PN Pod

On the latest episode of Nir & Rupar, our live weekly video show, Aaron Rupar of Public Notice tells David Nir of The Downballot what life is like in Minneapolis, a city besieged by its own federal government.

If you haven’t yet subscribed to The Downballot, which provides unparalleled coverage of the thousands of critical elections below the presidency, sign up below:

Aaron explains:

* All the ways, big and small, in which ICE’s terror campaign is generating permanent anxiety for everyone who lives in Minneapolis and the entire Twin Cities region.

* How Minnesotans are fighting back in spite of the grave risks, bird-dogging ICE thugs and protecting vulnerable residents.

* How Donald Trump’s polling on immigration has tanked, and why Democrats should not be afraid to take him on over the issue.

And much more.

If you missed our livestream, you can watch it by clicking above.

Nir & Rupar goes live every Friday at 2 PM ET. The easiest way to participate is by downloading the free Substack app.

You can also subscribe on your favorite podcast app to make sure you never miss an episode.

Folks who are paid subscribers to either of our publications can participate in our Q&A.

If you missed my live mailbag on Substack Live today, you can check it out above. I started it off by talking about what life is like in Minneapolis right now and my workflow covering right-wing media, then took an array of questions from viewers.

This was the first time I’ve done something like this, and the response was overwhelmingly positive — over 1,600 people tuned in! I’ll do another one soon, and if you’d like to partake in asking me questions, please become a paid subscriber to the newsletter.

David Nir and I will be back with our first 2026 episode of Nir & Rupar next Friday. Thanks for supporting the show!

On the year’s final episode of Nir & Rupar, our live weekly video show, David Nir of The Downballot and Aaron Rupar of Public Notice take stock of 2025’s bizarre dual nature, which saw Donald Trump consolidate power at the same time as the GOP got shellacked at the ballot box.

If you haven’t yet subscribed to The Downballot, which provides unparalleled coverage of the thousands of critical elections below the presidency, sign up below:

David and Aaron discuss:

* How Trump’s prime-time rant-fest denying the affordability crisis is only likely to hurt him with voters, especially those who aren’t as tuned into politics.

* Why America’s bifurcated economy, with the rich doing very well and everyone else struggling, makes a GOP course correction even less likely.

* How the incredible streak of Democratic victories and overperformances in elections shows just how hard it is for Trump to subvert democracy, no matter how much he’d like to.

And much more!

If you missed our livestream, you can watch it by clicking above.

Nir & Rupar goes live every Friday at 2 PM ET. The easiest way to participate is by downloading the free Substack app.

You can also subscribe on your favorite podcast app to make sure you never miss an episode.

Folks who are paid subscribers to either of our publications can participate in our Q&A!

This was our last episode of the year. We’re extremely grateful to all of our viewers for tuning in and asking great questions each week, and we look forward to talking with you again in 2026. Happy holidays!

On the latest episode of Nir & Rupar, our live weekly video show, David Nir of The Downballot and Aaron Rupar of Public Notice talk about the many warning signs about Donald Trump’s health — and why the media isn’t pressing harder.

If you haven’t yet subscribed to The Downballot, which provides unparalleled coverage of the thousands of critical elections below the presidency, sign up below:

David and Aaron discuss:

* Why everyone should be alarmed about Trump’s decline — no armchair diagnosis needed.

* Why reporters, who were so eager to dissect Joe Biden’s health, have been less aggressive toward Trump, and why that needs to change.

* How non-stop setbacks in special elections are freaking out Republicans, and maybe even causing them to slow their roll on redistricting.

And much more!

If you missed our livestream, you can watch it by clicking above.

Nir & Rupar goes live every Friday at 2 PM ET. The easiest way to participate is by downloading the free Substack app.

You can also subscribe on your favorite podcast app to make sure you never miss an episode.

Folks who are paid subscribers to either of our publications can participate in our Q&A!

On the latest episode of Nir & Rupar, our live weekly video show, David Nir of The Downballot and Aaron Rupar of Public Notice unpack Donald Trump’s wildly out-of-touch — and self-defeating — message on the all-important issue of affordability.

If you haven’t yet subscribed to The Downballot, which provides unparalleled coverage of the thousands of critical elections below the presidency, sign up below:

David and Aaron discuss:

* Why Trump is obsessed with calling affordability a “hoax” — even as his cluelessness makes fellow Republicans blanch.

* How the Supreme Court’s latest ruling upholding a GOP gerrymander exposes the court’s extreme corruption.

* Why Republicans are right to be spooked by the recent special election in Tennessee, even though they won.

And much more!

If you missed our livestream, you can watch it by clicking above.

Nir & Rupar goes live every Friday at 2 PM ET. The easiest way to participate is by downloading the free Substack app.

You can also subscribe on your favorite podcast app to make sure you never miss an episode.

Folks who are paid subscribers to either of our publications can participate in our Q&A!

On the latest episode of Nir & Rupar, our live weekly video show, David Nir of The Downballot and Aaron Rupar of Public Notice discuss the lame-duck status that’s starting to seize Donald Trump — and what it means for his control over the GOP.

If you haven’t yet subscribed to The Downballot, which provides unparalleled coverage of the thousands of critical elections below the presidency, sign up below:

David and Aaron discuss:

* How Trump’s miserable polling numbers are undermining his efforts to wreck American democracy.

* Why Trump completely lost control over the Epstein files story — and why a continued cover-up is likely.

* The implications of the major new ruling blocking the Texas GOP’s gerrymandered map.

And much more! We also took some great questions from viewers.

If you missed our livestream, you can watch it by clicking above.

Nir & Rupar goes live every Friday at 2 PM ET, though we’re taking off next week for Thanksgiving. The easiest way to participate is by downloading the free Substack app.

You can also subscribe on your favorite podcast app to make sure you never miss an episode.

Folks who are paid subscribers to either of our publications can participate in our Q&A!

On the latest episode of Nir & Rupar, our live weekly video show, David Nir of The Downballot and Aaron Rupar of Public Notice recap an extraordinary election night that saw voters hand Republicans a well-earned butt-whoopin.

If you haven’t yet subscribed to The Downballot, which provides unparalleled coverage of the thousands of critical elections below the presidency, sign up below:

David and Aaron discuss:

* Just how thoroughly Democrats whipped the GOP, from coast to coast and up and down the ballot.

* Why Republicans are fooling themselves when they dismiss the results as nothing more than Democrats winning in blue states and cities.

* How democracy stood strong — and millions of people freely expressed their views — despite Donald Trump’s best (or worst) efforts.

And much more! We also took some great questions from viewers.

If you missed our livestream, you can watch it by clicking above.

Nir & Rupar goes live every Friday at 2 PM ET (we are off next week, however). The easiest way to participate is by downloading the free Substack app.

You can also subscribe on your favorite podcast app to make sure you never miss an episode.

Folks who are paid subscribers to either of our publications can participate in our Q&A!

On the latest episode of Nir & Rupar, our live weekly video show, David Nir of The Downballot and Aaron Rupar of Public Notice preview all of Tuesday’s top elections — and what they might mean for the midterms.

If you haven’t yet subscribed to The Downballot, which provides unparalleled coverage of the thousands of critical elections below the presidency, sign up below:

David and Aaron discuss:

* Why Democrats are on track to win marquee races in Virginia, California, New Jersey, and New York City.

* Why you should keep an eye on a pair of unusual special elections in Georgia as a possible bellwether for next year.

* Why it’s so important to pay attention to the margin of victory, not just who wins or loses.

And much more! Viewers also asked great questions about some lesser-watched races that we were delighted to answer.

The Downballot will also be hosting an election night livestream covering all the returns on Tuesday night, starting at 7 PM ET, so be sure to tune back in then! The easiest way to participate is by downloading the free Substack app.

Nir & Rupar will be back next week to recap the results on Friday at 2 PM ET!

On the latest episode of Nir & Rupar, our live weekly video show, David Nir of The Downballot and Aaron Rupar of Public Notice talk about Donald Trump’s unhinged reaction to last week’s massive No Kings rallies.

If you haven’t yet subscribed to The Downballot, which provides unparalleled coverage of the thousands of critical elections below the presidency, sign up below:

David and Aaron discuss:

* Why Trump’s demolition of the East Wing of the White House is such a gut punch — and why Democrats shouldn’t hesitate to make it an issue.

* How Trump’s endless barrage of grievances is designed to wear down the opposition — a playbook borrowed from Stalin.

* How Democrats in Virginia are unexpectedly fighting back against GOP gerrymandering.

And much more! Tons of viewers also had a blast sharing their experiences attending local No Kings events in comments.

If you missed our livestream, you can watch it by clicking above.

Nir & Rupar goes live every Friday at 2 PM ET. The easiest way to participate is by downloading the free Substack app.

You can also subscribe on your favorite podcast app to make sure you never miss an episode.

Folks who are paid subscribers to either of our publications can participate in our Q&A!

On the latest episode of Nir & Rupar, our live weekly video show, David Nir of The Downballot and Aaron Rupar of Public Notice talk about why Republicans have been losing their minds about Saturday’s massive No Kings rallies—and why it’s so important to show up if you can.

If you haven’t yet subscribed to The Downballot, which provides unparalleled coverage of the thousands of critical elections below the presidency, sign up below:

David and Aaron discuss:

* How Republicans are seeking to discredit No Kings by falsely (of course) branding attendees as America-haters.

* Why the GOP’s obsession with the event may well spur more people to attend.

* Why demonstrating strength in numbers—and experiencing joy with like-minded Americans—is vital for the pro-democracy movement.

And much more. We also had massive turnout and a very lively user chat, with folks telling one another about which rallies they’re planning to attend. Next week, come back and share your stories with us!

If you missed our livestream, you can watch it by clicking above.

Nir & Rupar goes live every Friday at 2 PM ET. The easiest way to participate is by downloading the free Substack app.

You can also subscribe on your favorite podcast app to make sure you never miss an episode.

Folks who are paid subscribers to either of our publications can participate in our Q&A!