Author: LaMonica McIver, Dan Pfeiffer, Jon Favreau

Posted on

Pod Save America - Just Another Orange Monday

As Donald Trump's insane tariffs plunge America further into a trade a war, the MAGA faithful—with a few notable exceptions—fan out to defend Dear Leader. Meanwhile, Trump says he'd love to send Americans to El Salvador's mega-prison, anti-Trump protests sweep the country, and President Obama speaks out for the first time since the inauguration. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy discuss Republicans' new "suck it up" message on the economy, why Democrats should talk more about Trump's deportations, and how Interior Secretary Doug Burgum likes his cookies. Then, Lovett negotiates the intellectual rationale and practical impact of Trump's tariffs with conservative economist Oren Cass.

 

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.

Posted on

Strict Scrutiny - What’s the Future of Planned Parenthood?

Leah and Kate recap recent opinions and arguments from the Supreme Court, including cases about tax exemptions for religious organizations and the future of Planned Parenthood. Along the way they celebrate Susan Crawford’s election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court and Cory Booker’s 25-hour speech on the Senate floor, touch on potential legal challenges to Trump’s ruinous tariffs, and discuss the latest in the ongoing right-wing effort to challenge Allison Riggs’ election to the Supreme Court of North Carolina.

Hosts’ favorite things this week:

Vote for Less Radical in the Webby Awards here and here!

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

Posted on

What A Day - Massive Crowds Tell Trump ‘Hands Off’ My Government

Hundreds of thousands people across the country spent part of their Saturday at ‘Hands Off’ rallies to protest President Donald Trump and his administration. Organizers say there were more than 1,300 rallies scheduled, from Portland, Maine, to San Diego, California. But while progressives and liberals pretty much agree on what we’re against, we've been struggling to figure out what, exactly, are we for? And if Democrats are the party that believes governance is good, why aren’t the outcomes better? Marc Dunkelman, the author of the new book ‘Why Nothing Works,’ joins us to answer some of those questions.

And in headlines: A judge ordered the Trump administration to return a man wrongfully deported to El Salvador, a second unvaccinated child in Texas has died of measles, and TikTok lives to see another day in the U.S.

Show Notes:

Posted on

Pod Save America - Michael Lewis on Bravery in Politics and Why Elon Musk Seems so “Disturbed”

Michael Lewis, acclaimed author of The Big Short, Moneyball and The Fifth Risk joins Lovett to discuss his most recent book, Who is Government? Lewis and his coauthors profile the civil servants whose thankless and unglamorous work prevents mines from collapsing, castaways from drowning, and rare diseases from killing people. He and Jon talk about why it’s so important to break down the “bureaucrat” stereotype right now, why Lewis is convinced Elon Musk has no idea how to run DOGE, and what leads the people he writes about to stand up to Trump or succumb to their personal ambition.

 

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.

 

To enjoy ad-free episodes of Pod Save America, and more, subscribe to our Friends of the Pod Community now at crooked.com/friends or directly on Apple Podcasts! For a limited time, start your 30 day free trial today.

Posted on

What A Day - Trump Tariffies The Markets

If Wednesday was ‘Liberation Day’ in America, then Thursday was its day of reckoning, as the reality of President Donald Trump’s decision to levy steep tariffs on dozens of countries set in. Financial markets around the world cratered. In the U.S., stocks lost more than $3 trillion in market value, registering their largest one-day drop since the start of the pandemic. But none of it seemed to bother Trump, who said of the fallout from his tariff announcement, ‘I think it’s going very well.’ Scott Lincicome, vice president of general economics and trade policy at the Cato Institute, tells us everything we need to know about Trump’s tariffs.

And in headlines: The Pentagon’s acting inspector general said he’ll review Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of the Signal app to discuss military plans, the White House threatened to withhold funding from public schools over DEI programs, and lawyers for a Tufts University student detained by immigration officials asked a judge to keep her case in New England.

Show Notes:

Posted on

Pod Save America - Trump’s “Liberation Day” Crashes the Stock Market

Donald Trump's drastic new tariffs wreak havoc across the global economy, sending markets tumbling and powerful countries reconsidering their alliances—and it turns out they're based on fake math. Tommy and guest host Emma Vigeland, co-host of The Majority Report with Sam Seder, discuss how Democrats can turn Trump's disastrous "Liberation Day" into a win, Judge Susan Crawford's big victory in Wisconsin, and what Cory Booker's marathon filibuster can tell us about where the Democratic party needs to go. Then, Tommy breaks down Trump's tariffs with economics journalist James Surowiecki, who was the first to suggest that Trump's math didn't add up. Later, Tommy talks with former national security advisor and UN Ambassador Susan Rice about Signalgate, Trump appeasing Russia, RFK's assault on our public health, and more.

 

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.

Posted on

What A Day - Trump Launches Tariff-Palooza

Wednesday was ‘Liberation Day’ in Trump’s America. For everyone else, it was a day of sheer economic panic, as President Donald Trump unveiled heavy 'reciprocal' tariffs on dozens of countries, on top of a 10 percent blanket tariff on all imports. Trump billed it all as a fool-proof strategy to bring back American jobs that have moved overseas, and said specifically the levies would be a boon for unionized workers at domestic car companies. But Trump is no friend to unionized labor. He's spent the days since his inauguration slashing thousands of unionized government jobs. Everett Kelley, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, talks about how unions are fighting back.

And in headlines: Wisconsinites gave Elon Musk the middle finger by sending a liberal judge to their state Supreme Court, a federal judge dismissed corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and Amazon makes an eleventh-hour bid to buy TikTok.

Show Notes:

Posted on

What A Day - Why Planned Parenthood Is Back In Front Of SCOTUS

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments today in a big case about healthcare access and Planned Parenthood. The years-long court fight centers on South Carolina’s bid to push the reproductive care provider off the state’s Medicaid program. The actual question in front of the justices is a technical one, but a decision in South Carolina’s favor could prompt a wave of states to strip Medicaid funding away from Planned Parenthood. Alexis McGill Johnson, Planned Parenthood’s president, explains what’s at stake in the case.

And in headlines: Attorney General Pam Bondi said she would seek the death penalty for the man charged with murdering UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, the Trump administration admitted it made an ‘administrative error’ in deporting a Maryland father with protected legal status to El Salvador, and mass layoffs began at the Department of Health and Human Services.

Show Notes:

Posted on

What A Day - Trump’s TBD Tariffs

Economists, Wall Street traders — really, anyone who has a stake in the health of the U.S. economy — are all holding their breaths right now ahead of President Donald Trump’s planned ‘Liberation Day’ Wednesday. That’s when he’s promised to put in place a slew of new tariffs on imported goods from all over the world. But the scope of Trump’s plans is still unclear, and that’s injecting a ton of uncertainty into an already uncertain economy, all while polls show voters are losing confidence in the president’s ability to bring down prices. Neil Irwin, chief economic correspondent for Axios, explains what Trump’s murky tariff plans could mean for average Americans.

And in headlines: Republicans sweat over a pair of special Congressional elections in Florida today, the Trump administration said it deported more alleged gang members to El Salvador, and Attorney General Pam Bondi told the Justice Department to drop a Biden-era lawsuit against a Georgia voting law.

Show Notes:

Posted on

Pod Save America - Trump “Not Joking” About 3rd Term

Donald Trump's long-promised "Liberation Day" of insane new tariffs approaches, but what's his plan for the global trade war he's promising to start? Jon, Lovett, and Tommy discuss all the latest madness, including Trump's new hints that he'll serve a third term, the galling new details about Alien Enemy Act deportations, and Elon Musk buying votes in the Wisconsin judicial race. Then, Jon sits down with Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego to talk about how Democrats can fight back against Trump and how we can win again in states like his.

 

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.