After Jeff Sessions fired Former FBI Director Andrew McCabe just 26 hours before his retirement, it's official. Trump is unleashed. Having stripped his administration of those who coddle or perceive him a moron, the self-proclaimed "really smart guy" is free to do as he pleases. Call and congratulate Vladimir Putin on his re-election, for example. Or attack Special Counsel Robert Mueller directly via Twitter. READ MORE Trump, Flush With Power by Maureen Dowd What Hope Hicks Knows by Olivia Nuzzi...
Mar 22, 2018•24 min
It's confirmed: Trump and Rocket Man will meet in person to compare nuclear buttons later in the year. Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson must have missed the memo, announcing only hours beforehand that the US was still “a long way off” negotiations with Kim Jong-un. Was that why he was fired days later. Plus, why is Trump tweeting in all caps about Russia again? And why has the media been giving Melania a free pass? CONTACT US Your hosts are Amelia Lester and Mia Freedman . We REALLY want ...
Mar 15, 2018•25 min
Long gone is the news that White House Communications Director Hope Hicks resigned. In a week that's left us all with political whiplash, Amelia and Mia debrief on Hope's resignation; Gary Cohn following suit; Sam Nunberg's off-the-rails interview binge; and the fact Stormy Daniels is back with a vengeance. NOTES When does Hope Hicks get to be a wunderkind instead of a former model? CONTACT US Your hosts are Amelia Lester and Mia Freedman . We REALLY want to hear your feelings about the show. Le...
Mar 08, 2018•28 min
After taking cheat notes into a meeting with victims of the Florida School Shooting, Trump made the claim that if he were on the scene he would've confronted the shooter with his bare hands. Unsurprisingly, Mia and Amelia have a lot to say about this. Plus, Fashion Brand Owner turned First Daughter turned Presidential Adviser Ivanka Trump has decided she can switch between aforementioned titles at will. Is that her prerogative, or does she need to decide whether she's a blameless child or active...
Mar 01, 2018•27 min
The 18th school shooting of 2018 felt different. After 17 people died in Florida, students, teachers stood up and called 'BS' to Trump's "thoughts and prayers". The President dodged responsibility however, blaming mental health and the FBI, who he claims were distracted by their efforts to prove his campaign colluded with Russia. Speaking of Russia, Mueller indicted 13 Russian nationals and three Russian groups for meddling in the 2016 US election. Finally. But why do we have to look back to 201...
Feb 22, 2018•28 min
In a headline that's become all too familiar, another White House staffer has resigned in shame. Amid allegations of domestic abuse, Staff Secretary Rob Porter stepped down. That didn't stop Trump wishing him well, however, and reminding us via Twitter that when it comes to abuse allegations, "some are false and some are true". Plus, thanks to Porter and some paparazzi shots, Hope Hicks has been thrust into the spotlight for the first time. So how's she coping there? And why is a former White Ho...
Feb 15, 2018•25 min
Trump's indexing of his own Presidential worth to the success of the Stock Market has come back to bite him. On Monday February 5th, the stock market had its largest ever absolute crash in history. And we have one question: is Trump to blame? Plus, confirmation from the Pentagon that The President is planning his very own 'penis parade' as Mia so aptly puts it; we follow up on the drug-addicted mother of Baby Hope; and is it possible for Hillary to fail as a feminist in hindsight? LINKS JOIN OUR...
Feb 07, 2018•30 min
As Melania, the kids and 15 guests sat in the galleries, Donald Trump delivered his first State of the Union. It took seventy-three hours, or that's what it felt like, thanks to a standing ovation from Republicans every two seconds. Plus, Deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe has stepped down, and everyone's asking: did Trump have something to do with it? Show notes Your host is Mia Freedman with Amelia Lester. Head to our newly formed Facebook group to chat all things Trump. It's a safe space fille...
Feb 01, 2018•35 min
This week, millions of women all over the world marched to protest gender inequality and also Trump. Trump meanwhile suggested they turn their protest into a celebration of his achievements and how much better off women are since he became President. Plus, porn star Stormy Daniels has given an interview in which she volunteers that she can describe a naked Trump very specifically if required to prove their alleged affair (we believe you, please don't), the government shuts down for 69 hours and ...
Jan 24, 2018•31 min
Everything happened VERY quickly this week... Former Chief Strategist Steve Bannon resigned as Executive Chairman of Breitbart and Amelia thinks she knows why (she also thinks he didn't resign). The White House bungled a statement about the President's physical and none of us picked up on it (except Rachel Maddow, of course). Plus Haiti, El Salvador and the entire continent of Africa are sh*toles according to Trump. And Amelia thinks a porn star named Stormy Daniels could've swung the election t...
Jan 18, 2018•29 min
Remember when Trump threatened to rain fire and fury upon North Korea? Well now American Journalist Michael Wolff has rained it down on him in his book, 'Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House.’ Based on hours of interviews with Trump's senior staff, The President himself, and "Sloppy Steve" Bannon, the book paints a damning picture of the Commander in Chief (are any of us surprised?) So, what really goes on in the West Wing? What made Trump's former campaign director turn on him? And are w...
Jan 10, 2018•34 min
How does a woman come back from 'unruliness'? Well, she doesn't. This bonus episode is an excerpt from a conversation Mia had with Buzzfeed Senior Culture Writer and PhD in Media Gossip, Anne Helen Peterson. They discuss the shrillness of Hillary, the bluster of Trump's White House, and why he's more likely to gain re-election every day. Show Notes Your host is Mia Freedman with special guest Anne Helen Petersen. Listen to Mia's No Filter with Anne . Come join our brand spanking new Facebook gro...
Jan 03, 2018•12 min
The most powerful man in the free world spouts lies at will and never sleeps. How can we stay on top of the news cycle without losing our sanity when Twitter and news alerts are forever in our pockets? Mia Freedman and Amelia Lester share their respective media diets, and swap tips on how they look after their mental health in a post-Trump world. Show notes Your host is Amelia Lester with Mia Freedman. Come join our brand spanking new Facebook group . It's a safe space to share your Trump-obsess...
Dec 27, 2017•20 min
We are almost a year into this nightmare. Is it over yet? Only by a quarter (impeachment not withstanding). As we approach the end of Trump's first calendar year in office, it's time for a Presidential stocktake. Host of Planet America and founding member of The Chaser, Chas Licciardello, joins Mia Freedman in the pod studio to talk Javanka, sexual harassment, North Korea, Scaramucci, Bannon, Alabama and some of the other things that have happened since Trump took office. What do they mean? And ...
Dec 20, 2017•43 min
A Democrat has beaten a President-backed accused child-molester in the race for Alabama's ruby red Senate seat. But before Roy Moore's loss, Trump used a few of his MANY spare seconds to fire off a tweet implying Senator Kirsten Gillibrand had performed sexual acts for political favours. Oh, and then there was the New York Times piece that took us even deeper into the minute-by-minute workings of the Trumpian White House. Mia and Amelia deep dive on all this and marvel at how you can run a count...
Dec 13, 2017•33 min
Of course it was Trump on the pussy grabbing tape. Despite reports that The President is now denying it, the other guy on that Access Hollywood bus, Billy Bush has exploded back into the public eye this week to insist that it was indeed Donald Trump's voice saying those vile things. Plus, a thoughtful listener question that has both Amelia and Mia intrigued, and Amelia shares a juicy snippet of information about her Facebook usage. Show Notes Your host is Amelia Lester with Mia Freedman. Come jo...
Dec 06, 2017•25 min
Christmas has officially come early. Over the weekend, Former Trump Security Adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in January. That's right. Flynn has flipped. As part of a plea bargain with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, Flynn is agreeing to tell him anything and everything he wants to know. Mia and Amelia pickup the phone in a flurry to deep dive on what this means, and who's going down. Show Notes Your host is Amelia Lester with Mia Freedman. We read everything about Trump...
Dec 04, 2017•20 min
It's official. The President has decided he no longer wants the infamous Access Hollywood (pussy grabbing) tape to be a thing, so he's branded it 'Fake News'. Also, Time magazine phoned and asked Trump whether he'd like to be their Person Of The Year for 2017, which is all good and well except for the fact no one can verify this save Trump himself. Elsewhere, in a press conference intended to thank Native Americans for their service as codetalkers during the war, The President managed to not onl...
Nov 29, 2017•28 min
IT'S THE PEOPLE'S SHOW. This week, we put the feelers out on our Facebook page to see if there were any topics you wanted us to delve into and the responses were overwhelming. Rachel Corbett is filling in for Mia Freedman, and leads Amelia Lester down a Mike Pence-shaped rabbit hole as they discuss what the Vice President stands for, and whether it's true a Pence Presidency would be worse than a Trump one. Plus, what power, if any, does the NRA hold over the government and why do gun laws seem i...
Nov 23, 2017•30 min
Republican Senate nominee Roy Moore is the latest powerful man to face allegations of sexual assault. So what's the backstory? How did he get himself into this mess, and why isn't Trump in there with him? Plus, Bill Clinton in the age of Weinstein. Why do we seem so able to forgive him when Monica Lewinsky was only an intern during their affair? Amelia, is back, finally, to deep-dive with Mia. Show Notes Your host is Amelia Lester with Mia Freedman . We read everything about Trump so you don’t h...
Nov 16, 2017•35 min
After a mass shooting in Texas, Trump was forced to comfort a nation in mourning for the third time in a month. So is this the time to talk about gun violence? Not according to the leader of the free world. Plus, it's officially been one whole year since we waited with baited breath for the first female President, only to have our hopes shattered into a million tiny pieces. How are we feeling 12 months on from that tragic day? And are we still living the 2016 election? The Trump-obsessed Rachel ...
Nov 09, 2017•39 min
Leigh Sales is the queen of political journalism and while the news she reports on isn't fake, she acknowledges there's a lot of news out there that is. Leigh has revamped her 2009 personal essay, On Doubt , to explore the role doubt played in the election of Donald Trump and she joins Mia Freedman to discuss how we've gotten ourselves into such a mess. Show notes Your host is Mia Freedman with Leigh Sales. Buy On Doubt, here. We read everything about Trump so you don’t have to. Head to our Face...
Nov 04, 2017•34 min
Here we go. Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and business associate, Rick Gates, have been indicted on charges stemming from Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. Is Manafort headed to jail? And, can we really tie their alleged collusion to Trump himself? Plus, campaign foreign policy advisor George Papadopoulos separately pleaded guilty to lying to investigators. Is it possible he's been wearing a wire for Mueller since then? Amelia is away this week, and Mia is joined by Austr...
Nov 02, 2017•43 min
WE FOUND AMELIA. Sort of. She's somewhere in London. This week, Trump's found a new enemy to bicker with on Twitter: Myesha Johnson. She's the wife of Sgt. La David Johnson, who was killed serving his country in Niger last week. So, how has Trump managed to turn a national tragedy into a political feud with a Gold Star family? And why was Johnson in Niger in the first place? Plus, is the President's short tempter on Twitter as immature and thoughtless as it seems, or is it part of a strategy to ...
Oct 25, 2017•29 min
What would you ask if you had 45 minutes with Hillary Clinton? Australia's best investigative journalist, Sarah Ferguson, had that opportunity and we had a million questions about how she decided what questions to ask. Is Hillary OK? Was Huma Abedin there? Are we going to be OK? The interview aired on Four Corners on Monday 16th October and in this episode, Sarah's in the studio with Mia and guest co-host Rachel Corbett to talk about what went on behind-the-scenes. Show notes Your hosts are Rach...
Oct 19, 2017•53 min
The President wants to compare IQ test scores with the man who called him a moron. Pass the popcorn. Plus, there’s more evidence to show just how Russia weaponised Facebook to swing the election away from Hillary and towards Putin’s BFF, Donald Trump. Not only did their anti-Hillary Facebook ads reach millions of people, they also created fake groups to spout their lies and enlisted some ‘rappers’ that need to be heard to be believed and even then you won’t believe it. Sheryl Sandburg, Facebook’...
Oct 12, 2017•24 min
With Las Vegas reeling and the media distracted, Trump decided to say some politically incorrect things in Puerto Rico during a failed mission to the Hurricane-stricken country. And remember Megyn Kelly? She was the journalist who Trump accused of having her period during his campaign, after she asked him a difficult question. She's made a move out of the political sphere and into the world of morning television. How's it working out for her? Plus, Health Secretary Tom Price has been sneaky with...
Oct 04, 2017•40 min
Today, America is reeling from what looks to be the worst mass shooting in its history. A gunman opened fire during a concert at Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Hotel yesterday, and the death toll is currently 59 with an astonishing 527 injured and currently being treated in hospitals throughout Las Vegas. Mia and Amelia recorded this special episode to debrief on the deadliest mass shooting in US history, and gun laws that desperately need a change. Show Notes Your hosts are Amelia Lester and Mia Freed...
Oct 03, 2017•19 min
Why are American footballers 'taking a knee' and why is Trump calling them 'sons of bitches'? Plus, Weiner. He's going to jail for sexting with a teenager but when you think about it, he's very likely responsible for the end of the world as we know it. And what's going on with Facebook and Russia? Has Mark Zuckerberg created a beast that even he can no longer control? Show Notes Your hosts are Amelia Lester and Mia Freedman. This show is produced by Luca Lavigne . The Director of Podcasts is Rac...
Sep 28, 2017•31 min
What Happened. That's the title of Hillary Clinton's new book, which is big punch in the guts of a book that delivers everything we'd hoped. Amelia and Mia debrief on the most talked-about parts of the book, from what Bill said to her in the car after she lost, how she faced Trump on inauguration day and how she's been using yoga and wine as therapy. Plus, why did Trump invite Democrat leaders to his residence for Chinese food and what was the hidden message behind his unhinged Tweet storm early...
Sep 21, 2017•34 min
