Chuck Todd, former moderator of Meet the Press and host of The Chuck ToddCast, joins Dan to assess how the news media has responded to Trump 2.0. His read? Not great. He and Dan lament cable news' tired playbook, discuss Craigslist's indirect role in electing Donald Trump, and question whether broadcast news may be in the early stages of a kleptocracy. Then, turning to the Democratic Party, Chuck and Dan debate which fights Democrats should focus on, what voters will want from the party in 2028, and whether the right is exploiting President Biden's decline to undermine the left's faith in journalism.

Trump kicks off a new war on Christmas—this time as part of a broader assault on the U.S. economy and consumers. Meanwhile, in the first White House shakeup of his second term, Trump announces that Signal-happy National Security Adviser Mike Waltz is out, and Marco Rubio is in (at least on a temporary basis). Jon and Dan discuss why Trump made the move, his admission that his tariffs will probably lead to higher prices—and toy shortages—and that he could, in fact, get Kilmar Abrego Garcia back from El Salvador if he felt like it. Then, Jon speaks with Governor Gretchen Whitmer about why she thinks it's important to work with Trump sometimes, even if it means embarrassing photo ops—and getting flak from other Democrats.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

The good news: Trump's second term has already hit historic levels of unpopularity. The bad news: we're still only 100 days into it. The White House marks this milestone by bragging about its record on immigration and defending the arrest of a Wisconsin judge and the deportation of three very young American citizens, ages 2, 4, and 7. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy reflect on where the country stands at the 100-day mark and take stock of the opposition—as Democrats, media outlets, universities, and even some law firms all ratchet up their efforts to push back. Then, Dan sits down with Neera Tanden, President and CEO of the Center for American Progress and a former top advisor to Joe Biden and Barack Obama, about the unique dangers of Trump and his allies, and how to defend against them.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

You can watch Lovett's interview with Ben Smith, Editor-in-Chief of Semafor and host of the Mixed Signals podcast, on our YouTube page at www.youtube.com/@podsaveamerica. Check out Mixed Signals at www.semafor.com/hub/mixed-signals-media-podcast 

As Tesla's losses mount, Elon Musk promises to step away from his work at DOGE and focus on his flailing car company. Trump and his top advisers flip-flop on China tariffs, even as Trump steers more cash into his own pocket by raffling off White House access to the top investors in his memecoin. Exclusive new polling shows Trump's weaknesses on immigration, even as the administration continues its crackdown and the courts push back. Jon and Dan discuss if Elon is gone for good or merely taking a sabbatical, whether DOGE will hold any sway without him, and how a high-profile exit from CBS's 60 Minutes is a troubling sign for media everywhere. Then, Jon and Dan sit down with Amanda Litman, the co-founder of Run For Something, to talk about her new book for Crooked Media Reads, When We’re in Charge, a brilliant guide for young people looking to get into leadership positions.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

The Supreme Court hits pause on Alien Enemies Act deportations—for now—and some MAGA diehards advocate for Trump to simply ignore the court. Pete Hegseth stars in the Signalgate sequel, reportedly using his personal phone to share top secret information with his wife, brother, and lawyer—with more bombshell reports to come, according to a former Pentagon spokesman. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy discuss the latest on Trump's deportation agenda, whether Hegseth's days as Defense Secretary are numbered, the accidental email that reportedly set off the Trump administration's war with Harvard, and the untimely passing of Pope Francis. Strict Scrutiny's Leah Litman joins Lovett to break down the Supreme Court's emergency order and the administration's efforts to evade the rule of law.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

Rep. Sarah McBride has found herself the target of GOP attacks since taking office in January. They've barred her from restrooms and misgendered her in Congressional hearings, but the freshman congresswoman has risen above it all. Now she's got a message for her fellow Democrats: politics only works when you win over people who disagree with you. McBride sits down with Jon and Lovett to discuss the literal and figurative dangers of being a main character, Democrats' purity complex, and whether the party has abandoned the only strategy for social change that actually gets results.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

Donald Trump insists he has the right to render people to a foreign prison even though the courts say otherwise, and Democrats dig in for a critical fight. From El Salvador, Senator Chris Van Hollen briefs Dan on his effort to get answers about Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Then, Jon and Dan look at the latest targets of Trump's retribution tour, most notably Harvard, his threats to fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell, and Elon Musk's ultra-creepy project to populate Earth with a "legion" of his own offspring. Then, Tommy sits down with Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, about how he's trying to push back on Trump's defiance of the courts.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

Donald Trump and the president of El Salvador gloat about shipping migrants to a Salvadoran mega-prison, muse about sending American citizens there next, and lie about the court orders they're ignoring. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy break down what it means for the administration to ignore the Supreme Court's order to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the message Trump is sending to student visa holders with the arrest of Rümeysa Öztürk, why Trump's war on the media appears to be succeeding, and reports that the Trump family is teaming up with Binance, the shady crypto platform, on a new money-making scheme. Then, Bloomberg's Joe Weisenthal joins Jon to talk about Trump's trade war, the possibility of a recession, and what might happen next.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

Republicans go into full propaganda mode to sell Trump's reversal on tariffs as the culmination of a brilliant master strategy—until Trump himself admits it was just a reaction to the markets freaking out. Meanwhile, in one of his scariest, most authoritarian moves yet, Trump orders investigations into two former aides for the sin of criticizing him and telling the truth about the 2020 election. House Republicans manage to pass the Senate budget resolution, which calls for massive cuts to Medicaid to pay for Trump's billionaire tax cut. And the second act of the Resistance notches some meaningful wins on immigration and Social Security. Jon and Dan discuss why the market turmoil from Trump's tariffs will continue, the next steps for the GOP's budget plan, and how Democrats should be talking about all of it. Then, Dan is joined by physician, best-selling author, and public health expert Atul Gawande to talk about RFK Jr.'s mission to destroy the agency he now runs, and why he forced out the FDA's top vaccine regulator.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

As Donald Trump's insane tariffs plunge America further into a trade a war, the MAGA faithful—with a few notable exceptions—fan out to defend Dear Leader. Meanwhile, Trump says he'd love to send Americans to El Salvador's mega-prison, anti-Trump protests sweep the country, and President Obama speaks out for the first time since the inauguration. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy discuss Republicans' new "suck it up" message on the economy, why Democrats should talk more about Trump's deportations, and how Interior Secretary Doug Burgum likes his cookies. Then, Lovett negotiates the intellectual rationale and practical impact of Trump's tariffs with conservative economist Oren Cass.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.