The Latest

What were Paul Manafort's connections with Russian interests during the 2016 election interference again? Discover why those connections matter & the potential implications of his possible reunion with the GOP & Trump at the 2024 Republican National Convention, as examined by Brian Daitzman.

David Pepper says that fundamentally, the election is about Trump vs. YOU, and YOUR freedom. "What freedoms are we individually and collectively willing to lose if Trump wins?"

Rick Wilson says Donald Trump's long con is coming home to roost. After exhausting the wallets of supporters, his real estate empire imploding, and enablers in jail, he stands to lose much more than his pride.

A top-to-bottom purge of non-partisan civil servants from government to be replace by Trump loyalists and sycophants - all with a theocratic, Christian Nationalist agenda. Kristin lays it out.

Special guest historian of gender, faith, & politics, and author of NY Times best-selling book, JESUS AND JOHN WAYNE, Kristin Du Mez joined our strategists to discuss the web of Christian Nationalist groups behind Project 2025 - the detailed plan for a Trump second term. America under a theocracy? Don't dismiss it. Kristin provides startling explanations.

Barbara Comstock is a former GOP Congresswoman and longtime RNC veteran. We were excited to have her on the show to discuss the dramatic shifts within the Republican Party and the repercussions of its current trajectory. Together, Barbara and Rick discuss the challenges posed by aligning the party too closely with Trump, the impact on election integrity, and the future of the party. Comstock shares insights from her work on bipartisan efforts to combat election denialism, underscoring the conversation with reflections on the importance of democracy and the need for an inclusive political environment.

Jeff describes the long slide on the political right beginning in the days of Jerry Falwell and how we're now at the point of "conservatives" pushing theology as policy.

Juliet Jeske dives into another week of Fox News madness. Laura Ingraham cranks up fear and paranoia to epic levels. The cast of The Five freaks out that Joe Biden corrected his use of the term illegal. Clinton's sock drawer was classified. Tulsi Gabbard dons a tin foil hat. Harold Ford Jr. gets a major detail about the Haitian crisis wrong. I tell a goofy story about Haiti, Voodoo, a bigot and a cruise ship.

Former Congressman Martin Frost goes through the history of third-party presidential bids in our country, revealing No Labels' big lie. The truth? A No Labels' candidate has no path to victory in 2024.

"If you're not already paying attention, you need to be," warns Kristen Du Mez of the deep and dangerous ties between a second Trump term and Christian Nationalism, "What are we looking at if Trump wins the presidency? It won’t be a repeat of his first term. It will be all that and more."

In a time when it can be difficult to find common ground in American politics one thing feels widely agreed upon, our collective dread for the upcoming presidential election. This week on the show we discuss just that with Time Magazine's Charlotte Alter, dissecting the current political landscape and the looming "Dread Election." Rick and Charlotte examine the widespread political fatigue among activists, the crucial role of young voters, and the influence of cancel culture on political discourse. Charlotte also highlights emerging young leaders and the quest for a message that resonates beyond the politically initiated.

Joe and Alex discuss yet another fiasco for the MAGA House GOP. How Democrats were able to turn the Hur hearing against the Republicans in their own hearing - and what it means long term. No wonder another GOP congressman is retiring. What's 50-60% of 2.9 million anti-Trump Republican votes? No wonder Joe thinks Trump's screwed. By the time you read this paragraph, Trump will have owed at least another thirty bucks of interest... And of course, the veepstakes we can't even believe we're discussing.

Stuart Stevens writes: "Over the next months, Americans will decide if the American experiment continues."

Need a dose of hope? Jen Mercieca brings it writing, "Not only...does it make good strategic sense for Democrats to embrace the terms of stability in American political discourse, not only would it help to defend American democracy from autocracy, but embracing these terms now might ultimately help to make America more democratic than it was before Trumpism."

Teri Kanefield covers the ongoing cycle of misinformation and outrage, fueled by fragmented media and profit-driven motives. What is the impact of partisan legal pundits and deliberate confusion tactics employed by certain media ecosystems on our public? Teri explains.

Sarah Ashton-Cirillo shines a light on the resistance efforts of anti-Putin groups and individuals in Russia, ranging from the Black Bridge partisan group to anarcho-communists. Following Navalny's passing, a shift in media attention and the renewed determination of Russian patriots aim to cripple and upend the Kremlin.

Robert McElvaine highlights the stark contrast between President Biden's SOTU and the opposition party's response and ambitions, “'Take America Back' means take the nation back from women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, non-“Christians,” and so on. Back to the days when the United States was 'a white man’s country.' Back to before the revolutionary changes that took off in 1964.as well as the GOP's dangerous alignment with authoritarianism."

David Pepper knows that we can begin to bring some accountability to Tennessee extremism through the Blue Tennessee program - because it's already been successful in other states.