The United States once again finds itself confronting a never ending conflict in the Middle East following President Trump's continued military escalation in Iran with no end in sight and no good options to end the war. As lawmakers debate the President's authority, America's role in the region, and the potential costs of another prolonged conflict, many are asking whether history is repeating itself and what comes next? Fred is joined by renowned historian and American University professor Dr. Allan J. Lichtman, creator of the "Keys to the White House" forecasting system, to discuss the historical parallels between today's wars and past presidents, the constitutional balance of war powers, and the 2026 midterm elections in light of his upcoming book, "Great American Presidents: The Twelve that Transformed the Nation," available for pre-order now! Dr. Lichtman is a preeminent American historian, political analyst, and the Distinguished Professor of History at American University in Washington, D.C., where he has educated students and shaped historical discourse since 1973. Recognized for his scholarly rigor and media acumen, Dr. Lichtman has established himself as one of the nation’s most authoritative voices on the American presidency and political history. Dr. Lichtman is perhaps best known globally for developing "The Keys to the White House," a pioneering election prediction system created in collaboration with geophysicist Vladimir Keilis-Borok. Focusing on historical patterns and the stability of the incumbent party rather than transient polling data, this model famously allowed Dr. Lichtman to accurately forecast the winner of nearly every U.S. presidential election from 1984 through 2024, including the upset victory of Donald Trump in 2016.

Sponsor: Smalls

Millions of Americans are losing health insurance. Rural and community hospitals are closing. Families are paying more while politicians in Washington continue to debate cutting programs that millions depend on and the billionaires and corporations get richer. Is healthcare simply another policy fight—or is it becoming one of the defining democracy issues of our time? Fred is joined by Brad Woodhouse, President of Protect Our Care, to discuss the nationwide healthcare crisis, the recent launch of the 'Sick of It! Fix Health Care Now' campaign, and why access to affordable healthcare may become one of the biggest issues of the 2026 midterm elections. They'll examine what's happening around the country, on Capitol Hill, who is being affected the most, and why holding elected officials accountable has never been more important.
Sponsors: SMALLS - For a limited time, get 60% off your first order, plus free shipping and free treats for life, when you head to Smalls.com/FRED.

Trump held another unhinged speech last night on the 2020 election but this time China was the nefarious actor meddling. Amidst the usual lies and smokescreens the path is emerging for how Trump will try to undermine the upcoming midterm elections and stay in power. We must take his threats seriously and groups like Fair Fight are stepping up to do just that. Fred is joined by Amir Badat, Southern States Director & Senior Advisor, Fair Fight. Amir also serves as Manager of Black Voters on the Rise and Voting Special Counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, where he leads year-round election protection, voter education, and election administration advocacy to defend and advance the political participation of Black voters. They discuss the speech and the implications of what Trump and his conspirators are trying to do to keep us from having our say in our elections and government.
Sponsors: SMALLS
For a limited time, get 60% off your first order, plus free shipping and free treats for life, when you head to Smalls.com/FRED.

One thing that Republicans have learned long ago is that when they have power to wield it ruthlessly to push through their agenda. They don’t care what anyone says or thinks to achieve their goals. The Democrats haven’t been so resolute. Norms and traditions are respected and taking the high road is the goal. That era must end. When the Trump disaster finally comes to its inevitable conclusion we will have to rebuild our government and our economy. How do we do that when both parties support many of the things that are obstacles to reform? What are the priorities? Wildly popular independent journalist Brian Tyler Cohen has a new book coming out that lays out how Democrats can take power and use it after Trump: ‘The Day After: How to wield power in a post-Trump world.’ It’s a playbook for populist reforms that millions of Americans are demanding. When a new Harris poll says that 95% of Americans feel we are in an affordability crisis, that time for aggressive change is upon us. Fred and Brian talk about his ideas, the path ahead, and more. 

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Smalls: For a limited time, get 60% off your first order, plus free shipping and free treats for life, when you head to Smalls.com/FRED.

Fear has crept into every corner of American life - but so has resistance. Investigative journalist Julia Angwin and former White House policy advisor Ami Fields-Meyer spent the first year of the Trump administration interviewing more than 100 dissidents across five continents to answer a question millions of Americans are now asking themselves: what can I actually do? Their new book, On Courage: How to Be a Dissident in an Age of Fear, blends untold stories of resistance with history, spirituality, and movement research into sixteen practical lessons for taking principled risks under authoritarianism. From a civil rights lawyer who lost his job defending Dr. King's legacy, to a 73-year-old clinic escort in Virginia armed with a golf umbrella, to student activists in Hong Kong and Cairo - this is a guide to courage built from the people who've already lived it. Julia and Ami join the show to talk about what they learned, why isolation is authoritarianism's best friend, and how ordinary people build a "political home." On this important U.S. birthday we need to be prepared for how we will fight to keep it going.

Sponsors:

Smalls: For a limited time, get 60% off your first order, plus free shipping and free treats for life, when you head to Smalls.com/FRED.

With the 2026 midterms fast approaching, the threat to free and fair elections has never felt more urgent. Trump and his cronies have spent years laying the groundwork for exactly the kind of election interference that voting rights attorney David F. Walbert has spent five decades fighting. David F. Walbert is a graduate of Stanford University and the University of Michigan, where he received his undergraduate and Masters degrees in physics. He received his law degree from Case Western University. While there, he was the editor of the Law Review and received other honors, including Order of the Coif. He has argued before the Supreme Court multiple times on voting rights and much more. In his new book, Stealing Elections, American Style, Walbert traces the long history of election interference in America - and explains why the greatest threats facing the 2026 midterms may not come on Election Day itself. They'll dig into how elections have been stolen throughout American history, what the playbook looks like today, and - most urgently - what could go wrong this November. If you want to understand what's at stake and how to protect democracy, this is where you start.

Sponsors:

Smalls: 

For a limited time, get 60% off your first order, plus free shipping and free treats for life, when you head to Smalls.com/FRED.

Juneteenth reminds us of a simple truth: freedom delayed is freedom denied. More than 160 years after enslaved Americans in Texas finally learned they were free, the struggle for equal citizenship and political power continues. As attacks on voting rights, civil rights protections, diversity initiatives, and democratic institutions intensify, many Americans are asking whether the nation is living up to the promise that Juneteenth represents. While our president has failed to acknowledge the weight of today at all and his Administration relentlessly attacks our diversity and black history. Fred is joined by Kristen Clarke, General Counsel of the NAACP and former Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice. Clarke spent four years leading the nation's top civil rights enforcement agency before taking the helm of the NAACP's legal strategy during one of the most consequential moments for American democracy in generations. Together they discuss the meaning of Juneteenth in 2026, the rollback of federal civil rights enforcement, the ongoing battle over voting rights and representation, and what citizens can do to protect democracy at a moment when many feel powerless. If you've been wondering what the next chapter of the civil rights movement looks like, this conversation is for you.

Learn more and get involved at NAACP.org

Sponsors:

AG1:

Visit DRINK AG1.com/FRED to get a free Morning Person Hat and free AG1 Flavor Sampler in your Welcome Kit with your first AG1 subscription (an $82 value!).

We are deep into the primary season and Democrats are showing up in record setting numbers across the country. A whole new crop of newcomers are running for seats in the House and Senate with many truly being outsiders like never before. Graham Platner has confounded the traditional political punditry and party structure along with many more who defy the supposed rules of the game. Fred sits down with Corbin Trent the leader of A Fight Worth Having to discuss Platner’s rise, the issues American’s want solved and the path ahead this election cycle. Trent is a former Director of Communications for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a co-founder of Justice Democrats, and a two-time presidential campaign staffer for Bernie Sanders. He helped recruit and elect a generation of progressive challengers, build the Green New Deal, and push Medicare for All into the political mainstream. Today he writes America's Undoing and runs A Fight Worth Having — a Super PAC making the case that the Democratic Party's establishment has run out of ideas, courage, and capacity to meet the moment, and that the work of rebuilding it starts with telling the truth in public.

Learn more about A Fight Worth Having at https://afightworthhaving.com/

We know that the Department of Homeland Security has a very loose relationship with the truth and it’s only getting worse under new Secretary, and former plumber, Markwayne Mullin. Words have no meaning at all when oversight becomes politicization and protest becomes assault. A federal case in Washington state is a perfect example of how this is unfolding, as a jury convicted three ICE protesters with conspiracy for simply joining arms in the streets. The details of the case are shocking. Fred is joined to discuss it with investigative journalist, author, and Stanford Fellow Aaron Glantz, who has been following the case of one of the protesters, Army veteran Bajun Mavalwalla closely for a year. They are also joined by his father, Bajun Ray Malvalwalla, a retired Army officer himself who is running for Congress in Washington’s 5th District. The details of this case are shocking: from who they targeted for prosecution, the twisting of laws, to the choice of a location to prosecute that should chill every American.

Learn more about Aarons work at http://www.aglantz.com/

Follow Bajun’s campaign at https://www.votebajun.com/

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AG1 - Visit DRINKAG1.com/FRED to get a free Morning Person Hat and free AG1 Flavor Sampler in your Welcome Kit with your first AG1 subscription (an $82 value!).

With Ken Paxton’s win in the Texas Senate runoff the MAGA talking
heads have unleashed a bizarre flood of hate, misogyny, and smears to
defend a man who was charged with felonies and impeached by his own
party. For many women watching it all unfold they are nodding along
knowing that women have faced these attacks for centuries. Every woman
who steps into the spotlight faces backlash and attacks far beyond the
moment. Fred sits down with two women who fight for this week’s show
on the moment we face in our democracy. Allison Butler a Senior
Lecturer, Associate Chair, and the Director of the Media Literacy
Certificate Program in the Department of Communication at the
University of Massachusetts Amherst. In her new book, THE JUDGMENT OF
GENDER: HOW WOMEN ARE CENTERED AND SILENCED IN POP CULTURE she offers
a searing critique of how media and popular culture dehumanize
women—even as they expand their coverage of them. He is also joined by
Danni Eickenhorst a St. Louis restaurant owner and a passionate
advocate - but most of all a community builder hoping to leave the St.
Louis region a little better than she found it. She owns several
restaurants but her primary focus day-to-day is two iconic local
restaurants: The Fountain on Locust and Steve’s Hot Dogs. Both guests
offer a unique perspective on the challenges faced by women who step
out of line and how we can fight back as participants in our
democracy.
Learn more about Allison’s work at
https://www.projectcensored.org/allison-butler/
Learn more about Danni’s work at https://www.hustl.group/