Synopsis
Four former aides to President Obama Jon Favreau, Dan Pfeiffer, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor are joined by journalists, politicians, comedians, and activists for a freewheeling conversation about politics, the press and the challenges posed by the Trump presidency.
Episodes
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Kamala Harris & Liz Cheney Take on Donald Trump
04/10/2024 Duration: 01h12minOctober is here... and so are the surprises. Special Counsel Jack Smith brings Trump’s 2020 election conspiracy back into the headlines, while Harris teams up with Liz Cheney to campaign in Wisconsin. Meanwhile, Harris and Biden face fresh challenges: Hurricane Helene recovery and spiraling Middle East tensions. Dan and Jon explore how Trump’s legal troubles could shape the final stretch of the race, and whether Harris will turn the spotlight back to Trump's threat to democracy. Plus, Stacey Abrams stops by to break down Georgia’s new voting restrictions and how to make sure your vote counts.To hear the rest of this Inside 2024 episode, and to catch all past and future episodes, be sure to sign up for Friends of the Pod at crooked.com/friends. 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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Hot Takes on a Low Key Debate
02/10/2024 Duration: 41minJon, Lovett, Dan, and Tommy break down Tim Walz's great arguments about democracy and reproductive rights, JD Vance's distortions on Obamacare and immigration, and the other moments that might—might!—break through from a surprisingly collegial vice presidential debate. 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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Can Tim Walz Out-Debate JD Vance?
01/10/2024 Duration: 01h11minTim Walz and JD Vance prepare for the last big moment of the campaign: Tuesday's vice presidential debate. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy handicap Walz's strengths and weaknesses and offer their advice on lines of attack. Plus, just a day after threatening a "really violent" police purge, Donald Trump travels to hurricane-ravaged Georgia to lie about Joe Biden and Kamala Harris deliberately holding up aid. Then, legendary strategist James Carville stops by to talk about where the race stands and how Harris can pull out a win.You can support disaster relief efforts for Hurricane Helene by donating now at votesaveamerica.com/helene 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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Kamala Pitches Populism, Trump Hawks Watches
27/09/2024 Duration: 57minHarris gives another big economic speech and sits for an interview about protecting consumers and growing the middle class. Trump, meanwhile, claims Iran is trying to kill him, accuses Harris of lying about working at McDonald’s, defends newly indicted Mayor Eric Adams, and engages in yet another grift: selling branded watches. Jon and Dan break down all the latest, including Harris’s upcoming border visit, and chat with Strict Scrutiny’s Melissa Murray about her new MSNBC special on Black women and their potential to decide the election.
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Is Trump God's Gift to Women?
25/09/2024 Duration: 01h16minLovett and guest host Errin Haines break down Kamala Harris's efforts to close the gap with Donald Trump on the economy, and what might be behind Trump's deranged new appeal to women voters. Then, Fox News's Jessica Tarlov, cohost of The Five, stops by to talk about what it's like to be a Democrat on the network Democrats love to hate, and how she survives her daily confrontations with Fox's most opinionated conservatives. 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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Is Trump Winning the Sun Belt?
24/09/2024 Duration: 01h10minSix weeks out from Election Day, new polls show Harris leading nationally, but Trump still ahead in key Sun Belt states. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy dive into Harris's push for a second debate, Trump's undisciplined campaign operation, and Mark Robinson staying in the North Carolina governor’s race— even after his team quit. Then, Tommy chats with Chenjerai Kumanyika about his new series, Empire City: The Untold Origin Story of the NYPD.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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Kamala Up, Lovett Down
20/09/2024 Duration: 01h03minAnother day, another round of maddening polls showing the race locked in place—with Harris ever-so-slightly ahead—even as voters agree that she beat Trump handily in the debate. Jon and Dan go through the latest numbers, preview the Harris campaign's reproductive rights event with Oprah Winfrey, and attempt to process the revelations about North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson's, um, online interests. Then, Tommy, Jon, and Dan debrief Lovett on his (spoiler alert!) brief but iconic run on Survivor. 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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Harris Denounces Trump's Pet-Eating Conspiracy
18/09/2024 Duration: 01h01minKamala Harris drives a contrast message with an appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists and gives a searing answer about Trump and Vance's lies about Haitian immigrants. Dan and guest host Addisu Demissie discuss Harris's off-the-cuff performance, how she can keep her momentum up post-debate, and Donald Trump's snoozer of a town hall in Michigan. Then they break down the latest polls and the overall state of the race with less than 50 days to go before the election. 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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Trump Blames Harris for Assassination Attempt
17/09/2024 Duration: 55minDonald Trump wastes no time blaming Kamala Harris and Joe Biden for the latest attempt on his life. JD Vance defends spreading lies about Haitian immigrants as a way to draw attention to border policy. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy discuss how Democrats can respond to the blame game, and whether or not to make the pet-eating smears a campaign issue. Plus, Kamala Harris does more interviews, and the Trump family plunges into the crypto business. 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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Trump Is Too Afraid to Debate Harris Again
13/09/2024 Duration: 48minTwo days after getting trounced in the debate, Trump turns to a familiar playbook: claim a win, trash the moderators, and—above all—refuse to debate again. The only hitch? All those Trump advisors and endorsers talking to the press about how poorly he did. Jon and Dan discuss Trump's attempt at spin, Harris's post-debate agenda, and the MAGA freakout over Taylor Swift's endorsement. 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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Kamala Dominates Trump at the Debate
11/09/2024 Duration: 42minIn what may be the last huge moment of the campaign, Kamala Harris pulls off an overwhelming win: drawing a clear contrast with Donald Trump, presenting herself as a change candidate, and luring her opponent into getting angry, defensive, and confused. Jon, Lovett, Dan, and Tommy react to Harris's best moments, Trump's tantrums, the crazy pet-eating story, and Taylor Swift's big post-debate endorsement. 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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All Tied up Before the Debate
10/09/2024 Duration: 01h07minDebate day has arrived, and new polls show that the race couldn't be closer. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy offer their final thoughts before Kamala Harris and Donald Trump's first, and potentially only, face-off. Harris lays out her strategy for dealing with Trump in a new radio interview, updates her website with policy proposals, and releases an ad to troll Trump. Meanwhile, Trump plays the hits with new threats to arrest his political opponents and incite violence. Then, Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks joins Tommy in studio to talk about why people need to pay close attention to the Maryland Senate race, and about getting to know Kamala Harris over the years. 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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Trump's Happy-Go-Lucky Debate Strategy
08/09/2024 Duration: 01h25minKamala Harris prepares for Tuesday's debate while Donald Trump has "policy time" and complains about his legal woes. Live in Phoenix, Jon, Lovett, Tommy, Dan, and guest host Jane Coaston discuss the upcoming debate, some surprising Republican endorsements for Harris, and the GOP's continued turn to weird. Then, Rep. Ruben Gallego talks with Dan about his crucial Senate race against Kari Lake and what Democrats need to do to win Arizona in November. Plus, a Kari Lake-themed game.
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Kamala Harris: Still the Underdog
06/09/2024 Duration: 01h19minAs the final campaign sprint begins, both candidates roll out plans on the issue that matters most to undecided voters: the economy. Republican truth-teller Liz Cheney throws her support behind Kamala Harris, while other Republicans quietly cross their fingers for a Trump defeat—even as Harris and Walz remain, in their campaign manager’s words, “clear underdogs.” Then, CNN’s Dana Bash joins the show to talk about the debate that changed everything and what to expect in next week’s big face-off. 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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Doug Emhoff Is Ready to Win (Fantasy Football)
05/09/2024 Duration: 53minDoug Emhoff stops by the Crooked studio! The Second Gentleman talks with Jon, Lovett, and Tommy about why Kamala Harris is such "a badass," masculinity and winning over young men, and his role fighting the rise of antisemitism. Plus: the hug with Tim Walz that his friends are still giving him shit about, Kamala's kitchen skills, and why he still makes time for fantasy football.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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Pollercoaster: State of the Race with Dan Pfeiffer (Subscription Preview)
03/09/2024 Duration: 31minLean into the long Labor Day weekend with a special 'Best Of' preview episode of Crooked’s subscriber-exclusive series, Pollercoaster. In this episode, enjoy highlights featuring Dan Pfeiffer and expert guests as they share their insights on latest polls and the state of the Presidential elections. Don’t miss out on future episodes – be sure to sign up for Friends of the Pod at crooked.com/friends. More on Pollercoaster: Does every new poll make you want to crawl under your desk and get into the fetal position? Do you hate the polls but can’t quit them? Well, we have a podcast that’s just for you (and us!). Pollercoaster is Crooked’s new home for exclusive in-depth analysis across the biggest national polls, latest voter trends, and closest races up and down the ballot. Join former White House Communications Director and Pod Save America host Dan Pfeiffer and a series of expert guests to break down the polls, unpack what they actually mean, and whether or not it’s time to hit the panic button. New episodes of
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Harris and Walz Meet the Press
30/08/2024 Duration: 51minKamala Harris and Tim Walz sit down with CNN's Dana Bash for their much-hyped first big interview—and they pass the test. Donald Trump tries again to tack to the left on reproductive rights, and his campaign leans into their fight with Arlington National Cemetery over politicking at gravesites. Then, Jon and Dan go through the latest batch of national and state polls, all showing an extremely tight race. 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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Harris Hits the Airwaves
28/08/2024 Duration: 01h04minLovett and guest host Symone Sanders Townsend of MSNBC discuss the Harris-Walz campaign's latest moves: new ads hitting Trump and touting her housing plan, and a big bus tour through southeastern Georgia. Then, they look at Trump's counter-programming—notably, selling trading cards of himself—and who benefits most from muted mics at the September 10 debate. 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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Kamala Harris's Path to 270
27/08/2024 Duration: 01h01minTrump threatens to bail on the September debate, his campaign signals yet another attempt to keep their candidate on message, and his newest big endorser now comes with even more dead-animal baggage. Meanwhile, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz prepare to hit the road on a Georgia bus tour and sit for a high-stakes interview. Jon and Tommy break down the state of the race as we head into the final two months, and Harris-Walz battleground state director Dan Kanninen stops by to talk about Harris's pathways to 270 electoral votes—and all the work they're doing on the ground to make sure she gets there. 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. Tour Dates & Tickets: crooked.com/eventsEmpire City: apple.co/empirecity
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Kamala Crushes It
23/08/2024 Duration: 46minIn the biggest speech of her life, Kamala Harris gives a dazzling address making the case for herself and her vision, and absolutely torching Donald Trump and Project 2025. Jon, Lovett, Dan, and Tommy talk about why the speech was so effective and why it was so different than what we've seen at past conventions. Then, Gov. Gavin Newsom stops by the studio to talk about his years-long friendship with Harris, and who she is as a person. 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.