Pod Save America

Joe Biden maintains a steady lead as the campaign enters the homestretch, Trump spends five days defending himself against disgraceful comments about U.S. service members, and the August jobs report shows slowing job growth and more permanent job loss. Then Fair Fight CEO Lauren Groh-Wargo talks to Jon Favreau about winning Georgia and fighting voter suppression.

Trump deflates his convention bounce with a week of deranged conspiracies and potential felonies, a Pollapalooza shows the race largely unchanged by the conventions and Trump’s crime message, and Joe Biden’s record-breaking month of fundraising allows him to launch a homestretch advertising blitz. Then WNBA player Renee Montgomery talks to Dan about taking this season off to focus on activism and social justice.

Trump cheers on violent supporters in Kenosha and Portland, Joe Biden gives a speech in Pennsylvania condemning violence and Trump, Covid outbreaks on college campuses get worse, and the White House weighs a strategy of herd immunity and a quick vaccine. Then Obama pollster Cornell Belcher talks to Jon Lovett about the state of the race after both conventions.

Jon, Jon, Tommy, and Dan break down Donald Trump’s acceptance speech and discuss how the Republican National Convention will shape the final 67 days of the 2020 campaign.

The protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin after the police shooting of Jacob Blake provide the backdrop to a Republican National Convention where the party tries its hardest to stoke division and deny reality. Then Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes talks to Jon about police brutality, the protests, and what Joe Biden needs to do to win Wisconsin.

The Republican National Convention lineup is heavy on Trump and light on policy, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris see their favorability rise after last week’s convention, Trump touts another unproven Covid treatment, and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy testifies before Congress. Then New York Times reporter Kevin Roose talks to Tommy about Trump’s embrace of the QAnon cult.

Joe Biden selects Kamala Harris to be his Vice President, and Hysteria’s Alyssa Mastromonaco joins Jon and Dan to break down the choice, the rollout, and the reaction of Donald Trump. Then Black Voters Matter Fund co-founder LaTosha Brown talks to Jon about the historic nature of Kamala Harris’s selection, and how the Democratic ticket can organize and energize voters this fall.

Donald Trump announces a few fairly useless executive actions, forges ahead with his plan to steal the election, and dismisses new reports of foreign interference by Russia. Then New York State Attorney General Letitia James talks to Jon Lovett about her lawsuit aimed at shutting down the NRA.

Tuesday’s primaries lead to Missouri victories for Medicaid expansion and Black Lives Matter activist Cori Bush, the Biden campaign announces the biggest advertising buy in history across 15 states, and the Trump campaign makes debate demands while lowering expectations for Joe Biden. Then Manny Garcia and Cliff Walker, the leaders of the Texas Democratic Party, talk to Dan about what it will take to turn the state blue in 2020. And Ben Rhodes talks to Tommy about his new Crooked Media podcast, Missing America.

Alyssa Mastromonaco joins Dan to talk about Trump's promotion of more conspiracy theories, jealousy of Dr. Anthony Fauci, inability to help himself politically, and failure to confront Vladimir Putin, even when American lives are at risk. Then, they take your most pressing questions on the VP selection process, the 2020 election, and whether karaoke is actually fun.

Dan and Tommy talk about the new tone that President Trump is not adopting now that daily White House coronavirus briefings have resumed, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calling out a culture of misogyny after a Republican accosted her on the steps of the Capitol, the latest on the negotiations over pandemic relief in Congress, and the new plan Joe Biden has proposed to help caregivers and parents.

Donald Trump’s 40-minute interview with Fox News’s Chris Wallace is perfection, the Administration is sending unidentified paramilitary troops to crack down on protesters in Portland, and America says goodbye to Congressman John Lewis and CT Vivian, two giants of the Civil Rights Movement. Then Voto Latino’s María Teresa Kumar talks to Tommy about organizing the Latino community ahead of November.

Trump replaces his campaign manager as his re-election bid hits a rough patch, Joe Biden rolls out an ambitious new climate plan, and his campaign decides whether to expand the map by competing in states like Texas and Georgia. Then Dr. Abdul El-Sayed talks to Jon about his America Dissected interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci, and his role on the Biden-Sanders health care task force.

Roger Stone is rewarded for covering up Trump’s corruption with a commuted prison sentence, the White House orchestrates a hit job on Dr. Anthony Fauci for telling the truth about the pandemic, and Congress debates the next round of pandemic relief as the economy stalls. Then Pod Save the People’s Kaya Henderson talks to Jon Lovett about the debate over re-opening schools this fall.

On the third, and final, installment of That's the Ticket, Dan and Alyssa talk about what factors a candidate has to consider once they've vetted potential VPs, how the vice presidential announcement process has evolved over time, and finally who they think Biden will pick. Dan also talks to Perry Bacon Jr., a senior writer from FiveThirtyEight, about what polling does and doesn't tell us about the impact of a VP pick.

The Supreme Court rules on Native rights and Trump’s taxes, the President bullies schools to re-open, Joe Biden and progressive Democrats find common ground, and Kanye West flirts with a presidential bid. Oklahoma journalist Rebecca Nagle talks to Jon about the legal victory for tribal nations, and Color of Change’s Rashad Robinson talks to Dan about Facebook’s handling of hate speech and misinformation.

The President commemorates July 4th with a racist speech at Mt. Rushmore, the Biden and Trump campaigns focus on the pandemic response, and Senate Republicans weigh distancing themselves from Trump as they fall behind their Democratic challengers in the polls.

On the second episode of That's the Ticket, Dan and Alyssa talk through Biden's pledge to select a woman as his running mate and how the candidacies of Geraldine Ferraro and Sarah Palin got us to where we are today. Then, Alyssa talks to writer Rebecca Traister about what media challenges the eventual nominee will face.

Trump celebrates another month of double-digit unemployment and rising Covid infections, and Dan and Jon answer your questions about reopening schools, the Lincoln Project, DC statehood, Supreme Court vacancies, Pod Save America dance-offs, and more. Then political message guru Anat Shenker-Osorio talks to Dan about 2020 campaign ads and the race-class narrative.

Trump does nothing about reports that Russia put a bounty on American troops, shares a video of his supporters chanting “white power,” and asks the Supreme Court to end the Affordable Care Act. Then Biden adviser Ron Klain talks to Jon Favreau about the state of the pandemic, and the state of the 2020 campaign.

In the first episode of this three part mini-series, Dan Pfeiffer and Alyssa Mastromonaco break down the vetting for vice presidential candidates - how it happens, why it's so secret, and what can go wrong. They'll talk you through the history of the vetting process, their experiences on the Kerry and Obama campaigns, and how they think the Biden campaign is approaching the process.

Alyssa Mastromonaco joins as a guest host to talk about the Covid resurgence, what Tuesday’s progressive primary victories mean for the Democratic Party, and Joe Biden’s commanding lead over Donald Trump in the battleground states. Then Jamaal Bowman talks to Tommy about his upset victory in the primary for New York’s 16th Congressional district.

Trump tanks in Tulsa with a small crowd and rambling speech, fires a U.S. Attorney who was investigating his allies, loses a legal battle to stop John Bolton’s book from being published, and loses the Supreme Court decision over DACA. Then Jon Stewart talks to Jon Favreau about money in politics, the media, and his new movie, Irresistible.

Color of Change Chair Heather McGhee joins as a guest host to talk about Trump’s speech on police reform, the Senate Republican bill, where Joe Biden and the Democrats stand, and how we can ensure that this moment becomes a durable political movement to fight systemic racism. Then Reverend William Barber talks to Dan about the Poor People’s Campaign and this weekend's Moral March on Washington.

Police kill Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta as Republicans in Congress balk at reform proposals, Trump moves the date of his Juneteenth MAGA rally even as some advisors suggest he attack the Black Lives Matter movement, and Covid cases rise in 22 states as the President pretends the pandemic is over. Then ACLU attorney Chase Strangio talks to Jon L. about the landmark Supreme Court ruling on LGBTQ rights, and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Wesley Lowrey discusses his reporting on the nationwide protests.

The mass demonstrations against police violence and racism have ignited a debate about transformational change, Republican and military leaders start to abandon Trump, and the President celebrates double-digit unemployment. Then Los Angeles District Attorney candidate George Gascón talks to Tommy about progressive criminal justice reform.

The nationwide protest against racism and injustice shows early signs of progress, Trump’s presidency reaches a dangerous new low, and Joe Biden and Barack Obama remind us what a real president sounds like. Then LaTosha Brown, the co-founder of Black Voters Matter Fund, talks to Dan about organizing and mobilizing black voters ahead of November.

George Floyd’s murder sparks nationwide protests against police brutality and systemic racism, Donald Trump responds by hiding in the White House and tweeting, and Joe Biden ventures out to meet with protesters and black community leaders. DeRay Mckesson joins to talk about what police reforms actually work, and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms talks to Jon F. about grappling with this crisis as a mayor and a mother.

The President takes a dangerous drug to own the libs, Ted Cruz gets in a Twitter fight with the pod, our new Change Research poll shows Joe Biden with a small lead in Michigan, and Republicans are done with helping the economy. Then Dave Weigel of the Washington Post talks to Dan about the digital strategies shaping the Biden and Trump campaigns.

The President continues his purge of government officials who expose corruption, the Trump campaign uses a kitchen sink strategy to define Joe Biden, Barack Obama reminds us of what a normal president sounds like, and House Democrats pass an economic relief bill with some defections. Then Senator Sherrod Brown and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Connie Schultz talk to Jon L. about Senate negotiations over the next stimulus bill, and what it’s like to quarantine together.

Trump tries to make the election about Barack Obama, Democrats come up short in a California special election, Joe Biden announces a set of policy unity task forces, and Democratic strategists offer his campaign plenty of advice. Then Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal talks to Jon about her Paycheck Guarantee Act and her role as the co-chair of Biden’s health care unity task force.

The White House’s robust testing and contact tracing program finds two cases inside the West Wing, Attorney General Bill Barr drops the charges against one of the President's convicted criminal friends, Barack Obama speaks out, and Trump falsely accuses California Democrats of rigging an election by allowing more people to vote. Then New Yorker writer Patrick Radden Keefe talks to Tommy about his new Crooked podcast Wind of Change, and CNN’s Harry Enten weighs in on the latest polling and the 2020 Senate map.

Follow Wind of Change on Spotify to binge all 8 episodes now: https://spoti.fi/WindOfChange

Trump surrenders in the War Against the Invisible Enemy, pivots to a message about rebuilding the economy, and tries to make the race about Joe Biden. Then Jon and Dan break down the latest polls, answer some listener questions, and Dan interviews Democratic election lawyer Marc Elias about his legal battles to protect our right to vote in November.

The President steps up his efforts to blame China for the coronavirus, the Trump campaign is divided over its re-election message, Joe Biden responds to Tara Reade’s allegations, and the Vice Presidential selection process begins. Then Austan Goolsbee, one of Obama’s top economic advisors, talks to Jon F. about how to dig ourselves out of this crisis.

Republicans’ top priority is giving corporations the freedom to let their workers and customers get sick, former Republican Justin Amash explores a third party bid for president, and new reporting emerges about an allegation of sexual assault against Joe Biden. Then Congressional candidate Christy Smith talks to Jon about her May 12th special election in California’s 25th district.

The White House weighs cutting back on Trump’s daily briefings, Republicans start to worry about November, and Joe Biden’s campaign adjusts to life in the midst of a pandemic. Then Senator Brian Schatz talks to Jon L. about the next economic relief bill and the Senate map in 2020.

Trump responds to falling poll numbers with a temporary ban on some forms of immigration, Mitch McConnell wants to hit pause on economic relief, and we answer some questions from listeners. Then former White House Chief Technology Officer Jason Goldman talks to Dan about how Joe Biden and Democrats can get creative with their digital strategy ahead of November.

Trump encourages Trump supporters protesting against Trump’s social distancing guidelines, governors in both parties plead for help with testing, Congress nears a deal on another economic relief bill, and China becomes a 2020 issue. Then Senator Bernie Sanders talks to Jon and Jon about why our response to this economic crisis should be more ambitious, how progressive candidates can win, and what he hopes to see from Joe Biden.

Democrats win a stunning upset in Wisconsin, Joe Biden wins the endorsements of Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren, and Data for Progress polling guru Charlotte Swasey joins Jon and Dan to break down brand new polling that details which arguments about Trump’s handling of the coronavirus are most persuasive to voters.