Israel policy should look like.

President Trump attacks Pope Leo as "weak on crime" in a long social media screed before posting an AI-generated photo of himself as Christ healing the sick. JD Vance fails to broker a peace deal with Iran, Trump announces plans to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by blockading it, a horrifying scandal upends the race for California governor, and Democrats' Senate hopes show signs of life. Then, LA councilmember Nithya Raman stops by the studio to talk about her campaign for LA mayor and how she plans to tackle the city's most pressing crises: housing and homelessness.

Donald Trump gives Iran until 8pm Tuesday night to "Open the Fuckin' Strait" or he'll level all of the country's power plants and bridges. In the meantime, he spends an hour in the White House briefing room congratulating himself for the rescue of the downed American airmen — spilling a bunch of sensitive details in the process. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy react to Trump's latest performance, his request for huge budget increases for defense and White House renovations, the latest with the mass deportation campaign, and why Trump decided to do California Democrats a huge favor by endorsing in the governor's race. Then, Rep. Sarah McBride stops by the studio to talk with Lovett about how Democrats should approach the Iran war debate, and why her Republican colleagues are so addicted to going viral.

Congressional Republicans consider massive cuts to federal healthcare spending in order to raise $200 billion to fund Trump's war in Iran. Jon and Lovett discuss how that plan could affect Republicans in the midterms, Trump's ballooning economic crisis, and his desperate attempt to calm the markets by saying negotiations have made "great progress" while simultaneously threatening Iran with war crimes. Then, the guys check in on how the war is playing among young Republicans at CPAC, House Republicans' fight with Senate Republicans over funding DHS, and Trump's real top priority — the construction of his poorly designed ballroom. Then, Josh Turek, a Democratic candidate for Senate in Iowa, stops by the studio to talk to Tommy about "prairie populism" and the president's disdain for disabled Americans.

Donald Trump's approval rating hits historic lows as voters react to soaring gas prices caused by his war of choice with Iran. Dan and Jon discuss what those new figures mean for the upcoming midterms and react to Florida Democrats flipping the state legislative seat that includes the president's home at Mar-a-Lago. Plus: the new report that Trump is tiring of the war even as he plans a ground invastion, his likely illegal attempt to pay TSA workers by executive order, and the election crisis facing Democrats in California.

The Pentagon requests an additional $200 billion in funding for Trump's war in Iran. Jon and Dan discuss how Democrats in Congress should respond to the request, the administration's insistence that rising gas prices are nothing to worry about, and the resignation of a high-ranking intelligence official, Joe Kent, over the administration's decision to go to war with Iran. Then, they talk about Tulsi Gabbard's and Markwayne Mullin's explosive hearings on the Hill, AIPAC's impact on Tuesday's Democratic primaries in Illinois, and Trump's latest money-making venture — putting himself on a commemorative gold coin. Then, Juliana Stratton, the new Democratic nominee for Senate in Illinois, talks to Dan about her simple, effective anti-Trump message.

President Trump calls on U.S. allies to send warships to the Middle East to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but no one seems interested in answering his call. Jon, Tommy, and Lovett discuss the United States' decreasing global standing, the deployment of an additional 2,500 Marines to the region, and Trump's interesting word selection at a Kennedy Center turned Iran war press conference on Monday morning. Then, the guys discuss Trump and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's threats against the media over its Iran war coverage, the vicious fight happening on the right over the war, and check in on corruption coming out of the administration, including a shocking Trump fundraising email, Jared Kushner's investment fund, and Sen. Markwayne Mullin's suspicious stock trading. Finally: the guys jump in on the latest trend taking over the political media — cold-calling President Trump.

The war in Iran enters its second week and Donald Trump declares that it's about to end — and also that it's going to last a very long time. Jon, Tommy, and Lovett react to the president's conflicting statements, the cascading global energy crisis he created, and the way Republicans — especially warmonger Lindsey Graham — are reacting to the war. Then, they discuss why some Democrats are hesitant to cut off funding for the strikes, the administration's arrests of American citizens protesting its deportation campaign, and the Trump sons' new business venture: drone warfare. Then, Tommy talks to Congressman Pat Ryan, an Iraq War veteran, about our new war and what Democrats can do to oppose it.

The Trump administration struggles to justify its new war with Iran, while Democrats struggle to effectively explain why Americans should oppose it. Jon, Tommy, and Lovett react to Trump's first live remarks following the killing of six American soldiers and dissect the administration's conflicting comments about the war's rationale, objectives, and timeline. Then, they discuss how Democrats are talking about it, why not even all of MAGA is on board, the Department of War declaring Anthropic a "supply chain risk," and the Ellison family's impending takeover of CNN. Then, Lovett talks to Senator Ruben Gallego about Iran and the Democratic Party's Senate primaries in Maine and Texas.

Graham Platner, a Democratic candidate running for Senate in Maine, stops by the studio to talk with Jon about Trump’s impending conflict with Iran, the future of Medicare for All, and what community organizing in rural Maine taught him about building political power in our polarized era. The two discuss new polls showing Platner leading Janet Mills in the Democratic Senate primary, how his tattoo controversy has resonated with Maine voters, and what he wants to change about the Democratic Party to rebuild a winning, working-class coalition.

The White House debates going to extreme lengths to get the American public to stomach a war with Iran, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth tries to force Anthropic into letting him use their AI model to operate autonomous murder drones. Jon and Dan react with horror and then discuss the rest of the news, including the administration's new fraud-focused message, the draft executive order that the administration may use to declare a national emergency before the midterms, and a new report that Trump's Justice Department removed some documents from the Epstein files that accused the President of sexually abusing a minor. Then, Tommy talks to an organizer in Arizona about Vote Save America's effort to recruit people like you to run in down-ballot races in the Grand Canyon State and all over the country.

Donald Trump breaks his own record for longest State of the Union in history, delivering a meandering, angry, tone-deaf speech that utterly fails at its single most important goal: laying out a clear plan for lowering prices. Jon, Lovett, Dan, and Tommy react to Trump's stunts—including bringing on the members of the USA Hockey men's team—what he said about his plans for Iran, the fights he tried to pick with Democrats, and the official Democratic response from Gov. Abigail Spanberger.

The State of the Union has arrived. Will war with Iran come with it? Jon, Tommy, and Lovett react to reports that Trump is considering launching air strikes against Iran in the coming days and then jump into the rest of the news, including the President's decision to impose a new fifteen percent global tariff—after the Supreme Court ruled his existing ones were illegal—Kash Patel's taxpayer-funded trip to party with the U.S. men's hockey team, and the various ways Congressional Democrats are planning to respond to tonight's State of the Union address. Then, Lovett chats with MS NOW's Symone Sanders-Townsend and Eugene Daniels about the Democratic Party's 2028 frontrunners, the Crockett-Talarico Texas primary, and their new podcast, "MS NOW Presents: Clock It."

The Supreme Court tanks Donald Trump's tariff program in a 6-3 ruling supported by two of his hand-picked justices. Lovett talks to Jerusalem Demsas, economics writer and editor-in-chief of The Argument, about the epic presidential tantrum that followed and what Trump might do now. Then they discuss the findings from a new Argument poll about the backlash to trans rights, why Congress won't assert itself as a coequal branch, the way forward for housing policy, and why all the commentary about the anti-Trump resistance being "cringe" is missing the point.

Trump's economic messaging tour takes him to Georgia, where he claims "I've won affordability"—as White House advisors concede in a high-level meeting that he "will do what he wants to do, say what he wants to say." No surprise then that Republican strategists are beginning to go public with their fears about the midterms. Jon and Dan react to all the latest, including Trump's plans for war in Iran, the saga of Texas Senate candidate James Talarico's cancelled interview with Stephen Colbert, and the rumored departure of spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, the face of DHS's worst lies.

Live from Sydney, Jon, Lovett, Tommy, and Dan discuss the lurid details of The Wall Street Journal exposé on Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski's eye-opening behavior at (and high above) the Department of Homeland Security. Then, they look at the latest with Republicans' efforts to steal the midterms, including Noem's promise to make sure "we have the right people voting, electing the right leaders," RFK Jr.'s new war on donuts, and Barack Obama's advice for Democrats on resolving their differences. Then, they stage their own debate about which Democratic presidential hopeful would be the strongest candidate, drawing names from the 2028 Sorting Hat.

What can we learn from other countries that have lived through dictatorships? How can artists fight authoritarianism? How should an Oscar nominee react to an encounter with ICE on the way to the Academy Awards? Alex Wagner is joined by actor and filmmaker Wagner Moura, star of the Oscar-nominated The Secret Agent — a thrilling, beautiful film set during Brazil’s military dictatorship. You may also remember Moura as Pablo Escobar from Narcos. Wagner and Wagner discuss the political parallels between Brazil and the United States, what Alex Pretti’s killing teaches us about masculinity, and the Trump administration’s distorted response to violence in the streets. They also talk about the importance of cultural memory, what the Epstein Files say about power, Trump’s reaction to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance, and the gutting of The Washington Post. Jon, Tommy, and Lovett will be back in your feeds this week.

Live from Melbourne, Jon, Lovett, Tommy, and Dan react to Democrats’ decision to stand firm on ICE funding and force a shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, Pam Bondi’s epic meltdown in front of the House Judiciary Committee, Megyn Kelly’s unhinged response to the Bad Bunny halftime show, and what really happened with the the laser weapon that shut down El Paso airspace.

Epstein revelations continue. New files reveal that the notorious sex offender had closer relationships than previously known with Trump’s inner circle, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Ghislaine Maxwell pleads the Fifth to Congress, while her lawyer says she’s “prepared to speak fully and honestly” if Trump agrees to let her out of prison. While Jon, Tommy, and Lovett are overseas, Alex Wagner and Ben Rhodes discuss how the files are rattling politicians around the world, and why consequences have been more severe abroad than in the U.S. There’s also the fight to put limits on ICE playing out in the courts and Congress, Trump’s scheme to celebrate America’s 250th birthday with a fresh grift, and why RFK Jr. can’t be trusted with the Super Bowl snacks.

Does Trump know ball? Is he afraid of Bad Bunny—or did MAGA just fumble the halftime show?

The Justice Department releases more than three million more files related to Jeffrey Epstein, and the list of powerful people involved with the notorious pedophile is ... long. Jon, Tommy, and Lovett react to the most notable revelations from the new batch, including the many mentions of Trump, and then check in on the president’s corrupt dealings, including a half-billion bribe from the United Arab Emirates and an attempt to steal $10 billion in taxpayer money in the form of a lawsuit against his own IRS, the release of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father from ICE custody and the arrest of journalist Don Lemon, and Democrats’ incredible 31-point legislative flip in Texas. Then, Tejano artist and Latin Grammy winner Bobby Pulido stops by the studio to talk to Tommy about his race for Congress and Trump's weakening support among Texas's Latino community.