Pod Save America

House Democrats get ahold of the infamous birthday letter Trump sent to Jeffrey Epstein and release it to the public. Turns out it's more disturbing than we imagined. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy react to the doodle and talk through the week's latest, including the administration renaming the Department of Defense the Department of War, a massive ICE raid on a Hyundai plant in Georgia, and the emerging debate over whether Democrats should shut the government down when funding expires at the end of the month. Then, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic candidate for governor in New Jersey, stops by the studio to talk to Tommy about reversing the inroads Trump made in the state in 2024—and why New Jerseyans are weird about pumping their own gas. Get tickets to CROOKED CON November 6-7 in Washington, D.C at http://crookedcon.com

It can feel like all is lost under Trump 2.0, but America has faced extremely dark chapters before and come out on the other side. Heather Cox Richardson—professor, historian and author of the most-read newsletter on Substack, Letters from an American—joins the show to share her long-view approach for this shortsighted era. She walks Dan through the biggest challenges to American democracy throughout history, how she believes we got to this MAGA moment, and what fuels her optimism about the future of the country.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. Get tickets to CROOKED CON November 6-7 in Washington, D.C at http://crookedcon.com

The internet enjoys a brief freakout about the possibility that Trump might be dead. (He isn't.) Senators from both parties press RFK Jr. on his dismantling of the CDC and his accelerating war on vaccines. Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein hold a press conference on Capitol Hill to announce that they plan to release a list of Epstein's clients. Jon and Dan discuss the latest news and trace the through-line of Trump's authoritarian impulse from his attack on a Venezuelan speedboat to his renewed threats to strip Rosie O'Donnell of her citizenship. Then, Strict Scrutiny's Leah Litman joins Jon to talk about how the Trump administration might respond to a recent string of defeats in federal court.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. Get tickets to CROOKED CON November 6-7 in Washington, D.C at http://crookedcon.com

Pod Save America hits 1,000 episodes, and to celebrate, Favreau, Lovett, Tommy, and Dan sit down in studio to answer your questions. Among them: Why is JD Vance so grating? Should more Democrats take Newsom's lead on social media? And who would you rather be trapped in an under-sea habitat with—Don Jr., Stephen Miller, or Marjorie Taylor Greene? Plus, ranking the media platforms that matter in a preview of our subscription-only show: Inside 2025.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. Get tickets to CROOKED CON November 6-7 in Washington, D.C at http://crookedcon.com

Donald Trump and RFK Jr. team up to fire the CDC director after she voices concerns over Kennedy's dangerous policies—including his announcement that the FDA will limit access to this year's COVID vaccines and his promise to release a report on the "causes" of autism. Dan and Jon sort through the dismantling of America's gold-standard research apparatus and check in on the craziest comments from Trump's three-hour cabinet meeting. Then they discuss the latest polling on Trump's D.C. deployment, what happened a the DNC's summer meeting, and Charlie Kirk's unsolicited advice for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Get tickets to CROOKED CON November 6-7 in Washington, D.C at http://crookedcon.com

Trump's FBI raids the home of John Bolton—the former first-term Trump advisor turned vocal critic—as the President escalates his use of state power to target and threaten anyone who's criticized him, most recently Chris Christie, Wes Moore, ABC News, and NBC News. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy react to those threats and all of this week's fascist horrors, including the arming of the National Guard in D.C., the administration's pending deployment of troops to Chicago, and ICE's plan to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man they wrongly sent to CECOT, to Uganda unless he pleads guilty to a set of dubious charges brought against him in Tennessee. Then, economic writer James Surowiecki sits down with Lovett to talk about the Trump administration's unprecedented acquisition of Intel stock—and what it signals to other major companies.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. 

Marc Maron, comedian and podcast trailblazer, sits down with Lovett to discuss why the left always has to be such a buzzkill, whether Americans voted for Trump purely out of annoyance, and why the armies of online trolls love to do the president's bidding. Then they discuss whether we're living in an Age of Mania, if Democrats can shut down anti-woke comedy by simply being funnier, and whether Lovett can learn to stop catastrophizing every time his calls drop.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. 

Donald Trump heads out on "patrol" in Washington, JD Vance hosts a photo op with the National Guard at the Union Station Shake Shack, and Stephen Miller—taking a moment away from terrorizing immigrants—excoriates "communists" and "elderly white hippies" for daring to protest. Dan and Jon break down the latest news coming out of occupied Washington, including Trump's new history-erasing reforms at the Smithsonian, his new ideological screening program from green card applicants, and MAGA goon Bill Pulte's weaponization of the Federal Housing Finance Authority. Then, Congressman Jake Auchincloss stops by the studio to talk to Jon about why Democrats need to embrace big ideas again.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. 

Following an unproductive day of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders to discuss a potential deal to end Russia's war in Ukraine. Favreau, Lovett, and Tommy discuss the meetings, the MAGA press corp's bizarre questions for Zelensky, and Trump's latest Putin-inspired fixation—eliminating mail in ballots. Then, they react to Republican governors sending armed troops to DC, ICE saying the quiet part out loud, and Governor Newsom's new social media strategy. To close the show, Bridget Brink, the former United States Ambassador to Ukraine, joins Tommy to talk about Ukraine's reaction to Trump's unusual approach to peace talks.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

In response to Trump and Texas Republicans' attempt to rig the 2026 midterm elections, Governor Gavin Newsom calls a special election to redraw California's congressional map. The governor stops by the show to talk to Dan about why California Democrats decided to strike first—and what it will take for the ballot proposal to become law. But first, Jon and Dan discuss Trump's authoritarian power grab in the nation's capital, the January 6th attendee he appointed to run the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the President's negotiations in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Flanked by half his cabinet and citing crimes against a DOGE staffer, Donald Trump announces that he's deploying 800 National Guard troops to Washington and federalizing the city's police department. Jon and Lovett react to Trump's desperate show of force, then break down his new plan to negotiate a Russia-Ukraine peace deal and JD Vance's latest attempt to spin the Epstein files crisis as “full transparency.” Then, Lovett talks to The New Yorker's David Kirkpatrick about his big new investigation into how much the Trump family is profiting off of the presidency. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Pete Buttigieg—former South Bend mayor, 2020 presidential candidate, and Transportation Secretary—sits down with Jon Favreau to discuss how much of the status quo Democrats should aim to restore (if any) if they win in 2026, what the party needs to change to effectively message around Trump's broken promises, and what Pete thinks of JD Vance's rapid ascent to power—and the values he's abandoned along the way. Then, Lovett joins Jon to answer listener questions about building a Democratic Project 2029, our nation's new gerrymandering war, and whether Barack Obama is right about ketchup's place on a burger.

Reeling from the Epstein crisis, Donald Trump turns even more erratic and destructive—launching a grand jury investigation into the make-believe crimes of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, threatening to seize control of the D.C. police, and sharing some eugenicist theories about who's suited for what kind of work. Jon and Dan share how they're feeling eight months into Trump 2.0, check in on MAGA's efforts to rig the congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterms, and react to DHS reinstating its infamous family separation policy. Dan talks with epidemiologist Michael Osterholm about RFK Jr.'s decision to halt federal research into mRNA vaccines—and then confronts Jon about his ill-advised Twitter fight with Megyn Kelly.

Texas Democrats, in an attempt to block Trump's redistricting effort, shut down a special legislative session by fleeing the state. Texas State Rep. James Talarico joins the show to explain what happens now and why he and his Democratic colleagues believe that getting out of town is the best way to serve their constituents in this moment. Then, Jon, Lovett, and Tommy discuss Trump's decision to fire the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Ghislaine Maxwell's transfer to a cushy minimum-security prison, new reporting about who's sending all those annoying fundraising texts, and, of course, Trump's comments on the most important story of the moment: Sydney Sweeney's jeans.

It's Liberation Day…again. After two missed deadlines and only a few trade deals done, Trump's global tariffs officially go into effect today. To mark the occasion, White House trade advisor Peter Navarro says the president not only deserves a Nobel Peace Prize—but also a Nobel Prize in economics. Meanwhile, Trump can't stop talking about Jeffrey Epstein, telling reporters on Air Force One that Virginia Giuffre was "stolen" by Jeffrey Epstein from the Mar-a-Largo spa. Trump pressures Senate Republicans to kill a ban on congressional (and presidential) stock trading. Jon and Dan discuss the latest, including Democrats' shifting views on Gaza, Kamala Harris's decision not to run for California governor, and Texas Republicans' attempts to steal the 2026 midterm elections by redrawing their congressional map. Then, Congressman Jason Crow joins Tommy in the studio to talk about recruiting Democrats to run for office, and why he's suing ICE after being denied entry to a detention facility in his district.  

Donald Trump splits with Benjamin Netanyahu and acknowledges that Gaza is experiencing "real starvation"—but will he pressure Israel to end the war and allow more aid in? Lovett, Favreau, and Tommy react to the latest developments in Gaza, Trump's shifting and typically incoherent comments on the situation, and why it's time for Democrats to change their approach to Israel. Then, they dive into Trump's new story about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and check in on that "free" plane he received from the Qatari government. Later, Tommy sits down with Israeli journalist Amir Tibon to discuss how the aid shortages in Gaza got so bad, and how Israel's far right influences Netanyahu. Get tickets to CROOKED CON November 6-7 in Washington, D.C at crookedcon.com

It's a scary time for political media. After decades of shifting business models and consumption habits, news outlets now have to navigate lawsuits from a president who uses the full weight of the government to punish his enemies. Was CBS's decision to axe "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" purely financial, as the network claims—or was it related to the merger they wanted Trump to approve? Brian Stelter, chief media analyst at CNN and author of the "Reliable Sources" newsletter, sits down with Tommy to discuss what exactly happened to Colbert, whether other networks are kowtowing to Trump, and the episode of South Park that no one can stop talking about.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Your suspicions were correct: according to The Wall Street Journal, Trump's name is in the Epstein files—and the Attorney General told him so all the way back in May. Trump responds with more lies, obfuscations, and distractions, accusing Barack Obama of treason, and sending Tulsi Gabbard out to try to prove the case without the benefit of facts or specifics. Dan and Jon discuss all the latest, including DOJ's overtures to Ghislaine Maxwell, Trump's awkward stunt at the Fed building, and two federal judges ordering the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia as he awaits trial. Then, Tommy sits down with Senator Mark Warner to discuss Trump's treason accusations and what the intelligence community actually concluded about Russian election-meddling in 2016.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Desperate to distract from the Epstein scandal, Donald Trump posts an AI-generated video of the FBI arresting Barack Obama—as DNI Tulsi Gabbard unveils a new MAGA conspiracy theory about Obama and Russiagate. Favreau, Lovett, and Tommy unpack the insanity behind Gabbard's new allegations, get Lovett up to speed on the latest Epstein developments, and discuss CBS's cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Then, Lovett sits down with Lindsay Toczylowski, head of the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, to talk about Andry Hernandez Romero's release in Venezuela after 125 days in an El Salvadoran megaprison.

The Wall Street Journal publishes a shocking 50th birthday letter Donald Trump wrote to Jeffrey Epstein that discusses a "wonderful secret" the two shared. Jon and Dan react live to The Journal's letter, discuss Trump's attacks against his supporters who still want the Epstein files released, and debate why the Department of Justice decided now was the right time to fire Maurene Comey — the federal prosecutor who worked on both Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's criminal cases. Then the two talk through Senator Josh Hawley's sad attempt to roll back the Medicaid cuts he just voted for and President Trump's draft termination letter for Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Then Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Greg Casar stops by to talk about Texas Republicans' attempts to redraw congressional maps to sway the 2026 midterms elections. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

MAGA's Epstein revolt keeps growing — and despite Donald Trump's pleas, it doesn't look like it's going away anytime soon. Elected officials get their first look inside “Alligator Alcatraz” and report seeing “disturbing, vile conditions.” Trump reverses his stance on Ukraine, issuing Putin a 50-day ultimatum. Favreau and Tommy break down the Jeffrey Epstein drama that erupted at the Turning Point USA Summit over the weekend; Trump's new tariff threats against Russia, the European Union, and Brazil; and a new court ruling that could upend ICE operations in Los Angeles. They also discuss the timing of Biden's New York Times autopen interview and J.D. Vance's weekend trip to Disneyland, which featured an embarrassing video of the vice president attempting to run.

Mark Cuban may be a billionaire, but he's not your typical tech bro. The celebrity businessman and former Dallas Mavericks owner campaigned for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election and is a fierce critic of Donald Trump—and an outspoken advocate for affordable healthcare and medication. Dan and Mark discuss Trump's approach to the economy, whether Elon Musk's third party plans could actually change American politics, and why Democrats need to think bigger than just being anti-Trump. Then, Dan gets down to business with a list of his most pressing NBA questions.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

After promising 90 trade deals in 90 days and delivering only two, President Trump delays his arbitrary tariff deadline yet again. A former Trump Justice Department lawyer files a whistleblower complaint detailing the administration's efforts to defy court orders. MAGA's rift over Jeffrey Epstein deepens as Tucker Carlson, Andrew Schulz, and Candace Owens join the revolt. Jon and MSNBC's Alex Wagner break down all the latest, including the administration's absurd new investigation into former FBI Director James Comey, Kristi Noem's struggle to balance her job with posting on Instagram, and Twitter's self-proclaimed "MechaHitler" AI—and the prompt resignation of its CEO. Then Ana Ramon, Executive Director of the Texas Leadership Pipeline, joins to share her hopes for the future of the Lone Star State and why running for office—even in deep-red communities—isn't as scary as it seems. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Right-wing influencers and conspiracy theorists lose it over a Justice Department memo that says there's no evidence Jeffrey Epstein had a “client list” or blackmailed his associates. Criticism of DOGE's cuts to the National Weather Service resurface after catastrophic floods hit central Texas. In a Fourth of July ceremony, President Trump signs his disastrous economic plan into law. Jon and Tommy break down the Medicaid cuts, ICE funding, and the highly unusual tax breaks that made it into the final “Big Beautiful Bill.” Then they check in on Elon Musk's growing threat to launch a new political party, and they discuss Kilmar Abrego Garcia's allegation that he was tortured in El Salvador's CECOT megaprison.

House Republicans deliver on Trump's Independence Day deadline, passing the Senate's version of the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, which will cut taxes for the rich, gut Medicaid for the poor, and explode the deficit beyond all recognition. Jen Psaki, host of The Briefing with Jen Psaki on MSNBC, joins Dan to discuss how Mike Johnson and Trump won over the bill's GOP holdouts, what happens now that it's passed, and how it changes the story of the 2026 midterm elections. Jen and Dan discuss Trump's threat to deport Zohran Mamdani and Paramount's $16 million settlement with Trump. Then, Congressman Ro Khanna stops by to talk about what's next for Democrats now that the most unpopular bill in history is set to become law.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. 

Senate Republicans jam through a final vote on the so-called "Big, Beautiful Bill." Senator Chris Murphy steps away from the Senate floor to join Tommy and Lovett to talk about Republican Senator Tom Thillis's unexpected opposition to the bill, the Medicaid cuts that sparked it, and what the bill's passage would mean for Americans' wallets (you guessed it: more money for the rich, less for the poor). Then, Tommy and Lovett discuss Trump's trip to "Alligator Alcatraz," a new migrant detention facility in the middle of the Everglades, the Supreme Court's 6-3 decision ending the practice of nationwide injunctions, and the White House doubling down on their claim that airstrikes "totally obliterated" Iran's nuclear program, despite mounting evidence to the contrary.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. 

Health Secretary RFK Jr. has gutted the CDC's vaccine advisory committee, replacing its members with a mix of anti-vaxxers, COVID contrarians, and medical non-professionals. What do these sweeping changes to our vaccine infrastructure—and the rise of the ironically named MAHA movement, short for Make America Healthy Again—mean for the health and well-being of everyday Americans? Dan sits down with epidemiologist and data scientist Katelyn Jetelina to unpack the implications of Kennedy's policies on flu season, COVID, and a broad range of preventable diseases. Katelyn also explains how the politicization of seed oils, food dyes, and fluoride distracts from the public health issues that actually matter—and shares what she learned from grassroots MAHA organizers about their uneasy alliance with MAGA.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. 

As New York City celebrates Zohran Mamdani's primary win, MAGA, Wall Street, and a handful of Democrats succumb to socialist paranoia. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth lashes out at the press after CNN reports that last weekend's airstrikes barely set back Iran's nuclear program. President Trump pressures Congress to pass his Big Bullshit Bill by July 4th, despite a new ruling from the Senate Parliamentarian that could sink it altogether. Jon and Dan react to Senator Mitch McConnell's claim that "people back home" will "get over" Medicaid cuts, the administration's desperate attempt to make their Iran strikes look like a success, and offer Zohran-skeptical Democrats some honest advice about what their voters want. Then, Jon talks to Congressman Robert Garcia, the new top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, about investigating ICE and why he thinks Stephen Miller is the "biggest piece of shit in the country."

Donald Trump, without consulting Congress or United States allies, orders the military to bomb Iran, and then claims that Iran and Israel have reached a ceasefire. Military and intelligence services push back on Trump's claims that Iran's three nuclear sites have been "completely and totally obliterated." MAGA isolationists change their tone to avoid Trump's ire. Jon, Lovett, Tommy, and Dan react to all the latest, including reports that nuclear material may have been removed before the attacks, Iran's retaliatory strikes on an American military installation in Qatar, and Trump's new posts indicating he may be open to regime change. Then, the guys walk through Democrats' response to the attacks, the latest from Trump's ongoing National Guard deployment in Los Angeles, and a New York City mayoral primary that's both frustrating and exciting.

Trump says he'll deTrump says he'll decide whether to strike Iran sometime in the next two weeks; while some of the biggest names in MAGA, like Tucker Carlson and Ted Cruz try to sway his choice. Pete Hegseth and Tulsi Gabbard are reportedly on the outs at the White House, Trump flip-flops on immigration enforcement at farms, federal agents handcuff more Democrats, and the Senate version of the Big, Beautiful Bill is even worse than we expected. Then, Jon and Dan discuss the growing mess at the DNC and what that could mean for next year's midterms. Later, Tommy sits down with Congressman Eric Swalwell to discuss ICE raids, Iran, fears lawmakers have for their safety, and more. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Trump's long-planned birthday parade gets overshadowed by massive "No Kings" protests around the country and the cold-blooded murder of a prominent Minnesota lawmaker and her husband. Meanwhile, Israel launches a preemptive war against Iran—a war that Trump hasn't quite ruled out joining. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy discuss the weekend's competing optics, the deeply troubling rise of political violence in America, and the latest offering from the Trump family hucksters: a shiny gold smartphone from the newly founded Trump Mobile. Then, Jon talks with Maryland Governor Wes Moore about his political future, why he vetoed a reparations bill, and the role that governors can play in this dangerous moment.

How much of America would we need to mobilize to stop Trump's power grab? According to political scientist Erica Chenoweth, it takes 3.5 percent—the threshold after which every protest movement, across the world, has been successful. Against the backdrop of the anti-ICE and No Kings protests, the national guard deployment, and Donald Trump's birthday pageant, Chenoweth joins the show to break down the math of the 3.5 percent rule, explain why nonviolence is the key to meeting it, and to share the lessons the civil rights movement can teach us about staying unified, organized, and disciplined in the fight against authoritarianism.

Federal agents tackle and handcuff Senator Alex Padilla after he shouts a question at Kristi Noem at a public press conference. Trump continues to politicize the military, attacking his political enemies in a speech to troops at Fort Bragg and preparing for his North Korea-style birthday party. New polling shows that Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" is wildly unpopular—and increasingly vulnerable to Democratic attacks. Favreau and Nicolle Wallace, host of MSNBC's Deadline: White House and the new podcast series The Best People, discuss the latest from occupied LA, check in on the short-lived Trump-Elon feud, and try not to panic over RFK Jr.'s recent firings at the CDC. Then Lovett sits down with Zohran Mamdani to discuss his surging campaign for mayor of New York City.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. 

Trump stokes chaos and incites violence in Los Angeles, deploying the Marines and the National Guard, against the request of the governor and mayor, to quell protests opposing ICE deportation raids in downtown LA and nearby Paramount. Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man wrongly deported to an El Salvadoran megaprison, returns to the United States to face charges his lawyers claim are made up. And Elon and Trump attempt to mend their relationship, but we're not really buying it. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy talk about Lovett's experience at the protests, how ICE raids escalated over the weekend, and new drama brewing at Ken Martin's DNC. Then, Tommy asks Governor Gavin Newsom about Trump's threats to arrest him and how he's pushing back against the President's authoritarian playbook.

Lovett joins forces with The Bulwark's Tim Miller and Sarah Longwell for a big, beautiful, gay-as-hell fundraiser at World Pride to support Andry José Hérnandez Romero and other individuals wrongfully deported to El Salvador without due process. Jon, Tim and Sarah open the floor to two people doing the hard, important work for justice: Andry José Hérnandez Romero's lawyer and President of the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, Lindsay Toczylowski, and Congressman Robert Garcia. Lovett takes us to the library for some good old fashioned reads of the Trump administration with help from the audience. Later, they are joined by the incredible Tara Hoot to finally answer the age-old question, who's better at trivia: gay people, or straight people? Join them as they laugh, they listen, and they learn a lot bout lesbians. Like, a lot. And in the end, isn't that what Pride Month is all about? Visit votesaveamerica.com/actionforandry to learn more and support. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Donald Trump and Elon Musk's romance comes to a fiery end as the two erupt into an explosive feud, attacking each other across social media. Jon and Dan comb through the insults, including Elon calling for Trump's impeachment, Trump threatening to end all of Elon's government contracts, and, our personal favorite, Elon tweeting that Donald Trump is in the Epstein files. Fun day! The guys also discuss Trump's recent slate of executive orders: another round of attacks on Harvard University, a 2025 version of Trump 1.0's infamous Muslim ban, and an investigation into the alleged coverup of President Biden's mental and physical health. Then, Jon and Lovett sit down with Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson for an extended interview about their New York Times bestselling book, Original Sin, which reckons with Biden's decision to run for reelection.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. 

The health care of 10 million Americans is at risk as President Trump's massive tax cut legislation makes its way to the Senate. Will Majority Leader John Thune be able to cobble together a bill that the "Medicaid moderates," budget hawks, and hardliners can all agree on? Meanwhile, Stephen Miller freaks out at ICE leadership for failing to detain and deport enough immigrants, corporate America begins cutting ties with law firms that bent the knee to Trump, and Democratic presidential hopefuls begin testing the waters. Jon and Lovett embrace the schadenfreude, discuss the lies Speaker Mike Johnson is peddling to win over his Senate colleagues, and evaluate Senator Joni Ernst's "we're all going to die" message to her constituents. Then, Jon talks to Senator Brian Schatz about putting an end to Democratic navel gazing and fighting to stop Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill."

Elon Musk is back in the news, with a New York Times investigation detailing his rampant drug use right as he hightails it out of Washington. Lovett and Dan compare notes on their own White House drug tests, then dig into Trump's most recent comments on his Big Beautiful Bill, the legislation's fate in the Senate, and Sen. Joni Ernst's psychopathic consolation for people being kicked off Medicaid. Then Lovett sits down with author and history professor Erik Loomis to talk about whether the U.S. is still capable of mass mobilization—do liberals actually care about workers? How do we meet people where they're at? And are we all too individualistic to show true solidarity?

Donald Trump loses his cool when a reporter asks him about a newly popular Wall Street phrase: TACO, aka Trump Always Chickens Out. A federal court unanimously rules that the majority of Trump's tariffs are illegal — before an appeals court allows them to remain in place (for now). And after 128 days of destruction, Elon Musk's time as a Special Government Employee officially comes to a close. Jon and Dan discuss the future of DOGE after Musk, check in on Trump's ongoing war with Harvard University, and deliver a new Corrupt-date — this time on Trump's clemency spree. Then, Jon talks to Liz Oyer, a former DOJ Pardon Attorney, about her MAGA successor's very political approach to a historically nonpartisan job.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. 

Jon, Lovett, Tommy, and Dan talk about the administration's attempt to bar Harvard from enrolling international students and other new Trump threats, including possible sweeping tariffs on the EU and Apple products. The guys answer your questions on everything from the future of Democratic leadership and why some Senate Democrats keep voting with Trump, to whether a future Democratic president should roll back executive power. Plus: who's surprisingly not terrible in Trump 2.0? How would they handle a Trump interview? Finally, some thoughts on Bluesky, how use AI without losing your mind… and whether 100 Crooked staffers could take down a gorilla. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

In the middle of the night, the House narrowly passes Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill," a witch's brew of tax cuts for the wealthiest and benefit cuts for the neediest, sending it on to the Senate. Jon and Dan talk about what Democrats can do to stop the bill—and the upside of Republicans passing something so massively unpopular, Trump's "white genocide" show-and-tell for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and the damning new data showing why Kamala Harris lost the 2024 presidential election. Then, Dan talks with Rep. LaMonica McIver about getting slapped with criminal charges by Trump's Justice Department, and what it means for the executive branch to be targeting legislators for doing their job. 

President Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer—news that lands in the middle of a media cycle already consumed with questions about Biden's decline thanks to a buzzy new book and the release and of the audio from Biden's special counsel interview. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy unpack the fallout: the questions, conspiracies, criticisms, and some truly disgusting reactions. Plus: Trump's "excellent call" with Putin, his new attacks on the media and Kamala Harris's celebrity endorsers, and Kash Patel and Dan Bongino disappoint MAGA's conspiracist base. For tickets to Free Andry: A Crooked/The Bulwark Fundraiser At WorldPride, visit https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/150062AFA79E3227.