Today on the Gist, the US intelligence assessment of the Iran blockade, and why the current administration lacks the attention span for a prolonged overseas conflict. Then, Dartmouth professor Russ Muirhead and Calm Down author Ben Dreyfuss join the panel for another round of Not Even Mad. The trio tackles the media's catastrophizing of political violence, the electoral baggage of RFK Jr.'s fringe health initiatives, and a radical proposal to fix Congress by expanding the House of Representative...
May 07, 2026•53 min
Today on the Gist, Mike is joined by Sarada Peri, former speechwriter for President Obama, and Sarah Isgur, senior editor at SCOTUSblog and author of Last Branch Standing , for a new installment of Not Even Mad. The trio discusses the Virginia redistricting vote, how concerning the "shadow docket" really is, and Kash Patel's lawsuit against The Atlantic. Finally, in Goat Grinders: boarding times, bad Bruce Springsteen lyrics, and the endless construction of the Purple Line. Today on the Gist, Mi...
Apr 23, 2026•1 hr 2 min
Today on a Not Even Mad, Mike is joined by political writer John Ganz and Reason's Nick Gillespie to debate whether the ceasefire with Iran is a strategic victory for the regime or a result of Donald Trump's bellicose rhetoric. The trio analyzes the New York Times reporting on JD Vance's backseat skepticism and Trump's habit of choosing airpower over long-term diplomacy. They also tackle the libertarian "we told you so" regarding centralized power and the operational failures of the DOGE efficie...
Apr 09, 2026•1 hr 16 min
Today on a Not Even Mad edition of The Gist, Mike is joined by political scientist Yascha Mounk ( The Good Fight ) and Colin Cole, director of policy outreach and communications at More Equitable Democracy and host of The Future of Our Former Democracy , to fiercely debate whether adopting proportional representation would cure America's polarization or simply plunge the country into parliamentary chaos. The trio also tackles the stalled U.S.-Iran negotiations, analyzing the conflicting strategi...
Mar 26, 2026•1 hr 2 min
Jeff Nussbaum and Dan Rothschild debate the Iran war's shaky public support, the administration's failure to make a clear case for sacrifice, and whether the mission is deterrence, regime change, or just another round of mowing the lawn. Then they turn to the Democrats who won in 2025, asking whether Abigail Spanberger, Mikie Sherrill, and Zohran Mamdani are actually governing on affordability or drifting toward the usual cultural and ideological fights. Plus, in Goat Grinders, conference badges...
Mar 12, 2026•57 min
Austin Berg (Chicago Policy Center) and Andrew Egger ( The Bulwark ) join Mike to dissect Trump's marathon State of the Union: was it a missed opportunity to reach the median voter, or a "clip farming" masterclass? They also unpack the awkwardly timed Supreme Court tariff ruling that derailed his economic pitch, and the high-stakes standoff between the Pentagon and AI giant Anthropic over autonomous weapons. Finally, Goat Grinders tackles the agony of vinyl record tariffs, the performative scour...
Feb 26, 2026•54 min
Joe Nocera of The Free Press and Jonah Goldberg of The Dispatch parse the Epstein files fallout on both sides of the Atlantic, from Keir Starmer's London personnel shakeup to America's seemingly bottomless tolerance for shamelessness. Then they pivot to Mark Leibovich's Atlantic provocation, "The Democrats Aren't Built for This," with Nocera arguing the party's job is simple, win elections, and Goldberg blaming weak parties and primary incentives that elevate activist frippery over median-voter ...
Feb 12, 2026•54 min
Mike contemplates the hierarchy of American attention, contrasting the 50 million eyes on the AFC Championship game with the obscurity of the men leading the "Metro Surge" in Minnesota. Then, Ruy Teixeira ( The Liberal Patriot ) and Jesse Adams ( The Ivy Exile ) join for Not Even Mad. The panel debates whether the chaos in Minnesota is a strategic "theater" of enforcement or a policy failure that's alienating the very public that requested it. They also dissect Trump's Davos "Greenland" rhetoric...
Jan 29, 2026•53 min
Michael A. Cohen, author of the Truth and Consequences newsletter, and Charles Fain Lehman, Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, debate the capture of Nicolas Maduro and whether Marco Rubio is positioning himself as the "Governor General of Latin America." The panel analyzes Tim Walz's exit from the Minnesota governor's race amid a $9 billion pandemic fraud scandal and the controversial appointment of Cea Weaver to New York's housing office. Plus,the debunking of the "Heritage American" myth that ...
Jan 08, 2026•51 min
Anthony Weiner and John Ketcham break down a Congress being flayed by its own fringes, where the "crazies" sometimes deliver the sharpest institutional critiques. They then assess Pete Hegseth and the possible release video of a lethal Caribbean boat strike, the challenges reshaping New York politics, and what it really means to govern a city you once nearly ran. Goat Grinders takes on Waymo running over a dog , taxing pet food and fare-evasion crackdowns . Produced by Corey Wara Email us at ...
Dec 11, 2025•59 min
Mike Pesca welcomes back Nick Gillespie (Reason Magazine) and first-time guest Russ Muirhead (Dartmouth professor and New Hampshire State Rep.) for a spirited debate that is—we swear—not even mad. Today, we look at the half-full autocratic glass: Does the dismissal of the Comey and James indictments prove that institutions are holding, or does the very attempt confirm our slide toward norms violation? We debate the two bedrock rules of democracy, why Congress keeps misplacing its spine, and the ...
Nov 25, 2025•1 hr 2 min
Brad Carson (Americans for Responsible Innovation) and Charles Lehman (Manhattan Institute / City Journal) dig into the shutdown endgame, Schumer's calculus, 2026 vibes, and why data centers might be a sleeper issue. They argue affordability vs. "afford to dream," culture vs. policy, and whether legalization waves for pot, NIL, and sports betting were built to fail. Plus: AI guardrails, why adding friction to vices works, and Goat Grinders on EST vs. EDT, reclining your plane seat, and off-leash...
Nov 13, 2025•59 min
Steve Hayes and Damon Linker debate whether Trump's demolition of the White House East Wing is another norm-busting outrage or just a gaudy renovation. They argue over visuals versus substance in anti-Trump outrage, Trump's manipulation of public opinion, and whether Congress's abdication of power is the true engine of American authoritarian drift. Then: could "Trump 2028" be both a joke and a trial balloon? And in Goat Grinders: the "harm-reduction community," the literal misuse of a certain wo...
Oct 28, 2025•1 hr 8 min
Hamas hostages, Trump and autocracy, and the strangely quiet shutdown — we tackle all three. Why Trump's blunt style played in the Middle East, whether "competitive authoritarianism" really fits his second-term instincts and enablers, and who's taking the fall for Obamacare-premium brinkmanship. Plus: goat-grinders (pointless rebrands at Max and Apple TV, Crowder's vest-and-glass cosplay, and the humbling age math of Roy Orbison, the Skipper, and the Golden Girls). Produced by Corey Wara Product...
Oct 16, 2025•1 hr 3 min
Free speech under heat: the ACLU's Ben Wizner and the Manhattan Institute's Ilya Shapiro square off (and sometimes align) on the "ethos" of the First Amendment—from the Ball State firing over Charlie Kirk comments to cancel culture, government jawboning, and campus heckler's vetoes. We dig into the Supreme Court's shadow docket and unitary-executive fights, birthright citizenship, visas vs speech rights, and why institutions keep ducking protests. Plus: goat-grinders (the NBA's three-point bloat...
Oct 02, 2025•1 hr 4 min
Michael A. Cohen and Jamie Kirchick discuss the Charlie Kirk assassination and the immediate retreat to priors — who's weaponizing grief, what counts as incitement, and whether "fascistic" vs. "authoritarian" language clarifies or inflames. Plus, the TikTok law end-run and why process crimes don't move voters the way visible force does. In Goat Grinders: antisemitic conspiracies about Kirk's murder; presidential pressure to prosecute Letitia James; and one deeply baffling Visa/Christian McCaffre...
Sep 18, 2025•1 hr
Mike Pesca welcomes Galen Druke and Josh Barro for a sharp yet civil debate on Trump's immigration strategy, crime, and the charge of creeping autocracy. They weigh whether cruelty brings Trump political advantage, how Democrats should frame their response, and what "autocracy makes you poor" really means for voters. Plus, Mike spotlights where polls mislead, why midterms punish incumbents, and why branding matters as much as policy. Come See Mike Pesca at Open Debate Produced by Corey Wara Prod...
Sep 04, 2025•55 min
New York Post columnist Rikki Schlott and Tangle founder Isaac Saul join Mike to discuss policing Washington, D.C.—who's in charge, who gets blamed, and why federal takeover is more problem multiplier than solution. Then: scalpel or a chainsaw on the syllabus for higher ed. Plus, using the concept of toxic empathy to explain both a recidivist subway-jacker and a diplomatic move toward Palestinian statehood. In Goat Grinders, air travel with babies, The Naked Gun while lying down, and airlines th...
Aug 21, 2025•57 min
Unf**k America Tour founder Z Cohen-Sanchez and Washington Examiner contributor Jesse Adams join for a tour through Trump's waning immigration support, the public broadcasting defunding that will hurt the next generation of Jesse Adamses, and why even Epstein truthers may be losing the thread. They debate whether GOP border hawks want actual deportations or just spicy cable-news optics, and whether NPR got PBS defunded by sheer association. Meanwhile, the Democrats try to square "abolish ICE" wi...
Jul 24, 2025•55 min
Boston Globe columnist Carine Hajjar and five-time Emmy-winning comedy writer and proprietor of the I Might Be Wrong Substack, Jeff Maurer, join to discuss the flood of ICE agents and President Trump's growing suspicion that Putin isn't on the up-and-up. And as part of the political pundit compact—a discussion of all that Zohran Mamdani might mean. Plus, in Goat Grinders: teeny-tiny air conditioning in New York, misinterpreting the cane toad, and (hardly ever) exploding sawdust. Produced by Core...
Jul 10, 2025•1 hr 4 min
Economist Allison Schraeger and Slow Boring 's Matt Yglesias join Mike to discuss the unrest in Los Angeles — and how to protest without giving Donald Trump a win. Then, the trio surveys the NYC mayoral mess — or, if not a mess, whatever government-run grocery stores are. Plus, the Big Beautiful Bill is only one of those things, and it's the worse one. Goat Grinders: summer smells, promiscuous earbuds, and that final month of school when they stop even pretending to educate the children. Produce...
Jun 12, 2025•1 hr 1 min
Eli Lake and Michael A. Cohen take stock of the Biden health debate—diagnosis, exaggeration, and whether it's actually affected his presidency. Michael pushes back on what he calls the "decline industrial complex," while Eli says its denial to think Biden was up to the job. Then they turn to Donald Trump's proudly post-moral foreign policy, where human rights don't even make the brochure and alliances are strictly optional. Realpolitik or just real reckless? Either way, they're not even mad. Pro...
May 21, 2025•1 hr 1 min
Austin Berg and Eric Zorn are Not Even Mad as we discuss mayoral overcrowding and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, the supposed new MAGA slayer. Plus: a few thoughts on our new American spiritual leader—not the pope, but the Surgeon General. Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscri...
May 08, 2025•53 min
Boston Globe columnist Carine Hajjar and The Commercial Break's Bryan Green debate whether Joe Rogan's platforming of antisemitic conspiracies signals a deeper rot—or just the cost of open conversation. Plus: should Harvard be defunded? And will Kilmar Abrego Garcia stay in a Salvadoran prison? In Goat Grinders, we take aim at student driver bumper stickers, White Lotus star Aimee Lou Wood's biting critique of SNL, and nothing left to stream. Theme by Max Kerman Produced by Corey Wara Email us a...
Apr 17, 2025•53 min
In this "Not Even Mad" episode, Sarah Isgur of The Dispatch and former Obama speech writer Sarada Peri dig into "massive cuts under DOGE, Cory Booker's latest stemwinder, recent election results, and somehow, Chester A. Arthur crashes the party. Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page:...
Apr 03, 2025•55 min
Former Congressman (and current NYC Council candidate) Anthony Weiner and Reason Editor-at-Large Nick Gillespie square off over whether the national debt is an true crisis, if Chuck Schumer made the best of a bad hand, and whether government can—or should—ever shrink. Plus, in Goat Grinders , we take on Walter Cronkite's legacy, the absurd NCAA tournament gripes, and the myth of "wanting it more." Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact sales@ad...
Mar 20, 2025•1 hr 25 min
On this episode of Not Even Mad , Michael A. Cohen and Liz Wolfe dissect Trump's State of the Union-ish spectacle, where he barely asked for forbearance on tariffs and delivered a slew of inaccuracies. We debate whether the Democrats' paddle-waving protest theater was cringeworthy or just ineffective. Plus, in Goat Grinders , playground break-ins, Icelandair's deplaning procedures, and the forced obligation of pretending to care about the Oscars. Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepe...
Mar 06, 2025•53 min
On Not Even Mad , Noam Dworman—owner of the Comedy Cellar and host of Live from the Table —and Dan Savage—of Savage Love and Savage Lovecast —join to debate the non-prosecution of NYC Mayor Eric Adams, and the potential for negotiating an end to the war in Ukraine. Plus, we dive into "goat grinders" on Adrien Grenier, mirror pronouns, media credibility, and—somehow—dental dams. And because you've subscribed directly, enjoy a bonus segment on the most offensive SNL sketches featured in the show's...
Feb 20, 2025•1 hr 27 min
Katie Herzog, co-host of Blocked and Reported , and Jonah Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Dispatch , discuss if Donald Trump's attempts to blame DEI for a tragic military plane crash and Elon Musk's unplugging of USAID will wind up hurting the Trumpian agenda. Also discussed, the Democrats' disastrous brand - what can a party that once prided itself on broad appeal do to find favor with voters? Expect spirited debate, sharp analysis, and a commitment to being Not Even Mad just deeply, deeply ex...
Feb 06, 2025•59 min
Mike is joined by Michael A. Cohen of the Truth and Consequences Substack and MSNBC, along with Matt Welch, Editor-at-Large of Reason magazine , for another installment of Not Even Mad. The trio discusses Trump's inauguration, executive actions, refugee policy, DEI, and the eventful first few days of his second term as POTUS. GIST Coupon Codes ... Him's: hims.com/thegist Acorns: acorns.com/thegist Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the sho...
Jan 23, 2025•1 hr 5 min
