Where It All Starts

The Supreme Court surprised many on Monday allowing the commonly used abortion medication mifepristone to stay available via mail for at least one more week. But even with this decision, the current Supreme Court still feels like a mystery. For a body that intends to examine the law through a Constitutional lens, the court is kind of… freestyling a lot of the time. And in the era of Trump, a lot of that freestyling has been in his favor. So is this the Supreme Court’s fault? Or… the Constitution’s? To find out, we spoke with Melissa Murray. She’s a co-host of Crooked Media’s Strict Scrutiny, and author of the new book, The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader.

And in headlines, President Donald Trump talks about the “mini-war” in Iran, the Department of Justice holds a press conference about its most recent beef, and Trump threatens to stay in power for another eight or nine years.Show Notes:

• Check out Melissa’s book – https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-U-S-Constitution/Melissa-Murray/9781668221938
• Call Congress – 202-224-3121
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
• Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
• For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Last week's Supreme Court decision gutting the Voting Rights Act is big news. But there are tons of other ways that the Trump Administration and the GOP are trying to make it harder for you to vote. Take the Technical Guidelines Development Committee, or TGDC. It's supposed to be a nonpartisan federal committee that determines the standards for voting equipment used in elections across the country. But back in April, a group of election officials sounded the alarm. The Trump Administration has been blocking new appointees to the TGDC and won’t say why — which is a big, big concern with midterm elections just a few months away. So to explain what’s going on with our nation’s voting apparatus, we spoke to Jacob Knutson, a reporter at Democracy Docket.And in headlines, Trump tells Congress that the war in Iran is currently not a war, Tucker Carlson gives a long and winding interview to the New York Times, and we send a bittersweet goodbye to Spirit Airlines.Show Notes:

• Check out Jacob's piece – https://tinyurl.com/4rjytz3b
• Call Congress – 202-224-3121
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
• Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
• For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

From the alleged attempted assassination of President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner to the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey (and everything in between), it’s been a long week in the United States. But one thing is for certain. Trump is one of the most powerful people on Earth. And yet, he spends so much of his time focused on trivial issues. Take that $400 million ballroom for example. A ballroom which most Americans oppose building by a 2-to-1 margin, according to new polling by the Washington Post and ABC News. So how does he get his base to buy in? How did we get to this place where his whims direct the news cycle? And how should Democrats respond – and get their own messages in front of the American people? To find out, we spoke with Keith Edwards. He’s a Democratic strategist, political commentator, and host of The Keith Edwards Show.And in headlines, raw milk is out and Fox News is in, the Department of Homeland Security is finally going to reopen, and Alina Habba takes on the ladies at The View.Show Notes:

• Check out The Keith Edwards Show
• Call Congress – 202-224-3121
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
• Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
• For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court struck down a 2024 Louisiana district map that created a second majority-Black voting district for use in future elections. In a 6-3 decision, the Court found that the Voting Rights Act did not authorize states the ability to create majority-minority voting districts. The ruling didn't overturn Section Two of the Voting Rights Act, but in the dissent, Justice Elena Kagan argued that it had done so in all but deed. Leah Litman, host of Crooked Media's legal podcast Strict Scrutiny, joins the show to tell us what this means for the future of Black voters, redistricting, the midterms, and America.And in headlines, the House Armed Services Committee grills Secretary of War Pete Hegseth over his handling of the war with Iran, Jerome Powell isn’t backing down in his feud with Trump, and a Japanese airport tries out baggage handling humanoid robots.Show Notes:

• Check out Strict Scrutiny – https://tinyurl.com/7dfbhmc5
• Call Congress – 202-224-3121
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
• Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
• For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Secretary of War/little boy Pete Hegseth will be testifying before Congress this week — starting with a hearing before the House Armed Services Committee today. And if you ask him, everything in Iran and everything else is going just fine! Great, even! But Colorado Democratic Rep. Jason Crow serves on the committee – and he has a lot of questions for Hegseth. We asked him to give me a preview ahead of today’s hearing.And in headlines, gas prices are still on the rise, King Charles speaks to Congress, and a beach day turns into a federal indictment for former FBI Director James ComeyShow Notes:

• Call Congress – 202-224-3121
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
• Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
• For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff were supposed to fly to Islamabad, Pakistan, this week to negotiate an end to the Iran war. Yet once again, the Trump administration couldn't follow through on its promises. But let's back up. Why is Ivanka Trump's husband involved in these talks in the first place? To find out, we spoke with Judd Legum. He's the author of Popular Information, an independent newsletter dedicated to accountability journalism.And in headlines, the man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump is charged, Republicans continue to push for Trump’s $400 million ballroom, and King Charles flies to D.C. for a tea and beehive tour.Show Notes:

• Check out Judd's newsletter – https://popular.info/
• Call Congress – 202-224-3121
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
• Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
• For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

On Saturday evening, there was a shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington, D.C. President Trump and members of his cabinet were rushed out of the room, and Trump later gave a surprisingly calm press conference. Authorities have a suspect in custody. Normally, security is extremely tight wherever the President goes, but several journalists reported that security at the event felt surprisingly lax. As politicians took to the Sunday shows to call for unity, internet gumshoes are speculating as to whether the shooting was staged. MSNOW Senior Washington Correspondent and former President of the White House Correspondents Association, Eugene Daniels, helps us make sense of it all.And in headlines, Trump backs out of negotiations with Iran in Pakistan, Republicans use the Correspondents' Dinner shooting to call for an end to the Department of Homeland Security shutdown, and the Department of Justice drops its investigation of former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, which opens the door for Kevin Warsh to be named as his successor.Show Notes:

• Check out Eugene's podcast – https://tinyurl.com/2tfpp6jn
• Call Congress – 202-224-3121
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
• Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
• For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Earlier this week, What A Day talked about Tucker Carlson's "apology" for supporting President Donald Trump. Carlson's unexpected confession stemmed from a conversation on his podcast, The Tucker Carlson Show. But it sounds like the reason Carlson is disappointed in Trump is simply that Trump didn't do what he wanted. And there's a lot of Trump "regret" right now – from Alex Jones to former Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. But which part of Trump do they regret? And what if what they really want is Trump – but worse? To dive deeper into this topic, we spoke with Tim Miller. He's a writer-at-large for The Bulwark and host of The Bulwark Podcast. He recently wrote that Democrats should open the tent to people who once supported Trump, but regret it now.And in headlines, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin gets really loud on Fox News, Navy Secretary John Phelan is out, and the Iran war is somehow raising the prices of condoms.Show Notes:

• Check out The Bulwark 
• Read Tim's piece
• Call Congress – 202-224-3121
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
• Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
• For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

FBI director Kash Patel has sued The Atlantic for $250 million. It comes after the magazine published an article alleging that Patel is frequently drunk on the job and that his security team has had difficulty waking him on multiple occasions. Still, The Atlantic isn’t backing down, writing in a statement, “We stand by our reporting on Kash Patel, and we will vigorously defend The Atlantic and our journalists against this meritless lawsuit.” But we've seen this move before, and it appears Kash is simply taking a page out of President Donald Trump’s book. Trump himself has sued the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times for stories and polls he didn’t like. To talk more about the litigious Trump administration, we spoke with Oliver Darcy. He’s the founder of Status, a nightly newsletter focused on the media.And in headlines, Dr. Mehmet Oz says Trump’s testosterone is top tier, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt recites Iran war talking points, and Republicans are losing at their own redistricting game.Show Notes:

• Check out Status – https://www.status.news/
• Call Congress – 202-224-3121
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
• Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
• For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Happy Earth Day! While we celebrate efforts to save the earth, the Trump administration appears to be doing everything in its power to destroy it. At the same time, the Iran war has driven gas prices through the roof, making sustainable energy sources more appealing than ever. Dharna Noor, climate reporter for The Guardian, joins the show to discuss how President Donald Trump’s war of choice could push the US back toward renewables. And in headlines, Tucker Carlson apologizes for his role in bringing Trump to power, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth fights for…bodily autonomy, and Trump’s choice to run the Federal Reserve has his confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking Committee.Show Notes:

• Call Congress – 202-224-3121
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
• Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
• For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday