The Briefing with Jen Psaki
Episodes
Kash's boozy boasts backfire as drinking questions follow him to another hearing
13 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump's FBI directory, Kash Patel, testified before the Senator Appropriations Committee and faced more questions about reports of excessive dr...
The perspective you're looking for: Democrats still in good shape but gear up for hardball
09 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Supreme Court's gutting of the Voting Rights Act followed closely by Virginia's supreme court rejecting their new redistricting has taken the wind...
Trump team struggles to spin soaring gas prices as panic sets in
08 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki shows members of the Trump administration failing desperately to address questions about the price of gas as polling shows an absolutely liv...
Psaki reviews a shocking litany of political targeting by Trump's DOJ
07 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki reviews the shocking litany of political targeting by Donald Trump's Justice Department, from investigations and indictments to raids of pol...
Life after Trump: Elections show political adjustments as Trump fades from relevance
06 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Pete Buttigieg, former secretary of transportation and former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, talks with Jen Psaki about the burden of Donald Trump on R...
Trump corruption backlash emerges as key election issue; Democrats plan for accountability
02 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump's corruption and greed have reached a tipping point with the American public to become a campaign focus for many Democratic candidates. B...
'Shut this White House down': Platner talks strategy to stop Trump
01 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki looks at polling in key midterm Senate races that shows Democrats ahead, tied or within striking distance as Donald Trump's popularity conti...
'It's the incompetence!': Hegseth roasted by Democrats in congressional hearing
30 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki explains the map at the center of the new Supreme Court ruling that is likely to weaken Black representation in Congress and talks with Sen....
King Charles schools Trump on democracy in speech to Congress about checks and balances
29 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki shares part of King Charles' speech to Congress in which he explains the importance of checks and balances in a functioning democracy to the...
Most Americans think Trump is NOT mentally fit for office, Fox News poll says
25 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
With a new Fox News poll showing that most American think Donald Trump does not have the mental soundness to serve effectively as president, Jen Psaki...
Trump's sons are fooling no one cashing in on Trump's war
24 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki looks at the conflicts of interest behind the business deals Donald Trump's sons (and son-in-law) have made with companies that are making m...
Trump's corruption becomes a campaign issue as GOP Congress flunks on accountability
23 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As Donald Trump becomes ever more brazenly corrupt, finding ways to use his power over the federal government to enrich himself and his cronies, Ameri...
Trump clobbered by avalanche of bad news capped by critical loss in Virginia
22 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Virginia voters agreed to a redistricting plan that could increase the number of Democratic members of the House after this year's midterm elections, ...
Paranoid freak-out, excessive drinking: Report describes erratic Kash Patel leading FBI
18 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Fitzpatrick, staff writer for The Atlantic, talks with Jen Psaki about her new reporting about a bizarre freak-out by FBI director Kash Patel wh...
The writing is on the wall: Trump lashes out in desperation as support drains away
17 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki looks at the political signs, from special elections to fundraising totals, that Donald Trump's political favor is fading fast and he has bu...
Iran takes Donald Trump down a peg with costly lesson in compromise
16 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki looks at the complicated financial entanglements Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and fellow real estate developer Steve Witkoff ha...
Trump becomes a parody of himself as he runs out of answers and his base erodes
15 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki looks at how Donald Trump and his team of apologists have run out of answers and excuses for high consumer prices and high gas prices in par...
Artemis II Splashdown ...Plus, Hapless Vance heads to Pakistan saddled with Trump's Iran folly
11 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Former NASA astronauts Jim Bagian and Dr. Mae Carol Jemison are joined by Ali Velshi, Moses Small and Josh Einiger to talk with Jen Psaki about the ...
Melania Trump stages bizarre announcement denying links to Jeffrey Epstein despite evidence
10 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki wonders at the motivation of First Lady Melania Trump to make a sudden, surprise speech denying any past relationship with notorious sex tra...
'Complete catastrophe': Trump faces widespread consequences for Iran blunder
09 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki looks at the discrepancy between Iran's view of the ceasefire agreement with the U.S. and Israel, and the Trump administration's boasts, as ...
Iran outmaneuvers Trump; cuts deal that leaves U.S. worse off than pre-war
08 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump managed to avoid having to follow through on his ghastly threat to commit genocide in the war he started with Iran by agreeing to a tenta...
Trump struck dumb as realities of war make a mockery of his bluster
04 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump has put a lot of energy into boasting about U.S. military dominance over Iran, including eliminating Iran's ability to shoot down planes....
In ironic twist, Epstein files apparently cost Bondi her job even as she shielded Epstein associates
03 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Even though she was unfailingly loyal to Donald Trump, a quality that would be thought to keep her job secure, Pam Bondi reportedly did not sufficient...
Trump goes off the deep end after judge halts his ballroom pet project
01 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump is so enamored of his White House ballroom pet project that he talks about it every chance he gets, regardless of the setting. Sometimes ...
'Trump was warned': Reports contradict Trump's claims of surprise by challenges in Iran
28 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Despite Donald Trump expressing shock and surprise at how Iran has responded to being attacked by the United States and Israel, Jen Psaki shares repor...
Psaki: Trump can't TACO out of Iran
27 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Even as the war in Iran tests Donald Trump's attention span and the patience of American voters, it's not like other problems that Trump has created t...
Trump losing Republicans over lack of Iran plan; embarrassingly simplistic briefings exposed
26 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki shares new reporting from NBC News about Donald Trump being fed a daily sizzle reel of Iran war explosions, and growing concerns that even t...
Trump stumped: Trump squirms as media presses for answers on Iran
25 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Emily Gregory talks with Jen Psaki after being projected the winner to represent Florida's state House District 87, which covers part of Palm Beach Co...
Judge hands Hegseth huge defeat on media restrictions as Trump continues to wing it on Iran
21 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki shares breaking news that a judge has ruled against Pete Hegseth's effort to restrict the press at the Pentagon from trying to obtain inform...
Who is the biggest alleged grifter in the Trump administration?
20 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki looks at some of the happy talk the Trump administration is offering about Donald Trump's war on Iran while outward signs suggest things are...
OFF THE RAILS: Rand Paul beef with Markwayne Mullin adds surreal layer to bizarre hearing
19 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki reports on the confirmation hearing for Donald Trump's pick to replace Kristi Noem to lead the Department of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mu...
Trump spins weird Iran fantasy narrative contradicted by reports
18 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki shares a remarkable litany of instances in which Donald Trump's confident assertions on his war against Iran are directly contradicted by ne...
TV performers leading attack on Iran focus more on image than strategy
14 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki looks at press conferences by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as well as media appearances by Donald Trump and finds that the former TV show...
Reality calls Trump's bluff as reassurances on Iran effects fall flat
13 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump has trained his acolytes in politics and media to echo his reassuring buzz phrases about weathering the short term effects of his war on ...
'AMATEUR HOUR': Trump looks foolish before the world with self-evident poor planning in Iran
12 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As Donald Trump continues to offer contradictory answers and explanations, his war on Iran is running into some foreseeable problems that were among t...
Mixed messages on Iran expose Trump making it up as he goes
11 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki points out the weird and wild inconsistencies in the messaging and explanations from the Trump administration about the war of choice Donald...
Psaki: Trump flunks wartime president test with disturbing, flippant attitude
07 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki looks at Donald Trump's oddly casual answers to questions about the hardships his war on Iran is imposing on Americans, as well as Defense s...
Noem commits deadly sin of suggesting Trump's accountability and is promptly fired
06 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Now-former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem managed to keep her job despite a constant stream of scandals and outrages, but as soon as she suggested that Don...
'What the hell is going on?': Trump admin unable to explain attack on Iran
05 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki shares a dizzying collection of contradictions and nonsense from the Trump administration and its allies trying to explain the reason for at...
MS NOW's special 'We The People' primary coverage of elections in Texas and North Carolina
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Rachel Maddow and her MS NOW colleagues track the primary election returns in Texas and North Carolina, with Ali Velshi offering special statistical i...
Walls are closing in on Trump as missing Epstein documents point to avenue of inquiry
28 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Ali Velshi reviews the dubious dealings and questionable relationships of Donald Trump's commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, not the least of which is...
Hillary Clinton makes fools of Republicans as 'gotcha' subpoena backfires
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Republicans on the House Oversight Committee apparently thought that calling Hillary Clinton to testify about Jeffrey Epstein would score them some po...
Trump apparently numb to federal waste as staff burns through taxpayer money
26 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
California Governor Gavin Newsom talks with Jen Psaki in an extended interview about the damage Donald Trump has done to democracy in the United State...
Trump's 2026 State of the Union
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Listen to MS NOW’s Special Coverage of President Trump’s 2026 State of the Union Address. During his speech, Trump touted the ending of DEI polic...
Psaki: Tariffs are a tool of Trump's corruption at taxpayers' expense
21 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki points to examples of Donald Trump manipulating tariffs against other countries for reasons that have nothing to do with economics and every...
Family of Virginia Giuffre, accuser of former Prince Andrew, react to his arrest
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Sky and Amanda Roberts, brother and sister-in-law of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, react to the news of the arrest of former Prince Andrew. Virginia Rober...
Trump Cabinet's tone deafness makes election outreach plan ridiculous
19 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Trump administration is rolling out a strategy to send Cabinet members to electorally competitive districts ahead of next year's midterms. Jen Psa...
Rep. Crockett speaks out on CBS Colbert controversy with her opponent
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Rep. Jasmine Crockett talks with Jen Psaki about the Texas Senate race and the phone call she received from Paramount in connection to the confrontati...
Noem-zilla: Diva behavior and infidelity rumors cap disastrous week for Trump's DHS secretary
14 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki rounds up a remarkable list of failures and bad news suffered by Donald Trump's secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, and shares high...
Jared Kushner emerges as focus of intel whistleblower complaint about Gabbard
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
For more than a week since the initial report from the Wall Street Journal, information about an intelligence community whistleblower report and the a...
Pam Bondi makes an absolute fool of herself frantically ducking Epstein questions
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki shares highlights from the most bizarre and obnoxious testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, or any committee, in recent memory in ...
'Likely incriminated': Congressman names six men unredacted from Epstein files
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki looks at how the Epstein scandal is an actual scandal in places still capable of shame and disgrace, while in the United States, association...
Trump's offensive post provokes questions about the role of racism in his MAGA support
07 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The panicked response by Donald Trump and his White House support staff to the backlash against his racist social media post suggest Trump miscalculat...
Trump resorts to the ridiculous, desperate to reverse engineer the 2020 election
06 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki rounds up the myriad conspiracy theories and random ideas that Donald Trump has his White House staff chasing down in a desperate effort to ...
Plummeting popularity sets Trump on a war against the truth
05 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki looks at Donald Trump's poll numbers sinking to deeper depths as Trump grows more vocal about his intention to interfere in the upcoming mid...
Panicked by bad news, Trump makes elections power grab and leaves staff sputtering with excuses
04 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki shows how an onslaught of bad news and bad polls for Donald Trump is making him more desperate to control voting and the outcomes of electio...
Exclusive: Don Lemon's attorney, Abbe Lowell, one-on-one with Jen Psaki
31 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Abbe Lowell, attorney for journalist Don Lemon, talks with Jen Psaki about Donald Trump's escalating war on the news media, and the pattern he sees am...
Georgia raid seen as start of Trump's effort to corrupt elections ahead of midterms
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Senator Warner talks with Jen Psaki about the threat Donald Trump poses to free and fair elections in the United States.Minnesota Attorney General Kei...
Buttigieg to Democrats: Picture life after Trump; Republicans already are
29 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg talks with Jen Psaki about accountability for the abuses committed by members of the Trump administrati...
Calls for accountability for ICE run amok puts Noem in the hot seat
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Rep. Seth Moulton talks with Jen Psaki about why so many Democrats (and even some Republicans) want Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to resi...
Americans grow more outraged as Trump's ICE grows more outrageous
24 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
While the Trump administration releases a steady stream of gaslighting statements about ICE arresting "the worst of the worst," Americans are seeing w...
Trump makes a fool of himself on world stage; pretends to solve crisis of his own making
22 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki reviews the lowlights of Donald Trump's cringey, humiliating ramble of an address to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland which ...
'He's not going to be president forever': Pritzker vows accountability for Trump officials
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker talks with Jen Psaki about resisting Donald Trump's power grabs, protecting the people of his state, and holding Trump o...
Trump's anti-immigrant overreach backfires; 'It looks bad,' says advisor
17 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As courts rebuke ICE violence in Minneapolis, and Donald Trump doubles down on corrupting the Justice Department by opening investigations into Minnes...
Trump accidentally confesses why he is antagonizing Minneapolis
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump's ICE force is not only not making life better for the residents of Minneapolis, it seems to be trying to pick a fight. Today, Trump, who...
Psaki: Trump continues to trample American values with raid on reporter's home
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
With Donald Trump already doubling down on the trauma and terror he is inflicting on the Minneapolis community with his federal ICE police force, he t...
No one is buying Trump's ICE shooting narrative and videos of ICE abuses are making it worse
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki reports on new polling that shows Americans are very aware of the deadly ICE shooting of a Minnesota mom and are not buying into Donald Trum...
VIDEO ANALYSIS: Jen Psaki breaks down multiple video angles of ICE killing Minneapolis mom
10 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Just two days after the deadly ICE shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis, several videos, shot from different perspectives have been released to the p...
Get Insider Access to MS NOW Podcasts
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Listen to this special invitation from Rachel Maddow and sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to take advantage of a 3-month free trial!With M...
NYC Mayor Mamdani calls for accountability for ICE killing of Minneapolis mom
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani talks with Jen Psaki about the need to hold ICE agents, including the one who shot and killed Minneapolis mother Re...
'The truth matters here': Minneapolis mayor rejects Trump narrative on deadly ICE shooting
08 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey talks with Jen Psaki about how his city is dealing with the deadly shooting by a federal ICE agent, his vehement oppositi...
Psaki: Donald Trump is addicted to power; planning, not so much
07 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki proposes that Donald Trump is motivated by a the rush of making himself feel powerful, which explains why so many of his actions don't appea...
'Undo Trump' gains traction as a Democratic campaign message as Trump's popularity plummets
03 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee apparently thought they could help Donald Trump's cause by attacking former special counsel Jack Smith in...
Loose lips Trump blabs about covert Venezuela mission; appears to be making it up as he goes
31 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As the U.S. military remains mostly opaque on the details of ongoing aggression against Venezuelan targets, Donald Trump lack of filter and braggadoci...
'Not on the level': Trump makes sketchy business of second term
25 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki looks at the many ways Donald Trump is using his time in office to enrich himself from the very start of his second term in office. To liste...
New Epstein docs point to potential co-conspirators; Trump DOJ still slow-walks release
24 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki reports on some of the new discoveries in the latest tranche of files released in the Epstein document collection, as well as new questions ...
DOJ risks criminal prosecution for defying Epstein documents release law: Weissmann
20 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann, and Julie K. Brown, investigative reporter for the Miami Herald, talk with Jen Psaki about the Justice Dep...
'Bad, fast-talking infomercial': Psaki fact-checks Trump's address
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki shares her first reaction and offers some corrections and clarifications to Donald Trump's address to the nation. MS NOW's Catherine Rampell...
Trump chief of staff makes disastrous miscalculation in talks with reporter
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki shares highlights and insights from a new Vanity Fair article based on interviews with Donald Trump's chief of staff, Susie Wiles. The artic...
Tish James, who nailed Trump for fraud, humiliates Trump's prosecutors with third indictment failure
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump's prosecutors tried and failed a third time to indict New York Attorney General Letitia James, who has repeatedly humiliated Donald Trump...
Maddow: Trump's attacks on immigrants serve a more sinister purpose
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki introduces viewers to Rachel Maddow's new podcast, "Burn Order," about Japanese internment in the U.S. during World War II, and points out t...
Trump's old tricks fall flat from overuse in the face of hard realities
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki reviews the myriad scandals, disgraces, and bad news stories that are plaguing Donald Trump and his administration, and the familiar playboo...
Psaki: No one home at the White House but the man-children
06 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki looks at the myriad ways Donald Trump and members of his administration are indulging reckless, juvenile ideas with no one pushing back to f...
Rep. Himes shares shocking details from boat strikes briefing; disputes key points in reported story
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rep. Jim Himes, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee was one of only a few legislators in a classified briefing on the September 2nd bom...
Hegseth's problems snowball despite domesticated Pentagon press corps
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki rounds up reporting and developments from just the past 24 hours that paint Donald Trump's secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, into an even ...
Hegseth, beside sleepy Trump, backtracks on boasts about boat strike amid war crimes talk
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tennessee State Rep. Aftyn Behn shocked the political world with a disproportionately strong showing in a special election in a congressional district...
Preview of “Rachel Maddow Presents: Burn Order”
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rachel Maddow’s new series lays bare one of the most shocking decisions in American history. It’s story that reveals how an executive order author...
GOP panics as Democrat closes gap in red district special election
27 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki rounds up the latest reporting in the investigation of a shooting in Washington, D.C. that has left two members of the West Virginia Nationa...
Trump's clown car Cabinet lives up to the name
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki checks in on "some of the most incompetent people this country has ever seen," some of the higher profile members of Donald Trump's administ...
Jaws drop as Trump has 'nothing but praise' for Mamdani, boogeyman of right-wing media
22 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Right-wing, Trump-supporting media had so thoroughly demonized New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani that it seemed all but a certainty that Donald...
Trump freaks out at reminder to military that he's not king
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump has made flouting the law and daring anyone to challenge his ability to do so a hallmark of his second term, but a new video reminding Am...
Trump fails to stop Epstein bill as his political grip slips and sycophants fall away
20 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki reports on breaking news that Donald Trump has signed the Epstein Transparency Act after House Speaker (and Trump sycophant) Mike Johnson fa...
Epstein survivor breaks her silence on 'the list,' Mar-a-Lago and the fight for justice
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Epstein survivor Sharlene Rochard tells Jen Psaki in an exclusive interview tonight that the people to whom she was trafficked include well-known name...
New report exposes massive corruption in Kristi Noem's Department of Homeland Security
15 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Trump struggles to find excuses and distractions in the face of unrelenting questions about his association with Jeffrety Epstein, leaving his Republi...
'A slap in the face': Family members rage at Trump defenders hijacking Epstein victim's remarks
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump and his defenders have responded to the newly released tranche of Jeffrey Epstein documents by seeking to discredit any references to Tru...
Finally sworn in, Grijalva slams Johnson's 'abuse of power' for obstructing her
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rep. Adelita Grijalva, now official a member of Congress after waiting 50 days for Republican House Speaker to agree to swear her into office, talks w...
Trump backpedals as bad economic math triggers widespread outrage
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki reacts to the collapse of Democratic resistance in the shutdown fight and the fact that no Democratic Senate candidates support the deal, wh...
Trump learns to say 'affordability,' but doesn't seem to grasp its meaning
08 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki looks at Donald Trump's callous disregard for Americans who are struggling to cover living costs while he learns that "affordability" is an ...
Republicans strain to explain election failures, ignoring the obvious
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jen Psaki looks at some bizarre Republican hot takes explaining their poor performance in this week's elections, with addressing the cost of living in...
Trump struggles to process blame for election 'thumping'
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the aftermath of an Election Day disaster, Donald Trump struggled to accept the reality of the fallout from his painful policies, though he did at ...