Pod Save America

Norm Eisen, President Obama's "ethics czar" and founder of Democracy Defenders, talks to Alex Wagner about Trump's latest avalanche of corruption: the $1.8 billion slush fund to pay off Jan. 6 rioters, the IRS immunity announcement, the ballroom, the reflecting pool renovation, the 3,000-plus stock trades placed while in office, and, unfortunately, much more. Together, they unpack how Democrats in Congress — or lawyers outside of it — could stop Trump's slush fund, and what impact this onslaught of self-enrichment, cronyism, and taxpayer abuse may have on the midterm elections.

So much for Trump's iron grip on the party. Just days after Thomas Massie's defeat, Republicans in the Senate and House begin to buck Trump on his top priorities: ballroom funding, the taxpayer-funded slush fund for his allies, and the war in Iran. Could it be that his surprise endorsement of Ken Paxton over John Cornyn in the Texas Senate primary didn't help matters? Faced with mounting leaks, the DNC finally releases its 2024 autopsy — an incoherent, error-riddled mess that Chairman Ken Martin admits was a failure from the start. The New York Times releases new polling data on what Democrats think the party needs to do to win in 2028. Then, California gubernatorial candidate Matt Mahan talks to Tommy about the race and his record as mayor of San Jose.

Trump's DOJ launches a $1.7 billion fund to make payments to his allies, as Democrats revive the debate about whether to make Trump's declining fitness—even his increasingly discolored hands—a campaign issue. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy weigh the pros and cons and react the rest of the news, including Trump taking revenge on Bill Cassidy and Thomas Massie, his new plotting against Cuba and Greenland, and the latest on negotiations with Iran.

David Axelrod joins Dan to discuss the Democratic Party's best messengers and its likely 2028 contenders. Together, they break down standout moments from some of the party's rising voices, examine what it'll take for Democrats to win the House despite new gerrymandered maps, and walk through some of this year's most important Senate races.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

Republicans attempt to defend President Trump's admission that he does not "think about Americans' financial situations," while his Department of Justice is on the verge of giving him billions of taxpayer dollars to settle the lawsuit he brought against his own IRS. Jon and Dan react to the president's financial priorities and then turn to Democratic strategy, including how they should be talking about the administration's corruption, how they're fighting back against Republican gerrymandering, and the latest on the DNC's refusal to release its 2024 autopsy.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivers a blistering response to Jeff Bezos's Washington Post after the editorial board attacks her for criticizing billionaires. Jon, Tommy, and Lovett mull what an AOC 2028 campaign could look like and discuss the latest news, including President Trump rejecting an Iranian counterproposal that could end the war, his proposal to make Venezuela the 51st state, and his upcoming trip to China, which will now include his billionaire buddies Elon Musk and Tim Cook. Then, they react to the Virginia Supreme Court's decision to throw out the state's voter-approved congressional maps, debate how much the GOP's new redistricting advantage will actually be worth in November, and preview Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's pivot back to reality TV.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.