Tim Miller and guests discuss the latest political news for the flagship podcast of the Never Trump movement and the reality-based community. Every weekday we p...
Trump wants us to believe that nothing matters, so we'll brush off all his corruption and grifting as though everybody does it. That's what aspiring authoritarians always do, including the guy who didn't place his hand on a Bible when he was sworn in today. Meanwhile, Trump just launched probably the biggest scam in the history of the presidency with his memecoin—ordinary people will lose real money, nothing like the small-ball amounts he scoops up with his shoes, mugs, and digital baseball cards. Plus, Biden's pardons, Trump's Day One executive orders, and seizing the means of content production with TikTok.
Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller.
show notes:
Mark Hertling on the challenges of executing "shock and awe"
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43:46
Ron Brownstein: Don't Take the Bait
Trump governed as a wartime president against blue America, so expect him to keep stirring up culture battles—but the Dems have to avoid getting drawn into them. Kamala and the party were undone in '24 by looking like they cared more about niche issues than putting food on the table. Meanwhile, Biden has left Trump a lot of room to consolidate a bigger coalition than he's ever had. Plus, for Republicans shrugging off climate change and threatening to withhold fire aid to California, here's a news flash: extreme weather is coming to a neighborhood near you.
Ron Brownstein joins Tim Miller for the weekend
show notes
Ron's piece on 'late regime' presidencies
Ron's interviews with Kamala's advisers
Tim's interview with Rep. Jim Himes
The book Ron referenced, "The Politics Presidents Make"
Tim's playlist
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50:02
Melissa Murray and John Avlon: The Dark Legal Clouds Ahead
Pam Bondi is likely to sail to confirmation—even if she's an election denier and pretends she was born yesterday—because she meets the simple qualifications of being a lawyer and former prosecutor, and because she's not a frat paddle come to life i.e. Matt Gaetz. But the fact that she wasn't able to clearly state that the U.S. is her client, not Donald Trump, is a giant red flag. Ditto for his personal lawyers also coming on board. Plus, the ominous removal of Mike Turner from the House intelligence committee, how Biden's farewell address stacked up, and what the locked-up shampoo bottles at CVS say about blue-state governance.
Melissa Murray and John Avlon join Tim.
show notes
John's "How to Fix It" podcast
Melissa's "Strict Scrutiny" podcast
Biden's farewell address
John's book, "Washington's Farewell"
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56:32
Adam Kinzinger and Mark Kelly: Dirty Little Secret
Being secretary of defense is one of the hardest jobs on the planet. But after Pete Hegseth was plucked from a part-time Fox & Friends gig, Republican senators could only kiss his ass and act starstruck during his confirmation hearing—all to ensure he takes their calls when they need military equipment or contracts in their states. Meanwhile, Nancy Mace has been a con artist from the beginning, Trump nominated Nazi-curious Joe Kent to run the National Counterterrorism Center, and Tulsi thinks Edward Snowden is a hero.
Sen. Mark Kelly and Rep. Adam Kinzinger join Tim Miller.
show notes
Tim's piece on Joe Kent courting the racist fringe vote when he ran for Congress
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1:04:08
Peter Hamby: The Politics of a Firestorm
Real estate is everything in Los Angeles. Karen Bass's absence from the city when the fires broke out, and now her seeming aloofness, has instantly made her look unfit for the job of mayor. Even Gavin Newsom is distancing himself from Bass. Meanwhile, while we wait on the facts behind the fires, all the Silicon Valley VC guys and Elon need to shut the f*** up. Plus, Mike Johnson is a disgrace, Zuck has no inner core of values, and TikTok Zoomers need to get a better understanding of free speech and fascism.
Venice resident Peter Hamby joins Tim Miller.
show notes
Mayor Bass ignoring a reporter's questions
Peter's Puck piece on Karen Bass
"Ecology of Fear" by Mike Davis
Tim's interview with reporter Liz Weil on wildfires
Zuck being awkward at the UFC fight Peter referenced
Tim Miller and guests discuss the latest political news for the flagship podcast of the Never Trump movement and the reality-based community. Every weekday we provide insightful analysis, political hot-takes, an unabashed defense of liberal democracy and long-form interviews that cut through the "both-sides" BS. Plus a few laughs to help you wash down the crazy.
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