Let the Blame Game Commence!
As Kamala Harris officially concedes after a terrible election, Democrats begin searching for lessons—and singling out others for blame. Jon, Lovett, Dan, and Tommy discuss Harris's farewell message, the various conflicting and enraging theories being floated as to why she lost, and how we should think about campaigns going forward. Plus: Sen. Jacky Rosen appears to score a win in Nevada, and D...
56m Nov 08, 2024
56m
Making Sense of Trump's Win
After a night of resounding losses and a nationwide lurch to the right, Jon, Lovett, Tommy, and Dan begin to sift through the pieces—what we know, and we don't, about the race Democrats ran, what voters are looking for, and how to endure the turmoil of a second Trump term. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here (https://youtu.be/JwWD72r9e-o) . For a transcript of this epi...
54m Nov 06, 2024
54m
A Strong Close—And an Iowa Poll Shocker
After a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live, Kamala Harris closes on optimism, unity, and lower prices—while Trump fantasizes about reporters getting murdered and says he regrets leaving office after losing reelection. With just one day to go, Jon, Lovett, and Tommy sort through the latest from the trail and the final batch of high-quality polls, including a stunning result from Ann Sel...
50m Nov 04, 2024
50m
Election Night Cheat Sheet (feat. Steve Kornacki)
With just two days to go, Dan sits down with Election Night guru and NBC News National Political Correspondent Steve Kornacki for a pre-election deep dive. Steve breaks down the state of the race, shares insights on key battleground states, trends among key voter groups, and which counties he's watching to signal election night outcomes. Then, Steve and Dan dig into close Senate and House races...
44m Nov 03, 2024
44m
Trump's Halloween Costume
Donald Trump dresses up like a sanitation worker as a message stunt and says he'll "protect" women "whether the women like it or not." Kamala Harris seizes on those remarks in events in the swing states, sharpening her argument against Trump on abortion and health care. In the final Friday episode before Election Day, Jon and Dan discuss all the latest and what they're watching for in each of t...
1hr 12m Nov 01, 2024
1hr 12m
Kamala’s Closing Argument (feat. AOC)
Kamala Harris delivers a rousing closing speech, promising to be a president for all Americans and sharply contrasting her plans with Donald Trump's. Trump works to clean up that terrible Puerto Rico joke, getting assists from Sean Hannity and, unfortunately, President Biden, and Trump and surrogates like Elon Musk and Mike Johnson remind voters about their plans to take away health care and sl...
1hr 12m Oct 30, 2024
1hr 12m
Rage at Madison Square Garden
Donald Trump and Kamala Harris offer two very different closing messages as we enter the last week before the election: Harris hits the trail with Beyoncé and Michelle Obama and pitches her economic plan for Puerto Rico, while Trump and his cronies light up Madison Square Garden with more vitriol, racism, and hate than even we're used to. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy react to a packed weekend of camp...
1hr 32m Oct 29, 2024
1hr 32m
Harris Pollster: Trump Has No Momentum
Kamala Harris’s lead pollster, David Binder, sits down with Dan Pfeiffer to explain how the the campaign is looking at undecided voters, Harris’s gains with Republican women, and why Gen Z men are in the spotlight. Then, The Atlantic’s Ron Brownstein dives into the big demographic shifts defining 2024, from widening gender gaps to key trends in swing states. For a closed-captioned version of...
56m Oct 27, 2024
56m
Trump's Spank America Tour
Donald Trump tries to win over the last few undecided voters by calling immigrants "garbage" and campaigning with Tucker Carlson, who says America is a "bad little girl" who needs a spanking. Harris strikes a different note, contrasting Trump's "enemies list" with her "to do list," and rallying with Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, and the Obamas. Jon and Dan break down all the latest moves, includi...
58m Oct 25, 2024
58m
John Kelly's Trump Bombshell
Donald Trump's former chief of staff, John Kelly, goes on the record about Trump praising Hitler, meeting the "definition of a fascist," and the "disturbing" idea of using the military against domestic opponents. Dan and MSNBC's Alex Wagner break down how damaging this might be for Trump, and how Kamala Harris is trying to use it to her advantage. Plus, they look at the Harris campaign's messag...
1hr 8m Oct 23, 2024
1hr 8m
Trump Closes With Small Fries and Big D*cks
Running on fumes with just two weeks to go, Trump raves about Arnold Palmer's genitalia and works the fryer at a McDonald's. Meanwhile, Kamala Harris campaigns across the battleground-state suburbs with Liz Cheney, and Barack Obama hits the trail for her in the Sun Belt. Then, Jon, Lovett, and Tommy discuss the legality of Elon Musk's million-dollar voter-registration giveaways, and Hawaii Sena...
1hr 17m Oct 22, 2024
1hr 17m
Can Dems Sweep the 2024 Elections?
Dan is joined by Amy Walter, Editor-in-Chief of the Cook Political Report, to break down Democrats' chances of winning the White House, Senate, and House. They dive into key battleground polling trends, the fight for control of the Senate, and whether Dems can flip the House. Then, Dan answers questions from subscribers. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here (https://yout...
53m Oct 20, 2024
53m
Trump Calls January 6th a "Day of Love"
Donald Trump gives a stunning answer to a Republican voter upset about Trump's behavior on January 6: "That was a day of love." Kamala Harris braves Fox News for a combative interview with Bret Baier, and JD Vance finally gives an answer on whether Trump lost the 2020 election. Then, Ben Wikler, chairman of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, stops by to talk about how things are looking in the Bad...
1hr 4m Oct 18, 2024
1hr 4m
Trump's Bizarre Town Hall DJ Set
Donald Trump spends 40 minutes at a Pennsylvania Q&A queueing up his favorite tunes, baffling the crowd (and everyone else). Tommy and Democratic strategist Rebecca Katz talk through whether Trump is, in fact, losing it, the key moments from his Fox News town hall on women's issues, and Kamala Harris's sit-down with Charlamagne Tha God. Then, Rebecca walks Tommy through the situation on the gro...
52m Oct 16, 2024
52m
Trump's Top General Uses the F-Word
"Fascist to the core." That's how Gen. Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs under Donald Trump, describes Trump in a new book—and that was before Trump's new comments about using the military against the "enemy within." Jon, Lovett, and Tommy break down the latest and scariest from Trump, Kamala Harris's big swing state tour, and why she's attacking Trump as weak. Then, the Democratic can...
1hr 15m Oct 15, 2024
1hr 15m
Why You Shouldn't Panic About the Polls
David Plouffe, Senior Advisor to the Harris-Walz campaign and campaign manager for Barack Obama in 2008, joins Dan to talk about where the race stands in the final stretch, which voters the campaign is targeting, and where they're planning to use their resources to greatest effect. Then, Carlos Odio from Equis Research stops by to talk about the Latino vote, how the economy is shaping voter beh...
56m Oct 13, 2024
56m
Let the Bedwetting Begin
With 25 days left until Election Day, the quadrennial October Freakout is upon us! Jon and Dan break down the tightening polls, the rival campaigns' strategies for the final push, and the reasons why it's okay to worry—but not to panic. Then, Nevada Senator Jacky Rosen joins Lovett to talk about her tight race for reelection and how she plans to pull off a win. For a closed-captioned version...
1hr 1m Oct 11, 2024
1hr 1m
Why Is Trump Scared of the Media?
Donald Trump cancels on 60 Minutes as Kamala Harris and Tim Walz face tough questions and then kick off a full-scale media blitz, with appearances on The View, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and Howard Stern. Donald Trump responds with an interview tour through the friendliest of conservative outlets. Jon and guest host Jen Psaki break down the dueling media strategies, ...
1hr 4m Oct 09, 2024
1hr 4m
Billionaire Personality Disorder
Live from Philly, Jon, Lovett, Tommy, Dan, and MSNBC's Symone Sanders Townsend discuss Trump's rally with Elon Musk, Kamala Harris's media blitz, and reports that she plans to distance herself more from Joe Biden. Then, Senator Bob Casey drops by to nerd out about Pennsylvania electoral maps and to talk about his re-election fight against a Connecticut hedge fund guy—and why Pennsylvania voters...
1hr 34m Oct 07, 2024
1hr 34m
Trump’s Hurricane of Lies
Live from Ann Arbor, Jon, Lovett, Tommy, and Dan are joined by special guest host Leah Litman, co-host of Strict Scrutiny and Michigan’s own legal whiz! With just four weeks until Election Day they dive into the latest in the presidential race—Kamala Harris’s more aggressive strategy, Donald Trump’s wild new conspiracy about Hurricane Helene, and Melania Trump’s surprise stance on abortion. Plu...
1hr 18m Oct 06, 2024
1hr 18m
Kamala Harris & Liz Cheney Take on Donald Trump
October is here... and so are the surprises. Special Counsel Jack Smith brings Trump’s 2020 election conspiracy back into the headlines, while Harris teams up with Liz Cheney to campaign in Wisconsin. Meanwhile, Harris and Biden face fresh challenges: Hurricane Helene recovery and spiraling Middle East tensions. Dan and Jon explore how Trump’s legal troubles could shape the final stretch of the...
1hr 12m Oct 04, 2024
1hr 12m
Hot Takes on a Low Key Debate
Jon, Lovett, Dan, and Tommy break down Tim Walz's great arguments about democracy and reproductive rights, JD Vance's distortions on Obamacare and immigration, and the other moments that might—might!—break through from a surprisingly collegial vice presidential debate.
42m Oct 02, 2024
42m
Can Tim Walz Out-Debate JD Vance?
Tim Walz and JD Vance prepare for the last big moment of the campaign: Tuesday's vice presidential debate. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy handicap Walz's strengths and weaknesses and offer their advice on lines of attack. Plus, just a day after threatening a "really violent" police purge, Donald Trump travels to hurricane-ravaged Georgia to lie about Joe Biden and Kamala Harris deliberately holding up ...
1hr 11m Oct 01, 2024
1hr 11m
Kamala Pitches Populism, Trump Hawks Watches
Harris gives another big economic speech and sits for an interview about protecting consumers and growing the middle class. Trump, meanwhile, claims Iran is trying to kill him, accuses Harris of lying about working at McDonald’s, defends newly indicted Mayor Eric Adams, and engages in yet another grift: selling branded watches. Jon and Dan break down all the latest, including Harris’s upcoming ...
57m Sep 27, 2024
57m
Is Trump God's Gift to Women?
Lovett and guest host Errin Haines break down Kamala Harris's efforts to close the gap with Donald Trump on the economy, and what might be behind Trump's deranged new appeal to women voters. Then, Fox News's Jessica Tarlov, cohost of The Five, stops by to talk about what it's like to be a Democrat on the network Democrats love to hate, and how she survives her daily confrontations with Fox's mo...
1hr 16m Sep 25, 2024
1hr 16m
Is Trump Winning the Sun Belt?
Six weeks out from Election Day, new polls show Harris leading nationally, but Trump still ahead in key Sun Belt states. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy dive into Harris's push for a second debate, Trump's undisciplined campaign operation, and Mark Robinson staying in the North Carolina governor’s race— even after his team quit. Then, Tommy chats with Chenjerai Kumanyika about his new series, Empire Cit...
1hr 10m Sep 24, 2024
1hr 10m
Kamala Up, Lovett Down
Another day, another round of maddening polls showing the race locked in place—with Harris ever-so-slightly ahead—even as voters agree that she beat Trump handily in the debate. Jon and Dan go through the latest numbers, preview the Harris campaign's reproductive rights event with Oprah Winfrey, and attempt to process the revelations about North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson's, um, online int...
1hr 3m Sep 20, 2024
1hr 3m
Harris Denounces Trump's Pet-Eating Conspiracy
Kamala Harris drives a contrast message with an appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists and gives a searing answer about Trump and Vance's lies about Haitian immigrants. Dan and guest host Addisu Demissie discuss Harris's off-the-cuff performance, how she can keep her momentum up post-debate, and Donald Trump's snoozer of a town hall in Michigan. Then they break down the lat...
1hr 1m Sep 18, 2024
1hr 1m
Trump Blames Harris for Assassination Attempt
Donald Trump wastes no time blaming Kamala Harris and Joe Biden for the latest attempt on his life. JD Vance defends spreading lies about Haitian immigrants as a way to draw attention to border policy. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy discuss how Democrats can respond to the blame game, and whether or not to make the pet-eating smears a campaign issue. Plus, Kamala Harris does more interviews, and the Tr...
56m Sep 17, 2024
56m
Trump Is Too Afraid to Debate Harris Again
Two days after getting trounced in the debate, Trump turns to a familiar playbook: claim a win, trash the moderators, and—above all—refuse to debate again. The only hitch? All those Trump advisors and endorsers talking to the press about how poorly he did. Jon and Dan discuss Trump's attempt at spin, Harris's post-debate agenda, and the MAGA freakout over Taylor Swift's endorsement. For a cl...
48m Sep 13, 2024
48m
Kamala Dominates Trump at the Debate
In what may be the last huge moment of the campaign, Kamala Harris pulls off an overwhelming win: drawing a clear contrast with Donald Trump, presenting herself as a change candidate, and luring her opponent into getting angry, defensive, and confused. Jon, Lovett, Dan, and Tommy react to Harris's best moments, Trump's tantrums, the crazy pet-eating story, and Taylor Swift's big post-debate end...
42m Sep 11, 2024
42m
All Tied up Before the Debate
Debate day has arrived, and new polls show that the race couldn't be closer. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy offer their final thoughts before Kamala Harris and Donald Trump's first, and potentially only, face-off. Harris lays out her strategy for dealing with Trump in a new radio interview, updates her website with policy proposals, and releases an ad to troll Trump. Meanwhile, Trump plays the hits wit...
1hr 7m Sep 10, 2024
1hr 7m
Trump's Happy-Go-Lucky Debate Strategy
Kamala Harris prepares for Tuesday's debate while Donald Trump has "policy time" and complains about his legal woes. Live in Phoenix, Jon, Lovett, Tommy, Dan, and guest host Jane Coaston discuss the upcoming debate, some surprising Republican endorsements for Harris, and the GOP's continued turn to weird. Then, Rep. Ruben Gallego talks with Dan about his crucial Senate race against Kari Lake an...
1hr 25m Sep 08, 2024
1hr 25m
Kamala Harris: Still the Underdog
As the final campaign sprint begins, both candidates roll out plans on the issue that matters most to undecided voters: the economy. Republican truth-teller Liz Cheney throws her support behind Kamala Harris, while other Republicans quietly cross their fingers for a Trump defeat—even as Harris and Walz remain, in their campaign manager’s words, “clear underdogs.” Then, CNN’s Dana Bash joins the...
1hr 19m Sep 06, 2024
1hr 19m
Doug Emhoff Is Ready to Win (Fantasy Football)
Doug Emhoff stops by the Crooked studio! The Second Gentleman talks with Jon, Lovett, and Tommy about why Kamala Harris is such "a badass," masculinity and winning over young men, and his role fighting the rise of antisemitism. Plus: the hug with Tim Walz that his friends are still giving him shit about, Kamala's kitchen skills, and why he still makes time for fantasy football. For a closed-ca...
54m Sep 05, 2024
54m
Pollercoaster: State of the Race with Dan Pfeiffer (Subscription Preview)
Lean into the long Labor Day weekend with a special 'Best Of' preview episode of Crooked’s subscriber-exclusive series, Pollercoaster. In this episode, enjoy highlights featuring Dan Pfeiffer and expert guests as they share their insights on latest polls and the state of the Presidential elections. Don’t miss out on future episodes – be sure to sign up for Friends of the Pod at crooked.com/fr...
31m Sep 03, 2024
31m
Harris and Walz Meet the Press
Kamala Harris and Tim Walz sit down with CNN's Dana Bash for their much-hyped first big interview—and they pass the test. Donald Trump tries again to tack to the left on reproductive rights, and his campaign leans into their fight with Arlington National Cemetery over politicking at gravesites. Then, Jon and Dan go through the latest batch of national and state polls, all showing an extremely t...
52m Aug 30, 2024
52m
Harris Hits the Airwaves
Lovett and guest host Symone Sanders Townsend of MSNBC discuss the Harris-Walz campaign's latest moves: new ads hitting Trump and touting her housing plan, and a big bus tour through southeastern Georgia. Then, they look at Trump's counter-programming—notably, selling trading cards of himself—and who benefits most from muted mics at the September 10 debate. For a closed-captioned version of ...
1hr 4m Aug 28, 2024
1hr 4m
Kamala Harris's Path to 270
Trump threatens to bail on the September debate, his campaign signals yet another attempt to keep their candidate on message, and his newest big endorser now comes with even more dead-animal baggage. Meanwhile, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz prepare to hit the road on a Georgia bus tour and sit for a high-stakes interview. Jon and Tommy break down the state of the race as we head into the final tw...
1hr 1m Aug 27, 2024
1hr 1m
Kamala Crushes It
In the biggest speech of her life, Kamala Harris gives a dazzling address making the case for herself and her vision, and absolutely torching Donald Trump and Project 2025. Jon, Lovett, Dan, and Tommy talk about why the speech was so effective and why it was so different than what we've seen at past conventions. Then, Gov. Gavin Newsom stops by the studio to talk about his years-long friendship...
46m Aug 23, 2024
46m
To the Winfrey, to the Walz (feat. Gretchen Whitmer)
Tim Walz gives a model acceptance speech in front of thousands of roaring delegates, his beaming family, and the football players he coached. Oprah Winfrey makes a surprise appearance, RFK Jr. plans to drop out and endorse Donald Trump, and Trump complains about Barack Obama's "nasty" criticisms. Then, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joins the pod to talk about how Kamala Harris can win Michigan, and the...
1hr 7m Aug 22, 2024
1hr 7m
Obama Night at the DNC (feat. Julia Louis-Dreyfus)
Barack and Michelle Obama and Doug Emhoff make the argument for Kamala Harris with a trio of pitch-perfect speeches to the delegates in Chicago. Harris accepts the nomination with a surprise live greeting broadcast from her packed rally in Milwaukee. Then, California Senator Laphonza Butler joins the show to talk about the Kamala Harris she's gotten to know over the years, and Julia Louis-Dreyf...
1hr 7m Aug 21, 2024
1hr 7m
The Late Show with Joe Biden
Joe Biden takes the stage at the Democratic National Convention—after an interminable pre-program that pushes him out of prime time—and tells the adoring crowd that it's time for Kamala Harris to finish the work he started. Hillary Clinton calls on history, AOC leans into the dignity of work, and Steve Kerr promises to say "Night night" to Donald Trump. Jon, Lovett, Dan, and Tommy react to all ...
57m Aug 20, 2024
57m
How Kamala Beats Trump (Final Ep.)
On the final episode of this season of The Wilderness, Jon is joined by UCLA political scientist Lynn Vavreck and senior Harris campaign advisor David Plouffe. Lynn and Jon discuss why, despite all of this election's wild changes, Lynn is still expecting a close outcome in November and then David Plouffe sits down with Jon to talk about what we can do to help Kamala beat Trump. Take action wit...
56m Aug 18, 2024
56m
Republicans Beg Trump to Be New Person
More and more Republicans are asking Donald Trump if it might be possible for him to stop the personal attacks on Kamala Harris and focus on a persuasive message. His answer? Absolutely not. In yet another country club press conference, Trump says he's "entitled to personal attacks" because he doesn't respect Harris, calls her stupid, and rants about communists. Meanwhile, Harris and Joe Biden ...
48m Aug 16, 2024
48m
The "Let Trump Be Trump" Strategy
Jon and guest host David Axelrod discuss Donald Trump's struggles to define Kamala Harris, his rambling interview with Elon Musk, and why the Trump campaign keeps letting their candidate run his mouth so much. Then, they look at Trump and Harris's competing economic messages, how Tim Walz is faring out on the trail, and what the Harris team needs to accomplish at next week's Democratic National...
44m Aug 14, 2024
44m
Trump Rages, Harris Rises
Kamala Harris pulls ahead in three key swing states as Donald Trump continues to flail and fume to donors and supporters. JD Vance tries to go on the attack in a trio of network interviews on Sunday, but things don't go quite as planned. Then, as Harris starts laying out her own policy agenda, the officially defunct Project 2025 ends up back in the news, this time with a series of leaked traini...
50m Aug 13, 2024
50m
Kamala Harris’s Winning Message (Ep. 7)
Jon is joined by Democratic message guru Anat Shenker-Osorio and longtime political strategist Michael Podhorzer to talk about how swing voters are reacting to a Harris-Walz ticket and what message the campaign will need to win them over in November. They break down why Tim Walz has been a uniquely effective messenger, how Kamala Harris is reclaiming freedom from Republicans, and how Minnesota’...
54m Aug 11, 2024
54m
Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Meltdown
Trump throws a temper tantrum at Mar-a-Lago, boasting he draws bigger crowds than Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. did for the “I Have a Dream” speech. Is he freaking out because Harris is surging in the polls? Meanwhile, Harris and Walz hit Detroit, where they score a UAW union endorsement and tout her economic record. Brian Tyler Cohen discusses his new book, “Shameless: Republicans’ Deliberate Dy...
59m Aug 09, 2024
59m
Tim Walz Keeps the Good Vibes Going
VP Kamala Harris hits the road with her new running mate, Tim Walz, who lands his first official couch joke of the campaign against his GOP counterpart, JD Vance. Meanwhile, Trump tries to brand Walz as a communist. Then, Dan and guest host Melissa Murray break down Biden’s Supreme Court reforms, Trump’s January 6th case and the infinite shadiness of Justice Clarence Thomas’s flight schedule.
56m Aug 07, 2024
56m