The Common Good Podcast

By Vote Common GoodNews Religion & Spirituality Politics

The Common Good Podcast episodes

January 13 Trump‘s soldiers kill American citizen
The Common Good Podcast — Doug Pagitt and Robb Ryerse sit down for a sobering, urgent conversation about power, fear, and what it means to protect democracy in dangerous times.
They discuss the Trump administration’s decision to send masked federal agents into American cities like Minneapolis—actions that blur the line between law enforcement and intimidation, and that have already resulted in the killing of American citizens. Doug and Robb wrestle with the moral, legal, and spiritual implications of a government willing to deploy force against its own people.
The conversation also turns global, examining the escalating conflict in Venezuela and how Trump’s approach reveals a broader pattern of abuse of power—at home and abroad. Through it all, they ask the question at the heart of the Common Good: How do people of faith respond when authority is used to dominate rather than serve?
A challenging conversation about courage, accountability, and choosing love over fear when it matters most.
1 hr 11 min
January 06 Trump Will Be Ruined By Venezuela and Other 2026 Predictions
Doug and Robb make their 2026 political predictions. Including a bonus about Trump and Venezuela.
1 hr 25 min
December 30, 2025 2025 A Nightmare Year in Review & The Brave Responses
2025 A Nightmare Year in Review & The Brave Responses
On this episode of The Common Good Podcast, Doug Pagitt and Robb Ryerse reflect on what this year reveals, what it has cost the country, and why people committed to democracy, faith, and the common good cannot look away.
This year unfolded as a steady reminder of how damaging the Trump administration has been to democracy, human dignity, and the moral fabric of the country. Month after month brought new controversies—each one reinforcing a pattern of chaos, cruelty, and abuse of power.
January began with sweeping tariff announcements that rattled global markets and raised costs for American families, paired with renewed threats against immigrants and asylum seekers.
February saw attacks on the free press intensify, with journalists publicly targeted and credibility undermined as retaliation for unfavorable coverage.
March brought purges and firings across federal agencies, removing career public servants seen as insufficiently loyal.
April escalated attacks on immigrants and refugees, including rhetoric aimed at Muslim and Somali communities that fueled fear and division.
May highlighted ongoing ethical scandals, as Trump family business dealings continued to blur the line between public office and private profit.
June saw open defiance of court rulings and norms, signaling that the rule of law applied selectively.
July brought renewed pressure on prosecutors, judges, and law enforcement officials perceived as obstacles.
August exposed fresh revelations tied to the Epstein files, raising disturbing questions about power, protection, and accountability.
September featured retaliation against death-row inmates whose sentences had been lawfully commuted, turning justice into vengeance.
October continued assaults on democratic institutions, including elections, oversight bodies, and watchdog agencies.
November amplified nationalist and authoritarian rhetoric, framing dissent as disloyalty.
December closed the year with symbolic and literal damage to democratic norms, including reckless decisions impacting the White House itself and the peaceful transfer of power.
Taken together, this was not a series of isolated incidents—it was a sustained pattern. A year defined by grievance over governance, loyalty over law, and power over people.
A Year of Courage: Month by Month
January
At the inauguration, Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, preached directly to Trump, calling for mercy, humility, and care for the vulnerable—naming moral truth in the presence of power.
February
Journalists, editors, and independent media organizations pushed back publicly against attacks on the free press, refusing to self-censor despite threats, firings, and intimidation.
March
Civil rights organizations and state attorneys general filed and advanced court challenges against immigration policies, executive overreach, and retaliatory actions—using the rule of law to slow abuse of power.
April
Faith leaders across traditions organized prayer vigils, statements, and public witness events defending immigrants and refugees, especially Muslim and Somali communities targeted by administration rhetoric.
May
Mass nonviolent demonstrations—including renewed No Kings rallies—rejected authoritarianism and the idea that any leader stands above the law.
June
Judges and career civil servants continued to uphold legal and ethical standards, even as they faced political pressure, proving that institutions still matter when people inside them have courage.
July
Whistleblowers and former administration officials came forward, testifying, publishing, and speaking publicly about corruption, retaliation, and abuses of power.
August
Survivors’ advocates and accountability groups demanded transparency around the Epstein files, insisting that wealth and influence not shield wrongdoing.
September
Abolitionists, clergy, and justice reform advocates spoke out against retaliatory actions toward death-row inmates, reaffirming that mercy and due process are not weaknesses.
October
Voters, organizers, and election workers defended democratic processes—registering voters, monitoring elections, and countering misinformation at the local level.
November
Interfaith coalitions and community groups mobilized against nationalist rhetoric, offering a different vision of patriotism rooted in pluralism and shared dignity.
December
Grassroots organizations closed the year by raising funds, protecting vulnerable communities, and preparing for continued resistance—choosing long-term faithfulness over short-term outrage.
1 hr 20 min
December 23, 2025 Shocking Epstein File Release About Trump
In this episode, with Doug Pagitt and Robb Ryerse, we dive into the shocking and disturbing details surrounding the latest Epstein file release.

Newly surfaced documents include a deeply troubling letter from Jeffrey Epstein to Larry Nassar, raising urgent questions about power, protection, and the systems that allowed abuse to persist for so long.
Doug and Robb unpack what’s actually known, what’s still unclear, and why this moment matters—not just as a headline, but as a window into how institutional silence, influence, and moral failure intersect. This is an honest, sober conversation about accountability, truth-telling, and why confronting uncomfortable facts is essential if we hope to prevent future harm.
1 hr 22 min
December 21, 2025 Podcast Short - We’re pastors. The fight against MAGA Christianity starts locally.
In this video, Doug Pagitt of Vote Common Good is joined by Rev. Lori Walke for a conversation about the context, urgency, and lived experiences behind their recent Guardian op-ed, “We’re pastors. The fight against MAGA Christianity starts locally.”

🗣️ What They Discuss
Doug Pagitt and Rev. Lori Walke reflect on:
•Why they felt compelled, as pastors, to write this op-ed together
•How MAGA Christianity shows up in real congregations, local politics, and community life
•The spiritual and moral damage caused when Christian faith is fused with authoritarian power
•Why resistance to Christian nationalism does not begin on cable news or in Washington, but in local churches, neighborhoods, and relationships
•What faithful, grounded, community-based responses actually look like on the ground

📰 About the Op-Ed
The Guardian essay draws from their pastoral work and public engagement to name a hard truth: MAGA Christianity is not a distortion happening “somewhere else.” It is being formed, funded, and normalized locally — and it must be challenged locally by people committed to a deeper, more honest expression of Christian faith rooted in love, humility, and justice.

🔗 Read the full op-ed here:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/dec/21/fight-against-maga-christianity

🙏 Thanks for watching
If this conversation resonates, consider liking, commenting, and sharing. These are not abstract ideas — they are shaping communities right now and deserve thoughtful, faithful engagement.

#FaithAndPolitics #ChristianNationalism #MAGAChristianity #PastorsSpeak #GuardianOpinion #LocalFaith
25 min
December 16, 2025 Trump Can't Lead Especially in Tragedy - His supporters know it
In moments of national crisis, leadership is revealed—not by strength of ego, but by depth of empathy.
In this episode of The Common Good Podcast, Doug Pagitt and Robb Ryerse discuss Donald Trump’s repeated inability to lead during moments of struggle and tragedy. From public disasters to personal suffering, we examine how a lack of empathy and a pattern of narcissistic behavior undermine the basic responsibilities of moral and civic leadership.
We explore what real leadership requires in times of pain: the capacity to listen, to grieve with others, to take responsibility, and to place the common good above personal grievance or self-promotion. When leaders cannot see beyond themselves, tragedy becomes politicized, wounds deepen, and trust erodes.
This conversation is not about partisanship—it’s about character, accountability, and the kind of leadership a healthy democracy depends on, especially when people are hurting.
Topics include:
• Why empathy is not optional in leadership
• How narcissism distorts decision-making during crisis
• The moral cost of self-centered leadership
• What the common good demands in moments of tragedy
1 hr 14 min
December 09, 2025 “Fear, Force, and the Erosion of Freedom: Trump’s Disastrous Week in Power
In this week’s episode, Doug and Robb dig into one of the most alarming stretches of the Trump presidency so far. From Trump’s dehumanizing attacks on Somali immigrants to a pair of lethal boat strikes in the Caribbean now raising war-crime concerns, the administration is leaning hard on fear and force while dodging accountability. We unpack Trump’s attempt to seize more control over immigration judges, America’s downgrade in global civic-freedom rankings, and a federal judge’s smackdown of Trump’s unlawful freeze on wind-energy permits.
It’s a week that reveals a dangerous governing pattern: escalating fear, expanding executive power, shrinking democracy, and policies that undermine both human dignity and the common good.
This is the state of America under Trump in December 2025—and why people of conscience need to stay awake, organized, and engaged.
1 hr 34 min
December 03, 2025 State Crimes - Sex Crimes - War Crimes - The Trump Administration in 2025
What happens when a presidential administration treats law as optional and accountability as a threat? In this episode, we take a clear-eyed, fact-based look at the cascading legal, moral, and political crises emerging from the Trump Administration in 2025.
Doug Pagitt and Robb Ryerse break down the three arenas where these dangers are most urgent:
🔹 State Crime – The misuse of government power, the erosion of checks and balances, and the normalization of authoritarian behavior.
🔹 Sex Crimes – The ongoing legal cases, civil findings, and the cultural impact of excusing or minimizing sexual misconduct by powerful leaders.
🔹 War Crimes – Reckless foreign policy moves, threats to international norms, and the destabilization that follows when presidential power goes unchecked.
We explore how these patterns affect everyday Americans, the rule of law, vulnerable communities, and the future of democracy. And, as always, we talk about what people of conscience can do—how we can respond with courage, clarity, and a commitment to the common good.
1 hr 51 min
November 25, 2025 Unprecedented Corruption - Unprecedented Opportunity for Democracy and Faith, Hope & Love
In this episode of The Common Good Podcast, we dig into the documented scandals and alleged corruption that defined the Trump administration and why so many Americans see this moment as unprecedented in modern political history. We reflect on what these past years have revealed about our democracy, the stakes of integrity in public office, and why the coming election represents a critical opportunity for renewal, accountability, and hope. Join us for a candid conversation grounded in our shared belief that the common good is neither partisan nor sectarian—it's the foundation of a healthy democracy.
1 hr 10 min
November 18, 2025 The MAGA Collapse… and Why Hope Still Has the Final Word
In today’s episode of the Common Good Podcast, Doug Pagitt and Robb Ryerse dig into the growing rift inside MAGA world — the public break between Marjorie Taylor Greene and Donald Trump.
What does this split really mean? Why is it happening now? And how does it fit into the larger pattern of Republicans, conservatives, and former loyalists quietly (and not-so-quietly) backing away from Trump as his influence weakens?
Doug and Robb unpack the political, cultural, and moral implications of this fracture — and why it signals yet another crack in Trump’s once-unified base.
If you’re tracking the collapse of Trumpism and the rise of a better way forward for the country, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.
1 hr 50 min

About The Common Good Podcast

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Vote Common Good is inspiring and mobilizing people of faith to make the common good their voting criteria.

Tuesdays we talk Politics, Wednesdays we talk about how Faith should compel us to…