Pod Save America

Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders hold a very unusual debate amid the coronavirus crisis, governments close public places across America, Trump refuses to take responsibility for testing failures, and lawmakers work to pass economic relief. Then Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) talks to Tommy about Congress’s response to the pandemic.

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Donald Trump’s disastrous Oval Office address fails to calm Americans, Republicans fight Democratic proposals to provide economic relief, Joe Biden inches closer to an insurmountable pledged delegate lead, and Bernie Sanders vows to debate on Sunday. Then Governor Gavin Newsom talks to Dan about what the state of California is doing to battle the coronavirus pandemic.

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The coronavirus pandemic worsens and markets tank, Trump downplays the crisis and bungles the response, and Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders face off in another six states on Tuesday. Then North Carolina Senate candidate Cal Cunningham talks to Jon F. about his race to replace Republican Thom Tillis and flip the Senate. And the hosts of Crooked Media’s new podcast Hall of Shame, Rachel Bonetta and Rachna Fruchbom, talk to Jon L. about their first two episodes.

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Joe Biden’s victories on Super Tuesday mark the most dramatic political comeback in recent history, Bernie Sanders faces a tougher map and a need to expand his coalition, Mike Bloomberg ends his campaign, and Elizabeth Warren contemplates her future.

Jon, Jon and Tommy talk about the chaotic Democratic debate that went down in South Carolina just days ahead of the Palmetto State’s primary, and where the candidates stand with just a week to go until Super Tuesday.

Jon, Jon, Tommy, and Dan break down the results of the Nevada caucuses and the ensuing freakout that Bernie Sanders is now the prohibitive favorite to win the Democratic nomination.

Jon, Jon, and Tommy break down the feistiest Democratic debate yet, hosted by NBC in Las Vegas, Nevada. Then Democratic candidate Jessica Cisneros talks to Tommy about her primary challenge to one of Congress's most conservative Democrats in Texas’s 28th district.

Democrats weigh how to confront Trump’s post-impeachment lawlessness, Mike Bloomberg buys himself and his record a lot of attention, and Bernie Sanders looks for another win in Nevada. Then Jon Ralston of the Nevada Independent talks to Jon F. about the caucus ground game and how he’s preparing to moderate the next Democratic debate.

Democrats try to break out of the pack in the last debate before the New Hampshire primary, Joe Biden hits Pete Buttigieg on his experience, Bernie Sanders coasts, Mike Bloomberg rises, and Donald Trump hands Democrats a gift with his budget. Then Bernie Sanders’ campaign manager Faiz Shakir talks to Jon F. about their strategy for the rest of the primary.

Iowa is still too close to call as the candidates try to break through in New Hampshire, Mitt Romney votes to convict as Trump is acquitted, and the President’s State of the Union should be a wake up call for Democrats. Then Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg talks to Dan about his post-Iowa strategy.

As they wait for Iowa caucus results, Jon, Jon, Tommy and Dan talk about what went wrong in the first contest in the nomination process, what it means for the caucus moving forward and how the candidates move on from here, even as they learn more about the delegate counts.

Republicans block witnesses, sealing up President Trump's impeachment trial in the Senate. The Des Moines Register cancels its highly anticipated Iowa poll the weekend before the caucus. Then, Jon, Jon, Tommy, and Dan talk about what they've seen and heard observing candidates on the ground in Iowa over the past few days.

Trump's defense team argues that the President can do anything to get elected, Republicans close in on the votes to block witnesses, and a SuperPAC makes the case that Bernie isn’t electable. Then Senator Amy Klobuchar joins to talk about impeachment and her closing argument, and Crooked Media Content Chief Tanya Somanader discusses the new and improved VoteSaveAmerica.com

In the final episode of this five-part series on the Iowa caucuses, we take you back to Iowa one last time for the final sprint before caucus day. We explore how impeachment is impacting the campaigns, attend events with major surrogates like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and talk with Iowa elected officials about who they will endorse. Finally, we’ll walk you through the results of our exclusive Iowa poll, map out possible paths to victory for the leading candidates, and check in one last time with the true heroes of these campaigns, the field organizers. This series is hosted by Tommy Vietor and produced by Pineapple Street Studios.

John Bolton’s explosive new book upends Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, Adam Schiff joins to talk about what happens next, and Bernie Sanders extends his lead in Iowa as other candidates raise electability questions. Then Ezra Klein talks to Dan about his new book, “Why We’re Polarized.”

Schiff makes the case against Trump, Trump confesses to obstruction and floats cuts to Medicare and Social Security in Davos, and Bernie gains momentum with less than two weeks until Iowa. Then Desmond Meade of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition talks to Dan about fighting the Republican effort to keep returning citizens from voting.

Trump’s lawyers kick off his impeachment trial by arguing that the President can’t be impeached, Mitch McConnell is forced to make concessions on the rules, Biden and Bernie tangle on Social Security, and the New York Times endorses Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren. Then Chris Lidell-Westefeld talks to Tommy about his oral history of the 2008 Obama campaign.

The Trump Administration is caught lying about Iran, the public sours on the President’s handling of the crisis, and the Des Moines Register poll shows a very close race in Iowa between Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg, and Joe Biden. Then Varshini Prakash of the Sunrise Movement talks to Jon L. about climate change and the group's endorsement of Bernie Sanders.

Trump gives his Mission Accomplished speech after a momentary pause in the crisis he started, Mitch McConnell and the Senate Republicans get ready to vote for a rigged impeachment trial, and the endorsements start piling up in the Democratic primary. Then Senator Elizabeth Warren talks to Jon about the Iran crisis and her campaign strategy in the weeks before Iowa.

Trump starts a new conflict in the Middle East by assassinating an Iranian general, John Bolton says he’s willing to testify in the Senate impeachment trial, and the primary is too close to call with less than 30 days until Iowa. Then Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) talks to Tommy about what Congress can do to restrain Trump’s actions towards Iran.

In their second annual New Year’s resolutions pod, Jon, Jon, and Tommy react to resolutions from some of your favorite 2020 candidates. Then they hold themselves accountable for the resolutions they made a year ago - and make new resolutions for the big year ahead in 2020.

Jon F. and Dan answer your questions on 2020, the Senate, campaign finance, their top Spotify picks, and more.

Jon, Jon, Tommy, and Dan talk about the impeachment of Donald Trump and the final Democratic debate of 2019, hosted by PBS and POLITICO in Los Angeles, California.

The House prepares to impeach Donald Trump as new polling shows an uptick in support, Chuck Schumer tries to prevent Mitch McConnell from rigging the Senate trial, and the Democratic presidential candidates prepare for their final debate of 2019.

Democrats are on the verge of voting to impeach Donald Trump and to approve his trade deal, Bernie Sanders is underestimated, Joe Biden contemplates serving one term, and Pete Buttigieg releases his McKinsey clients. Then Mike Isaac of the New York Times talks to Dan about Uber, Facebook, and tech industry culture.

In episode four of this five-part series on the Iowa caucuses, we take you behind the scenes as the campaigns prepare for one of the biggest nights of the primary season, the Liberty and Justice Dinner. Obama’s speech at the event back in 2007 gave his candidacy an enormous boost, but we’ll explain why the evening is as much about what you say as how well you’ve organized. Then we’ll consider proposals to change the primary process that would reduce Iowa’s influence as we continue to wrestle with the question: is this really the best way to pick a president? This series is hosted by Tommy Vietor and produced by Pineapple Street Studios.

Alyssa Mastromonaco joins Jon, Jon, and Tommy to discuss the Inspector General’s report, Donald Trump’s response to the shooting in Pensacola, Joe Biden’s confrontation with an Iowa voter, Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg’s transparency debate, and Michael Bloomberg’s massive ad buy.

House Democrats prepare to draft articles of impeachment, Trump embarrasses himself and America at NATO, and Kamala Harris ends her presidential campaign. Then Senator Cory Booker talks to Jon about his strategy to make the December debate and build momentum ahead of Iowa.

In episode three of this five-part miniseries on the Iowa caucuses, we dive into the all-important race to lock down the state’s key endorsements. These campaign surrogates, always critical, loom particularly large for the five US Senators running who may have to spend the bulk of January in impeachment hearings. We’ll also dig into all the criticisms of the Iowa caucuses, from the demographics of the state to the charge that the caucuses themselves are undemocratic. Plus: a ukulele. The series is hosted by Tommy Vietor and produced by Pineapple Street Studios.

The next phase of impeachment begins as the Judiciary Committee plans hearings, the 2020 primary is wide open with two months until Iowa, and Pete Buttigieg debates his opponents over free college.

Jon, Jon, and Tommy answer your questions on impeachment, 2020, politics, Thanksgiving, and more. Then Ady Barkan checks in with Jon F. about his endorsement of Elizabeth Warren and his fight to achieve Medicare for All.

In episode two of this five-part miniseries on the Iowa caucuses hosted by Tommy Vietor and produced by Pineapple Street Studios, we’ll learn how violence at the 1968 Democratic National Convention led to Iowa becoming the first contest of the campaign season. We’ll take you to a house party with undecided voters and to an actual caucus location from 2016 to explain how the process works. And we’ll watch field organizers in action and learn how they hustle to get Iowans to commit to caucus.

The impeachment inquiry moves to a new phase, Republican Congressman Devin Nunes may be implicated in the scandal he’s supposed to be investigating, and Michael Bloomberg officially enters the Democratic primary. Then Democratic digital strategist Tara McGowan talks to Dan about why Democrats need to focus more on digital advertising.

Jon, Jon, Tommy, and Dan break down a week of pizzazz-filled impeachment hearings and the fifth Democratic primary debate in Atlanta, Georgia.

This is the first episode of a five-part miniseries on the Iowa caucuses hosted by Tommy Vietor and produced by Pineapple Street Studios. In episode one, Tommy looks back at Barack Obama's 2008 Iowa operation to explain how he won, how that victory propelled him to the White House, and why Obama says his Iowa caucus victory was more meaningful than the night he was elected president. Tommy also heads to the Iowa State Fair to talk with 2020 candidates and introduces you to some young campaign field staffers who we'll follow for the next few weeks.

Bill Taylor drops a bombshell on the first day of the impeachment hearings while Republicans peddle conspiracies, Democratic presidential candidates prepare to be Senate jurors, and Deval Patrick enters the primary. Then former Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal offers his legal and Constitutional analysis of the hearing and talks about his new book, “Impeach: The Case Against Donald Trump.”

Democrats and Republicans telegraph their strategies for the first public impeachment hearings, and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg prepares to enter the Democratic primary. Then veterans’ advocate Paul Rieckhoff talks to Tommy about veterans policy and how America treats those who serve.

Democrats win big victories in Virginia and Kentucky, a new Crooked Media/Change PollerCoaster 2020 survey shows majority support for impeachment, and the Medicare for All debate between Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden gets heated. Then Run for Something’s Amanda Litman talks to Dan about all the new candidates who won on Tuesday.

The House prepares for the public phase of impeachment, Republicans move towards a defense of foreign interference, and the Democratic candidates make their best case to Iowa voters as the race gets incredibly close. Then Brian Beutler talks to Jon F. about Crooked Media’s new podcast on the impeachment process, Rubicon.