Podcast appearances and mentions of Molly Ball

American political journalist and writer

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Molly Ball

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Best podcasts about Molly Ball

Latest podcast episodes about Molly Ball

Free Thinking Through the Fourth Turning with Sasha Stone
Stop Gaslighting Us Over the 2020 Election

Free Thinking Through the Fourth Turning with Sasha Stone

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2026 33:53


Any time Trump or one of his supporters brings up the 2020 election, insisting he didn't lose it, we hear the usual chorus of groans: why can't he get over it? He lost. Move on. The thing is, I can't get over it either. 2020 was the year everything changed. My entire world was turned upside down because I could see, for the first time, that I was in a bubble, a feedback loop that had shaped my perception of reality. It's just that it wasn't actual reality. It was a curated, hysteria-inducing delusion. It wasn't just me. Go on YouTube, and you'll find hundreds, if not thousands, of people whose lives were fundamentally transformed that year in one way or another. COVID made them quit their job and move into a van. COVID made them decide to divorce. COVID made them learn how to bake sourdough. And a lot of us were red-pilled. It was as though someone pressed the pause button and all of us froze in place for a time. Like in the movie Weapons where the kids suddenly wake up one day…Isolated and shut in, we all turned to social media and the internet, which meant more people were connected than ever before at a time when there were more people alive than ever before. We've never really fully processed what happened to all of us that year.It was the year we stopped trusting the science, the schools, Hollywood, the legacy media, and the government. Children were locked down and staring at their screens, with many of the lost boys finding their way into the dark corners of the internet and would emerge years later fumbling their way toward a rifle and a rooftop.That isn't all of it, or even half of it. None of us would emerge from that year unscathed. We can't talk about it as a country or a people because we are still so divided. The big things divide us, like the vaccine, the masks, the lockdowns, and most especially, the 2020 election.We were stepping into something we did not understand and weren't prepared for. Things have changed enough now that it will be hard to remember just how bad things got after Trump won in 2016. I remember because I was on the inside. I lived it with the Democrats and what would become a Doomsday Cult.We called ourselves “the resistance” even though we had all of the power. Trump and MAGA, they were the real resistance, or at least the revolutionaries going up against the most powerful machine in American history, maybe ever.All I knew was that I had to fight for my side. I woke up every day like a good soldier for the cause and went to battle online, wasting precious time with my daughter, or doing anything else except sitting and staring at a screen and fighting with people I didn't even know over issues that didn't matter with arguments that had no end and went nowhere.Inside the Doomsday Cult, we were awash with mass hysteria because every single day, every time Trump tweeted, the legacy media sent out more waves of hysteria that pulsed through the hive mind and kept reinfecting anyone who scrolled Twitter or Facebook. It was a new emergency every day. We were stuck in an unending state of trauma.The legacy media desperately wants to forget what happened, how they lied and gaslit the public. The consequences for these moral crimes have been minimal. A slap on the wrist for ignoring Joe Biden's cognitive decline, but there has never been a reckoning for what they did to all of us, people who trusted them, in 2020.What Happened to MeMy daughter had to leave her senior year at college to have her graduation on my balcony, but we did it because we were doing our part to help save the country during this once-in-a-generation pandemic.Mobilizing for the cause meant sewing our own masks, displaying them proudly on Instagram. It meant mixing our own hand sanitizer because it was all out at the drug store. Some people were wearing face shields. We were living in fear. We were cowed into silence. Half the country fell into Mass Formation Psychosis. We weren't allowed to attend weddings, churches, or schools, but somehow on Memorial Day, the George Floyd protests became the most important thing in America for months.Systemic racism, they told us, was more urgent than COVID. Really? Bringing the whole country — the whole world — to its knees was less serious than George Floyd dying at the hands of a police officer in Minneapolis? Yes. That's what they were telling us, and everyone was mandated to go along with everything that came next.These were our idols, we were told. It was the new state religion, even if Trump was still the president. This is the ideology we're allowed to gather for. This is worth tear ing down statues, burning buildings, carving out “autonomous zones” and demanding everyone put a black square on Instagram, capitalize the word Black and raise their fists to Black Lives Matter. The madness unfolding on the streets meant Democrats could actually lose in November, I believed. So why wasn't anyone trying to stop them? Why were the Democrats encouraging them? I started wondering what the hell was going on. It felt like unseen hands were manipulating events behind the scenes, and we were all expected to just go along with it.As I began to speak out and ask questions, I was turned into an enemy. “You've changed,” wrote Neera Tanden on Twitter. She was right. I had. By the time Twitter pressured the New York Times to back off their Tom Cotton essay, Send in the Troops, I was done. Maybe I was naive. I didn't understand the assignment. I'd seen too many Frank Capra movies. I'd begun to believe politics was like an Aaron Sorkin screenplay. I thought we were the good guys. We are the side with ethics and decency and fairness.I was like Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2 when Arnold Schwarzenegger shows up, and she thinks he's a bad guy, but when he says, “Come with me if you want to live, she realizes that everything is backward. The people she thought were the good guys weren't. The guy she thought was there to kill her was actually there to save her. By the end of 2020, I was as black-pilled as Jack Nicholson in Chinatown, disillusioned and wide awake. Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown.But what I saw them do - how we were all manipulated, how they rigged the election to be too big to fail - I could see for the first time that my side had too much power. So much power that American democracy was now beside the point.It didn't matter how the people voted, because we would decide who was allowed to win and who would become an existential threat to the world we were building, the utopia we were building online.When I left the party, I knew I couldn't be fully honest about what I believed happened, though I did say that the election had been rigged. I also couldn't be honest about what I knew about January 6th, at least not in the beginning. When I saw the riot break out, my first thought was, that's not MAGA. They don't do that.And anyway, even if they did, why couldn't the Democrats chalk it up to months of lockdowns and highly enraged, radicalized people on the Right just as there were on the Left that Summer. Why couldn't they? Because it was all still part of the long con, the mass delusion. These ideas were dangerous to hold for anyone in America but especially someone of the Left, and yet, I could not stop it. The truth began knocking. I ignored it as long as I could, but eventually, the knocking became a banging, and I had no choice but to open the door.How to Rig An ElectionOnce you start tugging on the question of why Twitter and Facebook censored the Hunter Biden laptop, you begin to unravel the bigger picture of just how deep the conspiracy went. But you don't need the whole story. You just need to know this: The FBI and the CIA worked against the sitting president to lie to the public that the laptop was “Russian Disinformation.” It was just a standard run-of-the-mill October surprise, timed to help ignite a scandal before the election. But it was also information the public had a right to know, as we would find out later. So anyone who shames Trump for calling the election rigged and denying it was legit will have to answer for this. But if you keep pulling on that string, you'll find the why of it. They were trying to fix all of the problems they believed caused Hillary Clinton's loss. This would be payback for the email scandal that hit her campaign, which she called “Russian Disinformation.” That would also turn out to be untrue.But there were other problems that needed correcting, like lazy voters who assumed Hillary would win because she was so far ahead in the polls and didn't bother turning out. They would fix this problem using COVID as the pretext to change everything about how people vote and how those votes are collected.They knew they had Pennsylvania won long before Election Day and it would only be a matter of convincing the public not to get too excited about a “red mirage.” To all of them, that's the right way to win an election.Trump won Iowa, Ohio and Florida, not to mention the bellwether counties that have decided our elections. The only other time anything like this happened was in 1960, when JFK won in a squeaker. Compare that to 2020, and you can see that something was very off about the numbers. Since the Democrats believed Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook had handed Trump the win in 2016 by using their marketing machine (the Clinton campaign refused their help), it was time for Zuckerberg to undo that damage, which came in the form of a $400 million slush fund used to “fortify” the election but mostly in the heavily blue districts. Had all of this been shared with the whole country as a way to improve our elections overall, that would have been one thing. But it was all done behind the scenes, in the shadows, far from the reach of anyone who might dissent. It was anything but ethical and anything but fair.It was all part of a grand scheme to stay one step ahead of Trump. If they already knew he would claim it was rigged, why not just rig it? Who would the people believe? Trump or the “bipartisan cabal” of unelected bureaucrats hiding in the shadows?The truth is that Trump was pulling ahead because the Left was losing its mind, and Trump picked up on it. He changed his campaign; no matter how many ways they tried to keep him from his rallies, he got the word out anyway. That would explain why he won those key states but lost so much in the popular vote. Our elections should not be decided months before Election Day. Candidates should have to make their case to the people, not hide in the basement and let the system do the work. It's the candidate's job to inspire the voters to vote for the kind of government they want, and it's the voters responsibility to be motivated enough to turn out to the polls and cast their vote. But with an easily manipulated hive mind like the Democrats had cultivated for ten years they didn't need any of it.The Year That Broke AmericaI've never been able to convince anyone of what I believed happened in 2020. If you were on the Left, chances are, you wouldn't be able to see it either. You would have trusted the same people I used to trust: CNN, New York Times, MSNBC, your social media feed.You would have come out of that year thinking Joe Biden won the 2020 election fair and square and that Donald Trump refused to lose, so he led a dangerous assault on the Capitol, putting our democracy under threat. Yet, after everything they did to Trump that year and for the four years prior, what else could he have done except protest? It was just a little too convenient that there happened to be a riot at the same time, a Reichstag Fire that handed absolute power to Team Blue.If you were still trapped inside the Doomsday Cult, you'd have been primed and ready to go to war on your fellow Americans because Vice President Kamala Harris would tell you January 6th was like 9/11 and Pearl Harbor. You would have thought Liz Cheney and the Prime Time Show Trial was legit. What an easy mark you'd be.If you never escaped, as I did, you'd still be trapped inside the Doomsday Cult and never have any idea that none of this is your fault. You were put into a kind of trance in 2020, even before, like the kids in the movie Weapons, frozen in place and used as an army to do the bidding of the Democratic Party.They made you believe, like they made me believe, that every day really was the end of the world as long as Donald Trump was in power. But it was never true, none of it. All the Democrats ever had to do was offer the people something better. If everything Molly Ball wrote about the election the “Secret Bi-Partisan Cabal” supposedly saved, how did Trump win again? In Weapons, the children are put under a spell and aimed at the enemies of the witch. Once the spell is broken, the children wake up and realize the person they should be mad at isn't the one she made them attack, but instead the witch herself for robbing them of their ability to think for themselves. And so it goes with the Democrats.// This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.sashastone.com/subscribe

The Sunday Magazine
Two years since Hamas's October 7th attack, U.S. political panel, Joe Carter, That's Puzzling!

The Sunday Magazine

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2025 95:45


Host Piya Chattopadhyay speaks with Rabbi Louis Sachs about the issues facing Jewish communities two years after the October 7th attacks in Israel, Palestinian-Canadian author Saeed Teebi grapples with what it means to be Palestinian in this moment, journalists Molly Ball and Toluse Olorunnipa discuss how U.S. President Donald Trump is mixing the military and politics, legendary Blue Jays slugger Joe Carter gives his thoughts on the 2025 Blue Jays team, and our monthly challenge That's Puzzling! is back for October.Discover more at https://www.cbc.ca/sunday

Inside Politics
Trump's Expanding Executive Powers, CDC Upheaval, and the Battle for Congress

Inside Politics

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2025 40:48


In this episode of Inside Politics Sunday, host Manu Raju delves into President Trump's aggressive measures, including the firing of key federal officials, defiance of governors, and sweeping use of the National Guard, which are testing the limits of executive power. The episode also examines the turmoil at the CDC, with RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine stance leading to the resignation of top officials. A panel of experts and former CDC officials discuss the impact on public health and trust. Additionally, the show explores the Democrats' prospects in upcoming Senate races, the redistricting battles in various states, and the potential political shifts that could arise from these challenges. Featuring insights from journalists and experts like Molly Ball, Mario Parker, Steven Collinson, and former Obama administration CDC director Tom Frieden, this episode provides detailed analysis on the current political landscape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Current
Trump puts Washington, D.C police under federal power, but why?

The Current

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2025 19:24


U.S. politics has not slowed down this summer. President Donald Trump says Washington D.C. is a “nightmare of murder and crime,” despite violent crime numbers going down. So, he has put the police in the capital under federal power. We talk to Molly Ball from The Wall Street Journal, David A. Graham from The Atlantic, and Andrew Egger from The Bulwark about what this means for the rest of the U.S. — and more.

The Situation with Michael Brown
6-20-25 - 6am - WSJ's Molly Ball Made Me Lose It

The Situation with Michael Brown

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2025 33:20 Transcription Available


This Molly Ball WSJ article on Trump and immigration made me lose it.

Apple News Today
Suspect found as Minnesota mourns killing of “irreplaceable” politician

Apple News Today

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2025 14:19


Suspect found in Minnesota’s political killings. The Minnesota Star Tribune has the details. Israel and Iran intensify their strikes into each others’ territories. The Atlantic’s Isaac Stanley-Baker explains how Israel managed to take their neighbors by surprise, and what comes next. Molly Ball with the Wall Street Journal reports that in the midst of the protests in Los Angeles, Governor Newsom has taken center stage in a balancing act of state and national leadership. Plus, millions march in ‘No Kings’ demonstrations on day of military parade, the industries ICE may soon stop targeting, and the Pope delivers a message of hope to White Sox fans. Today’s episode was hosted by Gideon Resnick.

The Signal
Do anti-Trump protests mark a turning point?

The Signal

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2025 15:34


As Donald Trump was watching a military parade in Washington DC, huge numbers of Americans took to the streets in the largest nationwide protests against his administration since his return to the White House. They were declaring ‘No Kings', rallying against what they say is Trump's authoritarian tendencies and the threat he poses to democracy.  Today, Molly Ball, senior political correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, on the shift in public mood and what it means for the president. Featured: Molly Ball, senior political correspondent for The Wall Street Journal

The Journal.
Trump 2.0: The First 100 Days

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2025 31:53


In our capstone episode, Kate Linebaugh and Molly Ball break down Trump's first 100 days in office with WSJ's Aaron Zitner, digging into the highs and lows, where things stand with voters and what's next for the administration and the country.   Further Listening: -Canada's New Leader Is Ready to Take On Trump  -Trump 2.0: Where is the Economy Headed  -Taking Stock of the ‘Sell America' Trade  Sign up for WSJ's free What's News newsletter.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Journal.
Trump 2.0: Where Is The Economy Headed?

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2025 25:46


President Trump's deportations, tariffs, federal layoffs and funding suspensions have generated nonstop headlines and frayed confidence, yet left surprisingly little trace on the economy. Hiring, spending and inflation look a lot like they did under Joe Biden. As Trump's first 100 days draw to a close, Kate Linebaugh and Molly Ball explore the state of the U.S. economy with Chief Economics Commentator Greg Ip and try to understand what might be coming next.  Further Listening: - Taking Stock of the ‘Sell America' Trade  - Inside the Harvard vs. Trump Battle  - How Frog Embyros Landed a Scientist in ICE Detention  Sign up for WSJ's free What's News newsletter.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Journal.
Trump 2.0: Tariff Turnaround

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2025 24:40


Kate Linebaugh and Molly Ball go behind the scenes of the administration's tariff pause. We dive deep with WSJ's Josh Dawsey, exploring the tension in the days after the announcement and what really changed the president's mind. Plus, your questions! Further Listening: - China Unleashes a Trade War Arsenal  - The Tariff Trade Off: Jobs vs. Higher Prices  - Wall Street Speaks Out Against Tariffs  Sign up for WSJ's free What's News newsletter . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Journal.
Trump 2.0: Trade Wars and Deportation Battles

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2025 26:09


Ryan Knutson and Molly Ball unpack the administration's onslaught of new tariffs and break down what election results in Florida and Wisconsin mean for each party. Plus, they speak with WSJ's Michelle Hackman about Trump's aggressive immigration efforts including student deportations. Further Listening: -Trump's Tariffs Force a New Era in Global Trade  -Trump 2.0: Group Chat Fallout  -Three Federal Workers Hit by DOGE  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Journal.
Trump 2.0: Group Chat Fallout

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2025 27:39


A journalist was added to a text thread with high-level Trump administration officials revealing plans for the timing and weapons to be used in a military strike against Houthi militants. Administration officials disputed that any classified information about the military operation had been shared. WSJ's Nancy Youssef joins the chat with Ryan Knutson and Molly Ball to discuss the fallout of the group chat pinged ‘round the world.  Further Reading: -An Annotated Analysis of Signal Group Chat With Top Trump Officials  -Hegseth Comes Under Scrutiny for Texting Strike Details as Fallout Grows  -Democrats Are Taking Their Anger Out on Chuck Schumer  Further Listening: -Trump's Attack on Big Law  -Trump's College Crackdown  -Trump 2.0: A Showdown with the Judiciary  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Journal.
Trump 2.0: A Showdown With the Judiciary

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2025 28:59


A battle has been brewing between President Trump and the judicial system as courts delay some of the administration's rapid fire executive orders. WSJ's Jess Bravin joins Ryan Knutson and Molly Ball to discuss the recent clashes between Trump and the courts.  Further Reading: - Chief Justice Roberts Criticizes Trump's Call to Impeach Judges  - Trump Escalates Push Against Legal Norms  - A Presidency of Upheaval Emboldens Trump  Further Listening: - A New Phase in Trump's Immigration Fight  - Trump 2.0: The Uncertainty Economy  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rising
White House tension with Musk? Trump fires Dems from FTC

Rising

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2025 87:51


Today on Rising, Several of President Trump's executive orders are getting blocked by Federal Judges. Trump administration fired Democratic commissioners at the Federal Trade Commission. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's split with California Gov. Gavin Newsom over MAGA. Ed Pierson, the executive director of the Foundation for Aviation Safety explains Boeing's slew of near-disasters and deadly failures. Author of "The Red Letter" on Substack, Tara Palmeri, discusses whether Elon Musk's welcome at The White House is wearing out. Ben & Jerry's accused its parent company of firing its CEO for ice cream brand's public comments on progressive issues. Wall Street Journal's senior political correspondent Molly Ball elaborates on her reporting on the NYC mayoral Democratic primary. The U.S. fell to it's lowest-ever spot on the World Happiness Report, 2025. All this and more. #Rising Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Journal.
Trump 2.0: The Uncertainty Economy

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2025 25:55


The Federal Reserve has been focused on cooling inflation and achieving a so-called soft landing. President Trump's trade policies have sent markets reeling and fears of a recession are on the rise. WSJ's Nick Timiraos joins Ryan Knutson and Molly Ball to discuss Trump's economic vision. Plus, the Trump administration is moving to deport a permanent legal resident of the United States and the possibility of a government shutdown has Democrats in a pickle. Further Listening:  - What's Going On With the Economy  - Tesla Has a Problem: Elon Musk  - The Fight to Kick Soda Out of Food Stamps  Further Reading: - How Trump 2.0 Is Shifting Its Tone on Markets  - A Presidency of Upheaval Emboldens Trump  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Journal.
Trump 2.0: ‘Just Getting Started'

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2025 26:33


President Trump delivered a celebratory speech to Congress, declaring that he had swiftly notched several wins for the American people. WSJ's Andrew Restuccia joins Kate Linebaugh and Molly Ball to discuss the roadmap Trump laid out and what it means for the next few years. See The Journal live! Take our survey!  Further Listening: -The Trade War With China Is On  -Trump's Tariffs Cause Chaos in Auto Industry  -Inside DOGE's Campaign of Secrecy  Further Reading: -An Annotated Fact-Check and Analysis of Trump's Speech to Congress  -How Trump's Polite Meeting With Zelensky Descended Into Acrimony  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Journal.
Trump 2.0: A Big, Beautiful Bill

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2025 27:42


Lawmakers in the House of Representatives narrowly passed a budget resolution this week that serves as a first draft of the “big, beautiful bill” President Trump has been seeking. WSJ's Siobhan Hughes joins Ryan Knutson and Molly Ball to discuss how Congress is working with Trump. Plus, we take a look at what impact recent rulings from the judicial branch might mean for Trump's agenda.  Further Reading: - The Weight of Trump's Agenda Sits on Mike Johnson's Shoulders  Further Listening: - Why Trump Wants Ukrainian Minerals  - Trump 2.0: Shaking Up Europe  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Journal.
Trump 2.0: Shaking Up Europe

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2025 24:57


The Trump Administration turns its focus to Europe as President Trump signals a willingness to cooperate with Russia. WSJ's Alex Ward joins Ryan Knutson and Molly Ball to discuss what that means for an end to the war in Ukraine. Further Reading: -Trump's Turn to Russia Spooks U.S. Allies Who Fear a Weakened NATO  -Trump's Attack on Zelensky Signals New World Order Taking Shape  Further Listening: -Trump 2.0: The Musk-Trump Bromance  -R.I.P. CFPB?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Journal.
Trump 2.0: The Musk-Trump Bromance

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2025 27:49


It's been a busy month in D.C. for Elon Musk. WSJ's Tim Higgins joins Ryan Knutson and Molly Ball to discuss what Musk's strategies as a CEO can tell us about his plans for DOGE and the federal government. Plus, we get into Trump's relationship with the judiciary and take a question from a listener about American expansionism.  Further Reading: -Musk Brings His Business Playbook to Washington: Move Fast and Claim Victory  -DOGE, Musk and Trump—Our Reporters Answered Your Questions  Further Listening: -R.I.P. CFPB?  -Trump 2.0: Less Foreign Aid, More Tariffs  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Journal.
Trump 2.0: Less Foreign Aid, More Tariffs

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2025 23:39


WSJ's Joel Schectman joins Ryan Knutson and Molly Ball to explore the dismantling of USAID and what it means for America's future as a global leader. Plus, Trump's tariffs, a Gaza proposal and remaking the CIA.   Further Listening:  - Inside USAID as Elon Musk and DOGE Ripped It Apart  - Trump's Tariff Whiplash  Further Reading: - How Trump Gutted America's $40 Billion Aid Agency in Two Weeks  - CIA Offers Buyout to Entire Workforce as Part of Trump Makeover  - Democrats Have a New Leader but Haven't Come to Grips With Failure  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Odd Years
"This is not chaos for chaos's sake." Molly Ball on Trump 2.0.

The Odd Years

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2025 55:23


Whether you expected it or not, it seems pretty safe to say that President Trump's first days have been defined by its intensity, a very fast moving news cycle, and often, the trademark chaos we remember from his first term. And that's why we love conversations like this one with The Wall Street Journal's Molly Ball.She's the kind of journalist who offers clearheaded insight into the many twists and turns and helps us consider the bigger questions we should be asking about what success or failure might look like for Trump this time around.So we wanted to have Molly on to give us some context for these early days of Trump's second term. But we also wanted to ask her about how she approaches her job of political storytelling - especially when it involves accessing some of our highest profile politicians - which is what she did when she wrote a book about Nancy Pelosi a few years back. Molly Ball is The Wall Street Journal senior political correspondent. You can check out her podcast, Trump 2.0, which comes out every Friday for the first 100 days of the second Trump administration.Molly is also the author of Pelosi, a biography of Nancy Pelosi, the first woman Speaker of the House. We recorded this conversation on Wednesday, January 29th at 10:30amTo learn more about The Cook Political Report go to www.cookpolitical.com/subscribe

The Journal.
Trump 2.0: A Whiplash on Federal Spending

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2025 25:22


Ryan Knutson and Molly Ball round up the week's news including nomination hearings, inspectors general firings and the airplane crash in D.C. Plus, they speak to WSJ's Washington coverage chief Damian Paletta about the administration's freeze on potentially trillions of dollars in government financial assistance. Further Listening: - Trump 2.0: A Fast Start to a Second Term  - Trump's Immigration Overhaul  Further Reading: - White House Budget Freeze Tried to Flip Script on Busted Budget Process  - Trump Blames DEI, Democrats for Deadly Plane Crash  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Journal.
Trump 2.0: A Fast Start to a Second Term

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2025 25:59


Ryan Knutson and Molly Ball are back! This time to unpack the new administration's first 100 days. Today, we discuss President Trump's slew of executive orders and what they tell us about the next four years. Plus, they speak to WSJ's Sadie Gurman about changes taking shape at the Justice department.  Further Listening: - Trump Declares a ‘Golden Age' for America  - Trump's Immigration Overhaul   Further Reading: - Trump's Immigration Playbook: Breaking Down His Moves This Week  - Trump Takes Office Determined to Bend Government to His Singular Will  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Brian Lehrer Show
Thursday Morning Politics: 2025 Congress, Holiday Attack, More

The Brian Lehrer Show

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 2, 2025 38:46


Molly Ball, senior political correspondent at The Wall Street Journal, discusses the latest in national political news, including the attack in New Orleans and the incoming Congress.

WSJ What’s News
Trump's Cabinet Picks Have Conflicting Views. That's How He Likes It

WSJ What’s News

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 17, 2024 12:59


P.M. Edition for Dec. 17. President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet picks have a range of perspectives. Wall Street Journal senior political correspondent Molly Ball tells us what conflicts may arise as they govern. And the Fed is expected to cut interest rates tomorrow, but WSJ chief economics correspondent Nick Timiraos says what happens after that is far from certain. Plus, Luigi Mangione is indicted on murder charges over the killing of UnitedHealth executive Brian Thompson. Alex Ossola hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Journal.
Red, White and Who? Why Trump Won and Where Democrats Go Next

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2024 28:18


The race is over! Molly Ball and Ryan Knutson dive into the election results to understand what the electorate is feeling. Plus, where did it all go wrong for Democrats and what will day one of a Trump presidency look like? Further Listening: - Red, White and Who? Playlist  - Red, White and Who? It's Trump.  - Red, White and Who? An Electoral College Blowout?  Further Reading: - How Trump Won the Economy-Is-Everything Election  - Trump Win Marks a Blow to Biden's Legacy  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Journal.
Red, White and Who? It's Trump.

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2024 20:15


After flipping Georgia, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, Donald Trump will become the 47th President of the United States. In the early hours of the morning, Molly Ball and Ryan Knutson discuss election night and Trump's victory. Further Listening: - Red, White and Who? Playlist  - Red, White and Who? An Electoral College Blowout?  - Red, White and Who? The Undecided Voters Who Could Decide The Election  Further Reading: - Live Coverage from WSJ  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WSJ What’s News
How Donald Trump Made a Historic Comeback

WSJ What’s News

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2024 13:44


P.M. Edition for Nov. 6. WSJ senior political correspondent Molly Ball on Donald Trump's win. And Republicans might also win control of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate, but who will execute Trump's agenda? WSJ reporter Andrew Restuccia discusses the names on the short list. Plus, the Journal's Emily Glazer explains why Trump's victory could also be a win for Elon Musk's companies. Tracie Hunte hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WSJ What’s News
Harris and Trump Both See Paths to Victory

WSJ What’s News

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2024 13:50


A.M. Edition for Nov. 5. WSJ senior political correspondent Molly Ball recaps the closing arguments made by Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, and the evidence giving both sides confidence they can win. Plus, the Harris campaign cautions the winner of the race may not be known for “several days.” And striking Boeing machinists agree to a new labor deal, ending a paralyzing work stoppage for the plane maker. Luke Vargas hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Journal.
Red, White and Who? An Electoral College Blowout?

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2024 24:36


Rachel Humphreys and Molly Ball share dispatches from two major campaign events with Ryan Knutson. Molly analyzes the closing arguments and outlines what to expect on election day. Plus, we finally answer listeners' most asked question: What's up with the electoral college?  Further Listening: - Red, White and Who? Playlist  - Red, White and Who? The Undecided Voters Who Could Decide The Election  - Red, White and Who? The Desperation Stage  Further Reading: - America Is Having a Panic Attack Over the Election  - Pennsylvania Has Already Become Ground Zero for Election-Fraud Claims  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Journal.
Red, White and Who? The Undecided Voters Who Could Decide the Election

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2024 28:40


Five undecided voters in swing states speak to Rachel Humphreys about how they're feeling as election day looms. Ryan Knutson and Molly Ball unpack the stakes. Plus, will betting markets predict the winner? Further Listening: - Red, White and Who? Playlist  - Red, White and Who? The Desperation Stage  - How Betting on U.S. Politics Is Getting Big  Further Reading: - Trump Takes Narrow Lead Over Harris in Closing Weeks of Race  - Meet the Traders Making Money Off the Trump Shooting and Biden's Stumbles  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Journal.
Red, White and Who? The Desperation Stage

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2024 25:46


With millions of votes already cast, the race is on for each campaign to get their supporters to the polls. Ryan Knutson talks with Molly Ball about the different strategies Trump and Harris are taking, and why election denial is such a big issue in Arizona. Plus, Rachel Humphreys speaks to a Gen Z Voter. Further Listening:  - Red, White and Who? Playlist  - Red, White and Who? Foreign Policy and the Rise of Donald Trump Jr.  - Red, White and Who? Veep Veep! All Eyes on Vance and Walz  Further Reading: - Republicans Rush to Bolster Trump's Ground Game  - Kari Lake's 2022 Fraud Claims Are Costing Her in 2024  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Journal.
Red, White and Who? Foreign Policy and the Rise of Donald Trump Jr.

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2024 23:42


Ryan Knutson and Molly Ball explore what we know about both candidates' approach to foreign policy. Plus, Molly shares what she learned about the future of MAGA from an interview with Donald Trump Jr. and JD Vance. Further Listening: - Red, White and Who? Playlist  - Red, White and Who? Veep Veep! All Eyes on Vance and Walz  - Red, White and Who? It's Always the Economy!  Further Reading: - How Donald Trump Jr. Became the Crown Prince of MAGA World  - JD Vance's Version of Trump Is Better Than the Real Thing  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Journal.
Red, White and Who? Veep! Veep! All Eyes On Vance and Walz

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2024 24:48


The vice-presidential candidates took center stage at a debate this week. Ryan Knutson talks with Molly Ball about the important takeaways, and Rachel Humphreys speaks to a listener about why she's thinking about climate change this election.  Further Listening: - Red, White and Who? Playlist  - Red, White and Who? It's Always the Economy!  - Red, White and Who? Why Ohio Could Decide the Senate  Further Reading: - JD Vance's Version of Trump Is Better Than the Real Thing  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Journal.
Red, White and Who? It's Always the Economy!

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2024 26:06


After two big economic speeches this week, Ryan Knutson and Molly Ball discuss the candidates' different economic strategies. Plus, voting has begun! We explore mail in voting and its impact on this election! Further Listening: - Red, White and Who? Playlist  - Red, White and Who? Why Ohio Could Decide the Senate  - Red, White and Who? A Swing-State Debate  Further Reading: - Harris Puts Government Intervention at Heart of Economic Policy  - Trump Says Plan Will Convince Foreign Companies to Shift Jobs to U.S.  - Voters Love the Policies That Economists Love to Hate  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Journal.
Red, White and Who? Why Ohio Could Decide the Senate

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2024 24:53


Ryan Knutson talks with Molly Ball and Rachel Humphreys about their recent trip to Ohio, where they talked to voters about a tight Senate race and why it might matter so much for both parties. Plus, look at another important Senate race in Montana. Further Listening:  - Red, White and Who? Playlist  - Red, White and Who? A Swing-State Debate  - Red, White, and Who? How Abortion Plays for Trump and Harris  Further Reading: - A Populist Democrat Fights to Survive the Trump-Fueled Populist Wave  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Journal.
Red, White and Who? A Swing-State Debate

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2024 23:49


After a tense debate, Ryan Knutson and Molly Ball unpack a busy election week and examine what's next for both campaigns in crucial swing states like Pennsylvania. Plus, could a state like Nebraska decide the election? Further Listening: - Red, White, and Who? How Abortion Plays for Trump and Harris  - For Kamala Harris, a Big Interview and a Narrow Lead  - Is the Trump Campaign Going Off Track?  Further Reading: - We Asked Undecided Voters Who Won the Trump-Harris Debate  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NBC Meet the Press
Meet the Press NOW — September 11

NBC Meet the Press

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2024 50:06


Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris face off in their first debate ahead of the 2024 election. NBC News Chief Political Analyst Chuck Todd, Molly Ball, Ashley Etienne, and Mike Dubke discuss the key takeaways from the night. NBC News Washington Correspondent Yamiche Alcindor joins Meet the Press NOW from Ohio following Trump's reference to a false conspiracy theory regarding Haitian migrants. Melissa Deckman, CEO of PRRI, explains what impact Taylor Swift's endorsement of Harris may have on turning out young voters.

The Journal.
Red, White and Who? How Abortion Plays For Trump and Harris

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2024 25:21


Who will win the race to the White House? A new series from The Journal podcast explores the issues that are shaping this election. This week, Ryan Knutson and WSJ's Molly Ball delve into reproductive rights, examining how the issue is playing out for both Democrats and Republicans. Plus..what makes a state a swing state? Further Listening: - For Kamala Harris, a Big Interview and a Narrow Lead  - Hope, Unity (and Some Nerves at the DNC)  - Is the Trump Campaign Going Off Track?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NBC Meet the Press
September 1 — Sen. Tom Cotton and Rep. Ro Khanna

NBC Meet the Press

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2024 47:28


Vice President Kamala Harris narrowly leads former President Donald Trump in key battleground states as the two candidates prepare for their first presidential debate. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) exclusively joins Meet the Press to discuss Trump's incident at Arlington cemetery and recent comments over abortion. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) exclusively speaks with Kristen Welker on the death of six hostages discovered by Israeli forces in Gaza. David Rhode, Molly Ball, María Teresa Kumar and Lanhee Chen join the Meet the Press roundtable.

The Journal.
For Kamala Harris, a Big Interview and a Narrow Lead

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2024 22:31


Kamala Harris is trying to step out of President Biden's shadow without distancing herself from thier administration's policies. Molly Ball breaks down a new WSJ poll that shows Harris has a narrow lead in the presidential election and unpacks the VP's first big interview. She also takes your questions.   Further Reading: - Harris Has Taken Narrow Lead Over Trump, WSJ Poll Finds  - Race Is On To Reach the Rapidly Shrinking Pool of Undecided Voters  Further Listening: - Is the Trump Campaign Going Off Track?  - Kamala Harris, In Context   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Journal.
Hope, Unity (and Some Nerves) at the DNC

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2024 22:37


Last night, Vice President Kamala Harris formally accepted the Democratic presidential nomination. It capped off a boisterous, speaker-packed week in Chicago as the Harris campaign tries to reach a broad swath of American voters. Molly Ball reports from Chicago.  Further Listening: - Is the Trump Campaign Going Off Track?   - Takeaways from the RNC: Trump Is in Control  Further Reading: - Kamala Harris Defines the Democrats' New Normal  - Democrats' Upbeat Convention Has Nancy Pelosi to Thank  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Journal.
Is the Trump Campaign Going Off Track?

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2024 22:20


WSJ's Molly Ball breaks down the past week for the Trump campaign as the former president continues to try and counter a surge of support for Harris. Plus, do undecided voters truly exist? Molly answers your questions. Further Reading: - Race Is On To Reach the Rapidly Shrinking Pool of Undecided Voters  - Inside Elon Musk's Hands-On Push to Win 800,000 Voters for Trump  Further Listening: - The Week that Changed the Presidential Race  - Kamala Harris, In Context   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Journal.
'Phony' and 'Weird.' Trump and Harris Size Each Other Up

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2024 23:34


As Kamala Harris's presidential campaign gets underway, Democrats and Republicans are rushing to define her. And Democrats are shifting the way they talk about the GOP. WSJ's Molly Ball explores the strategies behind how both sides are framing each other.  Further Listening: - The Week That Changed the Presidential Race  - Takeaways from the RNC: Trump Is in Control  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Journal.
The Week That Changed the Presidential Race

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2024 22:40


The 2024 presidential election has taken a major turn after Biden dropped out of the race. WSJ's Molly Ball charts how the 2024 political election has hit a reset and what Harris's candidacy could mean for her party and the country.  Further Listening: - Takeaways from the RNC: Trump Is in Control  Further Reading: - Biden Withdrawal Caps Weeks of Epic Political Turbulence  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WSJ What’s News
President Biden Drops Out of 2024 Race

WSJ What’s News

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2024 14:40


Special Edition for July 21. President Biden has ended his 2024 re-election campaign after failing to quell a Democratic rebellion against his candidacy. Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take over at the top of the ticket. Harris said she will fight to earn the nomination. We discuss where this extraordinary moment leaves the race with WSJ's Molly Ball and Ken Thomas. Sabrina Siddiqui hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Journal.
Takeaways from the RNC: Trump Is in Control

The Journal.

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 19, 2024 25:41


The Republican National Convention came to a close Thursday night with a speech by presidential nominee Donald Trump that called for unity while also returning to familiar rhetoric. WSJ's Molly Ball says it's a remarkable turnaround for a candidate who was once an outsider, and has now remade the party in his image. Plus, Jessica Mendoza and Jacob Gallagher give the convention a fit check. Further Reading: - Trump Hasn't Changed, but the GOP Has  - Crypto Dads, Trump Suits and Four-Letter Words: Scenes from the Cultural Frenzy at the RNC  Further Listening: - Elon Musk and Silicon Valley Turn Towards Trump  - Trump Courts the Union Vote  - The Secret Service's Failure to Protect Trump  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apple News Today
New questions after the Trump assassination attempt

Apple News Today

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2024 10:37


Apple News has a collection of the best coverage and analysis of the shooting. Wall Street Journal senior political correspondent Molly Ball on how the incident is affecting the presidential campaign. Today’s episode was guest-hosted by Gideon Resnick.

The Beat with Ari Melber
Project 2025 threatens democratic norms

The Beat with Ari Melber

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 3, 2024 41:17


MSNBC's Katie Phang hosts "The Beat" on Wednesday, July 3, and reports on the threats of "Project 2025", turmoil among Democrats as some call on Biden to step aside, and the recent SCOTUS ruling. Jason Johnson, Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Molly Ball, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, Elie Mystal, and Christine Todd Whitman.

The Beat with Ari Melber
Countdown to Biden-Trump debate match

The Beat with Ari Melber

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2024 42:13


MSNBC's Ari Melber hosts "The Beat" on Monday, June 24, and reports on Donald Trump's legal battles, the 2024 election, and SCOTUS hearings. Plus, Melber delivers a special report on how Georgia prosecutors are using the same RICO law applied to Donald Trump against citizens seeking accountability. Elie Mystal, Molly Ball, and Cornell Blecher join.