The Politics Guys

Mike talks with Vicky Hausman, founder and CEO of the American Service Project, about reimagining national service to address political polarization, economic insecurity, and the challenges of artificial intelligence. Despite overwhelming bipartisan support—including 84% of Trump voters—national service remains remarkably limited. Why hasn't public enthusiasm translated into meaningful legislation? And could a dramatically expanded civilian service program help young Americans develop skills, find meaningful work, and connect with people from different backgrounds?Mike and Vicky explore whether service should be mandatory, how to make participation accessible beyond affluent college graduates, and what national service offers that apprenticeships and vocational training don't. They also examine potential job displacement, promising state-level experiments, and the substantial costs of expanding service. Finally, they consider the disconnect between Trump's supporters and his administration's AmeriCorps cuts, and whether national service could become a defining issue in the 2028 presidential election.The Politics Guys on Facebook | XListener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

In this supporters' exclusive midweek episode, Mike and Michael examine what Democrats' sweeping midterm victories mean for the next two years of Trump's presidency, Justice Elena Kagan's criticism of the Supreme Court, and Trump's surprising announcement about military aid to Israel.The guys start with the lame-duck Congress, government funding, potential impeachment proceedings, and the Democrats' legislative and investigative priorities. They debate whether Democrats should impeach Trump, what the midterms mean for MAGA's future, and whether eliminating the Senate filibuster makes sense. Next, they examine Kagan's argument that conservative Supreme Court rulings on voting rights, gerrymandering, and campaign finance have damaged American democracy. Mike and Michael disagree sharply over whether justices should consider the broader political consequences of their decisions, while exploring possible Supreme Court reforms. Finally, they discuss Trump's plan to end military aid to Israel, shifting American public opinion, Israel's uncertain governing coalition, and the growing divisions over Israel within the Democratic Party.Michael's SubstackThe Politics Guys on Facebook | XListener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Mike, Michael, and Justin examine the Democrats' stunning 2026 midterm election victory, the Republican Party's reckoning, and what the results mean for American politics. With Democrats capturing both chambers of Congress, flipping Senate seats in traditionally Republican states, and winning the national House vote by roughly 13 points, the guys consider the roles of economic frustration, the Iran war, and Donald Trump's unpopularity. They debate whether Trump deserves any credit for his response, what the results mean for JD Vance and the future of MAGA, and whether Democrats can legitimately claim a mandate.At the state level, Democratic victories reshape governorships and legislatures, potentially transforming the political landscape for years. The guys also examine voters' overwhelming rejection of data center development, debating whether concerns about electricity costs, environmental impacts, and artificial intelligence are justified. Finally, they assess why pollsters and election forecasters substantially underestimated Democratic support—and whether those failures reveal deeper problems with political polling.Michael's SubstackThe Politics Guys on Facebook | XListener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

In this supporters’ exclusive midweek episode, Mike and Trey examine the Trump Justice Department’s latest criminal charge against James Comey, Elon Musk’s extraordinary influence over U.S. national security, and the growing crisis facing American higher education.They begin with the DOJ’s Espionage Act case against Comey, questioning its legal foundations, suspicious timing, and what repeated attempts to prosecute Trump’s political opponents mean for the rule of law.Next, they turn to Ukraine, where restrictions on SpaceX’s Starshield service raise troubling questions about who controls critical military infrastructure. Has the Pentagon become dangerously dependent on Elon Musk, and are the savings worth the national security risks?Finally, Mike and Trey explore the financial pressures threatening regional public universities and smaller private colleges. They examine enrollment declines, unequal state funding, and the political advantages enjoyed by flagship universities before tackling a more fundamental question: Is college simply about preparing students for jobs, or does a broadly educated citizenry have a value that economics cannot adequately measure?The Politics Guys on Facebook | XListener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Mike, Michael, and Trey preview the 2026 midterm elections, examine Justice Department interventions in Alaska and California, and debate what a Democratic Congress could accomplish during Donald Trump's final two years in office.They start with Michael's election models, which point toward Democratic control of the House and a strong possibility of a Senate takeover. But are the polls reliable, and which races in Texas, Iowa, Kansas, and elsewhere will tell us whether a Democratic wave is developing?Next, the guys discuss the controversy surrounding Alaska's two Dan Sullivans, the DOJ's attempt to challenge thousands of California mail ballots, and the increasingly troubling intersection of partisan politics and federal law enforcement.Finally, the guys offer their plausible best-case scenarios for the midterms and beyond. Would congressional investigations expose Trump administration corruption or accomplish little beyond political theater? Could Democrats advance legislation despite presidential vetoes? And might the election finally loosen MAGA's grip on the Republican Party?Michael's SubstackThe Politics Guys on Facebook | XListener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

On this midweek supporters-exclusive episode of The Politics Guys, Trey Orndorff and Justin Holmes continue their brand-new miniseries examining key structural, legal, and constitutional turning points in contemporary American politics. In Part 2 of a three-part retrospective on the 2000 Presidential Election, Trey and Justin give a week-by-week examination of what happened after election night in November. The hosts trace the key strategies for both Bush and Gore, the moves of the various state officials in Florida, and analyze who would have won depending on how the ballots were counted.The Politics Guys on Facebook | XListener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

On this week’s episode of The Politics Guys, Trey Orndorff is back with Justin Holmes to look past horse-race headlines and dissect the deeper political science, constitutional, and regulatory developments shaping the national landscape. The guys begin by examining the astroturfed confrontation in Michigan between Abdul El-Sayed and “Tommy,” or Thomas Teepell, a former operative for Senator Josh Hawley. The hosts discuss why "constants don't explain variables" in electoral behavior, noting that while viral moments generate online engagement, they rarely shift voter preferences late in a cycle. The hosts explore the economics of modern astroturfing, campaign spending rationality, and the weaponization of anti-Muslim tropes in midterm messaging.Next, the pair turns to a controversial television commercial in the Ohio governor’s race produced by Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy against Dr. Amy Acton featuring her estranged birth mother, Donna Arther. Trey discussed the academic literature on negative advertising, discussing whether scorched-earth ads suppress turnout and how it might help the Ramaswamy campaign, while Justin addresses the role of perceived fairness in voter persuasion and institutional risks of normalizing perusal trauma in campaign discourse.After that, the hosts turn to an executive branch search warrant targeting a sitting member of Congress, Ilhan Omar (D-MN). Federal agents executed a search warrant of the personal home snd property of Rep. Omar, including her phones, laptops, notebooks, and her passport. Trey and Justin examine the 2006 FBI raid on Representative William Jefferson’s congressional office (United States v. Rayburn House Office Building), which established strict limits on executive searches of legislative communications. The hosts analyze the constitutional danger of sweeping electronic seizures against sitting lawmakers and the evidentiary hurdles of prosecuting three-decade-old paperwork signed by a deceased parent.They close looking at the $25 billion civil judgment against Meta. Justin and Trey discuss the practical realities of parenting in a digital era, the technical barriers to reliable age verification without creating secondary privacy risks, and whether mega-judgments lead to genuine algorithmic reforms or get treated as a cost of doing business.The Politics Guys on Facebook | XListener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

In this supporters' exclusive midweek episode, Mike and Justin discuss Kimberly Guilfoyle's resignation as ambassador to Greece, the Trump administration's antitrust investigation into major news networks, and the extraordinarily short tenure of White House press secretary Katie Zacharia.They begin with allegations that Guilfoyle solicited money and personal favors from wealthy Trump supporters, raising broader questions about political patronage, diplomatic appointments, and corruption. Next, they examine whether the Justice Department has a legitimate antitrust case against television networks that suspended White House press pool coverage—or whether the investigation represents another effort to punish critical media outlets. The discussion turns to Zacharia's departure after just five days, Trump's approach to staffing, and whether the traditional White House press secretary still serves a useful purpose in the social media era.The Politics Guys on Facebook | XListener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

With the 2026 midterms approaching, Mike and Justin examine the increasingly difficult electoral landscape for Republicans, including Democrats' chances of capturing both chambers of Congress. They discuss record-breaking campaign spending, Elon Musk's extraordinary contributions, and why Trump is sitting on hundreds of millions in campaign funds while concentrating his rallies in Republican strongholds.Next, the guys turn to the Justice Department's search of Rep. Ilhan Omar's home, examining allegations involving her citizenship and finances, previous investigations that produced no charges, and whether the timing suggests political intimidation rather than legitimate law enforcement.Finally, they consider Trump's decision to ease sanctions on Russian diesel, whether the deal could meaningfully reduce American fuel prices, and reports of restrictions on Ukraine's satellite communications. They also explore growing Republican resistance to Trump's Russia policy and the broader institutional implications of a presidency increasingly willing to test the limits of executive authority, with Congress seemingly unable or unwilling to impose meaningful restraints.The Politics Guys on Facebook | XListener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

In this special full-length release of our normally supporters-only midweek episode, Mike and Michael Levy tackle a provocative question: Why are Donald Trump's approval ratings still so high? With approval in the 30s, Trump's popularity looks dismal by conventional standards. But given his controversies, policy failures, and challenges to democratic institutions, should his numbers be even lower?Mike challenges Michael's argument (from his Substack - link below) as they explore Trump's unusually resilient political support, the role of partisan identity and affective polarization, and whether Trumpism can survive without Trump himself. They also examine whether Democrats are susceptible to the same tribal loyalties, why some voters actively welcome Trump's aggressive use of presidential power, and what the erosion of respect for the rule of law means for American democracy. Finally, they consider why fact-checking and policy proposals so often fail to change minds—and what Democrats might do differently.Michael's Substack Piece on Trump's ApprovalThe Politics Guys on Facebook | XListener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.