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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Pollercoaster with Dan Pfeiffer - Preview | Trump leading Biden?
28/12/2023 Duration: 16minHere’s a holiday sneak peek of Crooked's new exclusive series for Friends of the Pod, POLLERCOASTER. In this preview, host Dan Pfeiffer and guest Cornell Belcher (Brilliant Corners Research & Strategies and former pollster for Obama) analyze the latest polls, unpack what it means for Trump to be leading Biden, and explore where former incumbent Presidents Obama, Clinton, and others were at this point in their presidencies. New episodes of Pollercoaster drop every other week, so if you want to hear the rest of the episode (or future ones), be sure to sign up for Friends of the Pod at crooked.com/friends.
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Intentions for 2024 with Sam Sanders (Exclusive Clip)
26/12/2023 Duration: 16minWe're taking a much needed break to gear up for 2024, but we're excited to share an exclusive clip from Friend Of The Pod Sam Sanders' weekly podcast Vibe Check. Each week on Vibe Check, Sam, Saeed Jones, and Zach Stafford make sense of what’s going on in news and culture – and how it all feels. 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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PSA Presents: The 2023 Pundies
21/12/2023 Duration: 54minWelcome to the only award that really matters: The Pundies. Jon, Jon, Tommy, and Dan are joined by Halle Kiefer to decide the worst takes of 2023 (including their own). Then they react to their 2023 new year’s resolutions and make some new ones for 2024. Happy Holidays! 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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2023 Holiday Mail Bag!
19/12/2023 Duration: 44minJon, Jon, Tommy, and Dan answer your burning questions about the 2024 election, the future of Democracy, the best album of the year, the Philadelphia "Tush Push,” and much 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.
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No Evidence, No Problem: GOP Votes To Impeach (Live from San Jose!)
14/12/2023 Duration: 01h20minGuest host Addisu Demissie joins Lovett, Tommy, and Dan live in San Jose! Who needs details?! House Republicans unanimously vote to launch an impeachment inquiry into President Biden but have yet to state the official charges or prove any allegations, while Hunter Biden refuses to sit for a closed-door deposition demanded by the GOP. Then California's youngest assembly member, Alex Lee, talks about his battles against tax evasion and unaffordable housing. Plaformer's Zoë Schiffer joins to talk about Elon Musk letting Alex Jones back on Twitter, Silicon Valley giving up on content moderation, and whether the tech bubble is back. Finally we play a round of Silicon Valley trivia and take questions from the audience. 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 Trump Be Stopped in Iowa?
12/12/2023 Duration: 01h06minWith five weeks to go before the Iowa caucus, Donald Trump takes a historic lead in the latest Des Moines Register poll while Ron DeSantis half-heartedly criticizes him on Twitter. Congress tries and fails to reach an agreement on aid for Ukraine and border security. The president of the University of Pennsylvania resigns after disastrous Congressional testimony on campus antisemitism. A woman flees Texas after the state's abortion ban puts her life in jeopardy. And finally, United Auto Workers union president Shawn Fain sits down with Tommy to discuss the UAW's historic wins and what comes next. 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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Chris Christie's Last Stand (Live from San Diego!)
08/12/2023 Duration: 01h19minAnd then there were four. The gloves are off at the fourth GOP debate in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Chris Christie, current last place candidate (and future Pod Save America co-host) is the only one throwing punches at Donald Trump, while Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy set their sights on Nikki Haley. Meanwhile, Trump is planning to use his presidential powers to punish his political enemies and Joe Biden suggests another candidate could also beat Trump. Later, Mayor Todd Gloria joins to talk about his administration’s approach to housing affordability and public safety. And finally, we play Gays vs. Straights: holiday edition. 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 a Trump Dictatorship Inevitable?
05/12/2023 Duration: 53minDonald Trump deflects from his authoritarian impulses by accusing Joe Biden of undermining democracy, while warnings about a second Trump term grow more dire. George Santos gets the boot from Congress while Mike Johnson finds himself in a very similar position to his predecessor Kevin McCarthy. And finally, Strict Scrutiny’s Melissa Murray joins the show to talk about Trump’s flurry of bad legal news. 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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Why This Democrat Thinks He Can Beat Joe Biden
30/11/2023 Duration: 01h23minTrump's lawyers preview a new defense strategy, Nikki Haley lands a big new endorsement, and President Biden fights back on the economy—and hits Lauren Boebert in her own district. Then, Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips visits the studio for a heated conversation about why he's running against Biden in the Democratic primary, what Democrats should be doing differently, what it would take for him to get out of the race, and of course, the difference between ice cream and gelato. NOTE: the interview with Congressman Phillips has been edited for length and clarity. You can watch the full interview at https://www.youtube.com/@podsaveamerica. 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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Biden Secures Temporary Ceasefire, Trump Threatens Obamacare
28/11/2023 Duration: 57minAs Biden successfully secures a temporary ceasefire in Gaza, Congress attempts to pass an aid package for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan. But Republicans say they won’t pass anything unless Democrats agree to new demands related to US-Mexico border security. Meanwhile, Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis are spending super PAC money going after each other in Iowa and New Hampshire. While their biggest competition, Donald Trump, says he is once again set on repealing Obamacare. And finally, George Santos rips into his congressional colleagues ahead of his possible expulsion from the chamber. 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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Inside 2024 - Preview | Favreau + Tommy Talk Election Night
23/11/2023 Duration: 16minHappy holidays from the Pod Save America team! Here’s a special sneak peek of our new subscriber exclusive series Inside 2024. In this preview Jon Favreau and Tommy Vietor take you behind the scenes of election nights like Barack Obama’s 2008 winning campaign. It’s a show we’re really proud of and we hope you enjoy. Producer Caroline Reston moderates. If you want to hear the rest of the episode, or future ones, be sure to sign up for Friends of the Pod at crooked.com/friends.
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More Democrats Call for a Ceasefire
21/11/2023 Duration: 01h14minThe President says a deal is close that would free hostages in Gaza, while more Democrats in Congress call for a ceasefire or conditions on military aid to Israel. Meanwhile, Biden celebrates his 81st birthday with more bad polling and anxious Democrats. Trump continues his run of bonkers campaign stops in Iowa and Fox News kicks off the holiday season with a meltdown over “woke” Christmas. Then, ProPublica and NPR reporter Andrea Bernstein joins the show to talk about the newly announced Supreme Court ethics code and her podcast about right-wing judicial activist Leonard Leo, “We Don’t Talk About Leonard”. Finally, we kick off a new Thanksgiving tradition and pardon our favorite political turkeys of 2023. 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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First Rule of Republican Fight Club
16/11/2023 Duration: 01h01minIt's apparently Fight Club week on Capitol Hill. GOP Representatives are bidding farewell to decorum and possibly their own sanity as multiple almost-fights break out in Congress. Meanwhile, MAGA Mike Johnson gets his government funding bill passed in both the House and the Senate without any major cuts to spending or fulfilling any of his far-right fantasies. George Santos is no longer running for reelection as a House Ethics Committee investigation finds he spent campaign funds on Botox, Sephora runs and… Only Fans. Plus, Biden is getting advice from progressives about how to campaign on the economy and the New York Times says Trump may be more resilient than other Republicans when it comes to messaging on abortion. Finally, John Della Volpe, pollster and author of "Fight: How Gen Z is Channeling Their Fear and Passion to Save America," joins to talk about the President's struggle with younger voters. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email
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Trump Vows to Root Out "Vermin"
14/11/2023 Duration: 48minIn an unhinged Veterans Day speech, Trump promises to remove the "vermin" who dare to oppose his agenda, while his top advisor outlines a terrifying second-term immigration plan: mass deportations, camps for undocumented immigrants, and enforcement raids by the National Guard. Meanwhile, Democrats are giving Joe Biden a lot of advice he doesn't need, and Tim Scott drops out of the Republican primary. Will it matter?
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BONUS: Could Trump Still Lose the Nomination? (Live from New Orleans!)
13/11/2023 Duration: 01h30minGuest host Tim Miller joins Jon, Jon, Tommy, and Dan live from New Orleans! A fired-up President Biden campaigns in Illinois, but Jill Stein enters the Presidential race and Joe Manchin announces that he won't seek re-election, making it harder for Democrats to keep the Senate—and possibly the White House—in 2024. State Rep. Mandie Landry and Public Service Commissioner Davante Lewis join the show to talk Louisiana politics. The hosts debate whether Donald Trump really has the GOP nomination on lock. Then, in the home state of porn-monitoring Speaker Mike Johnson, Lovett debuts a new game: Covenant Eyes Are Watching You.Recorded at The Joy Theater in New Orleans by permission of MVNLA Owner, LLC.
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Major Win for Democrats, Minor Debate for Republicans
09/11/2023 Duration: 01h02minDemocrats pull out critical wins for abortion rights in Ohio and Andy Beshear in Kentucky, and deal a big blow to Glenn Youngkin in Virginia. Jon, Dan, and Tommy discuss how Democrats did it, and what it all could mean for Joe Biden next fall. Then, did somebody say "ship gap"?? The third Republican debate goes in some very odd directions—while the front-runner shows off his own brand of crazy at a Florida rally. 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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Barack Obama on Democracy, Gaza and 2024
07/11/2023 Duration: 01h21minIt’s Election Day, with big implications for abortion, democracy, and much more in Ohio, Virginia, Kentucky, and Mississippi. It's also one year out from the 2024 presidential election, and a new set of battleground polls in the New York Times shows Donald Trump ahead of Joe Biden just about everywhere. Meanwhile, Trump takes the stand in his civil fraud case while his advisors draw up plans to use the military against protesters if he wins the election. Then, Barack Obama sits down with Jon, Tommy, Dan and Alyssa Mastromonaco for an expansive conversation on democracy, violence in the middle east, and his memories of winning the presidency fifteen years ago. 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 Losing a Step?
02/11/2023 Duration: 46minDonald Trump's dominance in the early states finally has his Republican rivals and the press pointing out that he's no spring chicken. Meanwhile, MAGA Mike Johnson is embracing his nickname during his first week as Speaker. Plus, George Santos lives to lie another day and RFK Jr. is taking more support from Trump in two new polls. 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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Ohio's Big Choice (Live from Cleveland!)
31/10/2023 Duration: 01h44minGuest host Alyssa Mastromonaco joins Jon, Jon, Tommy, and Dan live from Cleveland, Ohio. As Israel launches its ground invasion, the war in Gaza continues to shake up U.S. politics. Donald Trump promises to expand his Muslim ban and deport pro-Palestinian protestors, while Joe Biden tries to navigate the views of an increasingly divided Democratic Party. With a little over two months left until the Iowa caucuses, the Republican primary field starts to shrink even if Trump’s lead is growing. Then, Congresswoman Emilia Sykes and Pro-Choice Ohio’s Kellie Copeland join to break down the current state of Ohio politics ahead of next week’s big election that will decide the fate of abortion access in the state. 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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BONUS: Bourbon & Biden (Live from Louisville!)
30/10/2023 Duration: 01h33minCongressman Morgan McGarvey, State Senator Karen Berg, and special guest Perry Bacon Jr. join Jon, Jon, Tommy, and Dan live from Louisville! New Speaker of the House (and possible but unproven short king) Mike Johnson's MAGA bona fides are tested in an interview with Sean Hannity. Kentucky prepares for the November 7th gubernatorial race between Democrat incumbent Andy Beshear and Mitch McConnell mentee, Daniel Cameron. And, Joe Biden gets a primary challenger: Congressman Dean Phillips of Minnesota. Plus, Rep. McGarvey serves up tough questions and samples of the state's bourbon offerings in a segment called "I'll Drink the Fifth." 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.