PN Pod

On the latest episode of Nir & Rupar, our live weekly video show, David Nir of The Downballot and Aaron Rupar of Public Notice explain why, no matter what misdirection he attempts, Donald Trump just can’t shake Jeffrey Epstein.

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:

* The damage that Trump’s Epstein cover-up has already inflicted on Republicans

* Why Democrats should keep pushing Epstein as a wedge issue that divides the GOP

* How Republicans are escalating the gerrymandering arms race, and what Democrats can do to keep pace

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 talk all things Wisconsin with fellow Substacker Dan Shafer of The Recombobulation Area, a site devoted to Badger State politics.

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:

Dan tells us:

* Why, after two successful terms in office, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers should pass the torch to the next generation

* How Democrats might finally win back control of state government next year—and what their top priorities would be if they do

* What next year’s battle for the Wisconsin Supreme Court — yes, there’s another one! — is looking like

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, though we’ll be taking off next week. We’ll be back on July 25. 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 dive into both the awful news from the Supreme Court and the very encouraging news out of New York City.

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 the court’s ruling on Donald Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship is a disaster for democracy—and a recipe for chaos

* How Zohran Mamdani exposed the old guard’s decay, and why it should serve as a warning to incumbent Democrats

* Why Mamdani’s relentless focus on affordability is a strong message for Democratic candidates just about everywhere

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, though we’ll be taking off next week for the Fourth of July holiday and will be back on July 11. The easiest way to participate is by downloading the free Substack app.

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 with fellow Substacker Laura Belin all about Iowa!

You can subscribe to Laura’s newsletter by clicking the button below:

Laura tells us:

* Why she wasn’t shocked to hear Republican Sen. Joni Ernst might not run again—but why she still expects her to.

* How Democratic strength in Iowa, once a swing state, has eroded but not vanished.

* Why MAGA can sniff out phonies from a mile away.

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.

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

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:

On the latest episode of Nir & Rupar, our live weekly video show, David Nir of The Downballot and Aaron Rupar of Public Notice pull the curtain back on the conventional wisdom that immigration is Donald Trump’s strong suit.

David and Aaron explain:

* Why Trump’s polling on immigration has taken a nosedive since he deployed the military to Los Angeles.

* How a federal judge eloquently demolished Trump’s claim that he’s suppressing a “rebellion.”

* Why Saturday’s “No Kings” rallies across the country are so important for showing Americans opposed to autocracy that they’re not alone.

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.

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

If you haven’t yet subscribed to Public Notice, which offers insightful and independent commentary on U.S. politics and media, click the button below:

And 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:

On the latest episode of Nir & Rupar, our live weekly video show, David Nir of The Downballot and Aaron Rupar of Public Notice share a hearty laugh with Joe Sudbay, who hosts “State of the States” on SiriusXM Progress, over the rapid unscheduled disassembly of the Trump-Musk bromance.

The trio dive into:

* How the crackup threatens the passage of Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill”

* Why JD Vance is screwed no matter what side he takes

* Why Elon Musk has made his (probably disgusting) personal life fair game

And much, 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.

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

If you haven’t yet subscribed to Public Notice, which offers insightful and independent commentary on U.S. politics and media, click the button below:

And 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:

On the latest episode of Nir & Rupar, our live weekly video show, David Nir of The Downballot and Aaron Rupar of Public Notice hold their noses as they dissect the politics of Donald Trump’s nightmarish “Big Beautiful Bill.”

Aaron and David discuss:

* Why passage of the bill is by no means assured, thanks to the competing demands of prickly Republican senators.

* Why you shouldn’t buy any of the soft-focus encomiums to Elon Musk, whose reign was pure disaster (and may not even be over).

* Who’s the flat-out dumbest member of the Senate?

And much more! We also took some excellent questions from viewers about Trump’s attacks on the courts and whether “DOGE” might be more effective with Musk supposedly receding from view.

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.

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

If you haven’t yet subscribed to Public Notice, which offers insightful and independent commentary on U.S. politics and media, click the button below:

And 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:

On the latest episode of Nir & Rupar, our live weekly video show, David Nir of The Downballot and Aaron Rupar of Public Notice talk with Matt Gertz, senior fellow at Media Matters, the indispensable media watchdog organization.

Matt sheds light on today’s right-wing media ecosystem, including:

* How two dozen people with Fox News on their résumés now occupy senior posts in the Trump administration.

* How the James Comey “86 47” story shows how quickly things now move from MAGA influencer to the Oval Office—with Fox as the conduit.

* Why the right-wing media bubble can inflict damage on Trump, with tariffs just the latest example.

And much more!

If you missed our livestream, you can watch it by clicking above! You can also find a complete transcript by clicking here and looking for the “Transcript” button.

Next week, we’ll be taking off for the Memorial Day holiday, but we’ll be back on Friday, May 30, at 2 PM ET with another episode. The easiest way to watch is by downloading the free Substack app.

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

If you haven’t yet subscribed to Public Notice, which offers unique insights and independent commentary on U.S. politics and media, click the button below:

And 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:

I’m putting the Aaron Rupar Show on indefinite hiatus, and this brief episode explains some of the reasons why.

Thank you for listening, and please subscribe to my Public Notice newsletter to follow my work. Cheers!

This week's episode of the Aaron Rupar Show features Melissa Hortman, speaker of the Minnesota House, reflecting on her two decades in the legislature, the state’s Democratic trifecta and this year’s historic legislative session, and much more.

Speaker Hortman and I touched upon everything from lessons she took from losing her first two legislative campaigns in resounding fashion to Jesse Ventura's legacy to why Trumpism is such a bad fit for Minnesota Republicans.