The Latest

Any mother will tell you, we have long memories when it comes to people hurting our children and the Trump Administration is poised to do a whole lot of hurting. Matt Gaetz, RFK Jr, Tom Homan...the list on Trump nominees willing to hurt children goes on and on. Maya May is joined by Kate Duffy, Wisconsin-based founder of Motherhood for Good to talk about effectively punching up in 2025.

Andra Watkins writes: "Christian Nationalists’ decades-long strategy of PURPOSEFUL DISENGAGEMENT gave them the tools to destroy democracy. They succeeded on 5 November without firing a shot."

Mark Jacob writes, "My nominee for chief culprit in the rise of fascism: Rupert Murdoch."

Juliet watched nine hours of Fox News and roughly eight and a half hours of the PBS News Hour from of the night of the 2024 presidential election. This podcast breaks the whole thing down hour by hour with illuminating quotes from both networks. A legitimate news source versus rightwing propaganda.

The fight continues. Catch up with Rick Wilson, Stuart Stevens, and Joe Trippi discussing what comes next.

Host Maya May dives into The Day After with activist and White Women for Harris co-chair Liz Minnella and comedian Allison Reese. This is an incredible conversation - raw, realistic about what we face but also what comes next in protecting our loved ones and creating political and social change.

Legendary strategist James Carville joins Joe and Alex to preview Election Day and discuss his new documentary, "Carville: Winning is everything, stupid!" Why does over 100 years of combined experience think this election is only pointing one way? Where should you be watching for election night data? And one key question James asks Joe and Alex - you won't want to miss this one. It's our last pre-Election Day episode! See you on the other side...

Rick sits down the LP political team who measure, move, and make a difference with voters on the ground in key swing states. Follow all these people on X! Phillip Germain at @PhillipJGermain Trygve Olson at @TrygveOlson Mary Slowinski at @MarySlowinski Stuart Stevens at @StuartPStevens Jeff Timmer at @JeffTimmer Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. Join the fight with Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us and follow us on X at @ProjectLincoln. And please subscribe, rate and review this podcast, thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stuart Stevens writes: "Pain is the only teacher in politics, and the Republican Trump party must be defeated again and again, up and down the ballot, until finally, a sense of self-preservation will drive it to change."

In these final days before the election, Trump has doubled down on his authoritarian, fascist rhetoric. To help us make sense of the chaos leading up to the big day, Rick welcomes historian and political analyst Heather Cox Richardson for a thought-provoking discussion on the future of American democracy. Together, they delve into the stark contrasts between democracy and authoritarianism, the Republican Party’s transformation under Trump, and the growing influence of tech billionaires pushing anti-democratic agendas. With the 2024 election upon us, they examine the stakes, the shifts in voter sentiment, and the potential for new political coalitions to reshape our reality.

Our friend and data guru Tom Bonier joins the show to figure out what's real and what isn't with just days to go. Is early voting good for Democrats? Or just different? And what is going on with all these yo-yoing polls? Where are Tom and Joe most confident headed into the final weekend before Election Day - and what's everyone's bold prediction for the election? This is it, everybody. Go vote! Check vote.org to confirm your registration and make a plan to vote. You can see more of Tom's work at https://targetearly.targetsmart.com/.

Reminding us again what's at stake this election, Capitol Police Officer Danny Hodges and his fellow officers held the line for our country on January 6th. Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. Join the fight with Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us and follow us on X at @ProjectLincoln.

Alexander Vindman offers his foreign policy take on what a second Trump presidency would mean for the United States and the good of the civilized world. Follow Alexander Vindman on X at @AVindman and read and subscribe to his Substack at alexandervindman.substack.com. Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. Join the fight with Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us and follow us on X at @ProjectLincoln.

Chapter 12 chronicles the demise of our fictional magazine, Capital Monthly. The pressure from the White House, from advertisers and from Social Media algorithms kills the independent journalism that was documenting what life was like under Donald Trump's second term guided by Project 2025. As our host, Bill Press, of The Bill Press Pod says in the episode: “It’s not too late to change some minds. The election is a few days away and still most people have not voted. If you have a friend or family member that has not decided whether to vote, or whom to vote for, this is your chance to make a difference. If this series frightened you, made you even more fearful of a Trump second term, perhaps it can have the same effect on someone you know. Please share this series or even a single episode that might speak to that person's special interests. All twelve episodes are in your podcast app and available for sharing. Or you could direct them to go to 2025 pod.com. If we all do something, as Michelle Obama says, even small things like this, we can make a difference and save our Democracy from Donald Trump and Project 2025.” We’d like to thank all the artists who volunteered their time to make this series. Especially the talented sound designers Marilys Ernst and Jonathan Moser who worked on every episode. Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal is written by David Pepper and produced by Pepper, Melissa Jo Peltier and Jay Feldman and is a production of Ovington Avenue Productions and The Bill Press Pod.

Host Maya May and her amazing panel of comedians discussed and debated where the line is or should be for political comedy. Is "it was just a joke" a legit excuse for calling Puerto Rico a "floating pile of garbage?" What does it mean for comedians to "punch up" and how many are punching down for laughs? Should they pay a professional price or is it time, as JD Vance says, for people to "get over" being offended by racist jokes? Catch up now!

In Chapter 11, set in November in Tallahassee, fictional Florida, Governor Buck Bryce confidently addresses the press regarding Hurricane Timothy, initially predicted to be a manageable Category 1 storm. However, the hurricane unexpectedly strengthens to a devastating Category 4 upon landfall, causing widespread destruction and significant loss of life. The governor, previously assured by Washington that all preparations were sufficient, is confronted with the reality of inadequate storm forecasting due to recent cuts to federal meteorological services as proposed by Project 2025. As emergency response efforts falter, Bryce grapples with the new federal policies under Trump that make it difficult to declare emergencies and provide immediate assistance to affected businesses and citizens. The narrative highlights the consequences of disregarding climate science and federal data, resulting in death and destruction As always, the series author, David Pepper ties the fiction to the facts in Project 2025 and Trump’s own words. We'd like to thank all the artists who volunteered their time to make this episode: Mark Ruffalo who read the chapter and others who contributed character voices. Sound design by Jonathan Moser. Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal is written by David Pepper and produced by Pepper, Melissa Jo Peltier and Jay Feldman and is a production of Ovington Avenue Productions and The Bill Press Pod.

Donald J. Trump was lauded as a political genius for cosplaying as a minimum wage worker at a McDonald’s franchise while The New York Times published an audio interview of Gen. John F. Kelly describing Trump as a fascist and admirer of Hitler. Fox decided to bury the story in a heap of French fries prepared by the same wannabe dictator Kelly was trying to warn the American public about. Everyone clutched their pearls to dust after Kamala Harris called Trump a fascist. Stephen A. Smith verbally mopped the floor with Sean Hannity in an amusing and delightful extended rant.

It's the home stretch, and something we haven't touched on enough is Trump's love affair with Tariffs. In this episode Rick sits down with Edward Goldberg, an adjunct professor at NYU’s Center for Global Affairs and expert on political economy and trade. Together, they explore the dangers of Donald Trump's proposed tariffs and the broader risks of economic isolationism. Goldberg draws historical parallels, such as China’s decision to burn its fleet in 1433 and the Smoot-Hawley Tariff of 1929, to demonstrate the economic consequences of shutting down global trade. They also discuss the misconceptions around globalization, its connection to job loss, and the vital role of immigration and open trade in driving American innovation and prosperity. And to cap things off, Rick rants about the horror show at Madison Square Garden.

Well now, that was fun! Frank Rich, award-winning journalist, and Emmy and Golden Globe winning Executive Producer for shows including VEEP and Succession, joined Rick, Joe, and Stuart last night for a super-smart, riveting, and fun conversation. Catch up now!