Political Reporter David Weigel on The Shutdown

Trae Crowder, the viral Tennessean comedian joins to discuss his upbringing in a red state, why rednecks are Trumpies and what happens to a community when the jobs leave. Learn why he understands Trump's appeal to rednecks, and how and why they transitioned from not liking Trump to supporting his every move.

19 Maj 202442min

In the two years since Elon Musk bought Twitter, he's turned irt into a leading source of right wing propaganda. He spreads hateful rhetoric, platforms white nationalists and engages with unfounded conspiracy theories. He lies about President Biden, promotes racist ideology and pushes his own commentary onto X users whether they follow him or not. All of this is working to do get Donald Trump elected President again. Judd Legum from the very popular newletter Popular Information explains the damage Elon could be doing in this year's elections. Subscribe to Judd's newsletter, Popular Information! https://popular.info/ Al has a brand new stand-up comedy tour! Check the dates to see if he's coming to your town! https://www.alfranken.com/appearances

12 Maj 202441min

Molly Jong-Fast, special correspondent for Vanity Fair and host of the Fast Politics podcast joins us for a wide ranging conversation covering Congress, abortion, the protests happening around the country and the Presidential election. She also discusses the ongoing Trump hush money scandal happening in NYC. She says the trial is "over-delivering," which could mean a guilty verdict for Trump.  Read Molly's latest pieces for Vanity Fair! https://www.vanityfair.com/contributor/molly-jong-fast Al is on tour! Catch him in your city: https://www.alfranken.com/appearances

5 Maj 202445min

The GOP is undermining democracy all over the country. The will of the people is being subverted for a loud and active minority. In his new book, guest Ari Berman explains how and where this is happening in America. And, more importantly, what we can do to fight back.

28 Apr 202453min

The first criminal trial for Donald Trump is underway. The hush money trial over Stormy Daniels might be the first, but it won't be the last. But will we see the other trials before the election? And what are the consequences if Trump is found guilty? We talk to The Bestselling Authors on The Trump Indictments Andrew Weissmann and Melissa Murray!

21 Apr 202444min

The Republican Party has spent years undoing the will of the people in the state of Wisconsin. With gerrymandered voting maps, they've been able to lose the popular vote and still have a huge majority in the state legislature. But things are changing thanks to Ben Wikler and the Wisconsin Democratic Party! In our first Battleground State episode, Ben explains the work that is being done to preserve democracy in this critical swing state and how they are organizing to secure a win for Joe Biden in November.

14 Apr 202436min

The 2024 election is less than 8 months away. How do Democrats defeat Trump? How do they retain the Senate? Our guests say that it all comes down to messaging. It's important to remind voters that on issues like abortion and the economy, the Democratic Party represents their interests.  Al is on tour! Come see his NEW standup https://www.alfranken.com/appearances

7 Apr 202448min

We begin our wide-ranging conversation by discussing the attack on a Moscow concert hall last week. What are the implications of that violence? And who is behind it? Then delve into the US's failure to fund the Ukrainian effort and the resulting loss of life. Will we help them? Or will Republicans continue to enable Putin? Anne also lays out the dangers of a second Trump term. With autocracy on the rise around the world, what would it look like here in America?

31 Mars 202442min