A rocky few weeks for the Democrats culminated in Sunday’s extraordinary statement from President Joe Biden, announcing an end to his candidacy. As he did so, he made space for the next generation of Democratic leaders, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to head the ticket. As the dust settles, former Senator Claire McCaskill and former White House Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri react to the president’s decision, and take stock of what’s next after Harris announced her intent to run and bring the party together to win.

This podcast is all about winning in November, so how does that happen in the political climate of this volatile week? The narrative from Democrats has been evolving each day– soFormer Senator Claire McCaskill and former White House Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri walk us through it. Then, The Bulwark's managing editor Sam Stein stops by, after a week on the ground in Milwaukee for the GOP Convention. They note several strange themes that emerged from the gathering of Republicans, as well as the disconnect between JD Vance’s worldview and Trump’s. Butthe biggest takeaway was the importance of not losing sight of the stakes this November, as Democrats figure out a path forward.

On the final evening of the 2024 Republican National Convention, former president Donald Trump took the stage to accept the Republican nomination for the third time. He did so with the longest convention speech in modern history, reflecting on the recent attempt on his life, as well as promising swift action on immigration, energy, and taxes if he’s elected. Plus, big names like Kid Rock, Tucker Carlson, and Hulk Hogan also showed up to lend their support to the former president. Listen here as Rachel Maddow leads MSNBC’s special coverage alongside Alex Wagner, Ari Melber, Joy Reid, Chris Hayes, and Jen Psaki. And visit msnbc.com for more coverage in the lead up to the election.

Trump’s vice-presidential pick JD Vance takes the stage on day three of the Convention, as the focus moves to the military and foreign policy, with the theme "Make America Strong Once Again." Rachel Maddow leads MSNBC’s special coverage alongside Nicole Wallace, Ari Melber, Joy Reid, Chris Hayes, Jen Psaki and many others, as Donald Trump Jr, Kellyanne Conway, Rep. Matt Gaetz, and Governor Greg Abbott, among others, rally behind the former president’s re-election bid in speeches before the gathering. Visit msnbc.com for more coverage in the lead up to the election.

The 2024 Republican National Convention picks up on day two in Milwaukee, WI with the theme "Make America Safe Once Again." On tonight's MSNBC’s special coverage, the focus is on the GOP platform as Trump’s former rival Nikki Haley takes the stage with a message of party unity. Join Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O’Donnell, Joy Reid, and other MSNBC all-stars to assess where things stand on the right, as well as on the left, with President Biden’s nomination still in question. Visit msnbc.com for more coverage in the lead up to the election.

The Republican National Convention got underway in Milwaukee, WI as delegates from across the country gathered to nominate former President Donald Trump for the top of their ticket. The delegates cast their votes for the former President days after he faced an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania. The shootings didn’t deter Monday’s schedule, including Trump’s announcement of Ohio Senator JD Vance as his pick for vice president. Also on Monday, President Joe Biden sat down with NBC’s Lester Holt for a previously scheduled exclusive interview, his second since the presidential debate. Listen to the full interview here along with MSNBC’s special coverage, led by Rachel Maddow, and visit msnbc.com for more coverage in the lead up to the election.

After the NATO Summit in Washington, President Biden took questions from reporters for the first time since a worrisome debate performance on June 27th. The president has been facing mounting calls to step aside in November, and fielding questions from the White House press corps was a chance to show voters, donors and members of Congress whether he’s still up for the job. Listen to the full press conference here and visit msnbc.com for more coverage in the lead up to the election.

Senator Claire McCaskill is away this week, so former White House Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri tapped another former co-host to join, veteran GOP strategist and creator of “The Circus”, Mark McKinnon. As President Biden hosts a NATO summit in Washington, all Beltway eyes are focused on whether he has staying power as the Democratic nominee. So, Jen and Mark zero in on how keenly lawmakers and pundits are tracking the shifting winds of that calculation. And NBC correspondent Vaughn Hillyard previews the Republican Convention set to begin Monday, and the many unknowns still hanging in the air—including who is speaking, how strongly they embrace Project 2025, and who Trump will choose as his running mate.

A Note: Next week, we’ll be recording and releasing on Friday so we can break down the  Republican Convention as a whole. In the meantime, we'll be sharing audio of MSNBC's coverage in this feed for people to stay up to date during the convention next week.

The fallout from last week’s doozy of a debate continues, with voters, party leaders and donors all working to figure out if Joe Biden is still their guy. This, as a devastating Supreme Court term ends after several extraordinary rulings that will reverberate for years to come. Senator Claire McCaskill and former White House Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri wade through all the feelings, and what Biden needs to do to reassure voters and the Democratic party that he is equipped to stay in the race. Then, Slate senior editor Dahlia Lithwick joins to connect the dots on why the Supreme Court decisions on immunity, Chevron and EMTALA lay bare the adage that elections have consequences, and the makeup of the Court is chief among them. And lastly, Claire and Jen game out the logistics of how the party rules would actually work if President Biden did exit the race.

Also: a note about the post-debate CNN poll mentioned in this episode: both Claire and Jen were right. In this data set taken after the debate, Kamala Harris was running two points behind Donald Trump (45%-47%), while Joe Biden was running six points behind Donald Trump (43%-49%). Both of these are within the margin of error.

So that happened...the first presidential debate of 2024 is now officially in the books, and it did not go well for President Biden. Senator Claire McCaskill and former White House Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri are joined by the Lincoln Project’s Stuart Stevens to break down everything that happened between the two candidates in Atlanta. The How to Win team looks at the state of panic among Democrats and dig into how this night will impact the next phase of the presidential campaign for both candidates. 

Also, an exciting announcement! On Saturday, September 7th, MSNBC will be hosting a live event in Brooklyn called “MSNBC Live: Democracy 2024”. It will be your chance to hear thought-provoking conversations about the most pressing issues of our time, and to do so in person with some of your favorite MSNBC hosts. Visit https://www.msnbc.com/DEMOCRACY2024 to learn more.