The Fly
by Georgetown's Institute of Politics and Public Service
Your weekly window into how the most impactful moments in politics unfold. From the Oval Office to the Clinton campaign war room to the hallowed halls of Congress to Maryland's Governor's Mansion, we bring you inside the rooms where the biggest decisions are made. Hosted by a couple of college kids still trying to learn how things get done in this complicated yet beautiful world of American politics.
Episodes
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James Walkinshaw, Congressman from Virginia’s 11th district, "To do this kind of work, you have to do it with every fiber of your being.”
In this interview, Chloe and Chase sit down with Congressman James Walkinshaw of Virginia’s 11th District to discuss the upcoming midterm elections and Democrats’ priorities. They talk about the Trump administration’s record on inflation, rising costs, and the war with Iran—and what Democrats…
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Francis Suarez, Former Mayor of Miami, "Be Part of the Solution."
In this episode of the Fly, Sarah sits down with Former Mayor of Miami, FL, Francis Suarez. Suarez served as the 43rd Mayor of Miami and helped position Miami as a global hub for technology, finance, and innovation. He also served as the President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and is currently…
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James Walkinshaw, Congressman from Virginia’s 11th district, "To do this kind of work, you have to do it with every fiber of your being."
On this episode of The Fly, hosts Chase and Chloe sit down with Congressman James Walkinshaw of Virginia’s 11th Congressional District to discuss the political landscape ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Walkinshaw shares his perspective on Democratic priorities, the war in Iran and its…
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A Mayor Roundtable Discussion: The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act
In this episode of The Fly, Sarah and Chase bring together Mayor Aftab Pureval of Cincinnati, Mayor Arunan Arulampalam of Hartford, and Mayor Andrew Ginther of Columbus to discuss the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act and the challenges of expanding affordable housing. Mayor Pureval has focused on...
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Hudson Munoz, Executive Director of Guns Down America, "The firearms industry is a common denominator."
In this episode of The Fly, David and Olivia sit down with Hudson Munoz, executive director of Guns Down America, to discuss how corporate accountability can help address gun violence. He explains the firearms industry’s influence, ways to bridge cultural divides around gun ownership, and why...
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Sabrina Singh, Former Deputy Press Secretary for VP Harris, "Their obligation is not to an entity or to a person; it’s to the people.”
Join Kennedy and Sarah as they sit down with the first GU Politics fellow of the semester: Sabrina Singh! Sabrina walks us through how an internship in Senator Barbara Boxer’s office during the 2009 recession unexpectedly launched a career at the center of American politics and national security....
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Alex Freedman, D.C. Senior Community Planner, "It is a transformational project"
In this episode, Chloe and Kennedy interview Alex within the RFK Campus Master Plan public comment period, regarding the stadium construction set to begin in 2027. The economic impact is groundbreaking: 2,000 permanent jobs, 14,000 construction jobs, new affordable housing, restaurants, parks…
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John Leganski, Former Deputy Chief of Staff, "Turns out there’s not much to do for the Jokers when Batman is gone."
The Fly sat down with John Leganski, former Deputy Chief of Staff and the youngest floor director in House history. His deep understanding of the policymaking process has launched Leganski's book to the bestseller list. Leganski is also the first Republican aide to serve on the floor team for…
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Tiffany Muller, President of End Citizens United, "There’s a lot that could be done with a single vote of Congress."
Welcome back to The Fly for a special episode with Tiffany Muller, the President of End Citizens United and Let America Vote. Named one of the Most Influential People in Washington, Tiffany transformed End Citizens United into a national organization with more than 4 million members. She's an...
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Mehdi Hasan, Founder of Zeteo, "Telling people what they want to hear is not journalism."
Award-winning journalist and Zateo founder Mehdi Hasan joins us on The Fly to discuss his transition from corporate media giants like MSNBC to the "fascinating, dynamic" world of independent, subscriber-funded journalism. Hasan offers a candid critique of mainstream media "groupthink" and…
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Liz Shuler, President of the AFL-CIO, "The labor movement can be both a shield and a megaphone."
We are flying back in with a special guest! Our flies Kennedy and Aniya sit down with AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler as she discusses her journey from a young activist to becoming the first female leader of the federation. She highlights the stark differences between the Biden and Trump...
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Aaron Bennett, Co-Founder of The Fly, "Relationships are the coin of the realm."
Aaron Bennett discusses the founding of the show and the importance of relationship building in Washington, D.C., noting how his own career trajectory was shaped by connections made at the Institute of Politics and Public Service. As a professional speechwriter for high-profile figures like Nancy...
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Richard Walters, Former RNC Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor, "Elections come down to pocketbook issues."
Sit down with Richard Walters to hear about the Republican Party's strategy heading into the 2026 midterm elections, why affordability and "pocketbook issues" remain the top priority for voters, and where the GOP lands with tax cuts, housing, and healthcare. The conversation also dives into the...
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Jon Tester, Former U.S. Senator (D-MT), "Authenticity beats the slick politician every time."
Former Montana Senator Jon Tester joins us to talk about his journey from small‑town school board member to the U.S. Senate — and back to his family farm. He shares hard-earned lessons on public service, building trust across the aisle, and why authenticity beats “slick” politics every time. We...
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Norah O'Donnell, CBS News Senior News Correspondent, "If you capture someone’s heart, you capture their mind."
Welcome back to another episode with Nora O'Donnell, a Georgetown alumn and award-winning journalist! This episode features O'Donnell's experiences covering significant events like 9/11 and the October 7 attacks, and her 60 Minutes Interview with President Donald Trump. Tune in to hear more about...
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Stephen Martinko, TikTok's Global Head of Product Public Policy, "There aren’t Republican bridges or Democratic roads"
Stephen Martinko, TikTok's Global Head of Product Public Policy, "There aren’t Republican bridges or Democratic roads" by Georgetown's Institute of Politics and Public Service
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Monica Popp, Former Chief of Staff to Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), "In this town, integrity is everything.”
Monica Popp, Former Chief of Staff to Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), "In this town, integrity is everything.” by Georgetown's Institute of Politics and Public Service
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Greg Landsman, Ohio United States Representative, 'You’ve got to kick in doors and overturn tables"
Welcome to our President’s Day special episode with guest Representative Greg Landsman! Will and Bode had the chance to talk with the Ohio Representative to hear about how he flipped a swing seat, his time in Congress so far, and his plan for an “American comeback”. Listen to our latest episode…
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Alsu Kurmasheva, Former Political Prisoner, "Sometimes in prison, the only thing I could control was my breath."
This week, fly to Radio Free Europe's Headquarters in Prague to sit down with Sarah Sverdlov as she interviews Alsu Kurmasheva, a journalist who served nearly nine months in a Russian prison. Kurmasheva was imprisoned for her work, including a book titled "Saying No to War," which documented...
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Ankit Jain, D.C. Shadow Senator, "We fought a revolution to prevent this”
Our latest episode is with Ankit Jain! Elected in 2024, Ankit Jain has served as the Shadow Senator for the District of Columbia and has stayed committed to advocating for statehood and expanding voting rights for DC. Before entering politics, Jain worked as a voting rights attorney and founded...
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Former Senator Laphonza Butler, "I'm Open to Every Opportunity"
Welcome back to another episode of the Fly on the Wall! Today, we welcome Former Senator Laphonza Butler on the podcast! Laphonza Butler is a former senator representing California, who Governor Gavin Newsom appointed to replace the late Senator Dianne Feinstein after her death in 2023. Born in...
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Jamelle Bouie, NYT Opinion Columnist, "The Constitution is Living"
Tune in to this week’s episode with a fellow podcaster, Jamelle Bouie! Co-host of his own podcast, Unclear and Present Danger, and columnist for the New York Times, Jamelle Bouie, provides perspective on history and politics. Before joining the Times, Bouie began his career at The American…
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Ambassador Mark Green, "I Don't Do Wish Projection"
Welcome back, flies! We hope you had a spook-tacular halloween 👻 🎃 This week we sat down with Mark Green, the former Ambassador to Tanzania. Green’s career has been nothing short of extraordinary. Green began his political career as a congressman for Wisconsin’s 8th congressional district…
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Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA), "The Slow Walk Into an Authoritarian Government is Absolutely Happening"
Hi Flies, welcome back to Episode 5 of Season 18! On this episode, we have Congressman Adam Smith, a democrat from Washington state’s 9th district on the podcast. Representative Smith recently spoke at an event hosted by Georgetown’s Initiative for U.S-China dialogue, and discussed the U.S/China...
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Amy Howe, Author of SCOTUSblog, "The 64,000 Question"
Get ready for Episode 4 of Season 18! 🪰🪰 Listen to Georgetown University 2025 Fall Fellow Amy Howe! Amy Howe is an accomplished journalist and legal analyst, best known for her work SCOTUSblog. She is the co-founder of SCOTUSblog, where she helps break down complex Supreme Court decisions and…
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Rob Flaherty, Deputy Campaign Manager, Joe Biden 2024, "You Don't get a Trophy for Cutting the Margins"
Welcome back to the Fly for our third episode of Season 18! Rob Flaherty is a Georgetown University Fall 2025 Fellow who is a leading political strategist. He previously served as Former Assistant to President Joe Biden, as well as his Director of Digital Strategy. When President Biden exited the...
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Jamaal Bowman, Former U.S. Representative, "Imagine a Better World"
There is a big buzz in that air for Episode 2 of Season 18! Jamaal Bowman, former middle school principal turned US Representative for New York’s 16th Congressional District joined us for a special episode on activism. Before entering politics, Bowman founded Cornerstone Academy for Social…
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Trace Gallagher, Fox News @ Night Anchor, "When You Have Credibility, It's Everything"
Welcome back, Flies! For the first episode of Season 18, we met with a special guest: FOX News original Trace Gallagher! Gallagher has been a member of FOX News since its creation in 1996. Gallagher is an anchor and Chief Breaking News Correspondent for “FOX News @ Night,” where approximately 1.5...
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Don Graves, Former Dep. Sec. of Commerce, "We Have the Most Effective Government in the World"
Welcome back flies!! It’s the end of another great semester here at Georgetown which means it’s the season finale of The Fly! What a better way to end the season than with GU Politics Fellow Don Graves! Graves served as the 19th Deputy Secretary of Commerce under the Biden-Harris Administration...
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Heather Nauert, Former State Department Spokesperson: "Newscasters Are At Their Best in a Crisis"
Hi Flies! Welcome back to a brand new episode! It’s finals season here at Georgetown, but that doesn’t mean we can’t give you a great new episode! This week, Abigail and Julian sat down with Heather Nauert, a Spring 2025 GU Politics Fellow. Nauert is a journalist and former spokesperson for the...
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Quentin Fulks, Principal Deputy Campaign Manager, Biden/Harris & Harris/Walz, "The Landscape is Changing"
Have you heard the buzz? We’re back with a brand new episode! This week, Chloe and Sarah sat down with one of the foremost American campaign managers and political strategists, Quentin Fulks! Quentin has played an instrumental role in the Democratic Party. He served as Principal Deputy Campaign...
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Tony Fabrizio, Chief Pollster, Donald Trump for President: 'Nothing Works Better Than a Candidate's Own Words'
Hello flies!! Welcome back to a brand new episode!! It’s cherry blossom season in D.C, and time for another great episode with an all-star guest!! This week, Kenneth and Julian sat down with Tony Fabrizio, a Spring 2025 GU Politics Fellow! Fabrizio was the Chief Pollster for Donald Trump for...
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Cecilia Kang, NYT Technology Correspondent: 'Color, Color Color! Show, Don't Tell.'
Happy St. Patrick’s Day flies! Buzzing in with a brand new episode, just as lucky as a pot of gold ☘️Join Abigail and Chloe as they sit down with Cecilia Kang, an award-winning Technology Correspondent at The New York Times, with unique expertise in the intersection of technology and public…
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Meg Kinnard, AP National Politics Reporter: 'When We Cover Politics, We Leave Ourselves at the Door'
Hello flies! Welcome back to a brand new season of The Fly! We are so excited to kick start this season with a very special guest, Meg Kinnard! Meg is a national politics reporter with a 20 year career at The Associated Press. She anchored the first-ever general election livestream coverage for…
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Sen. Laphonza Butler: "The union taught me advocacy"
Welcome back flies! This week we are buzzing back in with a special edition episode featuring California’s outgoing senator Laphonza Butler! Reporting from the Hart Building of the Senate Office, sit down with Will and Sarah as they dive into Butler’s expansive political journey- growing up in...
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2024 Election Special Pt 3 ft. Rick Wiley, Sarah Mucha, Reed Howard, and Liam Richichi
In the final episode of The Fly's Post-Election Analysis Special, Andrea Smith brings together a diverse set of voices to unpack the results of this year’s election. With a deep dive into what led to the GOP's red wave, Andrea first sits down with Rick Wiley, a seasoned Republican strategist who...
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Ashley Gunn: “We are more alike than we are different”
Today we are buzzing back in with GU politics fellow Ashley Gunn! Gunn has not only served as a special assistant to the president, the senior director of cabinet affairs for Donald Trump’s administration, but she had worked the behind the scenes of every republican convention since 1991. Tune in...
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2024 Election Special Pt 2 ft. Symone Sanders-Townsend
We are incredibly honored to bring to you a very special, 2-part episode. Today, all across the country, Americans are voting in one of the most consequential and unique elections in American history. From the near assassination of Former President Donald Trump to President Biden passing the…
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2024 Election Special (Part 1) - ft. Sarah Mucha and Reed Howard
In part one of our election special, Senior Fly Andrea Smith sits down with former CNN embed Sarah Mucha and Reed Howard, Chief Public Affairs Officer for The Future Caucus. Together, they dive into the fascinating world of swing state voters, focusing on groups like Nikki Haley supporters in...
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Mary Beth Tinker: "History will look back and wonder, what did you do?"
NEW week, NEW episode! 🪰This week, we sat down with the acclaimed American free speech activist Mary Beth Tinker! Tinker is renowned in classrooms and courtrooms alike for her role in the 1969 Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines, which solidified students’ right to free speech. In this...
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Rick Wiley: "With time, you just keep moving"
Welcome back to The Fly! There’s no better way to kick off Season 16 than with Rick Wiley, a seasoned GOP political strategist and Spring 2024 GU Politics Fellow. Rick has worked behind the scenes of some of the most high-profile political campaigns in the U.S., most notably as the National...
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Dr. Anthony Fauci: "We could see the tsunami in the distance"
Welcome back to the Fly! There is no better way to end the season than with Dr. Fauci. As leader of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for 38 years, he has been on the frontline of nearly every major disease since the 1980s. His research and dedication have helped save tens...
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Allegra Kirkland and Waleed Shahid: “Don’t count out the youth vote”
Welcome back, flies! We have a very special episode this week, because we have not one but two guests!! First, we sat down with Waleed Shahid, a Senior Democratic Strategist and former Spokesperson for Justice Democrats, about the future of the Democratic party, including "The Squad." Next, we…
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Laura Barrón-López: “Reporting the truth is not always going to make people happy”
This week flies sat down with the PBS NewsHour White House Correspondent and CNN Analyst Laura Barrón-López. Laura is a rising star in journalism who knew she wanted to be a journalist since she was 12. She began in local journalism in California early in her college career and, after graduation,...
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Dan Lamothe, Pentagon Correspondent: “There is always a deeper story worth telling”
Buzz buzz… sit down with fellow flies Kenneth and Sarah to listen to an engaging conversation with Pentagon Correspondent and the Washington Post’s National Security writer Dan Lamothe. In this episode, Dan discusses how he made his foray into the world of journalism, starting with local…
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Val Demings, Former US Representative: "Out of the ashes, I do believe good things can evolve"
We are zooming in with another incredible interview! Val Demings is a profile in public service. Demings was Orlando’s first woman Chief of Police and served as the Congresswoman for FL-10, where she was a house impeachment manager for Donald Trump’s first impeachment and was there that day on...
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Machalagh Carr, Speaker McCarthy's Chief of Staff: "It was the ride of a lifetime"
Welcome back to another incredible episode. This week, Flys sat down with Machalagh Carr, former Chief of Staff to Kevin McCarthy. Carr is an experienced legal counselor who served as General Counsel for the Speaker and office of the Republican Leader. Additionally, she has held numerous roles...
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Deanne Millison, Former Chief Economic Advisor: “It’s a Patience Game”
Welcome back! Here to start off our season: Chase and Sarah joined our very first fellow, Deanne Millison! They had a lively conversation about Deanne’s experience starting off in law school and transitioning into the political sphere. Hear more about Millison’s roles as the Chief Economic…
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Brad Raffensperger, GA Secretary of State: "There's Something True about Southern Hospitality"
Hello Flies, and welcome back! It's a new year and time for a new season of The Fly! We have an exciting roundup of Fellows and guests this season and can't wait to get started. For our very first episode, Chase and Julian sat down with Brad Raffensperger, the Georgia Secretary of State. They had…
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Brenda Gianiny, President of Axis Research Inc.: "Voters Want Another Choice"
Hello flies! We’re buzzing into Thanksgiving break with a brand new episode! This week flies interviewed Brenda Gianiny, President of Axis Research Inc. and a Republican pollster for notable Republicans such as Liz Cheney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mitch McConnell, Bush-Cheney 04, and more! We…
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About this show
Your weekly window into how the most impactful moments in politics unfold. From the Oval Office to the Clinton campaign war room to the hallowed halls of Congress to Maryland's Governor's Mansion, we bring you inside the rooms where the biggest decisions are made. Hosted by a couple of college kids still trying to learn how things get done in this complicated yet beautiful world of American politics.
Hosted by
Georgetown's Institute of Politics and Public Service
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