We sit down with Stephanie Miller to talk about comedy as resistance in a politics built to exhaust people. A longtime progressive radio host with roots in Republican politics, she brings a rare perspective on media and the collapse of old rules. The conversation moves through voting rights, the 2026 midterms, progressive media, and why women in politics and entertainment are still treated as if they only get one shot. At stake is whether Democrats can stay disciplined enough to fight back witho...
May 20, 2026•38 min
We talk with Scott Colom about what it takes to fight for a place others have written off. A seventh-generation Mississippian and district attorney, he explains how public service, criminal justice reform, and listening to voters shaped his run for the U.S. Senate. The conversation draws a sharp contrast between politics rooted in trust and leadership that disappears from public view. We also talk about tariffs, rural investment, voting rights, and why campaigns are won by listening and deliveri...
May 13, 2026•41 min
Candidate for DC Delegate, Kinney Zalesne, sits down with us to talk about what it takes to fight for opportunity when power is unevenly distributed. A former White House and Justice Department official who helped build college access work in DC, she connects education, public service, and her campaign for Congress around a single idea: talent is everywhere, but support is not. We discuss DC statehood and federal attacks on the city as well as AI’s impact on work and why the next chapter of lead...
May 05, 2026•50 min
We sit down with Xavier Becerra to talk about what it means to be ready to govern in a moment that demands experience over performance. Drawing on decades in public service, from Congress to leading the Department of Health and Human Services during COVID, he argues that leadership is tested in crises, not campaigns. We explore the fight to pass the Affordable Care Act, managing a pandemic, and his warning about politics overtaking science in health care. The throughline is clear: the next phase...
Apr 28, 2026•29 min
U.S. Representative Sean Casten of Illinois talks with us about why energy policy is really a fight over who pays and who profits. Drawing on his background in the energy business before Congress, Rep. Casten argues that high bills are the result of political choices that protect producers over consumers. We dig into blocked clean energy projects, rising gas and electricity costs, and the case for an energy policy that rewards efficiency while lowering household costs and giving more Americans a...
Apr 21, 2026•37 min
Rahm Emanuel joins us to talk about what Democrats have lost and what it would take to look strong and future-focused again. Drawing on a career that spans Congress, the Obama White House, City Hall, and diplomacy, he argues that toughness only matters if it delivers, and that the party has drifted from accountability and working people. At the center of the conversation is a harder question about whether Democrats still know how to connect power to purpose. We also dig into whether the party ca...
Apr 14, 2026•58 min
We sit down with Heather Williams to talk about why the fight for Democratic power in 2026 may be won or lost in the states. As president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, she brings a ground-level view of how state legislatures shape the rights that affect our everyday lives. We dig into special-election gains, the battle to break Republican supermajorities, and the danger of treating a strong midterm environment as a substitute for real organizing. Her case is simple: if Democr...
Apr 07, 2026•45 min
We sit down with Senator Elizabeth Warren to talk about what it will take for Democrats to win back working-class America. She shares how her upbringing on the edge of the middle class shaped her fight against corporate power and economic inequality and why courage—not just good intentions—is the missing ingredient in politics today. We dig into housing, wages, and Trump-era policies, and we explore what real change could look like in 2026 if leaders are willing to stand up and deliver. Along th...
Mar 31, 2026•32 min
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries joins us to talk about what leadership looks like in a moment of chaos. After a brand new segment where we ask him a series of rapid fire questions, we get into how Brooklyn shaped him, why House Democrats are governing from the minority with unusual force, and how he is keeping a diverse caucus united without demanding unanimity. We also talk about what it will take to win back the House and his vision for a Democratic majority. Along the way, he breaks d...
Mar 24, 2026•43 min
We’re joined by Lauren Kapp and Parker Butler, two of the digital strategists who helped lead Kamala Harris’s online operation during the 2024 campaign. They share how Kamala HQ grew into one of the largest progressive accounts on the internet and what it was like running a digital war room in the middle of a presidential race. We also discuss how they’re now helping turn that massive following into a permanent digital platform focused on covering politics, holding the Trump administration accou...
Mar 17, 2026•52 min
We talk with A’shanti Gholar, president and CEO of Emerge, about what changes when government actually reflects the people it serves. We explore how Emerge trains Democratic women to run, why Black women and other leaders of the new American majority remain underinvested, and why community plays such a big role in representation. She also digs into voter suppression and the stakes of representation as well as what it takes to keep building a democracy where more women see themselves as ready to ...
Mar 10, 2026•54 min
We sit down with Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware for a conversation about history and heart. She talks about what it means to serve as one of the first two Black women ever to serve together in the Senate, how grief shaped her sense of purpose, and why democracy is a team sport. Senator Blunt Rochester also opens up about why making housing more affordable and expanding access to health care are urgent priorities at this moment. She also reminds us that none of it matters without a foun...
Mar 03, 2026•41 min
We sit down with Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey for a conversation that covers the personal, the political, and everything in between. We trade marriage proposal stories and talk about the importance of mental health—especially for Black men—and why community is a lifeline. We connect it to policy: Medicaid and mental health access, childcare, senior care, and the Child Tax Credit. Then we get into power—voting, Senate gridlock, Supreme Court term limits, campaign finance, fair taxes—and what...
Feb 17, 2026•1 hr 1 min
Former U.S. Representative Colin Allred of Texas pulls up a chair for a candid talk about what shaped him and what’s next. We trace his path from being raised by a single mom in Dallas to the NFL, civil rights law, and Congress. He reflects on brokering the donation of a hospital to the VA as proof that leadership isn’t just about votes and legislation. We also unpack what he learned from his 2024 Senate race and why he pivoted to a new House district. We close by calling out “electability” atta...
Feb 10, 2026•1 hr 6 min
We sit down with Roland Martin, a Houston original who built an independent media empire by centering Black audiences and telling the full story. After the laughs about Texas teams, Roland gets blunt about how campaigns and corporations treat Black-owned media like an afterthought. We unpack why “no” is a complete sentence, how gatekeepers freeze out Black platforms, and what it will take to build real scale. We also dig into the shifting Black electorate and the cost of misinformation as well a...
Feb 03, 2026•58 min
We talk with U.S. Representative Robert Garcia of California to talk about power, accountability, and the human cost of oversight. From his immigrant upbringing and values shaped by service, to becoming the youngest Ranking Member of House Oversight in more than a century, we dig into how he leads with kindness in a cynical moment. He unpacks government corruption, the Epstein files, ICE abuses, and what real accountability should look like. It’s a candid conversation about leadership shaped by ...
Jan 27, 2026•39 min
We sit down with U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett of Texas for a deeply honest conversation about power, justice, and urgency. We trace her path from public defender and civil rights attorney to Congress and discuss how her current U.S. Senate run is rooted in lived experience and hard math. Rep. Crockett also explains why the system is designed to stay broken, why Black and Brown voters are key to changing Texas, and why waiting for permission is not an option when democracy is on the line....
Jan 20, 2026•31 min
We’re joined by Eliana Pinckney, daughter of the late Rev. Clementa Pinckney, to reflect on the Charleston massacre’s lasting impact and her father’s legacy of love, service, and civic duty. Eliana takes us back to being 11 and honors her mother’s quiet strength. She then talks about what it’s like to be part of the 9/11 generation shaped by gun violence, living with vigilance and exhaustion while “thoughts and prayers” continue to replace policy. We also talk about civic education, performative...
Jan 13, 2026•1 hr 2 min
We kick off the new season in Los Angeles with Mayor Karen Bass, and she doesn’t hold back. She takes on her journey as a public servant and explains why she left Congress to come home and lead a city in crisis. We also dig into affordability and the policies that push people onto the streets and how her team has fought homelessness by cutting red tape and fixing broken systems. We also talk wildfire recovery, climate extremes, and the misinformation that fuels blame. Then Mayor Bass gets real a...
Jan 06, 2026•49 min
In our season finale, we sit down with Kamala Harris for an unguarded conversation about the weight of leadership and the search for steadiness through faith, family, purpose, and friendships forged through fire. Vice President Harris reflects on building a presidential campaign in 107 days, making history with the confirmation of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, and refusing to let others define her right to be in the room. Together, we talk about a Democratic Party that can’t play it safe foreve...
Dec 17, 2025•47 min
Rachel Maddow joins us for a candid conversation about history and the fight for democracy. She traces her path from AIDS activism to journalism and explains how she learned to use stories to move hearts as well as minds. We also wrestle with PEPFAR, mass incarceration and Trump-era abuses, and we talk about protecting our own power and holding on to hope while we try to push this country forward. In the end, Rachel reminds us that telling the truth is its own form of power, and she challenges u...
Dec 09, 2025•1 hr 12 min
We sit down with Dr. Amy Acton to talk about her run for governor and why she believes Ohio is ready for honest, people-first leadership. She reflects on her childhood, leading Ohio through COVID, and why corruption and rising costs demand a new approach to government. Dr. Acton knows what it takes to rebuild trust and strengthen our communities. She reminds us that ordinary people can create extraordinary change. Together, we explore how courage, empathy, and real connection can move Ohio forwa...
Dec 02, 2025•1 hr 6 min
Fresh off our live Substack conversation (https://youtu.be/y03YuHvgPKY?si=Beilobr67rG0qqt6), we decided to revisit one of our most talked-about conversations. The insights from U.S. Representative Ro Khanna of California feel more timely than ever. He joins us to talk about why Democrats must reject Trump-style politics and lead with moral clarity. We discuss his push to release the Epstein files, his refusal to be part of policies that harm everyday Americans, and his belief that economic justi...
Nov 25, 2025•1 hr 28 min
On this special “At the Kids’ Table” episode, we flip the script and hand the mic to teen host Margo, and answer questions about the government shutdown and how it hurts families who rely on health care and SNAP. Together we dig into what leaders owe the people they serve and what makes a good president—all through the honest, unfiltered lens of a young voter in the making. Margo has no trouble reminding us that kids are paying attention and deserve real answers from grown-ups, not spin. Also, w...
Nov 18, 2025•34 min
In this episode, we sit down with three of the hardest-working people in politics: party chairs of the early primary states. Ray Buckley of New Hampshire, Daniele Monroe-Moreno of Nevada, and Christale Spain of South Carolina talk about what it really means to run a state party. We dig into how under-resourced these operations are, why state parties are the backbone of democracy, and how early states shape the national conversation long before Election Day. It’s a reminder that real power starts...
Nov 11, 2025•1 hr 16 min
In this episode we bring together three of Washington’s top political minds — Chuck Rocha, Albert Morales, and Khalil Thompson — for a candid conversation about the challenges and opportunities facing men of color in Democratic politics. From the lack of Black- and Latino-owned consulting firms to the need for culturally competent messaging and leadership, the panel unpacks how power, access, and authenticity shape campaigns — and what it’ll take to truly diversify the party’s future. Plus: conc...
Nov 04, 2025•1 hr 37 min
Representative Jim Clyburn of South Carolina sits down at the table to revisit his journey from a young boy in Sumter inspired by Harry Truman to one of the most influential voices in American politics. Together, we reflect on the lessons that shaped his leadership and the mentors and moments that defined his path. Through stories of faith, family, and history—and his new book The First Eight—we explore how America has always measured its greatness by repairing its faults, and how we can do it a...
Oct 28, 2025•1 hr 21 min
In this powerful roundtable, we sit down with Yolanda Caraway, Minyon Moore, Leah Daughtry, and Tina Flournoy—four trailblazing women known as “The Colored Girls.” Together, they trace their political lineage from Jesse Jackson’s historic campaigns to modern party leadership, unpacking lessons on power, representation, and resilience. They pull no punches, and they have all the receipts as they reflect on the 2024 election, the role of Black women in our democracy, and what it truly means to bui...
Oct 21, 2025•1 hr 21 min
Former Attorney General Eric Holder joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of American democracy. We discuss how his storied career led to his current role fighting against gerrymandering, which we agree is one of the greatest threats to representative government. And we address the painful moments when Democrats could have prevented some of the failures of our current administration. We also look ahead: how to restore the Voting Rights Act, why diversity strengthens our insti...
Oct 07, 2025•1 hr 1 min
DNC Chair Ken Martin joins us for a candid look at his first seven months leading the party. We talk about the personal experiences that shaped his leadership, the loneliness of being party chair, and the urgent need to rebuild Democratic infrastructure. From year-round organizing to partisan voter registration, Chair Martin lays out how we stop relying on quick fixes and start building durable power in every state. It’s about more than elections. It’s about restoring trust and waking the giant....
Sep 30, 2025•1 hr 16 min
