Pod Save America

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.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

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.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

Trump's DOJ launches a $1.7 billion fund to make payments to his allies, as Democrats revive the debate about whether to make Trump's declining fitness—even his increasingly discolored hands—a campaign issue. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy weigh the pros and cons and react the rest of the news, including Trump taking revenge on Bill Cassidy and Thomas Massie, his new plotting against Cuba and Greenland, and the latest on negotiations with Iran.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

David Axelrod joins Dan to discuss the Democratic Party's best messengers and its likely 2028 contenders. Together, they break down standout moments from some of the party's rising voices, examine what it'll take for Democrats to win the House despite new gerrymandered maps, and walk through some of this year's most important Senate races.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

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.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivers a blistering response to Jeff Bezos's Washington Post after the editorial board attacks her for criticizing billionaires. Jon, Tommy, and Lovett mull what an AOC 2028 campaign could look like and discuss the latest news, including President Trump rejecting an Iranian counterproposal that could end the war, his proposal to make Venezuela the 51st state, and his upcoming trip to China, which will now include his billionaire buddies Elon Musk and Tim Cook. Then, they react to the Virginia Supreme Court's decision to throw out the state's voter-approved congressional maps, debate how much the GOP's new redistricting advantage will actually be worth in November, and preview Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's pivot back to reality TV.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

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.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

Congressional Republicans plan to spend $1 billion in taxpayer money on Trump's ballroom, claiming the money is necessary for "security" — and creating a huge political problem for themselves. The president and his cabinet make a show of ignoring the pain Americans are feeling at the gas pump, as the US and Iran circle around an underwhelming peace deal. JD Vance's 2028 stock slides as Republican voters turn their attention to Marco Rubio. Dan and Jon discuss the latest, including how Democrats should respond to a new wave of Republican gerrymandering in the South and a new report from The Atlantic that Kash Patel has been handing out personalized bottles of bourbon while on the job. Then, Tom Steyer stops by the studio to talk to Lovett about his race for California governor.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

Just like the ceasefire with Iran, Trump's standing in the polls has effectively collapsed, but Democrats aren't performing better on the generic ballot. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy discuss why, and what Democrats can do about it. They also react to the latest chaos in the Strait of Hormuz, the Trump administration's effort to blame the demise of Spirit Airlines on Joe Biden, and whether Republicans really might convince John Fetterman to switch parties. Then, Jon talks to Strict Scrutiny's Melissa Murray about the recent court rulings on mifepristone, new threats to safe and legal abortion, and Melissa's new book "The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader."

Friends of the Pod subscribers on Apple Podcasts will receive today’s ad-free episode a few hours later than the regular release due to a technical issue. Thanks for your patience!

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

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.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

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.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

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.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

As more details emerge about the gunman who tried to rush the White House Correspondents Dinner, one thing is clear: it must be Democrats' fault. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy discuss the reaction to the violence in Washington and on social media, whether Trump will be able to use it to get his ballroom project un-stuck, and the latest with the stalemate with Iran. Then, Lovett talks with Katie Porter, one of the leading Democrats in the race for governor of California.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

Polls showing dropping support for Trump are one thing, but what do his voters actually say when you get them together in a room? Tommy talks to Sarah Longwell, host of The Focus Group Podcast and publisher of The Bulwark, to get the latest on what she's hearing in the field: who GOP voters blame for high prices, what they really think about the Iran war, and the surprising candidate capturing their interest for 2028.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Virginia voters approve a new congressional map that could net Democrats four seats, dealing what might be the decisive blow to Republicans in the redistricting war — but Republican groups have a huge advantage in money raised. How worried should we be? Donald Trump claims the military has "total control" of the Strait of Hormuz right as Iran seizes two more ships. A series of new approval polls show the president hitting new lows, Kash Patel crashes out when asked about his alleged on-the-job drinking, and a top DHS official is placed on leave over a "sugar daddy" scandal. Then, The Atlantic's Mark Leibovich sits down with Jon and Dan to talk about the messy California gubernatorial primary and this weekend's White House Correspondents' Dinner.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.