The Briefing with Michael Waldman

Polling shows voters are deeply frustrated about political corruption. Industries like AI, crypto, and online gambling are pouring millions of dollars into the midterms, hoping to gain influence and shape federal regulations.

Will the results of the 2026 midterms prove to be historically consequential? This week, CNN’s Dana Bash joins to discuss her new book, The Elections That Changed the World: Fifteen Pivotal Moments That Shaped How We Live. The conversation dives into some of her examples and how they relate to today’s politics. 

Election Day is November 3 — make a plan to vote and encourage your networks to do so as well. If you run into any issues trying to cast your vote, you can call or text 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) to speak to a trained Election Protection volunteer. 

Recorded on October 27, 2026.

The Brennan Center is a nonpartisan law and policy institute that works to repair, revitalize, and defend our systems of democracy and justice so that they work for all Americans. The Brennan Center cannot support or oppose any candidate for office.

With Election Day less than two weeks away, many Americans are just tuning in to what will be on their ballot. But organizers like our guests Saad Amer and Alma Couverthie work year-round to engage Americans and mobilize communities to show up to vote.

Saad Amer has independently organized massive youth outreach campaigns, partnering with tech platforms and high-profile celebrities to get out the vote, particularly reaching out to Gen Z on the issue of climate change. Alma Couverthie leads grassroots organizing campaigns for Common Cause, a storied organization working across the country to advocate for a more responsive democracy. 

Both share key insights into what works to inspire civic participation — and importantly the work that needs to be done after Election Day to keep elected officials accountable and voters feeling engaged.

Visit the Brennan Center’s website for all the information you need to vote.

If you run into any issues trying to cast your vote, you can call or text 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) to speak to a trained Election Protection volunteer. 

Recorded on October 20, 2026.

The Brennan Center is a nonpartisan law and policy institute that works to repair, revitalize, and defend our systems of democracy and justice so that they work for all Americans. The Brennan Center cannot support or oppose any candidate for office.

Foreign interference, conspiracy theories from the White House, threats to election officials, and even weather disasters could all affect elections — but according to experts across the political spectrum, our system is built to prevail.

This week, Michael is joined by Ben Ginsberg, Republican lawyer and cofounder of the Election Official Legal Defense Network, to discuss how heated partisan rhetoric can undermine trust in the election system, and he also details the work groups are doing to protect election officials from a range of threats. Then Brennan Center experts Caitlin Durkovich and Veronica Degraffenreid give an insider’s look into what election officials are preparing for today.

Recorded on October 13 and 14, 2026.

The Brennan Center is a nonpartisan law and policy institute that works to repair, revitalize, and defend our systems of democracy and justice so that they work for all Americans. The Brennan Center cannot support or oppose any candidate for office.

The “Latino vote” may be decisive in the upcoming election. A diverse and complex group, it continues to defy easy categorization. Political preferences vary influenced by age, geography, religion, and family background. And a series of obstacles and threats could limit Latino political power – especially amid the unfolding crackdown by ICE. 

This week, Michael Waldman speaks with Adrian Fontes, Arizona’s first Latino secretary of state, about the work he’s doing to ensure safe and secure elections in a state that has been a high-profile target of election deniers. Then, we hear from Pew Research’s Mark Hugo Lopez and Brennan en español’s Kira Romero-Craft about the diversity of Latino voters and the challenges of reaching full civic participation.

This episode is dedicated to our beloved colleague Mireya “Mia” Navarro, who recently passed. She was the trailblazing editor in chief of Brennan en español, our media operation that connects crucial information about democracy to Spanish-speaking communities. She is remembered by her colleagues for her brilliance, friendship, leadership, and legendarily sharp wit. 

You can check out Brennan en español here: https://www.brennancenter.org/es 

Recorded on October 6, 2026. The Brennan Center is a nonpartisan law and policy institute that works to repair, revitalize, and defend our systems of democracy and justice so that they work for all Americans. The Brennan Center cannot support or oppose any candidate for office.

The Supreme Court term starts the first Monday in October. It’s an annual reminder that the institution looms large over our governmental system. The Court is no longer coequal branch, but in many ways a super-legislature. Its members are unelected and serve for life. Some believe it has been captured by a faction of a faction. And its power only grows.

What will this term bring? What are the key cases that will be argued? What role will the Court play in deciding the outcomes and fairness of the 2026 election? And, do we need a shadow Supreme Court? 

POLITCO’s Josh Gerstein joins Michael Waldman on what to expect from the justices this term. The Brennan Center’s Alicia Bannon and Eliazar Chacha discuss reforms that would improve the Court. Finally, Fordham law professor and Brennan Fellow Julie Suk proposes some provocative ways to change how the Court operates. 

Check out the Substack exclusive with more from Julie Suk, and her new book: The Shadow Court: Rescuing Democracy from the Supreme Court.

Recorded on September 29, 2026. The Brennan Center is a nonpartisan law and policy institute that works to repair, revitalize, and defend our systems of democracy and justice so that they work for all Americans. The Brennan Center cannot support or oppose any candidate for office.

We are weeks away from a consequential midterm election, which will set the course for the president’s final two years in office and beyond. Yet we have no way of knowing is who exactly is spending billions of dollars to try to sway the outcomes.

This week, Michael sits down with New York Times reporter Theodore Schleifer to talk about his reporting on this, which outlines the huge amount of dark money sloshing around the upcoming election. Then, Brennan Center experts Dan Weiner and Kareem Crayton join to discuss what can be done about the issue of big money corrupting our politics.

You can read more from Schleifer here and the Brennan Center’s solutions to political corruption here.

Recorded on September 22, 2026. The Brennan Center is a nonpartisan law and policy institute that works to repair, revitalize, and defend our systems of democracy and justice so that they work for all Americans. The Brennan Center cannot support or oppose any candidate for office.

The Trump administration has been leading an unprecedented campaign to undermine Americans’ right to vote. Luckily, his legislative attempts and executive orders have been halted by Congress and the courts. But will this matter if confusion encourages voters to sit out the midterms?

This week, Michael is joined by Brennan Center experts to discuss the current state of voting rights and how to protect them, outlined in our newest report: ​​Eight Solutions to Protect Voting Rights and Improve Representation.

Our proposals include banning partisan gerrymandering, expanding the House of Representatives, and ensuring that the popular vote determines the presidency. 

As always, we encourage you to make a plan to vote! 

Recorded on September 14, 2026.

The Brennan Center is a nonpartisan law and policy institute that works to repair, revitalize, and defend our systems of democracy and justice so that they work for all Americans. The Brennan Center cannot support or oppose any candidate for office.

Are we a country based on ideals, on the American creed set out in our founding documents? Or are we a nation of blood and soil, as Vice President JD Vance has argued? Both these strains run throughout American history. Those of us on the side of equality and inclusion have much to learn from those who have come before. 

This week we’re joined by Ben Rhodes to discuss his new book, All We Say, in which he compiles 15 speeches that articulate various sides of these debates over American identity. Rhodes is a former speechwriter for President Obama and the current co-host of Pod Save the World. 

Recorded on August 17, 2026.

The Brennan Center is a nonpartisan law and policy institute that works to repair, revitalize, and defend our systems of democracy and justice so that they work for all Americans. The Brennan Center cannot support or oppose any candidate for office.

This week, the Supreme Court issued a ruling on Donald Trump’s executive order on mail voting. Headlines suggested that the justices had given Trump a green light. 

What did the Supreme Court actually do? And what does this mean for voters?  

In this urgent episode of The Briefing, Michael Waldman clears away the confusion, as well as explains the Court’s action and what comes next. He says, “I’m annoyed, but not freaked out. The Court’s ruling was a procedural one, with a great deal of legal back and forth to come. The executive order is still illegal and still unconstitutional. The bottom line: For voters, so far, nothing has changed – and is unlikely to before Election Day.”  

Recorded on August 25, 2026. The Brennan Center is a nonpartisan law and policy institute that works to repair, revitalize, and defend our systems of democracy and justice so that they work for all Americans. The Brennan Center cannot support or oppose any candidate for office.

Does Congress need reform? To many, it's weaker and more hollowed out than ever. But it doesn’t have to be this way. 

Brennan Center expert Maya Kornberg has extensively researched the institution’s complexities and created a list of solutions that could make it stronger and more productive at responding to the needs of the American people.

We discuss her proposed solutions and debate reform with Rep. Tom Malinowski, a former lawmaker.

Read our report, Eight Solutions to Unstick Congress.

Recorded on August 11, 2026.

The Brennan Center is a nonpartisan law and policy institute that works to repair, revitalize, and defend our systems of democracy and justice so that they work for all Americans. The Brennan Center cannot support or oppose any candidate for office.