The Rachel Maddow Show

October 5, 2026 - Rachel Maddow looks at the diversity of protests against the Trump administration and the strange political bedfellows that form when people are motivated by morality, and how even small acts of protest can have far-reaching influence when they are done for the right reasons.

Rachel Maddow shows that Republicans are losing their political grip on Georgia, and as they lose confidence in their chances for electoral victory, the executive director of the Georgia State Election Board, a MAGA election denier, has written a letter without consulting the rest of the election board asking for federal intervention in Georgia's voting. Fulton County Commissioner Dana Barrett joins to discuss how local election officials are preparing to defend Georgia's elections from Donald Trump's potential interference.

Rachel Maddow looks at how faith leaders across the United States are rallying their congregations and uniting with other communities to stand up for the less fortunate and defend democracy as they are called to by their faith. Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush joins to discuss a 15-state bus tour to train local faith communities on how to defend the vote from threats by Donald Trump and his administration.
 

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Rachel Maddow shares new reporting that in the midst of elevated threats from Iran and its allies, Kash Patel demoted two top counterterrorism officials for not being adequately attentive to Stephen Miller's wife after she got harassing phone calls, even though the calls were not terrorism-related. And in the wake of Kash Patel's personal e-mail being hacked, the FBI suffered a massive hack of the personal information of employees, raising even more questions about Patel's ability to keep American safe in an increasingly threatening environment. 

Rachel Maddow shares new reporting from the Washington Post that the U.S. and Russia have agreed to remove some of the safety measures that placed human oversight between artificial intelligence and military weapons systems. The deal comes in the context of other examples of Trump eschewing American values and interests in order to ingratiate himself with the world's dictators.

Ted Boutrous, a First Amendment lawyer who represents Rachel Maddow but is also representing MS NOW, CNN and Politico, talks with Rachel about progress in the lawsuit against Donald Trump's ban of some members of the news media from the White House.

David Corn, investigative reporter for Mother Jones talks with Rachel Maddow about being targeted by Russia with weird, false, deepfake propaganda videos after the publication of his book on Russian interference in politics in the United States.

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Rachel Maddow notes that as Donald Trump's popularity continues to decay to new lows, the institutions that he successfully bullied at the start of his term are finding new courage to stand together in defiance of him, including news organizations that are finding new solidarity in the face of Trump banning members of the press from the White House. 
 

Rachel Maddow reviews the fundamental legal principles that are working against Donald Trump's attempt to ban news organizations from the White House, as well as the American cultural principles that would never accept Trump administration propaganda as a replacement for a free press. Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute, joins to discuss.

Rachel Maddow shares reports of a man shot in the back in the course of being arrested by ICE. MS NOW's Alex Tabet reports live from a protest in Austin, Texas and shares the latest on the man's condition after he was imprisoned with the bullet still lodged in his back.
 

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Rachel Maddow reports breaking news that the U.S. Supreme Court has rejected Donald Trump's bid to use the U.S. Postal Service to subvert mail-in ballot voting. Marc Elias, founder of Democracy Docket and stalwart defender of U.S. elections in the Trump era, joins to discuss why even this major victory for democracy is not a reason to relax in the face of an increasingly desperate Trump looking for any way he can to undermine the coming midterm elections.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta talks with Rachel about the legal fight to prevent Donald Trump from corrupting the election process.

Rachel Maddow shares details of new reporting from ProPublica that Donald Trump Jr.'s lavish weekend wedding celebration was largely paid for by a "very generous" Russian oligarch who even helped plan the festivities despite there being some questions about just how well he knows the couple or what he might expect in return for his generosity. Brett Murphy, investigative reporter with ProPublica, joins to talk about the report.

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Rachel Maddow looks at how Donald Trump's shameful dedication to deporting immigrants has led him to betray Afghans who helped the U.S. military in Afghanistan and were promised protection in the U.S., leaving it to individual service members to push back against his disgrace. Trump is also betraying the Iranians he continues to claim he is helping with his war on Iran, shaming the United States with his dishonor.

Maggie Mullen, reporter for Wyofile.com, talks with Rachel about the strong resistance in Wyoming to Donald Trump's efforts to interfere in their elections, despite Wyoming being very Republican and more supportive of Trump than any other state, according to polls.

Rachel Maddow explains how a secret bomb shelter installed under the White House during the Obama administration undercuts Donald Trump's legal claim that he needs his ballroom constructed because it will include a necessary bomb shelter for the White House. Rachel is joined by Greg Werkheiser, co-founder of Cultural Heritage Partners, to discuss a coalition of organizations working to protect Washington cultural and historic landmarks from Trump's reckless vanity projects.

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Rachel Maddow examines the confusing mix of contradictory, impulsive decisions and petty tantrums that constitutes Donald Trump’s agenda. She notes that the result is an almost complete loss of U.S. allies around the world, and that only three states have a net-positive opinion of him. Even in those states, voters are handing him election losses by proxy.

Karen Attiah, columnist for the Washington Post, and Norm Eisen, co-founder of Democracy Defenders Fund, talk with Rachel about their successful lawsuit against the Washington Post for her firing in the wake of the Charlie Kirk assassination and her reinstatement to her job as columnist.

While Republicans still outnumber Democrats in Sarasota County, Florida, home of the right-wing "Moms for Liberty," this year two Democratically endorsed candidates were elected and a third went to a run-off, signaling a shift in favor against culture war theatrics. Megan Tennimon, newly elected member of the Sarasota County school board, talks with Rachel Maddow about her sense of how things are changing.

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Rachel Maddow looks at how a Trump-aligned Texas oil company appears to be trying to worm its way into drilling in Greenland, provoking a threatening response not only from Greenland residents and officials, but potentially from NATO ally Denmark.

Rachel Maddow reports on an anti-immigrant group in Indiana attempting to stage a "mass deportation rally," only to end up moving the poorly attended rally to a "secret location" while counterprotesters swarmed the original location to stand up for their immigrant neighbors.

Immediately upon the Supreme Court gutting the Voting Rights Act, several Southern states moved to eliminate Black congressional districts. But what Republicans didn't count on was the political backlash they would trigger. Rev. Earle Fisher, senior pastor at the Abyssinian Baptist Church, talks with Rachel Maddow about activating Black voters in Tennessee who are outraged at Republicans gerrymandering away their representation.

Rep. LaMonica McIver joins to discuss the ongoing fight for human rights and human treatment of immigrants imprisoned by the Trump administration.

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Rachel Maddow and a panel of her MS NOW colleagues track and analyse the primary returns in Virginia, Kansas, Washington, Missouri, and especially Michigan where the Democratic primary for Senate is seen as a bellwether of the shift in Democratic politics in the Turmp era.

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With midterm elections fast approaching, the Republican Party, already compromised by Donald Trump's cratering popularity and track record of criminality and immorality, is dealing with multiple candidates mired in damaging personal scandals. Rachel Maddow takes a look.

James Talarico, Democratic candidate for Senate from Texas, talks with Rachel Maddow about not taking the bait on culture war issues Republicans use to try to pit Americans against each other, and the efforts he's making to reach out to his state's large Black constituency, as well as the immigrant community being terrorized by ICE. 

Rachel Maddow considers which former Fox News host installed in a high-profile position in the Trump administration is doing the worst at their job, and concludes that "Judge" Jeanine Pirro is probably winning that contest with her abysmal track record of embarrassments in court, not only failing to do Donald Trump's bidding, but making an absolute fool of herself in the process.

Want more of Rachel? Check out the "Rachel Maddow Presents" feed to listen to all of her chart-topping original podcasts.

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Rachel Maddow looks at decisions Donald Trump has made so far in his second term, from staffing his administration to policy choices and wars of choice, and points out that while the American people are the first to have to pay for Trump doing a bad job, ultimately the consequences fall on him as his political popularity plummets. 

Rev. John Edgerton, senior minister at at Old South Church in Boston, talks with Rachel about protests forcing Citizens Bank to stop doing business with companies that run ICE prisons.

David Huerta, president of Service Employees International Union United Service Workers West, and his attorney, Abbe Lowell, talk with Rachel Maddow about standing up to Donald Trump's anti-immigrant intimidation tactics.

Donald Trump has endorsed Pillow Guy Mike Lindell for governor of Minnesota even though Mr. Pillow doesn't vote in Minnesota and is not registered there. But that's nothing compared to the Colorado Republican who says he can perform exorcisms over the phone. And have you seen the candidates in Texas?? Rachel Maddow reports.

Want more of Rachel? Check out the "Rachel Maddow Presents" feed to listen to all of her chart-topping original podcasts.

To listen to all of your favorite MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts.

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