The Dangerous Ones

Stephen Miller is now Donald Trump's White House chief of staff, and if you think that means things are about to get calmer, Jim, Tiffany and Nick have some bone broth of fascism to sell you. We unpack Trump's extraordinary personnel decision, the administration's reaction to the midterm elections, and why the new chief of staff inspires so many vampire jokes. Then comes Trump's bizarre Dana White press-secretary offer, Elon Musk's Cybertruck news, Ken Paxton's defeat in Texas, Mike Johnson's leadership exit, and the fight brewing over Democratic leadership. There's plenty of profanity, a surprising amount of post-election optimism, and a Dangerous Call of the Day from someone who says watching TDO has become downright painful. In the funniest possible way. 👉🏼Get the Dangerous Daily Meme Letter for FREE! We're bringing curated memes, calls, behind-the-scenes updates and fun trouble directly to your inbox. Subscribe now for FREE: https://thedangerousones.com 🚨 Join our FACEBOOK group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/847099808048849/ ☎️ CALL US: 503-212-4600 Call anytime, 24/7, and leave us a message. You can remain anonymous. CHAPTERS 00:00 Election Victory Memes and Stephen Miller 01:40 Stephen Miller's Vampire Memes 03:19 Trump's New White House Chief of Staff 05:24 Dana White and the Press Secretary Story 07:40 More Trump and MAGA Election Humor 08:15 Elon Musk and the Cybertruck 09:04 Online Trolls and Democratic Leadership 09:49 Texas Election Jokes and Mike Johnson 11:27 MAGA's Feelings and Post-Election Humor 13:06 Dangerous Call of the Day

Help Me Understand with Dr. Rod Berger, solo episode. On 60 Minutes, Ross Douthat asked the president whether he could forgive James Comey and Nancy Pelosi to get through the gate. The president said he couldn't, because he hates some of his enemies and always will. Dr. Rod Berger takes three answers from that one interview, on forgiveness, on World Liberty Financial and on deportations, and holds each to the standard most of us already use at home. Two callers to The People's Hotline set the test: a longtime Republican who prayed in his car after he voted, and a woman who refused to let the hat decide whether someone has principles. In this episode 0:00 60 Minutes: the question about forgiveness 0:33 Three answers, one test 1:04 A caller to The People's Hotline 1:30 The standard at the kitchen table 1:59 How Douthat built the question 3:02 The strongest case for him 3:30 The test one caller used 5:55 World Liberty Financial, on 60 Minutes 6:33 Swap the name 7:43 The deportation question, on 60 Minutes 8:21 The answer that passes 8:59 What the phone line already knew 9:39 The part that lands on Rod 10:37 Questions to sit with Questions this episode answers What did the president say about forgiving his enemies on 60 Minutes? In Ross Douthat's interview, which aired November 8, 2026, Douthat asked whether he could forgive James Comey and Nancy Pelosi to get through the gate. The president answered in three steps and ended with, "Can I be honest? I probably cannot do that now because I do hate some of my enemies and I always will." Why did Douthat bring up Charlie Kirk's memorial? At the memorial service, Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk's widow, spoke about forgiving your enemies. The president followed her and said he hated his opponents. Douthat said he knew that was partly a joke, and asked anyway. What did the president say about World Liberty Financial? Douthat asked about the cryptocurrency company tied to the president's family, which he described as partially owned by investors connected to the government of the United Arab Emirates. The president answered, "Because I know nothing about it," and a minute later said his sons run the company. Did the president say the deportation policy went too far? He called it "a tough thing" and named the people it reached: a woman who worked at a hotel as a maid, a waitress, people with good jobs. The episode treats that as the one answer of the three that meets the standard. What does The People's Hotline data show? Of the 3,343 calls read since the line opened in June, 30 percent came in troubled: worried, not angry. In a hand-labeled sample of 239 comments from the network's YouTube channel, it was 17 percent. Sources CBS News, 60 Minutes, November 8, 2026 The People's Hotline, calls received June through November 2026 Hand-labeled sample of 239 YouTube comments, through early September 2026 About the host Dr. Rod Berger has conducted more than 4,000 interviews across five continents. He is Editor-at-Large at Fair Observer and the author of The Narrative Edge: Authentic Storytelling That Meets the Moment (Wiley). Some episodes of Help Me Understand feature his friend Marshall Herskovitz, the Emmy-winning writer, director and producer. Visit drrodberger.com · Get The Narrative Edge in hardcover Help Me Understand with Dr. Rod Berger, on The Dangerous Ones. Have something you're trying to understand? Call The People's Hotline and leave a message: 503-212-4600.

America finally gave the rest of the world something to celebrate, and apparently Canada, Britain, and Norway have been saving up some pretty spectacular insults for Donald Trump. After Democrats swept the 2026 midterm elections, people around the world erupted in celebration. Jim Drastic and Nick Knudsen share the hilarious international reactions, from Canadian comedians diagnosing America's political illness to a Norwegian comic delivering one hell of a MAGA roast. There's also an unexpectedly emotional message from Britain and a gloriously profane congratulations from an Australian member of the Danger Corps. It's political comedy, worldwide relief, and a reminder that what happens in America matters far beyond our borders. 👉🏼Get the Dangerous Daily Meme Letter for FREE! We're bringing curated memes, calls, behind-the-scenes updates and fun trouble directly to your inbox. Subscribe now for FREE: https://thedangerousones.com 🚨 Join our FACEBOOK group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/847099808048849/ ☎️ CALL US: 503-212-4600 Call anytime, 24/7, and leave us a message. You can remain anonymous. CHAPTERS 00:00 John Bishop Welcomes America Back 00:18 The World Reacts to the Midterm Elections 01:38 Canada Celebrates Trump's Election Setback 03:08 Trent McClellan Gives America a Checkup 04:34 A British Creator Gets Emotional 06:21 Norway Delivers a MAGA Roast 07:53 Election Celebrations Reach Italy 08:45 A British-Nigerian Celebration 11:10 Thank You to Our International Audience 12:01 Dangerous Call of the Day: Australia

Courtesy of Really American The election is over, MAGA is licking its wounds, and political comedy has arrived with a flamethrower. Jim, Tiffany and Nick dive into the wonderfully absurd post-election satire aimed at Donald Trump, Mike Johnson and Stephen Miller. We've got Trump threatening to run away to grandma's house, Mike Johnson discovering a promising new career, the MAGA movement examined as an endangered species, an entire musical celebration of checks and balances and Stephen Miller entering his superhero era for reasons nobody asked for. 👉🏼Get the Dangerous Daily Meme Letter for FREE! We're bringing curated memes, calls, behind-the-scenes updates and fun trouble directly to your inbox. Subscribe now for FREE: https://thedangerousones.com 🚨 Join our FACEBOOK group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/847099808048849/ ☎️ CALL US: 503-212-4600 Call anytime, 24/7, and leave us a message. You can remain anonymous. CHAPTERS 00:00 Baby Trump Packs His Bags 00:32 Post-Election Comedy Gold 02:02 Mike Johnson Finds a New Career 03:34 The MAGA Wildlife Documentary 06:57 Checks and Balances 10:28 Stephen Miller Becomes Chief of Staff 13:22 COSplay and the Aftermath 13:55 The People's Hotline 14:26 Dangerous Call of the Day

Elon Musk poured a fortune into trying to keep Texas red. Texas responded by voting for a Democrat, and now the political jokes practically write themselves. Jim Drastic, Tiffany Drastic, and Nick Knudsen celebrate the Democrats' huge midterm victory while taking on the billionaires who tried to buy an election and the Republicans trying to explain what went wrong. We talk about what Musk's money could have accomplished, why political consequences matter, and the particularly delicious feeling of watching MAGA lose. Then we get into the Republican Party's next big problem: Who comes after Trump? Does JD Vance have a future? Could Tucker Carlson become the next MAGA standard-bearer? And can Republicans distance themselves from Trump after spending years defending him? There's also a conversation about accountability, some deserved Florida ridicule, heartfelt messages of hope, and a wonderful call from Rick in Ohio that reminds us why these victories mean so much. 👉🏼Get the Dangerous Daily Meme Letter for FREE! We're bringing curated memes, calls, behind-the-scenes updates and fun trouble directly to your inbox. Subscribe now for FREE: https://thedangerousones.com 🚨 Join our FACEBOOK group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/847099808048849/ ☎️ CALL US: 503-212-4600 Call anytime, 24/7, and leave us a message. You can remain anonymous. CHAPTERS: 00:00 The Victory Feels Different 00:52 MAGA's Political Escape Plans 01:41 Elon Musk and the Texas Election 02:57 What Happened in Texas 04:28 Kristi Noem and the Senate Map 05:38 Consequences, Reconciliation and NICE 06:46 Global Messages of Hope 08:04 The Future of the Republican Party 11:04 Florida's Election Hangover 12:33 The Lauren Boebert Discussion 13:03 How the Danger Corps Is Feeling 13:54 Rick from Ohio Calls In

"I don't believe we're coming to take their money. We're coming to take their power." The week of the midterms, Marshall Herskovitz wants the people who won to understand the difference. Help Me Understand with Dr. Rod Berger. Recorded while both of them are still worn out from election night, Emmy-winning writer, director and producer Marshall Herskovitz calls the result an immune response: millions of Americans who aren't Democrats pushing back against Trumpism. Rod isn't as sure. He brings Tennessee, where the margins shrank and a candidate who admitted to sending unsolicited nude photos still carried Williamson County, and asks whether persuasion can reach people who hear any argument as elitism. They work through trust in institutions, an economic agenda most Americans say they want, and why people who can track a running back to the decimal point skip the midterms. Then Marshall reads a speech he wrote before the election: "It's not confiscation, it's competition." In this episode 0:00 Welcome to Help Me Understand 1:33 How the midterms felt where each of them lives 2:56 Republicans who changed sides within hours 4:05 A crisis of values, and the courage of convictions 5:38 Tennessee: Memphis, Williamson County and the map 7:46 The work: one country again 9:11 Democracy proved stronger than Democrats believed 11:05 Vision or retribution 12:58 The edge of the volcano 15:27 Persuasion, and a vision most Americans share 16:33 Trust in institutions, and reforming them 18:35 The calling of our generation 19:30 An economic mandate 20:49 The people at the top are human too 22:40 Fantasy sports and the ballot 25:51 Not their money. Their power. 26:15 Robber barons, Teddy Roosevelt and Lincoln 28:36 Showing up for the team 31:42 A state of emergency since 9/11 33:33 Marshall reads a speech about taking the country back 38:30 Not confiscation. Competition. 39:17 Keep the conversation going Questions this episode answers What does Marshall Herskovitz mean by taking their power, not their money? The goal he describes isn't confiscating fortunes. It's ending the ability of billionaires, giant corporations, hedge funds and private equity to buy elections and lobbyists, making them pay their taxes and forcing them to compete. The speech he reads calls for a constitutional amendment overturning Citizens United and a research agency, modeled on DARPA, to create competition in industries so consolidated they're no longer competitive. Why does he call the midterm result an immune response? He reads the vote as the country, including many people who aren't Democrats, pushing out what he calls the poison of Trumpism: the way it intimidates, overwhelms and frightens people. He also argues American democracy proved stronger than many Democrats believed. What does he think Democrats should do next? Put forward a vision for the next 20 years that matches what most Americans already say they want, instead of spending two years only on hearings and prosecutions. He calls persuasion a word "almost forgotten in American politics." Where does Rod push back? He isn't sure everyone can be reached. When trust in institutions is gone, he says, the easiest way out of any argument is to call the person making it elitist. And the people at the top are human: they will fight any change to how they operate, and Democrats should plan for that. Who is Marshall Herskovitz? An Emmy-winning writer, director and producer. He co-created thirtysomething, My So-Called Life and Once and Again, produced films including Traffic and Blood Diamond, and is President Emeritus of the Producers Guild of America. About the hosts Dr. Rod Berger has conducted more than 4,000 interviews across five continents. He is Editor-at-Large at Fair Observer and the author of The Narrative Edge: Authentic Storytelling That Meets the Moment (Wiley). Marshall Herskovitz is his friend and, on some episodes, his co-host. Visit drrodberger.com · Get The Narrative Edge in hardcover Help Me Understand is part of The Dangerous Ones Network. Have something you're trying to understand? Call The People's Hotline and leave a message: 503-212-4600.

Well, well, well. Look who's suddenly not so loud anymore. After a stunning midterm election that handed Democrats control of Congress, Jim, Tiffany, and Nick are taking one gloriously inappropriate victory lap. Mike Johnson is giving up his leadership ambitions, Ken Paxton lost in Texas, and Elon Musk's political investments have become comedy material. Oh, and the MAGA crowd? Remarkably quiet. We're celebrating the absurdity of the election aftermath with brutal jokes, F-bombs, and plenty of righteous laughter. From Republican gerrymandering efforts blowing up in their faces to Pete Hegseth, the Iran war, and what promises to be an incredibly awkward Thanksgiving dinner with MAGA relatives, this is the kind of political catharsis we desperately needed. And we've got a Dangerous Call of the Day to send us home laughing. 👉🏼Get the Dangerous Daily Meme Letter for FREE! We're bringing curated memes, calls, behind-the-scenes updates and fun trouble directly to your inbox. Subscribe now for FREE: https://thedangerousones.com 🚨 Join our FACEBOOK group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/847099808048849/ ☎️ CALL US: 503-212-4600 Call anytime, 24/7, and leave us a message. You can remain anonymous. CHAPTERS 00:00 Victory Meme Wars After the Midterms 01:14 Mike Johnson and the House Flip 02:49 Elon Musk and Ken Paxton's Texas Defeat 04:32 Trump, Putin, and Texas Election Jokes 06:18 MAGA's Post-Election Silence 06:56 Pete Hegseth and the Iran War 08:28 Gerrymandering Backfires on Republicans 09:02 Lindsey Graham and Florida Election Jokes 10:41 Trump's Legacy and the Gulf of Mexico 11:33 Thanksgiving Dinner With MAGA Relatives 12:47 Trump, Russia, and Mitch McConnell 14:03 Dangerous Call of the Day

Help Me Understand with Dr. Rod Berger, solo episode. In a year Democrats won across the country, Tennessee Republicans kept the governor's office, kept their supermajority in the state House and took a congressional seat that used to be safely blue. Each of those wins came by a margin a red state never used to need. A caller to The People's Hotline admits she used to skip the midterms. Dr. Rod Berger follows that admission through the redrawn Ninth Congressional District, three Republican losses in Rutherford County and a governor's race decided by about two and a half points, and asks how much of an election is people changing their minds, and how much is people changing whether they come. In this episode 0:00 A caller to The People's Hotline 0:49 The new Ninth District, on NewsChannel 5 1:17 Two admissions, and who showed up 2:05 Here's what happened, in order 3:07 The strongest case that nothing changed 3:31 She owned hers 5:19 Rutherford County, on FOX 17 6:02 Arrival or absence 6:58 How close the governor's race came, on FOX 17 7:21 What's gone is the cushion 8:01 Put the three side by side 8:36 The part that lands on Rod 9:26 Questions to sit with Questions this episode answers How did Tennessee's Ninth Congressional District change? Earlier this year, the legislature redrew it. It used to be Memphis. Now it runs about two hundred miles east, into the suburbs south of Nashville, including part of Williamson County. Who won the Ninth District? Republican Brent Taylor, by about 2,500 votes. In the part of Williamson County inside the district, about six in ten voters chose him, a margin of about 10,000 votes. Did Democrats gain ground in Tennessee in 2026? Yes. They flipped six seats in the state House, though Republicans still hold 68 of 99, a supermajority. Marsha Blackburn won the governor's race by about two and a half points, in a state Donald Trump carried by almost 30 points in 2024. In the Fourth District, Victoria Broderick led Scott DesJarlais by about 280 votes, and the Associated Press had not called the race when the episode was recorded. Why did three Republicans lose in Rutherford County? The parties tell it two ways. Democrat Rachel Campbell points to new voters. Republican Steve Gill says his own voters stayed home. The episode argues both can be true, and that the precinct-level data to settle it isn't out yet. What does turnout have to do with it? In Williamson County, about 54 percent of registered voters cast a ballot, by the county's unofficial count. The episode's case is that Tennessee's cushion was the people who used to show up without thinking about it. Sources NewsChannel 5 (WTVF), Nashville, November 3, 2026 FOX 17 (WZTV), Nashville, November 4, 2026 The Commercial Appeal, November 4, 2026 Tennessee Lookout, November 4, 2026 WPLN, November 4, 2026 WSMV, November 4, 2026 Williamson County Election Commission, unofficial summary, November 3, 2026 Tennessee Secretary of State, 2024 presidential results About the host Dr. Rod Berger has conducted more than 4,000 interviews across five continents. He is Editor-at-Large at Fair Observer and the author of The Narrative Edge: Authentic Storytelling That Meets the Moment (Wiley). Some episodes of Help Me Understand feature his friend Marshall Herskovitz, the Emmy-winning writer, director and producer. Visit drrodberger.com · Get The Narrative Edge in hardcover Help Me Understand is part of The Dangerous Ones Network. Have something you're trying to understand? Call The People's Hotline and leave a message: 503-212-4600.

Help Me Understand with Dr. Rod Berger, solo episode. From election night to January 3 is sixty-one days. For those weeks, the outgoing Congress, including the members voters just removed, still holds every vote it held on November 2. The government runs out of money on December 11. The Senate wants to confirm about two dozen judicial nominees before the majority changes hands. And Thomas Massie, a Republican who isn't coming back, has promised to force a vote on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Dr. Rod Berger hears a caller to The People's Hotline who is happy about the results and scared of the wait, then goes back to the winters when these weeks mattered most: 1860, 1933 and 1998. The weeks are short. They've never been empty. In this episode 0:00 What Congress still has to do, on ABC News Live 0:34 "Must-do items" 0:56 A caller to The People's Hotline 1:43 When the gap was four months, and the headline that said lame ducks die 2:43 What sits inside these weeks now 3:15 The caller, and the cost of waiting 5:20 Judges for life, on NBC News Now 6:40 Thomas Massie's lame-duck vote, on NewsNation 7:48 Forty-four days in 1860, and an impeachment in 1998 8:51 The part that lands on Rod 9:36 Questions to sit with Questions this episode answers What is a lame-duck session of Congress? The stretch between a November election and January 3, when the new Congress is sworn in. Members who lost or retired keep their full votes until then. This year it runs sixty-one days from election night. What does Congress have to do before January? Fund the government before the current stopgap runs out on December 11 and pass the annual defense bill. Senate Republicans also want to confirm about two dozen judicial nominees before Democrats take the majority. Why did the lame duck used to be longer? Before 1933, a Congress elected in November didn't take office until March, and it usually didn't meet until the December after that. The Twentieth Amendment, ratified in January 1933, moved the new Congress to January 3 and the inauguration to January 20. The Chattanooga Daily Times put it on the front page: "Lame Ducks Die." Have these weeks mattered before? Yes. South Carolina left the Union on December 20, 1860, forty-four days after Abraham Lincoln's election, and six more states followed before he took the oath. In 1998, forty-six days after a midterm, the outgoing House impeached President Clinton. Is this one party's habit? No. Democrats confirmed a run of judges in December 2014 after losing the Senate, and Republicans confirmed judges after the 2020 election. The episode asks which of these moves you would defend if your own side were the one leaving. Sources ABC News Live, November 5, 2026 NBC News Now, November 5, 2026 NewsNation, November 5, 2026 Reuters, on the stopgap funding the government through December 11 Chattanooga Daily Times, January 24, 1933, page 1, via Newspapers.com Daily Nashville Patriot, December 21, 1860, page 2, via Newspapers.com The Leaf-Chronicle, Clarksville, December 20, 1998, page 1, via Newspapers.com U.S. Constitution, Amendment XX About the host Dr. Rod Berger has conducted more than 4,000 interviews across five continents. He is Editor-at-Large at Fair Observer and the author of The Narrative Edge: Authentic Storytelling That Meets the Moment (Wiley). Some episodes of Help Me Understand feature his friend Marshall Herskovitz, the Emmy-winning writer, director and producer. Visit drrodberger.com · Get The Narrative Edge in hardcover Help Me Understand is part of The Dangerous Ones Network. Have something you're trying to understand? Call The People's Hotline and leave a message: 503-212-4600.

Texas turned blue. Democrats took back Congress. And after years of political exhaustion, Jim, Tiffany, and Nick finally get to wake up celebrating instead of wondering what fresh bullshit Donald Trump has unleashed on America. In this special post-election celebration, The Dangerous Ones breaks down the historic Democratic victories of 2026, including James Talarico's Texas Senate win, Gina Hinojosa's defeat of Greg Abbott, and the wave of political firsts across America. We also examine Elon Musk's spectacularly expensive election failure, JD Vance's surprising explanation for the Republican defeat, and the increasingly desperate reactions coming from MAGA. And then there's the Danger Corps. One deeply emotional caller from Texas reminds us what this victory means to people who have spent years feeling politically isolated. It's a heartfelt, hilarious reminder that showing up matters, hope is contagious, and sometimes democracy delivers a wonderfully satisfying kick in the ass. 👉🏼Get the Dangerous Daily Meme Letter for FREE! We're bringing curated memes, calls, behind-the-scenes updates and fun trouble directly to your inbox. Subscribe now for FREE: https://thedangerousones.com 🚨 Join our FACEBOOK group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/847099808048849/ ☎️ CALL US: 503-212-4600 Call anytime, 24/7, and leave us a message. You can remain anonymous. CHAPTERS 00:00 Texas Erupts in Celebration 00:50 We Won! A Morning of Hope 03:15 Historic Firsts Across America 06:26 Affordability and Accountability 08:18 Elon Musk's Election Gamble 09:28 An Emotional Call From Texas 12:19 JD Vance Explains the Defeat 15:39 MAGA Election Night Reactions 18:17 The Woke 3.0 Celebration 19:27 America's Newly Blue States 21:21 Dangerous Call of the Day