The Muckrake Political Podcast

Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman take stock of a government too broke to staff its own airports and an administration whose solution is to flood them with ICE agents. An idea that originated, no joke, with a caller to the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. From there, the guys trace the authoritarian logic of filling institutional vacuums with paramilitary loyalists, and what that means for the next time you try to catch a flight. They also dig into Trump's Iran ultimatum that expired without consequence, the fake negotiations that briefly bounced the markets back up, and why every country on earth is currently doing the math on going nuclear. And if you think Russia planning a fake assassination of Viktor Orban sounds familiar, Jared and Nick have some thoughts on that too. Support the show by signing up to our Patreon to hear the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast 00:00 Mercury in Retrograde 01:26 ICE at the Airports 07:23 Fascism Fills the Vacuum 09:20 TSA Was Always Security Theater 16:08 Iran's Ultimatum That Wasn't 20:20 Europe Bails, the Petrodollar Wobbles 27:33 Fertilizer, Fuel, and Food Prices 31:34 Democrats Move Against Schumer 38:05 Operation Game Changer 43:33 Butler PA and the USS Gerald Ford

This is a preview of our Weekender show. To listen to the whole show and unlock lots of extras like access to our Discord discussion and Live Shows, become a patron at http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman dive into the escalating strikes on Iranian oil refineries and the potential death of the petrodollar to the "Two Pricks Protocol" on display during the Markwayne Mullin confirmation hearings, the guys break down the evolutionary progress toward "stupid fascism." 00:00 — Personal Christmas: NCAA tournament talk and Wisconsin's "dreaded" 5-seed. 01:10 — Black Gold: The speed run toward economic collapse via Iranian oil strikes. 10:40 — Event Horizon: How America bet the empire on a finite substance. 20:10 — Nuclear Newt: Gingrich mistakes satire for a viable military strategy. 30:50 — Two Pricks Protocol: A masterclass in punchable pedantry between Paul and Mullen. 40:20 — Watch List: Deep dives into Begonia and the capitalist insanity of Neighbors.

Co-hosts Nick Hauselman and Jared Yates Sexton analyze a world barreling toward escalation as the Trump administration stares down a closed Strait of Hormuz. While the American economy teeters, European allies have begun navigating their own paths, negotiating directly with Iran and signaling a massive fracture in the Western alliance. The duo examines the disconnect between military reality and the hubris of an administration that seems to have ignored the tactical nightmares of Persian topography and drone warfare. From the potential collapse of the petrodollar to the suspicious timing of Chinese military sorties around Taiwan, the conversation maps out the crumbling of the American global order. This episode also dives into the bizarre rift between Donald Trump and Tucker Carlson. With Carlson alleging a CIA-led criminal referral against him, Nick and Jared peel back the layers of deep politics, investigating whether this is a genuine investigation or a shot across the bow in a brewing far-right civil war. Join our patreon and unlock a lot of great content like Live Shows and our Discord discussion: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast

Support the show by signing up to our Patreon and get access to the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord at patreon.com/muckrakepodcast Nick Hauselman returns to join Jared Yates Sexton just in time to survey a global landscape that grows more barren by the second. This week, the pair dives deep into the worsening quagmire in the Strait of Hormuz. The Trump administration's "mission accomplished" rhetoric has met the cold reality of an Iranian "kill box." As the economic soil thins and the President takes strategic advice from a Vladimir Putin phone call, Jared and Nick wonder if there's any off-ramp left before the drone footage starts hitting home. These analysts also examine the absurd dominance rituals currently defining the West Wing. This includes Kash Patel's pathetic UFC-inspired FBI training alongside the strange revelation that JD Vance and Marco Rubio are clomping around in oversized $150 Florsheim shoes. The episode wraps with some much-needed cultural escapism. They discuss the perfection of Silence of the Lambs and the disco-country stylings of Johnny Blue Skies. It's a world where the adults have left the building. The guys in charge are more worried about their shoe size than a global supply chain collapse. Buckle in for a bumpy weekend.

Nick Hauselman is out, leaving Jared Yates Sexton to handle operations. In this episode, Jared gets into the weeds regarding the quagmire in Iran, where the U.S. has no plan and things keep trending in the direction of chaos and destruction. With each passing day, off-ramps continue to disappear, so what are we to make of this crisis? To support the show, head over to http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast and become a patron. You'll gain access to the Friday Weekender episode and future live shows, including mailbags where Jared and Nick answer your questions.

The humiliation of Kristi Noem is finally complete as co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman discuss Donald Trump shipping her off to a fake "envoy" role to make room for Senator Mark Wayne Mullen. It is a transition from calculated propaganda to pure, unadulterated incompetence at the head of the DHS. While the administration celebrates the end of "woke" military restraint, the actual war in Iran is turning into a localized catastrophe. A recent strike on an Iranian school has claimed the lives of over 100 children because a hallucinating AI program flagged it as a military target. This is the new face of American warfare where accountability is offloaded to an algorithm while Pete Hegseth postures on cable news. We are burning a billion dollars a day on a conflict that has no exit strategy and a commander-in-chief who treats war crimes like a branding exercise.

The U.S. and Israel have officially decapitated the Iranian leadership. Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman break down the first 48 hours of a conflict that is rapidly spiraling out of control. While the administration claims a swift victory, the reality suggests a massive regional war is only just beginning. Donald Trump is already shifting his timeline for the conflict in every media appearance. The hosts examine his rambling press availability where he discussed military projections and ballroom curtains in the same breath. It is clear that the leader of the free world has no long-term goal for this campaign. The conversation dives into the terrifying logistics of the Iranian response. Iran is currently firing missiles in all directions to test the limits of American munitions. The hosts discuss the high cost of defense and the possibility of running out of interceptors within weeks. This episode also covers growing dissent within the American military apparatus. Leaks from the officer class suggest the Pentagon explicitly warned against this strike. Finally, the duo looks at domestic fallout and the immediate push for authoritarian crackdowns. The empire is flagging and the people at the wheel are currently eating the game piec

Is this the start of a wider war, or just the opening punch of something worse? In this emergency episode, Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman react to the U.S. and Israel launching a joint attack on Iran. They talk through the removal of the Ayatollah, the immediate retaliation across the region, and what it means when the Strait of Hormuz effectively closes. They dig into Trump popping up at Mar-a-Lago looking wrecked, floating regime change fantasies, and shrugging at the idea that Americans might die. They ask what the end game is when missile strikes cannot create a new government and when boots on the ground is the only ugly path that even pretends to answer that question. They also hit the corruption story underneath it, the bipartisan permission structure forming in real time, and the nightmare detail that Kash Patel is running the FBI if blowback comes home. It's Saturday. Everything is fine.

Is this the start of a wider war, or just the opening punch of something worse? In this emergency episode, Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman react to the U.S. and Israel launching a joint attack on Iran. They talk through the removal of the Ayatollah, the immediate retaliation across the region, and what it means when the Strait of Hormuz effectively closes. They dig into Trump popping up at Mar-a-Lago looking wrecked, floating regime change fantasies, and shrugging at the idea that Americans might die. They ask what the end game is when missile strikes cannot create a new government and when boots on the ground is the only ugly path that even pretends to answer that question. They also hit the corruption story underneath it, the bipartisan permission structure forming in real time, and the nightmare detail that Kash Patel is running the FBI if blowback comes home. It's Saturday. Everything is fine.

Is the 2020 “stolen election” story really a setup to seize control of future elections? Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman react to a Washington Post report that lays out an executive order blueprint to blame China for 2020 and trigger emergency powers that could reshape how Americans vote. They argue this is what happens when a bloated presidency meets a party that treats democracy like an optional accessory, and they talk about what actually stops it when Congress will not. Then they pivot to new reporting on Epstein documents, storage units, and a DOJ that keeps finding ways to investigate itself with a straight face. From there it gets darker as they dig into the military push for full access to leading AI systems, the rush to turn surveillance and war into software, and why Democrats taking piles of cash from Palantir and SpaceX tells you plenty about what is not going to get fought. They close with what they're watching and reading, including The Wizard of Oz at the Sphere and Gravity's Rainbow. Support the show by signing up to our Patreon and get access to the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast

Support the show by signing up to our Patreon and get access to the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord: patreon.com/muckrakepodcast Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman dig into the Supreme Court slapping down Trump's massive tariff scheme, only for him to lose his shit, call them disloyal, and crank it right back up to 15% global like nothing happened. That $133 billion that's supposedly been collected? Nobody's got a clue where it vanished to, and crickets from the media on asking the real questions. They move south of the border to break down how US intel helped snag a top Sinaloa cartel boss, he ends up dead in transport, the raid leaves 70+ bodies, and now Mexico's exploding with burning cars, kidnappings, tourists trapped in Puerto Vallarta, and the whole thing reeks of somebody upstairs quietly shopping for new cartel partners to cut deals with. From there they hit Bret Stephens basically begging Trump in the Times to drop bombs on Iran so we can all pretend to be liberators one more time (yeah, that'll end well). Part of the Dems' autopsy finally leaked, indicating that Gaza straight-up killed turnout for Harris but they're still finger-pointing at everybody but their own cowardly moves. We're going live tonight right after the State of the Union wraps up. Trump finishes his bullshit, we jump in to dissect it deeper than the cable hacks ever would. So head over to Patreon, subscribe if you haven't yet, and join us - and have a drink handy.

Support the show by signing up to our Patreon and get access to the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord: ⁠http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast⁠ Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman open this Weekender by asking the ugliest question out loud: Are we drifting toward a strike on Iran with no clear end game? They dig into why the silence feels like the point, how Russia and China fit onto the board, and why a wider conflict always seems to make a few very specific people rich. Then they pivot to the Epstein fallout and what it looks like when Europe actually treats the network like a crime, while the U.S. political class keeps trying to pretend it is somebody else's problem. From there it gets bleakly funny as they talk about the AI chip rush, the coming squeeze on everyday electronics, and how tech oligarchs keep turning basic life into a scarcity game. Somehow, a treatise on Doritos emerges before ending with what they're watching and reading, including a new crime caper that mostly works, Gravity's Rainbow as a full-time job, and Nick trying to finish a Mick Cronin video before the weekend is over.

Co-hosts Nick Hauselman and Jared Yates Sexton open with a rare California Corner that's more flood warning than sunshine report. Then they dig into the New York Times reporting on DHS and ICE subpoenas sent to Google, Meta, Discord, and Reddit, aimed at unmasking accounts tracking ICE and criticizing the crackdown. They talk through what that means in practice, why “anonymous” is a fantasy once the state wants names, and how pressure gets applied through watchlists, travel pain, and fear. From there they hit Wajahat Ali pressing Hakeem Jeffries on abolishing ICE and why Democratic leadership keeps dodging the simplest question because they helped build the machine. They also get into Russ Vought and the USAID money story, the right wing status theater of private security, and the East Wing fiasco as the perfect corruption tell. They close on climate, the EPA trying to yank the legal foundation for regulating greenhouse gases, and the ugly truth that leaders have known about this for decades and still refuse to act. Support the show by signing up to our Patreon and get access to the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord: ⁠http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast⁠.

Support the show by signing up to our Patreon and get access to the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast. It's a full mailbag Weekender and it starts with Jared Yates Sexton hitting the wall after another long day on the road and Nick Hauselman catching heat for being too friendly with the devil machines. A listener asks whether the Democratic Party can be rebuilt or if it has to be replaced and the answer is not comforting. Another wants to know what it looks like when elections stop being free and fair, and they talk through the warning signs and why the “somebody will step in” instinct isn't realistic. Then a higher ed administrator writes in about the AI push inside colleges and why the people selling efficiency are really selling layoffs and hollowed out institutions. The questions keep coming on surveillance tech, local wins that feel too small, and what happens when public pressure stops working. They get into burnout, dissociation, and which Star Wars prequel we're living through right now. They also hit the California governor race and why Jared treats every billionaire like a crime scene. It wraps with a question about where their politics came from and why the neoliberal era is decaying into something meaner. Happy Valentine's Day, to all you lovers out there.

Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman rip into Ring's Super Bowl ad, which manipulates the raw emotion of reuniting with a lost dog to sell a feature that quietly turns neighborhood doorbell cameras into a shared surveillance network. They move on to the Super Bowl's cultural divide: Bad Bunny's triumphant halftime show that sparked racist outrage, contrasted with the joyless Turning Point USA alternative that exposed the right's inability to create real energy or fun. The discussion hits Epstein file revelations linking back to Trump, Massie's bold public feud with him, the slim prospects for meaningful unredacted leaks through Congress, and the building tension around possible strikes on Iran as oligarchs push their agenda forward. Support the show on Patreon for the full episode, the Weekender every Friday, Live Shows, and our Discord community: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast Submit your questions for Friday's mailbag at muckrakepodcast@gmail.com

It is Super Bowl weekend and neither the co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton or Nick Hauselman can pretend to care about the game. Jared is in full "They Live" mode and he is not being polite about it. The conversation quickly turns to the Washington Post gutting itself under Jeff Bezos, and what it means when a billionaire can buy a load bearing newsroom with pocket change. They argue that this is not a business mistake, it is the point, and they connect it to the bigger pattern of institutions being neutralized on purpose. Then they jump to the bitcoin slide, and how gambling keeps getting sold as hope in a collapsing economy. From there they hit Kamala's new “Headquarters” relaunch and why it reads like brand management in the middle of an emergency. They close with France raiding X's offices over sexual abuse material and deepfakes, and why Europe still has levers the US refuses to pull. The Weekender ends with what they're watching and what they're reading, including a rough movie recommendation and a couple books that actually land. Support the show by signing up to our Patreon and get access to the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast

Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman kick off by diving into the latest drop of Epstein Files. They break down how Trump's name is mentioned 38,000+ times, with some really nasty tips the feds posted for a hot second before redacting everything and pulling it once screenshots started circulating. Epstein appears to be a straight-up intelligence asset as he received obvious legal protection due to his ties to the CIA, Mossad, and Russian money. They hit the crazy new angle of Epstein linking up with 4chan founder Christopher Poole right around the time the site became a launchpad for extreme online movements. Jared and Nick explain how that ecosystem fed the alt-right surge into 2016 and created QAnon, which flipped the script and pinned the same crimes these files keep exposing on everyone else. Blackmail to get in the door, rituals to keep people tied, elite power running on straight abuse. They close out on the bigger mess: Democrats folding on the budget again, just delaying the funding of ICE, who is continues to spend on concentration camps with basically no real resistance to the fascism building. The corruption cuts across both parties. Trust in the whole system is dead. Something's going to snap. Support the show by signing up for our Patreon to unlock our Weekender Show every Friday, plus access to the Discord discussion and special live shows.

The Weekender, our weekly show for Patreon members, opens with fallout from Alex Peretti's murder and the sudden sidelining of Bovino, with Tom Homan stepping in and the administration pretending this is accountability instead of damage control. Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman break down why this shakeup changes nothing, why ICE is still operating like a lawless occupying force, and why Democrats are offering cosmetic fixes while people are being abducted in the streets. They dig into the broader picture, from Kristi Noem's political trouble to the FBI raid on Georgia election offices, and why the renewed obsession with 2020 looks a lot like groundwork for controlling future elections. The conversation circles back to the same question: if institutions won't stop this, where does real resistance come from. They cool things down at the end with what they're reading and watching, including Oscar contenders, a brutal takedown of The Rip, and why some messy, ambitious movies stick in your head long after the credits roll. Support the show by signing up to our Patreon and get access to the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast

Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman are furious, and they're not trying to hide it. They dig into the killing of Alex Preti, a VA nurse who rushed in to help someone who'd been pepper sprayed, got tackled, disarmed, and ended up shot to death while the cameras rolled. Then came the part that makes it feel even darker: the immediate scramble to flip the story, smear the victim, and sell the public an alternate version of reality. They talk about what “they heard ‘gun'” is turning into, a magic word that apparently wipes out training, restraint, and consequences. And they get into the bigger trap people are stuck in right now: waiting for guardrails, waiting for Democrats, waiting for a system that keeps proving it won't protect anyone. If this is “law enforcement,” why does it keep looking like an occupying force, and why is everyone being told to just accept it? Support the show by signing up to our Patreon and get access to the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast

Nick Hauselman is flying solo while Jared Yates Sexton is out, so he grabs his buddy Brian Kaplan for a relaxed Weekender that starts as a casual lunch in LA and somehow turns into a full-blown political autopsy. Between salad-fork confessions and talk of suspicious bruises, they dig into: whether Trump needs full time care, why congressional hearings are basically soundbite factories, and how “we all saw it happen” doesn't matter when a party's committed to an alternate reality. From Matt Gaetz and the ethics report mess to the Supreme Court's consequence-free zone, the conversation keeps circling the same ugly theme: power, money, and the cruelty-as-strength brand that keeps getting rewarded. They also kick around the idea that America isn't “going back” to anything, it's stumbling into a new Gilded Age, and the only real rebuild might come from a generation that's sick of watching the same fossilized leadership cling to the wheel. And because it's the Weekender, they close it out with something actually pleasant: what they're watching when the news gets too dark. Support the show by signing up to our Patreon and get access to the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast

Jared Yates Sexton is on the road without the studio setup, but he and Nick Hauselman still sound sharper than the people allegedly running the country. Nick reads a wildly unhinged letter Trump reportedly sent to Norway, a Nobel Peace Prize grievance tour that somehow swerves into Denmark, Greenland, and demands for “complete and total control.” From there, they dig into what it means when the U.S. starts treating allies like enemies, using tariffs like a cudgel, and drifting toward a real crisis over Greenland. They talk intelligence sharing, Five Eyes, why allies would start going dark, and how all of it connects back to the domestic crackdown, Minnesota, and the surveillance state getting upgraded right in front of everyone.

You're hearing a preview of the Weekender. Get the full episode, bonus shows, and access to our community by subscribing here: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast. Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman dig into Trump's latest authoritarian talk, from musing about skipping elections to floating Insurrection Act crackdowns. They break down reports of ICE ramp-ups in places like Maine, the expanding surveillance network tied to it, and why Democratic leaders keep blinking. Then it's the Greenland talk, NATO fallout, and why chaos, outages, and “testing the fence” all feel like the point. They close with what they're reading and watching, and a frank check-in on how to keep your bearings when the news cycle is a blender.

Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman take on the Department of Justice opening an investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, a move they argue has nothing to do with accountability and everything to do with pressure and punishment. They break down how Trump's long campaign against the Fed fits into a larger effort to control interest rates, bend institutions to his will, and reshape the economy around the needs of himself and his allies, regardless of the consequences for everyone else. From there, they connect it to what's happening in the streets, the expanding role of ICE, the escalation following the killing of René Nicole Good, and the way intimidation, propaganda, and selective enforcement are becoming standard operating procedure. It's a conversation about power, fear, and what happens when the people at the top decide that stability, norms, and even basic rights are expendable. Support the show by signing up to our Patreon and get access to the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast

Support the show and get the full Weekender episode by subscribing to our Patreon at http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast. This is not an easy episode to record, and it is not an easy one to hear. Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman sit down early Thursday to talk about what happened in Minneapolis, where Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother and legal observer, was shot and killed by an ICE agent while sitting in her car, in front of her wife. They walk through what the video shows, how the official story formed almost immediately, and why the rush to justify what happened matters just as much as the act itself. This is a conversation about a life taken, about how institutions protect themselves, and about what it means when something so plainly tragic is treated like a political problem instead of a human one.

On this episode of the Muckrake Podcast, Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman confront what may be one of the most audacious and disturbing moments of the Trump era, which is saying something. The United States uses special forces to abduct Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro while bombing Caracas, then casually announces it will run Venezuela and seize its oil. No congressional authorization. No real pushback. No consequences. They break down how this operation could have happened, why it almost certainly required months of planning, and what it means when the most powerful military in human history is fully under the control of an authoritarian regime. The conversation explores the legality, or lack thereof, of the abduction, the hollow narco trafficking charges, and the chilling precedent being set for global politics. Jared and Nick also examine the implications for international law, NATO, and the postwar liberal order, drawing lines from the war on terror to Ukraine, Venezuela, and the emerging world of authoritarian spheres of influence. They discuss Mark Kelly's warning to the military, the targeting of dissent, the role of oil companies, and why this feels fundamentally different from Trump's first term. This is a bleak, furious, and deeply unsettling conversation about state power, fascism, and the collapse of norms that once pretended to restrain empire. If you are asking how far this can go, the answer may already be unfolding. Support the show by signing up to our Patreon and get access to the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord: ⁠http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast⁠

This is a preview of our regular Weekender show released in full every Friday on our Patreon at patreon.com/muckrakepodcast Please support the show by subscribing and unlocking special content as well as access to our discord and live shows. Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman ring in 2026 with resolutions, sugar hangovers, and a hard look at how a viral YouTube stunt and JD Vance's megaphone spiraled into a federal freeze on Minnesota child-care funds. They break down the racist scapegoating of Somali communities, which plays right into the right's conspiracy theories, and why this is political retribution dressed up as oversight. Then it's the latest Epstein revelations implicating Mar-a-Lago's spa pipeline and how it connects to Trump even more deeply before focuing on the Supreme Court's refusal to bless federal troop deployments that might turn into a roadmap for even more law-breaking. "What We're Watching" looks at the Stranger Things finale and why nostalgia is starting to feel like content slurry.

Co-hots Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman return for the final Muckrake episode of 2025, and the vibes are… kinda emotionally stable. They look back on a year that somehow felt darker than 2020, then pivot straight into the current circus: Trump raging at the media, posturing about the Epstein files, hosting Zelensky at Mar-a-Lago, and then parroting Putin's lines like the Oval Office has a Kremlin teleprompter. From there, the conversation goes where 2025 always seems to go: Into the flashing dashboard lights of institutional collapse, Trump's visible decline, and the unnerving signals that J.D. Vance is already laying 2028 groundwork with Turning Point backing. And if that wasn't bleak enough, they close with an absolutely cursed focus group of Gen Z Republicans that reads like a “content brain” case study, complete with casual extremism, conspiracy marination, and the kind of political illiteracy that would be funny if it wasn't actively setting things on fire. Support the show by signing up to our Patreon and get access to the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast

Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman open with brisket talk, then carve into a darker holiday menu. First up, CBS pulls a reported 60 Minutes segment on El Salvador's CECOT prison after Barry Weiss rides in to “center” the narrative. Then it's over to TPUSA's AmericaFest, where Vice President J.D. Vance serves up a white grievance stocking stuffer as conservative influencers snipe at each other for clicks and control. Finally, they wade through the latest Epstein document dump, where the redactions are doing more heavy lifting than the DOJ, and close on why Democratic incumbents already fear 2026 primaries. No Weekender this Friday for the holiday, the year-end show returns next week. Support the show by signing up to our Patreon and get access to the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast

Support the show by signing up to our Patreon and get access to the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord: ⁠http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast⁠ Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman break down Donald Trump's primetime White House address, a rambling, xenophobic meltdown delivered with approval ratings stuck in the mid-30s and no plan to fix anything. They unpack the familiar routine, blame immigrants, lie about affordability, pretend a war crime is leadership, and hope yelling louder somehow changes reality. From the $1,776 military stunt and growing unrest inside the ranks, to Susie Wiles torching her own boss in Vanity Fair, Bongino bailing on the FBI, Democrats burying their 2024 autopsy, and CBS debasing itself for Bari Weiss, it's a portrait of institutions collapsing in real time while everyone involved pretends this is normal.

A brutal weekend, and a brutal reminder of how broken this moment is. Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman unpack the shocking killing of Rob Reiner and Michelle Reiner, then get into Trump's grotesque response and what it reveals about the rot at the top. They also hit the GOP cracks in Indiana redistricting, another U.S. campus shooting, and the grim drumbeat of violence and paranoia that never seems to stop. Support the show by signing up to our Patreon and get access to the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support the show by signing up to our Patreon and get access to the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman kick off the Weekender talking about the bad vibes in the air, which somehow leads to aliens because, honestly, it makes as much sense as anything else right now. From there they dive straight into the Venezuela mess: the US seizing an oil tanker, Pam Bondi's incoherent spin, Trump rattling sabers at half the hemisphere, and a political class treating potential war like content creation. They break down why nobody in power seems serious, why the Supreme Court is rubber-stamping authoritarianism, why measles is suddenly back, and why visitors to the United States may soon have to hand over five years of social media posts. It is all connected by the same theme: these people have no idea what they're doing, and we're the ones living with the consequences. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman dig into Trump's 2025 National Security Strategy, a 33 page blueprint that reads less like a sober policy document and more like a crypto fascist love letter to white nationalist demographics, spheres of influence, and an American retreat from the postwar liberal order. They break down what it means for NATO, Europe, Russia, China, and why no one in their right mind should ever again trust the United States as a “steady partner” when policy swings on whatever enriches one deeply corrupt old man and his oligarch friends. From there, the guys wade into the Netflix grab for Warner Bros and the rival Ellison–Kushner–Saudi play, talking about how tech money, oil money, and propaganda ambitions are fusing into one giant content machine that cares a lot about control and very little about art. Then it is on to FIFA inventing a fake “Peace Prize” to flatter Trump, the Queller pardon that turned into an open air quid pro quo tantrum, and Marjorie Taylor Greene's sad little image rehab tour on 60 Minutes. Support the show by signing up to our Patreon and get access to the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman break down the rapidly spiraling Pete Hegseth scandal, the September strike on Venezuelan fishermen, and why the second “rescue” mission amounts to a tacit admission of wrongdoing. They dig into how a non-war became a war crime, the crumbling veneer of U.S. legitimacy, and the political panic now radiating through Trump's cabinet. From there, the guys turn to the FBI's suddenly convenient arrest in the January 6th pipe-bomb case, the paper-thin evidence behind it, and why incompetence has become the defining feature of every institution now claiming to restore order. Then it's on to the right wing's newest manufactured martyr, a Bible-citing psychology student whose zero-point assignment has been weaponized into yet another grift about free speech. They wrap with a dive into Stranger Things, trauma allegories, Ken Burns's America, and what it means to watch childhood, democracy, and reality all get bent out of shape by the same forces. Support the show by signing up to our Patreon and get access to the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman dig into the reported double-tap strike on fishermen ordered under Pete Hegseth, why both the first and second hits are war crimes, and how Trump somehow manages to both deny and admit responsibility in the same breath. From there they track the widening fallout, from a possible Venezuela strike and resource grab to corrupt pardons for drug traffickers and oligarchs, all wrapped in the familiar language of “security” and “freedom.” The conversation turns to the DC National Guard shooting by a former CIA-linked Afghan asset, the long shadow of blowback, and how decades of unaccountable covert operations have shredded public trust and reality itself. Then it is on to the Olivia Nuzzi and Ryan Lizza mess, the alleged secret Butler, Pennsylvania Trump recording, and how access journalism plus capitalism keeps turning vital evidence into premium content. They close with a sharp look at the real history and purpose of Thanksgiving, and why JD Vance's war on turkey is perfectly on-brand for a ruling class that hates joy almost as much as it loves power. Support the show by signing up to our Patreon and get access to the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support the show by signing up to our Patreon and get access to the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord: ⁠http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast⁠ On this Black Friday Weekender, Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman pour a post-Thanksgiving drink and dive headfirst into Paul Thomas Anderson's new film One Battle After Another, a loose adaptation of Pynchon's Vineland that somehow nails our political moment a little too well. The two break down the French 75 as a failed revolutionary underground, Sean Penn's Lockjaw as a walking case study in self-loathing authoritarian masculinity, and the Christmas Adventurers Club as a country club for Nazis who also run everything. They get into how the movie stitches together 60s and 70s radicalism, modern fascism, secret societies, ICE raids, false flags, and Benicio del Toro's quietly perfect sensei, then ask what it all says about living through America's own near future right now. If you care about politics and movies, this one is basically a Muckrake text. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman break down Donald Trump's demanded “Thanksgiving peace plan” for Ukraine, a proposal that hands Vladimir Putin everything he wants while threatening to cut off all U.S. aid if Zelensky refuses. They dig into the geopolitical fallout, the long history of American foreign policy blunders that led here, and why this deal rewards invasion, kidnapping, and aggression. From there, the guys unpack Marjorie Taylor Greene's surprise resignation, what her dramatic letter really reveals about the state of MAGA, and why the movement is fracturing just as Trump's grip tightens. Then it is on to Zahra Mamdani's surreal visit to the White House, where Trump immediately melted under flattery and exposed just how easily he can be manipulated. Finally, they examine the collapse of DOGE, the catastrophic damage done to federal agencies, global aid, and U.S. data systems, and why the fallout will haunt the country for years. Support the show by signing up to our Patreon and get access to the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast Thanksgiving Politics & Family Minefields 00:00:01 – 00:03:30 Trump's “Peace Plan” And Ukraine's Betrayal 00:03:30 – 00:17:20 Marjorie Taylor Greene Quits… And What It Really Means 00:17:20 – 00:27:08 Mamdani Rolls Trump In The Oval Office 00:27:08 – 00:43:06 The Fall of DOGE And The Damage It Leaves Behind 00:43:06 – End Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support the show by signing up to our Patreon and get access to the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord: ⁠http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast⁠ Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman dig into the so-called “Epstein files” vote, why Trump suddenly wants everything released, and why everyone should expect a Mueller-style scrub instead of real accountability. They talk Larry Summers slinking off “from public life,” the national security state's role in hiding the full story, and why this scandal is really about a ruling class that treats organized crime like a business model. From there, they break down a new Democratic video urging the military and intel community to refuse illegal orders, Trump's response calling it “seditious” and punishable by death, and what that says about a cornered fascist who openly envies the power of Mohammed bin Salman. Then it is on to Nvidia, Peter Thiel dumping stock, the AI bubble sitting under the entire economy, and the familiar feeling of a roaring market heading toward a crash. They close with some cultural brain bleach, from the new Running Man to Hallmark Christmas movies and Robert Johnson on repeat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman dive into the new Epstein email tranche, from Trump's scramble to sic “his” DOJ on Clinton and Summers to the media's polite amnesia about who looked the other way. They connect the dots on fixers, blackmail, and a culture of impunity, then pivot to what the fallout means for MAGA's coalition and why shame no longer moves the needle. Plus, Marjorie Taylor Greene's sudden “civility” turn, Jamie Raskin's ridiculous big-tent pitch, and Ted Cruz telegraphing a 2028 run. Support the show by signing up to our Patreon and get access to the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast The Epstein Tranche Blows Open 02:00 – 06:00 Why This Story Has Real Legs 06:00 – 12:30 Power Protects Power 12:30 – 18:45 MTG's Sudden Pivot 18:45 – 26:30 Cruz 2028 and the Post-Trump GOP 26:30 – End Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support the show on Patreon and unlock special content like our Weekender show every Friday. As a bonus, today's show is released in full in order to hear co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman's analysis on the newly released Epstein emails and what they might, and we stress might, mean for Trump. Then, Nick interviews John Cavanaugh, who is running for Congress in Nebraska. Topics include banning congressional stock trades, repealing the diaper tax, ICE raids hitting Nebraska's meatpacking towns, the costs of tariff chaos, redistricting reform, judicial term ideas, cannabis access, and how to actually rebuild public trust. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nick Hauselman hosts while Jared Yates Sexton joins from the road to break down a “deal” that looks a lot like capitulation, the promised-but-pointless ACA vote, and a wave of fake-elector pardons that clears the board for the authoritarian project. They talk weaponized investigations into Adam Schiff, the media's selective silence on Trump's health, and a Gilded Age cosplay at Mar-a-Lago while SNAP recipients twist in the wind. Also on the docket: 50-year mortgages that turn homeownership into a lifetime sentence and the trillion-dollar vibes coming from Musk's payday. It's shutdown brinkmanship, reality distortion, and class-war optics, all wrapped in one grim spectacle. Support the show by signing up to our Patreon and get access to the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a preview of our full Weekender. Support the show by signing up to our Patreon and get access to the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast In a live Weekender taping, Jared Yates Sexton holds down the fort while Nick Hauselman battles the “Socialist Republic of New York,” then tags in for a fast, sharp Q&A. The guys break down what Zoran Mamdani's win actually signals, whether AOC just gained real 2028 juice, and why Gavin Newsom looks like yesterday's model in a changing market. They torch the Heritage crowd's flirtation with Nick Fuentes, talk shutdown brinkmanship and mutual-aid politics, and lay out practical protest security in a surveillance state. There's a quick detour through JFK/FDR alt-history, a brutal review of that Springsteen movie, and a courtside reality check on a foul-fest Lakers–Spurs game featuring a very mortal Wemby. It's smart, a little spicy, and deeply unsentimental—just how Muckrake listeners like it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman kick things off by announcing a live Patreon Q&A this Thursday, November 6 at 5 p.m. ET, then dive into New York City's mayoral shockwave. They break down Zoran Mamdani's surge, Andrew Cuomo's Trump-backed Islamophobic ad blitz, and why the Democratic establishment looks allergic to enthusiasm. From there, they game out what a Mamdani win could mean for AOC, party power brokers, and a whole lot of donor panic. Plus, Trump's itchy trigger finger toward Nigeria, Venezuela, and Mexico gets the full reality check, and the guys unpack reports of ICE showing up near polling places alongside talk of bounty-style enforcement that sounds less like policy and more like state racketeering. Come for the outrage therapy, stay for the receipts. Support the show by signing up to our Patreon and get access to the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices