Pod Save America

David Axelrod joins Dan to discuss the Democratic Party's best messengers and its likely 2028 contenders. Together, they break down standout moments from some of the party's rising voices, examine what it'll take for Democrats to win the House despite new gerrymandered maps, and walk through some of this year's most important Senate races.
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, episode title, and episode date.

Republicans attempt to defend President Trump's admission that he does not "think about Americans' financial situations," while his Department of Justice is on the verge of giving him billions of taxpayer dollars to settle the lawsuit he brought against his own IRS. Jon and Dan react to the president's financial priorities and then turn to Democratic strategy, including how they should be talking about the administration's corruption, how they're fighting back against Republican gerrymandering, and the latest on the DNC's refusal to release its 2024 autopsy.
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, episode title, and episode date.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivers a blistering response to Jeff Bezos's Washington Post after the editorial board attacks her for criticizing billionaires. Jon, Tommy, and Lovett mull what an AOC 2028 campaign could look like and discuss the latest news, including President Trump rejecting an Iranian counterproposal that could end the war, his proposal to make Venezuela the 51st state, and his upcoming trip to China, which will now include his billionaire buddies Elon Musk and Tim Cook. Then, they react to the Virginia Supreme Court's decision to throw out the state's voter-approved congressional maps, debate how much the GOP's new redistricting advantage will actually be worth in November, and preview Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's pivot back to reality TV.
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, episode title, and episode date.

Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock stops by the studio to talk to Jon about the Supreme Court's dismantling of the Voting Rights Act, his visit to an ICE detention facility, and whether the Democratic Party is doing enough to fight back against Trump. Then Jon and the senator, who serves as senior pastor at the congregation Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once led, discuss JD Vance lecturing Pope Leo on theology, increasing political violence in America, and what lessons from Dr. King can help us build a sustained political movement at this 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, episode title, and episode date.

Congressional Republicans plan to spend $1 billion in taxpayer money on Trump's ballroom, claiming the money is necessary for "security" — and creating a huge political problem for themselves. The president and his cabinet make a show of ignoring the pain Americans are feeling at the gas pump, as the US and Iran circle around an underwhelming peace deal. JD Vance's 2028 stock slides as Republican voters turn their attention to Marco Rubio. Dan and Jon discuss the latest, including how Democrats should respond to a new wave of Republican gerrymandering in the South and a new report from The Atlantic that Kash Patel has been handing out personalized bottles of bourbon while on the job. Then, Tom Steyer stops by the studio to talk to Lovett about his race for California governor.
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, episode title, and episode date.