Author: LaMonica McIver, Dan Pfeiffer, Jon Favreau

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What A Day - A House Divided

It's make-or-break week in the House for President Donald Trump's 'one big, beautiful bill.' House Speaker Mike Johnson said Monday he still believes his party can pass the president's legislative agenda by the GOP's self-imposed deadline of Memorial Day. But deep divisions remain within the caucus over cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, state and local tax deductions, and the bill's implications for the national debt. Marianna Sotomayor, who covers the House for The Washington Post, breaks down the roadblocks facing House Republicans.

And in headlines: The Supreme Court said the Trump administration can temporarily revoke deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans, Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin had a two-hour phone call to discuss a ceasefire with Ukraine, and the Justice Department is set to pay nearly $5 million to the family of a Trump supporter who was fatally shot by police during the insurrection.

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Pod Save America - D.C. Reacts to Biden’s Cancer News

President Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer—news that lands in the middle of a media cycle already consumed with questions about Biden's decline thanks to a buzzy new book and the release and of the audio from Biden's special counsel interview. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy unpack the fallout: the questions, conspiracies, criticisms, and some truly disgusting reactions. Plus: Trump's "excellent call" with Putin, his new attacks on the media and Kamala Harris's celebrity endorsers, and Kash Patel and Dan Bongino disappoint MAGA's conspiracist base.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

For tickets to Free Andry: A Crooked/The Bulwark Fundraiser At WorldPride, visit https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/150062AFA79E3227.

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Strict Scrutiny - Will the Courts Let Trump End Birthright Citizenship?

May is supposed to be the calm before June’s opinion storm in SCOTUS-land, but not in Trump’s America. Melissa, Kate, and Leah kick off the show with the latest news, including Stephen Miller’s habeas suspension fantasies and the president’s blatant disregard of the emoluments clause when it comes to free jumbo jets. Then, the hosts are joined by professor Elora Mukherjee of Columbia Law School to break down last week’s oral arguments in the Court’s blockbuster birthright citizenship case. 

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What A Day - Why One Yale Professor Chose To Leave The U.S.

The New York Times recently published a video op-ed by a group of Yale University professors who say they’re leaving the U.S. for jobs at the University of Toronto in the wake of President Donald Trump’s return to the White House. While their decisions are all complex and personal, the three professors — Marci Shore; her husband, Timothy Snyder; and their colleague, Jason Stanley — all study authoritarianism, and all warn the U.S. isn’t immune from the democratic backsliding seen elsewhere and throughout history. Professor Shore, an expert on the history of authoritarianism in Central and Eastern Europe, joins us to talk about how she and her family came to the decision they did.

And in headlines: Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, the Supreme Court blocked the White House from reviving deportations using a rarely used war-time law, and the Israeli military said its forces had started “extensive ground operations” in Gaza.

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Pod Save America - Why are Fundraising Texts SO Annoying?

Are you tired of incessant, unhinged Democratic fundraising texts and emails? Well, so are we. Tommy sits down with three experts in the party's digital fundraising space to talk about how this model became the norm, why it may be hurting Democrats more than it helps, and how that campaign — you know the one — got your cell phone number. Blue State Digital founder Joe Rospars joins to diagnose the problem, our own Dan Pfeiffer weighs in on its impact, and ActBlue CEO Regina Wallace-Jones explains why Democrats rely on the tactic and lays out what we stand to lose if Trump's attacks against her organization succeed.

 

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

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What A Day - The Art Of The Deal: Mideast Edition

President Donald Trump is expected to wrap up the first major international trip of his second term today when he returns from the Middle East. His four-day trip to the Gulf was less about good, old-fashioned diplomacy, and more about doing deals. Lots of them: a $600 billion investment agreement with Saudi Arabia, the details of which remain extremely vague; a nearly $150 billion defense deal with the Kingdom; a major artificial intelligence deal with the United Arab Emirates. And of course, there’s that gifted plane from the Qatari Royal Family. Mohammed Sergie, Gulf editor for Semafor, talks about what Trump accomplished on his trip. Plus, author Casey Johnston joins us to talk about her new book, 'A Physical Education: How I Escaped Diet Culture and Gained the Power of Lifting.'

And in headlines: The Supreme Court appeared torn over the enforcement of Trump’s order to end birthright citizenship, Russian President Vladimir Putin was a no-show at planned peace talks with Ukraine in Turkey, and Walmart executives said the company will have to raise prices because of Trump’s tariffs.

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Pod Save America - Trump’s Petro-Fascist Sugar Daddies

On his tour of the Middle East, Trump lavishes praise on dictators—as they deposit bribes in his pocket. Republicans, in between defending Trump's jet grift, finalize more details of their "big beautiful bill," which, in addition to gutting Medicaid, now aims to cut food assistance, funding for Planned Parenthood, and Biden's clean energy tax credits. The Supreme Court hears arguments on two important, intertwined questions: whether Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship is constitutional (it's not), and whether federal judges below the Supreme Court can issue nationwide injunctions. Jon and Dan react to the Solicitor General's clueless argument before the justices and new polling on Trump's "inoculation" against corruption attacks, and offer Democrats some advice on how to talk about the GOP's tax cuts. Then Jon sits down with long-time friend of the pod Beto O'Rourke to talk about Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and Beto's future in the Lone Star State.

 

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

 

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What A Day - What To Know About Today’s SCOTUS Birthright Case

The Supreme Court hears arguments today in three cases challenging President Donald Trump's effort to end birthright citizenship. Lower courts have blocked the president's order, which he signed on his first day back in office. However, the primary debate in court today will center on something else: the legality of nationwide injunctions, or when a lower-court judge single-handedly puts a government policy on pause nationwide. These rulings have been instrumental in blocking some of the president's most egregious policies. Washington State Democratic Attorney General Nick Brown, leading one of the cases in today's hearing, talks about what's at stake.

And in headlines: Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy told lawmakers, 'I don't think people should be taking advice, medical advice from me;' the CDC reported drug overdose deaths dropped significantly last year; and Omaha, Neb., elected its first Black mayor.

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What A Day - Why Trump’s Economy is Weird AF

Is the U.S. economy … good? Bad? Somewhere in the middle? If it feels like you're desperately shaking a Magic 8 Ball for economic tea leaves, and even it's telling you, 'Ask again later.' Well, it might be on to something. While we're all hearing anecdotes about empty cargo ships from China and fewer people eating at McDonald's, the hard data that would point to a possible recession hasn't shown up yet. Case in point: Tuesday's better-than-expected Consumer Price Index numbers, showed inflation cooled slightly last month despite uncertainty around President Donald Trump's tariffs. Ben Casselman, chief economics correspondent for The New York Times, explains why the vibes don't match the data.

And in headlines: President Trump eliminated sanctions on Syria, Cassie Ventura began testifying in music mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs' federal sex-trafficking and racketeering trial, and the Trump Administration ended federal temporary protected status for Afghans in the U.S.

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What A Day - Can The India-Pakistan Ceasefire Hold?

India and Pakistan announced a ceasefire Saturday, after days of fighting along their shared border and in the contested region of Kashmir. While the agreement between the two nuclear powers appeared to be holding, both sides blamed the other for violating the deal. The latest conflict was ignited by a terrorist attack last month in the section of Kashmir controlled by India, but the two countries have been fighting over the disputed region for decades, since the end of British rule and the 1947 partition. Joshua Keating, senior correspondent for Vox covering national security and foreign policy, explains why this latest round of conflict is different.

And in headlines: President Donald Trump ordered pharmaceutical companies to voluntarily lower their U.S. drug prices, Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley blasted his party over its plans to slash hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicaid, and the U.S. and China agreed to temporarily slash their tariffs.

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