Author: LaMonica McIver, Dan Pfeiffer, Jon Favreau

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What A Day - Trump’s Cabinet, A Hodge-Podge Of Loyalists

It’s been just three weeks since the election, and President-elect Donald Trump has already named most of his cabinet picks, including all of the big ones to head executive departments. They are, in a word, eclectic. A mix of traditional Republican establishment types, MAGA diehard and… former Democrats? It’s an open question whether Trump’s picks will find common cause beyond just wanting a seat at Trump’s table. Burgess Everett, Congressional bureau chief for Semafor, talks about how Trump Administration 2.0 could work.

And in headlines: Special Counsel Jack Smith dropped both of his criminal cases against Trump, California says it found bird flu in raw milk that’s available in stores, and Drake uses the courts to get petty.

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Strict Scrutiny - How Will Trump 2.0 Embolden SCOTUS to Gut the Law?

Kate and Melissa comb through the latest from the incoming Trump administration, including the subbing in of Pam Bondi for Matt Gaetz for Attorney General. Then, they take a look at the areas of law that will be hit hardest during a second Trump term. Finally, all three hosts speak with Judge David Tatel, formerly of the DC Circuit, about his book, Vision: A Memoir of Blindness and Justice. 

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What A Day - Can Trump Deport Millions Of People?

President-elect Donald Trump says he wants to declare a national emergency – and maybe even use the military – to deport around 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. The consequences could be dire: millions of families separated, livelihoods upended, an even bigger backlog of immigration court cases, and a bill that could top $350 billion. Dara Lind, senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, helps us separate facts from fears when it comes to Trump’s plan.

And in headlines: Trump announces a flurry of final cabinet picks, Israel’s Defense Forces traded more fire with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, and the annual U.N. climate summit wraps up with a controversial $300 billion deal.

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What A Day - How Sexual Misconduct Became Part of the MAGA Cause

If there’s something that many of Trump’s cabinet nominees have in common, it is being credibly accused of sexual assault. Why is Trump—and MAGA world more widely—so enthusiastic about not just tolerating but elevating men with sordid, even criminal, pasts? There’s Matt Gaetz, Trump’s pick for US Attorney General, who withdraw from consideration on Thursday after yet another allegation of sex trafficking Then there’s Pete Hegseth, Trump’s slimy nominee for Secretary of Defense—not to mention Trump himself! Kavanaugh, RFK Jr., Herbster…the list goes on. This week on How We Got Here, Erin and Max interrogate why MAGA is appealing to sexually abusive men, and to what extent voters pulled the lever for Trump despite his rampant misogyny, versus because of it.

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Pod Save America - Gaetz Goes Down

Matt Gaetz is out as Trump's attorney general pick after the mounting questions about past interactions with young women cost him the support of key senators. Nominated in his place: former Florida AG Pam Bondi. Meanwhile, House Republicans have decided their top priority is prohibiting incoming Congresswoman Sarah McBride from using women's bathrooms in the Capitol. Jon and Dan break down what the Gaetz debacle says about Trump's Cabinet picks, his rocky relationships with Senate Republicans, what the bathroom stunt means for LGBTQ rights, and how McBride and her colleagues should respond. Then, Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez talks with Jon about how she pulled off another win in her rural, Trump-supporting district, and what Democrats can learn from her success.

 

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 - Bye bye, Gaetz. Hello, Attorney General Pam Bondi

In news that was somehow both genuinely surprising and 100 percent predictable, former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration to be the next U.S. Attorney General on Thursday. If President-elect Donald Trump was upset about the whole thing, he didn’t show it. Within hours, he had a new pick for the job: Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, another longtime MAGA devotee. Still, it’s also not like Gaetz was Trump’s only problematic nominee, and it’s not clear how many of the others will actually make it through the Senate confirmation process. Tim Miller, host of The Bulwark podcast and a former Republican strategist, explains what Gaetz’s withdrawal means for the rest of Trump’s nominees. 

And headlines: The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant, CNN released old tape of RFK Jr. comparing Trump to Hitler, and the Justice Department wants Google to sell off Chrome.

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What A Day - Can Trump Really Bypass Senate To Fill His Cabinet?

The reality show that is President-elect Donald Trump’s White House appointments keeps on rolling. In the last few days, Trump has picked World Wrestling Entertainment co-founder Linda McMahon to be his Secretary of Education, former acting Attorney General and toilet scammer Matthew Whitaker for U.S. ambassador to NATO, and billionaire former finance executive Howard Lutnick for Secretary of Commerce. Can any of these people win confirmation from the Senate? TBD! But Trump’s team says it doesn’t really matter because they want to force the president-elect’s unqualified picks through with recess appointments. Casey Burgat, director of the Legislative Affairs program at George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management, explains how that would work.

And in headlines: Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders forced a Senate vote to stop the U.S. from selling weapons to Israel, more details emerge about the sexual misconduct allegations against former Rep. Matt Gaetz, Texas has offered up thousands of acres of land to the Trump administration to construct deportation facilities.

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Pod Save America - Matt Gaetz: Venmo Money, Venmo Problems

The problems dogging attorney general pick Matt Gaetz don't seem to be going away, as new leaks expose a history of thousands of dollars in Venmo payments to two women at the center of the complaints against him. Meanwhile, newly unearthed video of RFK Jr., Trump's choice for health secretary, shows him speculating about whether the Covid pandemic was planned by the government. Tommy is joined by Democratic strategist and media expert Lis Smith to unpack all the chaos, plus what the Dems are missing, what needs to shift in their media strategy, and the big questions driving the race for DNC Chair. Then, Dan sits down with Sen. Jon Tester to reflect on his re-election battle in Montana, how Democrats can win in the heartland again, and the best way to connect with voters in red states.

 

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 - 1,000 Days of War In Ukraine

Tuesday marked 1,000 days since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, plunging the European continent into its largest and deadliest conflict since World War II. The milestone was marked by yet another major escalation of violence, when Ukraine launched U.S.-made long-range missiles into Russia for the first time. Russian President Vladimir Putin responded by issuing a new nuclear doctrine to lower the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons. It all comes at a tense time for Europe, as leaders prepare for the return of President-elect Donald Trump, who campaigned on a promise to wind down U.S. support for Ukraine. McKay Coppins, senior staff writer at The Atlantic, explains how Europe is preparing for Trump’s return to the White House.

And in headlines: South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace introduced a resolution to ban transgender women from female bathrooms in the Capitol, Trump picked Dr. Oz to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the White House says this year’s Christmas tree will come from North Carolina.

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Pod Save America - Joe and Mika Do the Trump Dance

Donald Trump completes his journey from outcast to cool kid, showing off his MAGA clique at a glitzy UFC fight and even getting nemeses Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski to come groveling to Mar-a-Lago. Meanwhile, it may not be such smooth sailing for two of his top cabinet picks, Matt Gaetz and Pete Hegseth, as questions mount about sexual misconduct. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy break down all the latest, including Democratic governors' plan to constrain Trump's power, the upcoming race for DNC chair, and under-the-radar moves at the FCC. Then, Tommy talks with NBC News's Brandy Zadrozny, an expert in misinformation and the rise of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., about RKF's plans for the medical care you get and the food you eat.

 

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.