The Al Franken Podcast

In this Best Of episode, we revisit our conversation with Al’s former Senate Communications Director, Ed Shelleby, to relive their time working together. Ed tells tales of him TRYING to manage Al's comedic impulses in serious situations, but also talks about the great work they accomplished together.  Ed shares several behind-the-scenes stories including how Al, as a newly elected official, had to learn to "pivot" in interviews and explains how the office coined a brand new term: The Dehumorizer.  But also, we cover the effectiveness of Al's time in the Senate. And they share many stories of how Al treated his staff like family.  It's a different kind of show this week, but one we KNOW you will enjoy.

From the start of Donald Trump's second term, he's been eager to cut the federal workforce. So, Elon Musk headed the newly minted DOGE to begin slashing tens of thousands of jobs. Our friend, Michael Lewis, author of "The Big Short" and, most recently, "Who is Government?," joins us to share stories of public servants who not only improved this country but have saved countless lives. Those improvements and breakthroughs could only have happened through the power and effectiveness of a strong government.  Lewis warns of the long-term consequences of dismantling agencies like USAID and removing oversight mechanisms. The public might not immediately feel these impacts, but the results will eventually be catastrophic, particularly for vulnerable populations worldwide. Lewis explains that DOGE was never about fraud, waste, and abuse. It's always been about ideology, power, and money.  Visit Michael's website to learn more: https://www.michaellewiswrites.com/

We're joined by Dahlia Lithwick, award-winning journalist, author, and host of the Amicus podcast. Dahlia looks at the judicial pushback against the Trump administration, as the Courts have stood up to Trump's policies on birthright citizenship and deportation. We also discuss Trump’s targeting of law firms. The Supreme Court notably ruled 9-0 that the administration must facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from El Salvador, which it has ignored. Is this the Constitutional crisis we've been anticipating? Will Trump pay a price for ignoring The Supreme Court? Plus, Dahlia breaks down why a fetal personhood bill will inevitably be brought before The Supreme Court. Listen to Dahlia's Amicus podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/amicus-with-dahlia-lithwick-law-justice-and-the-courts/id928790786 Read Dahlia in Slate: https://slate.com/author/dahlia-lithwick

Trump’s first 100 days back in office have been a whirlwind filled with chaotic, confusing, and authoritarian behavior and very little thoughtful policy - the perfect opportunity to welcome back our friends, Mark Leibovich of The Atlantic and Molly Jong-Fast, host of the Fast Politics Podcast. These 100 days have been filled with bizarre stories that we may have already forgotten about. So, we run through some of the under reported stories with Mark and Molly and get their opinions on some of the most damaging actions Trump and his administration have taken. Plus, we take a look at how Democrats can message their way back into better poll numbers. From taking over Greenland to cutting FEMA to how the Supreme Court can use their powers to help reign in some of the chaos, we cover the landscape of the first 100 days and beyond! Only 1,356 days to go until his Presidency is over! Read Mark Leibovich in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/mark-leibovich/ Li...

Every day we see this country inch closer to authoritarianism under Donald Trump. We're joined by Robert Reich, political economist, professor, author, and former Secretary of Labor under Bill Clinton. We cover how Reich thinks Democrats should fight back against this era of oligarchy in America. He explains the power of protest and lays out the messaging that Democrats need to embrace to show solidarity for the coming midterms and beyond. Plus, Reich tells the story of being classmates with Clarence Thomas, Hillary Rodham, and Bill Clinton and how he introduced Bill and Hillary at law school.  Listen to Reich's podcast, The Coffee Klatch: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-coffee-klatch-with-robert-reich/id1635446643 Watch Reich's videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RBReich

In this Best Of episode, we revisit our conversation with Tim Alberta, the author of the profoundly disturbing book "The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory,” which was released before the 2024 election. In this interview, he explains how evangelicals have been turned into a political tool for the Republican Party. Alberta grew up in the evangelical wing of The Presbyterian Church and watched as they turned their backs on him after he criticized Donald Trump. How did The Evangelical Church turn so far towards right wing politics? What exactly is an Evangelical? How can those voters ever be won back? Read Tim's work in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/tim-alberta/

Elon Musk and DOGE have been taking a chainsaw to the federal government since Trump was re-elected. It could take us generations to fully recover from the damage inflicted by the careless and cruel nature of these cuts. We're joined by American surgeon, author, and public health advocate Atul Gawande to discuss just how devastating these actions are. During the Biden administration, Gawande was a senior official at USAID. He walks us through many of the great works the program did around the world… and the damaging and deadly road that lies ahead now that it's been gutted. We also discuss the state of our healthcare system and the popularity of Medicaid expansion. The Affordable Care Act has improved the lives of millions of Americans, but Donald Trump and the Republicans threatened to take it away from Americans in his first term. Does he dare try again? To hear more from Atul, check out his recent piece in The New Yorker about the chaotic attempt to freeze federal assista...

Despite widespread warnings about what economic havoc they could cause, Donald Trump announced his plan to put tariffs on nearly every nation in the world. Catherine Rampell, opinion columnist for The Washington Post and co-host of MSNBC’s The Weekend, gives her instant reaction to Trump's plan. If history (and the current stock market) is any indication, we're in for a painful road ahead.  Catherine also discusses Elon Musk and how his Department Of Government Efficiency has created painful chaos as he dismantles the government’s workforce and essential services. Read Catherine's writing in the Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/catherine-rampell/

A potentially catastrophic breach of security within The White House has set off alarm bells for both Republicans and Democrats in D.C. Independent journalist Jessica Yellin joins us to discuss SignalGate. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz are both under fire after The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg was added to a group chat that contained top secret war plans (or was it just attack plans?). Will anyone get fired for this? Plus, we talk about the Trump administration's lawlessness when it comes to deportations. What happens when a President blatantly defies a court order? And Jessica shares why she left mainstream news and the importance of independent, online journalism, like her platform - News Not Noise. Subscribe to Jessica's substack: https://newsnotnoisejessicayellin.substack.com/ Follow Jessica on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicayellin

It's been another chaotic week in Donald Trump's America, and we're thrilled to have our good friend, Norm Ornstein, back on the podcast. We talk about Trump's Executive Order TO dismantle the Department of Education and what that could mean to communities across the country. We also break down the divisions in the Democratic Party and why Leader Chuck Schumer didn't help the situation by caving to Donald Trump. Plus, what is the future of Ukraine and America's standing in the world as we abandon our allies? Listen to Norm's podcast "Words Matter" with fellow friend of the show David Rothkopf: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dsrs-words-matter/id1420216970

We're joined by our friend Mark Leibovich of The Atlantic to break down a wild week in Washington D.C.! Donald Trump gave his address to Congress. It was the longest one ever and didn't seem to say much (except blame Joe Biden for all of the country's problems). We also take a look at America's deteriorating relationship with Ukraine and how Republicans who USED TO support Ukraine are turning their backs when our ally needs it the most. Plus, we discuss the ongoing drama around tariffs and why Trump can't seem to make up his mind on using them. Read Mark Leibovich in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/mark-leibovich/

As Trump and his administration try to rewrite history and say that Ukraine started the war with Russia, we're joined by Tim Mak, war correspondent and founder of The Counteroffensive. Tim has been living in Kyiv since the beginning of Russia’s invasion and discusses the toll that the war has taken on the people of Ukraine. He examines what kind of leader Donald Trump is - will he exploit America’s longstanding friendships or choose to abandon them? We also discuss the future of President Zelensky and how Ukrainians view his leadership. Read Tim's work in The Counteroffensive: https://www.counteroffensive.news/

A month into Donald Trump's second term, how do voters feel about the job he's doing? We talk to Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark and host of The Focus Group podcast. We discuss how Trump is currently in the "honeymoon" period of his presidency and how plenty of voters are just happy that Trump is doing SOMETHING. Sarah also gives advice to Democratic leaders about messaging and how to fight back against the onslaught of bad policy coming from the White House. Listen to Sarah's podcast, The Focus Group: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-focus-group-podcast/id1586423406 Check out The Bulwark: https://www.thebulwark.com/

We're celebrating the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live this week! This special episode changes things up a bit as Executive Producer Peter Ogburn asks Al about his history with the show. We pull the curtain back on what a typical week looks like building up to the live show on Saturday and learn about how Al and his writing partner, Tom Davis, found themselves writing on the first season of the show. We also chat about some iconic sketches and the birth of Al's legendary Stuart Smalley character.

With a confusing ceasefire deal underway in Gaza, we take a look at the path forward with Peter Beinart. Beinart serves as editor-at-large for Jewish Currents, is a frequent analyst on MSNBC, and has authored a new book, "Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning." The book examines the history of Israel and how Jews have responded to the events of October 7th and its horrifying aftermath. Beinart discusses Israeli power and his hopes for its "moral reconstruction." We also discuss both Joe Biden's role in the conflict and how the region moves forward with the questionable leadership of Donald Trump.  Learn more about Peter's book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/775348/being-jewish-after-the-destruction-of-gaza-by-peter-beinart/ Check out Peter's work in Jewish Currents: https://jewishcurrents.org/author/peter-beinart

President Donald Trump was sworn in (again) this week. Who better than Molly Jong-Fast from the Fast Politics podcast to join us to discuss his first week in office? We relive some quotable moments from his inaugural address and look at his most damaging executive orders. We also rundown some of the Cabinet nominees. Is anyone going to be stopped? Or are the Republican Senators too afraid of Trump? Plus, Molly shares her roadmap of things to be hopeful for. Maybe it's not all bad! Listen to Molly's podcast, Fast Politics, here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fast-politics-with-molly-jong-fast/id1645614328

Donald Trump's unprecedented second term is upon us. As we prepare to endure another (at least) 4 years of this, we are joined by Ian Bassin, the co-founder and Executive Director of Protect Democracy. Trump has already promised to undermine democracy in America. How can we fight back? And how can we mount a defense to the coming onslaught? We also discuss where Democrats went wrong trying to counter Trump's message during the election and, more importantly, how to address it moving forward. Learn more about Protect Democracy at https://protectdemocracy.org/

Dana Milbank, Washington Post Opinion columnist joins us this week! His latest book, "Fools on the Hill: The Hooligans, Saboteurs, Conspiracy Theories and Dunces who Burned Down the House", chronicles the ineffectiveness of the members of the U.S House. He makes the case that the MAGA members in the House have turned it into a dysfunctional nightmare with no interest in making policy. From Lauren Boebert to Marjorie Taylor Greene, they have turned the "conservative" party into a party that exists solely to carry out the wishes of Donald Trump.  We also discuss the latest Trump press conference in which he floats the idea of changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to The Gulf of America and doesn't rule out military force to acquire Greenland. Anyone ready for another 4 years of this??   Read Dana's column in the Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/dana-milbank/   Check out Dana's book Fools on the Hill: The Hooligans, Saboteurs, Conspiracy Theories and Dunces...

The Atlantic's George Packer joins us to discuss his recent piece titled The End of Democratic Delusions. Packer discusses the new era that Donald Trump has ushered in and what that means to politics moving forward. Trump won a close election, but it's a moment for the Democratic establishment to take a look at their shortcomings and redevelop their messaging and platform in the years ahead.  Read George Packer's piece in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/01/trump-reelection-voter-demographic-change/680752/

We're joined by two of our favorite foreign policy writers to examine what the end of Bashar al-Assad’s regime means to Syria and the region. Frank Foer and Anne Applebaum from The Atlantic also look toward the incoming Trump administration and what lies ahead. Can Trump be a steady hand to stop escalating war around the world? How will Israel react? And what happens to our support of Ukraine in their efforts against the tyrant Putin? Read Anne's book Autocracy, Inc: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/725302/autocracy-inc-by-anne-applebaum/  Read Frank's work in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/franklin-foer/

As we move closer to the second Trump administration, we are learning more about his incoming Cabinet. Aaron Blake, senior political reporter and author/host of The Campaign Moment newsletter and podcast for the Washington Post joins us to discuss some of Trump's Cabinet picks and their struggles to be confirmed. Also, the American people seem to overwhelmingly want a check on Trump's power. What will that look like with an administration that believes it has a mandate? Plus, we break down Hunter Biden's pardon and how that might impact Joe Biden's legacy.  Read Aaron's work in the Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/aaron-blake/

In this Thanksgiving Best Of, we revisit our conversation with our friend Anne Applebaum! We aired this a few months ago when Anne's newest book, Autocracy Inc., had been released. She chronicles the rise of authoritarianism around the world and how those autocracies work together to keep themselves in power. With Donald Trump elected President once again, could we be heading for a similar fate? Other countries thwarted authoritarian candidates over the last year, but America decided that another round of Trumpism was the way to go. We can only hope that the country can survive it.  Read Anne's work in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/anne-applebaum/

Donald Trump's Cabinet selection is about as chaotic as we expected it to be. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name for Attorney General after a number of Republican Senators expressed concern with the pick. We're joined by David Axelrod, who says that Republicans in the Senate have more power than you might expect. David also examines how Democrats, the party of working people, lost so many working class voters in the Presidential election.  Listen to David's podcast, The Axe Files: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-axe-files-with-david-axelrod/id1043593599

The incoming Trump administration has started announcing some of the picks for the incoming Cabinet. Somehow, they're worse than you could have imagined. We break down some of the unsavory characters who might be making policy in Trump's second term with political reporter for Semafor, David Weigel.  Weigel also explains how the right wing media ecosystem has moved away from TV and onto the internet. Right wing and right wing-adjacent programming is dominating YouTube and podcasts. How did they build such a network? And how do Democrats counterprogram those voices? Read Weigel's latest for Semafor: https://www.semafor.com/author/david-weigel

The nightmare we all feared came true last week. Donald Trump has been elected for a second term as President of the United States. We're joined by our friend Norm Ornstein to make sense of it all. If we take Trump at his word, we should expect mass deportations, economic instability, further deterioration of women’s rights, attacks on public education, constant fights with the media and his critics and much worse. Norm discusses the long road ahead that could include devastation especially for the states that supported him the most. There's not a lot to be hopeful about right now, but Norm manages to share some good news for the years ahead...If we're willing to fight for it.

Live from New York, it’s our pre-election podcast. After a contentious and exhausting election cycle, we have made it to Election Day. Last week, we gathered with some of our favorite guests to help us understand what we might see in the coming days and weeks. Can we finally vanquish Donald Trump? Can he actually win? And if so, what does that mean for America? We’re joined by Jessica Taylor from the Cook Political Report to break down the Senate races around the country. We also talk to Jeremy Peters from the NYT about undecided voters and what they might be looking for as they head to the polls. Plus, our friends Mark Leibovich from The Atlantic and Molly Jong-Fast, host of the Fast Politics Podcast, discuss what is at stake in this election and how we move forward as a country. Read Jessica Taylor’s latest for the Cook Political Report: https://www.cookpolitical.com/about/staff/jessica-taylor Read Jeremy Peters in the NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/by/jeremy-w-peters Li...

The economy is always one of the most important issues in any election. So how does Kamala Harris's vision for America's economy stack up against Donald Trump's? Catherine Rampell from the Washington Post joins us to discuss. Trump's economic plan seems to revolve around tariffs, an issue that he seems to have a hard time understanding. Not only that, his threat to deport millions of undocumented workers will undoubtedly drive up the cost of goods around the country. It's clear that Trump cannot be trusted on this issue. Plus, Catherine tells us the story of Flint, Michigan and a program that is aimed to give money to families of newborn babies. It's a plan so successful and so popular that Kamala Harris has adopted a version of it for her campaign platform. Can it work on the national level? LAST CHANCE: Get tickets to see a live taping of the Al Franken Podcast in NYC on October 28th! https://www.alfranken.com/appearances Read Catherine's latest in WaPo: https://www.washin...

This election could all come down to abortion. Laura Bassett from The Cut and Sarah Zhang from The Atlantic have both been writing about the issue and how it's playing into this election. Sarah's recent piece in The Atlantic examined how Idaho's draconian abortion laws have set the state's healthcare back for women. Laura has been writing about the issue for years and says that it poses a serious threat to Ted Cruz's reelection campaign in Texas.  NYC! Come see a live taping of the Al Franken Podcast. We'll be joined by Jessica Taylor, Jeremy Peters and Mark Jong-Fast with Mark Leibovich. Get your tickets today! https://www.alfranken.com/appearances Read Laura's writing in The Cut: https://www.thecut.com/author/laura-bassett/ Subscribe to Laura's Substack called Nightcap: https://www.laura-bassett.com/ Read Sarah Zhang's incredible piece on Idaho abortion laws in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/10/abortion-ban-idaho-ob-gyn-maternity-ca...

It's been a year since the horrific attack in Israel that set off the current wars in the Middle East. Frank Foer from The Atlantic and David Rothkopf from The Daily Beast to talk about the painful year and what happens moving forward. If a ceasefire is worked out, what is the future of Gaza and how will it rebuild? What political price is America paying for its role in the wars? And does anyone actually think Donald Trump would be the best person to manage this crisis?  Plus, Nobel Prize-winning climate scientist Michael Mann kicks off this week's show! Hurricanes Helene and Milton have caused unprecedented damage to parts of the country. Unless we take action on climate, storms like this could be our new reality. NYC! Come see a live taping of the podcast at City Winery on October 28th. Get your tickets today! https://www.alfranken.com/appearances Read Franklin Foer in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/franklin-foer/ Read David Rothkopf in The Daily ...

It's been a wild week and we're lucky to have Tim Miller from The Bulwark and Aaron Blake from the Washington Post to help break it all down. Special counsel Jack Smith's case against Donald Trump was unsealed this week. We got the best look yet at Trump's behavior on January 6th. It's filled with criminal activity and contradicts many of Trump's previous defenses about that day. We also had the much-anticipated Vice Presidential debate between Tim Walz and JD Vance. Will America buy the constant lying of the Trump/Vance ticket?  Come join Al for a LIVE podcast in NYC! October 28th at City Winery: https://www.alfranken.com/appearances Read Tim Miller for The Bulwark: https://www.thebulwark.com/ Listen to The Bulwark Podcast: https://www.thebulwark.com/s/bulwarkpodcast Sign up for Aaron Blake's "The Campaign Moment" newsletter! https://www.washingtonpost.com/newsletters/ And check out Aaron's podcast for The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/podcasts...

With so much happening on the campaign trail, we turn to Jamelle Bouie for his first visit to the podcast. We discuss Donald Trump and JD Vance's attacks on the truth with their harmful comments on Haitian immigrants and their lies about abortion. We look at different Senate races around the country and what they could mean for the next President. And we get into Project 2025 and examine just how far Republicans are willing to let Trump go should he become President again. Spoiler alert: it would be terrifying!  Read Jamelle's latest in the NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/column/jamelle-bouie Watch Jamelle's TikTok channel: https://www.tiktok.com/@jamellebouie?lang=en We are coming to St. Louis and NYC for LIVE podcasts! Get your tickets and be a part of the show! https://www.alfranken.com/appearances

Trump and the GOP are working harder to disenfranchise voters NOW than they were in 2020. They are no longer a majoritarian party and want to disrupt our electoral process as much as they can. How will we preserve the integrity of this election? What are some of the ways that Trump and GOP lawyers will attempt to derail the will of the people? Our friend and top Democratic election lawyer Marc Elias from Democracy Docket joins us to break down some of the ways that our democracy is under attack and what we can do to fight it.  Support Marc and Democracy Docket: https://www.democracydocket.com/ Join the excitement of our LIVE podcast taping in St. Louis on October 10. I'll be recording a live podcast with special guests Emily Wales, Jason Kander, and Diana Kander. Come join us! https://www.alfranken.com/appearances

Jeremy Peters from the NYT joins us to recap the wild debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. It was a complete meltdown for Trump while Harris delivered strong messages on abortion, democracy and Trump's crowd sizes. Trump rambled, made baseless allegations and looked terrible. Even Fox News had to admit that Trump lost the debate badly. So where do we go from here? How does Harris keep her momentum going and transition this energy into votes? We are taping a live podcast in St. Louis next month! Come be a part of the show! https://www.alfranken.com/appearances Jeremy's book Insurgency: How Republicans Lost Their Party and Got Everything They Ever Wanted explains how the party ended up in this situation: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/586398/insurgency-by-jeremy-w-peters/

Joe Conason joins to discuss his new book "The Longest Con." In it, he lays out the rich and ugly history of right wing grifters. It's been happening for a long time. Joe goes back to the 1950s with the McCarthy era and takes us all the way through to one of the biggest grifters we've ever seen: Donald Trump. We discuss religious broadcasters and how some of them swindle their viewers regularly. Many of whom have abandoned their values all in the name of making a quick buck. And with Donald Trump on the ballot again this year, Conason explains how his second term will include a windfall of cash for the disgraced former President and his cronies.

We're joined once again by Mark Leibovich from The Atlantic and Molly Jong-Fast, host of the Fast Politics Podcast! The Democrats just wrapped up their National Convention and nominated Kamala Harris to be the nominee for President. Can she carry this momentum all the way to Election Day? Meanwhile, Republicans were caught flat-footed when Joe Biden dropped out and Donald Trump is spiraling out of control. There's still a long way to go before Election Day!  Read Mark's writing in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/mark-leibovich/ Watch Molly's YouTube video on the dangers of Project 2025: https://youtu.be/yUJSEvYIiy8?si=ZmiG6zibjMSDNJl6

Content creator Brian Tyler Cohen joins the podcast for the first time to talk about his new book Shameless: Republicans’ Deliberate Dysfunction and the Battle to Preserve Democracy.  In the book, he discusses the many ways that the Republican Party uses confusion, artificial slogans and, of course, flat out lies to remain in power. We also discuss the myth of the liberal media and how so many of Donald Trump's lies are allowed to flourish in the right wing echo chamber.  Subscribe to Brian's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/briantylercohen Subscribe to Brian's podcast No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen: https://briantylercohen.com/podcast/

Professor Scott Galloway joins the podcast for the first time! He has thoughts on the current political climate and how extreme most of the Republican agenda is these days. He also speaks about how modern politics and policies have left our young people disaffected and feeling left out of the political process. From minimum wage to college admissions, Galloway shares policies and solutions that can help ease his declared "war on young people".

Our friend Anne Applebaum has written a new book called Autocracy Inc. She chronicles the rise of authoritarianism around the world and how those autocracies work together to keep themselves in power. With Donald Trump running for President of the United States, could we be heading for a similar fate? We've seen other countries thwart autocracies in recent weeks. Is America ready to do the same? Plus, Donald Trump has one of the most disliked VP candidates in history. We talk to The Liberal Redneck, comedian Trae Crowder, about JD Vance and his "Hillbilly" roots.  Read Anne's work in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/anne-applebaum/ Check out Trae Crowder's YouTube channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTHsQd-vRXK1bp4vpifl6yA

This past week, we saw President Joe Biden drop out of the Presidential race and VP Kamala Harris emerge as the new nominee for the Democratic Party. The Atlantic's Frank Foer wrote the book "The Last Politician" about Joe Biden's consequential first term and Elaina Plott Calabro, also from The Atlantic, has interviewed Kamala Harris multiple times. We recap some of Biden's biggest accomplishments and examine the radically changed political landscape since Joe Biden withdrew from the race. How will the Trump campaign adjust to run against Kamala Harris? Can she sustain the excitement around her campaign all the way to November? P Read Elaina's latest on the Trump vs Harris campaign: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/07/kamala-harris-prosecutor-president/679226/ Read Frank's latest on Biden's exit from the race: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/07/bidens-greatest-strengths-proved-his-undoing/679179/

The Republican National Convention concluded last week. We heard from Trump's VP nominee, JD Vance, and we heard from Donald Trump for the first time since the assassination attempt. Trump pushed lie after lie during his speech. No surprise. The real question is whether or not Joe Biden can beat him. Mark Leibovich from The Atlantic and Molly Jong Fast from the Fast Politics Podcast join the podcast to lay out the plan forward to defeat Donald Trump. Plus, you've probably heard of Project 2025. What is it and how is it fueling the Republican Party's agenda? Read Mark's writing in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/mark-leibovich/ Watch Molly's YouTube video on the dangers of Project 2025: https://youtu.be/yUJSEvYIiy8?si=ZmiG6zibjMSDNJl6

The Supreme Court term has ended after a series of punishing decisions that break years of precedent. While there were many horrible decisions made in this term, two stand out: The cases on Presidential Immunity and the Chevron Doctrine. Why are these so important? We're joined by our Supreme Court expert and host of the Amicus podcast, Dahlia Lithwick. Al and Dahlia lay out the devastating consequences ahead in the wake of these decisions and try to lay out a path forward. Listen to Dahlia's Amicus podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/amicus-with-dahlia-lithwick-law-justice-and-the-courts/id928790786 Read Dahlia's great work in Slate:https://slate.com/author/dahlia-lithwick

Donald Trump lied over and over again at the debate. But it's been overshadowed by President Biden's terrible performance. Political scientist and an emeritus scholar at the American Enterprise Institute Norm Ornstein joins us to recap Thursday evening's debacle. Is there a plan forward for the Democratic Party if Biden drops out? How can Biden prove that the debate was an anomaly and win his party back? Plus, the latest round of Supreme Court decisions dropped on Friday. Norm breaks down the terrible decisions and what they say about the direction they are taking this country.

Bulwark Founder Sarah Longwell and former Republican operative and host of the Bulwark podcast Tim Miller are worried about a dangerous potential second term of Donald Trump. The first step for Joe Biden defeating Trump? Have a good showing in this week's coming debate. Tim has prepped Presidential candidates to face Trump and shares his insight. And what messages should President Biden hit on during the debate? Sarah hosts The Focus Group podcast and shares what voters are looking for this November. Joe Biden has a LOT of policies that poll extremely well. So how does he take that message to the American people? Listen to Tim and Sarah's podcast and read their great work at www.TheBulwark.com

One of the biggest issues in the coming election will be the economy. So how has President Biden done on that front? We talk to Catherine Rampell about Bidenomics and how the President should tout his economic record. His opponent, Donald Trump could be a disaster for the economy if his previous term is any indication. Catherine discusses what a second Trump term could look like and the difficulty even Republicans have with working with him.  Read Catherine’s latest here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/catherine-rampell/

The war in the Middle East continues, but is a ceasefire in sight? The Biden administration has an outline of a plan. Two of our leading foreign policy experts join us to discuss. Plus, now that Donald Trump is a convicted felon, what could that mean for this election? And how does the Biden administration sell the undeniable success of the economy to the American people? Read Frank's latest work in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/franklin-foer/ Read David Rothkopf in The Daily Beast: https://www.thedailybeast.com/author/david-rothkopf

Donald Trump has been convicted on all 34 charges in his NYC hush money trial. What does that mean for his future? We get the latest from our legal expert Harry Litman. Plus, longtime political reporter Dan Balz from the Washington Post joins for a wide ranging political discussion! Will these convictions help or hurt Trump? We also discuss the state of the Presidential race and what President Biden's strengths and weaknesses are as election season ramps up.  Read Harry's coverage of the Trump trial for the LA Times: https://www.latimes.com/people/harry-litman Read Dan Balz' latest in the Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/dan-balz/

My friend, basketball legend Bill Walton died this week after a private battle with cancer, I wanted to share our interview with Bill from March of 2022, You will hear the unbounded life force of his generous spirit. RIP Bill.

Former U.S. Attorney and Deputy Assistant Attorney General Harry Litman joins to discuss the Trump hush money trial. Both sides have rested. Harry has been in the courtroom watching the trial. With closing arguments coming next week, we break down what has transpired and all the possible outcomes Trump could expect as his verdict looms.  Harry has been covering the trial for the Los Angeles Times. Read his reporting here:  https://www.latimes.com/people/harry-litman

In the two years since Elon Musk bought Twitter, he's turned irt into a leading source of right wing propaganda. He spreads hateful rhetoric, platforms white nationalists and engages with unfounded conspiracy theories. He lies about President Biden, promotes racist ideology and pushes his own commentary onto X users whether they follow him or not. All of this is working to do get Donald Trump elected President again. Judd Legum from the very popular newletter Popular Information explains the damage Elon could be doing in this year's elections. Subscribe to Judd's newsletter, Popular Information! https://popular.info/ Al has a brand new stand-up comedy tour! Check the dates to see if he's coming to your town! https://www.alfranken.com/appearances

Molly Jong-Fast, special correspondent for Vanity Fair and host of the Fast Politics podcast joins us for a wide ranging conversation covering Congress, abortion, the protests happening around the country and the Presidential election. She also discusses the ongoing Trump hush money scandal happening in NYC. She says the trial is "over-delivering," which could mean a guilty verdict for Trump.  Read Molly's latest pieces for Vanity Fair! https://www.vanityfair.com/contributor/molly-jong-fast Al is on tour! Catch him in your city: https://www.alfranken.com/appearances

The GOP is undermining democracy all over the country. The will of the people is being subverted for a loud and active minority. In his new book, guest Ari Berman explains how and where this is happening in America. And, more importantly, what we can do to fight back.

The first criminal trial for Donald Trump is underway. The hush money trial over Stormy Daniels might be the first, but it won't be the last. But will we see the other trials before the election? And what are the consequences if Trump is found guilty? We talk to The Bestselling Authors on The Trump Indictments Andrew Weissmann and Melissa Murray!

The Republican Party has spent years undoing the will of the people in the state of Wisconsin. With gerrymandered voting maps, they've been able to lose the popular vote and still have a huge majority in the state legislature. But things are changing thanks to Ben Wikler and the Wisconsin Democratic Party! In our first Battleground State episode, Ben explains the work that is being done to preserve democracy in this critical swing state and how they are organizing to secure a win for Joe Biden in November.

The 2024 election is less than 8 months away. How do Democrats defeat Trump? How do they retain the Senate? Our guests say that it all comes down to messaging. It's important to remind voters that on issues like abortion and the economy, the Democratic Party represents their interests.  Al is on tour! Come see his NEW standup https://www.alfranken.com/appearances

We begin our wide-ranging conversation by discussing the attack on a Moscow concert hall last week. What are the implications of that violence? And who is behind it? Then delve into the US's failure to fund the Ukrainian effort and the resulting loss of life. Will we help them? Or will Republicans continue to enable Putin? Anne also lays out the dangers of a second Trump term. With autocracy on the rise around the world, what would it look like here in America?

Domenico Mantanaro joins us to cover the political landscape! Trump trials, the general election, the Robert Hur report, and Congress. Plus, is Donald Trump taking over the RNC to help bail him out of his financial problems? And as a reporter, how does Domenico maintain objectivity vs neutrality?  See all of Domenico's reporting here!  https://www.npr.org/people/392602474/domenico-montanaro Al is going on tour! See if he's coming to your town and grab tickets today!  https://www.alfranken.com/appearances

Former Republican operative Tim Miller joins the podcast to discuss a wide range of topics! We cover Biden's re-election strategy and react to his State of the Union speech. (Plus the GOP response from Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL), With Congress as dysfunctional as it is, is there any chance of funding the effort in Ukraine? And does Tim still find common ground with his old Republican Party? See more of Tim's work at The Bulwark Al is going on tour! Get your tickets today!

While anti-Semitism has run rampant among the far right, it has been growing among the political left. In Frank Foer's recent piece for The Atlantic, he explains how we got to this point. How have college campuses and schools become the center for anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic speech? How did college presidents mishandle the hate speech on their campuses? And what is the future of American Jews if Trump is elected again? Read Frank Foer's entire piece in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/04/us-anti-semitism-jewish-american-safety/677469/ Al is going back on tour! Get your tickets now!  https://www.alfranken.com/appearances

The author of the profoundly disturbing book "The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory" explains how evangelicals have been turned into a political tool for the Republican Party. Alberta grew up in the evangelical wing of the Presbyterian Church and watched as they turned their back on him after he criticized Donald Trump. How did the evangelical church turn so far towards right wing politics? What exactly is an evangelical? How can those voters ever be won back? Al is going on tour! See if he's coming to your town and grab tickets today!  https://www.alfranken.com/appearances

David Frum from The Atlantic Monthly discusses the chaos that Donald Trump would bring if he were elected to a second term. From the border to foreign aid to Trump's attempt to pardon his crimes... Can we withstand another Trump term? Read more from David in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/david-frum/ Al is going on tour! See if he's coming to your town and grab tickets today!  https://www.alfranken.com/appearances

Tales from the Campaign Trail

Really great!

Jim talks about comedy and his decision to come out against Trump.

A tour of Ukraine, Russia, China, Israel, and Gaza

The New York Times Reporter Puts the Current Trial Into Perspective

On the 2024 Election!

The Trump trials and the ug-ug-ugly Garland hearings