Blue Wave Building in the Strait of Hormuz

Donald Trump's approval rating hits historic lows as voters react to soaring gas prices caused by his war of choice with Iran. Dan and Jon discuss what those new figures mean for the upcoming midterms and react to Florida Democrats flipping the state legislative seat that includes the president's home at Mar-a-Lago. Plus: the new report that Trump is tiring of the war even as he plans a ground invastion, his likely illegal attempt to pay TSA workers by executive order, and the election crisis facing Democrats in California.

Donald Trump backtracks on his threat to obliterate Iran's power plants, saying the administration has begun talks with Iran to end the war, despite Iran's insistence that no talks are underway. Jon, Tommy, and Lovett react to the reversal and debate its validity, discuss the White House's decision to lift sanctions on 140 million barrels of Iranian oil, and check in on the Pentagon's request for an additional $200 billion to wage this war. Then, they react to Trump's plan to send ICE agents into airports to assist the TSA, a Wall Street Journal report about a revolt brewing inside the Democratic Party over Chuck Schumer's leadership, and the president's disgusting comment on the death of Robert Mueller. Finally, Strict Scrutiny's Leah Litman stops by to talk to Lovett about the major mail-in voting case before the Supreme Court and the drama inside the New Jersey US Attorney's office.

Jen Psaki, Joe Biden's former White House Press Secretary and host of MS NOW's The Briefing with Jen Psaki, talks to Dan about the ways the Trump administration is trying — and failing — to sell its war with Iran to the American people. The two discuss the White House's meme-forward messaging campaign, MAGA media's break with the president over the war, and how Trump's cell phone interview habit is shaping media coverage. Then, Dan and Jen discuss how a series of contentious Senate primaries are reshaping the Democratic Party and whether "fuck Trump" is a strong enough message heading into the midterms.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.

The Pentagon requests an additional $200 billion in funding for Trump's war in Iran. Jon and Dan discuss how Democrats in Congress should respond to the request, the administration's insistence that rising gas prices are nothing to worry about, and the resignation of a high-ranking intelligence official, Joe Kent, over the administration's decision to go to war with Iran. Then, they talk about Tulsi Gabbard's and Markwayne Mullin's explosive hearings on the Hill, AIPAC's impact on Tuesday's Democratic primaries in Illinois, and Trump's latest money-making venture — putting himself on a commemorative gold coin. Then, Juliana Stratton, the new Democratic nominee for Senate in Illinois, talks to Dan about her simple, effective anti-Trump message.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.

President Trump calls on U.S. allies to send warships to the Middle East to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but no one seems interested in answering his call. Jon, Tommy, and Lovett discuss the United States' decreasing global standing, the deployment of an additional 2,500 Marines to the region, and Trump's interesting word selection at a Kennedy Center turned Iran war press conference on Monday morning. Then, the guys discuss Trump and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's threats against the media over its Iran war coverage, the vicious fight happening on the right over the war, and check in on corruption coming out of the administration, including a shocking Trump fundraising email, Jared Kushner's investment fund, and Sen. Markwayne Mullin's suspicious stock trading. Finally: the guys jump in on the latest trend taking over the political media — cold-calling President Trump.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.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro stops by the studio to talk to Jon Lovett about Trump's war in Iran, growing antisemitism and Islamophobia in America, and what it'll take for Democrats to learn how to do big things again. The two then unpack what it takes for a politician to honestly change their mind, ask the Governor's sister — who was sitting in the studio — to fact-check his claims about growing up as a troublemaker, and debate whether a calm, collected approach to politics can also be cool in our current political moment.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.

President Trump suggests that the high price of oil—surging upward because of his war in Iran—is a good thing, because the United States makes "a lot of money." Jon and Dan discuss the President's unique affordability message, his claim that the war has already been won, and what Joe Rogan, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Gen Z men are saying about Iran. Then, they check in on the GOP, including the party's mass deportation messaging "hiccup," the lengths some on the right are going to in order to pass the SAVE Act, and MAGA's full embrace of Islamophobia. Finally, they react to former DOGE staffers trying to explain DEI under oath, and to Marco Rubio allegedly lying about his shoe size to the President of the United States.

The war in Iran enters its second week and Donald Trump declares that it's about to end — and also that it's going to last a very long time. Jon, Tommy, and Lovett react to the president's conflicting statements, the cascading global energy crisis he created, and the way Republicans — especially warmonger Lindsey Graham — are reacting to the war. Then, they discuss why some Democrats are hesitant to cut off funding for the strikes, the administration's arrests of American citizens protesting its deportation campaign, and the Trump sons' new business venture: drone warfare. Then, Tommy talks to Congressman Pat Ryan, an Iraq War veteran, about our new war and what Democrats can do to oppose it.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.

California Governor Gavin Newsom sits down with Jon and Tommy before a live audience in Los Angeles to discuss Trump's war on Iran, the crowded California gubernatorial primary, and his new book Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery. The governor talks about his close childhood friendship with the Getty family, issuing the first same-sex marriage licenses nationwide as San Francisco Mayor, and his surprising childhood pet, Potter the otter.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.

Trump abruptly fires Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Dan and Jon discuss the Congressional hearings that led to her dismissal, Trump's announcement that Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin will replace her, and the future of DHS. Then they react to the administration's ever-shifting justifications for their war with Iran, Republicans voting with Democrats to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi over her handling of the Epstein files, how MAGA is already attacking James Talarico, and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy's new target: Dunkin' Donuts. Then, Dan talks to Politico senior political columnist Jonathan Martin about Tuesday night's results, the tense Republican runoff in Texas, and Jmart’s forthcoming podcast series, On the Road with Jonathan Martin.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.