{"_":"Pod Save America is a no-b******t conversation about politics hosted by former Obama aides Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Dan Pfeiffer, and Tommy Vietor. It cuts through the noise to break down the week’s news and helps people figure out what matters and how they can help. They’re regularly joined by journalists, activists, politicians, entertainers, and world leaders. You can watch on YouTube or listen to new episodes every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday.\n \n\n
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Marc Maron, comedian and podcast trailblazer, sits down with Lovett to discuss why the left always has to be such a buzzkill, whether Americans voted for Trump purely out of annoyance, and why the armies of online trolls love to do the president's bidding. Then they discuss whether we're living in an Age of Mania, if Democrats can shut down anti-woke comedy by simply being funnier, and whether Lovett can learn to stop catastrophizing every time his calls drop. For a closed-captioned version of t...
Donald Trump heads out on "patrol" in Washington, JD Vance hosts a photo op with the National Guard at the Union Station Shake Shack, and Stephen Miller—taking a moment away from terrorizing immigrants—excoriates "communists" and "elderly white hippies" for daring to protest. Dan and Jon break down the latest news coming out of occupied Washington, including Trump's new history-erasing reforms at the Smithsonian, his new ideological screening program from green card applicants, and MAGA goon Bil...
The hosts break down Donald Trump's recent meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, highlighting Trump's pursuit of a Nobel Peace Prize and his perceived manipulation by Putin. They also delve into Trump's newfound campaign against mail-in ballots, allegedly inspired by Putin, and Republican governors deploying troops to DC. The episode concludes with a deep dive into redistricting battles and Governor Newsom's unique social media strategy, followed by an interview with former US Ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink, who explains her resignation and run for Congress due to current foreign policy.
In response to Trump and Texas Republicans' attempt to rig the 2026 midterm elections, Governor Gavin Newsom calls a special election to redraw California's congressional map. The governor stops by the show to talk to Dan about why California Democrats decided to strike first—and what it will take for the ballot proposal to become law. But first, Jon and Dan discuss Trump's authoritarian power grab in the nation's capital, the January 6th attendee he appointed to run the Bureau of Labor Statisti...
Flanked by half his cabinet and citing crimes against a DOGE staffer, Donald Trump announces that he’s deploying 800 National Guard troops to Washington and federalizing the city’s police department. Jon and Lovett react to Trump's desperate show of force, then break down his new plan to negotiate a Russia-Ukraine peace deal and JD Vance’s latest attempt to spin the Epstein files crisis as “full transparency.” Then, Lovett talks to The New Yorker’s David Kirkpatrick about his big new investigati...
Pete Buttigieg—former South Bend mayor, 2020 presidential candidate, and Transportation Secretary—sits down with Jon Favreau to discuss how much of the status quo Democrats should aim to restore (if any) if they win in 2026, what the party needs to change to effectively message around Trump’s broken promises, and what Pete thinks of JD Vance’s rapid ascent to power—and the values he’s abandoned along the way. Then, Lovett joins Jon to answer listener questions about building a Democratic Project...
Reeling from the Epstein crisis, Donald Trump turns even more erratic and destructive—launching a grand jury investigation into the make-believe crimes of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, threatening to seize control of the D.C. police, and sharing some eugenicist theories about who's suited for what kind of work. Jon and Dan share how they're feeling eight months into Trump 2.0, check in on MAGA's efforts to rig the congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterms, and react to DHS reinstating its...
Texas Democrats, in an attempt to block Trump's redistricting effort, shut down a special legislative session by fleeing the state. Texas State Rep. James Talarico joins the show to explain what happens now and why he and his Democratic colleagues believe that getting out of town is the best way to serve their constituents in this moment. Then, Jon, Lovett, and Tommy discuss Trump's decision to fire the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Ghislaine Maxwell's transfer to a cushy minimum-secur...
It's Liberation Day…again. After two missed deadlines and only a few trade deals done, Trump's global tariffs officially go into effect today. To mark the occasion, White House trade advisor Peter Navarro says the president not only deserves a Nobel Peace Prize—but also a Nobel Prize in economics. Meanwhile, Trump can't stop talking about Jeffrey Epstein, telling reporters on Air Force One that Virginia Giuffre was "stolen" by Jeffrey Epstein from the Mar-a-Largo spa. Trump pressures Senate Repu...
Donald Trump splits with Benjamin Netanyahu and acknowledges that Gaza is experiencing "real starvation"—but will he pressure Israel to end the war and allow more aid in? Lovett, Favreau, and Tommy react to the latest developments in Gaza, Trump's shifting and typically incoherent comments on the situation, and why it's time for Democrats to change their approach to Israel. Then, they dive into Trump's new story about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and check in on that "free" plane he rec...
It's a scary time for political media. After decades of shifting business models and consumption habits, news outlets now have to navigate lawsuits from a president who uses the full weight of the government to punish his enemies. Was CBS's decision to axe "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" purely financial, as the network claims—or was it related to the merger they wanted Trump to approve? Brian Stelter, chief media analyst at CNN and author of the "Reliable Sources" newsletter, sits down wit...
Your suspicions were correct: according to The Wall Street Journal, Trump’s name is in the Epstein files—and the Attorney General told him so all the way back in May. Trump responds with more lies, obfuscations, and distractions, accusing Barack Obama of treason, and sending Tulsi Gabbard out to try to prove the case without the benefit of facts or specifics. Dan and Jon discuss all the latest, including DOJ’s overtures to Ghislaine Maxwell, Trump's awkward stunt at the Fed building, and two fed...
Desperate to distract from the Epstein scandal, Donald Trump posts an AI-generated video of the FBI arresting Barack Obama—as DNI Tulsi Gabbard unveils a new MAGA conspiracy theory about Obama and Russiagate. Favreau, Lovett, and Tommy unpack the insanity behind Gabbard's new allegations, get Lovett up to speed on the latest Epstein developments, and discuss CBS's cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Then, Lovett sits down with Lindsay Toczylowski, head of the Immigrant Defenders ...
The Wall Street Journal publishes a shocking 50th birthday letter Donald Trump wrote to Jeffrey Epstein that discusses a "wonderful secret" the two shared. Jon and Dan react live to The Journal's letter, discuss Trump's attacks against his supporters who still want the Epstein files released, and debate why the Department of Justice decided now was the right time to fire Maurene Comey — the federal prosecutor who worked on both Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's criminal cases. Then the two...
MAGA’s Epstein revolt keeps growing — and despite Donald Trump’s pleas, it doesn’t look like it’s going away anytime soon. Elected officials get their first look inside “Alligator Alcatraz” and report seeing “disturbing, vile conditions.” Trump reverses his stance on Ukraine, issuing Putin a 50-day ultimatum. Favreau and Tommy break down the Jeffrey Epstein drama that erupted at the Turning Point USA Summit over the weekend; Trump’s new tariff threats against Russia, the European Union, and Braz...
Mark Cuban may be a billionaire, but he's not your typical tech bro. The celebrity businessman and former Dallas Mavericks owner campaigned for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election and is a fierce critic of Donald Trump—and an outspoken advocate for affordable healthcare and medication. Dan and Mark discuss Trump's approach to the economy, whether Elon Musk's third party plans could actually change American politics, and why Democrats need to think bigger than just being anti-Trump. Then, Dan gets...
After promising 90 trade deals in 90 days and delivering only two, President Trump delays his arbitrary tariff deadline yet again. A former Trump Justice Department lawyer files a whistleblower complaint detailing the administration's efforts to defy court orders. MAGA's rift over Jeffrey Epstein deepens as Tucker Carlson, Andrew Schulz, and Candace Owens join the revolt. Jon and MSNBC's Alex Wagner break down all the latest, including the administration's absurd new investigation into former FB...
Right-wing influencers and conspiracy theorists lose it over a Justice Department memo that says there’s no evidence Jeffrey Epstein had a “client list” or blackmailed his associates. Criticism of DOGE’s cuts to the National Weather Service resurface after catastrophic floods hit central Texas. In a Fourth of July ceremony, President Trump signs his disastrous economic plan into law. Jon and Tommy break down the Medicaid cuts, ICE funding, and the highly unusual tax breaks that made it into the ...
House Republicans deliver on Trump's Independence Day deadline, passing the Senate's version of the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, which will cut taxes for the rich, gut Medicaid for the poor, and explode the deficit beyond all recognition. Jen Psaki, host of The Briefing with Jen Psaki on MSNBC, joins Dan to discuss how Mike Johnson and Trump won over the bill's GOP holdouts, what happens now that it's passed, and how it changes the story of the 2026 midterm elections. Jen and Dan discuss Trump'...
Senate Republicans jam through a final vote on the so-called "Big, Beautiful Bill." Senator Chris Murphy steps away from the Senate floor to join Tommy and Lovett to talk about Republican Senator Tom Thillis's unexpected opposition to the bill, the Medicaid cuts that sparked it, and what the bill's passage would mean for Americans' wallets (you guessed it: more money for the rich, less for the poor). Then, Tommy and Lovett discuss Trump's trip to "Alligator Alcatraz," a new migrant detention fac...
Health Secretary RFK Jr. has gutted the CDC's vaccine advisory committee, replacing its members with a mix of anti-vaxxers, COVID contrarians, and medical non-professionals. What do these sweeping changes to our vaccine infrastructure—and the rise of the ironically named MAHA movement, short for Make America Healthy Again—mean for the health and well-being of everyday Americans? Dan sits down with epidemiologist and data scientist Katelyn Jetelina to unpack the implications of Kennedy's policies...
As New York City celebrates Zohran Mamdani's primary win, MAGA, Wall Street, and a handful of Democrats succumb to socialist paranoia. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth lashes out at the press after CNN reports that last weekend's airstrikes barely set back Iran's nuclear program. President Trump pressures Congress to pass his Big Bullshit Bill by July 4th, despite a new ruling from the Senate Parliamentarian that could sink it altogether. Jon and Dan react to Senator Mitch McConnell's claim that "...
Donald Trump, without consulting Congress or United States allies, orders the military to bomb Iran, and then claims that Iran and Israel have reached a ceasefire. Military and intelligence services push back on Trump's claims that Iran's three nuclear sites have been "completely and totally obliterated." MAGA isolationists change their tone to avoid Trump's ire. Jon, Lovett, Tommy, and Dan react to all the latest, including reports that nuclear material may have been removed before the attacks,...
Trump says he'll decide whether to strike Iran sometime in the next two weeks; while some of the biggest names in MAGA, like Tucker Carlson and Ted Cruz try to sway his choice. Pete Hegseth and Tulsi Gabbard are reportedly on the outs at the White House, Trump flip-flops on immigration enforcement at farms, federal agents handcuff more Democrats, and the Senate version of the Big, Beautiful Bill is even worse than we expected. Then, Jon and Dan discuss the growing mess at the DNC and what that c...
Trump's long-planned birthday parade gets overshadowed by massive "No Kings" protests around the country and the cold-blooded murder of a prominent Minnesota lawmaker and her husband. Meanwhile, Israel launches a preemptive war against Iran—a war that Trump hasn't quite ruled out joining. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy discuss the weekend's competing optics, the deeply troubling rise of political violence in America, and the latest offering from the Trump family hucksters: a shiny gold smartphone from t...
How much of America would we need to mobilize to stop Trump's power grab? According to political scientist Erica Chenoweth, it takes 3.5 percent—the threshold after which every protest movement, across the world, has been successful. Against the backdrop of the anti-ICE and No Kings protests, the national guard deployment, and Donald Trump's birthday pageant, Chenoweth joins the show to break down the math of the 3.5 percent rule, explain why nonviolence is the key to meeting it, and to share th...
Federal agents tackle and handcuff Senator Alex Padilla after he shouts a question at Kristi Noem at a public press conference. Trump continues to politicize the military, attacking his political enemies in a speech to troops at Fort Bragg and preparing for his North Korea-style birthday party. New polling shows that Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" is wildly unpopular—and increasingly vulnerable to Democratic attacks. Favreau and Nicolle Wallace, host of MSNBC's Deadline: White House and the new po...
Trump stokes chaos and incites violence in Los Angeles, deploying the Marines and the National Guard, against the request of the governor and mayor, to quell protests opposing ICE deportation raids in downtown LA and nearby Paramount. Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man wrongly deported to an El Salvadoran megaprison, returns to the United States to face charges his lawyers claim are made up. And Elon and Trump attempt to mend their relationship, but we're not really buying it. Jon, Lovett, a...
Lovett joins forces with The Bulwark's Tim Miller and Sarah Longwell for a big, beautiful, gay-as-hell fundraiser at World Pride to support Andry José Hernández Romero and other individuals wrongfully deported to El Salvador without due process. Jon, Tim and Sarah open the floor to two people doing the hard, important work for justice: Andry José Hernández Romero's lawyer and President of the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, Lindsay Toczylowski, and Congressman Robert Garcia. Lovett takes us to t...
Donald Trump and Elon Musk's romance comes to a fiery end as the two erupt into an explosive feud, attacking each other across social media. Jon and Dan comb through the insults, including Elon calling for Trump's impeachment, Trump threatening to end all of Elon's government contracts, and, our personal favorite, Elon tweeting that Donald Trump is in the Epstein files. Fun day! The guys also discuss Trump's recent slate of executive orders: another round of attacks on Harvard University, a 2025...
