Orange Is the New Red: Trump’s Intel Inquisition
The free market just flatlined—and Donald Trump pulled the plug. While pretending to be the defender of capitalism, Trump has become its greatest enemy. His new 10% stake in Intel, combined with a push for Soviet-style business control, exposes the breathtaking hypocrisy of MAGA’s so-called “free enterprise” movement. Just like his idol Vladimir Putin—who used the exact same strategy to crush r...
45m Sep 05, 2025
45m
Surviving Epstein with Jess Michaels
**Content Warning: The following episode features the story of a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein, references sexual assault, and may be triggering. Please take care.** This week, Rick sits down with Jess Michaels, who is a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse, to expose not just the predator himself, but the powerful system that enabled him. As Jess tells her story of surviving the billionaire’s we...
41m Sep 02, 2025
41m
Redistricting Roulette: House Always Wins
Forget ballot stuffing — the real con is happening at the drafting table. Rick Wilson and redistricting assassin Dave Daley rip into the 2025 gerrymander scam that’s turning democracy into a rigged casino. The lines are drawn, the fix is in, and voters are the suckers at the table. From Texas to New York, Republicans are carving maps like mobsters carving turf — locking in power before a single...
28m Aug 26, 2025
28m
Re-up: Rick + John Bolton
Former UN Ambassador, attorney, and foreign affairs expert Mr. John Bolton stops by the studio to talk with Rick about America's status on the global stage. Bolton articulates all of the complicated moving pieces of how America impacts the world and sheds light on threats toward the U.S., the effect of tariffs on our U.S. allies, Russia and Ukraine, and local security.  ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ You...
22m Aug 22, 2025
22m
Trolling the Troll
This week, Rick's Elephant in the Room is fighting the fight where it's at. And, not to go too hard on Dems, but they *could* stop hating the game and instead take a page out of Gavin Newsom's playbook. When Newsom logs on, Donald Trump takes the L. This past week has been one nonstop stream of viral trolls, clapbacks, and dunks, with Newsom torching Trump across social media. We’re breaking do...
12m Aug 22, 2025
12m
The GOP’s Texas Hold ‘Em
Texas just went full throttle and dropped the wildest political heist of 2025 — a mid-decade redistricting blitz where Republicans rigged the map, Democrats fled the state, and cops chased lawmakers like it was a Netflix drama. Add in nationwide “Fight the Trump Takeover” protests and blue states plotting revenge, and you’ve got the biggest battle for Congress before 2026. Rick sits down with ...
18m Aug 19, 2025
18m
Mapf*cked: The Lone Star Screw Job
This week, Rick's Elephant in the Room is the redistricting gunfight in Texas. Ahead of the 2026 midterms and to mitigate Trump's terrible polling numbers, Governor Abbott and the Texas GOP just “remixed” democracy — and not in the fun, dancefloor kind of way. They’re locking in their power with lines so crooked they make Watergate look like a paperwork error. Meanwhile, Democrats in California...
11m Aug 15, 2025
11m
Doomscrolling, Disinformation, and Algorithmic Tyranny
Most of us have heard by now that the US is experiencing an ongoing disinformation war online, taking on damage from our global adversaries, various capitalistic social media platforms, and, worst of all, Trump, MAGA, and the far-right. Dr. Caroline Orr Bueno -- a PhD in Disinformation and Social Networks who's built a resistance against political propaganda -- sits down with Rick to shed light...
33m Aug 12, 2025
33m
Trump's Vladdy-Daddy Issues
This week, Rick's Elephant in the Room is Trump and Putin's desperate, evil, and megalomaniacal love affair as a diversion tactic. Trump, perilously seeking a distraction from the Epstein files, has a meeting with Putin soon, and Rick has a hunch of what Trump is willing to do to change the headlines to ANYTHING ELSE...even if that means some sort of deal with the Russian devil. Currently, 80% ...
15m Aug 08, 2025
15m
Epstein's Entrapment with Julie K. Brown
Journalist Julie K. Brown -- whose Miami Herald reporting in 2017 and 2018 led to additional charges for Epstein and identified nearly 80 of his victims -- sits down with Rick to unravel all of the significant details that the public might not know yet, or might not be paying attention to. Blowing the lid off of an already UNBELIEVABLE story (again), Julie sheds light on the victims' stories, E...
39m Aug 05, 2025
39m
You're Holding the Smoking Gun, Donny
This week, Rick's Elephant in the Room is that America has spoken, and we're not letting the Epstein cover-up go. America is locked on target, and justice for the sexual assault victims matters. Exposing the truth about Donald Trump matters. Maybe we're growing up as a country? After ten years of distraction whack-a-mole, maybe we've matured and are no longer taking his bait. Facts are louder t...
14m Aug 01, 2025
14m
Killing the Press: Russia's Early Red Flags
Russian expats, anti-authoritarian journalists, and co-authors Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan join Rick this week to share their heroic story of fleeing Russia in order to give the rest of the world a picture of how people within the country reacted to the war in Chechnya (and now the invasion of Ukraine), how the death of journalism paved a path for state-run misinformation channels, and wh...
30m Jul 29, 2025
30m
The Rank Stench of Carte (Todd) Blanche
This week, Rick's Elephant in the Room is the foul odor of the Epstein files -- and now Todd Blanche meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell in Florida. Blanche, who was Trump's personal attorney throughout cases brought from 2020 through 2024 is now serving as the Deputy Attorney General under the Trump Administration. Backed up by numerous photos and previously released court documents that can be fou...
14m Jul 25, 2025
14m
More Everything Forever: AI, Crypto, and Silicon Valley's Hype Hijinks
Calling all AI prompstitutes/askholes, crypto whales, and everyone who grew up nerding out on Science Fiction...this episode is for you! Special guest Adam Becker, an astrophysicist, author, tech journalist, and scientific philosopher, joins Rick to dissect Silicon Valley's beating heart: techno-futurism and the Silicon Valley bros. Inspired by all of the weird stories he's heard at parties in ...
40m Jul 22, 2025
40m
Lies Are Killing You, Donald
This week, Rick's Elephant in the Room is -- is Trump dying? From his bruised hands to his swollen cankles, Donald Trump is taking on water like a pregnant woman with pre-eclampsia. As of yesterday, Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency (or as we joked internally, "venus deficiency" or "a lack of love from the ladies" -- which totally tracks). According to a quick Google search,...
15m Jul 18, 2025
15m
Trump-cession with Economist Justin Wolfers
Economist Justin Wolfers sits down with Rick to discuss the absolutely bananas state of the American economy. Running his campaign on the economy, now Trump -- the ultimate flip-flopper -- has left Americans and American businesses holding the bag. The wishy-washy nature of the tariffs isn't good for anyone...and he knows it. How much are those eggs now? • • • • • You can follow Justi...
35m Jul 15, 2025
35m
Trump's Kryptonite: The Epstein Files
This week, Rick's Elephant in the Room highlights the incredibly contradictory statements made by Pam Bondi, Dan Bongino, and Kash Patel as they backtrack on their previous comments about the Epstein files, now claiming "there's nothing to see here, folks." (Shocker.) This has caused a major MAGA meltdown -- cut to Alex Jones crying in a self-filmed iPhone video, Steve Bannon calling for a spec...
14m Jul 11, 2025
14m
According to Sources + "Off the Record" with Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager, + Isaac Arnsdorf
We have a very special, breaking story and episode premiere for you all. Rick sits down with investigative reporters and co-authors -- Josh Dawsey of The Wall Street Journal, Tyler Pager of The New York Times, and Isaac Arnsdorf of The Washington Post -- for a behind-the-scenes, no-holds-barred 360° look at all angles of our last presidential race in 2024: How Trump Retook the White House and t...
39m Jul 08, 2025
39m
How America Was (Really) Won with Rick Atkinson
 As we approach the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America (July 4th, 2026), we are bringing you a very special episode commemorating this Fourth of July. In this special episode, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Rick Atkinson joins Rick Wilson (who is also a history buff) to re-examine the history of the Revolutionary War and how the grit of great Americans ultimatel...
28m Jul 04, 2025
28m
Law vs. Executive Disorder
Democracy Docket founder and legal legend Marc Elias joins Rick to unpack everything that’s currently going on with the law and the Trump administration. Shedding light on various cases and what’s really going on, Marc Elias shares his breadth of knowledge on the legal lay of the land when it comes to Trump, the Supreme Court, the DOJ, and States’ rights. ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ Follow Marc Eli...
23m Jul 01, 2025
23m
If You're Explaining, You're Losing: Pete Hegseth Edition
This week, Rick's Elephant In The Room focuses on Trump, General Ratliff, and Pete Hegseth selling the American people a bill of goods about the US's attacks on Iran last weekend. It's a general rule of thumb in politics -- if you're having to defend your position, you're losing. So, when Trump blindly and prematurely tweeted and spoke to the media about his "total obliteration" of the nuclear ...
17m Jun 27, 2025
17m
The Plan To Take Down Iran Was Israel’s, Not Trump’s: Inside Israel’s Plan To Defeat Iran
In the episode, Rick sits down for an exclusive with Israeli experts and co-authors of Target Tehran: How Israel Is Using Sabotage, Cyberwarfare, Assassination – and Secret Diplomacy – to Stop a Nuclear Iran and Create a New Middle East Yonah Jeremy Bob & Ilan Evyatar. These Israeli experts break down how their book which was published two years ago predicted recent events (and surprise it was ...
35m Jun 24, 2025
35m
Who is that Man in the Mask?!
This week, Rick’s Elephant in the Room touches on the lack of accountability when those who are sworn to “protect and serve” do neither by concealing their own identities. A construct of every major dictatorship, secret military forces such as the Nazis’ SS and Russia’s KGB have always been a lynchpin in the descent into autocracy. Let’s face it, we do not need Seal Team 6 — or as these agents ...
11m Jun 20, 2025
11m
Trump's Tyrannical Takeover with Asha Rangappa
Rick's dear friend, Asha Rangappa -- who's an American lawyer, former FBI agent, Assistant Dean of Admissions and Senior Lecturer at Yale University's Jackson School of Global Affairs -- sits down with Rick to unpack all of the moving legal pieces between Trump and the courts. Invoking emergency powers when there isn't a real emergency, Trump continues to use presidential powers for nefarious r...
31m Jun 17, 2025
31m
No F*cking Kings
This week, Rick's Elephant in the Room is twofold -- 1) no f*cking kings, and 2) the United States military belongs to its citizens. Look up the Posse Comitatus Act -- this is a federal law, passed by Congress following Reconstruction, signed in 1878 by President Rutherford B. Hayes, that limits the powers of the federal government in the use of federal military personnel to enforce domestic po...
12m Jun 13, 2025
12m
Mike Davey “Gives a Damn” about FL’s 27th
Mike Davey, who’s an attorney and the former Mayor of Key Biscayne, sits down with Rick to discuss why he’s running for congress in Florida’s 27th District. A father and husband to strong Latinas and a local leader who many turn to, Mike is taking on Trump’s immigration warfare, Florida’s housing shortage and property insurance issues, and incumbent MAGA María Salazar who has sold out her commu...
29m Jun 10, 2025
29m
Everything Trump Touches Dies (And Elon Should've Known Better)
This week, Rick's Elephant in the Room reflects on the fallout of Elon Musk and Trump (the girls are fighting!). Elon should have heeded Rick's golden rule or read his book, Everything Trump Touches Dies, to fully understand what he was signing up for. Watching the fiery tweets ping-ponging back and forth this week, Trump seems to have finally met his match. Waiting to see what happens next, wh...
18m Jun 06, 2025
18m
Ken Burns on the 81st Anniversary of D-Day
Legendary filmmaker Ken Burns sits down with Rick to discuss the events and circumstances that won D-Day and gave America its Greatest Generation. Touching on how Americans' grit and innovation turned the tide that day, Ken and Rick reflect on the significance of WWII and what lessons we can learn from that war and all of those brave souls who served on D-Day. This episode is a tribute to them....
33m Jun 06, 2025
33m
Unpacking Trump, the Degenerate, with The New York Times
Jonah Bromwich, who's a criminal justice reporter at The New York Times and author of his new book Dragon on Centre Street, joins Rick to drill down to what the Stormy Daniels case actually meant for the American people. The book focuses on Donald Trump’s criminal trial, but it’s also about the way that our institutions have failed to keep up with the 21st century. At heart, this case wasn't ab...
34m Jun 03, 2025
34m
TACO: Trump Always Chickens Out
This week, Rick's Elephant in the Room unpacks TACO Trump. (And, kudos to the Wall Street Bros who coined the "perfect" term -- "Trump Always Chickens Out.") As the anthropologist on Donald Trump, Rick (who has studied this man for over ten years -- thank you for your service!) sheds light on how TACO applies to all aspects of Trump. This flacid, feeble, fatuous fool is not the strong man he *t...
24m May 30, 2025
24m
John Bolton on America's Isolationism
Former UN Ambassador, attorney, and foreign affairs expert Mr. John Bolton stops by the studio to talk with Rick about America's status on the global stage. Bolton articulates all of the complicated moving pieces of how America impacts the world and sheds light on threats toward the U.S., the effect of tariffs on our U.S. allies, Russia and Ukraine, and local security.  ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ Yo...
35m May 27, 2025
35m
Trump, a Doddering Old Fool
This week, Rick's Elephant in the Room is Trump's mental decline. With the White House decidedly halting transcripts of Trump's speeches, and a rise of extreme political sharks circling the Oval Office, what's left of Trump's mental cognition has also apparently been deported without a court hearing. On a strict diet of Big Macs and Adderall, Trump's last "cognition test"  -- 'Person. Woman. Ma...
14m May 23, 2025
14m
From Baller to Senator: The G.O.A.T. of Virginia's Government
Fighting for Virginia, Senator Aaron Rouse -- born and raised in Virginia Beach and from area code 757 -- has risen in politics from the local level to statewide office. In 2025, Aaron is excited to run for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, being a person of and for the people. A former safety for the NFL's Green Bay Packers, Aaron brings a team approach to politics -- we're all on the same team...
33m May 20, 2025
33m
Exhausted AF But, Still, We Persist (and Resist)
This week's Elephant in the Room is exhaustion. You're feeling it, we're feeling it, and Trump and his administration are feeling it. Trump is falling asleep during meetings, and for his staffers, living in fear is draining. Overthrowing a democracy consumes a lot of energy from all sides. We knew another Trump term would mean another serious bout of adrenal fatigue, but this time, the array of...
16m May 16, 2025
16m
Jared Moskowitz on Why He Yells (to Get Through to the Dumb-Dumbs)!
This week, Jared Moskowitz -- the U.S. representative for Florida's 23rd congressional district -- joins Rick to shed light on why he whispers, i.e., yells, at James Comer. Unraveling the threads of the Trump administration's biggest headlines, Jared and Rick touch on Trump's vandalization of the American economy, the insanely stupid idea to roll back FEMA (something that will impact deeply-hel...
33m May 13, 2025
33m
The Trump Crime Family
This week's Elephant in the Room is the Trump Crime Family. 'Nuff said.  ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com.  Join the fight with Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us and follow us on X at @ProjectLincoln. If you'd like to help us continue this critical work, visit https://action.lincolnproject.us/...
9m May 09, 2025
9m
Michigan's Jocelyn Benson is 100% Salt of the Earth
 Removing partisan political rhetoric from state government, Michigan's Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson sits down with Rick to discuss her no-holds-barred style regarding local government. Married into the military, Jocelyn is a no-nonsense leader who isn't shaken by political threats on her life, campaign attacks from the far right, or the pressure to cave to Trump's "stolen election" claims...
28m May 06, 2025
28m
The Worst First 100 Days
In this week's Friday episode of the Elephant in the Room, Rick recaps Trump's first 100 days in office. From the corruption to the chaos to the skyrocketing costs to the coercion to the cruelty to casting aside the constitution, Trump's damage to our country is utterly unbelievable. And we are only 100 days in. What do the next 100 days look like?  ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ Follow Rick Wilson at...
19m May 02, 2025
19m
Shock and Awe is NOT a Governing Strategy
Author, journalist, documentarian, and television producer, Chris Whipple, is an expert on the political game and is always VERY plugged into DC's rumor mill. This week, Chris joins Rick to discuss everything from Trump's governing chaos to the formidable Susie Wiles, to a peek behind the curtains about what was happening in the White House at the end of Biden's term and how everything transpir...
33m Apr 29, 2025
33m
Numbers Don't Lie
This week's Elephant in the Room is all about the numbers. Rick explains how the one thing that Trump cannot fake could be the lynchpin to his unraveling and, ultimately, his downfall.  ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and @therickwilson.bsky.social on Bluesky, and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com.  Join the fight with the Lincoln Project at ...
14m Apr 25, 2025
14m
Sheldon Whitehouse on Trump’s Flying Monkeys, Cosplaying Billionaires, & his Festival of Corruption
Rick is delighted to sit down with Senator-meets-influencer Sheldon Whitehouse, who is fed up and is "not going to take it anymore!" Chatting about Trump's flying monkey followers in the House, Senate, and in his administration, Sheldon and Rick unpack the three C's -- Cost, Chaos, and Corruption -- that are hurting Americans and will challenge Republicans in the upcoming 2026 race. ・・・・・・・・・...
32m Apr 22, 2025
32m
The Tipping Point
In this week's Elephant in the Room, Rick details the constitutional tipping point we find ourselves in as a democratic republic. If Trump and his administration continue to defy court orders, what can be done about this, and who else could they soon target? ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and @therickwilson.bsky.social on Bluesky, and subscribe to his Substack at ...
22m Apr 18, 2025
22m
Democrats Getting Their Sh*t Together While Leopards Eat MAGA's Face
Rick Wilson reconnects with fiery, down-the-middle Congresswoman Julie Johnson of Texas's 32nd congressional district (i.e., the greater Dallas region) to discuss how Dems are trying to get their sh*t together as the face-eating leopards finally turn their gazes to MAGA. (Yes, Trump's actions impact EVERYONE, not just "the other side.") ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ Please follow Julie Johnson at @RepJu...
31m Apr 15, 2025
31m
Madness and Zero Method
Rick Wilson breaks down the events of the week — including the chaos caused by his 18th century and immediate financial evaporation — caused by Agent Orange in the White House. Navarro, Lutnick, and Trump couldn’t successfully run a Dollar Store let alone America’s complicated and robust economy. ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and @therickwilson.bsky.social on ...
20m Apr 11, 2025
20m
“Losing Our Asses” with Barry Ritholtz
Financial and Business Jedi Barry Ritholtz stops by to discuss Trump’s recklessness when it comes to America’s economy and our position in the global supply chain. ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ Follow Barry Ritholtz @Ritholtz on X and @Rithotlz on Bluesky, and please pick up a copy of Barry's latest book, “How Not to Invest” (2025) wherever fine books are sold.  Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson o...
39m Apr 10, 2025
39m
Re-Release: RFK Jr. Will Kill Americans Sure As Death
After a second child dies of measles in Texas, we are re-releasing this episode from Rick. ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and @therickwilson.bsky.social on Bluesky, and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. Join the fight with the Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us and follow LP on X at @ProjectLincoln. If you'd like to help us contin...
20m Apr 08, 2025
20m
Having the Courage to "Make Good Trouble"
The Elephant in the Room this week is a welcome one -- it's courage. Rick reflects on the positive events of this week, highlighting Cory Booker's strength, courage, and conviction as he rewrote history by beating Strom Thurmond's record while sharing stories about what America has become under the current Trump administration. In the absence of fear, courage would not exist. Cory beating out a...
19m Apr 04, 2025
19m
Michael Wolff Spills the Tea About the White House
Responsible for writing the hit bestselling book “Fire and Fury” and setting off Trump during his first term, journalist and bestselling author Michael Wolff joins Rick to share everything he’s been hearing about the White House. On a book tour for his new book, “All Or Nothing: How Trump Recaptured America,” Michael convenes with Rick to share their latest WH stories — and spill the tea — from...
34m Apr 01, 2025
34m
Hegseth F*cks the Troops on Signal
In this week's episode of The Elephant in the Room, Rick addresses Pete Hegseth's ignorant, cavalier, and callous actions by taking communications about military special operations to a F*CKING Signal group chat.  ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. Join the fight with Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us...
24m Mar 28, 2025
24m
Mark Cuban is Independent AF
Mark Cuban joins Rick to chat about his journey into politics, what it's like dunking on Big Pharma with transparency and his company, CostPlus Drugs, and how America must "get smart" and position itself at the forefront of the robotics frontier.  ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ Follow Mark Cuban at @mcuban on X and @mcuban.bsky.social ob Bluesky. Check out Mark's prescription medication company, CostPlus ...
43m Mar 25, 2025
43m