Lee Kovarsky and Jennifer Rubin discuss the recent conviction of a former president of the United States and the challenges faced by the judge and jury in the trial. They explore the exercise of prosecutorial discretion, the criticism of the decision to prosecute, and the importance of respecting the rule of law. They also touch on the issue of presidential immunity and the potential involvement of the Supreme Court. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the breakdown of the federal co...
Jun 05, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 56
Susan Page discusses her book on Barbara Walters, highlighting her groundbreaking career in journalism and entertainment. Walters, rising from a generation with low expectations for women, became known for her meticulous preparation and high-profile interviews. Despite facing criticism, she persevered to become a legend in the industry. Walters struggled with personal relationships, prioritizing her career and encouraging women to own production companies. Her complex relationship with Diane Saw...
May 29, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 55
Jen Rubin talks with Yasmin Radjy, executive director of Swing Left, an organization that aims to channel resources to the most impactful elections to ensure Democrats have the balance of power. Swing Left believes that without Democratic control, nuanced policy disagreements are irrelevant because the government will be co-opted by extremists. They prioritize grassroots efforts, such as door-knocking and phone banking, to engage voters and persuade them to support Democratic candidates. Swing L...
May 22, 2024•57 min•Ep. 54
Jen Rubin and Tom Joscelyn dissect the intricate web of events surrounding the January 6th Capitol attack and its aftermath. They scrutinize key figures, investigative findings, law enforcement failures, and the pervasive threat posed by right-wing extremist groups. Delving into the implications of accountability, they explore the potential consequences of legal actions against former President Trump, the authoritarian tendencies within his movement, and the role of media in perpetuating conspir...
May 15, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 53
Jen is joined this week by Marc Elias, sign up to democracydocket.com/signup The conversation covers the ongoing trial involving Stormy Daniels and the implications for Donald Trump's defense lawyers. It also delves into the Supreme Court's immunity case and the potential swing vote of Justice Barrett. The discussion then shifts to voting rights and the challenges posed by the Supreme Court's decisions on the Voting Rights Act and Section 2. The conversation concludes with a focus on the latest ...
May 08, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 52
Jennifer Rubin welcomes Steve Vladeck to discuss the Supreme Court’s immunity case deliberations, the decision not to expedite the appeal, and the potential implications of the decision. They explore the ideological leanings of the justices, with a focus on Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Barrett. They also delve into the concept of standing and its impact on cases, as well as the role of Congress in relation to the Court and potential reforms for the Court.
May 01, 2024•57 min•Ep. 51
John Dean discusses his study of authoritarian personalities and the lessons learned from Watergate. He explains that there are two approaches to understanding authoritarianism: studying the way authoritarian governments operate and studying the personality traits of those attracted to authoritarian leaders. Dean describes the traits of social dominators and right-wing authoritarian followers, as well as the enablers who support them. He emphasizes the importance of voting them out of power and ...
Apr 24, 2024•55 min•Ep. 50
Jen Rubin chats with author Brian Klass about his new book, "Fluke," diving into the role of randomness in shaping events and the need to embrace uncertainty. They discuss how seemingly minor events can have major impacts and caution against overconfidence in predictions, advocating for policy experimentation and emphasizes individual responsibility in shaping the future. They also explore the challenges of social science research, urging for a nuanced perspective and action over mere worry. Tak...
Apr 17, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 49
Billy Ray discusses various movies he has worked on, including 'Breach' and 'Shattered Glass,' and delves into the complexities of understanding characters like Robert Hansen. He explores the themes of deception, confirmation bias, and the power of storytelling in politics. Billy emphasizes the importance of understanding conservative voters' fear of chaos and the need for Democrats to rebrand themselves as agents of stability and freedom. He also discusses the abortion issue and suggests effect...
Apr 10, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 48
Jen calls for a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war and welcomes labor leader Michael Podhorzer. They discuss how the rural-cosmopolitan divide has framed our politics from the founding to the present day, the role white Christian nationalism has played in the rise of MAGA, the threat extremist groups pose to our freedoms, and how we can preserve our democracy. Their analysis lays out the importance of mass movements, the need to revitalize unions, and how to counter corporate media by informing th...
Apr 03, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 47
Jen welcomes psychotherapist John Gartner to discuss the history of the psychiatric profession’s involvement in our elections and why the Goldwater Rule should not stand in the way of its duty to warn us about Trump’s decline into dementia. They lay out how he presents symptoms of cognitive issues in line with DSM criteria by analyzing his patterns of speech, the repeated confusion of dates and names, and his uncontrolled movements. As part of their analysis, they explain how the media has gasli...
Mar 27, 2024•55 min•Ep. 46
Jen welcomes author and military historian Max Boot for a deep dive into the Ukraine-Russia war and to contrast the modern Republican Party with the presidency of Ronald Reagan. They discuss the situation on the ground in Eastern Europe, what Ukraine is trying to preserve in light of Russia’s recent gains, the role of air power and ammunition production, and why support from the United States is essential as things become more desperate. They also break down how the Republican Party has moved aw...
Mar 20, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 45
Jen welcomes legal maven Barb Mcquade of #SistersInLaw to discuss how malicious actors are using technology to endanger our democracy by spreading disinformation. They analyze the ways that social media, algorithm manipulation, A.I., and other tools of mass communication can erode trust in our institutions, drive radicalization and partisanship, undermine elections, and even lead to violence. With our national security increasingly at risk, they lay out how media literacy, targeted regulation, c...
Mar 13, 2024•57 min•Ep. 44
Jen welcomes Professor Kathleen Belew to lay out the history of post-war white power movements in the United States leading up to MAGA, QANON conspiracy theories, and the 1/6 insurrection. They discuss how these groups recruit followers, their relationship to Trump, and the role of former military members, religion, and women in their organizations. More importantly, they explore the part that journalism, properly understood free speech, and the judicial system play in limiting their growth and ...
Mar 06, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 43
Jen welcomes political scientist Norm Ornstein to explore the rise of radicalism in the Republican party and how to defeat it. They discuss how reasonable governance ended with the Gingrich Revolution, why this election must be about saving democracy, and what will happen to our freedoms, particularly for women and the LGBT community, if Trump wins again. Then they lay out the strategies that will stop him, covering the reform of the filibuster to limit the power of a radical minority, the rule ...
Feb 28, 2024•56 min•Ep. 42
Jen gives an update on the presidential primaries and frames the choice facing Nikki Haley, before welcoming NY prosecutor Karen Friedman Agnifilo. As Trump’s first criminal case moves to trial, they discuss why his hush money payments broke the law, the role of Michael Cohen, and the possibility of Trump racking up an additional perjury charge. They also cover the courtroom process, including jury selection, the demeanor of the judge, and Trump’s possible participation, explaining how our judic...
Feb 21, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 41
Jen blasts Republicans for rejecting the Democrats’ border bill and welcomes legal expert Dennis Aftergut to break down the constitutional and legal means of stopping Trump. They explore the possible outcomes of Trump’s quest to uphold presidential immunity in the courts, whether Section 3 of the 14th Amendment will keep him off any ballots, and if the SCOTUS is up to the challenges of the moment. After his attempts to seat fake electors and commit insurrection, are our safeguards strong enough ...
Feb 14, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 40
Jen picks apart Trump’s claim to presidential immunity and welcomes Renew Democracy Initiative CEO Uriel Epshtein. They break down how authoritarian governments wield power, review the evidence that Trump has rejected liberal values, and explain why the US still holds a critical role as a standard bearer of democracy. They go on to look at the deterioration of democratic values around the world evidenced by the lackluster support in the West for Ukraine, and how to effectively support them again...
Feb 07, 2024•54 min•Ep. 39
Jen explores Nikki Haley’s impact on Trump’s electoral prospects and the toxicity of the Republican Congress, before welcoming foreign policy maven Aaron David Miller. They discuss the recent history of US-Iranian relations, the danger Iran’s proxies pose to our forces, and review the most effective ways to protect our interests. Then, they break down the mechanics of Middle Eastern politics, and game out the next phase of the Israel-Hamas war. Their analysis covers getting back the hostages, Is...
Jan 31, 2024•55 min•Ep. 38
Jen analyzes the Republican primary and looks at how the budget battle ties into recent foreign policy developments, before welcoming legal expert Ben Ginsberg. They compare J6 to Bush vs. Gore, looking at how our politics have become more extreme and why equal protection under the law is relevant to our elections. Then, they weigh whether our elections are secure, discuss how vote by mail, voter ID, and an increased number of voting days can help restore faith in our system. From there, they lo...
Jan 24, 2024•49 min•Ep. 37
Jen dives into the Iowa caucus results driven by an unenthusiastic electorate dominated by Trump’s radical minority and welcomes ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt. They analyze the explosion of anti-semitism after the 10/7 attack and what constitutes it, the rise of hate on college campuses, and the dangers posed by the social media algorithms driving popular opinion. Then, they emphasize the importance of informed DEI education backed by college leadership, the true meaning of free speech, and person...
Jan 17, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 36
Jen contrasts the strong pro-democracy speeches of President Biden with Trump’s immunity claims, and welcomes the Brennan Center’s Michael Waldman. They lay out the scope of corruption delegitimizing the SCOTUS, and look at term limits, court expansion, an ethics code, and regular presidential appointments as possible remedies. Then, they discuss the progression of the DOJ’s prosecutions of Trump, with a focus on his attempt to claim presidential immunity, Colorado and Maine’s 14th Amendment bas...
Jan 10, 2024•54 min•Ep. 35
In this special New Year’s episode, Jen discusses the recent victory for judicial independence in Israel and the resignation of Harvard President Claudine Gay, before taking your questions covering everything from the personal to the political. Politically, she covers the impact of A.I., how we can reform the Supreme Court, the popularity of Senator Fetterman, how to persuade Trump’s voters, and her predictions for his cases. On the personal side, she shares the shows, books, and news that make ...
Jan 03, 2024•45 min•Ep. 34
Jen breaks down the latest developments in the Israel-Hamas war and welcomes CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, Halie Soifer. They discuss what it means to be Jewish amid the explosion of anti-semitism in the United States, and examine the interplay between Jewish values and intersectionality. As part of their analysis, they weigh the strength of the pro-Israel response by President Biden and the Democrats, contrasting it with the attempts by Republicans to sow political division b...
Dec 27, 2023•55 min•Ep. 33
Jen welcomes States United Democracy Center CEO Joanna Lydgate to sound the alarm over the war on democracy being waged by Trump and the election deniers he inspires. They discuss the dangers their rhetoric poses to election workers, their motives for undermining our voting systems, and why we need to take them at face value. Critically, they emphasize how protecting democracy should be the single issue we vote on in 2024 and lay out how we can counter the threats to it. To do so, they share how...
Dec 20, 2023•40 min•Ep. 32
Jen welcomes legal scholar Ruth Halperin-Kaddari to raise the alarm about the violence against women perpetrated by Hamas on 10/7. They discuss the scope of the crimes and fight back against the propaganda attempting to cover them up by laying out the evidence from video footage, first responder reports, and testimony from the hostages. Then, they share the importance of speaking out for Israel's women in the name of global womens’ rights, the need for action by the UN and International Criminal...
Dec 13, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 31
Jen welcomes ADL vice president Yael Eisenstat to discuss her experience fighting against the growing extremism on social platforms. Drawing on Yael’s time at Facebook, they explore the complicity of companies willing to harness bigotry and partisanship for views, the danger of political lies and vote manipulation on the social platforms, and how companies are hiding behind claims that they can’t moderate speech and that the viewers are getting what they’re looking for. However; they go on to ex...
Dec 06, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 30
Jen welcomes historian and author Heather Cox Richardson to explore the historical continuum of the Right’s war on freedom and equality from before the Civil War through the rise of MAGA. They discuss how the Southern oligarchy of the Bleeding Kansas era used race to push the average citizen to vote against their interests, and lay out how that authoritarian legacy continues to drive limitations on voting rights, sustain racism and misogyny, and undergird our politics with violence. Will we be a...
Nov 29, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 29
Jen welcomes Rep. Eric Swalwell to examine the MAGA takeover of the Republican Party and its effect on our politics. They lay out how their party believes in ruling rather than governance and is undermining our democracy with attacks on our voting rights, using gerrymandering and lobbying to maintain power. They also break down how the Right has abandoned our allies and weakened our national security by cozying up to Russia, its capitulation to Trump, and their pursuit of farcical impeachments a...
Nov 22, 2023•35 min•Ep. 28
Jen welcomes historian and democracy activist Thomas Zimmer to investigate the Right’s descent into ethno-religious authoritarianism and how to defeat it. They break down how media bubbles have allowed the lies driving radicalism to flourish, and the ways the white christian nationalist minority is trying to gain control by using raw power to subvert our institutions. Critically, they pivot to the steps that the Biden administration has taken to build a broad and diverse coalition around the def...
Nov 15, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 27
