Author: LaMonica McIver, Dan Pfeiffer, Jon Favreau

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Pod Save America - Well … he’s back.

And so it begins—again. In front of an audience of adoring billionaires, Donald Trump takes the oath of office, delivers a speech promising a return to American greatness, and vows to make drastic changes to federal policy on immigration, gender identity, energy, and more. Meanwhile, Joe Biden ends his presidency with preemptive pardons for Liz Cheney, Anthony Fauci, and members of his immediate family. Jon, Lovett, Tommy, and Dan react to Trump's big speech, his planned executive orders, and Biden's final moves. Then they offer their thoughts on how we can all survive the next four years with our sanity intact. 

 

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 - Trump: Here We Go Again

Donald Trump is President of the United States. Again. His inaugural address Tuesday wasn’t quite as dark as the ‘American carnage’ speech he gave eight years ago. This time around, Trump promised the beginning of a “golden age of America” before reading off a laundry list of policies he plans to pursue during his presidency that will, almost certainly, not usher in a golden age. Standing behind Trump were some of the richest men in the world: Tech CEOs Sundar Pichai of Google, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, and X’s Elon Musk. Longtime D.C. reporter and friend of the pod Todd Zwillich helps us break down Trump’s inauguration speech. 

Later in the show, Eugene Daniels, White House correspondent for Politico, walks us through the many executive orders Trump signed Tuesday.

And in headlines: Joe Biden spent his final hours as president issuing a bunch of preemptive pardons for members of his family and Trump’s political enemies, Vivek Ramaswamy may leave DOGE, and China said it’s open to selling TikTok.

Show Notes:

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Strict Scrutiny - SCOTUS’s Porn Problem

Leah, Melissa and Kate cover some breaking news, including Biden’s last-minute declaration that the Equal Rights Amendment is the law of the land. Then, it’s a rollicking ride through Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, one of the more entertaining oral arguments of late. Come for the hosts’ sharp legal analysis, stay for Justice Alito’s questions about whether Pornhub features longform journalism. 
 

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 6/12 – NYC
  • 10/4 – Chicago

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

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What A Day - Trump Returns to the White House

Today is Inauguration Day in DC. As of around noon ET, we will officially be living under a Donald Trump administration. Again. The president-elect's inaugural committee has raised a record $170 million for the ceremony and accompanying festivities — a huge jump from the then-record $107 million raised for Trump’s first inauguration. We talk to reporter Ilya Marritz, former co-host of the WNYC podcast ‘Trump Inc.,’ to explore the parallels between today’s inauguration and 2017.

And in headlines: TikTok restored service to its more than 170 million users in the U.S, a temporary ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas went into effect, and the federal government is rushing to develop a bird flu vaccine.

***Correction: In this episode we stated, "Inaugurating a president doesn't cost $170 million."  This needs more context. It is true that, prior to 2017, a president's inaugural committee had never spent more than $100 million on inauguration events. Inaugural committees raise money from private donations. But a second pot of federal money covers the cost of services like security and cleanup. The Washington Post estimated the combined total for Trump's first inauguration likely cost between $175 million and $200 million.

Show Notes:

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Strict Scrutiny - SCOTUS Unanimously Upholds TikTok Ban

In the first emergency episode of 2025, Kate, Leah and Melissa break down the Court’s unanimous decision to uphold the upcoming TikTok ban in the United States. They cover the implications and possible unintended consequences, and Leah bids farewell to her personal Chinese spy.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 6/12 – NYC
  • 10/4 – Chicago

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

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What A Day - Bye Bye, Biden

Joe Biden’s presidency officially ends at noon on Monday, when Donald Trump is sworn in... again. And along with the end of Biden’s presidency comes reflection on his legacy as leader of the free world. Biden made his case for the history books during a farewell address Wednesday night from the Oval Office. But despite some notable wins, Biden also tallied some painful failures – on inflation, the war in Gaza, and maybe chief of all, his decision to run again in 2024. Alexis Coe, presidential historian and bestselling author, weighs in on Biden’s legacy. 

Later in the show, a Pasadena resident reflects on evacuating from the LA fires.

And in headlines: Trump’s pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency told senators during his confirmation hearing that he believes in climate change, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis chose state Attorney General Ashley Moody to replace Sen. Marco Rubio, and TikTok users brace for the app to potentially shut down this weekend.

Show Notes:

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Pod Save America - Biden’s Final Warning

Biden bids the nation farewell from the Oval Office, delivering a stark warning about the rise of an American "oligarchy." Dan and Jon break down how history will judge his legacy. Then, Tommy joins to discuss the fragile ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas—who really deserves the credit, and what happens next? Meanwhile, Senate Republicans press ahead with confirmation hearings for Trump's Cabinet picks, and the clock is ticking on a last-ditch effort to save TikTok. Later, Ben Wikler, chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, stops by to share his bold vision for leading the DNC.

 

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 - Breaking Down The Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Deal

Negotiators announced Wednesday that Israel and Hamas had reached a temporary ceasefire deal to pause the 15-month war in Gaza and return some Israeli hostages. President Biden celebrated the news of the deal in comments at the White House, though it still has to be ratified by Israel’s government. The ceasefire is set to go into effect Sunday, but it doesn’t guarantee a permanent end to the war. Ultimately, it will be up to the incoming Trump administration to make sure both parties uphold their end of the agreement. Crooked’s Tommy Vietor, co-host of ‘Pod Save the World,’ explains what happens now.

And in headlines: Confirmation hearings continued for President-elect Donald Trump’s clown car of a cabinet, South Korean officials apprehended and detained the country’s impeached president, and the Supreme Court signaled it might be OK with a Texas law requiring age verification to view online porn.

Show Notes:

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What A Day - Hegseth’s Sham Hearing

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to run the Pentagon, faced tough questions — at least from Senate Democrats — during his confirmation hearing Tuesday. The veteran and former Fox News host is facing allegations of excessive drinking, sexual misconduct, and financial mismanagement. But none of that seems to be disqualifying for Republicans, because Hegseth appears headed toward confirmation. Veteran and Illinois Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth joins us to share her thoughts on Tuesday’s hearing. 

Later in the show, Atlantic staff writer Rogé Karma breaks down the intra-MAGA war over H-1B visas.

And in headlines: Congress passes legislation banning trans athletes from female school sports teams, the Justice Department released part one of former Special Counsel Jack Smith's report on his investigations into Trump, and TikTok users are migrating to the Chinese social media app RedNote.

Show Notes:

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What A Day - Let The Senate Confirmation Hearings Begin

Around a dozen of President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks are headed to Capitol Hill this week to appear for their Senate confirmation hearings. The big one to watch today is the hearing for Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Defense, military veteran and former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, who’s facing allegations of excessive drinking, financial mismanagement, and sexual assault. Hegseth’s confirmation hearings could be a litmus test for some of Trump’s other problematic picks. Burgess Everett, Congressional bureau chief for Semafor, talks about what we can expect from the coming confirmation hearings.

And in headlines: House Speaker Mike Johnson said federal aid for wildfire recovery in Southern California could be tied to a debt limit increase, the Supreme Court ruled the city of Honolulu can move forward with a major lawsuit to hold oil companies accountable for climate change, and President Joe Biden said negotiators are “on the brink” of a ceasefire agreement to end the war between Israel and Hamas.

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