Join Tara Setmayer - CNN Political Commentator, ABC News Political Contributor and former GOP communications director on Capitol Hill - for a common sense perspective on everything from news of the day and politics to culture and sports. Guests include newsmakers, entertainers, and provocateurs. Lau…
On the first Honestly Speaking with Tara episode of 2021, Tara delves into her thoughts on the deadly insurrection attack against the U.S. Capitol, the subsequent 2nd impeachment of Trump and the fallout from it all. She's joined by USC Prof. of Homeland Security, former FBI Agent, counterintelligence and homegrown extremism expert, Dr. Errol Southers to discuss the horrific security failures during the Capitol siege, the threat posed by right wing extremists heading into the inauguration of Joe Biden and more. Dr. Southers is also the Director of the SCI Homegrown Violent Extremism Studies Program at USC.
In the first podcast back since Joe Biden won the election, Tara discusses her reaction to the results, Trump's refusal to concede and why she decided to quit the GOP. She's joined by Stuart Stevens, veteran GOP consultant, author of "It Was All a Lie, How the Republican Party Became Donald Trump," and fellow Lincoln Project Senior Advisor. Also, former Michigan GOP Party Chair and Lincoln Project advisor, Jeff Timmer discusses the legally dubious attempts by Trump to overturn the election results in Detroit.
On the eve of the most consequential election in our lifetimes, George Conway joins the podcast for a conversation about what's at stake, why he chose to become a prolific anti-Trump voice and how he became an original co-founder of the Lincoln Project. George also shares a never told before story, about how a dinner with Javanka in 2018 was the final straw for him and why.Tara tells her early voting story and gives her take on what could happen on Election Day.
On this week's Honestly Speaking w/Tara, award winning Trump biographer Michael D'Antonio joins the podcast to discuss his latest book, "High Crimes; The Corruption, Impunity and Impeachment of Donald Trump," co-authored with veteran journalist Peter Eisner. "High Crimes" offers the most comprehensive inside story behind our most significant modern political drama: the House impeachment of Donald Trump. D'Antonio discusses the oversized role Rudy Giuliani has played in this mess, the Hunter Biden scandal, Trump's finances, erratic behavior and more. Tara takes on the state of the race, Trump's failed COVID response and the latest political news.
On this week's episode, guest David Shimer-Wilson Center Global Fellow, historian and author of "Rigged: America, Russia and 100 Years of Covert Electoral Interference," joins Tara to discuss the the full context of foreign and domestic interference attempts in the 2016 election, what's happening now and what we can do about it. Tara gives her take on the death of RBG, the first presidential debate and Trump's refusal to denounce violent white nationalist groups.
On this week's episode, former Dept. of Homeland Security Chief of Staff Miles Taylor joins Tara to discuss the variety of dangerously absurd, inhumane and illegal demands Trump made during his tenure at DHS, the concerns raised within Trump's own National Security staff about his unfitness for office, why it took so long for many former Trump officials like him to finally say enough is enough and much more. Tara takes on the latest political hot topics of the week.
The conventions are over. Now the real campaigning begins. Trump's doubling down on his dark messages of mayhem and lies to demagogue issues of law and order and undermine the upcoming election. Historian, NYU Professor and author of the forthcoming book "Strongmen: From Mussolini to the Present," Ruth Ben Ghiat joins Tara to discuss the ways Trump's behavior is straight out of the authoritarian playbook.Tara gives her take on the RNC, Kenosha, the Trump administrations continued effort to suppress intelligence about Russian election interference and more.
On this week's episode, Tara gives her take on the DNC Convention, the recent arrest of former Trump Campaign Manager Steve Bannon, and the release of the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee final report on Russian interference. Ret. Lt. Cmdr. Greg Keeley, Co-founder and President of The Council on American Security, joins Tara to discuss Trump's shameful non response to Russian bounties on US troops, why the attacks on the postal service hurt veterans, the significance of a National Guardsman's whistleblower testimony on the violent Lafayette Square clearing and much more.
On this week's episode, veteran Democratic Strategist, CNN Political Contributor and Author, Paul Begala joins Tara in a lively discussion about his newly released book, "You're Fired, The Perfect Guide to Beating Donald Trump." Great stories, great insight, great conversation. Find out why Tara calls Paul her favorite Democrat. Tara details her recent Twitter spat with the US Surgeon General, the Trump Axios interview and the ongoing Veepstakes.
Another chaotic week in Washington. Attorney General Bill Barr testified before the House Judiciary Committee for the first time and it was doozy. Former SDNY federal prosecutor and CNN Legal Analyst Elie Honig rejoins the podcast to breakdown the ups and downs of the raucous Barr hearing. He doesn't hold back!Tara takes on Trump's insane tweets that suggest delaying the election (he can't) to his support for a quack doctor who preaches demon sperm can impregnate women in their dreams. Not a joke. A must listen episode.
Every wonder what the hell Trump is doing during his infamous rallies? Jennifer Mercieca, Texas A&M Rhetoric Professor and author of the new book, "The Demagogue President. The Rhetorical Genius of Donald Trump," joins Tara to discuss the various techniques Trump deploys when speaking. Yes, there's actually a method to that madness!Tara takes on the ongoing debate around opening schools, the attacks on Dr. Fauci, the Trump campaign shake up and more.
On this week's episode, former Obama speech writer and NY Times best selling author, David Litt, joins the podcast to discuss his latest book, "Democracy in One Book or Less." Litt discusses his view on eliminating the Electoral College, solutions to voter suppression, anecdotes about crashing Mitch McConnell's frat house, compares lines at Disney World to voting, behind the scenes at the White House Correspondents Dinner with President Obama and more. Tara takes on Trump's Fourth of July Race baiting speeches, the politics of masks, Trump's disrespect of the military and other political hot topics.
In this week's episode we tackle the national discussion on systemic racism and police reform with Ret. NYPD Lt. Darrin Porcher. He spent 20 years with the NYPD, has a PhD and is currently a Professor of Criminal Justice at Pace University. Porcher gives his take on the recent police shooting of Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta from his perspective as a former Internal Affairs investigator and outlines his ideas for meaningful police reforms.Tara tackles the racial history of Juneteenth and Tulsa, OK and discusses the upcoming John Bolton book's explosive accusations against Trump.
American cities have been in turmoil for a week after protests erupted nationwide over the horrific killing of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis. Unfortunately, protests turned violent in dozens of cities. Trump's response has been despicable, fanning the flames and relishing in the use of brute force. Many warned that a Trump presidency would be a disaster. Did we ever think it would get this bad? Conservative author, VP and Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and columnist for The Atlantic, Peter Wehner joins Honestly Tara for a robust conversation on Republicans and race, the hypocrisy of the evangelical Trump supporters and the future of the Republican Party under Trump.Tara tackles the George Floyd protests, police misconduct and Trump's response.
Trump is at again. To distract from the increasing coronavirus death toll and the mounting evidence of his failed response, Trump has created a new shiny object. Obamagate. But what is it? And why now? Former federal prosecutor, LA Times legal columnist, constitutional law professor and Host of The Talking Feds Podcast, Harry Litman joins Tara to discuss the latest on the damage Bill Barr is doing to the Dept of Justice, the Flynn case, whistleblower Dr. Rick Bright and more. Tara breaks down whistleblower Dr. Rick Bright's damning congressional testimony and why Michael Flynn is guilty as sin and nobody's hero.
This week's episode includes two fantastic interviews.Despite increasing infection rates and a COVID-19 death toll on pace to hit 100,000 in a few weeks, Trump has pivoted to reopening the economy in hopes of saving his re-election. Former DHS official, CNN National Security Analyst and Harvard Professor Juliette Kayyem discusses the alarming failures of the Trump administration's response and why Trump's you're "one your own now" approach to the COVID-19 fight will cost lives.Want to know why Trump flew into a twitter rage at 1am over a campaign ad? Meet Reed Galen, a co-founder of the Lincoln Project whose recent "Mourning in America ad" is driving Trump crazy. Reed reacts to the Trump attacks, explains the origins of the ad and what the group is doing to defeat Trump in November.
As the US surpasses a million COVID-19 cases, including over 56,000 deaths, Trump insists his administration's coronavirus response has been fantastic. It hasn't. Starting with the country's insufficient testing capacity. Former Chief of Staff to Vice President Biden and Ebola Czar under President Obama, Ron Klain is this week's guest. Klain explains the importance of wide scale testing, what steps should be taken before reopening the country, what he learned from his experience as Obama's Ebola Response Coordinator in 2014 and much more. Tara takes on the week's hot political topics.
The Honestly Speaking with Tara podcast returns after a COVID 19 hiatus. CNN Senior Political Analyst and The Atlantic Senior Editor, Ron Brownstein is this week's guest. He discusses the pros and cons of mail-in balloting for the upcoming presidential election, which party does it help or hurt and insight into how absentee balloting could impact the six most important Electoral College states. Brownstein also devles into the politics of the pandemic in red vs blue states with less than encouraging trends for the Trump re-election effort. Tara talks about life in lockdown, Trump's daily coronavirus briefings and other political hot topics.
The Coronavirus has officially gone global with confirmed cases on every continent except Antartica. CDC officials have warned about potential community cluster outbreaks in the U.S. As the world is facing a pandemic, unsurprisingly, President Trump is downplaying the virus and claims his administration has it all under control. Does it? Can we trust this administration to handle a looming health crisis and be honest with the American people?Former CIA analyst, spokesman and member of the National Security Council under President Obama, Ned Price joins Honestly Speaking this episode to discuss the differences between how the Obama administration handled Ebola compared to the Trump administration's response to coronavirus. He also discusses the chaos inside the IC community with the recent appointment of Ric Grennell to be acting DNI.
Another extraordinary week in political news as the Senate Impeachment trial drama of Donald Trump ensued as new revelations from John Bolton's book manuscript claim Trump told him directly that Ukraine aid was tied to a Biden investigation. Despite the bombshell revelations, the GOP led Senate voted down new witness testimony. Joe Lockhart, Former Press Secretary during the Clinton impeachment, joins Tara to discuss his perspective as he relives a very different impeachment trial than what we saw in 1998-99.Tara discusses the tragic death of Kobe Bryant and other political hot topics.
The historic Senate Impeachment trial of Donald J. Trump is officially underway. CNN Legal Analyst and former federal & state prosecutor Elie Honig joins the podcast to talk impeachment trial thus far. Is this an actual trial? What about witnesses? What role does the Chief Justice play? What's going on with Lev Parnas and the SDNY? Honig breaks it all down in a spirited conversation with Tara.Tara starts off the first podcast of 2020 with her thoughts on the political hot topics of the week and reveals some news!
History was made this week when Donald Trump became only the third U.S. president in history to be impeached by the House of Representatives. This week's podcast guests include visiting Harvard Law professor Jennifer Taub to discuss the impeachment and Philip Bump, National Correspondent for the Washington Post, to discuss what the hell is Rudy Giuliani up to?Tara gives her take on impeachment and other political hot topics of the week.Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Everyone!
Presidential historian and former Director of the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, Tim Naftali joins the podcast to discuss the historical context and comparisons of the Trump impeachment process thus far. Is this worse than Watergate? Should the Mueller findings be included? How are Democrats handling impeachment proceedings? Naftali offers his take on these questions and much more. Naftali is also the co-author of "Impeachment: An American History."Tara gives her take on the latest political hot topics.
Lawmakers on the House Intelligence Committee wrapped up a marathon of public testimony, hearing from a dozen witnesses over the last two weeks in the ongoing impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. Several witnesses provided explosive details that seemingly outline a criminal conspiracy to extort Ukraine at the direction of the president. Have the Democrats made the case? Ryan Goodman, NYU Law Professor, former Dept of Defense Special Counsel and co-founder of JustSecurity.org , joins Tara with his legal analysis of the case against Trump thus far, who's in the most legal jeopardy and the efficacy of Trump's decision to pardon war criminals. Tara gives her take on the impact of the impeachment hearings and the latest democratic debate.
For only the fourth time in American history, impeachment hearings have begun. On this week's episode, congressional trailblazer Elizabeth Holtzman (D-NY) joins Tara to discuss her experience as a Judiciary Committee member during Watergate and the comparisons to Trump's impeachment hearings. Holtzman brings a candid, first hand, perspective to how Democrats and the Republicans should be handling Trump's abuse of power. She's also written several books including the "Case for Impeaching Trump."A self–proclaimed political outsider, Holtzman defeated a 50–year House veteran and powerful chairman to win a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives as the youngest female member of Congress at the time. During her four terms in the House, Holtzman earned national prominence during the Richard M. Nixon impeachment inquiry and as a cofounder of the Congressional Caucus on Women’s Issues. Tara gives her take on the opening impeachment hearings and discusses her trip to Montgomery, Alabama where she witnessed the historic swearing in of the first African American mayor of the city known as the "cradle of the Confederacy and the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement."
Impeachment inquiry transcripts aren't the only damning documents being released this week. Buzzfeed News Investigative Reporter Jason Leopold, joins Tara to discuss his successful efforts to use Freedom of Information Act lawsuits to obtain primary source documents and evidence used to create the Mueller Report and how he earned the nickname, the "FOIA Terrorist." The first cache is a treasure trove of information that sheds more light on the lengths the Trump campaign was willing to go to get dirt on Hillary Clinton and how it relates to the impeachment inquiry plaguing Trump now. Hint: Paul Manafort and his illicit work in Ukraine plays a role.Tara breaks down the latest on the impeachment inquiry and destroys the narrative that Trump's requests had anything to do with corruption in Ukraine.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently said, "All roads with you lead to Putin" when confronting President Trump over his erratic foreign policy decisions. How right she is. This week, information warfare and Eurasian policy expert Molly McKew joins Tara to discuss the extent of Putin's disinformation tactics against the United States and how Trump is playing right into Russia's hands. The level of infiltration and information manipulation by the Russians should alarm every American. A must listen episode.Tara takes on the latest on impeachment, the absurdity of the GOP's behavior and other political hot topics of the week.
The impeachment walls are closing in on Donald Trump. More credible witnesses have testified that a quid pro quo was in fact in place regarding Ukraine security aid and investigations into Trump's political rivals. Coupled with Trump's erratic, irresponsible behavior surrounding recent Middle East foreign policy debacles of his own creation, some Republicans have begun to speak out against Trump's actions. Have they had enough? Former Republican Congressman Charlie Dent (R-PA) joins Tara to discuss what he's hearing from his former Capitol Hill colleagues and share behind the scenes details of his disturbing interactions with Trump.Tara takes on the the political hot topics of the week and more.
Honestly Speaking was on the road this week for the CNN/NY Times Democratic debate in Westerville, OH. Politico 2020 campaign reporter, Marc Caputo joins Tara for a discussion on his debate takeaways and the state of the democratic race so far. He's on the Biden beat and is based in Florida, so Marc has valuable insight into the upcoming election. He also talks about his infamous confrontation with conservative talking head, Dan Bongino during the 2016 campaign that resulted in an epic Bongino meltdown, all caught on tape. Tara shares her experience in Ohio and debate analysis.
Donald Trump is talking an awful lot about rooting out corruption as his excuse for soliciting foreign countries like Ukraine and China to investigate his political rivals. Really? On this week's episode, CNN Senior Reporter and author of Kushner Inc., Vicky Ward joins Tara on the podcast to discuss the conflicts, corruption and greed of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump in the White House. Also on this episode, McKay Coppins from The Atlantic, joins the conversation about his October cover story, "Succession" detailing the rivalry between the Trump siblings over who will be the heir apparent to the Trump legacy. Tara takes on the litany of conflicts of interest, corruption and debunked conspiracies perpetuated by the Trump presidency.
Now that the whistleblower's complaint has been made public, along with the Ukraine call transcript, the details spell trouble for President Trump. Democrats have now opened up an official impeachment inquiry into Trump's abuse of power. His solicitation of foreign interference from Ukraine to hurt a political rival and the actions taken to that end has set the political world on fire. This week, retired CIA Clandestine Services Officer, John Sipher joins Honestly Speaking to discuss the impact Trump's actions have on national security. Is Trump a national security threat? How have the Russians weaponized information against us? What frustrates the intel community the most about Trump's attacks on them? Also, joining the podcast, former GOP House Oversight Committee spokesman Kurt Bardella discusses his decision to leave the Republican Party and his latest USA Today column calling out Trump's complaint of being treated unfairly and congressional republicans hypocrisy on oversight. Tara sets the record straight on the lies and misinformation being peddled by Trump, Giuliani and their lackeys regarding Ukraine, the whistleblower and the Bidens.
This week, former FBI Special Agent Josh Campbell joins Tara to discuss his new book, "Crossfire Hurricane, Inside Donald Trump's War on the FBI."But first, another week, another major scandal threatens Trump's presidency. As more information comes out about the intelligence community whistleblower's complaint against him, Trump and his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani are waging an all out disinformation campaign against political rival Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. Tara breaks down the facts about Trump, Giuliani, The Bidens and Ukraine.
After a hiatus, Honestly Speaking with Tara kicks off Season 2 with Politico's Chief Washington Correspondent Ryan Lizza. He discusses the Biden campaign's frustration with their media coverage, the role of "woke" twitter and the democratic field, and what it's like in the "spin room" after the latest democratic debate. Lizza also offers previously unknown details about his infamous 2017 late night interview with Anthony Scaramucci that ultimately led to his firing after only 10 days as White House Communications Director.Tara is back with her tell it like it is commentary on the political hot topics of the week. This episode she gives her take on the Biden attacks, Trump's rage tweeting and the national security threats facing the country as Trump's incompetence as POTUS is on full display.
This week, Tara talks all things Russian interference with Michael Weiss, Senior Fellow, Institute for Strategic Dialogue, NY Times best selling author and Daily Beast Columnist. In a robust conversation, Weiss explains the grave threat the Russians active measures operations pose to not only American democracy, but Europe as well. He breaks down the newly released Senate Intelligence Committee report on Russia's attack on our elections and takes on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's refusal to take up election security bills in the Senate. Are we ready for 2020? Has Trump really been tough on Russia? What about Wikileaks? What's Putin's endgame? This is an episode you don't want to miss.Tara gives her take on the Mueller hearings, Trump's latest attacks on Rep. Elijah Cummings and other political hot topics.
The feud between Trump and "The Squad" has escalated. From nativist chants of "Send her back!" to racist rationalizations, the saga continues. This week David Swerdlick, an assistant editor at the Washington Post and CNN Political Analyst, joins Tara to discuss the impact of the Trump's latest display of racism toward the four freshman congresswomen of color, his continued ignorance of complex foreign policy issues and a preview of the much anticipated Mueller testimony.Tara takes on the political hot topics of the week.
On this week's episode, Tara engages in a spirited discussion with special guest Joe Walsh (R-IL) former Illinois Congressman and host of the syndicated Joe Walsh Radio Show, about his thoughts on Trump's presidency and why he would never vote for him again. What made him finally dump Trump? Walsh calls out several Republicans by name for their acquiescence to Trump and gives his opinion on the best ticket to defeat Trump in 2020.Tara takes on Trump's racist "go back to your country" tweets aimed at four duly elected American congresswomen and other hot political topics.
Back in 2007, billionaire financier, acquaintance of both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton and child sexual predator, Jeffrey Epstein received one of the most unorthodox plea deals after an investigation found he was running a sex ring with teenage girls, some as young as 14, out of his Palm Beach, FL mansion. He served only 13 months in a county jail, which amounted to a slap on the wrist after federal charges were thrown out in exchange for two lesser state charges. Why? Fast forward to July 2019. Epstein was arrested coming off his private jet in New Jersey and charged with child sex trafficking by the vaunted Southern District of New York. Why did this happen now? Is justice finally going to be served?How difficult are sex crimes cases to prosecute? Does double jeopardy apply? What happened with the original plea deal?Former SDNY federal prosecutor and MSNBC Legal Analyst, Mimi Rocah, joins Tara to breakdown the case. She also gives her take on the highly anticipated Robert Mueller congressional testimony next week.Tara offers more details about the tangled web of Jeffrey Epstein, the Russian Mob, Trump and more political hot topics of the week.
Trump was recently overseas for the G-20 and a surprise summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. What did he actually accomplish, if anything? Are we safer now than when Trump first took office? What the hell was Ivanka doing over there? On this week's episode, Washington Post columnist, CNN Global Affairs Analyst and author of "The Road Not Taken, The American Tragedy in Vietnam" and "The Corrosion of Conservatism," Max Boot joins Tara to discuss the latest on Trump's foreign policy debacles and the fallout from the first Democratic primary debate.Tara giver her take on the Biden/Harris debate controversy and sounds off about Trump's upcoming "Salute to America" July 4th event.
Pulitzer Prize winning investigative journalist David Cay Johnston joins Tara this week in an explosive conversation about the tangled financial improprieties of Donald Trump and people he's associated with over the last three decades. Is Trump a tax cheat? Who is Felix Sater? How entangled are Trump's business's with Russian money? David reveals what he's uncovered over the years covering Trump. He also discusses his latest multi-part report on "The Koch Papers" focusing on questionable financial dealings of William Koch, brother of billionaires Charles and David Koch. David founded the online journal DCReport.org and is the author of seven books including "The Making of Donald Trump" and "It's Worse Than You Think; What the Trump Administration is Doing to America."Tara takes on the latest political hot topics.
This week, Jim Acosta-CNN Chief White House Correspondent and author of, "Enemy of the People, A Dangerous Time to Tell The Truth in America," joins Tara to discuss his new book and what inspired him to write it. Acosta shares anecdotes about his reporting experiences fighting for the truth in the era of Trump from his thoughts on the White House Press Secretary to threats against the media to the time the White House revoked his press credentials and much more. Tara breaks down Trump's recent alarming interview with ABC News, Kellyanne Conway's Hatch Act violations, Sarah Sanders departure and other political hot topics of the week.
This week, Daily Beast Political Reporter, Betsy Woodruff joins Tara to discuss the latest turmoil unfolding within the NRA. Lawsuits, accusations of financial impropriety and alleged "coup" attempts have embroiled the nations largest gun rights organization.What role have the Russians played within the organization? Woodruff details what's happening with the NRA and how it all started. Tara breaks down the Mexican tariff deal, Biden's flip flop on the Hyde Amendment, the John Dean hearing and more political news of the week.
True to form, President Trump created controversy before he even stepped foot in the U.K this week for his official state visit with the Royal family. From insulting the Mayor of London to disrespecting Princess Meghan to accusing Britain of "spying" on his campaign, is Trump jeopardizing our "special relationship" with our oldest and most important ally? Former Obama National Security Council Senior Staffer, Biden Institute Senior Advisor and CNN National Security Analyst, Sam Vinograd joins Tara to discuss the implications of Trump's visit to the U.K. and France for the upcoming 75th Anniversary of D-Day. As the daughter of a holocaust survivor, Sam shares her perspective on the importance of D-Day and breaks down the significance of the rise of European nationalism eerily reminiscent of the forces we fought against in WWII. Sam also shares her thoughts on why Jared Kushner's disastrous Axios interview is further proof he isn't qualified to have a security clearance or a job in the White House.Tara recaps big political stories from the last two weeks including Robert Mueller's surprise press conference and discusses her recent appearance as a guest host on The View alongside the legendary Whoopi Goldberg.
As the legal battles over congressional oversight and subpoenas heat up, President Trump is becoming increasingly more defiant as he pushes constitutional boundaries daily. In this week's double episode, Tara brings on two legal experts to discuss the current state of play. First up, Tara welcomes back CNN Legal Analyst and former federal prosecutor Elie Honig to explain why he now thinks Attorney General Bill Barr has disgraced himself, how the Democrats are mishandling the Mueller Report , what Congress can do to enforce their subpoenas and much more.With the recent news of Trump considering pardons for servicemen accused of war crimes, Tara talks to Glenn Kirschner, a former 30 year federal prosecutor, former Army JAG Officer and NBC/MSNBC Legal Analyst. He passionately explains why Trump's actions would be an insult to every man and woman who have served our country with honor and the seriousness of charging a fellow soldier. They also discuss the latest report on Deutsche Bank's alleged suppression of suspicious financial transactions involving Trump's companies, Jared Kushner and Russians.Tara gives her take on Republican Rep. Justin Amash breaking ranks after fully reading the Mueller Report and supporting a case for impeachment. And with Memorial Day upon us, Tara honors her late grandfather, a WWII Veteran, and explains the significance and origin of red poppies honoring the fallen.
As the trade war with China heats up, President Trump is trying to convince Americans that it's actually a good thing. It's not. This week, Tara discusses the consequences of Trump's tariff increases, his recent twitter rants and the latest in the ongoing Mueller Report saga. She also talks about her recent appearance as a guest host of The View.This week, Greg Sargent, writer of the Washington Post's The Plum Line blog, joins Tara to talk the dangers of Trump's disinformation campaign surrounding his economic policies, his attempts to manipulate the Mueller Report, the 2020 Democrats and more. Are Trump's lies working? Does Elizabeth Warren stand a chance? What did George Conway recently discuss with Greg? Listen and find out!Greg is also the author of "Uncivil War: Democracy In an Age of Trumpian Disinformation and Thunderdome Politics."
This week, Tara discusses the continued fallout from AG Bill Barr's Senate testimony, his continued misrepresentation of the Mueller Report and the rebuke of Barr's interpretations by over 370 former federal prosecutors who say Trump would be indicted hands down, if not for the OLC policy protecting him as president. Despite President Trump's insistence on "No Collusion" with Russia, Vol 1 of the Mueller Report outlines a very damning picture of Russian election interference and the Trump campaign's willingness to benefit from it. National Security Analyst, Russian expert and author of "The Death of Expertise," Professor Tom Nichols joins Tara to explain the implications of Russia's meddling, Trump's recent call with Vladimir Putin and why this all poses a threat to our republic.Fun Fact, Tom is a 5x Jeopardy champ! He talks behind the scenes tid bits and weighs in on current Jeopardy champ phenom, James Holzhauer and whether his high stakes play is good for the show.
Former Vice President Joe Biden has officially entered the 2020 presidential race. Tara gives her thoughts on Biden, his announcement, Trump rehashing the Charlottesville incident, and more. This week's episode then switches gears a bit to pop culture with special guest, the talented comedic actress Yvette Nicole Brown. She's best known for her role as Shirley Bennett on NBC's cult classic sitcom Community and currently guest stars on the hit CBS show Mom. Over her 20 year career in Hollywood, Yvette has appeared in numerous commercials and TV sitcoms like The Office, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Mayor, Drake & Josh and guest appearances in movies like Dreamgirls, Tropic Thunder and most recently, Avengers: Endgame, to name a few. Yvette discusses the ups and downs during her journey as a black actress in Hollywood to what it's like to work with legendary actors in the business to her prolific twitter feed and hilarious nickname for President Trump. Her wit, wisdom and inspirational story are a must listen!
The Mueller Report is finally here! Trump World is claiming No Collusion, No Obstruction! But that's NOT what the Mueller Report revealed. The report specifically says Trump was not exonerated of obstruction and "collusion" isn't a legal term. Did Mueller actually lay out a roadmap for impeachment? Tara discusses damning details in the Mueller Report along with the extent of the Russian election meddling and coziness between the Russians and the Trump Campaign that should alarm every every American. Former FBI Counterintelligence Special Agent, Yale Law School Lecturer and CNN National Security Analyst, Asha Rangappa joins the podcast to break it all down.
It's the report the world has been waiting for! With the redacted Mueller Report being released this week, Tara talks to MSNBC Contributor and Politico national security correspondent, Natasha Bertrand about the questions she hopes are answered by the report, the toll Trump's attacks on the intel community have taken, interesting insider tidbits about Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein's reaction after the Comey firing and more! Remember the Russian agent who infiltrated the NRA, Maria Butina? We talk about her too. Before joining Politico, Natasha covered the Trump-Russia investigation and foreign intelligence issues for The Atlantic.Tara also discusses the controversy over Trump's tax returns, his rage tweeting and the latest border controversy.
With more chaos ensuing along the southern border, President Trump has threatened to shut it all down and deny foreign aid to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Is that the answer? This week Tara explores the implications of Trump's latest border threats with Dr. Ryan Berg, an American Enterprise Institute scholar and expert in Latin American Affairs, narco trafficking, transnational organized crime and security.
Tara talks with two legal experts about the Barr summary of the Mueller Report, whether it fully exonerates Trump, what we still need to find out and the importance of releasing the Mueller Report in its entirety to the public. Elie Honig, is a former prosecutor for the Southern District of New York, Rutgers Univerity Scholar & CNN Legal Analyst. Mimi Rocah is currently Pace Law's Distinguished Fellow in Criminal Justice, an MSNBC Legal Analyst also worked as a federal prosecutor with the storied SDNY for 16 years.