Debating the Trump Era with Abby Phillip

Who is worth debating? Where do we draw the line? Will all journalism eventually devolve into debate? Jon Favreau is joined by Abby Philip, anchor of CNN NewsNight, to talk about her viral cable news show, the battle between traditional journalism and punditry, and her new book on the presidential campaigns of civil rights icon Jesse Jackson, who rewrote the rules of the Democratic Party and helped pave the way for Barack Obama’s rise.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. Get tickets to CROOKED CON November 6-7 in Washington, D.C at http://crookedcon.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker asks the Department of Homeland Security to suspend ICE operations — including the use of tear-gas — during Halloween to protect trick-or-treaters, but Secretary Kristi Noem insists operations will continue. President Trump concludes his tour of Asia with a new trade deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping that gives China access to powerful AI computer chips. Jon and Dan discuss those developments and the latest news, including Trump's continued threat to deploy troops to American cities, the President's explosive announcement that the U.S. will resume nuclear weapons testing, and a new report that may help Democrats win back Congress and the White House. Then, Tommy checks in with Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for Mayor of New York City, to talk about his campaign's sprint to the finish line and the GOP's attempts to make him the face of the Democratic Party.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. Get tickets to CROOKED CON November 6-7 in Washington, D.C at http://crookedcon.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Trump insider Steve Bannon says "there's a plan" for Donald Trump to serve a third term, and Trump says he'd "love to do it." Jon, Lovett, and Tommy speculate what that plan may look like and what it means for this year's elections and the 2026 midterms. Then, they discuss the latest from the ongoing government shutdown, Trump's new tariffs on Canada in response to a TV ad he didn't like, and Republicans' attempts to make Zohran Mamdani the face of the Democratic Party. Then, election attorney Marc Elias, founder of Democracy Docket, joins Lovett to talk more about Trump's 2028 plan and why he's taking the third-term threat seriously.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. Get tickets to CROOKED CON November 6-7 in Washington, D.C at http://crookedcon.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Trump demolishes the White House’s East Wing to make room for his ostentatious 90,000 square foot ballroom. Jon, Dan, and Alex Wagner — host of Crooked Media’s newest podcast “Runaway Country” — react to the the demolition and the latest news, including Trump’s demand that the Justice Department pay him $230 million in taxpayer money, his pardon of a crypto CEO convicted of failing to report terrorist organizations who used his platform to launder money, and the latest from 2025’s most important elections in New York, New Jersey, and Virginia. Then, Tommy is joined by the Pipeline Fund’s Denise Feriozzi to talk about building a deeper Democratic bench and why it’s so important for people to run for local office.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. Get tickets to CROOKED CON November 6-7 in Washington, D.C at http://crookedcon.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After millions rally at No Kings protests, Donald Trump posts an AI-generated video of himself wearing a crown, spraying poop from a fighter jet onto the crowds below. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy discuss how far we've fallen and then get into the news, including the political prosecution of John Bolton, Trump's threat to send troops to another California city, and the prospects for peace in Ukraine, war in Venezuela, and the breakdown of the Gaza peace deal. Then, Tommy sits down with Graham Platner, Democratic candidate for Senate in Maine, to discuss his recently resurfaced Reddit comments and the disillusionment he experienced after returning from Afghanistan.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. Get tickets to CROOKED CON November 6-7 in Washington, D.C at http://crookedcon.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why have CEOs been so eager to bend the knee? How are tariffs actually affecting the economy? Is the next major financial crisis already underway? New York Times financial columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin stops by the studio to talk to Lovett about our weird economy under Trump 2.0. They discuss big business's refusal to stand up to Trump, the prospect of a crypto-crash big enough to tank the U.S. economy, and why this moment is eerily similar to the stock market crash that kicked off the Great Depression, which Sorkin writes about in his new book 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History and How It Shattered a Nation.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.  Get tickets to CROOKED CON November 6-7 in Washington, D.C at http://crookedcon.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When a group of Young Republicans' racist private messages—which included praise for Hitler and slavery and jokes about gas chambers—get leaked to POLITICO, JD Vance says "that's what kids do" and that we all need to move on. President Trump names new targets for prosecution, including Sen. Adam Schiff, Andrew Weissmann, and Jack Smith, even as Trump's DOJ indicts his old nemesis, John Bolton. Jon and Dan react to Vance and Trump's comments, discuss the Trump administration's plan to weaponize the IRS, and debate whether the administration is seriously considering starting a war with Venezuela. They then turn to the latest developments in the government shutdown, the growing debate over the DSCC's influence in 2026 senate primaries, including those in Maine and Michigan, and a pending ruling at the Supreme Court that could further weaken the Voting Rights Act. Then, Sen. Brian Schatz talks with Tommy about whether the end of the shutdown is in sight, the administration's designation of Antifa as a terrorist organization, and the upcoming No Kings protests.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.  Get tickets to CROOKED CON November 6-7 in Washington, D.C at http://crookedcon.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Fashion isn’t just functional — it’s transformative. It can be a form of political speech, like when Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made headlines in a white gown emblazoned with “Tax the Rich.” It can also be a statement of resistance, as when the Black Panthers adopted black berets, a uniform that came to symbolize unity and power. Understanding the language of fashion is key to understanding the times we live in. It’s a translator for anyone trying to navigate this moment and one of the ten steps to reclaiming freedom and power as we challenge norms and assert our identity. Those of us who are pro-democracy may one day need to show who we are just as clearly. What we wear might matter more than we think. This week on Assembly Required, Stacey is joined by fashion editor and Pulitzer Prize–winning writer Robin Givhan. She breaks down how fashion reflects our culture back to us and what that reflection reveals about the political moment we’re in.Learn & Do More:Be Curious: If you enjoyed my conversation with Robin, pick up her latest book, Make It Ours: Crashing the Gates of Culture with Virgil Abloh.Solve Problems: Of the 100 billion garments produced each year, 92 million tonnes end up in landfills — the equivalent of one garbage truck full of clothes every single second. To help reduce waste, be mindful of your clothing consumption and shopping habits. Before clicking “buy” on that fast fashion site for the latest trend at the cheapest price, ask yourself: Do I really need this? Can I buy it from a sustainable source? Can I thrift something similar instead? Do Good:If you have old clothes or have been meaning to clean out your closet, don’t throw them away. Instead, consider donating them to those in need. Goodwill, your place of worship, or local homeless shelters are great places to start.  Get tickets to CROOKED CON November 6-7 in Washington, D.C at http://crookedcon.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Trump travels to Israel and Egypt to celebrate the return of the hostages and the end of military operations in Gaza. Tommy and Lovett react to the ceasefire, discuss what's next for Gaza, Israel, and Benjamin Netanyahu, and debate how much credit Trump deserves for brokering this peace deal. Then they turn to ICE's latest violence against immigrants and protesters, a new attack on constitutionally protected free speech at The Pentagon, and the latest from the ongoing government shutdown. Then, Leah Greenberg, Co-Executive Director of Indivisible, discusses this weekend's upcoming No Kings protests and Republicans' attempt to paint them as a "hate America" rally.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. Get tickets to CROOKED CON November 6-7 in Washington, D.C at http://crookedcon.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Donald Trump ramps up his attacks on American citizens, fighting in court to be able to deploy national guard troops to Chicago, and declaring that Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson should be imprisoned. Jon and Dan react to Trump's threats, the deployments to Chicago and Portland, and the White House's "Antifa roundtable," where the president and his cabinet portrayed Antifa—which doesn't even really exist—as a shadowy, nationwide terrorist network that must be dismantled. Then, they discuss the politically-motivated indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James, debate whether the Democrats are winning the shutdown message war, and react to some rare good news: the Gaza peace deal. Then, Gov. Pritzker sits down with Jon to discuss how he's fighting back against Trump's invasion of Chicago.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.  Get tickets to CROOKED CON November 6-7 in Washington, D.C at http://crookedcon.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.