Paul Begala is a CNN political commentator, consultant and NY Times best-selling author. Along with his partner James Carville, he was one of the masterminds behind Bill Clinton's winning presidential campaign in 1992 and later served as Counselor to the President, serving as one of President Clinton's closest aides, and coordinating policy, politics, and communications. In the 2012 campaign, Paul was a senior adviser for the pro-Obama Super PAC, making Begala one of the few people to play a critical role in electing two different presidents.

Paul is back in The Back Room sharing his inimitable wit and wisdom on a range of critical subjects including Trump, his mounting legal problems and the Republican Party's increasing and dangerous march towards authoritarianism; the '24 presidential race and his predictions for Ron "DeStuntis", Tim Scott, Pence and others; Lindsey Graham's unraveling; the "Tennessee Three" debacle; the big Wisconsin Supreme Court Democratic victory; racism; out-of-control gun violence; Hillary Clinton's support for Obama; and the huge accomplishment for President Biden of Finland joining NATO.

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Produced by Andy Ostroy and Matty Rosenberg @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff

Griffin Dunne is an accomplished, award-winning and Oscar-nominated actor, director and producer. His feature film directorial debut was 1997's "Addicted to Love," starring Meg Ryan and Matthew Broderick. In 2017 he directed and produced the acclaimed Netflix documentary “Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold”, about his Aunt. His film credits include "Dallas Buyers Club”, "Last Night” and "Broken City” and he’s appeared on TV in “House of Lies”, “Red Band Society”, "I Love Dick", “This is Us” and others too many to mention. He will soon appear in a new HBO Max series called “The Girls on the Bus”.

Griffin take us back to his childhood and family life, the 1982 murder of his sister Dominique, grief and the concept of 'closure,' the importance of humor in his life, his early acting influences, his stellar carer in film and television, acting vs directing, gun violence, Donald Trump, living in Upstate New York's Hudson Valley and more.

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Produced by Andy Ostroy and Matty Rosenberg @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff

Jasmine Crockett is an attorney, former member of the Texas House of Representatives and currently serving as the US Representative for Texas’s 30th Congressional District. Elected as a freshman last Fall, her district covers much of the city of Dallas and parts of Dallas and Tarrant counties. She is a member of the House Oversight and Agriculture Committees.

Rep. Crockett discusses her decision to run for Congress, her early political inspirations, her role in the the recent Oversight Committee's 'bi-partisan' delegation to visit January 6th rioters in jail (she was one of two Democratic 'chaperones'), the chaos in the House, Donald Trump's indictment and more.

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Produced by Andy Ostroy and Matty Rosenberg @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff

Elie Honig is a CNN senior legal analyst and the bestselling author of Hatchet Man and the recently released Untouchable: How Powerful People Get Away With It. He’s a former federal and state prosecutor. From 2004 to 2012, he was an assistant United States attorney for the Southern District of New Yorkshire he successfully prosecuted over 100 members and associates of the Mafia, including bosses and other high-ranking members, on murder, racketeering, and other charges. In 2022, he was nominated for an Emmy Award in the category Outstanding News Analysis: Editorial and Opinion. Honig also hosts podcasts and writes for CAFE and Vox Media, teaches at Rutgers University, and is Special Counsel at a New Jersey law firm.

Join us for a very timely conversation as Elie unpacks and analyzes this week's Trump indictment by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg. Elie explains what happens Tuesday when Trump is arraigned; what the actual charges against him might be; Michael Cohen and the strength of Bragg's case; Trump's possible defenses; the impact of these charges on the Georgia, J6 and Mar A Lago documents cases; and more.

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Produced by Andy Ostroy and Matty Rosenberg @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff

Gretchen Carlson is an acclaimed journalist, NY Times bestselling author, speaker, and advocate for women’s rights in the workplace. She went public in 2016 with harassment claims against then Fox News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes, paving the way for the #MeToo movement. Gretchen spent over 30 years as a journalist and has hosted the Saturday edition of CBS’s The Early Show, Fox & Friends and The Real Story with Gretchen Carlson. She is co-founder of Lift Our Voices, a nonprofit organization fighting to eradicate forced arbitration clauses and non-disclosure agreements in workplace contracts that keep toxic workplace issues silent.

Please join us for this extremely important conversation about Gretchen's dedication to helping create safe, welcoming and harassment-free environments in workplaces all across the world; her thoughts on Fox News; her childhood, mastering the violin and attending Julliard; her college years at Stanford, Oxford and competing in, and winning, the Miss America Beauty Pageant; her early broadcast political influences; Trump and today's political landscape; and more!

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Produced by Andy Ostroy and Matty Rosenberg @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff

Mary L Trump is a trained Clinical Psychologist with a PhD from The Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies. She’s the author of two New York Times best-selling books… Too Much and Never Enough and The Reckoning. She is host of The Mary Trump Show podcast and is well-known as the niece and outspoken critic of former president Donald Trump.

It's always incredibly insightful, and a lot of fun, to chat with Mary because she's not only super-smart and super-funny but she brings a unique professional and personal perspective in discussing all things Trump including his 2024 campaign and his erratic, manic and dangerous behavior in reaction to his massive legal troubles.

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Produced by Andy Ostroy and Matty Rosenberg @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff

Julianna Margulies is an Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Award winner currently starring as Laura Peterson on Apple TV+'s The Morning Show. She previously starred as Alicia Florrick on the long-running hit CBS show The Good Wife, which she also produced, and was one of the original cast members of ER. More recently, Julianna’s starred on critically acclaimed series including Billions and The Hot Zone..and has added author to her list of credits with the recent release of her memoir, Sunshine Girl: An Unexpected Life. She’s been involved with Project ALS and Erin's Law and is also a board member of the New York City-based MCC Theater company.

Julianna joins me for an intimate, riveting, in-depth conversation about her dysfunctional, chaotic childhood; her early acting journey; her incredible work in television and film; Judaism, anti-Semitism and her Holocaust remembrance advocacy; her fight against child sexual-abuse; and her thoughts on Roe v Wade, politics and Trump. There's also a surprise reveal that her father wrote one of the most famous jingles in advertising history. This is a chat you don't want to miss!

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Produced by Andy Ostroy and Matty Rosenberg @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff

Michelle Williams is one of Hollywood's most respected actors. Her latest film SHOWING UP will be released in theaters April 7th and is her fourth collaboration with writer-director Kelly Reichardt. Most recently she starred in Steven Spielberg’s THE FABELMANS for which she received her fifth Academy Award nomination as well as a Golden Globe and Critics Choice nomination.

Her other films include Marvel’s VENOM and the sequel, VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE; MANCHESTER BY THE SEA; MY WEEK WITH MARILYN; BLUE VALENTINE; BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN; WENDY AND LUCY and a many other critically acclaimed, award-winning films. She’s won an Emmy for playing Gwen Verdon in FX’s “Fosse/Verdon.” And she’s also a Tony-nominated actor who made her Broadway debut in CABARET.

Please join Michelle and I for this in-depth, honest, emotional conversation about family, life, love, loss, grief and of course her incredible acting journey through film, television and theater.

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Produced by Andy Ostroy and Matty Rosenberg @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff

Actor and comedian Gary Gulman is one of America's most popular comics. A product or Massachusetts, Gary's currently on his "Born on 3rd Base Tour". His most recent stand-up special for HBO, “The Great Depresh,” is a universally acclaimed, tour de force look at mental illness, which is equal parts hilarious and inspiring. He was most recently seen co-starring with Amy Schumer in the hit Hulu comedy series, Life & Beth. His memoir, Misfit, will be published in September.

This rank's among my most favorite pod chats because it's a truly important one. Gary not only takes us back on a wicked funny ride through his impoverished Jewish childhood, his high-school and college years, his early comedy journey and what it means to be a "Masshole"...he's also brutally honest about his life-long struggle with depression and anxiety and how it's impacted his life, his relationships, his work, his sense of self and the message it sends to others who are suffering, and the help and inspiration it's given them.

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Produced by Andy Ostroy and Matty Rosenberg @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff

Hilarie Burton is a film and television actor and producer, NY Times best-selling author, entrepreneur, farmer, activist, philanthropist, podcaster and host of AMC's It Couldn't Happen Here. A former host of MTV's Total Request Live, she portrayed Peyton Sawyer on One Tree Hill from 2003-2009, has appeared in several films including The Secret Life of Bees, Surprised By Love, Summer Villa and A Christmas Wish. She's also appeared in various television shows including White Collar, Grey's Anatomy, Extant, Lethal Weapon, Good Sam and The Walking Dead. Together with her husband actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Hilarie owns Mischief Farm, MF Libations beverage company and are co-owners of Samuel's Sweet Shop in Rhinebeck, NY with Paul and Julie Rudd and Andy Ostroy.

This is a truly don't-miss conversation as Hil takes us back to her conservative roots in Sterling, VA; her early inspiration for journalism and activism; her television program's focus on social/racial/criminal injustice; her strong, passionate views on religion, women's & LGBTQ rights, and abortion; her thoughts on Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Donald Trump; the political tribalism in America today; being outspoken on Twitter; her upcoming book Grimoire Girl; and her newfound role as head of her son Gus's middle-school PTA.

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Produced by Andy Ostroy and Matty Rosenberg @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff