jillian

The Republican National Convention concluded last week. We heard from Trump’s VP nominee, JD Vance, and we heard from Donald Trump for the first time since the assassination attempt. Trump pushed lie after lie during his speech. No surprise. The real question is whether or not Joe Biden can beat him. Mark Leibovich from The Atlantic and Molly Jong Fast from the Fast Politics Podcast join the podcast to lay out the plan forward to defeat Donald Trump. Plus, you’ve probably heard of Project 2025. What is it and how is it fueling the Republican Party’s agenda? Read Mark’s writing in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/mark-leibovich/ … Read More…

The Supreme Court term has ended after a series of punishing decisions that break years of precedent. While there were many horrible decisions made in this term, two stand out: The cases on Presidential Immunity and the Chevron Doctrine. Why are these so important? We’re joined by our Supreme Court expert and host of the Amicus podcast, Dahlia Lithwick. Al and Dahlia lay out the devastating consequences ahead in the wake of these decisions and try to lay out a path forward. Listen to Dahlia’s Amicus podcast. Read Dahlia’s great work in Slate.

One of my favorite episodes from this year (so far). The historian on her bestseller “Democracy Awakening” and how America’s democracy is on a knife’s edge. Perfect for July 4th weekend!

Donald Trump lied over and over again at the debate. But it’s been overshadowed by President Biden’s terrible performance. Political scientist and an emeritus scholar at the American Enterprise Institute Norm Ornstein joins us to recap Thursday evening’s debacle. Is there a plan forward for the Democratic Party if Biden drops out? How can Biden prove that the debate was an anomaly and win his party back? Plus, the latest round of Supreme Court decisions dropped on Friday. Norm breaks down the terrible decisions and what they say about the direction they are taking this country.

Bulwark Founder Sarah Longwell and former Republican operative and host of the Bulwark podcast Tim Miller are worried about a dangerous potential second term of Donald Trump. The first step for Joe Biden defeating Trump? Have a good showing in this week’s coming debate. Tim has prepped Presidential candidates to face Trump and shares his insight. And what messages should President Biden hit on during the debate? Sarah hosts The Focus Group podcast and shares what voters are looking for this November. Joe Biden has a LOT of policies that poll extremely well. So how does he take that message … Read More…

One of the biggest issues in the coming election will be the economy. So how has President Biden done on that front? We talk to Catherine Rampell about Bidenomics and how the President should tout his economic record. His opponent, Donald Trump could be a disaster for the economy if his previous term is any indication. Catherine discusses what a second Trump term could look like and the difficulty even Republicans have with working with him. Read Catherine’s latest here.

My friend Howard Fineman died this week. He had a long career as one of Washington’s most respected political reporters and began his career at the Louisville Courier Journal. There, he was able to witness the rise of Mitch McConnell and learn what kind of politician he was. In this episode from 2019, we discuss what makes McConnell tick and Howard’s career. May his memory be a blessing.

The war in the Middle East continues, but is a ceasefire in sight? The Biden administration has an outline of a plan. Two of our leading foreign policy experts join us to discuss. Plus, now that Donald Trump is a convicted felon, what could that mean for this election? And how does the Biden administration sell the undeniable success of the economy to the American people? Read Frank’s latest work in The Atlantic. Read David Rothkopf in The Daily Beast.

Donald Trump has been convicted on all 34 charges in his NYC hush money trial. What does that mean for his future? We get the latest from our legal expert Harry Litman. Plus, longtime political reporter Dan Balz from the Washington Post joins me for a wide ranging political discussion! Will these convictions help or hurt Trump? We also discuss the state of the Presidential race and what President Biden’s strengths and weaknesses are as election season ramps up. Read Harry’s coverage of the Trump trial for the LA Times. Read Dan Balz’ latest in the Washington Post.

My friend, basketball legend Bill Walton died this week after a private battle with cancer. I wanted to share our interview with Bill from March of 2022. You will hear the unbounded life force of his generous spirit. RIP Bill.

Former U.S. Attorney and Deputy Assistant Attorney General Harry Litman joins to discuss the Trump hush money trial. Both sides have rested. Harry has been in the courtroom watching the trial. With closing arguments coming next week, we break down what has transpired and all the possible outcomes Trump could expect as his verdict looms. Harry has been covering the trial for the Los Angeles Times. Read his reporting here.

Trae Crowder, the viral Tennessean comedian joins to discuss his upbringing in a red state, why rednecks are Trumpies and what happens to a community when the jobs leave. Learn why he understands Trump’s appeal to [delete-voting] rednecks, and how and why they transitioned from not liking Trump to supporting his every move. Learn more about Trae at www.traecrowder.com! Come see Al on tour! Check to see if he’s coming to your city – https://www.alfranken.com/appearances