The Right's Chief Propagandist

Last week on Fox News the subject of vigilante violence was center focus as the network lionized Daniel Penny, a former Marine who was acquitted of criminally negligent homicide for killing a homeless man, while lambasting the public reaction towards the cold-blooded assassination of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare. The folks at Fox also seemed disappointed that Black Lives Matter protesters weren’t rioting across the country over Penny’s acquittal. Sean Hannity and Dr. Drew Pinsky both weaved fairy tales about the healthcare system in the United States while Hannity also obsessed over mysterious drones, Jessica Tarlov schooled her co-hosts on Biden’s economic accomplishments and Tom Homan said he would prosecute governors if they got in the way of his plans for mass deportations.

Al From writes, "I never want a president — even Trump — to fail. But I don’t want a president to fail the country, either. "

Last week on Fox the outrage machine was on overdrive as the overpaid stuffed shirts expressed their disgust at President Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter. Judge Jeanine conveniently forgot to mention that Trump pardoned her ex-husband, Steve Doocy and Emily Compagno both declared that the president-elect was already improving the economy and Jesse Watters joked about annexing Canada and Greenland while promoting conspiracy theories about Iran rigging the 2020 election.Jessica Tarlov was the only person on the network that mentioned Donald J. Trump also pardoned a family member. Hunter Biden had fallen off the radar of Fox News but last week it was suddenly the most important topic in the world.

Is democracy in decline? Clearly. In this episode Rick sits down with Emily Amick, co-author of Democracy in Retrograde, to discuss the challenges facing American democracy and how to reclaim civic engagement in the age of polarization and outrage. They explore the rise of minority rule, the impact of social media on public discourse, and the erosion of community ties. Emily shares actionable insights from her book, including how individuals can create sustainable civic action plans and rebuild connections to strengthen democracy. Emily's book, Democracy in Retrograde, available now.

We begin this episode with a quick note of appreciation from Rick, to you and everyone who has supported in this fight. From there Rick sits down with New York Times bestselling author Michael Tackett to discuss his new book, The Price of Power: How Mitch McConnell Mastered the Senate, Changed America, and Lost His Party. Tackett unpacks McConnell's transformation from a pragmatic politician to a key architect of modern conservatism, his mastery of Senate rules, and his role in reshaping the judiciary. The conversation explores McConnell's relationship with Trump, his controversial post-January 6 decisions, and the enduring impact of his leadership. Michael's book, The Price of Power: How Mitch McConnell Mastered the Senate, Changed America, and Lost His Party, available now.