Host Reed Galen is joined by Lincoln Project Senior Advisors Trygve Olson and Jeff Timmer. They share their thoughts on the recent tragic Nashville school shooting (especially given that according to research from the Kaiser Family Foundation, guns are now the leading cause of death for children in the U.S.), give their reactions to Donald Trump’s Waco rally, and discuss the series of deals made by members of the Republican party that brings the GOP’s transformation to full autocracy ever closer...
Apr 05, 2023•44 min•Season 1Ep. 229
Host Reed Galen gives his immediate reaction and analysis to yesterday’s news that Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury. He discusses what we can expect in the immediate future, what this means for the Republican party and the 2024 presidential race, and how until this all plays out…our nation’s democracy remains in danger. If you’d like to connect with The Lincoln Project, send an email to podcast@lincolnproject.us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoi...
Mar 31, 2023•12 min•Season 1Ep. 228
Host Reed Galen is joined by Hugo Lowell, Political Investigations Reporter for The Guardian . They discuss the latest in the Trump indictment narrative, the dangers of Trump’s seemingly productive 2024 campaign team, and what Ron DeSantis is already getting wrong in regards to his yet-to-be-announced presidential campaign. If you’d like to connect with The Lincoln Project, send an email to podcast@lincolnproject.us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Mar 30, 2023•27 min•Season 1Ep. 227
Host Reed Galen is joined by Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Author and Professor of History and Italian Studies at New York University. They discuss how the entire GOP has become an autocratic entity (not just the MAGA extremists), why Trump’s propaganda has turned into policy, and how Donald Trump’s victimhood complex is just another play from the standard authoritarian playbook. Plus, what’s the fallout from the original sin of not prosecuting Donald Trump? If you’d like to connect with The Lincoln Project, ...
Mar 29, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 226
Host Reed Galen is joined by Tom Nichols (Author and Staff Writer at The Atlantic ) to discuss why so many Americans (especially Republicans) find themselves in a midlife crisis, the motivations of the Fox News propaganda machine, and why Americans must recalibrate their voting behaviors in the direction of democracy…rather than party. Plus, Vladimir Putin is nothing more than a moderately clever thug. If you’d like to connect with The Lincoln Project, send an email to podcast@lincolnproject.us....
Mar 24, 2023•42 min•Season 1Ep. 225
Host Reed Galen is joined by retired United States Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman who was the former Director for European Affairs for the United States National Security Council. They discuss the current state of the war in Ukraine, why ultra-MAGA’s pro-Russia rhetoric encourages Putin to prolong the war, how the U.S support of Ukraine offers a very favorable return on investment in terms of American interests on the global stage (especially with regard to China), and what does Xi Ji...
Mar 22, 2023•40 min•Season 1Ep. 224
Host Reed Galen is joined by Maya May (Comedian and Lincoln Project Content Creator) to answer questions asked by YOU, the members of the Lincoln Project community. Listeners ask about the latest with the Fox News lawsuit, the upcoming Wisconsin Supreme Court, and the road to the 2024 election (both as a whole and what the impact of a third party candidate could be). If you’d like to connect with The Lincoln Project, send an email to podcast@lincolnproject.us. Learn more about your ad choices. V...
Mar 17, 2023•43 min•Season 1Ep. 223
Host Reed Galen is joined by Dr. Steven Levitsky (Professor of Government at Harvard University) to discuss how authoritarianism continues to threaten American democracy, why the GOP continues to publicly embrace authoritarianism while many privately denounce it, and what to expect from Trump, DeSantis, and the rest of the 2024 hopefuls. Plus, is the United States in line for a violent origin of durable authoritarianism? Be sure to pre-order Dr. Levitsky’s upcoming book, “Tyranny of the Minority...
Mar 15, 2023•39 min•Season 1Ep. 222
Host Reed Galen is joined by Simon Rosenberg, Founder and President of New Democrat Network (NDN)/New Policy Institute, to discuss how Fox News can no longer be trusted as a news organization, why the “red wave” never came in the 2022 midterms, why Democrats must become information warriors if they want to be successful in this new political era, and what to expect in the road to 2024. To hear more from Simon, be sure to subscribe to his brand new substack, “ Hopium Chronicles ”. As mentioned in...
Mar 10, 2023•48 min•Season 1Ep. 221
Host Reed Galen is joined by journalist and New York Times Bestselling Author, Anand Giridharadas. They discuss how our current political age may be best titled as “the age of impunity”, how decades of dramatic social change has left Americans morally adrift, and how there hasn’t been a better time in recent history for the pro-democracy movement to reclaim “freedom” and “patriotism”. Plus, why it’s so important to challenge the true intentions of elite do-gooding. If you’d like to connect with ...
Mar 08, 2023•50 min•Season 1Ep. 220
Host Reed Galen is joined by Matt Bennett, Co-Founder and Executive Vice President for Public Affairs at Third Way. They discuss why it is impossible for a third party presidential candidate in 2024 to win the presidency, how just about every third party run scenario would greatly benefit Donald Trump, and why so many in the political sphere continue to operate like it’s 2015. To read Third Way’s full report on the dangers of third party candidates (as referenced in this episode), here is that l...
Mar 03, 2023•48 min•Season 1Ep. 219
Host Reed Galen is joined by Lincoln Project Senior Advisor Stuart Stevens to celebrate the 163rd anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s “Cooper Union Address”, originally delivered on February 27, 1860. They discuss how Lincoln’s words continue to ring true today, highlight the parallels between 1860 and today, and lay out the stakes for ensuring that the pro-democracy coalition is victorious. If you’d like to read Lincoln’s “Cooper Union Address” in full, here is the link to the full speech. If you’...
Mar 01, 2023•42 min•Season 1Ep. 218
Host Reed Galen is joined by the investigative journalist and New York Times bestselling author, Vicky Ward. They discuss the inner-workings of New York real estate development and how that culture influenced the culture of the Trump administration (especially with regards to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump). Plus, a New York trophy building that doubles as a ticking time bomb, Jared Kushner’s questionable relationship with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and why did the Trump White House...
Feb 25, 2023•48 min•Season 1Ep. 217
Host Reed Galen is joined by Lincoln Project Senior Advisor Jeff Timmer to discuss the recent tragic shooting at Michigan State University, the text message revelations from Fox News regarding Dominion Voting Systems/the Big Lie, and the inevitable-to-expand field of candidates in the 2024 GOP presidential primary. Plus, if you’re looking forward to a horse race…you’re going to be sorely disappointed. If you’d like to connect with The Lincoln Project, send an email to podcast@lincolnproject.us. ...
Feb 22, 2023•34 min•Season 1Ep. 216
Host Reed Galen is joined by Lincoln Project Senior Advisor Joe Trippi to discuss the House Republicans continuing to flirt with debt default, why Kevin McCarthy is such a weak Speaker (and public servant in general), and how the GOP candidates for the 2024 primary are playing right into Trump’s hand. Plus, Joe gives his big predictions for 2023 and beyond. If you’d like to connect with The Lincoln Project, send an email to podcast@lincolnproject.us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megap...
Feb 17, 2023•40 min•Season 1Ep. 215
This episode was originally released on March 11, 2022…just weeks after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As the one year anniversary of that invasion approaches…we thought it was important to look back at how things began to better understand how things stand today. In this encore presentation, host Reed Galen is joined by retired United States Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman who was the former Director for European Affairs for the United States National Security Council. They discuss ...
Feb 14, 2023•35 min•Season 1Ep. 214
Host Reed Galen is joined by fellow Lincoln Project Co-Founder Rick Wilson and Lincoln Project Senior Advisor Trygve Olson to discuss their takeaways from President Biden’s State of the Union, why the “Endangered 18” are on the hot seat and what they have to do to get out of it, and why a third-party candidate in 2024 is such a bad idea. Plus, every contender in the 2024 Republican primaries not named Donald Trump is simply a vanity candidate. If you’d like to connect with The Lincoln Project, s...
Feb 10, 2023•54 min•Season 1Ep. 213
Host Reed Galen answers questions asked by the members of the Lincoln Project community about the new Republican-controlled House of Representatives, the 2024 presidential election, and the finer points of political messaging and strategy. Plus, why the war in Ukraine continues to be crucial in the fight for democracy. If you’d like to connect with The Lincoln Project, send an email to podcast@lincolnproject.us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Feb 08, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 212
Host Reed Galen is joined by Jay McKenzie, the founder of “Did Nothing Wrong”, a newsletter and podcast that seeks to make sense of the chaotic narratives that threaten to hijack our nation’s discourse and politics. They discuss the MAGA movement’s commitment to cultivating distrust in our nation’s institutions (by political means and otherwise), how the GOP is completely disinterested in governing, and how far-right influencers like Nick Fuentes continue to advance their dangerous narratives. I...
Feb 03, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 211
Host Reed Galen is joined by Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez, the President and Executive Director of NextGen America, the nation’s largest youth voter organization. They discuss, the ever-changing political landscape of Texas, why Latino voters should never be looked at like a monolith, what motivates young voters, and why economic inequality is such a threat to democracy. If you’d like to connect with The Lincoln Project, send an email to podcast@lincolnproject.us. Learn more about your ad choices. ...
Feb 01, 2023•40 min•Season 1Ep. 210
Host Reed Galen is joined by Alexander Theodoridis, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. They discuss the current state of polling in the U.S. and how it’s evolved from “the golden age”, why our nation finds itself so politically polarized, and what motivates Americans to show up on election day. Plus, Ron DeSantis is an uninteresting presidential candidate. If you’d like to connect with The Lincoln Project, send an email to podcast@lincolnproject....
Jan 27, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 209
Host Reed Galen is joined by Ron Insana (Senior Analyst and Commentator at CNBC) to discuss the current state of our nation’s economy, the Republican’s flirtation with the debt ceiling, why the GOP’s latest proposal for a flat tax would prove disastrous, and President Biden’s stewardship (both at home and overseas) during the first two years of his administration. Plus, just because someone is a billionaire…does that make them a genius? If you’d like to connect with The Lincoln Project, send an ...
Jan 25, 2023•53 min•Season 1Ep. 208
Host Reed Galen is joined by Author and Senior Book Editor at The Atlantic, Gal Beckerman. They discuss how radical ideas originate and the workings of the movements that form around them, how social media is not the catch all solution when it comes to messaging, and how in order for an idea to truly take hold…a crucial part of the process is rational dialog/strategy in a quiet, private (not public) place. For more on this be sure to pick up Gal Beckerman’s latest book, The Quiet Before: On the ...
Jan 20, 2023•37 min•Season 1Ep. 207
Host Reed Galen is joined by Joshua Zeitz…historian, New York Times bestselling author, and contributing editor to Politico Magazine . They discuss the evolution of Abraham Lincoln’s faith starting from childhood, throughout his early political career, and throughout his presidency. Plus, how during his presidency he was successfully able to use his understanding of Christianity to mobilize the country to abolish slavery, preserve the Union, and win the Civil War. Fast-forward to the present, ho...
Jan 18, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 206
Host Reed Galen is joined by David Rothkopf (Contributing Columnist for The Daily Beast and Host of Deep State Radio) to discuss where our nation stands two years into the Biden administration, how the rest of the world no longer has an American example to dissuade them from authoritarianism, and how the longer authoritarianism is embraced (in the United States or elsewhere) the greater the irreversible damage to the democracy we hold so dear. Plus, the island nation of Taiwan’s superpower. If y...
Jan 13, 2023•29 min•Season 1Ep. 205
Host Reed Galen is joined by Juliet Jeske, author of the “Decoding Fox News” newsletter. They discuss how Juliet got her start covering the far right media ecosystem, how she now watches every minute of Fox News and reports on it (all while maintaining her sanity), and the inner workings of Fox News and its personalities. Plus, what drives the bizarre obsessions that so many media personalities and politicians share on the far right? If you’d like to connect with The Lincoln Project, send an ema...
Jan 11, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 204
Host Reed Galen is joined by Lincoln Project Senior Advisors Trygve Olson and Jeff Timmer to look back on where our nation was on January 6, 2021 and where we are today, exactly two years later. Will we have a Speaker of the House before the first week of the 118th Congress is over? Will members of the pro-democracy coalition finally start to play the game they're in rather than the game they know? And what are the latest dynamics in Trump’s 2024 run? Plus, we look ahead to what groundwork needs...
Jan 06, 2023•55 min•Season 1Ep. 203
This episode was originally released on October 18, 2022. In this encore presentation, host Reed Galen is joined by former Metropolitan Police Department Officer Michael Fanone. They discuss Fanone’s path to service, his harrowing personal account of January 6, 2021, the aftermath of January 6th and his post-insurrection public appearances, and whether or not the case built by the House Select Committee on January 6th has been effective in proving its case to the American people. Plus, how has p...
Jan 03, 2023•56 min•Season 1Ep. 202
This episode was originally released on August 18, 2022. In this encore presentation, host Reed Galen is joined by author, journalist, and QAnon expert Mike Rothschild to discuss how the QAnon conspiracy theory grew to be in the forefront of American political discourse, why it resonated so fervently with such a large percentage of the population, and how it continues to infect our nation’s culture today. Plus, is there a prescription to get the QAnon devout to “snap out of it” and denounce the ...
Dec 29, 2022•51 min•Season 1Ep. 201
Host Reed Galen is joined by multi-Emmy winning filmmaker, Melissa Jo Peltier to discuss her award-winning documentary, The Game Is Up: Disillusioned Trump Voters Tell Their Stories, which studies how hard-core Trump voters turned away from the MAGA cult in 2020. They talk about why it was important to make the film, the transformations experienced by the characters who were profiled, and how those who went against Trump/Trumpism were received by their communities post-rejection. Plus, why do so...
Dec 27, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 200
