Press Club

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with CNN Pentagon correspondent Natasha Bertrand about 'Signal-gate,' where National Security Advisor Michael Waltz added journalist Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal chat where Pete Hegseth and others discussed classified military plans. She discusses the chaos Hegseth has unleashed on the Pentagon and the Trump administration's subsequent denials. In the second half of the episode, Aidan speaks with Mediaite founding editor Colby Hall about how the media has been covering this bombshell week in Washington.

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Alex Isenstadt, the author of the new book Revenge: The Inside Story of Trump's Return to Power about his reporting process, his recent move from Politico to Axios, and his behind-the-scenes insights into Trump's 2024 campaign. He also speaks with Frank Pine, executive editor of major newspapers including the New York Daily News and the Boston Globe, about their lawsuit against OpenAI.

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Jesse Weber, a host at the Law & Crime Network, NewsNation, and Sirius XM. They talk about a new show he is hosting for Mediaite, Spin Room, where he will break down some of the biggest clips in media and politics— without an ideological spin. Jesse also talks about Law & Crime's YouTube success, the explosion of true crime as a genre, and his journey from acting school to law school to journalism.

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Politico White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns. She talks of her recent reporting on tensions between Trump's Cabinet and Elon Musk over his DOGE cuts, threats to the press under Trump's second term, and how the president is weighing his personal legacy versus the midterm electability of Republican senators and house members.

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Marty Baron, the legendary editor who ran the Washington Post until his retirement in 2021. Baron speaks out about recent interventions at the paper by its owner, Jeff Bezos, touching on Bezos's signaled dependence on Trump and his fear of financial retribution. He also speaks on Trump's first month in office and the immense threats he's wielded against the press thus far. In the second half of the episode, Mediaite senior editor Alex Griffing interviews Pentagon reporter Kevin Baron about the Defense Department's crackdown on the press.

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks to Fox News host and long-time conservative talk radio presence Sean Hannity in a rare interview. They talk about Trump's election and first weeks in office, Hannity's history as one of the most famous supporters of the president in the media, and his recent interviews with both Trump and Elon Musk. They also speak about the future of Fox News, his opinions on Kamala Harris's presidential campaign, the impressive numbers he pulls on radio with The Sean Hannity Show, and why he believes now more than ever in the death of legacy media.

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with senior WIRED reporter Makena Kelly on Elon Musk's DOGE, its extremely young and controversial team, and this concerning intersection of tech and politics in Washington. She also touches on the 'contentification' of the Trump White House and why she thinks Democrats need to lean further into new media. In the second half of the episode, Aidan talks with MSNBC producer Dan Wolfman about a new film he co-wrote that is currently working its way through the festival circuit.

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Peter Baker, the chief White House correspondent for The New York Times, about Trump's 'fast and furious' first weeks in office, the differences between Trump 1.0 and 2.0, and his 'volatile and provocative' proposal to take over Gaza and relocate two million Palestinians. They also speak about the pros and cons of today's information ecosystem and how it lends itself to Trump's "flood the zone" effect. In the second half of the episode, Aidan speaks with Mediaite's senior media reporter, Diana Falzone, about Trump's cabinet nominees and what's next for them.

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with the CEO and co-founder of Axios, Jim VandeHei, about Trump's wild first week, his optimistic take on the future of journalism amidst a fragmenting media industry, and disabusing ourselves of the idea that legacy media is the gatekeeper, without falling victim to Elon Musk's smear-campaign against it. In the second half of the episode, Aidan speaks with Mediaite founding editor Colby Hall about the first White House press briefing.

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Ryan J. Reilly, who covers the Justice Department and federal law enforcement for NBC News— he's been as tuned into the fallout of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol as anyone. His conversation on Press Club comes just after President Trump, on his first day in office, issued sweeping pardons to more than 1,500 individuals arrested in the Jan. 6 riots— people Reilly has been closely watching since 2021. He speaks on the astounding manipulation of public perception on Jan. 6 by Trump and his supporters, how Jan. 6 "broke the U.S. Justice System", and if he believes Trump will face any real consequences. In the second half of the episode, Mediaite founding editor Colby Hall speaks with Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy about his coverage of the Biden White House, and how he plans to cover Trump.