Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou
by Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou
If you’re feeling confused or overwhelmed by the news coming out of Washington, D.C. right now, know this: you are not alone. Each week, former U.S. Senator Jon Tester of Montana and veteran journalist Maritsa Georgiou are here to talk you through it. Grounded is about more than just deciphering the headlines; It’s about hearing from changemakers, sharing insider insight, and leaving each episode with a roadmap forward. Let’s stay grounded: In facts, in reason, and in community. You can also find us on YouTube and Substack! https://groundedpodcast.substack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@GroundedPcast
Episodes
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Flipping Tables
As it stands, Democrats have a 54-44 majority in the Senate, with results still pending in Alaska and Mississippi. They have 241 seats in the House and expected to gain more. Kansas is sending a Democrat to the U.S. Senate for the first time since 1932. James Talarico will be the first Democratic...
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Justice Rooted in Love
Three days out and we decided to continue our marathon episode run with another candidate: Justin J. Pearson, known as one of the “Tennessee Three,” who’s now running for U.S. House. Pearson tells us how the redistricting fight in the South has dramatically changed his race, what he’s hearing…
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Crunch Time
We are days away from ELECTION DAY and we asked our favorite election data nerd (and former Obama campaign manager + University of Montana superfan) Jim Messina to join us to break down the state of the races. And we literally go down the battleground list one by one in a psuedo-lightning round....
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An Avalanche of Noise
There’s a whole lot of noise about threats to the midterm elections, now eight days away. We asked David Becker from the Center for Election Innovation & Research to come back and help us get grounded in logic and facts. Let’s start with the good news: Becker says we will blow past 30 million…
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You Can’t Dress That Pig Up
In the final weeks of the campaign cycle, JT has been traveling across the country stumping for candidates. He returned from Kansas last week and couldn’t quit talking about the Democratic candidate in the KS-02 House race, Don Coover, who’s also a West Point grad, Army vet, veterinarian, and...
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Running Against History and Expectations
We didn’t mean for this episode to turn into a lesson on furries for Jon Tester, but here we are. Former Sen. Doug Jones is in a rematch against Sen. Tommy Tuberville—this time for governor of Alabama. This is a state that has voted for the Republican nominee in every presidential election going...
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Article III
We hobbled our way through some more technical difficulties, but are grateful for another chance to talk with retired federal judge Diane Wood, who sat on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeal. She is now one of about 60 retired federal judges who formed the Article III Coalition through Keep Our...
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27 Days Out
With less than four weeks until the midterms, officials across the country are preparing as the federal pressure on our election administrators ramps up. Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar, who also chairs the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State, joins us to discuss the Trump...
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Don’t Give Up the Ship
This week, the USS Abraham Lincoln is scheduled to return to San Diego after a near-record 10+ month deployment during which we heard reports of suicide attempts, food shortages, plumbing problems, deteriorating mental health and overall abysmal conditions. “First and foremost, it's absolutely…
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Foiled Again
We had a little communication snafu this morning and our scheduled guest never made it to the live show. We’re working with her team to reschedule! That didn’t stop us from devoting almost an hour to headlines, including the bizarre turn of events at Jack Smith’s testimony in front of the Senate...
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Access Denied
As we start a new work week, major TV news networks suspended their pooled coverage of President Donald Trump after he banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico journalists from the White House over the weekend. The three outlets filed a lawsuit against the president and three top advisers Monday, saying…
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Raising the Barr
In The New York Times this morning, a top headline reads, “Republicans Reel on the Midterm Map as Deep-Red Areas Come Into Play.” The article discusses the battleground of Georgia, but also vulnerabilities for Republicans in Kansas and Nebraska. The story doesn’t include Montana’s House race in…
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Stuck in the Road
A few years ago, former White House Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri found herself needing help in north central Montana. Her rented mini van was stuck on a snow-covered road a mile (or two) from Jon Tester’s farm, where she was meeting him for an interview to be featured on The Circus....
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25 Years
We wanted to take a moment on the 25th anniversary of terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. We hope you take some time to reflect on all of the lives we lost that day, and also a moment for the more than 9,000 people who have died since from their exposure to toxic materials in the aftermath.
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Yes, Sir
Independent candidates are hoping to leave their mark on the 2026 midterm elections, with 47 on the ballot for U.S. Senate alone. And Montana’s race might be the wildest of them all. Former University of Montana president and Army veteran Seth Bodnar joins Grounded to make his case for Montana’s...
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There’s No Reset Button
Grounded welcomes former Ambassador to Japan and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, known for his aggressive political style, who kicks things off by reminiscing about trying to recruit Jon Tester to run for the House instead of the Senate back in 2006 (spoiler: it was really about beating...
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Follow the Money
Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, has long been telling us to follow the money—especially when it comes to Jeffrey Epstein. Wyden joins Grounded to break down a bombshell investigation his office conducted over four years that revealed major banking...
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The Four C’s
Former Washington Gov. Jay Inslee joins Grounded way too early in the morning to discuss the devastating wildfires out west, worsening climate change impacts, and the drivers behind soaring energy costs. Inslee, who leads the Climate Power accountability project, also lays out what he calls the...
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Playing with Fire
700+ homes. 65,000 evacuated. More than 10,000 acres. And now, one arrest. Investigators believe Aaron Farinacci, 37, started one of the fires that ravaged Spokane, Washington this weekend. He’s now being held on a $1 million bond. The images of the overnight devastation from the Spokane Complex...
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Where There’s Smoke
We finally had a chance to sit down with Sam Forstag, smokejumper and Democratic candidate for MT-01. The timing was good, too— On Tuesday morning, the DCCC added Forstag to its “Red to Blue” program, which basically means his race is considered one of the most competitive races in the country....
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Off to the Races
There are just 106 days until the November election and we have seen no shortage of drama-fueled shakeups. We were so pleased to welcome Erin Covey of The Cook Political Report for a deep dive into the 2026 midterm battleground races. Erin’s focus is typically the House, but she could have fooled...
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Can We Afford This?
JT & MG sit down with Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL), a member of the House Financial Services Committee, to dig into a new report from Climate Power and the Center for American Progress on the rising cost of living. Casten, who spent 20 years in the energy industry before Congress, breaks down why...
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Ding Him $1,000 a Day
Attorney, journalist, and friend Katie Phang joins Grounded for an update on her ongoing legal fight against the DOJ after acting AG Todd Blanche essentially defied the court order to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. This all comes days before an expected Blanche confirmation…
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The United States of Algorithms
JT & MG have a candid conversation with Rich Logis, founder of the nonprofit Leaving MAGA and author of the memoir One Betrayal Too Many. Logis is a former die-hard MAGA pundit, campaign volunteer, and donor. He talks about his break from the movement in 2022 and how it started with a simple…
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Reactive Mode
We always gain so much valuable perspective from David Becker, co-founder and executive director for the Center for Election Innovation and Research. He joins us again to break down myriad questions revolving around the upcoming midterm elections. We tackle the Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling about...
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Warehouse Sale
What happens when the federal government tries to triple a small town's population overnight and won't even take your call? It’s what the city manager of Social Circle, Georgia was up against earlier this year. Eric Taylor joins grounded to take us through the six-month fight to stop the…
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A Call to Action from Big Sandy 🚜
It was a big weekend in Big Sandy, Montana. Jeff Ament, through his nonprofit Montana Pool Service, hosted the 16th annual Big Sandy Skate Jam + Pig Roast Saturday. It gave us the perfect reason to host our first joint episode from the Tester farm (and snag some MPS merch)! A few days ago, our...
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The Infestation of Stupid
Oh so much to talk about with former RNC Chairman Michael Steele, who co-hosts the Weeknight on MSNOW. We discuss why Steele joined the GOP 50 years ago, his efforts to get the party back to its roots, and why he has no patience for Republican lawmakers (and pundits) speaking out against this...
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Drain the Swamp... Literally
Former DOJ pardon attorney Liz Oyer joins Grounded for the third time to discuss her new focus on Acting AG Todd Blanche's pending Senate confirmation. Hear why Liz thinks he's one of the most dangerous people in Washington right now, and what citizens can actually do to stop him. Plus, Oyer…
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A Beautiful Girlfriend in Canada
What does a secret, beautiful girlfriend in Canada have to do with the newly announced (and still unpublished) deal with Iran? Economist Justin Wolfers will tell you both stories smell off. He uses an "unraveling" argument from game theory and economic concepts to explain. “If I have an amazing...
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We Saw it Coming
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the country's oldest civil rights coalition, has put a lot of work into documenting the Trump administration’s efforts to turn back the clock on civil and human rights progress within the United States. The organization’s president and CEO Maya...
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Even Baddies Get Saddies
Let’s be honest. There’s a lot to feel sad about in the world. There’s also a lot to stay hopeful about. JT’s travel schedule prevented us from locking in a guest for today, but we wanted to hop on and go over some of the big headlines. President Trump is still claiming a deal with Iran is just...
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Cognitive Offloading
At a time when all of us are drowning in tech, AFT President Randi Weingarten just rolled out an action plan to combat the use of screens in classrooms before third grade, which includes an emphasis on more hands-on learning. “We are at a crossroads that will define the future of work and…
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This is Mission
We got an early start Tuesday dissecting all things legal with former federal prosecutor and national treasure Glenn Kirschner, who holds online community chats every night to discuss the pressing legal developments of the day. “When you’re fighting for democracy, it’s not really a job. This is...
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True (Stupid) Crime
“This is a film about cryptocurrency. It’s pretty stupid.” And as actor, author, and filmmaker Ben McKenzie will tell you, something that’s really stupid can also be really dangerous. McKenzie joined Grounded to talk about Everyone is Lying to You for Money, his film that dives into the deceitful...
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A Vote is a Kind of Prayer
“I often say that a vote is a kind of prayer for the world we desire for ourselves and for our children. And our prayers are stronger when we pray together.” Wise words from Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock, who joined Grounded Wednesday to discuss Tuesday primary results, the redistricting fight in the...
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Mayor Pete in Montana!
Apologies to everyone who noticed the blurry video in our live stream this morning— it seems the Montana WiFi overlords are not playing well with us. We uploaded the clean version here so you can watch it without frustration! Former Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg (or Mayor Pete, as we…
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Idiot Cubes
It's our 100th full episode! We love any chance to talk to our friend Katie Phang, especially when we get to talk about the historic lawsuit she filed against the U.S. Department of Justice over its botched handling of releasing the Epstein files. We talk about the complaint, the bipartisan…
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Someone Get JT a Cannoli
We have a lot to unpack after an eventful weekend. We discuss the 60 Minutes interview with President Trump about the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the 60-day mark to the war in Iran, and a new look for the National Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. Plus, Los Angeles Mayor...
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The Next Morning
We unpack Saturday night’s timeline after the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner and how it unfolded across town at the Substack party for new media. It’s being reported the security checkpoint was breached at 8:34 p.m. I received a text from my mom 9 minutes later...
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Restore the Norms: A chat with Scott MacFarlane
Talking with Scott MacFarlane was a great way to kick off the new week, even if it had to start in the 6:00 a.m. hour in Montana because of seeding on the Tester farm. Scott (NOT SETH) joined the independent media space earlier this year after leaving his correspondent role at CBS News. We talked...
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Welcome to the Jungle
On Jan. 23, 2020, then-Rep. Adam Schiff delivered his closing arguments in the first impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. “No constitution can protect us if right doesn’t matter any more. And you know you can’t trust this President to do what’s right for this country," Schiff said at the...
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Money, Money, Money
This is a repost from Heather Cox Richardson's channel Monday, when JT & MG join her to discuss the Citizens United decision, exorbitant amounts of money in politics, and the Montana Plan! Plus, organizations (like End Citizens United ) trying to combat the effects of big money in politics and…
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”Be careful with me, b*tch”
It’s a month that starts with A, which means Jon Tester becomes increasingly harder to schedule because of work on the farm (April means planting; August means harvest). That said, many people have been asking where he’s been, so we attempted a Tractor Time with Tester episode that we came very...
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Sound Counsel
Big thanks to former White House counsel Ty Cobb for joining us on Grounded this morning. We shared some laughs and also talked about some very serious concerns about the rule of law, the Supreme Court hearing on birthright citizenship, the president’s threats to pull out of NATO, and more. Plus,...
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Stay Mighty
We could have done an entire episode about the lengthy Trump cabinet meeting at the White House earlier today, including the 5 minutes spent talking about pens and sharpies (Yes, really). We cover a little bit of that with THE Sharon McMahon, America’s Government Teacher, author of The Preamble…
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The More You Know(a)
If you’re worried about the future, Knowa De Baraso should help ease some concerns. The 14-year-old podcast host and political phenom is not only engaged—he’s bold. You may remember Knowa from the viral clip of him confronting the conspiracy peddling (and now Minnesota gubernatorial candidate)…
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About this show
If you’re feeling confused or overwhelmed by the news coming out of Washington, D.C. right now, know this: you are not alone. Each week, former U.S. Senator Jon Tester of Montana and veteran journalist Maritsa Georgiou are here to talk you through it. Grounded is about more than just deciphering the headlines; It’s about hearing from changemakers, sharing insider insight, and leaving each episode with a roadmap forward.
Let’s stay grounded: In facts, in reason, and in community.
You can also find us on YouTube and Substack! https://groundedpodcast.substack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@GroundedPcast
Hosted by
Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou