Pod Save America
Pod Save America
300 episodes
Pod Save America is a no-b******t conversation about politics hosted by former Obama aides Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Dan Pfeiffer, and Tommy Vietor. It cuts through the noise to break down the week’s news and helps people figure out what matters and how they can help. They’re regularly joined by journalists, activists, politicians, entertainers, and world leaders. You can watch on YouTube or listen to new episodes every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday.
More about the show
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For a transcript of an episode of Pod Save America, please email transcripts@crooked.com.
Episodes page 1 of 6
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Let Them Eat Cheesecake
Campaigning in Michigan, Barack Obama says Donald Trump's White House renovations look like "Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory" — touching off many rounds of fake conservative outrage. Jon, Tommy, and Lovett…
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Stopping the Steal with Eric Holder
Former Attorney General Eric Holder joins Alex Wagner to game out the ways Trump might try to steal the midterms, from weaponizing the Department of Justice, to sending Homeland Security after suspected noncitizen…
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Fake Polls, Real Wave?
Polling's gold standard, the New York Times/Siena poll, releases new data showing Democrats surging far ahead of Republicans with an 11-point lead on the generic ballot, while another popular pollster is exposed for…
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Vance Bombs at Brutal Town Hall
Vice President JD Vance tries and fails to act normal during a CBS town hall in Michigan — but struggles even harder to explain away his boss's policies. Donald Trump sells out Ukraine to Vladimir Putin, a complex…
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Have Republicans Already Blown the Midterms?
With two weeks until the midterms, Amy Walter, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Cook Political Report, sits down with Dan to break down what she calls the most brutal political environment Republicans have faced in…
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Donald Trump: Ass Man
Trump makes the case for Jon Husted in Ohio, praising the Republican senator's greatest asset: his athletic behind. Jon and Dan react to Trump's Ohio rally and his other messages to voters on the campaign trail,…
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One Flu Over the Cuckoo's Nest
A right-wing conspiracy theory claiming that James Talarico, who has been off the campaign trail with the flu, was actually at a mental institution in Ohio is immediately debunked in humiliating fashion. Jon, Lovett,…
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Democrats' Closing Argument (with David Axelrod)
As Democrats in competitive races across the country try to thread the needle on a closing argument, Jon and legendary political consultant David Axelrod discuss the most memorable exchanges from this week's Senate…
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MAGA's Big Fat Greek Scandal
The Wall Street Journal reveals brazen corruption by Kimberly Guilfoyle, the former Fox News host (and Don Jr. fiancée) now serving as ambassador to Greece — and the Daily Mail piles on with eye-popping reports about…
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Trump Plans to Shove What Where?
With less than 30 days until the midterms, Trump hits the campaign trail, promising Republican voters that they're going to "win big" and "shove it up their ass." (Whose? He didn't specify.) Meanwhile, the polls tell a…
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Deep State Rebels v. Trump (with Michael Lewis)
Michael Lewis, the New York Times bestselling author of "Moneyball" and "The Big Short," stops by the studio to talk to Lovett about "Blockers: Rebels in the Deep State," his latest book on the government employees who…
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Beardos, Weirdos, and Donald Trump
Pete Hegseth, in an unconventional speech, announces that beardos, weirdos, and wimps are no longer welcome at the Department of War as his boss officially hit the road to campaign for Senate Republicans — whether they…
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Impeach Pete Hegseth?
Senate Democrats signal they may be open to impeaching Pete Hegseth after the election if the House has the votes for it. Jon, Tommy, and Lovett discuss why that trial would be a great use of a new Democratic Senate…
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Choosin' Texas with Bobby Pulido
Live from the Texas Tribune Festival, Jon, Tommy, Lovett, and Dan discuss the dream of a blue Texas and how the campaigns there are doing, from James Talarico's debate challenge to Ken Paxton, to Gina Hinojosa's…
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Always Test Your Hopium
The news is full of encouraging signs for Democrats. Is it all too good to be true? Dan and Jon react to Republican candidates running away from Trump on Iran, then break down the latest polls — including a surprising…
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Trump Bans Crooked Media
Major television networks halt White House pool coverage after Trump announces that he's banning journalists from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico. Jon and Tommy react to Trump and JD Vance's justifications for the decision,…
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Fighting with Fox News feat. Jessica Tarlov
Fox News host Jessica Tarlov, the lone liberal voice on "The Five," stops by the studio to talk to Tommy about her new book "I Disagree: Winning Arguments without Losing Friends." Tarlov offers Tommy a behind the…
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Will the Blue Wave Be Bigger Than 2018?
JD Vance begs voters to give the White House "another chance" as a series of new polls show a political environment even more favorable to Democrats than the one that propelled the blue wave in 2018. Jon, Dan, and…
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Artificial Intelligence, Actual Idiots
Trump dismisses the AI CEOs at Anthropic, OpenAI, and xAI who are calling for a "global slowdown" of AI development, saying the only government regulation the industry needs is a "high IQ" president. Jon, Tommy, and…
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On the Ground in Michigan with Abdul El-Sayed
Tommy flies out to Detroit to talk to Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, asking him about his masculinity-forward campaign, the electorate's appetite for candidates who fight back, and how to restore…
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Dallas Bribers Club
At the GOP midterm convention in Dallas, Donald Trump promises that he'll give every American adult a $5,000 check if — and only if — Republicans retain control of the Senate and House, a plan so absurd that even his…
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Will Trump's Postal Service Seize This Mail Bag?
Jon, Tommy, Lovett, and Dan answer listener questions, diving into what they’re most hoping to learn from the 2026 midterms, their favorite political ads of all time, and the groyper takeover of the Republican Party.…
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Poll Me Twice, Shame On Me
Nate Silver, Clare Malone, and Galen Druke — the hosts of Crooked Media's new show Still Counting — join Lovett to talk about the Senate races they find most interesting and Trump doing everything in his power to help…
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Republicans Suddenly Have Plans Next Week
Dozens of Republican lawmakers tell the press that they won't be attending Trump's midterm convention next week, citing a variety of unconvincing excuses, but the president seems unfazed by his party's lack of…
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Is Trump Trying to Lose the Midterms?
Weeks after a Republican campaign committee called AI data centers the "anchor hanging around" GOP candidates' necks, Trump weighs in to say that all Americans who oppose data center construction are "backwards and…
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Obama's Campaign Manager's 2028 Scouting Report
Jon sits down with legendary Democratic strategist David Plouffe to assess the race for the Senate and House and — why not? — look forward to 2028. The two talk through the new roster of early primary states and the…
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Lake America Great Again
With his approval rating 20 points underwater, Donald Trump previews his new midterm strategy: telling voters to pretend he’s on the ballot. Jon and Dan break down how that will play, react to the president renaming…
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Donald J. Plump
As the Trump administration launches economic wars against Iran and Canada, the Washington Post reports on Trump's war with a third adversary: his weight. Jon, Tommy, and Lovett calculate Trump's BMI and then break…
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How to Reach the Unreachable Voter
How can Democrats reach the elusive swing voter? Danielle Butterfield, executive director of Priorities USA, one of the most important PACs in Democratic politics, joins Dan to talk about Priorities' attempts to…
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Total Eclipse of the Harp
MAGA world continues to express outrage over Jon Ossoff's "travel with Natalie" remarks, including an over-the-top rant from Scott Jennings that is being seen as the pundit's shameless audition for the open White House…
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Printer? I Hardly Know Her!
Jon Ossoff attacks Trump for sidestepping his duties to "travel with Natalie," the White House aide known as Trump's "Human Printer," who has a suspiciously close relationship to the president. Jon, Tommy, and Lovett…
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AI Apocalypse... Now?
Is AI set to destroy the world, or could it all just be a bubble? Why does Sam Altman want ChatGPT to monitor everything you do on your computer? Who is set to win the AI Game of Thrones? Casey Newton, editor of the…
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Trump's Mile-Hide Club
Donald Trump hides in a catering truck and boards a secret plane to evade an Iranian security threat, leaving reporters, White House officials, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio alone aboard Air Force One to fend for…
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Can Dems Put Woke to Bed?
Republicans amp up the fear-mongering on "communism" as Democrats try to move past some of their nominees' most controversial past statements. In the words of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: "Woke 1 was crazy." Jon and…
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Is the Progressive Takeover Real?
MS NOW's Chris Hayes joins Alex Wagner to talk about what Democrats should take away from the progressive movement's big primary win in Michigan and how the party's reaction may predict what's ahead in the 2028…
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Tucker 2028?
Tucker Carlson, with the help of Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie, explores launching a third-party bid for president. Jon and Dan discuss how his candidacy could upend the 2028 election and the latest from…
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Bonus: Abdul El-Sayed Wins in Michigan feat. Bernie Sanders
Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan's democratic Senate nomination, defeating Rep. Haley Stevens by one point after a heated campaign about the future of the Democratic party. Jon and Dan sit down for a bonus pod to talk…
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From Pirro to Zero
Trump trashes Jeanine Pirro — and may be on the brink of firing her — for admitting in court that his narrative about "vandalism" in the Reflecting Pool is a lie. Todd Blanche secures his path to confirmation after…
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A Unified Theory of Trumpism
Jonathan V. Last, editor of The Bulwark, stops by the show to talk to Lovett about his "Grand Unified Theory of Trumpism" — that Trump's opponent "will always choose surrender over discomfort." Together, they try to…
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Abolish Bad Tweets
Progressive candidates have serious momentum going into the upcoming primaries in Michigan and Wisconsin — but they'll have to figure out how to explain away some problematic old tweets. Meanwhile, Democrats land on a…
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Phones and Blame Fly at the DNC
A slew of new reporting details big problems at the DNC, from deepening financial woes to leaks, paranoia, and an allegation that Chairman Ken Martin threw his phone at a staffer. Jon, Tommy, and Lovett react to the…
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The Search for an Exciting Moderate
What does a positive vision for the center-left look like? Can moderation still excite the Democratic base? Matt Yglesias, who writes the Slow Boring newsletter and hosts The Argument podcast, talks to Jon about his…
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Trump's Wars Are Bankrupting America
The White House doubles down on both of Trump's wars — the war against Iran and his trade war — sending Pete Hegseth to the Hill to request a $70 billion cash infusion for the Pentagon and imposing new tariffs on…
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The Primaries Will Continue Until Morale Improves
Troy Jackson locks down the nomination to replace Graham Platner in Maine, Wisconsin's gubornatorial primary devolves into chaos as the governor wades in with an unexpected endorsement, and Bernie Sanders and…
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The Democratic Party's Civil War
Amanda Litman, president and co-founder of Run for Something, joins Dan to talk about what the spate of divisive of primaries means for Democrats and how progressives should be feeling heading into the midterms. They…
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Trump's Explosive Diarrhea of the Mouth
Trump delivers an incomprehensible prime-time address to push election interference conspiracy theories, both old and new. Dan and Jon attempt to make sense of the speech and discuss what Trump's focus on election…
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Trump Honors Dead Friend, Restarts War
Sen. Lindsey Graham unexpectedly dies and President Trump notifies Congress that the military has resumed strikes against Iran. Jon, Tommy, and Lovett discuss Trump's announcement that the United States will become…
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Can Soccer Save the World?
How is the world reacting to America's World Cup? Did Trump's red card interference ruin all the fun? And will the U.S. men's national team ever be good? Gary Lineker, host of The Rest Is Football and English soccer…
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The Race to Replace Graham Platner
Graham Platner announces he's ending his Senate campaign, and Maine Democrats scramble to replace him. Dan and Alex Wagner discuss the state of the race, what it'll take to get a new name on the ballot, and why so many…
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Trump Works the FIFA Refs
After FIFA unexpectedly overturns the red card handed to U.S. star Folarin Balogun, Donald Trump confirms that he personally called FIFA's president and asked him to "review" the penalty. Tommy and Lovett react to…
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