The Rachel Maddow Show

Rachel Maddow leads a panel of her MS NOW colleagues in analysis of the historic 2026 midterm elections and their implications, sort term and long term, for the U.S. political landscape.

November 3, 2026; 10pm: Election night coverage tracks a major Democratic wave, with projected Senate and gubernatorial flips in Texas, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio and other states reshaping control of Congress and key governorships.

November 3, 2026; 9pm: Election night coverage tracks a major Democratic wave as MS NOW projects Democrats will take control of the U.S. House with a minimum of 235 seats, while Senate races in Texas, Ohio, South Carolina and Kansas move to lean Democratic. Key calls include Keisha Lance Bottoms winning Georgia governor, Zach Dembo flipping Kentucky’s 6th District, and Democratic House pickups in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

November 2, 2026; 9pm: Rachel Maddow previews MS NOW election night coverage and argues that Trump administration efforts involving DOGE data, voter rolls, subpoenas, and ballot-seizure fears have been blocked or are being met by election officials and courts. David Remnick and Carol Lennig join to discuss authoritarian risk, institutional resistance, and what to watch after Election Day.

October 19, 2026; 9pm: Rachel Maddow examines signs Trump and Republicans are delaying unpopular actions until after the midterms, while early voting and No Kings organizing surge nationwide. Senator Mark Warner warns about potential pretexts to contest election results, and Leah Greenberg discusses election-defense organizing.

October 17, 2026 - Long Game examines Bernie Sanders’ rise from Burlington mayor to national progressive force, tracing how his working-class message, outsider identity, and movement politics reshaped the Democratic Party. The episode features Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Zohran Mamdani on electability, party tensions, governing, and the next generation of progressive candidates.

October 17, 2026 - Michelle Norris examines Bernie Sanders’ influence on progressive politics, the 2026 midterms, and the candidates testing whether a grassroots, working-class message can win general elections. The episode features interviews with Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on electability, class politics, race, party power, and the future of the Democratic coalition.

Rachel Maddow points out that no matter what the political trends are, candidates and campaigns still matter, and Democrats are enjoying the benefit of some favorable match-ups in addition to Donald Trump becoming an ever deeper black hole for Republicans to try to escape. And as Trump recognizes the dire situation he is in, his behavior is becoming more desperate.

Together In Texas: We the People 2026. Part Two.

Together In Texas: We the People 2026. Part One.

MS NOW has teamed up with the 92nd Street Y to bring viewers unforgettable conversations with influential voices from politics, culture and entertainment. In this edition of Nicolle Wallace presents: The 92NY on MS NOW, Rachel Maddow interviews Hollywood agent and dealmaker Ari Emanuel about his new book, "Roll the Calls," his life and career, his bizarre health routine that involves eating live worms, and his relationship with Donald Trump.

October 5, 2026 - Rachel Maddow shows that Republicans are losing their political grip on Georgia, and as they lose confidence in their chances for electoral victory, the executive director of the Georgia State Election Board, a MAGA election denier, has written a letter without consulting the rest of the election board asking for federal intervention in Georgia's voting. Fulton County Commissioner Dana Barrett joins to discuss how local election officials are preparing to defend Georgia's elections from Donald Trump's potential interference.

Rachel Maddow shares new reporting that in the midst of elevated threats from Iran and its allies, Kash Patel demoted two top counterterrorism officials for not being adequately attentive to Stephen Miller's wife after she got harassing phone calls, even though the calls were not terrorism-related. And in the wake of Kash Patel's personal e-mail being hacked, the FBI suffered a massive hack of the personal information of employees, raising even more questions about Patel's ability to keep American safe in an increasingly threatening environment.

Rachel Maddow reviews the fundamental legal principles that are working against Donald Trump's attempt to ban news organizations from the White House, as well as the American cultural principles that would never accept Trump administration propaganda as a replacement for a free press. Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute, joins to discuss.

Rachel Maddow shares details of new reporting from ProPublica that Donald Trump Jr.'s lavish weekend wedding celebration was largely paid for by a "very generous" Russian oligarch who even helped plan the festivities despite there being some questions about just how well he knows the couple or what he might expect in return for his generosity. Brett Murphy, investigative reporter with ProPublica, joins to talk about the report.

Rachel Maddow explains how a secret bomb shelter installed under the White House during the Obama administration undercuts Donald Trump's legal claim that he needs his ballroom constructed because it will include a necessary bomb shelter for the White House. Rachel is joined by Greg Werkheiser, co-founder of Cultural Heritage Partners, to discuss a coalition of organizations working to protect Washington cultural and historic landmarks from Trump's reckless vanity projects.

Rachel Maddow examines the confusing mix of contradictory, impulsive decisions and petty tantrums that constitutes Donald Trump’s agenda. She notes that the result is an almost complete loss of U.S. allies around the world, and that only three states have a net-positive opinion of him. Even in those states, voters are handing him election losses by proxy.

Rachel Maddow looks at how a Trump-aligned Texas oil company appears to be trying to worm its way into drilling in Greenland, provoking a threatening response not only from Greenland residents and officials, but potentially from NATO ally Denmark.

Rachel Maddow and a panel of her MS NOW colleagues track and analyse the primary returns in Virginia, Kansas, Washington, Missouri, and especially Michigan where the Democratic primary for Senate is seen as a bellwether of the shift in Democratic politics in the Turmp era.

With midterm elections fast approaching, the Republican Party, already compromised by Donald Trump's cratering popularity and track record of criminality and immorality, is dealing with multiple candidates mired in damaging personal scandals. Rachel Maddow takes a look.

Rachel Maddow looks at decisions Donald Trump has made so far in his second term, from staffing his administration to policy choices and wars of choice, and points out that while the American people are the first to have to pay for Trump doing a bad job, ultimately the consequences fall on him as his political popularity plummets.

Rachel Maddow notes that Donald Trump's news cycle seems to be stuck in a loop with the same basic headlines repeating, but with each cycle Trump becomes more desperate to achieve his ends, and more reckless in his efforts as his opposition gets stronger and wiser to his schemes.

For reasons that are hard to fathom, included among Biden era gun rules that Donald Trump has rolled back are restrictions on people who have been adjudicated mentally ill, making it easier for them to get access to guns and ammunition. Mirianna Mitchem, former associate assistant director at the ATF, talks with Rachel Maddow about the danger Trump is courting with his recklessness.

A special celebration of America’s 250th anniversary with Rachel Maddow, Jen Psaki, and Ali Velshi from MS NOW’s live community event in Philadelphia. In this hour, Rachel Maddow interviews civil rights legal stalwart Sherrilyn Ifill, and the panel takes questions from the live audience.

A special celebration of America’s 250th anniversary with Rachel Maddow, Jen Psaki, and Ali Velshi from MS NOW’s live community event in Philadelphia. In this hour Ali Velshi presents his acclaimed retracing of 250 years of American history. And Jen Psaki interviews Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.

Rachel Maddow describes how the Supreme Court conservatives radically expanded presidential power with a single ruling, even in the face of Donald Trump's unbridled corruption and abuse of the power he already had.

Rachel Maddow talks with Julia Angwin and Ami Fields-Meyer, authors of "On Courage: How to be a dissident in an age of fear," about "the central question of how to live right as an American citizen right now," and the variety of ways people can throw sand in the gears of authoritarianism to preserve democracy.

Rachel Maddow points out that while it's never a good thing to have a bad president, having a bad president as incompetent as Donald Trump means he is also bad at pursuing his own corrupt goals. Maddow points out examples of Trump's failed political prosecutions, caving to pushback and sparking a wave of political backlash against himself.

MS NOW's Michele Norris interviews former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama about their time in the White House and opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.

MS NOW's Michele Norris interviews former President Barack Obama about his time in office and the opening of his new presidential center in Chicago.

Rachel Maddow lists the goals Donald Trump set for the war he started with Iran, from regime change to obliterating Iran's nuclear capacity, none of which have been met as Trump announces an agreement that reportedly will at least re-open the Strait of Hormuz, though apparently with some fees attached. MS NOW's Ayman Mohyeldin joins to discuss.

Donald Trump was roundly booed in New York City outside of Madison Square Garden on his way to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. Trump was booed again once he was spotted inside the venue. Rachel Maddow shares footage of the booing and remarks on the way Trump has arranged to benefit financially from his other sports preoccupation, a UFC fight on the White House grounds.

Rachel Maddow and a panel of her MS NOW colleagues analyze primary election returns from New Jersey, South Dakota, Iowa, New Mexico, Montana and California, and react to breaking news of the Supreme Court granting an "emergency" request from Alabama to allow the elimination of a majority Black district, and CBS News firing Scott Pelley for speaking out against changes made to 60 Minutes by new management.

Rachel Maddow and a panel of her MS NOW colleagues analyze primary election returns in New Jersey, South Dakota, Iowa, New Mexico, Montana and California.

Amid a politically punishing backlash against Donald Trump's flagrant $1.776 billion money grab for his criminal allies, a judge is considering whether to investigation if the "IRS settlement" on which the slush fund is based began as a legitimate court case or was a fraud on the court from the beginning. Former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance talks with Rachel Maddow about the legal guidelines the judge is considering.

Former federal prosecutor Barbara McQuade talks with Rachel Maddow about her acclaimed new book, "The Fix: Saving America from the Corruption of a Mob-Style Government," in which she draws upon her experience prosecuting fraud and organized crime to understand how to defeat Donald Trump's style of intimidation and inflicting pain on others to dominate them and get what he wants.

A special broadcast of Rachel Maddow's recent live event at the 92nd Street Y: A conversation with Steven J. Ross, author of "The Secret War Against Hate."

Rachel Maddow looks at Donald Trump's attempt to have $1.8 billion taxpayer dollars handed to him to distribute to his friends and allies, and debunks the notion that this money-grab has anything to do with suing the IRS. Rep. Jamie Raskin, who calls Trump's scheme "nothing but a racket," joins to discuss Trump's increasingly open, shameless corruption.

As Donald Trump has tried to use the Department of Justice as his personal tool for petty revenge and political intimidation, the department's track record has been abysmal and its frequent mistakes, mortifying. Rachel Maddow takes a look at the degradation Trump has brought to a once-distinguished facet of American government.

AI – and coverage of it – is everywhere. But what is artificial intelligence, really, beyond the buzzword? Each week, in a special new miniseries - ‘The AI End Game’ - Chris Hayes is joined by preeminent experts on AI and its effects to help make sense of this revolutionary time in history.

Rachel Maddow makes the case that from the first day of his second term, Donald Trump has been engaged in "a concerted and intense targeting of Black Americans," from firings to executive orders and including his Supreme Court gutting the Voting Rights Act, which will likely largely eliminate Black congressional representation in the American South.

Julia Ainsley, senior Homeland Security correspondent for NBC News and author of the newly released, "Undue Process: The Inside Story of Trump’s Mass Deportation Program" talks with Rachel Maddow about her original reporting into how the Trump administration's series of ad libs on implementing Trump's immigration policy led to a cascade of failures that turned Trump's biggest political boon into a disaster that turned the country against him.

The Trump administration "would prefer to do things that are easy," Rachel Maddow points out. And so, by making the implementation of a nationwide immigrant prison system not at all easy, and, in fact, quite hard, Americans pushing back against Trump's plan are winning, and Trump's prisons are not opening.

Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Donald Trump's secretary of labor, is resigning in a cloud of scandal, extending a string of high-level departures from the administration. Rachel Maddow surveys the landscape of Trump's Cabinet.

Rachel Maddow highlights some striking parallels between Donald Trump and the authoritarian regime his administration is modeled on, Victor Orbán in Hungary. Maddow notes that the basis for an authoritarian's power is the sense that their continued rule is inevitable, so seeing Orbán tossed from power so handily by the voters of Hungary sends a clear and upsetting message to Trump, and an encouraging message to Trump's opponents.

Rachel Maddow looks at how Donald Trump's overall cluelessness and incompetence is made worse by Pete Hegseth's active destabilizing of the U.S. military and poor decision-making in wartime.

Rachel Maddow points out several instances of Donald Trump's Department of Homeland Security paying tens of millions of dollars more than the assessed value of warehouses the administration wants to turn into massive prison camps for immigrants.

Rachel Maddow looks at the news stories we would have trouble believing if we weren't living through them in real time, including Denmark, a U.S. ally, making preparations to defend itself and Greenland against the U.S., Donald Trump staggering around war crime-level threats against Iran, a MAGA sheriff seizing hundreds of thousands of ballots, and ICE agents being sent to airports with no real job to do.

Rachel Maddow looks at how Donald Trump's fast talk and gaslighting can't change the reality of the mess he has made in the Strait of Hormuz as allies resist his bullying and rivals and opportunists take advantage of him to enrich themselves.

In a rambling press conference full of bizarre answers to questions about the war he started against Iran, Donald Trump admitted that he is doing it "for the other parts of the world." Rachel Maddow looks at how Russia is benefitting tremendously from Trump's attack on Iran, even as it helps Iran target American interests, and how Trump has set off a global energy crisis of historic proportions.

Rachel Maddow and her MS NOW colleagues track the primary election returns in Texas and North Carolina, with Ali Velshi offering special statistical insights from the big board as one of the most closely watched elections, the Democratic Senate primary between Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico mired in legal complications after polling place confusion in Dallas.

"They're not sending their best." Rachel Maddow reviews how the collection of unqualified culture warriors Donald Trump has put in charge of key facets of the United States national security apparatus is much worse than merely incompetent now that Trump has started a war with Iran and stoked a new level of threat against Americans and American interests.

Rachel Maddow joins MS NOW's ongoing live breaking coverage of the United States' attack on Iran.

Listen to MS NOW’s Special Coverage of President Trump’s 2026 State of the Union Address on February 24th, 2026.

Rachel Maddow considering the tradition associated with the State of the Union address in which one member of the president's Cabinet does not attend the event in case something happens that prevents everyone in attendance at the speech who would ordinarily be part of the presidential succession from being able to serve. But in Donald Trump's case, his Cabinet is so full of scandal and disgrace, designating a survivor seems impossible.

Rachel Maddow shares highlights from a judge's remarks in rejecting Donald Trump's power to dismantle a national monument i Philadelphia to hide the fact that George Washington owned slaves. The judge compared Trump's censorious "anti-woke" edict to the mission of the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell's 1984.

A preview of “MS NOW Presents: Clock It” – your invitation to Symone Sanders Townsend and Eugene Daniels’s weekly groupchat.

Donald Trump is, of course, mentioned thousands of times in the Epstein files, as one would expect given his close relationship with notorious pedophile and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, but Trump's association with many of the names in those files did not end with Epstein's arrest, or even death. Rachel Maddow highlights some of the mentions that are oddly still enjoying impunity.

Introducing “Clock It,” a new podcast at the intersection of culture and politics from Symone Sanders Townsend and Eugene Daniels.

Rachel Maddow looks at the latest headlines showing Donald Trump backpedaling in the face of protests and plummeting poll numbers, taking a shocking loss in a special election, losing court cases, and watching resignations in protest deplete his Justice Department. The pushback against Donald Trump is happening everywhere he turns and grows ever more effective the more Trump wobbles and weakens.

Donald Trump's anti-immigrant mission was already damaging his standing with the portion of Americans who didn't already dislike him, but the escalating violence and brutality and shocking on-camera killings have seen his opposition balloon from Americans protesting to a large swath of his own party, business leaders, clergy and Congress. Rachel Maddow outlines how the forces of democracy are imposing themselves on Trump.

Rachel Maddow and her MS NOW colleagues share their reaction and analysis of former special counsel Jack Smith's testimony about the criminal investigations of Donald Trump before the House Judiciary Committee.

Rachel Maddow and her MS NOW colleagues share their reaction and analysis of former special counsel Jack Smith's testimony about the criminal investigations of Donald Trump before the House Judiciary Committee.

Rachel Maddow shares recent examples of prominent members of the clergy speaking out against Donald Trump's abuse anti-immigrant tactics and his belligerent foreign policy, and talks with Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, about defending immigrant members of his community and Donald Trump's dismantling of the moral role the U.S. plays in the world.

While Donald Trump has made clear how he intends to wield his power and retain his power, the most pressing question for Americans is how his opponents intend to stop him. Jon Ralston, founder and CEO of the Nevada Independent, and author of the newly published "The Game Changer: How Harry Reid remade the rules and showed Democrats how to fight," talks with Rachel Maddow about how the Democrats' best political tactician and savviest fighter in living memory would have handled stopping Trump and retaking power before it's too late.

Rachel Maddow rounds up a litany of recent court losses Donald Trump has suffered, as even some Republicans in Congress are agreeing to block or otherwise mitigate the damage Trump's policies are inflicting on their constituents, all while Americans rally in protest of abuses and outright crimes committed by Trump's ICE agents.

A special invitation from Rachel Maddow.

Rachel Maddow runs through the litany of excuses and justifications the Trump administration has presented to explain the military invasion of Venezuela, and points out that none of what has been floated holds up under scrutiny. Every principle the Trump administration claims to be defending comes with examples of the administration not caring at all about that principle. Even the popular idea that it was all for oil doesn't really make sense upon closer examination. But there is one reason that is consistent with Trump's behavior through the first year of his second term in office.

Rachel Maddow hosts a special conversation with guests from her "Burn Order" podcast, live from the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles to discuss the fight against the race-based incarceration of Japanese-Americans during World War II and how lessons from that episode in American history apply today.

Rachel Maddow shares a look at how outrage over government corruption in Bulgaria prompted massive protests and eventually the resignation of the prime minister and his government. And in the United States, for all of Donald Trump's unpopular policies being protested across the country, the self-dealing and corruption that has become his administration's hallmark may ultimately be what leads to Trump's downfall.

Rachel Maddow reviews how poorly Donald Trump's policies are being received by the American public as Trump continues to appoint laughably unqualified sycophants to top agency roles, and leadership failures mount. As a result, not only are Trump's poll numbers tanking, but even Republican politicians are recognizing that it's not in their interest to tie their fates to Trump's sinking ship.

Rachel Maddow hosts a prime time special event with historian Timothy Snyder about the rise of authoritarianism and how we can meet the moment. (Recorded on November 21, 2025 at the Harris Theater in Chicago’s Millennium Park)

Rachel Maddow looks at a variety of legal tactics and pressure campaigns that are having success against the Trump administration's overreach in immigration enforcement and the Justice Department's vendetta prosecutions. Where people push back, Trump loses, or sometimes doesn't even try to fight, and the more Americans learn that lesson, the stronger the opposition Trump faces.

Rachel Maddow relays the details of a new Washington Post report that Donald Trump's secretary of defense, former weekend cable news host Pete Hegseth, gave orders to kill everyone on board a boat he accused of running drugs to the United States, which meant finishing off the survivors of an initial strike that destroyed the boat — the literal textbook definition of an illegal order. Rep. Adam Smith, ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee joins to discuss a new, bipartisan push to investigate Hegseth's orders.

Rachel Maddow’s new podcast “Burn Order” is out now! Listen to a special preview.

Senator Mark Kelly, in an interview with Rachel Maddow, emphasized his view that "it's almost comical" that Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth are calling it a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice that he cited part of the Uniform Code of Military Justice in a recent video. Kelly explained his participation in the video in the context of protecting members of the military from a president who "doesn't seem to care about the Constitution, the rule of law."

Rachel Maddow’s new podcast “Burn Order” drops 12/1. Listen to the trailer now!

Rachel Maddow relays a series of stories that in any normal administration would be a shattering cascade of scandals, but in the perpetually disgraced Trump administration is merely a string of ordinary headlines of entirely typical waste, corruption and incompetence.

Rachel Maddow looks at the powerful political momentum Democrats had built, including massive nationwide protests and a wildly successful election, only to have their unity falter on the shutdown fight with Republicans, resulting in capitulation that leaves many Americans who'd been encouraging Democrats to stand up and fight feeling hopeless and dispirited. Senator Bernie Sanders talks with Maddow about his objections to vote, Democratic plans going forward, and why "the Democratic establishment" should be the target of primarying.

Rachel Maddow shares the results of several new polls, all showing the deepening descent of Donald Trump's popularity with the American people.

Rachel Maddow explains that while much of Donald Trump's abuse of power is typical of authoritarians, Trump has a new tool that no authoritarian before him has had: extremely advanced spyware. Trump is already deploying this new weapon through ICE, which intends to use this surveillance technology against immigrants but also against Americans who protest against ICE, and anyone they might snare with an extremely loose definition of "anti-fascist."

Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O’Donnell sit down to discuss coping with this political moment, the mechanics of presenting news, what we can learn from other tough moments in history and what civic actions, in their view, are most encouraging in this era.

Not even a year into his new term and Donald Trump is already seeing people take to the streets by the millions to voice their objections how he is approaching his job as president of the United States. Rachel Maddow gives each state, plus Washington, D.C., its due and highlights just a small portion of the No Kings protests that took place in each state on Saturday.

Rachel Maddow looks at Donald Trump's position of extreme weakness ahead of what are expected to be massive "No Kings" protests, with Trump's agenda running into resistance from everyone from students and universities to members of the media to sitting judges to everyday people on grand juries and in public polling.

Ahead of the premiere of Rachel’s new documentary, “Andrew Young: The Dirty Work,” Rachel sits down with Andrew Young and John Hope Bryant in a discussion led by Rev. Al Sharpton at Clark Atlanta University. They talk about Ambassador Young’s historic career and his key role alongside Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the civil rights movement.

Jen Psaki’s podcast “The Blueprint” is back with more on how the Dems can fight and win again! Listen to an excerpt now.

Rachel Maddow points out the exceptional and unusually effusive praise and thanks that Donald Trump heaped on Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the president of Egypt, at an event tied to the Israel-Gaza ceasefire, in which Trump bizarrely mentioned his race against Hillary Clinton. The episode calls to mind a mysterious $10 million and a related investigation's questions left open-ended after Trump was inaugurated the first time.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker talks with Rachel Maddow about his threat to leave the National Governors Association of the group won't speak out against Donald Trump's use of the National Guard against U.S. cities. Pritzker explains how he sees the militarization of ICE and Border Patrol agents as a normalizing precursor to establishing a military presence in cities in time to interfere with the 2026 election.

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek talks with Rachel Maddow about Donald Trump's bizarre impression that the city of Portland is a war zone that requires U.S. military occupation, and her frustrating efforts to dispel Trump of this wrongheaded notion.

Rachel Maddow hosts former Vice President Kamala Harris, the 2024 Democratic nominiee for president, on the eve of the publication of her new book, "107 Days," to revisit some of the decisions and circumstances that shaped the 2024 election, and to discuss politics and activism in the second Trump term.

Rachel Maddow points out that Donald Trump is following the "strongman" playbook so closely, and with such a lack of originality, that his behavior in his second term has become entirely predictable. And yet, for all of his aspirations to be a strongman, his leadership suffers from some profound weaknesses, from the economy to healthcare to criminal justice to immigration.

The estate of Jeffrey Epstein released materials today to the House Oversight Committee, including the "birthday book" that Donald Trump disputed (and continues to dispute) includes a crude drawing and note he submitted with his signature. Rachel Maddow looks at this and other new revelations and how much energy Trump is putting into denying what seems plain about Trump's role in a disgusting scandal of historic scale.

Donald Trump is attempting to violate the independence of the Federal Reserve Board by claiming the power to fire one of its members, Lisa Cook, exposing the United States economy to the risk that its credibility will be reduced to the compromised level of Trump's. Paul Krugman, Nobel Prize-winning economist, talks with Rachel Maddow about why Trump is playing with fire he doesn't understand.

Rachel Maddow lays out three different avenues Donald Trump is following to manipulate the administration of elections in the United States so that his control of the government is assured through the coming 2026 midterms. Journalist and historian Garrett Graff joins to discuss how Donald Trump can subvert democracy without cancelling elections outright.

"Watch what they do, not what they say." Rachel Maddow shows that Donald Trump is not actually bothered by crime, not just because he is a convicted criminal, but because of many examples of him helping criminals. And what else Trump's actions show is a fondness for using the U.S. military to threaten and intimidate the American people.

Rachel Maddow points out that the thing most Americans were dreading has come to pass, and the United States has changed profoundly in only six months of authoritarian rule. "We have a consolidating dictatorship in our country." With freedoms likely to continue to be curtailed in deference to Donald Trump's power, that means Americans have the most tools for democratic resistance right now.

In an election year of astronomically high stakes, in the absolutely crucial Senate race in North Carolina, Democrats got their wish with popular former Governor Roy Cooper entering the race. Fresh from announcing his candidacy, Cooper talks with Rachel Maddow about his accomplishments leading North Carolina, and what he hopes to bring to Washington, D.C.

Rachel Maddow takes a look at the sudden flood of artificial intelligence-generated fake stories on social media, using false stories with her at the center as examples. These false stories have her doing everything from rescuing Texas flood victims, to having a baby, to starting her own news network, none of which are true. The lesson is that now, more than ever, it is important to check the source of anything you see or read.

Rachel Maddow introduces viewers to the unfamiliar image of Donald Trump's pick to lead FEMA, David Richardson, who finally made an appearance in Texas more than a week after flooding killed scores of people.