The Axe Files with David Axelrod

Thomas Friedman, three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The New York Times, talks with David Axelrod about the prospects for the Middle East peace process in the Trump era, the rapid changes transforming society which he chronicles in his latest book, and why he disagrees with President Obama's decision to not pursue more direct American intervention in the Syrian civil war. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

19 Jan 20171h 5min

Theo Epstein, president of baseball operations for the World Series champion Chicago Cubs, chats with David about growing up in Massachusetts, becoming general manager of the Boston Red Sox at only 28 years old, how his use of advanced analytics helped steer the Red Sox and Cubs to curse-breaking championships, and more. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

16 Jan 20171h 13min

Chris Wallace, the longtime journalist and host of Fox News Sunday, talks with David Axelrod about why Ronald Reagan’s 1980 presidential campaign was the best he ever covered; why he thinks the Obama administration could have done better at outreach to Republicans; and how he views some of the potential changes that may be coming for the White House Press Corps. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

12 Jan 20171h 2min

John Brennan, the outgoing CIA Director, talks with David Axelrod about the consequences that could arise from devaluing the intelligence community, the Russian hack into the Democratic National Committee’s computers, the many geopolitical challenges in the Middle East, and much more. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

9 Jan 20171h 2min

Sean Spicer, incoming White House Press Secretary and Communications Director for Donald Trump, talks with David Axelrod about what he hopes to achieve in his new job, Trump’s skepticism toward the intelligence community’s assessment of the Russian hacking issue, why Trump will govern with a mandate, and what to expect from the first 100 days of a Trump administration. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

5 Jan 201750min

Mark Shriver, the author and children’s rights advocate, talks with David Axelrod about the enduring legacies his parents left on the nation and on the wider world, why losing a Congressional race became a great personal development for him, what compelled him to write a book about Pope Francis, and why the policy priorities of the Trump administration could be detrimental to at-risk communities. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2 Jan 201756min

President Barack Obama sits down with David Axelrod to discuss their shared history together, how President Obama managed to stay grounded during turbulent moments of his childhood and adolescence, why the Obama presidency struggled to overcome the partisan politics in Washington, and what’s in store for the President when he leaves office on January 20th. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

26 Des 201658min

Eli Attie, writer for The West Wing and former political speechwriter, talks with David Axelrod about how he went from being a speechwriter to writing television scripts for one of the most notable shows on American politics, his recollection of being in the room on election night when Al Gore rescinded his concession to George W. Bush, and how the fictionalized version of the political speechwriter is often at odds with reality. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

22 Des 20161h 4min