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Episodes
Kamala Didn't Have the Courage!
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kamala Harris fulfills her oath of office, certifying the election results on the four-year anniversary of the January 6th Capitol riot. Meanwhile, Re...
Introducing: Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams
01 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams, Stacey speaks to Dr. Céline Gounder, an infectious disease specialist, epidemiologist and ed...
What Really Happens During a Presidential Transition
24 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this free preview of Crooked's Friends of the Pod subscription show "Inside 2024," (subscribe here) Dan Pfeiffer, Alyssa Mastromonaco, and Caroline...
The Pundies: Worst Takes of 2024
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The world's richest man trolls Republicans into a potential government shutdown right before the holidays and the curtain closes on 2024...and it can'...
AOC Loses to the Gerontocracy
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
House Democrats choose not to elevate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, arguably the party's most compelling messenger, to Ranking Member on the House Oversig...
Is Biden Quiet Quitting?
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Biden cedes the spotlight to Donald Trump, who's rolling like he's already taken office: meeting with world leaders, attending the annual Army-Nav...
Billionaires' Bet on Trump Pays Off
13 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
America's corporate titans seem pretty happy about Donald Trump's election—even pitching in to his inaugural bash—and it's no big mystery why: he'...
Is Winning an Election a Get-Out-of-Jail-Free Card?
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump's once-daunting legal challenges continue to melt away, as Special Counsel Jack Smith plans his resignation and Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg ...
Pardons, Prosecutions, and Perfume: Trump Unveils 100 Day Agenda
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump sits down for his first big interview since winning the election and unveils his plans for mass deportations, pardons for January 6th rio...
Can Biden Stop Trump’s Revenge Tour?
06 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The White House considers preemptive pardons for the people Donald Trump and his allies have promised to target, setting off a debate among Democrats....
Covering Trump 2.0
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy is joined by Eugene Daniels, Politico White House Correspondent, coauthor of the Playbook newsletter, and president of the White House Correspon...
The Old Man and the Clemency
03 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
President Biden pardons his son Hunter—a move he'd once promised not to make—and the backlash is immediate. Republicans are calling it a political...
Thanksgiving Mailbag: Trans Rights, Progressive Media, and Skinny Jeans
29 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s our annual Thanksgiving Mailbag episode! Jon, Lovett, and Tommy dive into some of your smartest, funniest, and most thought-provoking questions...
“Get These Incels to Work” (feat. Hasan Piker)
28 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lovett sits down with Hasan Piker, the massively popular progressive streamer, to talk through (and argue about) the hard questions about where the De...
Exclusive: The Harris Campaign On What Went Wrong
26 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this candid interview, the leaders of the Harris-Walz Campaign speak for the first time about the challenges they faced and why they made the decis...
Gaetz Goes Down
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Gaetz is out as Trump's attorney general pick after the mounting questions about past interactions with young women cost him the support of key s...
Matt Gaetz: Venmo Money, Venmo Problems
20 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The problems dogging attorney general pick Matt Gaetz don't seem to be going away, as new leaks expose a history of thousands of dollars in Venmo paym...
Joe and Mika Do the Trump Dance
19 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump completes his journey from outcast to cool kid, showing off his MAGA clique at a glitzy UFC fight and even getting nemeses Joe Scarboroug...
Trump's YOLO Cabinet
15 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump goes all in on naming his biggest political boosters to Cabinet posts, whether they're qualified or not (they're not!). Trump wants alleg...
Ezra Klein on Where Democrats Go From Here
13 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jon and New York Times columnist Ezra Klein, host of The Ezra Klein Show, talk through what we know about how Democrats started to lose working-class ...
First Look At Trump's Second Term
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Trump begins staffing top roles in his second administration with loyalists and sycophants—and demands that the senators running for majority leader...
How Trump Built His Coalition
10 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The best way to understand what happened on Tuesday is to listen to what the actual voters have been saying. Dan checks back in with two strategists w...
Let the Blame Game Commence!
08 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As Kamala Harris officially concedes after a terrible election, Democrats begin searching for lessons—and singling out others for blame. Jon, Lovett...
Making Sense of Trump's Win
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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, a...
A Strong Close—And an Iowa Poll Shocker
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live, Kamala Harris closes on optimism, unity, and lower prices—while Trump fantasizes about reporte...
Election Night Cheat Sheet (feat. Steve Kornacki)
03 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Trump's Halloween Costume
01 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 s...
Kamala’s Closing Argument (feat. AOC)
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kamala Harris delivers a rousing closing speech, promising to be a president for all Americans and sharply contrasting her plans with Donald Trump's. ...
Rage at Madison Square Garden
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 Bey...
Harris Pollster: Trump Has No Momentum
27 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Trump's Spank America Tour
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump tries to win over the last few undecided voters by calling immigrants "garbage" and campaigning with Tucker Carlson, who says America is ...
John Kelly's Trump Bombshell
23 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 "dist...
Trump Closes With Small Fries and Big D*cks
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Can Dems Sweep the 2024 Elections?
20 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 Ho...
Trump Calls January 6th a "Day of Love"
18 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 F...
Trump's Bizarre Town Hall DJ Set
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump spends 40 minutes at a Pennsylvania Q&A queueing up his favorite tunes, baffling the crowd (and everyone else). Tommy and Democratic stra...
Trump's Top General Uses the F-Word
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"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 befo...
Why You Shouldn't Panic About the Polls
13 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Let the Bedwetting Begin
11 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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' s...
Why Is Trump Scared of the Media?
09 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Billionaire Personality Disorder
07 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Trump’s Hurricane of Lies
06 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 w...
Kamala Harris & Liz Cheney Take on Donald Trump
04 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
October is here... and so are the surprises. Special Counsel Jack Smith brings Trump’s 2020 election conspiracy back into the headlines, while Harri...
Hot Takes on a Low Key Debate
02 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jon, Lovett, Dan, and Tommy break down Tim Walz's great arguments about democracy and reproductive rights, JD Vance's distortions on Obamacare and imm...
Can Tim Walz Out-Debate JD Vance?
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 stre...
Kamala Pitches Populism, Trump Hawks Watches
27 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Harris gives another big economic speech and sits for an interview about protecting consumers and growing the middle class. Trump, meanwhile, claims I...
Is Trump God's Gift to Women?
25 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 Trum...
Is Trump Winning the Sun Belt?
24 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 i...
Kamala Up, Lovett Down
20 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 be...
Harris Denounces Trump's Pet-Eating Conspiracy
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kamala Harris drives a contrast message with an appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists and gives a searing answer about Trump and...
Trump Blames Harris for Assassination Attempt
17 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 immi...
Trump Is Too Afraid to Debate Harris Again
13 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 deba...
Kamala Dominates Trump at the Debate
11 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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, presenti...
All Tied up Before the Debate
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 an...
Trump's Happy-Go-Lucky Debate Strategy
08 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kamala Harris prepares for Tuesday's debate while Donald Trump has "policy time" and complains about his legal woes. Live in Phoenix, Jon, Lovett, Tom...
Kamala Harris: Still the Underdog
06 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As the final campaign sprint begins, both candidates roll out plans on the issue that matters most to undecided voters: the economy. Republican truth-...
Doug Emhoff Is Ready to Win (Fantasy Football)
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Doug Emhoff stops by the Crooked studio! The Second Gentleman talks with Jon, Lovett, and Tommy about why Kamala Harris is such "a badass," masculinit...
Pollercoaster: State of the Race with Dan Pfeiffer (Subscription Preview)
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lean into the long Labor Day weekend with a special 'Best Of' preview episode of Crooked’s subscriber-exclusive series, Pollercoaster. In this episo...
Harris and Walz Meet the Press
30 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 t...
Harris Hits the Airwaves
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Kamala Harris's Path to 270
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Trump threatens to bail on the September debate, his campaign signals yet another attempt to keep their candidate on message, and his newest big endor...
Kamala Crushes It
23 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 T...
To the Winfrey, to the Walz (feat. Gretchen Whitmer)
22 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Tim Walz gives a model acceptance speech in front of thousands of roaring delegates, his beaming family, and the football players he coached. Oprah Wi...
Obama Night at the DNC (feat. Julia Louis-Dreyfus)
21 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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. Harri...
The Late Show with Joe Biden
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
How Kamala Beats Trump (Final Ep.)
18 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Republicans Beg Trump to Be New Person
16 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 persuas...
The "Let Trump Be Trump" Strategy
14 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ca...
Trump Rages, Harris Rises
13 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Kamala Harris’s Winning Message (Ep. 7)
11 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jon is joined Democratic message guru Anat Shenker-Osorio and longtime political strategist Michael Podhorzer to talk about how swing voters are react...
Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Meltdown
09 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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....
Tim Walz Keeps the Good Vibes Going
07 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 counterpar...
VP Picks Her VP
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We're just hours away from the announcement of VP Harris's running mate—and she's reportedly narrowed it down to Gov. Tim Walz and Gov. Josh Shapiro...
Trump Revives Birtherism
02 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump doubles down on the racism and birtherism he unleashed onstage at the NABJ convention—repeating his attacks in social media posts and e...
Trump's Worst Interview Ever? (feat. Stacey Abrams)
31 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump suggests that Kamala Harris isn't actually Black, claims that nobody died on January 6, and belittles his interviewers before his campaig...
Harris Surges, Vance Sinks (feat. Gov. Tim Walz)
30 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump and friends try out new lines of attack on Kamala Harris as they struggle to confront her momentum—and the new reality of the race. JD ...
What Undecided Voters Think of Kamala Harris (Ep. 6)
28 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jon is joined by longtime pollster Sarah Longwell to discuss how swing voters are reacting to Kamala Harris’ unexpected campaign for president. How ...
The Race to Define Kamala Harris
26 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Election Day is just over 100 days away, and the Trump team is scrambling to define Kamala Harris before she can do it herself. Jon and Dan discuss th...
Kamala Harris Starts Hot (feat. Pete Buttigieg)
25 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
And she's off! Kamala Harris has clinched the majority of delegates, she's breaking fundraising records and driving voter registration, and she's out ...
Biden Passes the Torch to Kamala
22 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In a historic moment in what was already a norm-shattering campaign, Joe Biden withdraws from the presidential race and endorses Kamala Harris. As the...
Bidin' His Time
20 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is Biden inching toward dropping out, or is he committed to staying put? If he did make a move, when would he do it, and how? Live in Madison, Jon, Lo...
Trump Is So Beatable
19 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump returns to form in a rambling, divisive, and endless acceptance speech certain to remind swing voters why they don't like him, and to rem...
Vance Vance Revolution
18 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
JD Vance makes his debut as Donald Trump's running mate and doesn't exactly hit a home run. Joe Biden tests positive for COVID, details leak out about...
Fear and Unity in Milwaukee
17 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump's former rivals compete to see who can praise him the hardest and who can spread the most vile lies about immigration and crime, as a smi...
Trump's Shooting Upends 2024
16 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After surviving a horrifying assassination attempt, Donald Trump announces J.D. Vance as his VP pick and promises to shift the tone of the Republican ...
Was Biden's "Big Boy Presser" Enough?
12 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jon and Dan break down Joe Biden's big press conference, whether he did enough to calm nervous Democrats, and whether he's making a sharp enough case ...
Is the Biden Dam Breaking?
11 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The effort to remove President Biden from the ticket picks up momentum as more Democratic members of Congress speak out. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi r...
Biden Digs In
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
President Biden stays on the offensive, calling into his favorite morning show to excoriate the naysayers, rallying support among old allies, and vowi...
Why No One’s Winning Young Voters (Ep. 5)
07 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jon is joined by youth polling experts John Della Volpe and Kristen Soltis Anderson to talk about apathy among young voters this election cycle. Why a...
Democrats Debate Biden's Future
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
President Biden’s campaign fights to contain fallout from the disastrous debate, as Democrats begin to go public with concerns. Jon, Tommy, and Dan ...
Joe vs. The Unknown
29 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Democrats begin to grapple with two huge questions: is it possible to replace Biden at the top of the ticket—and is it wise? Mehdi Hasan joins Jon, ...
A Brutally Honest Debate Recap
28 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Biden turns in a disastrous debate performance, missing an opportunity to take advantage of Donald Trump's (many) lies and unhinged moments, and s...
The First (and Last?) Debate
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The first debate is upon us, and you’re not the only one feeling nervous. Guest host Stacey Abrams joins Jon, Jon, Tommy, and Dan, live in Brooklyn,...
This Is Your Debate on Drugs
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump vows to cut education funding by half, throws his support behind displaying the Ten Commandments in public classrooms, and offers a new, ...
How Democrats Can Win Latinos Back (Ep. 4)
23 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jon is joined by Carlos Odio and Stephanie Valencia, founders of Equis Research, the nation’s leading polling and research firm focused on the Latin...
Trump Loses It Over Fox News Poll
21 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Biden heads to Camp David to prepare for next week's debate, Donald Trump bungles the expectations game, and both sides prepare for the post-broad...
The Plan to Fight Trump's Second-Term Agenda
19 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Biden makes a big new move on immigration, and Democratic governors and progressive groups quietly make plans to fight back against the second-ter...
Biden Campaign Unloads on Trump's Conviction
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Biden campaign puts big money into a new ad slamming Trump as a convicted felon, fraudster, and sexual predator, and painting Biden as a fighter f...
Trump Returns to the Scene of the Crime
14 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Trump returns to the Capitol for the first time since January 6th and receives a hero’s welcome from House and Senate Republicans—where he calls M...
The GOP Meltdown Over Hunter's Conviction
12 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dan and The Bulwark’s Sarah Longwell break down the chaotic Republican response to the Hunter Biden news and what the conviction might mean for the ...