How to Win 2024

There is no sugar-coating it, Democrats got walloped across the board. On "How to Win 2024", Senator Claire McCaskill is joined by hosts of MSNBC’s “The Weekend” to analyze the surprising margins of Trump’s win and what they mean for our democracy and our values.  Michael Steele, Alicia Menendez  and Symone Sanders Townsend team up with Claire to give some context to how this result unfolded, what to prepare for in a second Trump administration and ways big and small to keep up the fight to move progressive values forward.

And a note to our listeners: Thank you for your ear and your tireless interest in our democracy. This will be our final episode of "How to Win" for now. We may be back here with updates here and there as news warrants, but we’re taking a beat to figure out what this moment calls for and the best way to serve you. And if there are any updates in the future, you’ll be the first to know. So stay tuned to this feed!

Former President Donald Trump is now the projected winner in the 2024 race for the White House, defeating Vice President Kamala Harris with an unprecedented and polarizing campaign. Following Harris’ concession speech on Wednesday afternoon, MSNBC journalists gathered to discuss what’s next for the Democratic party and what to expect in a second Trump term.

Listen to the full MSNBC special here, led by Rachel Maddow along with Chris Hayes, Joy Reid, Jen Psaki, Lawrence O’Donnell, Ari Melber, and Stephanie Ruhle.

And for the latest updates on Decision 2024, visit msnbc.com.

Vice President Kamala Harris addressed a crowd of supporters at Howard University, her alma mater, in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, where she formally conceded the presidential race to President-Elect Donald Trump. She reassured the crowd that her fight was not over, saying “I know many people feel we are entering a dark time. [...] Let us fill the sky with the light of billions and billions of stars, the light of truth, optimism and service.” 

Listen to the full speech here. And for the latest updates on Decision 2024, visit msnbc.com.

Listen to key moments from MSNBC’s live analysis of Election Night. Before NBC made a call in the overall race, former President Donald Trump was already appearing victorious at a speech in Palm Beach, FL. He delivered remarks after projected wins in Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, with the results in remaining battleground states still unknown.

Rachel Maddow leads our discussion, along with Ari Melber, Joy Reid, Chris Hayes, Alex Wagner, Lawrence O’Donnell, and Stephanie Ruhle. Plus: Steve Kornacki on the Big Board. 

For the latest updates on Decision 2024, visit msnbc.com.

One candidate called for unity and promised to be a leader for all Americans on the Ellipse. The other continued a grievance tour and promised mass deportations amid a “love fest” at MSG. On this last episode before the election, Senator Claire McCaskill is joined again by Symone Sanders Townsend, former senior advisor to Vice President Harris, and co-host of MSNBC’s The Weekend. They tally the closing arguments of both candidates and the incredible volume of dark money in this election. Then, NBC’s own data whiz and numbers guru Steve Kornacki stops by to frame up what to expect on election night and the day(s) after, how to think about the polling and what to take away from shifting early voting trends. And the last segment of this episode is for you- the voters. Claire and Symone urge you be patient, keep calm and carry on. And even if you’re not in a swing state, do not sit this one out.

Further Reading: As Claire and Symone mentioned, here is the Open Secrets tally of 2024’s biggest campaign contributors: Who are the Biggest Donors?

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This week,  Senator Claire McCaskill is joined by Michael Steele, former RNC Chair and co-host of MSNBC’s "The Weekend", to analyze both candidates' final stretch strategies, as millions of Americans on both sides of the aisle cast their votes early. Then, Illinois Congresswoman and registered nurse Lauren Underwood explains why-- beyond the Dobbs decision-- senior care, prescription drug prices, maternal care and healthcare affordability are all on the ballot. And before they wrap up, Claire and Michael spotlight the Republican voters who can’t stomach Trump but may be tepid on supporting Harris. Where are they? And will they show up?

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With three weeks to go and early voting reaching record numbers, the campaigns are circling around their drastically disparate final pitches to voters. This week, MSNBC political analyst Elise Jordan joins former Senator Claire McCaskill to highlightTrump’s stark vision of the “enemies from within”, while Harris speaks to the center- and a combative Bret Baier on Fox News. Then, Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii lays out the vice president's framework to ease the housing crisis, what it means to go from NIMBY to YIMBY, and the importance of creating generational wealth for the next era of homebuyers. And lastly, Claire and Elise get to the heart of who to trust in the era of foreign interference, deepfakes and Trumpery.

Further Reading: Here is the Washington Post piece Claire and Elise spoke about that shares how to spot deepfakes as the election nears: AI is spawning a flood of fake Trump and Harris voices. Here’s how to tell what’s real.

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While both candidates continue to crisscross the nation’s battlegrounds, Vice President Harris is also doing something former President Trump is not: interviews in traditional and new media. This week, Republican communications veteran Brendan Buck joins former Senator Claire McCaskill to look at the media strategies of both campaigns, and why Trump continues to derail GOP efforts to embrace early voting. Then, former Border Czar, Alan Bersin, speaks to an 80% reduction in border crossings since the peak last December, why the failed bipartisan border bill was smart legislation and what a second Trump term would look like in practice for immigration reform. And Claire and Brendan end by batting around whether Coach Tim Walz is flipping the script on decades of Republicans decrying that Democrats are Ivy League elites, forming a new voting coalition in the process.

Further Reading: Here is the POLITICO Magazine piece Claire and Brendan were talking about:The Overlooked Demographic That Is a Huge Opportunity for Democrats

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Election Day is around the corner and Vice President Kamala Harris could become the first woman, first Black woman, and first South-Asian to sit in the Oval Office. In light of this moment, we’re resharing our 2020 series “Kamala: Next in Line,” from MSNBC and Wondery. Hosted by Joy Reid, "Next In Line" is an intimate and immersive look into what drives Harris, what her critics say about her, and how she arrived at this historic moment.

This is a special program for our MSNBC Premium subscribers. Listen to an excerpt from the first episode here. And to download the full series, sign up for MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts. You’ll find the series in the How to Win feed. 

Plus, as a subscriber, you’ll get all MSNBC original podcasts ad-free, along with bonus exciting content from Prosecuting Donald Trump, Rachel Maddow, and more. Thanks for listening and subscribing!

After Tuesday’s Vice-presidential debate, viewers were left feeling some nostalgia from debates past: heavy on policy, politeness, and comity. This week, Claire McCaskill is joined once again by her friend and former Senate colleague Heidi Heitkamp. They tick through the particulars from a relatively genial debate, and while it won’t likely move the needle much, it exposed the two distinct faces of JD Vance. Then, former Obama chief strategist David Axelrod stops in to shed some light on what the Harris-Walz team should be laser-focused on in the final month of the campaign. And lastly, Heidi and Claire sift through three important stories emerging that could influence November, and how to navigate the impact of the stuff you can’t control in any campaign.

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