Did The J6ers Win?

It’s been a strange 12 months for Trump. He won the 2024 election on a wave of economic discontent, and responded by blowing up a wing of the White House, decimating foreign aid, and attempting to deport undocumented immigrants and political dissidents alike, before deciding that what his second term really needed was military adventurism in South America. But since last summer, his poll numbers have declined and Democrats have been notching electoral victories in states like Florida, New York, Georgia and Arizona. Some Republicans in Congress are hitting the exits. And others are starting to talk about life after Trump. But is his power and influence really declining? To find out, we spoke to Jamelle Bouie. He’s a New York Times opinion columnist who writes about politics and American history.And in headlines, the Trump administration plans to freeze $10 billion in child care and social services funding fo five blue states, the President sets his sights on Greenland, and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem tells Venezuelans in the US “Everything’s fixed! You can go home now!” It… isn’t.Show Notes:Check out Jamelle's work – nytimes.com/column/jamelle-bouieCall Congress – 202-224-3121Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

7 Jan 23min

Late Friday evening, President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. After his capture, Maduro was taken by warship to the United States and then flown to New York, where he will face federal drug trafficking and weapons charges. There are a ton of questions around how this operation happened and what, if any, legal authority the United States had to capture Maduro in the first place. But most importantly: what happens to Venezuela now? To talk more about Venezuela, the prosecution of Maduro, and what the hell is going to happen now, we spoke to Juan Sebastian Gonzalez, former National Security Council Senior Director for the Western Hemisphere under the Biden administration. And in headlines, most Republicans are defending Trump's decision to topple Maduro, Marjorie Taylor Greene continues to criticize the president on her way out of Congress, and world leaders are meeting in Paris to discuss the Russia-Ukraine peace process. Show Notes:Call Congress – 202-224-3121Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

5 Jan 24min

On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I substance to a Schedule III substance. Trump's order continues an effort begun by former President Joe Biden to change how the federal government views marijuana. Previously, under the U.S. Controlled Substances Act, marijuana had the same classification as LSD and peyote – drugs that the federal government argues have no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. And because of its classification, scientists who wanted to investigate medical uses for marijuana had to jump through significant hoops – and couldn’t get federal research dollars. Once marijuana is reclassified, that will change. However, if you’re a recreational marijuana user, Trump did not, in fact, just legalize weed. So to learn more about what the executive order means, we spoke with Jeremy Berke, editor-in-chief of Cultivated Media, an outlet covering the business, policy, and culture of cannabis.And in headlines, the Labor Department releases inflation numbers likely skewed by the government shutdown, the deadline to release the Epstein files is here, and House Speaker Mike Johnson sends representatives home for the holidays, failing to address the upcoming expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies. Show Notes: Check out Cultivated Media – www.cultivated.newsCall Congress – 202-224-3121Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

19 Dec 202522min

President Trump has made multiple xenophobic comments about Somali immigrants over the past few weeks, following the findings of an investigation into social services fraud in Minnesota. Many of those arrested were of Somali origin or background — but since the President just pardoned a CEO convicted for fraud, it’s hard to believe he’s really concerned about the, you know, fraud. His remarks really indicate he’s much more interested in being racist – especially towards Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, who has come up repeatedly in the President’s rants. We spoke to Representative Omar about the President’s attacks against her and the Somali American community, her work in Congress, and whether healthcare really can be saved before the new year.And in headlines, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr fails at basic communication during a Senate oversight meeting, the Senate passes a ginormous $901 billion defense bill, and one of the two right-wing podcasters running the FBI is leaving the job in January.Show Notes: Call Congress – 202-224-3121Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

18 Dec 202520min

Unemployment is up. Two-thirds of Americans have recently struggled with the rising cost of groceries. And the President of the United States has occupied his time attempting to start a land war in Venezuela, posting on the internet, and blowing up the East Wing of the White House. Times are… tough. So what can we do, as individuals and as a society, to be happier? To find out, we spoke to Michael Plant. He’s the founder and director of the Happier Lives Institute, a nonprofit that researches the most cost-effective ways to improve wellbeing around the world.And in headlines, unemployment surges to its highest rate in four years, the deadline to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies draws dangerously near, and Vice President J.D. Vance asks Americans for patience during a speech in Pennsylvania.Show Notes: Check out the Happier Lives Institute – www.happierlivesinstitute.orgCall Congress – 202-224-3121Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

17 Dec 202519min

Trump has been president for 11 months, and during that time, former President Joe Biden has basically left the public eye. Yet as Trump's own presidency has deflated like an old soufflé, he's gotten very focused on making sure we all know that Biden is still the problem. For more on Trump's increasing fixation on Joe Biden, as well as his horrifying comments on the murders of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, we spoke to Shawn McCreesh. Shawn is the White House correspondent for The New York Times, covering the Trump administration.And in headlines, President Trump declares fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction, the House Oversight Committee alleges Washington, D.C.'s police chief pressured subordinates to manipulate crime data, and from the people who said "what if the military, but… space?" comes the sequel no one asked for: The U.S. Tech Force.Show Notes: Check out Shawn's piece – https://tinyurl.com/2nsmmdswCall Congress – 202-224-3121Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

16 Dec 202520min

President Donald Trump loves tariffs. But according to a new analysis from Politico, more than half of US imports right now are not subjected to them. To find out why, we spoke to Paroma Soni. She's a data and graphics reporter at Politico, where she covers trade, immigration, agriculture and politics.And later in the show, two mass shootings occurred over the weekend — one in Sydney, Australia and another at Brown University in Rhode Island. We talk to Talib Reddick, president of Brown University's Undergraduate Council of Students.In headlines, peace discussions continue on how to end Russia's war in Ukraine, Republicans scramble to pass healthcare legislation before the end of the year, and some GOP members want to introduce new affordability legislation to save their seats in the midterms. Show Notes:Check out Paroma's piece – https://tinyurl.com/2kvmep2fCall Congress – 202-224-3121Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

15 Dec 202525min