PODCAST · news
Hacks On Tap
by Vox Media
When David Axelrod, Mike Murphy, and John Heilemann get together to talk politics, it’s not academic. They speak from the perspective gained through hundreds of campaigns for offices from City Hall to the White House. So if you want to know what’s really going on behind the scenes, where strategic decisions are being made, pull up a stool for Hacks on Tap. Incisive, sometimes uproarious and always entertaining, these political warhorses and their guests will give you insights you’ll only get from folks who have spent a lifetime in the political trenches of both parties. From the Vox Media Podcast Network
Episodes
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Split Happens (with Robert Gibbs and Karl Rove)
This week, Axe and Murphy are joined by not one, but two frequent-flyer Hackeroos: Mr. Texas himself, Karl Rove, and former Hackateer extraordinaire, Robert Gibbs! The guys dive headfirst into the political circus, take stock of key battleground states, dissect the latest polls and early voting...
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Wave Watch (with Doug Sosnik and Ron Brownstein)
This week, Axe and Murphy are joined by excellent Hackeroos Doug Sosnik, veteran strategist and professional campaign war-room survivor, and Ron Brownstein, dean of political journalism and longtime electoral-map obsessive. The Hacks dive into the final stretch of the midterms—ads, polls, trends,...
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For Whom the Poll Tolls (with John Anzalone and David Plouffe)
This week, Axe and Murphy are joined by not one, but two all-star Hackeroos: veteran Democratic pollster John Anzalone and former Obama campaign manager and White House senior adviser David Plouffe. The crack team dives into the numbers from Anzalone’s latest polling, the ad wars raging across…
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Pressing His Luck (with Whit Ayers)
This week, Murphy and Heilemann are joined by Whit Ayres, president of North Star Opinion Research and veteran Republican polling Hack. The Hacks dive into the nation’s many wars: Trump’s war with the press over access to the White House, the ad war raging in the midterms, and the U.S.’s actual…
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Above the Fold (with Julie Pace)
This week, the Hacks are joined by recently inducted Hackeroo Julie Pace, senior vice president and executive editor of The Associated Press! The Hacks dive into the battle for control of Congress and the midterm messaging wars, from culture-war distractions and fake protesters to zingy lines and...
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The Final Sprint
The Hacks are back! This week, all three Hackeroos convened to dive into the post-Labor Day sprint to the midterms. The guys discuss Trump’s potential war chest and the role of money in politics, renaming wars, and what could change between now and Election Day — looking to history, presidential...
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The Hacks Present: Stay Tuned with Preet
Neuroscientist, philosopher, and Making Sense podcast host Sam Harris joins Preet Bharara to examine why good-faith debate has become so difficult—and what that breakdown has done to American politics.They discuss social media’s fragmentation of the information landscape and declining trust in…
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Oh Canada! (With Jonathan Martin)
This week Axe and Murphy were joined by loyal Hackeroo, food savant, and incredibly talented journalist Jonathan Martin! The Hacks head north to unpack the latest battle with our neighbor, eh, before tapping JMart’s insights on the key races shaping up around the country. They dig into the chaos...
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Running on Empty (with Ron Brownstein)
This week Axe and Murphy were joined by Bloomberg Opinion columnist, CNN senior political analyst, and certified Hackeroo Ron Brownstein. The Hacks dive into this week in the political circus — from military misadventures and ballroom loyalty tests to surging gas prices, plummeting poll numbers,...
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Goat Rodeo (with Addisu Demissie)
Late last night, three bleary-eyed Hacks convened to discuss the results—or what we had of them—from yesterday’s Midwestern primaries. Axe and Heilemann were joined by legendary Democratic Hackeroo Addisu Demissie to break down the lessons from last week in Michigan and this week in Wisconsin and...
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The Midwest Strikes Back
This week the Hacks are reunited! All three Hackeroos are back together to break down the Michigan primary results and what they could mean for the midterms. They also dive into the latest from Virginia and Wisconsin, Murphy's EV road trip, and so much more—but you've waited long enough. Photo by...
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The Cannibal King (with Jonathan Martin)
This week Murphy and Heilemann welcome back Hack frequent flier and POLITICO's Jonathan Martin. The Hacks break down the White House Correspondents' Dinner, the latest on the war with Iran, the state of the midterms, DNC drama, and JMart's conversation with Rahm Emanuel—including a very important...
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Iran Out of Patience (with Maggie Haberman)
This week Axe and Murphy were joined by Maggie Haberman, one of the sharpest and most deeply sourced reporters covering Trump and the White House. The Hacks dive into her new book, Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump, and her remarkable reporting on the origins of…
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Lust but Verify (with Jonathan Freedland)
This week, Axe and Heilemann are joined by a Hack from across the pond and all-around political savant, Jonathan Freedland. Jonathan is a Guardian columnist, host of Politics Weekly America, and co-host of Unholy, the podcast covering Israel and the Middle East. The Hacks dive into the biggest...
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PAC to the Future (with Elie Honig)
The Hacks are back, and this week Axe and Murphy are joined by CNN’s senior legal analyst, former federal prosecutor, and resident translator of legalese into English, Elie Honig. The Hacks dive into the fallout from Graham Platner’s exit from the Maine Senate race, check in on a handful of key...
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250 and Counting (with Jonathan Martin)
This week Axe and Murphy were joined by Hacks frequent flier and POLITICO’s own JMart. The Hacks break down negotiations between the White House and the Hill, take stock of the midterm landscape, and reflect on the great pageant of American democracy as the nation marks its 250th birthday. Photo…
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From the Garden to the Polls (with Lis Smith)
This week Axe and Murphy were joined by veteran Democratic strategist, political advisor, and proud Knicks fan Lis Smith. The Hacks break down the races in today’s New York primary, along with several other key races across the country. They also discuss AI companies influencing campaign races…
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West Wing, Right Hook (with Jen Psaki)
This week Axe and Heilemann were joined by political heavyweight and MS NOW’s Jen Psaki. The Hacks step into the octagon to break down Trump's 80th birthday UFC spectacle at the White House and the controversy that followed, the administration's shadowboxing over Iran, and whether the economy is...
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Too Big To Deny (with Adam Kinzinger)
This week Axe and Murphy were joined by Air National Guard veteran, former Illinois Congressman, and January 6th Committee member Adam Kinzinger. The Hacks dive into Trump’s claims of election meddling in the Los Angeles mayoral race, his growing paranoia and sleepiness, the state of the Maine...
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The Golden State of Play (with Ron Brownstein)
This week Axe and Murphy were joined by the great Ron Brownstein—veteran journalist, Bloomberg Opinion columnist, and CNN senior political analyst. The Hacks dive into Trump's preparations for America250, the affordability crisis and the impact of tariffs in key swing states, today's California...
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Fool’s Cubic Zirconia (with Sarah Longwell)
This week Axe and Heilemann were joined by were joined by focus group guru and Bulwark legend, Sarah Longwell. The Hacks dive into the Texas primary results, California’s governors and LA’s mayoral race, the release of the DNC 2024 autopsy report, and so much more! Photo by Brandon Bell via Getty...
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Strait to the Point (with Jonathan Martin)
This week Murphy and Heilemann are joined by Hacks regular and budding food influencer Jonathan Martin to dig into Trump’s latest polling, the un-bullsh!table issues actually shaping the race, and preview key upcoming primaries. Photo by Majid Saeedi via Getty Images "Sad Trio" Kevin MacLeod...
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Race to the Bottom (with Addisu Demissie)
This week Axe and Murphy were joined by ace political wizard and veteran Democratic campaign manager Addisu Demissie. The Hacks dive into Trump’s new inflation numbers, Rubio and Vance vying for the chance to run in 2028, the escalating redistricting arms race, and AOC’s future. And of course…
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The Cost of Not Listening (with Dave Wasserman)
This week Axe and Murphy are joined by the man who has seen it all—and has seen enough—Dave Wasserman of the Cook Political Report. The Hacks dive into Donald Trump’s frustrations with voters, the latest polls and money advantages shaping the map, and—of course with Wasserman in the mix—a deep…
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Tired of Being Tired (with John King)
This week, Axe and Murphy were joined by one of the all-time greats, John King of CNN. The Hacks dive into the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting and the broader conversation around political rhetoric and violence, Trump’s ballroom ambitions, exhausted voters, redistricting battles, the...
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The Liquor Cabinet (with Jonathan Martin)
This week, Murphy and Heilemann were joined by frequent Hacks flyer and host of On the Road, Politico’s Jonathan Martin! The Hacks dive into U.S./Iran negotiations, Vance’s foreign policy woes, chaos and turnover in the Trump cabinet, and check in on the Virginia, California, and Kentucky races....
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It’s the Theology, Stupid (with Doug Sosnik)
This week, Murphy and Heilemann welcome policy Hackeroo and Clintonworld veteran Doug Sosnik. The Hacks dive into Trump’s Twitter feud with Chicago’s Pope, high-stakes negotiations to end the war with Iran, the JD Vance problem, shifting voting trends and Trump’s job approval—and check in on...
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Gravity of the Situation (with Rahm Emanuel)
This week, Axe and Murphy are joined live and in person by Hack regular, former U.S. Ambassador, and former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel. The Hacks break down the escalating war with Iran and Trump’s increasingly heated rhetoric, as strikes intensify and diplomacy teeters on the brink. They dig…
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TACO Tuesday (with Morris Katz)
This week, Axe and Heilemann dive into Trump’s Oval Office presser on the state of the war with Iran—and, of course, his ballroom. The Hacks also break down kitchen table issues, potential watershed moments, Republican influencers turning on Trump, redistricting, the midterms, and much more.…
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Mad King Politics (with David Plouffe)
This week Axe and Murphy are joined by Campaign Manager Hackeroo David Plouffe — who ran Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign, later served as a senior White House advisor.The Hacks dive into another week of war with Iran, unpack Trump’s motivations (and re-motivations), break down how negotiations on…
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The Luck of the Midterms (with Amy Walter)
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Hackeroos! This week, Axe and Heilemann are joined by one of the greatest Hacks in all the land, Amy Walter—publisher and editor-in-chief of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter. The Hacks dive into Joe Kent’s resignation, unpack the Iran war and its costs at home…
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On the Road (with Jonathan Martin)
This week, Axe and Murphy are joined by frequent flier in the Hackeroo Lounge, Jonathan Martin. JMart gives the Hacks a preview of his new Politico show, On the Road with Jonathan Martin, including his conversation with Sarah Huckabee Sanders. The Hacks also discuss the war with Iran — how it’s...
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Midterm Crossfire (with Mark McKinnon and Billy Begala)
This tumultuous week in the news, the Hacks are joined by not one but two expert Hackeroos. First up, Mark McKinnon — former adviser to George W. Bush and co-creator and co-host of The Circus — jumps in with Axe and Murphy to break down the strikes in Iran: what led up to them, what’s happened...
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SOTU Special
This week Axe and Murphy burned the midnight oil to break down Trump’s State of the Union with Hackeroo extraordinaire Jonathan Martin. No spoilers here — the Hacks have kept you waiting long enough. Hit play and find out what went down. Photo by Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images Learn more about...
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Map-a-Lago (with Dave Wasserman)
This week Murphy and Heilemann were joined by the one and only Dave Wasserman of the Cook Political Report. The Hacks dive into Trump’s polling, the standoff over ICE funding, and the attention economy — then put Wasserman on the map (literally) for a midterm check-in across Texas, Alaska, Ohio,...
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A Bigger Bowl (with Lis Smith)
This week, Axe and Heilemann were joined by Lis Smith, veteran Democratic strategist and political advisor. The Hacks dive into the Super Bowl and Bad Bunny’s halftime show, the battle for views, the Trump economy, inflation and mortgage rates, proposed voter ID laws, the latest Epstein files…
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Reading the Map (with Jonathan Martin)
Happy Tuesday, Hackeroos! This week Axe and Murphy are joined by repeat guest and all-around savant Jonathan Martin of Politico. The Hacks dive into the latest news, including the FBI raid of a Georgia election center, Trump’s cryptocurrency exposé in The Wall Street Journal, Trump’s mixed...
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Intentional Mayhem (with John Avlon)
This week Axe and Heilemann are joined by former Chief Beast, current journalist, and author John Avlon. The Hacks dig into the aftermath of a tumultuous weekend in Minnesota — and across the Trump administration — following the killing of Alex Pretti. They unpack ICE and citizen accountability,...
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The Ugliest American
This week all three Hackeroos (or Quackeroos) convened to take on a full fire hose of breaking news. The Hacks dive into Trump’s Nobel Piece Prize acquisition, his Davos trip, ICE’s provocative tactics, pardon-palooza, NATO on the brink, Greenland becoming Orangeland, and so much more! Photo by...
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Flood the Zone, Lose the Plot (with Mark McKinnon)
It’s only the second week of the year, and the news cycle is already moving fast. Luckily, Axe and Heilemann are joined by legendary political strategist — and The Circus alum — Mark McKinnon to help make sense of it all. The Hacks discuss ICE’s escalation in Minnesota, including the tragic…
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Iraqozuela (with Ron Brownstein)
Happy New Year, Hackeroos — did we miss anything over the break? Luckily, Axe and Murphy reconvened bright and early with veteran journalist, columnist for Bloomberg Opinion, and senior political analyst for CNN, Ron Brownstein. The Hacks dig into Trump’s Venezuela takeover rhetoric and the...
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New Year's Special: On with Kara Swisher
Happy New Year, Hackeroos! While the guys are taking a well-earned break with family, we’re bringing you a great conversation from our friend Kara Swisher’s podcast, On with Kara Swisher. Kara is joined by Beth Macy, a veteran newspaper reporter and author who has spent decades covering rural...
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End of Year Show
The Hacks convene to sum up a year of very normal politics. The guys dive into Indiana Republicans’ rebuke of Trump’s redistricting plan, the tragic deaths of Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, rising health-care premiums headed into 2026, the state of the Trump economy, and what it all means...
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The Canary in the Keystone Mine (with Bob Shrum)
This week Murphy and Heilemann were joined by a true political legend — a man who’s been Hacking up and down the ballot for more than sixty years — the inimitable Bob Shrum! The Hacks dig into Trump’s ambitions for his big rally tonight, the early rumblings of Trump fatigue, the state of the...
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Wag the Dog
The Hacks are back! All three Hackeroos convened this week to discuss the Tennessee Special election, retiring members of congress and upcoming filing deadlines, Hegseth's latest, the tragic national guard shooting, the ongoing Russia/Ukraine negotiations, their shared love of corgis, and so much...
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Irrational exuberance (with Steve Israel)
In our final episode of the month, Axe and Heilemann were joined by frequent Hack, former congressman, and author Steve Israel. The Hacks dig into the vote to release the Epstein files, MTG’s latest pivot and what’s driving it, primary filing deadlines, winning issues, the midterms landscape,...
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Trumplated Age (with Astead Herndon)
This week, Axe and Murphy were joined by their new Vox Media colleague and veteran political reporter Astead Herndon. The Hacks dive into the potential end of the government shutdown, the future of Democratic leadership, coalition-building, Border Patrol’s trip to The Bean, Gavin-mania, and so…
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Post-Election Hack-a-Thon (with Jonathan Martin)
The results are in! Last night Axe and Murphy were joined by the indefatigable chronicler of American politics, Jonathan Martin of Politico. The bleary-eyed Hacks stayed up to unpack the election results, the story the margins told, voter turnout, indicators for the midterms, redistricting, Dick...
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The Wreckening (with Paul Begala)
This week, Murphy and Heilemann were joined by the great and effervescent Hack, Paul Begala — veteran strategist and former counselor to President Clinton. The Hacks dive into Ballroomageddon, Trump’s not-so-subtle flirting with a third term, his military moves against Venezuela, Canada’s tariff...
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No Sleep Till City Hall (with Howard Wolfson)
This week, Axe and Murphy were joined by Bloomberg’s jack-of-all-trades Howard Wolfson. The Hacks took a bite out of the Big Apple with the New York mayor’s debate, checked in on the New Jersey and Virginia governor’s race cross tabs, dug into California’s Prop 50, unpacked the historic “No…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
When David Axelrod, Mike Murphy, and John Heilemann get together to talk politics, it’s not academic. They speak from the perspective gained through hundreds of campaigns for offices from City Hall to the White House. So if you want to know what’s really going on behind the scenes, where strategic decisions are being made, pull up a stool for Hacks on Tap. Incisive, sometimes uproarious and always entertaining, these political warhorses and their guests will give you insights you’ll only get from folks who have spent a lifetime in the political trenches of both parties.
From the Vox Media Podcast Network
HOSTED BY
Vox Media
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Hacks On Tap have?
Hacks On Tap currently has 396 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Hacks On Tap about?
When David Axelrod, Mike Murphy, and John Heilemann get together to talk politics, it’s not academic. They speak from the perspective gained through hundreds of campaigns for offices from City Hall to the White House. So if you want to know what’s really going on behind the scenes, where strategic...
How often does Hacks On Tap release new episodes?
Hacks On Tap publishes regularly with 396 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Hacks On Tap?
You can listen to Hacks On Tap on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Hacks On Tap?
Hacks On Tap is created and hosted by Vox Media.
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