Vibes Only

Maxine Waters can't remember if she uses AI, and The Democracy Draft wants your midterm bracket. 47 days out, the vibes are bullish.Primary season is officially over. Brian is bullish on the House and more bearish on the Senate than most forecasters, and Glennis is spending the final 47 days touring Senate battlegrounds. They get into Speaker Mike Johnson's promised plan for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid next year. They also cover the ProPublica report that a Russian oligarch close to Putin paid for Donald Trump Jr.'s Bahamas wedding celebrations, and the Supreme Court keeping the Postal Service out of mail ballots for November.Then AI. An Anthropic researcher quit with a warning, AI CEOs started asking for a slowdown, and Trump called AI regulation a hoax. Meanwhile, Axios asked Congress whether they actually use AI. Sen. Roger Wicker said "Heavens, no," Rep. Frank Pallone reached for a heroin analogy, and Rep. Maxine Waters couldn't remember. Brian makes the case for generational change on the issues that will define the next decade.Also: Clickbait or Double-Click tackles four headlines:Mitch McConnell back in the Senate after three monthsKash Patel refusing to rule out FBI agents at polling sitesThe $9.5 billion DOGE-era paid leave billRepublicans branding Democrats as communists, where Brian's verdict might surprise youThe Oath Candidate of the Week is you. The Democracy Draft is March Madness for the midterms. Pick the winners of the cycle's top races, from Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan to Troy Jackson in Maine, and the closest bracket wins $4,000. It's free to enter at thedemocracydraft.com, and you can start side leagues. Then a Good Vibe Goodbye from Wisconsin, where the state Supreme Court heard challenges to a congressional map that gives Republicans six of eight seats. That fight could mean fair districts by 2028.New episodes of Vibes Only are available for download first thing every Thursday morning - hit FOLLOW and we'll keep you informed for the midterms.EPISODE RESOURCES/LINKSOath Candidate of the Week: Oath's Democracy DraftReporting Referenced: Don Jr's Wedding Was Paid For By Russians - ProPublicaClickbait or Double-Click 1: Mitch McConnell Returns to Senate After Three Month Absence - The New York TimesClickbait or Double-Click 2: Kash Patel Suggests FBI Agents Could Go to Election Polling Sites - The New York TimesClickbait or Double-Click 3: Thanks to DOGE, Federal Employees Got Paid Billions to Not Work - TIMEClickbait or Double-Click 4: Republicans, Facing Midterm Peril, Try to Brand Democrats as Communists - The New York TimesGood Vibe Goodbye: WI State Supreme Court to take up challenge to congressional maps this weekSend us a text!Watch us on YoutubeFollow us on Instagram Oh, we're on TikTok tooFollow Brian on IG Follow Glennis on IG

Why are Republicans holding a convention in a midterm year? Because it costs $250,000 to sit at a table with Donald Trump. Brian Derrick reads the Dallas price list out loud and explains what the first GOP midterm convention is actually for.The Republican National Committee gathered at the American Airlines Center in Dallas on September 9 and 10 for the first midterm convention in modern American history. Trump speaks both nights. A roundtable with him runs $250,000 per person and a photo is another $88,600. JD Vance's roundtable is $75,000 with a $35,000 photo. Brian explains why holding it in Texas is the entire point, and why Republicans in competitive districts are quietly staying home.Then Rockbridge. AXIOS reported this week that the secretive donor network Vance co-founded in 2019 threw the pre-convention party in Dallas, drawing HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., HUD Secretary Scott Turner, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Senator Eric Schmitt and Dallas donor Ray Washburne. Brian reads it as a preview of the 2028 campaign Vance is already building.On the legal side, two courts split on Missouri's congressional map within an hour of each other. Justice Brett Kavanaugh denied the state's emergency application, leaving the 2022 map in place for November, and then a federal judge in Missouri ruled the gerrymandered map must be used. Brian explains why Oath has been anchoring on flipping 11 House seats instead of five, and why the slow churn of the courts is still working in our favor with ballots already moving. North Carolina became the first state in the country to mail them on September 4.Also: New Hampshire picked its nominees. Chris Pappas won the Democratic Senate primary and will face former Senator John E. Sununu in November. Stefany Shaheen edged Maura Sullivan in the First Congressional District. Your Oath Candidate of the Week is Will Lawrence, the Sunrise Movement co-founder running against Representative Tom Barrett in Michigan's Seventh, a Trump-leaning district that just nominated a real progressive. Then a Good Vibe Goodbye from New York City, which is on pace for the fewest murders and shootings in recorded history. Brian has a name for it.New episodes of Vibes Only are available for download first thing every Thursday morning and Glennis is back next week! Hit FOLLOW and we'll keep you informed for the midterms.EPISODE RESOURCES/LINKSOath Candidate of the Week: Will LawrenceReporting Referenced: AXIOS on Rockbridge and VanceGood Vibe Goodbye: Violent Crime in NYC Hits Historic LowSend us a text!Watch us on YoutubeFollow us on Instagram Oh, we're on TikTok tooFollow Brian on IG Follow Glennis on IG

Your ballot is not cancelled. Sen. Richard Blumenthal released a 20-page complaint describing a rushed September 1 launch, a federal court order standing in the way, and one move that takes you off the list entirely: vote early.An anonymous federal official, represented by Whistleblower Aid, told Congress the Postal Service built its mail ballot verification system in weeks rather than the nine months to a year a project like this normally takes, with internal staff reportedly describing the process in language we cannot print here. Brian Derrick walks through what the system would actually do, why one bad barcode could reject an entire batch, and why the courts have already frozen it. Glennis Meagher makes the case that the panic is fair and the fix is boring: make a voting plan, vote early, and get your name off the turnout lists so campaigns can spend their time on someone who needs the reminder.Then the machinery. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigned after months of friction with Pete Hegseth, six months into the Iran war, leaving the Army without Senate-confirmed leadership in uniform or out of it. The White House confirmed the Pentagon's Office of Strategic Capital will take a 35 percent stake in North American Blue Energy Partners, the Venezuelan firm owned by Alejandro Betancourt, in a deal signed by Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth that Sen. Jack Reed called a blatant abuse of power and taxpayer dollars. New CDC Director Erica Schwartz pulled two Pennsylvania measles deaths out of the federal tally, the first measles deaths in that state in 35 years. And Speaker Mike Johnson (good Christian man, he is - lol jk) told CNN's Manu Raju he still supports Max Miller's re-election and we have the receipts.Ed Markey held off Seth Moulton, which sets up Brian and Glennis on the actual argument underneath the age fight: what a 51-seat Senate majority means when any single absence gives it away. Your Oath Candidate of the Week is Matt Dunlap, running against Paul LePage for Jared Golden's open seat in Maine's 2nd. Also for Clickbait or Double-Click we cover Kalshi suspending Laurie Buckhout for betting on her own race (and George Santos being back in the news whyyy), the RNC scheduling its first-ever midterm convention against the NFL opener, and the NTSB tracing a Marine One close call back to White House ballroom construction. Your Good Vibe Goodbye is Olivia Rodrigo's Daisy Chain Fields, which raised 20 million dollars for ten women's and girls' organizations after Melinda French Gates matched the total.CORRECTION: We describe the recalled Argentine beef as 300,000 tons of spoiled beef. The August recall was issued because roughly 30,000 pounds entered US commerce without required federal re-inspection, not because spoilage was confirmed.UPDATE: This episode was recorded the morning of Tuesday, September 1, 2026. Later that evening the House voted 413 to 2 to formally censure Chuck Edwards. Edwards denies the allegations and is not seeking re-election.New episodes of Vibes Only are available for download first thing every Thursday morning! Hit that FOLLOW and we'll keep you informed for the midterms.EPISODE RESOURCES/LINKSOath Candidate of the Week: Matt DunlapClickbait or Double-Click 1: Kalshi Suspends Republican House Candidate for Betting on Her Own Race - The New York TimesClickbait or Double-Click 2: Influencers Have a Lot to Say About Politics. Many Are Quietly Paid for It. - The New York TimesClickbait or Double-Click 3: GOP convention will battle NFL openers for attention - AXIOSClickbait or Double-Click 4: White House Construction May Have Contributed to Close Call With Trump's Helicopter - The New York TimesGood Vibe Goodbye: Olivia Rodrigo Raises $20 Million With Daisy Chain Fields Festival Thanks to Matching Commitment From Melinda French Gates - VarietySend us a text!Watch us on YoutubeFollow us on Instagram Oh, we're on TikTok tooFollow Brian on IG Follow Glennis on IG

Your feed said the midterms are over. Brian Derrick says take a breath. Plus Rob Sand is the favorite to be Iowa's next governor.The Supreme Court's shadow docket order on Donald Trump's mail-in voting executive order launched a thousand dramatic headlines this week. Brian Derrick walks through what the 6-3 order actually did, which was lift one of two injunctions on standing grounds, and why the slow churn of the courts may be working in our favor before November 3. Glennis Meagher explains why the panic is still a fair feeling with ballots going out in a matter of weeks across 24 jurisdictions, Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin among them. Also, Glennis looked up who cast a mail ballot in Florida's August 18 primary. It was Donald Trump.Then the numbers. Second quarter GDP growth came in at 1.5 percent, down from 2.1. New 50 percent tariffs on Canadian goods took effect over the weekend and Mark Carney's government answered within days. Brian explains the death of deference, which is how a president keeps doing the exact thing the Supreme Court told him he cannot do, by citing a new law every single time.Glennis opens a new weekly corruption beat with the Wall Street Journal's reporting on Live Nation. Michael Rapino sat down with Trump in the Oval Office on February 27 to talk Kennedy Center bookings, and Trump asked why the antitrust case had not settled. Two words to a senior DOJ official, settle it, and a case built over years was resolved days into trial. Brian lays out how far the pattern now runs: four airlines controlling 70 percent of the market, three carriers controlling 98 percent of wireless, two companies controlling every pair of sunglasses you have ever owned. Plus the Joint Economic Committee report on Trump's oil and gas holdings during a war he started.Also this week for Clickbait or Double Click: the Hakeem Jeffries and Jared Kushner meeting that content creator land could not stop talking about, CIA Director John Ratcliffe's unannounced trip to Moscow, and DHS quietly conceding that its 16,000 noncitizen voters in Nevada figure was preliminary, with only 185 confirmed so far. Then your Oath Candidate of the Week doubles as your Good Vibe Goodbye. Rob Sand is running for governor of Iowa, multiple prognosticators now have him as the favorite, and his coattails could put three Iowa House seats in play. We also take a minute for Dolly Parton.UPDATE: This episode was recorded Wednesday morning, August 26, 2026. Later that day the Kremlin confirmed Ratcliffe met with Russian intelligence counterparts in Moscow and said Vladimir Putin was briefed but did not attend. Trump called the trip "semi-routine."New episodes of Vibes Only are available for download first thing every Thursday morning! Hit that FOLLOW and we'll keep you informed for the midterms.EPISODE RESOURCES/LINKSThe Oath Candidate of the Week: Rob SandsClickbait or Double-Click 1: Jeffries Defends Kushner Meeting, Vowing Tough Oversight of Trump - The New York TimesClickbait or Double-Click 2: White House Crops Natalie Harp Out of Grand Prix Content - Rolling StoneClickbait or Double-Click 3: DHS acknowledges the noncitizen numbers it touted on voter rolls were inflated - NPRSend us a text!Watch us on YoutubeFollow us on Instagram Oh, we're on TikTok tooFollow Brian on IG Follow Glennis on IG

Angie Nixon was outspent 16 to 1 and won Florida anyway. Brian Derrick breaks down what the establishment missed, and Alaska's Parent Trap problem with two Dan Sullivans on the ballot.Angie Nixon beat Alexander Vindman with 56 percent in the Democratic primary for Florida's Senate special election, the race to finish Marco Rubio's term through 2028. Brian's read is that the prognosticators missed a state legislator who physically showed up for every fight in Florida while a creator ecosystem amplified her all year. Sabato's Crystal Ball moved the race to safe Republican the next morning. Oath has not. She faces Ashley Moody in November.In Alaska, Mary Peltola finished as the top vote-getter ahead of incumbent Dan Sullivan, and there is a second Dan Sullivan on that ballot, a former fifth grade teacher running as a Republican who pulled about 2.5 percent. Republicans tried to strike his name. The courts said no.Then Brian gives the full midterm TLDR. The four Senate seats Democrats need and the order they are likeliest to come in. Why the House is the must-win. The 36 governor's races, from David Crowley in Wisconsin to Amy Acton in Ohio. And the part of the ballot almost nobody talks about: attorneys general, secretaries of state, and state supreme courts. Kris Mayes won Arizona by 280 votes out of 2.5 million. That is the whole point.Also: Comment Crossfire debuts, where Glennis Meagher answers the DSA members who said that criticizing Megan Romer's New Yorker Radio Hour interview was doing Republicans' work for them. Plus Clickbait or Double-Click this week gets into Zohran Mamdani promoting free Broadway tickets in four languages and the MAGA meltdown it created, Nancy Mace showing off her new tats and YouTube show on her way out of Congress, and the $900MIL White House construction bill. Last but not least, of course, we haveg a Good Vibe Goodbye starring the disgusting Cory Mills losing his primary.And The Oath Candidate of the Week is choose your own adventure. Go to oath.vote/states, find a competitive race in your state, and get behind somebody.New episodes of Vibes Only are available for download first thing every Thursday morning! Hit that FOLLOW and we'll keep you informed for the midterms.EPISODE RESOURCES/LINKSThe Oath Candidate of the WeekPrimary Results - The New York TimesClickbait or Double-Click 1: Psaki questions Ossoff on White House aide remark - The HillClickbait or Double-Click 2: Zohran Mamdani's viral new campaigns in Mandarin, Bengali and Spanish wins hearts: ‘Bro's collecting languages like Pokémon' - The IndependentClickbait or Double-Click 3: Trump administration set to spend at least $900 million on White House construction - The Washington PostGood Vibe Goodbye: Embattled incumbent Cory Mills ousted in Florida primary - POLITICOSend us a text!Watch us on YoutubeFollow us on Instagram Oh, we're on TikTok tooFollow Brian on IG Follow Glennis on IG

David Crowley beat Francesca Hong by half a point. Peggy Flanagan won Minnesota by 20. Same night, opposite answers about where the party is going.Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley took the Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial primary over democratic socialist state Rep. Francesca Hong in a nail biter that broke past 2 a.m. Brian had been telling anyone who would listen that Crowley was winning while prediction markets had Hong at 96 percent, and he takes the victory lap. His read on why: no AOC, no Bernie, no Warren, no signature policy that broke through, and a cancel Thanksgiving clip nobody could unsee. Glennis brings in the other variable, Megan Romer, one of the DSA's two national chairs, whose New Yorker Radio Hour sit down with David Remnick got clipped into oblivion days before Wisconsin voted. Also: five of nine Milwaukee flash drives showed up at central count carrying audit logs instead of results, and Steve Kornacki had to fill 90 minutes of live NBC air with nothing.Then the rest of the board. Peggy Flanagan beat Angie Craig by roughly 20 points in Minnesota, and Brian argues that race teaches 2028 more than Wisconsin does. Luke Bronin ended John Larson's 28 year run in Connecticut's 1st, the seventh House incumbent to lose after actually running, five of them over 70. South Carolina's special Senate primary heads to an August 25 runoff between Rep. Ralph Norman and appointed Sen. Darline Graham. Mike Lindell lost Minnesota's Republican gubernatorial primary to House Speaker Lisa Demuth and would not concede. David Crowley is your Oath Candidate of the Week, and he is starting from zero with a general election against Rep. Tom Tiffany in November.Plus AOC telling Jonathan Karl on ABC's This Week that "Woke 1 was crazy," and the real question underneath it: can somebody who was loud during Woke 1 be the 2028 nominee? Brian says the jury is out. Glennis says yes and names her candidate. Then the economy, where July CPI landed at 3.4 percent, the July jobs report came in at negative 23,000 against expectations near 85,000 with another 103,000 knocked off May and June, and workers' share of national income sits at its lowest point since tracking began in 1947. Also this week for Clickbait or Double-Click: Trump slipping off Air Force One into an airport catering truck in Ankara while the press flew the decoy, Mamdani backing Tiffany Cabán's Delivery Protection Act to force Amazon to directly employ its delivery drivers, and the New York Times piece on Flock cameras that has liberals and conservatives mad at the same thing.Then a Good Vibe Goodbye where a guy on the Brooklyn Museum steps asks Mamdani to find him a date and the mayor's office answers with a borough by borough summer guide for anyone looking for cheap and cheerful dates in NYC.UPDATE: This episode was recorded Wednesday morning, August 12, 2026, while Wisconsin votes were still being counted. Since recording, the Associated Press and Decision Desk HQ officially called the race for David Crowley, who secured the nomination with 39.8% of the vote compared to Francesca Hong's 39.4%.New episodes of Vibes Only are available for download first thing every Thursday morning! Hit that FOLLOW and we'll keep you informed for the midterms.EPISODE RESOURCES/LINKSThe Oath Candidate of the Week: David Crowley for WIPrimary Results - The New York TimesHow Socialist Is the D.S.A.? Megan Romer Explains | The New Yorker Radio HourAnything is Possible: AOC on Political FutureIran Insists Strait Will Stay Closed Until U.S. Agrees to Demands - The New York TimesLabor Market Shifts Into Reverse as Employers Balk at Hiring - The New York TimesTrump Said to Have Secretly Used Military Jet to Leave Turkey Amid Threats From Iran - The New York TimesFight Brews Between Mamdani and Amazon Over Delivery Workers - The New York TimesFlock Cameras Can Track Every Car in America. Police Love Them. Citizens Don't. - The New York TimesFix This Mamdani - InstagramSend us a text!Watch us on YoutubeFollow us on Instagram Oh, we're on TikTok tooFollow Brian on IG Follow Glennis on IG

Vibes Only is a weekly political podcast hosted by Brian Derrick and Glennis Meagher, two strategists who have spent their careers inside the machine. Brian is a political strategist and the founder of Oath, a platform that has raised millions for candidates in state and local elections. Glennis is a political and new media strategist and the co-founder of Generator Collective.Election day is November 3. Between now and then you are going to hear a lot of noise engineered to make you feel helpless. Vibes Only with Brian Derrick and Glennis Meagher is the antidote... The news, the races, and the culture, explained the way two people who actually work in this business talk when the cameras and microphones are off.No panic. No jargon. No consultant speak.Just the vibes with receipts attached.New episodes every Thursday.Start here, then follow the show and pick any episode. If you like what you hear, a rating and a review is the single biggest thing you can do to help other people find us.Send us a text!Watch us on YoutubeFollow us on Instagram Oh, we're on TikTok tooFollow Brian on IG Follow Glennis on IG

Abdul El-Sayed narrowly won his Michigan primary against Haley Stevens. Brian breaks down what that proves, and the much harder thing progressives have to prove next in the generals.Abdul El-Sayed beat Haley Stevens in the Michigan Senate primary and now faces Republican Mike Rogers for a seat Democrats almost certainly need. Brian had it at two to three points in his pre election briefing while the loud polling said ten plus, and he explains why the margin matters less than what comes next. Michigan is a must win. It is also the first real test of whether the progressive surge that started with Mamdani actually converts in a general.The rest of the map was messier. William Lawrence, who helped found Sunrise Movement, took Michigan's 7th with 43 percent against two moderates who together got more. Donavan McKinney took the 13th. In Missouri, Wesley Bell beat Cori Bush in a race that drew 8.4 million dollars, 7.2 million of it behind Bell. Virginia moderates swept. Brian's read: progressives just bought themselves a put up or shut up November. Glennis makes the case that what moves a general is relational organizing and message discipline, not plane tickets.Then the money. Nike booked a 986 million dollar tariff refund. Ford expects 1.3 billion. Businesses can claim roughly 166 billion total after the Supreme Court threw out the IEEPA tariffs in February, S&P 500 profits are running near 50 percent year over year, and your grocery bill has not moved. Brian's question is the one nobody is asking: the tariffs are gone, so where is the price drop?Also: Oath's new Dirtbag Slate, Chuck Edwards dropping his reelection bid hours after the House Ethics Committee recommended censure, Todd Blanche clearing committee 12 to 10, and Brian teaching Glennis what vibe coding is. Clickbait or Double Click takes on Gen Z and the cost of a first date, California's billionaire tax, and Jeanine Pirro walking back the reflecting pool cases. Then a Good Vibe Goodbye out of Missouri and Kansas, where voters buried two Republican amendments to their state constitutions.UPDATE: This episode was recorded Wednesday morning, August 5, 2026. At time of recording, The Associated Press called Michigan for El-Sayed at 9:56 a.m. that morning and Haley Stevens conceded shortly after and Todd Blanche has cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee but has not received a full floor vote.New episodes drop every Thursday morning! Hit that FOLLOW and we'll help you stay informed for the midterms.EPISODE RESOURCES/LINKSDefeat the Dirtbags with OathClickbait or Double-click 1: Gen Z Can't Afford a First Date - The New York TimesClickbait or Double-click 2: California Democrats Support Billionaire Tax, Infighting Lingers - The New York TimesClickbait or Double-click 3: Prosecutor in D.C. Moves to Dismiss More Reflecting Pool Cases - The New York TimesSend us a text!Watch us on YoutubeFollow us on Instagram Oh, we're on TikTok tooFollow Brian on IG Follow Glennis on IG

Jon Ossoff's 2020 interview is going viral again. Brian Derrick says Ossoff could win over median voters and that the internet's response right now is bananas, while Glennis Meagher is watching for a different problem entirely.The clip is from a November 2020 Axios on HBO interview and features a rapid round of yes or no questions: Green New Deal, Medicare for All, defunding the police, abolishing ICE, expanding the Supreme Court. Ossoff answered no to a lot of it. Nearly six years later it is circulating as a gotcha, and Brian's read is the opposite: this is how you win Georgia. Georgia is where the median voter lives, and Brian says Jon's clarity matters more than his answers. Glennis takes on the part of this convo few in the mainstream seem to be talking about, which is what happens to a candidate when a video from six years ago resurfaces mid campaign and they lose control of their own virality.This week we also get into the recently announced voting calendar for 2028. The DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee signed off on the 2028 primary order: South Carolina January 22, Nevada February 1, New Hampshire February 8, New Mexico February 15, Michigan February 22, Virginia February 29, Super Tuesday March 7. Iowa is out. The full DNC votes on it in Austin next month. Brian explains why one national primary day would be a disaster for anyone who is not already rich, why going first is really about proving viability to donors before you spend down to zero, and what putting South Carolina at the front tells you about which voters the party is betting on.Plus what the Senate is actually trying to move in the two weeks before August recess: the NDAA and Trump's $1.5 trillion military ask, Reconciliation 3.0 and the attempt to bolt the SAVE Act onto it, and Jay Clayton's confirmation as Director of National Intelligence, replacing Trump's temporary pick Bill Pulte. Meanwhile John Cornyn and Thom Tillis have Todd Blanche's attorney general nomination stuck in committee until the Justice Department kills off Trump's $1.776 billion anti weaponization slush fund in writing. Brian Poindexter, the union ironworker and Brook Park councilman running in Ohio's 7th, is your Oath Candidate of the Week, and we explain how you can help him flip a seat that got a lot more competitive the day Max Miller's divorce filings went public.Also this week for Clickbait or Double-Click: the New York Times story about Ken Martin, the DNC's finances and a whole lot of phone throwing, the Campus Guardian Angel drones that spray pepper gel now heading into nine schools this fall, and Trump's Correspondents' Dinner bit about Kaitlan Collins that landed about as well as the plane in LOST. Then we send you off with a Good Vibe Goodbye involving Kathy Hochul, your kid's phone, and the end of the algorithmic feed that has been pumping AI slop into their brains.UPDATE: This episode was recorded Wednesday morning, July 29, 2026. Late that night the Senate Judiciary Committee postponed its vote on Todd Blanche, with Cornyn and Tillis still holding out for written assurances from the Justice Department.New episodes drop every Thursday morning! Hit FOLLOW and we'll help you stay informed for the midterms.EPISODE LINKSOath Candidate of the Week: Brian PoindexterSend us a text!Watch us on YoutubeFollow us on Instagram Oh, we're on TikTok tooFollow Brian on IG Follow Glennis on IG

Troy Jackson has the delegates in Maine, Amish Shah beat the DCCC in Arizona, and Michigan votes August 4. The party endorsement is now a liability.Arizona was the only state holding a primary this month, and it delivered the story of the summer. Amish Shah won the Democratic nomination in Arizona's 1st Congressional District over the candidate the DCCC spent real money to boost. Brian Derrick and Glennis Meagher walk through why this might be happening, from Randy Villegas in California to Matt Dunlap in Maine, and what it means when the national party's blessing starts reading as a potential scarlet letter.Up in Maine, Troy Jackson has locked up the delegates to replace Graham Platner on the ballot against Susan Collins, and he is this week's Oath Candidate of the Week. A fifth generation logger who got into politics organizing his fellow loggers against a Canadian labor swap, Jackson starts from zero with a nominating convention set for July 25. Brian explains why this is one of the rare Senate races where an early contribution actually moves something.Then it's Michigan, where Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed are twelve days from an August 4 primary that has pulled in roughly $50 million in outside spending, including the largest single race investment AIPAC has ever made. Plus Pete Hegseth on the Hill pricing the Iran war at $37.5 billion while asking for tens of billions more, Kirsten Gillibrand pressing him on why a supposedly decimated Iran is still killing American service members, and the drone company investments Joe Rogan Googled live on his own show.Also this week: a rapid fire Clickbait or Double Click on the Cyclospora outbreak and your Crunchwrap Supreme, the Tate brothers' arrest in Miami, and Zohran Mamdani's viral Netanyahu video. Plus why Kamala Harris keeps getting handed the 2028 frontrunner label, and a Good Vibe Goodbye courtesy of John Cornyn, two ambassador nominations and PEPFAR.New episodes every Thursday morning! Follow so you never miss a check in!EPISODE LINKSSupport Oath Candidate of the Week: Troy JacksonSend us a text!Watch us on YoutubeFollow us on Instagram Oh, we're on TikTok tooFollow Brian on IG Follow Glennis on IG

Lindsey Graham's sister just got picked by Trump via Fake Social to take his Senate seat, Trump's pet Todd Blanche wants to run DOJ, and we still managed to celebrate the good vibes this week.We get into the recent ICE killings that have people marching from Maine to Texas. Joan Sebastian Guerrero was shot by an ICE agent in Biddeford on his way to work, days after Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was killed at a traffic stop in Texas, and the pressure is already forcing reversals out of DHS. As always, we're here to make the case for real accountability and in this week's episode of Vibes Only the podcast, we get into where the abolish versus reform fight actually stands for the party.Then the Senate gets weird. Lindsey Graham died, and his sister, Darline Graham Nordone, was sworn into his seat within days, reopening the South Carolina race and handing Dr. Annie Andrews a real shot at an open seat. We break it all down for you. As well as Todd Blanche, Trump's former personal lawyer now up for attorney general, and why an independent DOJ is the thing to watch. Plus a plain English take on Reconciliation 3.0 and the SAVE Act, including the Elizabeth Warren provision that would block defense contractors like Amazon and Google from stock buybacks.Also this week: a rapid fire Clickbait or Double Click on your paycheck versus inflation, a supposed uptick in threats against the Supreme Court, and the Strait of Hormuz is back in the news. This week's Oath Candidate of the Week is Ben Gruber, the conservation warden trying to flip the tipping point seat in the Wisconsin Assembly, and we've got a double Good Vibe Goodbye straight out of New York with Kathy Hochul's data center moratorium and a horse carriage ban for Manhattan inching closer.New episodes of Vibes Only the Podcast drop every Thursday morning! Follow so you never miss a vibe check.EPISODE LINKSOATH CANDIDATE OF THE WEEKSend us a text!Watch us on YoutubeFollow us on Instagram Oh, we're on TikTok tooFollow Brian on IG Follow Glennis on IG

Graham Platner's Senate campaign just imploded, and it might be the best news Maine Democrats got all year. Here's who replaces him.Graham Platner is out, and the Maine Democratic Party has until July 27th to name a replacement. Brian Derrick and Glennis Meagher get into who actually deserves blame for the whole mess in Maine and SPOILER it's the consultants who recruited him, the party that let it get this far, and - of course - Platner himself. Then it's Weekend at Bernie's in the Senate as Mitch McConnell goes three weeks without a public sighting, and we walk through what happens in Kentucky if Governor Andy Beshear gets to make a move (Thomas Massie, anyone?).Donald Trump is still holding a genuinely good housing bill hostage over the SAVE Act, so we explain why that should shake anyone's trust in Donald Trump, the world's worst businessman, on the economy. Plus we get into (not literally) the former Pfizer HQ on 42nd Street that's now leaning like a melted ice cream cone and forced nine buildings to evacuate, and yes, Brian needs a new apartment (Upper West Side leads welcome - DM us on instagram @vibesonlythepodcast).Also this week: a rapid fire round of Clickbait or Double Click on Iran, election funding, and Florida's Stop Woke law, this week's Oath Candidate of the Week is a real looker named Manny Rutinel in Colorado's 8th, and a Good Vibe Goodbye courtesy of the federal courts.Just the vibes. And the receipts. Every Thursday. Follow the show so you never miss a check in!EPISODE LINKSOATH CANDIDATE OF THE WEEKSend us a text!Watch us on YoutubeFollow us on Instagram Oh, we're on TikTok tooFollow Brian on IG Follow Glennis on IG

Melat Kiros toppled a longtime incumbent and Phil Weiser beat a sitting senator: Colorado's progressive wave is real and we brought the receipts.This week Colorado handed progressives a statement night. Attorney General Phil Weiser defeated sitting US Senator Michael Bennet for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, 29-year-old democratic socialist Melat Kiros unseated 15-term Denver incumbent Diana DeGette in the 1st District, and state Rep. Manny Rutinel won the Democratic primary in the battleground 8th. Brian and Glennis dig into what's actually driving these wins: not a DSA litmus test, but voters hungry for candidates who fight and communicate.Then it's the Supreme Court's final day of the term. In National Republican Senatorial Committee v. FEC, the Court struck down limits on how much party committees can spend in coordination with their own candidates, a 6-3 ruling that reshapes money in the 2026 midterms. The justices also upheld state bans on transgender girls in girls' and women's school sports (West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox) and, a day earlier, let states count mail ballots that arrive after Election Day. In this episode of Vibes Only, we break down what each ruling means for real for real.Also: Trump's new financial disclosure showing more than $2 billion in 2025 income (roughly $1.4 billion tied to crypto and meme coins), the leaked 911 audio around Mitch McConnell being a breath from death, this week's Oath Candidate of the Week Keisha Lance Bottoms running for Georgia governor, and a rapid-fire round of Clickbait or Double Click.New episodes drop every Thursday morning! Tap follow now and stay ahead of the news cycle with us.EPISODE LINKSOATH CANDIDATE OF THE WEEKSend us a text!Watch us on YoutubeFollow us on Instagram Oh, we're on TikTok tooFollow Brian on IG Follow Glennis on IG

Zohran Mamdani is being called a kingmaker, and after this week's New York primaries it's easy to see why. Is the Democratic Party fundamentally shifting left, or are voters simply desperate for an alternative to the 70-year-old status quo?This week on Vibes Only, we break down the massive shockwaves from the New York primary elections. From Mayor Mamdani's new proported kingmaker status to the DSA's historic triple-crown victories upending powerful establishment machines, we look at how young, energetic hustlers are changing the face of campaigning in 2026.Plus, we dive into the heartbreaking $27 million super PAC blitz that took down AI-reform candidate Alex Bores, why Trump is blocking his own bipartisan housing bill over the SAVE Act, and the terrifying reality of national security flying blind after the expiration of FISA. Pull up a chair cause the vibes are chaotic this week, but the analysis we are bringing - it is sharp.Vibes Only is a weekly political podcast hosted by Brian Derrick and Glennis Meagher, two political operatives turned creators breaking down the news of the week in politics, elections, and culture with new episodes EVERY Thursday morning!EPISODE LINKSToday, Explained Episode with Alex BoresTulsi Gabbard Expose by The Washington PostOATH CANDIDATE OF THE WEEKSend us a text!Watch us on YoutubeFollow us on Instagram Oh, we're on TikTok tooFollow Brian on IG Follow Glennis on IG

Mrs. Frazzled (Arielle Fodor) did not set out to end a congressman's career. In this full bonus interview, the TikTok creator sits down with Brian Derrick and Glennis Meagher to walk through exactly how she and a coalition of independent creators surfaced the sexual misconduct allegations that ended Eric Swalwell's run for California governor and his time in Congress.In this bonus episode of Vibes Only, Brian Derrick and Glennis Meagher chat with Arielle about the parts of the scandal nobody posts, like… buying an umbrella insurance policy on her house as protection for her familytesting the Swalwell story on Threads before she ever made a videocalling CNN herself because she could not carry the reporting aloneAnd what it feels like to have an OPPO research binder written on you Also: why she is done with investigative content for good, how broken disclosure laws turn every creator into a suspected paid operative, and her advice for anyone trying to build real trust in political media right now.This is the full conversation behind Thursday's episode. If Vibes Only makes your week make sense, follow the show and leave a rating and review. It genuinely moves us up the charts and helps more people find the vibes. And the receipts.EPISODE LINKSArielle Fodor aka Mrs. Frazzled on TikTokCheyenne Hunt's Org "Reckoning Action"Meg Klink's Org "Pretty Informed Girls"OATH CANDIDATE OF THE WEEKSend us a text!Watch us on YoutubeFollow us on Instagram Oh, we're on TikTok tooFollow Brian on IG Follow Glennis on IG

Elon Musk just crossed into trillionaire territory, Donald Trump hosted a chaotic corruption scheme disguised as a UFC match on the White House lawn, and a powerhouse coalition of independent creators including our guest this week - Arielle Fodor (Mrs. Frazzled of TikTok fame) just took down a sitting politician.This week on Vibes Only, Brian Derrick and Glennis Meagher chat from across the pond to break down the sheer scale of infinite wealth, a pointless war that left us $100 Billion poorer, and the massive Supreme Court decisions dropping by the end of this month.Then, we are joined by the incredible Arielle Fodor (AKA @MrsFrazzled) to pull back the curtain on how she, Cheyenne Hunt at Reckoning Action, and Meg Klink at Pretty Informed Girls bypassed traditional newsrooms to expose the open secret of former Congressman Eric Swalwell. From taking out umbrella insurance policies to handle the legal heat, to testing the waters on Threads, Arielle shares what accountability looks like in the age of independent media.Tell your friends - Vibes Only is a weekly political podcast hosted by Brian Derrick and Glennis Meagher, two political operatives turned creators breaking down the news of the week in politics, elections, and culture. New episodes every Thursday morning and a BONUS EPISODE (our full interview with Arielle Fodor aka Mrs. Frazzled) DROPPING TOMORROW!EPISODE LINKSArielle Fodor aka Mrs. Frazzled on TikTokCheyenne Hunt's Org "Reckoning Action"Meg Klink's Org "Pretty Informed Girls"OATH CANDIDATE OF THE WEEKSend us a text!Watch us on YoutubeFollow us on Instagram Oh, we're on TikTok tooFollow Brian on IG Follow Glennis on IG

Hunter Biden went viral, Graham Platner won Maine, and the AI bubble started to wobble, all in one week. Brian Derrick and Glennis Meagher break down the new inflation numbers and what they actually mean for your rent and your retirement, why Hunter Biden's chaotic run on X and his Candace Owens interview might be the best thing to happen to the Biden family in years, and how Graham Platner survived a brutal week of headlines to win Maine's Democratic Senate primary and line up a fight with Susan Collins.Then it's billionaire season. Bernie Sanders wants the public to own half of every major AI company just as SpaceX races toward a record-setting IPO, three big bills are jammed in Congress deciding exactly where your tax dollars go (ICE funding, FISA, and a 1.5 trillion dollar military budget), and FIFA is on track to make a fortune off a World Cup that New York taxpayers are helping foot the bill for, the same week the tournament kicks off.Also: the Knicks have had all of New York in a happy unifying chokehold, Spencer Pratt loses in LA, and Josh Turek is our Oath Candidate of the Week.If this podcast makes your week a little less unhinged, be sure to hit follow, leave us a rating and a review wherever you're listening. It takes a minute, and is 100% the single biggest thing that helps new listeners find a small podcast like our's. Thank you for your support!OATH CANDIDATE OF THE WEEK: Donate to Josh Turek's Campaign HERE!Send us a text!Vibes Only is a weekly political podcast hosted by Brian Derrick and Glennis Meagher, two political operatives turned creators breaking down the news of the week in politics, elections, and culture. New episodes every Thursday morning.Vibes Only on Instagram We're on TikTok tooFollow Brian on IG Follow Glennis on IG

Keith Edwards joins Vibes Only for the full interview on the Pattie Gonia vs Patagonia trademark fight, Trump's health, and the gerrymandering battle splitting the left.Our most frequent guest is back! Political strategist, commentator, and one of the fastest growing voices in the space, Keith Edwards sat down with Brian Derrick and Glennis Meagher for the complete, unedited conversation. A slice of this aired in yesterday's episode. This is the whole thing.Keith opens on the question hanging over everything: is authoritarianism actually happening, or is the Democratic position quietly the strongest it has been in a decade? Then he gets into his running watch on the president's health, the bruises, the theories, and the stretch where Trump went six days without being seen in public.From there, everyone wades into the fight that took over Threads. Pattie Gonia versus Patagonia. Keith walks through why this is really a trademark case and not the simple corporate villain story the internet wants it to be, how a legal dispute ended up getting argued through Instagram posts, and whether Pattie Gonia took a genuinely good cause a step too far.That is where the real disagreement starts. Brian and Keith do not see gerrymandering the same way. Keith's whole thing is that you become what you are fighting, and Brian makes the case for caring about the outcome over the method and getting to a federal ban by 2029. Along the way they hit the podcast grift economy, why the parties keep getting more extreme, why Keith thinks most voters do not actually care about AI, the Graham Platner situation and the Maine Senate race against Susan Collins, and a closing round on knowing when it is time to step aside.Consider this your weekly pause from doomscrolling and consultant speak. Just solid vibes and receipts.Also: Keith is bringing red hats back - his makes an appearance, the girls are fighting (lovingly), and Keith reminds everyone he is still waiting on a billionaire to come buy his channel. Stick around for the goodbyes.Send us a text!Vibes Only is a weekly political podcast hosted by Brian Derrick and Glennis Meagher, two political operatives turned creators breaking down the news of the week in politics, elections, and culture. New episodes every Thursday morning.Vibes Only on Instagram We're on TikTok tooFollow Brian on IG Follow Glennis on IG

It is Pride Month, it is primary season, and the Democratic Party is having a moment. Brian and Glennis are back with our third-time guest, political strategist and one of the fastest growing podcasters in the game right now, Keith Edwards, for a wide-ranging conversation about Trump's health, the gerrymandering debate splitting the left, and the Patagonia versus Pattie Gonia trademark war that took over every progressive's Threads feed this week.But first, we have to talk about Maine. Graham Platner, the oyster farmer and Marine veteran running to unseat Susan Collins, is now facing reports that he sexted multiple women early in his marriage, the latest in a string of controversies that includes a covered Nazi tattoo and a pattern of bad online judgment. Brian and Glennis land in very different places on whether any of it matters, and the conversation ends up being less about Platner specifically and more about what Democrats are actually looking for in a candidate right now, and what they are willing to overlook to get there.Then Brian lifts the mood with the Oath candidate of the week: Bobby Pulido, a Latin Grammy winning musician running to flip a gerrymandered seat in Texas by performing at quinceañeras and meeting voters where they actually are. Glennis, reporting from Washington DC, takes us to the White House lawn, where a UFC cage is going up for Trump's 80th birthday.After that, Jared Polis, the Democratic governor of Colorado - who under pressure from Trump - commuted the sentence of Tina Peters. Miss Peters, if you're nasty, was the election denier convicted of tampering with voting equipment. She walked out of prison and went straight to Steve Bannon's podcast to call herself a political prisoner and accuse Democrats of cheating in the midterms. Polis was censured by the Colorado legislature and responded by showing up to a public event with his mouth duct-taped shut. Brian and Glennis are speechless, and then they are not.We also check in on the AI IPO wave, with SpaceX, Anthropic, and OpenAI all signaling public offerings at a combined valuation approaching three trillion dollars, and what that level of speculative concentration in the market actually means for the rest of us.Then Keith Edwards joins the pod. He makes the case that authoritarianism, while real, has not fully landed the way some feared, and that Democrats are in a stronger political position than they have been in a decade. He tracks Trump's health with his signature forensic attention, flags six days without a public presidential appearance, and wonders out loud why the mainstream media is not pressing harder on the story. He and Glennis dig into the Patagonia versus Pattie Gonia lawsuit, the online mob dynamics that made it impossible to read clearly at first, and why trademark law exists to protect small businesses too, not just outdoor apparel giants. And he and Brian go back and forth on gerrymandering, with Brian now firmly in the outcomes camp and Keith holding the line on means.Also, Keith did not respond to Pattie Gonia's DMs. Glennis is wearing what may or may not be a Proud Boys jacket. Brian does his Rick Devens impression. And the gang has some things to say about Susan Collins' continued presence in the United States Senate.If you are enjoying the show, leaving a review wherever you listen goes a long way and helps more people find us. We read them and we appreciate every single one.A full bonus episode with the complete Keith Edwards interview drops this Friday, everywhere you get Vibes Only.KEEP UP W/KEITHKeith's Debate Club Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/keithedwards.bsky.socialNewsletter: keithedwards.substack.comInstagram: instagram.com/keithedwardsThreads: threads.net/@keithedwardsTwitter: twitter.com/keithedwardsTikTok: tiktok.com/@keithedwardsFOLLOW VIBES ONLYInstagram: instagram.com/vibesonlythepodcastTikTok: tiktok.com/vibesonlythepodcastBrian: instagram.com/brianderrick_Glennis: instagram.com/glennismeagherSend us a text!Vibes Only is a weekly political podcast hosted by Brian Derrick and Glennis Meagher, two political operatives turned creators breaking down the news of the week in politics, elections, and culture. New episodes every Thursday morning.Vibes Only on Instagram We're on TikTok tooFollow Brian on IG Follow Glennis on IG

This is the one we promised. Our full, unedited conversation with our first guest of Season 3; with public defender, creator, and iconic Survivor player Eliza Orlins. A slice of it ran in Thursday's episode. Here's the whole thing.Eliza anchored "Cover to Cover-Up," 24 straight hours live streaming a reading of the Epstein files, Cory Booker filibuster style, after Steve Schmidt and the Save America movement connected her with the redacted reading room in Tribeca. She takes us inside how it actually came together, the overnight scramble to fill the midnight to 7:30 AM hours, and what it felt like to read victim testimony out loud for a full day.She has been on the Epstein beat since 2018, when she watched the Manhattan DA's office quietly request a downward departure on his sex offender registration level, something she says she had never once seen in 15 years of public defending. She walks through what is actually in the files, the two million plus pages still hidden, the improper redactions in the pages we do have, and the Treasury documents that implicate Jamie Dimon and the banks. Then she makes the point that lands hardest: in every horrific case she ever read as a public defender, there was at least the promise of accountability. With Epstein, the richest and most powerful men in the world (Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Leon Black) have faced none. The reading room is now going on the road and opening two blocks from the White House, just in time for Trump's birthday.There is more here than made the Thursday cut. Eliza gets into the Democratic "autopsy," Rob Flaherty's much more honest version of it, and why she thinks the left is decades late on building real creator infrastructure because no one is watching cable news anymore. It is the clearest case we have heard for why shows like this one exist.Then things get a bit more personal as Eliza explains why she believes she will never be invited back to Survivor after she publicly torched CBS over its hard right turn, the $16 million settlement, Bari Weiss taking over CBS News, and a returning contestant's on air antisemitic rant. There are Survivor 50 hot takes, a MAGA alliance theory, and a Roy Moore connection you will not see coming.A programming note: this episode includes discussion of child sexual abuse and trafficking. Listener discretion advised.Send us a text!New episodes of Vibes Only drop every week. If you like the show, the single biggest thing you can do is leave a rating and a review… it's free, it takes ten seconds, and it's how we get in front of more people who need a politics podcast that isn't going to make them want to move to the woods.Vibes Only is a weekly political podcast hosted by Brian Derrick (Political Strategist and Founder of Oath) and Glennis Meagher (Political and New Media Strategist and Co-founder of Generator Collective), two political operatives turned creators breaking down the news of the week for you in terms of politics, elections, and culture. Consider us your weekly pause from doomscrolling and consultant-speak, just some solid vibes (and receipts) every Thursday morning.

Brian and Glennis are back with their first guest of Season 3, and it is a big one. Public defender, creator, and iconic Survivor player Eliza Orlins joins to talk about the 24 hours she spent live streaming a reading of the Epstein files, Cory Booker filibuster style, after Steve Schmidt and the Save America movement connected her with the redacted reading room in Tribeca.Eliza has been on the Epstein beat since 2018, when she watched the Manhattan DA's office quietly request a downward departure on his sex offender registration level, something she says she had never once seen in 15 years of public defending. She walks through what is actually in the files, the two million plus pages still hidden, the improper redactions in the pages we do have, and the Treasury documents that implicate Jamie Dimon and the banks. She makes the point that lands hardest: in every horrific case she ever read as a public defender, there was at least the promise of accountability. With Epstein, the richest and most powerful men in the world (Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Leon Black) have faced none. The reading room is now going on the road and opening two blocks from the White House, just in time for Trump's 80th birthday.Then it gets personal. Eliza explains why she believes she will never be invited back to Survivor after she publicly torched CBS over its hard right turn, the $16 million settlement, Bari Weiss taking over CBS News, and a returning contestant's on air antisemitic rant. There are Survivor 50 hot takes, a MAGA alliance theory, and a Roy Moore connection you will not see coming.After Eliza, Brian and Glennis turn to the Texas runoff that just wiped out John Cornyn. Ken Paxton, who is indicted, impeached, settled a whistleblower suit for $3.3 million in taxpayer money, and is comically corrupt by any measure, won by nearly 28 points on the strength of a single Trump endorsement. It capped the most expensive primary in US history at over $100 million, with roughly $80 million of that spent against Paxton, and it did not matter. Brian and Glennis dig into the chicken and egg of a Trump endorsement, why an unelectable nominee may be the best case scenario for Democrats and James Talarico, and the growing list of Republicans Trump is turning into lame duck enemies inside his own caucus.Then, in What Fresh Hell Is This number 642: the UFC cage Trump is building on the White House lawn for his birthday, the billionaires set to watch from the front row, Paramount's $7.7 billion UFC deal, and the illegal online casino sponsoring the whole thing that Trump keeps posting about. Brian and Glennis make the case that the whole spectacle is rage bait engineered to make liberals look out of touch, and lay out how to talk about it without taking the bait.They close on a genuinely good vibe out of South Carolina, where the state Senate killed a new map that would have eliminated its only majority Black district.And one more thing: a bonus episode with Eliza Orlins drops this Friday.A programming note: this episode includes discussion of child sexual abuse and trafficking. Listener discretion advised.EPISODE LINKSEliza's 24 Hour Livestream of the Epstein FilesEliza's YouTubeSend us a text!New episodes of Vibes Only drop every week. If you like the show, the single biggest thing you can do is leave a rating and a review… it's free, it takes ten seconds, and it's how we get in front of more people who need a politics podcast that isn't going to make them want to move to the woods.Vibes Only is a weekly political podcast hosted by Brian Derrick (Political Strategist and Founder of Oath) and Glennis Meagher (Political and New Media Strategist and Co-founder of Generator Collective), two political operatives turned creators breaking down the news of the week for you in terms of politics, elections, and culture. Consider us your weekly pause from doomscrolling and consultant-speak, just some solid vibes (and receipts) every Thursday morning.

Brian and Glennis are back, this time remote (Glennis is sick, not with hantavirus or Ebola, thanks for asking). And the corruption story of the season just dropped. Trump sued the IRS for $10 billion claiming emotional damages over a leaked piece of his 2019 tax return. A federal judge called it bullshit, brought in legal experts who agreed it was bullshit, then settled by creating a $1.7 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund" controlled by five allies of AG Todd Blanche, with no transparency requirements and the explicit purpose of paying out January 6 defendants. Glennis just paid her taxes. Brian explains why this is the most brazen self-dealing in modern American politics.This week, Brian Derrick (Political Strategist and Founder of Oath) and Glennis Meagher (Political and New Media Strategist and Co-founder of Generator Collective) walk through the slush fund, what it means that taxpayer money is about to flow to people who assaulted police officers at the Capitol, and why Brian thinks the Trump children and several cabinet members are still on a path to prison even if Trump himself never is.Then the corruption deep dive. New reporting that Trump made more than 3,600 individual stock trades in Q1, often on the same day he was visiting manufacturing plants, tweeting about specific companies, or calling into CNBC and Fox News to pump them. His personal net worth has more than doubled in a year. His inner circle is making prediction market trades minutes before Iran announcements move oil. The White House says he has nothing to do with any of it. Brian and Glennis go through the receipts.The political board is also moving fast. Bill Cassidy, the fake moderate Louisiana Republican who voted for all of Trump's nominees and then pretended to be outraged, came in third in his own primary after Trump endorsed against him. He gave a speech that could turn him into a serious thorn in Trump's side on committee votes, nominees, and DHS funding for the rest of his term. Sitting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth flew to Kentucky on duty to campaign against Thomas Massey, the last Republican still pushing on the Epstein files. Trump's approval is now 37%, the lowest of his political career. The Democratic generic ballot is at +11, larger than the 2018 wave. Plus the most expensive House primary in U.S. history (in Kentucky, of all places, where ad buys are cheap), Georgia Supreme Court races that could flip the court by 2028, and a Pennsylvania primary where Shapiro, AOC, and Bernie Sanders all backed the same firefighter.Then the Supreme Court reform conversation Kamala Harris just reopened. Glennis lays out her preference for 18 year term limits and two appointments per president. Brian walks through FDR's court packing threat and what it actually accomplished. And both of them dig into what Republicans just did in Utah and North Carolina, where they literally added seats and reheard cases to overturn rulings they didn't like. The case for Democrats getting comfortable with court reform is no longer theoretical.Plus Three Mile Island is being turned into a data center. AOC is on a community tour about data center siting and the energy bills they leave behind. The Musk versus Altman trial wrapped in two hours. Taco Trump threatened Iran and chickened out by sundown. Telehealth abortion access survived at SCOTUS. And Alligator Alcatraz, the Florida Everglades tarp over a swamp internment camp that cost $1.5 billion, is closing.The midterms are less than six months out and the receipts keep coming.Send us a text!New episodes of Vibes Only drop every week. If you like the show, the single biggest thing you can do is leave a rating and a review… it's free, it takes ten seconds, and it's how we get in front of more people who need a politics podcast that isn't going to make them want to move to the woods.Vibes Only is a weekly political podcast hosted by Brian Derrick (Political Strategist and Founder of @oath.vote) and Glennis Meagher (Political and New Media Strategist and Co-founder of @generatorcollective), two post-Obama political operatives turned creators breaking down the stories of each week in politics, elections, and culture. We aim to be your break from the doom-scrolling and consultant-speak. Just the vibes (and the receipts) with new episodes every Thursday morning.

Brian and Glennis are back in studio for week two and a lot just happened. Trump's economic disapproval hit 70%, the highest of his political career. Inflation jumped to 3.8%. Gas hit $4.50 a gallon. The Supreme Court greenlit racial gerrymandering as long as you call it partisan. Five states moved to redraw their maps in seven days. And the President of the United States looked into a camera, on his way to Marine One, and said "I don't think about Americans' financial situation. I don't think about anybody."In this episode, Brian Derrick (Political Strategist and Founder of Oath) and Glennis Meagher (Political and New Media Strategist and Co-founder of Generator Collective) walk through the economic data dump that should be the only thing Democrats talk about: the biggest monthly jump in credit card debt since the pandemic, a savings rate at its lowest level since 2022, consumer sentiment cratering, and 80% of Americans saying Trump's policies are driving up the cost of living in their communities. While he spends a billion dollars on a gold ballroom and proposes a $1.5 trillion military budget, the largest in U.S. history and more than the next ten countries combined.Then the redistricting wave. Brian breaks down all five fronts. The Supreme Court ruling that opened the door. The Virginia Supreme Court body blow that overturned a ballot measure passed by voters and cost Democrats four seats. Tennessee breaking up the city of Memphis. Louisiana pausing a primary 40,000 votes in to redraw the map. Alabama getting a green light to eliminate its only majority Black district. He pulls out the board and walks through the math: Democrats are likely down five additional seats before a single vote is cast, which means flipping the House is now an eight seat lift, not three. The path is still there. He explains why.Plus the bombshell that Iran still has 90% of its missile capacity after $70 billion in U.S. bombing. The Pete Hegseth and Kash Patel circus on Capitol Hill (including Patel demanding $21 billion for the FBI while polygraphing his own agents over leaks). The unconstitutional War Powers Act workaround the Trump administration is trying to pull. The California gubernatorial jungle primary heating up between Tom Steyer, Xavier Becerra, Katie Porter, and Matt Mahan. And the Nebraska Senate move where a Democrat won her primary specifically to drop out and clear the path for independent Dan Osborne, after Pete Ricketts tried to buy the seat by recruiting a fake MAGA Democrat to split the vote.Also: Glennis recounts sitting ten feet from JD Vance and Kash Patel at a USA hockey game in Milan with effectively no security, the Mitch McConnell Capitol Hill moment that even Brian is calling elder abuse, Spencer Pratt running for LA Mayor as a 9/11 truther, the leaked Sam Altman texts that have now turned "directionally very bad" into a meme, and Glennis pitches a startup idea live on the pod called facial DNA.The midterms are six months out and the receipts are piling up - stick with us.Send us a text!New episodes of Vibes Only drop every week. If you like the show, the single biggest thing you can do is leave a rating and a review… it's free, it takes ten seconds, and it's how we get in front of more people who need a politics podcast that isn't going to make them want to move to the woods.Vibes Only is a weekly political podcast hosted by Brian Derrick (Political Strategist and Founder of @oath.vote) and Glennis Meagher (Political and New Media Strategist and Co-founder of @generatorcollective), two post-Obama political operatives turned creators breaking down the stories of each week in politics, elections, and culture. We aim to be your break from the doom-scrolling and consultant-speak. Just the vibes (and the receipts) with new episodes every Thursday morning.

We were gone for ten weeks and Trump started a war, the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act, the government had its longest shutdown in history, two cabinet secretaries got pushed out over Epstein, and Republicans quietly added $70 billion more for ICE to a reconciliation bill nobody could stop. Season 3 of Vibes Only is here and Brian Derrick (Political Strategist and Founder of @oath.vote) and Glennis Meagher (Political and New Media Strategist and Co-founder of @generatorcollective) have a lot to catch you up on.In the Season 3 premiere, Brian and Glennis break down Trump's war with Iran, the $72 billion the U.S. has burned in 60 days, the 3,400 civilians killed, the 14 American troops dead, and why this is the first Middle East war in our lifetime that's actually a voting issue (it has a lot to do with the price of gas). Then they get into how Democrats got played on the ICE reconciliation bill — Schumer specifically — and the $1 million Oath has now raised for the ICE Accountability Fund to prosecute officers and back the people fighting on the ground.The bigger conversation is Louisiana v. Callais. Brian walks through what the 6-3 ruling actually does to Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which Southern states are about to gerrymander Black voters out of Congress, and why Oath has always built its plan around flipping 12 House seats, not 3. Plus the Democratic counter-strike taking shape across ten states, why Brian is more fired up than worried, and the early primary signals out of Ohio and Indiana (Sherrod Brown is back, Janet Mills dropped out, and Trump just spent $15 million in Indiana on pure revenge).Also: Glennis brings receipts on Anna Nicole Smith, Brian compares the Trump assassination plot to a concept of a plan, and they make an official on-air challenge to Keith Edwards to come debate gerrymandering. The midterms are six months out. Buckle up.New episodes of Vibes Only drop every week. If you like the show, the single biggest thing you can do is leave a rating and a review… it's free, it takes ten seconds, and it's how we get in front of more people who need a politics podcast that isn't going to make them want to move to the woods.Vibes Only is a weekly political podcast hosted by Brian Derrick (Political Strategist and Founder of @oath.vote) and Glennis Meagher (Political and New Media Strategist and Co-founder of @generatorcollective), two post-Obama political operatives turned creators breaking down the stories of each week in politics, elections, and culture. We aim to be your break from the doom-scrolling and consultant-speak. Just the vibes (and the receipts) with new episodes every Thursday morning.Send us a text!Subscribe to Vibes Only  wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoy the show, spread the word! And please consider giving us a rating and review so others can find it. You can WATCH full episodes of Vibes Only on YouTube.  

The newest batch of Epstein files was just released by the DOJ, with some 3 million documents. Today, Brian and Glennis talk about what this new batch means for Trump and how everyone involved in the files should be prosecuted.Plus, Brian and Glennis discuss the Democrats' demands to approve DHS funding and the big reveal about where the Trump family has been getting their money.Send us a text!Subscribe to Vibes Only wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoy the show, spread the word! And please consider giving us a rating and review so others can find it. You can WATCH full episodes of Vibes Only on YouTube.

This past Saturday, Alex Pretti was gunned down by ICE agents in Minnesota as he tried to help a woman who had been pepper-sprayed. It feels like a turning point, and now is the time to demand action from your representatives. Today, Glennis and Brian talk about what you can do to help stop ICE and why “defunding ICE” is not as simple as it sounds.Plus, Glennis and Brian discuss how Trump has brought us even further into economic collapse, and why the 2028 presidential election will be a doozy for both parties. Send us a text!Subscribe to Vibes Only wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoy the show, spread the word! And please consider giving us a rating and review so others can find it. You can WATCH full episodes of Vibes Only on YouTube.

In the wake of Renee Good's murder, there have been a lot of calls from politicians and the public to abolish ICE. Today, Brian and Glennis talk about why that's a much taller ask than you'd think.Plus, Brian and Glennis get into the whole Greenland conversation, and how billionaire MAGAnites are more out of touch than ever. Send us a text!Subscribe to Vibes Only wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoy the show, spread the word! And please consider giving us a rating and review so others can find it. You can WATCH full episodes of Vibes Only on YouTube.

Last week, an ICE officer shot and killed a woman named Renee Good in Minneapolis. Today, Brian and Glennis talk about the aftermath that has followed and why Renee Good's death has ignited discourse from both sides of the aisle. Plus, Brian and Glennis talk about Jerome Powell's surprising hero moment and weigh in on the online discourses around the Texas Senate race.Send us a text!Subscribe to Vibes Only wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoy the show, spread the word! And please consider giving us a rating and review so others can find it. You can WATCH full episodes of Vibes Only on YouTube.

The first week of 2026 has already proven to be chaotic, because on January 3rd, 2026, the United States captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. Brian and Glennis talk about why Trump ordered Mauro's capture and what it means for Trump's presidency.Plus, Brian and Glennis get into the news they missed over the break, and the conservative amplification of a scandal in Minnesota that forced Governor Tim Walz not to seek reelection.Send us a text!Subscribe to Vibes Only wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoy the show, spread the word! And please consider giving us a rating and review so others can find it. You can WATCH full episodes of Vibes Only on YouTube.

2025 was… tough. To say the least. But today, Glennis and Brian look back and celebrate the good vibes for the Dems this year. Plus, Glennis and Brian look forward to the elections down the line in 2026. Here's to a blue wave in the new year…? Take a listen to find out.Send us a text!Subscribe to Vibes Only wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoy the show, spread the word! And please consider giving us a rating and review so others can find it. You can WATCH full episodes of Vibes Only on YouTube.

White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles told all in the Vanity Fair article. In today's episode, Brian and Glennis unpack what that *all* was about.Plus, Brian and Glennis discuss the ever-present issue of gun violence in the United States, and how Republicans are spinning the ACA cuts and insurance hikes in their favor. Send us a text!Subscribe to Vibes Only wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoy the show, spread the word! And please consider giving us a rating and review so others can find it. You can WATCH full episodes of Vibes Only on YouTube.

Things are heating up in the Texas Senate primary! Brian and Glennis get into Colin Allred dropping out, and Jasmine Crockett announcing she will run against James Talarico for the Democratic Senate seat. Listen to find out who Brian and Glennis think will make a better general election candidate.Plus, Brian and Glenns get into Trump's recent farmer bailout, and the looming Netflix/Warner Bro's/potentially Paramount merger…? Where is Lina Kahn when you need her!Send us a text!Subscribe to Vibes Only wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoy the show, spread the word! And please consider giving us a rating and review so others can find it. You can WATCH full episodes of Vibes Only on YouTube.

This week, Brian and Glennis talk about the literal war crimes Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is committing in Venezuela.Plus, they take a look at the redistricting efforts in both red and blue states and at how Trump's approval rating has completely tanked. Send us a text!Subscribe to Vibes Only wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoy the show, spread the word! And please consider giving us a rating and review so others can find it. You can WATCH full episodes of Vibes Only on YouTube.

Brian and Glennis bring you a special episode for Turkey Day to help you navigate your dinner table conversations with your relatives. Plus, friend of the pod Keith Edwards drops in for a visit!Send us a text!Subscribe to Vibes Only wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoy the show, spread the word! And please consider giving us a rating and review so others can find it. You can WATCH full episodes of Vibes Only on YouTube.

It's been one week since the first Epstein email was released, and since then, over 20,000 emails have been made available to the public. And yeah… it's juicy. Today, Glennis and Brian get on the mic to give you a recap.Plus, Glennis and Brian talk tariffs and the future of MAGA after another terrible week for Trump.Send us a text!Subscribe to Vibes Only wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoy the show, spread the word! And please consider giving us a rating and review so others can find it. You can WATCH full episodes of Vibes Only on YouTube.

After last week's amazing election vibes, we couldn't even go seven days without establishment Dems ruining the moment. Luckily, Brian and Glennis break it all down in today's episode. Brian and Glennis also get into the new Epstein files tea, and the big divide between boomers and Gen-Z on capitalism and socialism.PLUS: Good morning, Chuck Schumer, we're talking about you... Stay tuned until the end of the episode for YOUR messages to our favorite senator! Send us a text!Subscribe to Vibes Only wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoy the show, spread the word! And please consider giving us a rating and review so others can find it. You can WATCH full episodes of Vibes Only on YouTube.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner! Dems had historic wins in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and Georgia this past Tuesday, and Brian and Glennis hop on the mic to celebrate and break it down.Plus, Brian and Glennis talk about the future for older Democratic leadership and give their weekly government shutdown update.Send us a text!Subscribe to Vibes Only wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoy the show, spread the word! And please consider giving us a rating and review so others can find it. You can WATCH full episodes of Vibes Only on YouTube.

In the words of Nicki Minaj: you lazy b*tches is f*ckin up the econ'my. That's what Glennis and Brian are saying about the Trump administration this week, after several huge corporations issued large scale layoffs. Plus, Glennis and Brian talk about the crucial elections happening next week, the threats to SNAP and ACA, and the Nick Fuentes Gay Allegations.Send us a text!Subscribe to Vibes Only wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoy the show, spread the word! And please consider giving us a rating and review so others can find it. You can WATCH full episodes of Vibes Only on YouTube.

On Tuesday night, ICE descended on the street vendors on Canal Street. Glennis and Brian discuss what this means for New York City, and how Trump is hurtling us towards a police state.Plus, Glennis and Brian discuss Trump's new East Wing, or lack thereof, and the Graham Platner receipts.Here's that JD Vance video in case you need it.Send us a text!Subscribe to Vibes Only wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoy the show, spread the word! And please consider giving us a rating and review so others can find it. You can WATCH full episodes of Vibes Only on YouTube.

With the recent indictment of New York Attorney General Tish James, Brian and Glennis look at Donald Trump's ever-expanding hit list of people who have tried to hold him accountable and what he and his cronies have done to try to punish them.Plus, Brian and Glennis discuss Trump getting credit for the ceasefire in Gaza, and the Republican youth leaders who just got exposed for racist chat messages.If you want to watch the video about the woman standing up to masked ICE agents, click here.Send us a text!Subscribe to Vibes Only wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoy the show, spread the word! And please consider giving us a rating and review so others can find it. You can WATCH full episodes of Vibes Only on YouTube.

Trump's threats to send the National Guard to cities like Portland would be funny if they weren't terrifying. This week, Glennis and Brian discuss what this means for the future of the Democratic movement and why we can't back down.Plus, Glennis and Brian keep their eye on the government shutdown, SCOTUS, and Argentinian President Javier Milei's… corruption rock band career?Send us a text!Subscribe to Vibes Only wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoy the show, spread the word! And please consider giving us a rating and review so others can find it. You can WATCH full episodes of Vibes Only on YouTube.

Did Glennis and Brian not say that there was going to be a government shut down? In any case, they get into why it's happening and what it actually means for the foreseeable future.Plus, they talk about the fire and brimstone message from Hegseth and Trump to a silent room of U.S. military leaders, and Bad Bunny's Superbowl.Send us a text!Subscribe to Vibes Only wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoy the show, spread the word! And please consider giving us a rating and review so others can find it. You can WATCH full episodes of Vibes Only on YouTube.

Turns out the power of the people is scarier than the power of Brendan Carr… at least that's what Brian and Glennis think after Kimmel got put back on the air this Tuesday. Brian and Glennis also think the government shutdown is looking pretty likely, and will tell you what exactly that means.Send us a text!Subscribe to Vibes Only wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoy the show, spread the word! And please consider giving us a rating and review so others can find it. You can WATCH full episodes of Vibes Only on YouTube.

Glennis and Brian discuss the killing of Charlie Kirk and how big tech companies should be held accountable.Plus, another government shutdown discussion, and the return of an old segment, back by popular demand!Send us a text!Subscribe to Vibes Only wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoy the show, spread the word! And please consider giving us a rating and review so others can find it. You can WATCH full episodes of Vibes Only on YouTube.

Brian and Glennis hop on the mic this week to talk about the things that are ACTUALLY tanking Trump's reputation: job market, grocery prices, and abandoning first responders on the 24th anniversary of 9/11 to name a few.Brian and Glennis also check the vibes on the meeting of the oligarchs at the White House last week and, of course, that birthday note to a special someone...Note: This episode was recorded on the morning of Wednesday, September 10th, before the death of Charlie Kirk. Vibes Only does not condone political violence of any kind.Send us a text!Subscribe to Vibes Only wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoy the show, spread the word! And please consider giving us a rating and review so others can find it. You can WATCH full episodes of Vibes Only on YouTube.

Welcome back to Season 2 of Vibes Only!  Glennis and Brian are back on the mic, catching you up on what they've been up to since Season 1 and giving you a sneak peek at what's ahead this season. With new segments and deeper conversations, Season 2 will bring back the vibes you know and love – and then some!Follow us on Instagram @VibesOnlyThePodcast!Send us a text!Subscribe to Vibes Only wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoy the show, spread the word! And please consider giving us a rating and review so others can find it. You can WATCH full episodes of Vibes Only on YouTube.

In the final episode of Vibes Only, Brian and Glennis look back at some of the most consequential moments of the 2024 election cycle. In a truly unprecedented year, so much happened in a short time - so it's easy to forget the many many things that would've been unusual in any other election year. They also respond to the many many messages of support you shared last week and reflect on what it's meant to share these episodes with you each week throughout the year. Make sure you follow Brian @brianderrick and Glennis @glennismeagher and COURIER @couriernewsroom for future updates and continued analysis (both political and not-so-political;)) Send us a text!Subscribe to Vibes Only wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoy the show, spread the word! And please consider giving us a rating and review so others can find it. You can WATCH full episodes of Vibes Only on YouTube. Follow COURIER on Instagram, TikTok, Threads, Facebook, and Twitter/X.You can find out more about COURIER at couriernewsroom.com

After an important announcement about the future of Vibes Only from COURIER, Brian and Glennis give you the TL;DR on some of Trump's most high profile cabinet selections (so far). Then they discuss the massive divide in the American media ecosystem in it's giving and pull up their group chats.Please send us a note at our text link, or an email (bonus points for voice memos) to vibes@couriernewsroom.com Send us a text!Subscribe to Vibes Only wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoy the show, spread the word! And please consider giving us a rating and review so others can find it. You can WATCH full episodes of Vibes Only on YouTube. Follow COURIER on Instagram, TikTok, Threads, Facebook, and Twitter/X.You can find out more about COURIER at couriernewsroom.com

Tuesday was obviously not the good vibe so many of us were hoping for. We're here now just to talk a little bit about it... Not to get to ahead of ourselves and examine what went wrong - just to check in and talk briefly about what's next. Send us a text!Subscribe to Vibes Only wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoy the show, spread the word! And please consider giving us a rating and review so others can find it. You can WATCH full episodes of Vibes Only on YouTube. Follow COURIER on Instagram, TikTok, Threads, Facebook, and Twitter/X.You can find out more about COURIER at couriernewsroom.com

Donald Trump is closing with the message that he knows best. His campaign crescendoed this week with a dark, racist, hate-filled rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Meanwhile, Kamala Harris continues to barnstorm battleground states, and on Tuesday night, she drew a sharp contrast by giving an inspiring speech in Washington DC - at the same location Trump gave his infamous January 6th speech. We dive into the messages and strategies of the two campaigns in these final DAYS. We also discuss the decisions by the billionaire owners of the Washington Post and the LA Times to break precedent and not endorse a presidential candidate in this critical election. As always, we play It's Giving, pull up our group chat, and leave you with a good vibe. Send us a text!Subscribe to Vibes Only wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoy the show, spread the word! And please consider giving us a rating and review so others can find it. You can WATCH full episodes of Vibes Only on YouTube. Follow COURIER on Instagram, TikTok, Threads, Facebook, and Twitter/X.You can find out more about COURIER at couriernewsroom.com

This week we are pleased to be joined by the amazing actor, comedian, and activist, Ilana Glazer. As a co-founder of Generator Collective (alongside our very own co-host, Glennis Meagher), Ilana talks about making politics fun and accessible through entertaining videos, civic engagement opportunities, and even dance parties. We talk about Generator's work, viral audio from Glazer's hit series Broad City making a resurgence, and the 2024 election (which is officially less than 2 weeks away). Send us a text!Subscribe to Vibes Only wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoy the show, spread the word! And please consider giving us a rating and review so others can find it. You can WATCH full episodes of Vibes Only on YouTube. Follow COURIER on Instagram, TikTok, Threads, Facebook, and Twitter/X.You can find out more about COURIER at couriernewsroom.com