The Latest

An intense, important, eye-opening episode with David Pepper in the house. What are the tactics of those destroying democracy from the state level on up? Join David, Stuart, and Joe for the strategy that gets us to the future we want and deserve.

Justice Samuel Alito expects the public to accept his claim of impartiality, even after news broke that a "Stop the Steal" flag was flying over his house. Steven Beschloss writes, "This all makes a mockery of Chief Justice John Roberts’ assertions that he cares about the credibility of the court and securing the public’s trust."

Fox News completely forgot about pro-Palestinian protesters and the Israel-Hamas War choosing instead to focus on Trump’s criminal hush money trial in Manhattan. The network featured Trump’s toadies - a legion of lawmakers desperate to suck up to their dear leader. Jesse Watters claimed Trump was meditating in court - not nodding off. Judge Jeanine Pirro clutched her pearls over Biden’s joke “I hear you’re free on Wednesdays.” Laura Ingraham defended a NFL kicker’s commencement speech and Rachel Campos-Duffy pitted Black Americans against Latino Americans. Eric Shawn continued to drop truth bombs and Steve Doocy went rogue!

There were just a few brave Republicans to openly criticize Trump for falsely claiming the election was stolen in 2020, today's guest was one of them. In this episode we welcome former Lieutenant Governor of Georgia, Geoff Duncan, for an insightful conversation about the state of the Republican Party and American politics. Duncan shares his unexpected journey into politics, his vision for a renewed GOP based on policy, empathy, and tone, and his courageous stand for election integrity during the 2020 election. They discuss Duncan's recent decision to support President Biden in 2024 to help the GOP rebuild post-Trump and critique the current divisive and chaotic influence within the party.

David Pepper and Gevin Reynolds write, "Thanks to a toxic brew of partisan gerrymandering, intense voter suppression, dark money, and far too many uncontested races, many MAGA-controlled states have stopped resembling functioning democracies at all."

Amee Vanderpool writes, “At a recent Mar-a-Lago fundraiser, the presumptive Republican Nominee demanded a billion dollars in campaign donations in exchange for a promise to dismantle Biden's environmental protection policies.”

We spend a lot of time talking about the odds - and not enough time talking about the stakes for 2024. Mike Podhorzer joins Joe and Alex to discuss the long-term implications of the 2024 presidential race -- and how pervasive the Federalist Society's influence on our judiciary has been. What might the Supreme Court look like after another term of Trump in 2028? Bottom line: It's all on the line in 2024. Mike and Joe explain why we have to look at what's already happening in red states or in places where MAGA already controls the judiciary. So what do we do about it? How do we make our democracy better for more people?

With Trump's indictment looming, the culmination of a 17-year battle is upon us. But Jen Mercieca writes that we don't need to wait to see who won in the grand scheme. Way to reclaim your humanity, Stormy Daniels!

Simon Rosenberg writes, "The splintering of the GOP and the open rebellion against Trump by prominent party leaders - former VPs, former nominee, former VP nominee, former Speaker, etc - remains to me one of the most consequential stories of the 2024 election. "

From Brian Daitzman: "Economic inequality, gun accessibility, and gun violence are deeply intertwined in contemporary society. High inequality and easy access to firearms, whether legal or illegal, significantly contribute to gun violence."

Teri Kanefield explains, "Media audiences and producers may say they want decoding, but often they don’t. Often they want “scorecard” analysis. They want to know who is winning."

In his weekly campaign memo, Stuart reminds us that, amidst the noise and panic of social media and news outlets, it's important to practice patience and evaluate the relative value and accuracy of information.

If elected, Trump's cognitive decline will continue to accelerate and then fall off the cognitive cliff leaving America with a cognitive child as the leader of the free world. Dr. John Gartner explains.

Rick Wilson on Trump's love affair with a fictional serial killer: "Lecter is everything Trump isn’t. Brilliant, profoundly worldly, educated, tightly, disciplined, and sophisticated a level Trump would achieve in 1000 years."

Matt Taibbi claims the New York Times has a left wing bias while appearing on Fox News, a right-wing propaganda network. Eric Shawn continues to go rogue regarding the Trump hush money trial. A Columbia Univ. student criticizes Fox News' college protest coverage without realizing it. The cast of Fox and Friends seemed to think George Washington hated protesters even though he was a revolutionary himself. Kellyanne Conway claimed fetuses wave to their parents during ultrasounds. Sean Hannity claimed the Boy Scouts have gone woke!

Fareed Zakaria joins Rick to discuss the history of political upheaval and revolution and his new book, "The Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present." They explore the historical patterns of cultural and political upheavals, beginning with the Tea Party movement and the cultural backlash during Barack Obama's presidency. Zakaria contrasts the incremental nature of the American Revolution with the more radical French and Russian revolutions. They delve into the challenges faced by modern authoritarian regimes in China and Saudi Arabia, the importance of America's post-war influence, and the need to navigate technological and economic transformations while preserving liberty and human dignity.