A Brutally Honest Debate Recap

After a surprise appearance on  Saturday Night Live, Kamala Harris closes on optimism, unity, and lower prices—while Trump fantasizes about reporters getting murdered and says he regrets leaving office after losing reelection. With just one day to go, Jon, Lovett, and Tommy sort through the latest from the trail and the final batch of high-quality polls, including a stunning result from Ann Selzer in Iowa showing Harris up three points in a deep-red state. Then, the guys reflect on what we've already  learned from the campaign—regardless of the outcome.

With just two days to go, Dan sits down with Election Night guru and NBC News National Political Correspondent Steve Kornacki for a pre-election deep dive. Steve breaks down the state of the race, shares insights on key battleground states, trends among key voter groups, and which counties he's watching to signal election night outcomes. Then, Steve and Dan dig into close Senate and House races, plus some quirks in ballot-counting that could affect how quickly we get results. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast. From now through the election, you can subscribe to Crooked Media's Friends of the Pod membership with a massive 25% discount. Your support helps us build the shows and initiatives we’re envisioning for 2025—it’s the best way to back our team as we create new content and launch exciting projects! Take advantage of this offer here: http://go.crooked.com/B3CLJM or sign up at the top of your Apple Podcasts feed!

Donald Trump dresses up like a sanitation worker as a message stunt and says he'll "protect" women "whether the women like it or not." Kamala Harris seizes on those remarks in events in the swing states, sharpening her argument against Trump on abortion and health care. In the final Friday episode before Election Day, Jon and Dan discuss all the latest and what they're watching for in each of the battleground states on Tuesday. Then, Nebraska's independent Senate candidate, Dan Osborn, talks with Dan about how he's pulled even with the Republican incumbent in one of the reddest states in the country, and how he plans to win. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

Kamala Harris delivers a rousing closing speech, promising to be a president for all Americans and sharply contrasting her plans with Donald Trump's. Trump works to clean up that terrible Puerto Rico joke, getting assists from Sean Hannity and, unfortunately, President Biden, and Trump and surrogates like Elon Musk and Mike Johnson remind voters about their plans to take away health care and slash government budgets—and maybe crash the economy while they're at it. Jon Lovett and the Bulwark's Tim Miller sift through all of it, including the three remaining groups of undecided voters and the unending debate over invoking "fascism." Then, Lovett and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez talk about how to persuade disaffected progressives and what she's been seeing on the ground in Pennsylvania. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris offer two very different closing messages as we enter the last week before the election: Harris hits the trail with Beyoncé and Michelle Obama and pitches her economic plan for Puerto Rico, while Trump and his cronies light up Madison Square Garden with more vitriol, racism, and hate than even we're used to. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy react to a packed weekend of campaigning and discuss how the Harris campaign is making the final sale. Then, Alyssa Mastromonaco talks with former Speaker Nancy Pelosi about what it's like being one of Trump's "enemies within," what's keeping her up at night, and what she's expecting on Election Day. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

Kamala Harris’s lead pollster, David Binder, sits down with Dan Pfeiffer to explain how the the campaign is looking at undecided voters, Harris’s gains with Republican women, and why Gen Z men are in the spotlight. Then, The Atlantic’s Ron Brownstein dives into the big demographic shifts defining 2024, from widening gender gaps to key trends in swing states. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

Donald Trump tries to win over the last few undecided voters by calling immigrants "garbage" and campaigning with Tucker Carlson, who says America is a "bad little girl" who needs a spanking. Harris strikes a different note, contrasting Trump's "enemies list" with her "to do list," and rallying with Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, and the Obamas. Jon and Dan break down all the latest moves, including the strategy behind the big closing argument speech Harris will deliver on Tuesday. Then, Texas Congressman Colin Allred joins the show to discuss Harris's rally in Houston, and his plans for beating Ted Cruz. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

Donald Trump's former chief of staff, John Kelly, goes on the record about Trump praising Hitler, meeting the "definition of a fascist," and the "disturbing" idea of using the military against domestic opponents. Dan and MSNBC's Alex Wagner break down how damaging this might be for Trump, and how Kamala Harris is trying to use it to her advantage. Plus, they look at the Harris campaign's message and strategy in the final two weeks, including rallies with Barack Obama, Eminem, and Bruce Springsteen. Then, Jon talks with Senator Sherrod Brown about his must-win race in Ohio. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

Running on fumes with just two weeks to go, Trump raves about Arnold Palmer's genitalia and works the fryer at a McDonald's. Meanwhile, Kamala Harris campaigns across the battleground-state suburbs with Liz Cheney, and Barack Obama hits the trail for her in the Sun Belt. Then, Jon, Lovett, and Tommy discuss the legality of Elon Musk's million-dollar voter-registration giveaways, and Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz stops by to talk about the state of the race and what people can do to help. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

Dan is joined by Amy Walter, Editor-in-Chief of the Cook Political Report, to break down Democrats' chances of winning the White House, Senate, and House. They dive into key battleground polling trends, the fight for control of the Senate, and whether Dems can flip the House. Then, Dan answers questions from subscribers. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast. From now through Election Day, monthly subscribers can upgrade to a yearly Friends of the Pod membership with a massive 25% discount. Your support helps us build the shows and initiatives we’re envisioning for 2025—it’s the best way to back our team as we create new content and launch exciting projects! Take advantage of this offer here: http://go.crooked.com/B3CLJM or sign up at the top of your Apple Podcasts feed!