POLITICO's Off Message
POLITICO takes you behind the scenes with Washington's power players to uncover what's really driving politics and policy in the nation’s capital.
Episodes
Bonus: The Senators at the center of the 50-50 split
“If we miss this opportunity, God help us.” Joe Manchin and Lisa
Murkowski. Two moderate senators smack in the middle — and on either
side — of a split 50-50 Senate. On our first episode of Playbook Deep
Dive, the two friends open up in a rare interview with POLITICO’s
Burgess Everett. They get personal: about reconciliation, frustration
over the Senate’s hurdles — even why Murkowski hogs the best fishing
holes. And Manchin reveals a major endorsement, heard first on this
show.
Subscribe to our new weekly politics show, Playbook Deep Dive, wherever
you listen to podcasts.
Rachael Bade is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook.
Burgess Everett is co-congressional bureau chief at POLITICO.
Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
Special thanks to Elana Schor, Anthony Adragna and Ben Lefebvre
SHOW NOTES
- Democrat Manchin backs Republican Murkowski's reelection, by Burgess
Everett
23/04/21•27m 45s
Sponsored Content: How Covid-19 accelerated the future of work
Presenting a sponsored episode of “Global Translations”:
Over the past year, businesses, employees and families across the globe
were forced to rethink what it means to “go to work.” Now, with the
COVID-19 vaccine rollout underway, many corporate leaders are focused on
ensuring the return to work is equitable for all employees.
10/02/21•31m 20s
The page who took down the GOP
In 2006, a young man holding no political office brought down a 180+
years program and reshaped Congress forever. Scott Bland talks to
POLITICO magazine reporter Zack Stanton, a former House page who leaked
transcripts of sexual messages that former Congressman Mark Foley sent
to teen pages... which resulted in his resignation and torpedoed the
Republican hold on power for years.
Scott Bland is a politics editor at POLITICO.
Zack Stanton is an editor at POLITICO magazine.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
Read the full POLITICO Magazine article here:
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/11/the-page-who-took-down-the-gop-mark-foley-dennis-hastert-213378
31/01/21•29m 31s
"I haven't been able to get this moment out of my head"
On a special episode of POLITICO's Nerdcast:
"It became clear that Scott Pruitt had sought to purchase a used
mattress from the Trump hotel. And I thought, 'This is not what I
expected this job would look like.'" At the close of Donald Trump's
presidency, POLITICO's reporters and editors share their strongest
memories of the last four years. Shocking moments they witnessed,
conversations they overheard and what will stay with them forever. Plus,
new Playbook co-author Tara Palmeri talks to Scott Bland about what she
really wants to see in Biden's first days in office.
Scott Bland is a politics editor at POLITICO.
Tara Palmeri is a POLITICO Playbook co-author.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
23/01/21•26m 28s
Cures for an Ailing Labor Market
"Off Message" presents Episode 9 of the new season of POLITICO's podcast
"Global Translations":
The pandemic sent shockwaves through a global labor market already
upended by digitization and the green energy transition. It left tens of
millions jobless and amplified skills gaps. Even as we spent trillions
keeping the economy on life support, investment in the skills of the
future has been scarce. So how do we get the right skills to the right
people, to get the economy motoring again? Hosts Ryan Heath and Luiza
Savage speak with experts about these major labor disruptions.
Ryan Heath is the host of "Global Translations".
Luiza Savage is a host of "Global Translations".
Saadia Zahidi is a managing director at the World Economic Forum.
Marianne Wanamaker is a economics professor at the University of
Tennessee and former chief domestic economist on the White House Council
of Economic Advisors.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO Audio.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO Audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO Audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.
Check out Ryan Heath's article on how workers are struggling for skills
support here:
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/06/workers-are-struggling-for-skills-support-during-pandemic-455063
And check out the other POLITICO newsletters:
Global Translations:
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/global-translations
Weekly Shift (labor): https://www.politico.com/newsletters/weekly-shift
Transition Playbook:
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/transition-playbook
07/01/21•27m 39s
Sponsored Content: Greening the Global Economy
"Off Message" presents Episode 8 of the new season of POLITICO's podcast
"Global Translations":
[Sponsored Content] As the world looks to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions to net zero by 2050, the financial sector is playing a
critical role in facilitating this low-carbon transition through the
deployment of innovative financing solutions and by rethinking how
climate risk is analyzed and managed.
21/12/20•36m 27s
Digging for Solutions: Securing Minerals for Green Energy
"Off Message" presents Episode 7 of the new season of POLITICO's podcast
"Global Translations":
What will it take to secure access to the critical minerals we need for
the future — and can we solve one environmental challenge without
creating a new one? Hosts Luiza Savage and Ryan Heath talk to political
leaders around the world about what they are doing to shore up access to
critical minerals.
Luiza Savage is the host of "Global Translations".
Ryan Heath is a host of "Global Translations".
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO Audio.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO Audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO Audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.
Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is Chairman of the Senate Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources
Ambassador Kirsten Hillman is Canada’s Ambassador to the United States
EU Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič is Vice-President of the European
Commission for Interinstitutional Relations
Read Luiza Savage's article on how US, Canada & Europe's policymakers
are scrambling to secure critical minerals to develop clean energy:
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/09/renewables-mining-clean-energy-443844
And check out the other POLITICO newsletters:
Global Translations:
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/global-translations
Morning Energy: https://www.politico.com/morningenergy/
The Long Game: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/the-long-game
China Watcher: politico.com/china
Morning Tech: https://www.politico.com/morningtech/
16/12/20•34m 28s
Why green energy means mining: the case of cobalt
"Off Message" presents Episode 6 of the new season of POLITICO's podcast
"Global Translations":
To understand how essential critical minerals are to our world, we turn
to a case study: cobalt. This mineral is proving key to the future of
green energy, defense and high tech manufacturing — not to mention
electric vehicles. But cobalt has its challenges. Hosts Luiza Savage and
Ryan Heath look at China’s dominant role in global cobalt mining and the
serious problems that can arise if other countries can't get enough
supplies.
Luiza Savage is the host of "Global Translations".
Ryan Heath is a host of "Global Translations".
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO Audio.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO Audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO Audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.
Nedal T. Nassar is Chief of Materials Flow Analysis Section at the U.S.
Geological Survey.
Bryce Crocker is the CEO of Jervois Mining
Aimee Boulanger is the executive director of Initiative for Responsible
Mining Assurance (IRMA)
Read Luiza Savage's article on how America got outmaneuvered in a
critical mining race:
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/02/china-cobalt-mining-441967
And check out the other POLITICO newsletters:
Global Translations:
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/global-translations
Morning Energy: https://www.politico.com/morningenergy/
The Long Game: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/the-long-game
China Watcher: politico.com/china
Morning Tech: https://www.politico.com/morningtech/
07/12/20•28m 19s
Critical Minerals: The next dirty fight over clean energy
"Off Message" presents Episode 5 of the new season of POLITICO's podcast
"Global Translations":
The technologies that protect us, move us and power our daily lives
require mining minerals and metalsin distant places. But access to these
essential materials is increasingly under threat. Hosts Luiza Savage and
Ryan Heath talk with experts who are sounding the alarm.
Luiza Savage is the host of "Global Translations".
Ryan Heath is a host of "Global Translations".
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO Audio.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO Audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO Audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.
Sharon Burke is a senior advisor for the International Security Program
and Resource Security Program at New America.
Nedal T. Nassar is Chief of Materials Flow Analysis Section at the U.S.
Geological Survey.
Tom Duesterberg is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute. He is an expert
on trade and foreign policy.
Luiza Savage's article on how America's dependence on critical minerals
from China:
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/18/china-could-strangle-biden-agenda-437171
And check out the other POLITICO newsletters:
Global
Translations: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/global-translations
Morning Energy: https://www.politico.com/morningenergy/
The Long Game: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/the-long-game
China Watcher: politico.com/china
Morning Tech: https://www.politico.com/morningtech/
23/11/20•24m 26s
How can the US compete with China, Inc.?
"Off Message" presents Episode 3 of the new season of POLITICO's podcast
"Global Translations":
The pandemic and the rise of China are prompting Republicans and
Democrats to turn to government power to grow industries important to
America’s security and place in the world. “Industrial policy” is an
idea long reviled among Washington policymakers. Hosts Luiza Savage and
Ryan Heath talk to the people trying to make industrial policy cool
again.
Luiza Savage is the host of "Global Translations".
Ryan Heath is a host of "Global Translations".
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO Audio.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO Audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO Audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.
Jennifer Harris is a sentior fellow at the Hewlett Foundation, formerly
at the US State Department during the Obama administration.
Mariana Mazzucato is an internationally recognized economist and
professor at University College London (UCL), and Founder/Director of
UCL's Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose.
Check out and subscribe to POLITICO's Global Translations, and China
Watcher newsletters. Read Luiza Savage's article on the new industrial
policy emerging in the US to counter China's ascent.
Global Translations newsletter:
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/global-translations
China Watcher newsletter:
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-china-watcher
POLITICO article:
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/04/china-us-economy-industrial-policy-global-translation-433954
10/11/20•35m 35s
Can we get enough vaccine?
"Off Message" presents the second episode of the new season of
POLITICO's podcast "Global Translations":
Once there is a working Covid vaccine, manufacturers across the globe
will need to scale up production to produce billions of doses — meaning
billions of pharmaceutical-grade glass vials, rubber stoppers, packaging
and storage and refrigeration. In a special airing of POLITICO's Global
Translations podcast, hosts Luiza Savage and Ryan Heath look at the
challenges of making enough vaccines for the world.
Luiza Savage is the host of "Global Translations"
Ryan Heath is a host of "Global Translations"
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO Audio
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO Audio
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO Audio
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio
Sarah Owermohle is a POLITICO health reporter covering vaccines.
Dr. Anthony Fauci is the director of the National Institute of Allergy
and Infectious Diseases.
Jim Robinson is a former MERCK executive (manufacturing lead for ebola
project); currently with CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness
Innovations).
Dan Diamond is a POLITICO health care reporter and the host of the
"Pulse Check" podcast and newsletter.
Check out and subscribe to POLITICO's Global Translations, POLITICO
Pulse, and Global Pulse newsletters. Read Luiza Savage's article on why
nationalism is the next big challenge for Covid-19 vaccines.
Global Translations newsletter:
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/global-translations
POLITICO Pulse newsletter: https://www.politico.com/politicopulse/
Global Pulse newsletter:
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/global-pulse
POLITICO article: "The next vaccine challenge: Nationalism":
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/28/covid-vaccine-challenge-nationalism-433023
02/11/20•36m 2s
Introducing... Global Translations: The world's tug-of-war
"POLITICO's Off Message" brings you a special episode of POLITICO's new
podcast series "Global Translations."
From closed factories to closed borders, the Covid-19 pandemic exposed
the fragility of our systems, creating a period of scarcity where demand
skyrocketed — from freezers to PPE — and we couldn't supply items fast
enough. In this episode of "Global Translations", POLITICO hosts Luiza
Savage and Ryan Heath take a deep dive with experts into global supply
chains and what "decoupling" and "reshoring" are all about when it comes
to America’s reliance on China and the rest of the world.
Luiza Savage is the host of "Global Translations".
Ryan Heath is a host of "Global Translations".
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO Audio.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO Audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO Audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.
Adegoke Oke is a professor of supply chain management at Arizona State
University.
Tom Duesterberg is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute. He is an expert
on trade and foreign policy.
David Wertime is POLITICO's editorial director for China and author of
the China Watcher newsletter.
Check out and subscribe to POLITICO's Global Translations and China
Watcher newsletters, and Luiza Savage's in-depth piece on how the
pandemic is forging a new consensus on globalization.
Global Translations:
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/global-translations China Watcher:
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-china-watcher Supply chain
tug-of-war article:
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/21/pandemic-forging-new-consensus-globalization-430605
28/10/20•36m 40s
Rahm Emanuel weighs in on 2020
Rahm Emanuel — former Chicago mayor and former chief of staff to
President Barack Obama — talks to POLITICO founding editor John Harris
about his new book, "The Nation City: Why Mayors Are Now Running the
World," his "toy phone" in Bill Clinton's White House and his thoughts
on the 2020 field.
28/02/20•20m 8s
A new tone from some in GOP on climate change -- but mostly behind closed doors
We're bringing you an episode of POLITICO's Global Translations, a show
about big global problems that will take a certain amount of creativity
to solve.
Driven by a public clamoring for action and pressure from corporate
CEOs, lawmakers are noting an evolution in attitudes toward climate
action among some of their Republican colleagues – a subtle but
significant shift in tone that could pave the way for modest legislation
this year. Guests include:Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)Rep. Francis Rooney
(R-FL)Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE)Catherine McKenna, Canada’s first foreign
minister for climate and the environmentDan Byers, U.S. Chamber of
CommerceIf you like the episode, check out the show wherever you
listen.
23/08/19•34m 24s
Which 2020 Democrat should Donald Trump most be afraid of?
To get the inside view from the only people in the world who know what
it’s like to run in a primary field so large -- and do so in the shadow
of Donald Trump -- we invited the strategists for four of the top GOP
primary campaigns of 2016 into a Washington cigar bar, a literal
smoke-filled room, to talk shop. Which Democratic candidate has the most
raw political talent? What weaknesses of Donald Trump's would they
exploit in 2020? And why is everybody still so ticked off about the
Virginia primary?
Guests Danny Diaz (from the Bush campaign), Beth Hansen (Kasich), Jeff
Roe (Cruz), and Terry Sullivan (Rubio).
26/06/19•39m 24s
This is what Kirsten Gillibrand hates about running for president
Kirsten Gillibrand is a U.S. Senator with a soaring national profile,
but her presidential campaign has yet to take flight. She’s even at risk
of failing to have enough donors to make the debate stage under DNC
rules, leading her to ask people for just a dollar, to boost her
numbers. But that’s not what bothers her most about running for
president.
31/05/19•24m 9s
Is John Hickenlooper too normal to be president?
In a crowded field of Democratic presidential contenders, former
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper makes an impression on voters as a
genuine candidate, even if he's a bit quirky. He colors outside the
lines of the political conventions -- a geologist by training, a brewer
and restauranteur by profession, and a politician only later in life.
In this episode, he talks about his temper as a child, his pragmatic
approach to politics, and how he's managed to succeed in a people-driven
business despite a condition commonly known as face blindness, a
condition that keeps him from recognizing familiar faces.
29/03/19•22m 30s
How it feels to win (and lose) a House majority
For our post-midterms edition of Off Message, we talked to Corry Bliss
and Charlie Kelly, the two men who led the largest House campaign
organizations in 2018. This election, Bliss led the Republican-aligned
Congressional Leadership Fund, and Kelly led its Democratic counterpart,
the House Majority PAC. They talk about what went on behind the scenes,
their biggest regrets of 2018, and where things go from here.
08/11/18•56m 0s
David Axelrod: Voters don't want a ‘Democratic version of Trump’
The strategist behind Obama's presidential campaigns gives his midterms
predictions, shares his lightning-round thoughts on 2020 candidates and
tells Tim whether he thinks any politician can recapture the Obama
magic.
David Axelrod doesn’t like the path the country—or the Democratic
Party—is on.
The chief strategist who steered Barack Obama’s winning White House
campaigns worries that President Trump has laid a trap—and that his
party is walking right into it. “Escalation breeds escalation,” Axelrod
said in an interview for POLITICO’s Off Message podcast. “And within the
Democratic Party, I think there is a big debate about how to deal with
Trump because he has no boundaries. He’s willing to do anything and say
anything to promote his interests. It’s a values-free politics; it’s an
amoral politics. And so, there is this body of thought that you have to
fight fire with fire and so on. But I worry that we’ll all be consumed
in the conflagration.”
Stressing that “civility actually is a really important element of
politics,” Axelrod criticized Hillary Clinton and former Attorney
General Eric Holder for recent comments they’ve made, and described the
backlash he has faced for urging Democrats to avoid confrontation. The
best way to defeat Trump, Axelrod argued, is by nominating someone who
can appeal to an exhausted electorate.
“I don’t think people will be looking for a Democratic version of
Trump,” he said. “I don’t think they’ll be looking for people who can go
jibe for jibe and low blow for low blow. I think people are going to be
looking for someone who can pull this country out of this hothouse that
we’re in.”
At his offices in Chicago, where he directs the University of Chicago’s
Institute of Politics, we discussed Axelrod’s predictions for the
midterm elections, the risk of overreach with a new House majority, and
the strengths and vulnerabilities of the top-tier 2020 Democratic
hopefuls.
30/10/18•56m 38s
Meet the next Ted Cruz
When Chip Roy was a top staffer for Ted Cruz, he was an architect of the
Texas senator’s strategy to shut down the government over Obamacare.
Now, in all likelihood, he’s heading for Congress with a House seat of
his own, and top Republicans worry he’s going to make Cruz look like a
squishy moderate.
Roy is ready to play hardball with GOP leaders in Congress. He has
pledged to support House Freedom Caucus founding chairman Jim Jordan for
speaker, and is expected to quickly establish himself as one of the
House GOP’s most outspoken and combative members.
As with so many conservatives, however, Roy is treading lightly when it
comes to Donald Trump. Once a fierce critic—described by friends as a
committed “Never Trump” advocate in 2016, when he was working in support
of Cruz’s presidential campaign—the congressional hopeful now talks
fondly of the president, praising his assault on “the swamp” and sharing
his concern about a “deep state” acting as a shadow government.
And while most Republicans campaigning for Congress this November are
touting the accomplishments of President Trump and his GOP majorities:
tax reform, regulatory relief and a soaring number of federal judicial
appointments. In the deep-red 21st congressional district of Texas, Chip
Roy is running on a different message: Republicans haven’t done nearly
enough.
“If there is a thousand miles to go, we’ve gone maybe 50 miles,” Roy
tells POLITICO’S “Off Message” podcast. “So now, we’ve got to focus on
the things that the people really want to see done. We’ve got to have
healthcare freedom, we’ve got to balance the budget and we’ve got to
secure the border.”
POLITICO's "Off Message" podcast is hosted by Tim Alberta, produced by
Zack Stanton and executive produced by Dave Shaw. Intro/outro music by
Podington Bear.
23/10/18•45m 59s
Steve Scalise thinks he knows who'll be the next House Speaker
Steve Scalise was nearly killed last summer when a gunman opened fire at
the Republican congressional baseball team’s practice. Last September,
after months of surgeries and intensive rehabilitation, the Louisiana
congressman was met with a thunderous ovation when he returned to work
at the Capitol. The emotional scene—cathartic for Scalise and so many
colleagues who were on the baseball field with him—might have obscured
just how far he has to go. He’s still undergoing regular physical
therapy and walks with the assistance of a cane; the wounds to his
pelvis, hip and left leg were so severe that Scalise still doesn’t know
whether he will ever be able to run again.
Mentally, however, he claims to have fully recovered. Scalise says he
was able to process the incident and put the trauma behind him, by
reconstructing the events of the day with the help of his teammates and
security detail. That included a trip back to the baseball diamond with
David Bailey, one of the two U.S. Capitol Police officers who saved his
life.
“We went back to second base, and he showed me where the shooter was,”
Scalise told me in an interview for Politico’s “Off Message” podcast.
“We’re looking at first base, where [U.S. Capitol Police officer Dave
Bailey was] in a gunfight with the shooter. And he [was] standing just
kind of isolated on an island at first base with no protection, and the
shooter is kind of hiding, pigeonholed behind this cinderblock dugout
behind third base.”
Of course, Scalise doesn’t want to be defined by that event. And he’s a
fascinating character for other reasons.
Control of the House of Representatives isn’t the only thing at stake in
the Nov. 6 midterm elections—it’s the future of the House speakership.
Paul Ryan is retiring, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi faces an uprising
among younger Democrats and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy has not
demonstrated the ability to collect the requisite 218 votes needed to
become speaker. That makes Scalise, the House majority whip, a popular
dark-horse pick to become speaker of the House—that is, if Republicans
hold the majority.
Scalise, one of Washington’s most reliably on-message lawmakers, is even
more cautious than usual these days. He’s spending the home stretch of
the election season traveling the country with his House Republican
colleagues, raising money and collecting favors while hugging President
Donald Trump at every turn. Right now, with a career-climaxing promotion
potentially awaiting him next month, Scalise can’t afford to alienate
Republicans on either end of Pennsylvania Avenue.
The internal dynamics are fragile: McCarthy’s allies have eyed Scalise
warily for months, worried that he is undermining his superior’s bid for
speaker. Scalise, for his part, promises not to run against McCarthy for
the top spot if Republicans hold the House, and moreover, he tells me,
“I think Kevin would have the votes.”
Politico's "Off Message" podcast is hosted by Tim Alberta. Zack Stanton
is producer. Dave Shaw is executive producer. Intro/outro music by
Podington Bear.
16/10/18•48m 52s
John Kerry on 2020, Trump and why we need to ask ourselves "what did you do?"
Isaac's last episode: The former secretary of state has led a Forrest
Gump-like life, from his high-school days playing hockey with Bob
Mueller to introducing John Lennon at a Vietnam protest to running for
president and almost winning. Some people think he should run again in
2020.
He probably isn’t, but says he wants to be part of the future of the
Democratic Party, and the country, no matter what.
He’s sticking to his insistence that any White House talk distracts from
2018. But there’s clearly still an ember of desire to run again. “I’ve
only done it once, unlike a lot of people who’ve been out there, and
came pretty close,” he said in our interview. It was a conversation he
ended with a standard-politician four-point list of priorities, some 40
minutes after delivering a standard-politician evasive answer about a
2020 candidacy: “I haven’t eliminated anything in my life, period,
anything—except perhaps running a sub-four [minute] mile.”
But that is not the point for Kerry, whose public life stretches across
modern political history, from the day in 1971 when, as a young Vietnam
veteran, he testified before the Senate in opposition to the Vietnam
War, to walking out of the State Department for the last time in 2017.
He’s already done fundraising, and endorsed several Democratic
candidates in 2018—including a few of his former State Department aides
running for House seats. He says he’ll be out campaigning for the
midterms. And he says he’ll keep proselytizing in speeches on college
campuses from the example of his own life, about how activated young
people have always been the ones to change the course of political
history.
“I’m engaged, man, I’ve done this my whole life. I’m not going to
suddenly stop and say I’m not going to be involved in these choices, you
know,” Kerry said. “You know that old question that sometimes was asked
[after] World War II or Korea: ‘Daddy, what did you do in the war?’
Well, people are going to ask, ‘Daddy, Mommy, kid, what did you do in
this moment in our history, where our democracy is threatened, where the
challenges are as great as they’ve ever been, and where the world is not
coordinating very effectively?’ That’s a big challenge.”
09/10/18•46m 37s
Elijah Cummings is ready to investigate Trump
If Democrats retake the House, Maryland congressman Elijah Cummings will
likely become the new chair of the Oversight committee. Here, a preview
of what to expect from their coming investigations of the Trump
administration.
Cummings says President Donald Trump “is a person [who] calls a lie ‘the
truth’ and the truth ‘a lie.’” He thinks the president violates the
Constitution’s emoluments clause daily, and sees an abnormal tolerance
for corruption and misconduct emanating straight out of the Oval Office.
And, in the eyes of the 67-year-old Democrat, just as troubling is the
notion that Congress has fallen flat on its Constitutional duty to check
the administration’s whims.
Expect that to change if Democrats retake the House in November. Then,
Rep. Cummings will likely become the chairman of the House Oversight and
Government Reform Committee, giving him subpoena power and the ability
to call as many hearings as he wants on whichever topics he chooses. In
light of everything he’s learned about Trump—and especially after Senate
testimony last week by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, which
Cummings saw as dishonest—the congressman doubts he’ll be able to
believe any denial from anyone in the administration, regardless of
whether or not they’re under oath, he said in an interview for
POLITICO’s Off Message podcast.
POLITICO's Off Message podcast is hosted by Isaac Dovere and is part of
the Panoply network. Produced by Zack Stanton. Executive Producer is
Dave Shaw. Theme music by Podington Bear. Get more at
politico.com/podcasts/off-message
02/10/18•48m 0s
Ken Starr: If I was Trump's lawyer, ‘I would be very concerned’
The Clinton-era independent counsel weighs in on Brett Kavanaugh, why
Trump has an obligation to answer Mueller's questions and whether he
plans to support Trump in 2020.
Ken Starr would love to hear from Donald Trump. He thinks he could help.
The former independent counsel whose investigation into President Bill
Clinton led to Clinton’s impeachment says President Trump has enough to
be worried about that he’ll need good lawyers around him as he decides
whether to sit down with special counsel Robert Mueller. “If I’m on
[Trump’s] criminal defense team, I would be very concerned,” Starr said
in an interview for the latest episode of POLITICO’s Off Message
podcast. “I don’t know what President Trump knows, but there have been a
number of guilty pleas. Some of those guilty pleas go to false
statements, so I would just be cautious” before answering questions from
Muller. Starr says he’d advise this even while he believes that Trump
has a duty to answer investigators’ questions under oath, just as Bill
Clinton did 20 years ago. “He is the president of the United States, and
I think that carries with it an obligation to cooperate with
duly-authorized federal investigations,” Starr said.
“You’re not above the law. You think you’ve got a time-out based upon
your service as president. We respect you, you are occupying the
presidency, you have a very important job,” Starr said. “But there’s no
time out. You have to respond when you’re summoned to the bar of
justice. That’s the way I respond to all this. You have to be a rule of
law person if you’re going to occupy a position of trust.” As he
promotes his new memoir, “Contempt,” Starr—who says he probably wouldn’t
have written the book if Hillary Clinton had won, reasoning that it
would have damaged her presidency unfairly—says “President Trump would
be well-advised” to a take lesson from the book to heart: rules matter.
“Facts will come back to haunt you eventually,” said Starr. “The truth
ends up coming out, and so you better deal with those facts.”
POLITICO's Off Message podcast is hosted by Isaac Dovere and is part of
the Panoply network. Produced by Zack Stanton. Executive Producer is
Dave Shaw. Theme music by Podington Bear. Get more at
politico.com/podcasts/off-message
25/09/18•45m 6s
Mazie Hirono: Brett Kavanaugh is fudging the truth
Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono gets candid about why she believes Kavanaugh's
accuser, what it's like being the only immigrant in the U.S. Senate, and
shares her own #MeToo story.
Mazie Hirono thinks Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is not telling
the truth about the sexual assault he allegedly committed as a teenager.
She thinks he wasn’t telling the truth to the Judiciary Committee when
he claimed not to remember any sexual misconduct by a judge he clerked
for who was forced to resign last year after allegations from more than
a dozen women. And the Hawaii senator says that if she gets to question
Kavanaugh in another hearing, she’s going to tell him that the
revelations over the weekend—when Christine Blasey Ford came forward to
accuse Kavanaugh of attempting to rape her at a high-school party in the
early ‘80s—now make her doubt what the nominee said under oath two weeks
ago even more. “It somewhat stretches credulity, let’s put it that way,”
said Hirono in an interview for the latest episode of POLITICO’s Off
Message podcast. “I think he didn’t want to lie about it, so one way you
get through that is saying, ‘I don’t remember.’” If Kavanaugh’s
nomination fizzles and President Donald Trump has to name a replacement,
Hirono says he better find someone whom she considers less of a
conservative ideologue, or else prepare for Senate Democrats—especially
if they win a majority in November’s elections—to keep the court seat
vacant until after the 2020 election. “I think we’ve had those kinds of
vacancies before, and we certainly had over a one-year vacancy with
Merrick Garland,” said Hirono. “So the world does not come to an end
because we don’t fill all of the nominees.” Hirono is short. She is
quiet. She’s not much of a tweeter. She’s not running for president. She
doesn’t have an outsize personality in a chamber bursting with them—her
hobbies include making her own paper and folding origami cranes. She
does pottery, too, but says she lacks the patience to use a wheel. Yet
the unassuming senator has become Democrats’ firmest pillar of
resistance on judicial nominations, refusing to vote for cloture for any
Trump nominee, and asking every man who appears before her at a
committee hearing if he’s engaged in physical or verbal sexual assault
as a legal adult. Nominees “can lie,” Hirono said, explaining why she’s
made that her standard question, “but they better hope that nobody that
they did this to will come forward.”
POLITICO's Off Message podcast is hosted by Isaac Dovere and is part of
the Panoply network. Produced by Zack Stanton. Executive Producer is
Dave Shaw. Theme music by Podington Bear. Get more at
politico.com/podcasts/off-message
18/09/18•58m 24s
Ben Jealous: ‘Americans are suffering under the weight of half-measures’
Ben Jealous is a venture capitalist. Opponents call him a socialist. He
says that’s the cost of wanting “people to be treated in a way that’s
just.”
Ben Jealous campaigned all over the country for Bernie Sanders, but he
has a platinum American Express card in his wallet. He got his first
campaign experience as a 14-year-old volunteer for Jesse Jackson in
1988, but the presidential candidate from that year he has since
reconsidered is Steve Forbes, whose ideas about transforming schools
into vocational training Jealous cites as a model for his own approach
to education reform. He may be the lone liberal Democrat running this
year who says he doesn’t want anything to do with socialism, but is for
“Medicare for all” and free college tuition. Jealous is the first major
player to come directly off Sanders’ 2016 campaign and have done this
well. He’s the first leader of a civil rights organization—from
2008-2013, he was president of the NAACP—to ever be even this close to
winning a statewide office. He’s a test case to see if someone with his
kind of politics can win something more than a primary, even in a
heavily Democratic state. But first, he’ll have to get past Republicans
who insist that he’s a socialist—and he’ll have to overcome the clear
anger that attack stirs up in him, despite his public statements that he
takes their label as a badge of honor. “It’s unfortunate if we get to a
place where we believe that you have to be a socialist to simply want
people to be treated in a way that’s just. I would not like to live in
that country,” Jealous says.
POLITICO's Off Message podcast is hosted by Isaac Dovere and is part of
the Panoply network. Produced by Zack Stanton. Executive Producer is
Dave Shaw. Theme music by Podington Bear.
11/09/18•56m 5s
Seth Meyers: Trump wanted me to apologize for making fun of him (REPRISE)
A reprise episode: It wasn’t all porn star hush money: Michael Cohen
once tried to negotiate an appearance by Donald Trump on Seth Meyers’
show, for what the “Late Night” host pitched as a fun way of coming
together after torching Trump at the 2011 White House Correspondents
Dinner.
Meyers had invited Trump after running into him at the “Saturday Night
Live” 40th anniversary special in February 2015, a few months before the
real estate developer’s presidential campaign launched.
Trump, Meyers told me in an interview for POLITICO’s Off Message
podcast, started out receptive to appearing on “Late Night,” but the
conversation ended once Meyers refused a demand Cohen relayed that was
non-negotiable to Trump: He wanted Meyers to go on air and publicly
apologize for making fun of Trump at the dinner four years earlier.
Neither a White House spokesman nor Cohen responded when asked what
happened.
POLITICO's Off Message podcast is hosted by Isaac Dovere and is part of
the Panoply network. Produced by Zack Stanton. Executive Producer is
Dave Shaw. Theme music by Podington Bear.
04/09/18•42m 15s
Tony Perkins: Trump gets ‘a mulligan’ on Stormy Daniels and other past indiscretions (REPRISE)
A reprise episode: Donald Trump is still the answer to many conservative
evangelical leaders’ prayers. Or at least to their continuing
grievances. They embrace Trump the policymaker, despite being uneasy
about Trump as a man, says Tony Perkins, president of the Family
Research Council, a prominent evangelical activist group.
Perkins knows about Stormy Daniels, the porn actress who claimed, in a
2011 interview, that in 2006 she had sex with Trump four months after
his wife, Melania, gave birth to their son, Barron. He knows of the
reports that Daniels (real name: Stephanie Clifford) was paid off to
keep the affair quiet in the waning weeks of the 2016 election. He knows
about the cursing, the lewdness and the litany of questionable behavior
over the past year of Trump’s life or the 70 that came before it.
“We kind of gave him—‘All right, you get a mulligan. You get a do-over
here,’” Perkins said in a January 2018 interview for Off Message.
POLITICO's Off Message podcast is hosted by Isaac Dovere and is part of
the Panoply network. Produced by Zack Stanton. Executive Producer is
Dave Shaw. Theme music by Podington Bear.
28/08/18•45m 16s
Why Michael Hayden says Trump is helping Russia (Reprise)
Michael Hayden doesn’t know whether Donald Trump colluded with the
Russian attack on the 2016 election—but he’s sure the president helped
the Kremlin and is continuing to do so every day.
Hayden, a retired general who led the NSA and the CIA under President
George W. Bush, is sure, too, of what he calls a “convergence” of
interests between Trump and Russia. And he thinks it risks destroying
America.
POLITICO's Off Message podcast is hosted by Isaac Dovere and is part of
the Panoply network. Produced by Zack Stanton. Executive Producer is
Dave Shaw. Theme music by Podington Bear.
21/08/18•40m 43s
Randi Weingarten: For unions, this is a ‘which side are you on’ moment
The president of the American Federation of Teachers says that union
members haven’t just cooled on Trump—they’ve turned on him. Union
leaders and members now “know who the bad guys are,” says Weingarten,
the longtime head of the American Federation of Teachers—President
Donald Trump and the five justices who signed on to the court’s Janus
decision in June. Early on, Trump’s support among organized labor was at
astronomical levels for a modern-day Republican, with November 2016 exit
polls showing him with the support of more than 40 percent of union
households. A March 2017 Reuters-Ipsos poll gave him a 62 percent
approval rating among union members, but by spring 2018, it had dropped
to 47 percent. The union members who ruled out voting for Hillary
Clinton don’t appear to be sticking around as the president actually
moves forward on his trade war and economic agenda. Weingarten says the
combination of an antagonistic administration and hostile high court has
driven union members to the barricades. And though she acknowledges that
the AFT and its allies may now be in a fight for their existence, at
least they’re in the fight.
POLITICO’s "Off Message" podcast is hosted by Isaac Dovere and is a
proud member of the Panoply network. Produced by Zack Stanton. Special
thanks to Dave Shaw. Intro and outro music by Podington Bear.
14/08/18•49m 24s
Shannon Watts: How to create an ‘army of angry moms and women’ from your own kitchen
The founder of Moms Demand Action talks about how she created one of the
most successful gun control groups in the country—and where they go from
here.
Shannon Watts has a bodyguard who travels with her. He doesn’t carry a
gun—his job is to scope out the local hospitals and know which one to
rush her to if she gets shot. That’s been life for the mother of five
since late 2012, when she founded Moms Demand Action, an organization
that advocates for stricter regulation of guns. Watts says the threats
of violence and rape started coming in within 24 hours of the group’s
formation. Threatening strangers have shown up at her house. The
National Rifle Association regularly features her in its magazine.
Right-wing provocateur Dana Loesch, before she went on the NRA payroll,
showed up with a camera crew to confront Watts off-guard at a protest
she was leading near the NRA’s annual meeting. It all started that day
in December 2012 when 20 first-graders were mowed down at Sandy Hook
Elementary School in Connecticut, and a frustrated Watts wrote a
Facebook post about the need for new gun laws. She figured she’d just
join a group that existed—something like Mothers Against Drunk Driving,
except for gun violence—sign up for a few events, write a check.
Instead, sitting at her kitchen table and almost without realizing what
she was doing while talking with the fellow mothers who reached out to
her, Watts started what has quickly become one of the largest and most
far-reaching organizations in American politics and an aspirational
model for how a group of like-minded political amateurs can quickly move
from liking each others’ social media posts to having a real impact on
policy.
For more: https://www.politico.com/podcasts/off-message
Politico's "Off Message" podcast is hosted by Edward-Isaac Dovere,
produced by Zack Stanton, and is a proud member of the Panoply network.
Intro/outro music by Podington Bear.
07/08/18•50m 34s
John Dean: Nixon ‘might have survived if there'd been a Fox News’ — Reprise
This week, an encore presentation of an interview we first brought you
earlier this year. John Dean was the star witness of the Watergate
investigation — the counsel to President Richard Nixon who famously
flipped and became the prosecution’s star witness in the process that
helped take down the president. The Russia scandal is far from over,
said Dean, but Trump has advantages that Nixon didn’t.
“There’s social media, there’s the internet; the news cycles are faster.
I think Watergate would have occurred at a much more accelerated speed
than the 928 days it took to go from the arrest at the Watergate to the
conviction of Haldeman and Ehrlichman and [John] Mitchell, et al.,” Dean
told Off Message host Isaac Dovere in our first episode of 2018.
“There’s more likelihood [Nixon] might have survived if there’d been a
Fox News.”
POLITICO's Off Message podcast is hosted by Isaac Dovere and is part of
the Panoply network. Zack Stanton is its producer. Theme music by
Podington Bear.
31/07/18•43m 29s
Marty Walsh: Working-class Trump voters ‘forgot where they came from’
Marty Walsh is a college drop-out and recovering alcoholic who grew up
in a union household and worked his way up through organized labor and
local politics. In many ways, he fits the profile of the kind of white
working-class man who put Donald Trump in the White House.
He also happens to be the Democratic mayor of Boston, and he has a
bracing assessment of the blue-collar white voters backing Trump: They
“forgot where they came from.”
Walsh says it bothers him how many of the people he grew up with and
worked with—or fit that same profile all around the country—support
Trump policies. And he talks about what Democrats can do to turn things
around.
Read more at politico.com/podcasts/off-message
24/07/18•45m 59s
Francis Suarez: Miami's almost-millennial, Latino mayor doesn't like labels
Francis Suarez believes he may be the first Miami-born mayor of Miami.
He also has a front-row seat to his swing state's senate and
gubernatorial races. He didn't vote for Trump, but Mar-a-Lago isn't
far.
17/07/18•40m 8s
Kate Andersen Brower: Making sense of the Trump-Pence relationship
How does Mike Pence keep his boss happy? By staying out of the
spotlight, for starters, says journalist Kate Andersen Brower, whose new
book looks at the relationships between presidents and their vice
presidents. She describes the Trump-Pence dynamic, and sizes up how
Pence compares to his predecessor in the job, Joe Biden.
10/07/18•38m 25s
Tom Arnold: 'Donald Trump is a D-list president, and his enemies are D-list, like Tom Arnold'
Tom Arnold talks about his hunt for Trump tapes, his selfie with Michael
Cohen, and the mad coincidences that have injected him into a handful of
political scandals.
03/07/18•49m 53s
Seth Moulton: ‘We have a commander in chief that we fundamentally can’t trust.’
Congressman Seth Moulton is amassing an army of service-oriented
Democratic candidates. His goal isn’t simply to defeat Trump; it’s to
change politics — and maybe form his own national campaign in the
process. He joins us to talk about military service, Donald Trump, 2020,
and how he's hoping the Democratic Party will change.
26/06/18•53m 0s
Kirsten Gillibrand: Trump is pushing the ‘devil’s schemes’
The New York senator has a different word for the family separation
policy which the attorney general and White House press secretary call
“Biblical.” Her word is “evil.” In the Biblical sense.
Referencing the “devil’s schemes” from the Book of Ephesians, the New
York senator said President Donald Trump’s administration qualifies for
that label “if you were talking in Christian language.” “To me? Yes,
these are all things that come from the darkness that are ripping
children from their mothers’ arms. That’s outrageous. I mean, that is
not a positive, good thing. It is an evil, dark thing,” she says in an
interview for the latest episode of POLITICO’s Off Message podcast.
19/06/18•50m 3s
Jenny Durkan: ‘The baton got dropped,’ and Obama alums are running to finish what he started
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan was the first Obama appointee to win a major
election after his presidency. She's part of a network of Obama
administration officials that want his presidency to mark the start of a
new progressive era — and in order to make it a reality, they’re focused
on defeating Trump, not simply by opposing him, but by out-organizing
him.
“‘Resist’ is too passive,” said Durkan. “We’ve got to focus and build a
progress and a movement going forward,”
“We saw the immense amount of positive we could do in our communities,”
Durkan said, adding that she saw also how much gets done when no one is
looking, which she said is happening every day with the Trump
administration.
“Not only are they rolling the clock backwards—they are—they’re in there
dismantling, brick by brick. What he tweets in the morning drives the
news cycle, and in the meantime, there’s an enormous amount of harm
being done to the country,” she said.
12/06/18•39m 26s
John Delaney: The 2020 long-shot candidate who’s gaining ground in Iowa
For Congressman John Delaney, the 2020 campaign is already underway. The
money is there. So is the commitment. And people in are starting to pay
attention.
The little-known Maryland congressman thinks that’s part of what will
transform a presidential run that pretty much no one takes seriously
into the next Jimmy Carter-style, out-of-nowhere explosion onto the
presidential debate stage. Delaney, who made his fortune founding two
commercial lending companies, has already spent $1 million out of his
own pocket, using it for TV ads in Des Moines and a campaign office in
Iowa. Since last summer, he’s taken 11 trips to the caucus state, plus
eight to New Hampshire. He’s even written a new campaign book.
What does he have to show for it? While he’s been all but ignored in the
national media, Delaney has an internal poll from Iowa that ranks him
fifth in terms of name ID among potential Democratic candidates.
Fifty-two percent of those likely 2020 Democratic caucus-goers polled
know who John Delaney is, which puts him behind only Joe Biden, Bernie
Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker—and ahead of buzzed-about
figures like Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris and Terry McAuliffe.
05/06/18•40m 3s
Steyer: Pelosi is ‘normalizing’ Trump by not talking about impeachment
The billionaire California activist says Democratic leaders who don’t
take up the cause aren't just writing off millions of potential voters,
they are like those who told civil rights activists to be patient in the
1960s.
29/05/18•46m 11s
Jimmy Carter: ‘Democracy has reached its peak and is declining’
Former President Jimmy Carter joins us to talk about the lack of moral
leadership in the White House, faith, and what it would take for Donald
Trump to win the Nobel Peace Prize. We spoke to Carter at Liberty
University shortly ahead of his delivery of the keynote speech at the
school's commencement ceremonies. Though he and Jerry Falwell make an
unlikely pair due to their very different politics (Falwell is a
conservative Republican, Carter is a proud Democrat), Carter's deep and
abiding Christian faith — and the lifetime of humanitarian work it led
him to — is the reason he was invited to Falwell's school.
Read more at https://politico.com/podcasts/off-message
22/05/18•21m 13s
Benjamin: ‘I don’t know exactly what the president cares and doesn’t care about’
Trump has lived his whole life in the city. So why does he have such an
adversarial relationship with mayors? Mayor Steve Benjamin, the head of
the U.S. Conference of Mayors, joins us to discuss what cities are doing
next in their battles with the Trump administration.
15/05/18•41m 56s
Seth Meyers: Trump wanted me to apologize for making fun of him
The “Late Night” host talks about President Trump, the White House
Correspondents Dinner, and the time Trump sent Michael Cohen to
negotiate a mea culpa from the comedian.
08/05/18•42m 9s
Chris Matthews: ‘I’m not sure trust is what people want from Trump’
The host of MSNBC's "Hardball" and sharp observer of politics talks
about 2020, what Trump understands about white ethnic politics and what
you don't understand about cable news.
01/05/18•51m 51s
The millennial mayor who could make universal basic income a reality
Michael Tubbs is the 27-year-old leader of one of California’s biggest
cities. And he’s using that position to try out some truly radical
policy ideas.
24/04/18•41m 33s
Rubin: Trump’s GOP ‘has become the caricature the left always said it was’
Jennifer Rubin has become a leading voice for conservative intellectuals
who don’t fit comfortably in either political party—and sees the party
she left behind as ‘immoral’ and ‘anti-American.’ “Republicans have
permanently eliminated themselves from credibility to govern,” says
Rubin, who writes the Washington Post's "Right Turn" blog. “You can’t be
willing to sacrifice core American values for the sake of a tax cut and
be deemed to be worthy of trust going forward.”
17/04/18•43m 31s
Inside Puerto Rico’s Plan to Influence the Midterm Elections
Frustrated by Congress’s response to Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico
Governor Ricardo Rosselló is preparing to drop a ‘hammer’ in targeted
states in 2018.
10/04/18•37m 47s
Should Sessions wrap up the Mueller probe?
Rep. Matt Gaetz has emerged as Trump’s apprentice in Congress, receiving
late-night phone calls from the president after his TV appearances
defending him. He thinks the time has come for Attorney General Jeff
Sessions to unrecuse himself, call up special counsel Bob Mueller and
maybe even shut down Mueller's investigation.
03/04/18•41m 47s
Pete Buttigieg gets closer to a 2020 campaign
The 36-year-old South Bend mayor is an Afghanistan veteran, Rhodes
Scholar, out gay man and plain-spoken Midwesterner. He also has a PAC
spending money in Iowa, is staffing up with presidential campaign vets
and quietly building key relationships ahead of 2020. Could he be the
next president?
27/03/18•53m 11s
Beto O'Rourke doesn’t want to be Democrats' next national cause
The Texas congressman talks about his campaign to oust Ted Cruz, the
lyrics he wrote in his old punk band, and the ways he wishes he was more
like his dad.
20/03/18•54m 50s
Schwarzenegger lets loose on Trump, Big Oil and #MeToo
Live from SXSW, Arnold Schwarzenegger joins Isaac Dovere for a
wide-ranging conversation on politics, the environment — and even the
upcoming "Terminator" movie.
12/03/18•58m 19s
Democrats Vow to Go After GOP Governors ‘Kowtowing’ to Trump
Jay Inslee, the governor of Washington and head of the Democratic
Governors Association, wants gubernatorial races to become a battlefield
for the anti-Trump resistance.
06/03/18•40m 34s
Michael Hayden on Trump, Russia and why you can expect more from Mueller
Retired General and former CIA Director Michael Hayden sees a
"convergence" between the Trump campaign and Russia. He's ‘very
concerned’ about it—and thinks you should be, too.
27/02/18•41m 31s
BONUS: Utah Gov. on Romney’s Trump Endorsement Flip: ‘Things Have Changed’
Utah Governor Gary Herbert explains why he doesn't mind Romney's
flip-flop on taking Trump's endorsement, the gun law changes he'd like
to see, and why Utah is chasing another shot at hosting the Olympics.
24/02/18•30m 29s
Yes to “thoughts and prayers,” but why not action, too?
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy talks about gun violence, what he has in
common with Donald Trump, and his time working as a textbook salesman.
20/02/18•42m 8s
‘Black women are realizing the power of their vote’
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms on the political rise of black women,
what it would take for Democrats to win Georgia in 2020, and how it
feels to visit your father in prison while you're just a child.
13/02/18•36m 38s
Joe Kennedy could be the Democrats’ best hope. But is that what he wants?
Rep. Joe Kennedy III sits down to talk about why Democrats need a big,
messy primary in 2020, the reason he thinks Joe Biden would've defeated
Trump, his time as Elizabeth Warren's student at Harvard Law, and what
it's like to learn about your family members in history class.
Last week, Kennedy gave the Democratic response to President Trump's
State of the Union speech. The rebuttal heralded Kennedy's arrival in
the national conversation at a time when Democrats are desperate to find
the right messenger to lead the part into the future.
Could that messenger be Kennedy himself? He’s a 37-year-old congressman
at a time when the best-known figures in the party have wrinkles and
gray hair; he’s started to make a name for himself as a leading liberal
voice on health care and other issues; he chairs Congress’s Transgender
Equality Task Force; he speaks fluent Spanish from his service with the
Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic; he met his wife in Elizabeth
Warren’s class at Harvard Law. He has the most revered family name in
all of Democratic politics.
Listen to the full interview now, and visit POLITICO Magazine to read
the whole story.
06/02/18•38m 39s
House Republicans struggle with what to do about Trump
Congressman Steve Stivers heads up the National Republican Congressional
Committee, the House GOP's campaign arm. And that means that, among
other things, he's faced with figuring out where—and how—President Trump
can be helpful to Republican candidates.
Here, he sits down with Isaac to talk about whether he'd send the
president to campaign in a swing seat, how he convinces incumbents to
run for reelection, and whether President Trump makes him proud to be a
Republican.
30/01/18•44m 38s
Evangelicals give Trump a ‘mulligan’ on life pre-presidency, including Stormy Daniels
Tony Perkins, the head of the Family Research Council, says that
evangelical conservatives are willing to overlook Trump’s past
behavior—even his alleged affair with porn actress Stormy Daniels—so
long as he delivers for them on policy.
“I think they are finally glad that there’s somebody on the playground
that is willing to punch the bully,” Perkins tells us. What happened to
turning the other cheek? “You know, you only have two cheeks,” Perkins
says. “Christianity is not all about being a welcome mat which people
can just stomp their feet on.”
23/01/18•45m 33s
‘Washington was about to explode’: The Clinton scandal, 20 years later
An all-star panel discusses how #MeToo changes the way we think about
Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky, why the scandals of 1998 would play
out differently in today's media environment, and what Trump learned
from Clinton's example.
Join Politico editor-in-chief John Harris, New York Times chief White
House correspondent Peter Baker, Politico chief international affairs
columnist Susan B. Glasser, and Yahoo News chief investigative
correspondent Michael Isikoff for a roundtable discussion of the scandal
that rocked Washington and changed American politics.
21/01/18•51m 32s
Perez: GOP must answer for "appalling silence" on Trump
DNC chairman Tom Perez is the son of immigrants from the Dominican
Republic. He shares his personal reaction to President Trump's comment
about 'shithole countries,' and explains why he thinks the "party of
Lincoln" is dead — despite the fact the GOP controls the White House,
Congress, judicial branch, and most state governments.
16/01/18•41m 15s
Jordan Klepper: Is what we're living through funny?
Jordan Klepper has spent the last three months hosting the Alex
Jones-style parody “The Opposition” on Comedy Central, working hard to
get into the head of all the conspiracy theorists — including President
Donald Trump himself — who’ve latched onto tales of illegal voters and
the “deep state” and media witch hunts. And he's scared of what he's
seen there.
09/01/18•31m 54s
John Dean: Trump's inner circle has no idea what’s about to hit them
John Dean, the former Nixon White House counsel, has a memo for White
House lawyer Ty Cobb and the rest of President Donald Trump’s defenders
as they enter 2018: believing the investigation and prosecutions will be
over any time soon is “wishful thinking.” And, says the man who famously
flipped and became the Watergate prosecution’s star witness in the
process that helped take down Richard Nixon, no one in the president’s
orbit should assume they’re prepared for everything that cooperating
witnesses George Papadopoulos and Michael Flynn might be telling Bob
Mueller, as they’ve done out of confidence from their own review or just
out of public bluster. That’s the mistake Dean saw Nixon, H. R. Haldeman
and John Ehrlichman make about him.
02/01/18•44m 36s
Bill de Blasio says he isn’t running for president. So why is he in Iowa?
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio takes a break during his trip to Iowa
to sit down with Isaac and assure him he isn't running for president.
Hizzoner talks about why he's a polarizing figure, what it's like being
a progressive leader in the Trump era, and what he thinks about all the
New Yorkers being mentioned as 2020 candidates.
26/12/17•40m 57s
Joe Manchin: How Trump is losing red-state Democrats
Joe Manchin is a rare breed: a West Virginia Democrat and
self-proclaimed “radical moderate.” He's one of 10 Senate Democrats up
for reelection in 2018 in states that Trump won. Red-state Democrats
like Manchin should have been putty in the president’s hands. Instead,
he’s alienated them to the point that he’s neither feared nor loved.
19/12/17•54m 15s
PREVIEW: Why Sen. Joe Manchin thinks Al Franken shouldn’t resign
An exclusive preview of our upcoming episode with Sen. Joe Manchin, in
which he talks about the sexual misconduct allegations against Al
Franken, why he hopes Franken doesn't resign, and what he sees as total
hypocrisy on the part of his fellow Democratic senators
18/12/17•2m 32s
Petraeus: ‘Life is not full of high-five moments’
The retired general and former CIA director explains why he thinks
Trump’s foreign policy is more continuation than change, what he knows
about Mike Flynn, and what his own woes have taught him about life not
being an endless series of 'high-five moments.'
12/12/17•1h 5m
Trump’s threat to take down the GOP still stands
Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie don’t know if Donald Trump will
remain a Republican, but they believe Republicans owe him their loyalty.
They join Isaac to discuss their new campaign tell-all, Donald Trump,
and why they think Paul Manafort deserves what’s coming to him. Also,
Eliana Johnson swings by to discuss Trump’s inner circle.
05/12/17•47m 11s
Capitol Hill braces for a wave of sexual harassment scandals
Isaac talks with Politico congressional reporters Rachael Bade and Elana
Schor about Al Franken, John Conyers, Roy Moore, why Hill staffers fear
what leadership will do if they speak out about sexual harassment and
what it will take for the ‘dam to break’ and unleash a wave of scandals.
28/11/17•37m 2s
Garry Kasparov on whether Trump could beat Putin in chess
Chess? That’s not what Garry Kasparov sees Donald Trump or Vladimir
Putin playing—three-dimensional or any other kind. But if they did sit
down for a game, the former grandmaster knows who’d win: “Both of them
despise playing by the rules, so it’s who will cheat first.”
21/11/17•34m 43s
Perry: The Cabinet won’t stop Trump from launching a nuclear weapon
Former Secretary of Defense William J. Perry is America’s nuclear
conscience — and he’s worried. We talk to him about nukes, North Korea,
and the two times he’s stared down the apocalypse.
14/11/17•40m 25s
What Jed Bartlet and Jack Donaghy would say to Donald Trump — Alec Baldwin & Bradley Whitford
Alec Baldwin inhabits Donald Trump on ‘Saturday Night Live.’ Bradley
Whitford spent years in ‘The West Wing.’ Here’s what their time with
fake presidents tells them about the real one.
10/11/17•31m 31s
Eric Holder is done holding his tongue
An Election Day special: Heading out on the campaign trail, we talk with
former Attorney General Eric Holder, who has taken to the stump himself
to rally Democrats in Virginia, and occupies a newly political role.
07/11/17•37m 29s
Nancy Pelosi isn’t going anywhere
Nancy Pelosi is hated; she’s a hero. She’s the Democrats’ secret weapon;
she’s the Republicans’ favorite target. She’s been around politics her
entire life — she tells us about a time she ditched her school’s Model
UN to sit next to JFK at dinner — and at 77, shows no signs of slowing
down. With Democrats out of power and Pelosi under attack from her own
members, she has re-emerged as an essential player in Washington. But
while the Democratic Party is in a rolling existential crisis, can she
hold on?
02/11/17•58m 25s
Preet Bharara: Trump, indictments and the Godfather
For years, former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara was one of the most feared
prosecutors in America. Then President Trump asked him to resign. Now,
as Robert Mueller’s investigation unleashes its opening torrent of
indictments, we talk to Bharara about the president who ousted him, what
to make the special prosecutor’s investigation into Trump’s orbit, and a
similarity between Donald Trump and Vito Corleone.
31/10/17•50m 30s
Thom Tillis: ‘If they don’t like the process, change the rules'
North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis discusses his dream of going to
Burning Man and how he sees Breitbart and the Huffington Post as the
same. The Republican also explains about the need to focus on results in
the Senate and his commitment to conservative ideals.
24/10/17•54m 18s
Puerto Rico's Jenniffer Gonzalez to Trump: ‘We are American citizens’
Puerto Rico's delegate in Congress discusses what she made of President
Trump’s promise to wipe away the territory’s debt, what she thinks will
happen now that the White House has backtracked on it, and the new kind
of community thinking that’s taken root since Hurricane Maria.
17/10/17•40m 53s
Mark Kelly to lawmakers opposing gun laws: ‘You should quit’
Captain Mark Kelly sits down to discuss gun control in the wake of the
Las Vegas shooting, how Gabby Giffords feels about returning to stand
with her old colleagues on the Hill, and his own feelings about
President Trump’s space council.
10/10/17•41m 16s
Rob Reiner tries to find the truth about Trump and Russia
Actor and activist Rob Reiner sits down with Isaac Dovere in New York to
discuss Russia, Trump, cultural fights sweeping and country and
celebrities' role in all of it.
26/09/17•38m 31s
Jeff Merkley: Meet the leader of the vast left-wing conspiracy
Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley discusses what became of the wind turbine he
built in his backyard, how an offhand slight in the math-science center
in high school got him started in his first race, and the experience of
being watched by North Korean troops last month on his trip to the
border.
19/09/17•47m 1s
Will Hurd: Everybody needs to stand up
Texas Congressman Will Hurd has a message for Republicans who don’t like
the funding deal President Donald Trump made with Democrats: Get
yourself together, or quit complaining. Hurd discusses how President
Trump handled Charlottesville, bipartisanship in Congress and even brags
about how many of his bills Barack Obama signed.
11/09/17•36m 5s
Dolores Huerta: I think the '60s are back
Dolores Huerta, the famed labor leader who marched with Cesar Chavez and
coined his rallying cry, is still mad as hell—and she was spitting fire
when I asked her about President Trump’s plans to stop protecting
undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as kids.
05/09/17•26m 22s
How Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan became unbeatable
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan discusses his unexpected write-in victory,
turning around the city's urban decline and turning the street lights
back on. Plus, the mayor discusses his close relationship with Joe Biden
and what John Kelly told him about the city's immigration policy.
29/08/17•40m 48s
Al Sharpton & Jerry Nadler on hate in America
Rev. Al Sharpton and Rep. Jerry Nadler, who battled Donald Trump for
years in New York, consider the lasting consequences of his
Charlottesville comments and their own experiences with racism and
anti-Semitism.
22/08/17•57m 13s
Cecile Richards and the future of choice politics
Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards discusses women senators'
role in the health care repeal vote, the resilience of volunteers and
clinics, and what the future holds for the abortion fight.
15/08/17•32m 33s
Alaska Gov. Bill Walker on the future of independents in politics
Bill Walker sits down with Isaac Dovere to discuss the last time he saw
Sarah Palin, standing in the middle of a river at age 12 when an
earthquake destroyed his hometown and what his meetings during Energy
Week at the White House were like.
08/08/17•34m 22s
Obama’s inner circle is urging Deval Patrick to run
Former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick sits down with Isaac Dovere
at Bain Capital in Boston to discuss his decision to join the investment
firm, his tight-knit relationship with President Obama and what's next
for his political career.
01/08/17•43m 35s
Maz Jobrani on Trump protest comedy
Comedian Maz Jobrani reflects back on his own immigrant experience as a
child and how that has influenced his perception of the world,
especially now that the country is charged by policies like President
Trump's travel ban. Jobrani discusses white protester privilege, finding
the funny in Trump, and the president's appeals to some immigrants.
29/07/17•28m 43s
Arnold Schwarzenegger's not done with politics
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger sits down with Isaac Dovere to discuss
gerrymandering, the similarities between politics and show business, and
why he gets under President Trump's skin.
25/07/17•46m 16s
Debating free journalism in Cuba
One of the most recognizable journalists from Cuba's state television,
Cristina Escobar, sits down with Isaac Dovere to discuss censorship, the
impact of President Obama's historic visit in 2016, and Cubans' take on
the Trump White House.
22/07/17•33m 35s
Can Roy Cooper show Democrats how to win again?
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper talks high school sports highlights,
gerrymandering and building up the Democratic party at the state levels.
The governor has eyes on 2018 state Legislature races and potential
special elections before then, he is launching a multimillion-dollar,
multiyear effort to knock Republicans out of the state capital.
Read the full story here: http://politi.co/2uDFX21
18/07/17•39m 54s
How Trump Is changing the Washington game
Playbook co-authors Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman join the show to
discuss how they have reworked their lives around an early morning
schedule that keeps them both going 365 days per year and what they
think the chances are for any major legislation passing Congress this
year.
14/07/17•36m 1s
Is Trump a Conservative? Mike Lee says yes
Here’s where Senator Mike Lee, the junior Republican senator from Utah,
has landed: Trump makes sense in the White House, as the head of the
Republican Party, and as a leader of the conservative moment because
that’s what happened. It’s more deduction than enthusiasm.
Read full article: http://politi.co/2tEmgpn
11/07/17•26m 51s
Wrestling with the Trump White House
Julie Pace, the new Washington bureau chief for the Associated Press,
and Peter Baker, the chief White House correspondent for the New York
Times discuss how they approach covering a president and White House
that clearly wants a war with the media and looks for every opportunity
to pick a fight.
07/07/17•40m 11s
Gerard Araud: Europeans can't build a future without the Americans
French Ambassador Gerard Araud gives Isaac Dovere his read on Trump’s
personality and the advice he gave Macron on dealing with him before
their first encounter. Plus, the ambassador delves into how diplomacy in
Washington has changed since the inauguration and what he sees as the
possible path back to strength for the European Union.
03/07/17•45m 14s
Mitch Landrieu: The President of the United Mayors of America
New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu wants to turn the Conference of Mayors
into a powerful national platform as cities work around, ignore and
resist the White House.
27/06/17•34m 44s
Ben Cardin: America in danger of stumbling into war
Maryland Senator Ben Cardin details his bizarre meeting with Zimbabwean
dictator Robert Mugabe, how the Trump administration's foreign policy
strategy is affecting credibility, his take on Rex Tillerson, and what
he's prepared to do if Republicans bring a health care bill to the floor
without a hearing.
20/06/17•35m 15s
How Jason Kander won by losing
Jason Kander, who came shockingly close to ousting Missouri’s Republican
Sen. Roy Blunt last November despite Hillary Clinton’s blowout loss in
the state—has been a man in demand the last seven months. Isaac Dovere
sits down with him in New Hampshire to discuss enlisting on 9/11, how
"mug shots" contributed to his rise to political prominence and what's
next for the rising star..
17/06/17•45m 9s
Terry McAuliffe looks past the Clintons
The Virginia governor talks skydiving, how he thinks Hillary Clinton
needs to step back, taking on Trump, his campaign plans for 2018 and the
looming question of whether he'll make his own White House run in 2020.
13/06/17•50m 8s
Chad Griffin & Paula Vogel
Human Rights Campaign president Chad Griffin assesses the record of
Trump White House--and Ivanka Trump--on gay rights and what the
Resistance has to learn. Tony-nominated Paula Vogel talks her play
"Indecent" and anxieties about art in the age of Trump.
09/06/17•55m 53s
Linda McMahon complains of White House 'bottleneck'
Small Business Administrator Linda McMahon discusses going from
bankruptcy to WWE millions, the first time she met Donald Trump,
staffing challenges and her mission to introduce more small business
owners to the SBA.
06/06/17•35m 8s
Wyclef Jean: I might run for office someday
Wyclef Jean’s advice for celebrities who want to get political: Don’t be
like Kathy Griffin.Read up, said the musician of Fugees fame, and
one-time aspiring celebrity-turned-president himself. And if you’re a
high-profile person, think about how what you’re doing and saying might
be interpreted, or maybe misinterpreted.
02/06/17•27m 51s
Ben Sasse on Trump and being an adult
Mention President Donald Trump’s name and Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse
closes his eyes, rocks back and forth on his heels in almost momentary
pinched smile meditation, waiting for it to pass.He never liked Trump.
He still doesn’t like Trump. And now that he’s promoting his new book,
“The Vanishing American Adult,” he doesn’t want to talk about the
American president’s not counting as an adult according to the
principles he spends 300 pages laying out.
30/05/17•1h 14m
Problem Solvers insist it's not too late for tax reform
Rep. Tom Reed and Rep. Josh Gottheimer say that President Trump can get
the biggest tax reform package in history done in conjunction with the
largest infrastructure package, and that he can get it through with
bipartisan support by early 2018. Reed and Gottheimer aren’t
crazy—they’re the co-chairs of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus,
and they insist their day has come. The voters who elected Trump demand
it.
26/05/17•38m 46s
Eric Garcetti isn’t running for president (wink, wink)
L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti sits down with Isaac Dovere to discuss his
relationship with Donald Trump, what he learned about politics from his
father and what his hopes are for his own political career. Plus, Isaac
is joined by California Playbook author Carla Marinucci for insight into
Garcetti's possible career moves.
22/05/17•57m 38s
Rahm Emanuel: 'America’s reliability is now in question'
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel believes everyone in Washington is too
focused on the craze around President Trump and unable to see what’s
actually going on—and what’s not. Emanuel says that “America’s word and
America’s reliability is now in question,” and the turmoil and drama
surrounding the West Wing has over shadowed major events like the
proposed upheaval to the tax code, mounting tensions with North Korea
and Oval Office invites for anti-democratic leaders.
16/05/17•39m 43s
Sophia Bush: 'I have a right to take up space'
Actress and political activist Sophia Bush sits down with Isaac Dovere
in New Orleans to discuss fighting for what she believes in (even if
that means losing followers), standing up against sexism in the work
place and why her social anxiety is "through the roof."
09/05/17•48m 6s
Tom Cotton has no problem with Donald Trump
Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton sits down with Isaac Dovere to discuss his
love of Abraham Lincoln, how he cultivated such a friendly relationship
with the Trump White House and what he learned from his time in the
military.
05/05/17•49m 13s
Gov. John Kasich on a "post-truth" America
Ohio Gov. John Kasich sits down with Isaac Dovere this week to discuss
the development of his faith, the difficulty of losing both his parents
at a young age to a drunk driver and the moment he met President Nixon
and the incredible amount of compassion he witnessed from him.
02/05/17•48m 44s
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ crashes up against Trump
In Donald Trump, author Margaret Atwood and actress Elisabeth Moss see
an eerie echo of her novels. Activist Stephanie Schriock is fighting to
ensure that they're wrong.
25/04/17•1h 1m
Elliott Abrams: Steve Bannon 'not a good influence'
Former Reagan and Bush diplomat Elliott Abrams sounds off on Steve
Bannon, President Trump’s about-face on Syria and the boss he almost
had.
11/04/17•56m 12s
Ed Murray: Meditating in the age of Trump
Seattle Mayor Ed Murray joins Off Message to discuss the city's lawsuit
against the federal government on the sanctuary cities, how a monk
encouraged him come out as a young man and what President Trump doesn't
understand about the immigrant community.
03/04/17•53m 1s
Roger Stone on Russian claims: "They have no proof"
Republican strategist Roger Stone says he’s apologized to Paul Manafort
for getting him involved in all the inquiries about possible Russian
connections to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. But Stone says he
hasn’t apologized for anything he’s done himself—not to Trump, and not
to anyone else. There’s nothing to apologize for, in his mind.
27/03/17•52m 47s
Dave Brat: 'There's primaries coming' off Obamacare repeal
The Virginia congressman says it shouldn’t take a PhD to see what’s
wrong with how his own party is handling the health care situation. He
also discusses the importance of civics classes, if Paul Ryan is a
conservative and his take on "fake news."
20/03/17•50m 40s
Adriano Espaillat: Trump has ‘permeated this toxic environment’
The New York congressman discusses his experience coming to the United
States as a nine-year-old boy, his take on fellow New Yorker President
Donald Trump, his love for foreign affairs and more.
13/03/17•30m 53s
Michael Chertoff: 'I’d be guessing' on Trump's ability to handle crisis
Former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff sits down with
Isaac Dovere to discuss the country's most pressing security concerns,
how to be prepared for the unexpected, his experiences with 9/11 and
Hurricane Katrina, and how he thinks the Trump administration is holding
up.
06/03/17•55m 51s
Donna Brazile on DNC hack: 'I was scared'
The former Democratic National Committee Interim Chair Donna Brazile
sits down with Isaac Dovere in the midst of the election in Atlanta.
Brazile opens up about the toll the 2016 election hacks took on her
personally, how her good rapport with Donald Trump turned sour and
addresses the CNN flap.
27/02/17•39m 56s
Tom Perez: "Trump is anathema to America"
Former Labor Secretary Tom Perez discusses his fight to become the new
chair of the Democratic National Party and the many mistakes made in the
2016 presidential election. Perez discusses the upcoming election to
lead a party on the mend, the milestones reached under President Obama
which are on their way to the chopping block under President Trump and
the desperate need to redefine the mission of a faltering political
party.
23/02/17•45m 37s
Jon Karl: Trump White House "incredibly open"
ABC's Chief White House Correspondent Jon Karl has a front row to the
Trump White House. And despite what the president has said about the
"unfair media", Karl says this administration has been incredibly
accessible and open. He also says reporters can fall victim to
groupthink and get caught up in thinking about traditions Trump is
breaking more than thinking about why the traditions were there in the
first place.
13/02/17•37m 36s
Congressmen Marc Veasey and Brendan Boyle: Reaching out to blue collar voters
The two Democratic congressmen sit down with Isaac Dovere over some
beers to discuss why they felt compelled to start the Blue Collar
Caucus, what Republicans really think of Donald Trump and how they're
going to help Democrats understand what they missed about the electorate
in 2016.
06/02/17•40m 53s
Hakeem Jeffries: 'Every racist' voted for Trump
POLITICO's Isaac Dovere sits down with New York Congressman Hakeem
Jeffries to discuss his experience with detainees at JFK Airport, the
similarities between Donald Trump and Richard Nixon, and how Democrats
plan on pushing back against the White House.
03/02/17•36m 33s
John Malcolm: Is Trump a Constitutional conservative?
Isaac Dovere sits down with Heritage Foundation's John McDonald for an
in-depth discussion on how the next Supreme Court justice is chosen,
what sets the best candidates apart from the rest and Donald Trump's
Constitutional politics.
30/01/17•41m 27s
Chuck Todd: What makes Donald Trump laugh?
Meet the Press host Chuck Todd sits down with Glenn Thrush to discuss
his father's influence on his career, why he regrets allowing Donald
Trump to call in to the Sunday show and the public's perception of the
media.
30/12/16•52m 31s
Keith Ellison's one-man march
Minnesota congressman Keith Ellison sits down with Glenn Thrush to
discuss growing up in Detroit, fighting Muslim stereotypes, what led him
to Louis Farrakhan as a young man and why he's best suited for the top
DNC post.
19/12/16•55m 22s
Tim Ryan: Lessons in losing
Ohio congressman Tim Ryan sits down with Glenn Thrush to discuss how
mindfulness influences his everyday life, why losing to Nancy Pelosi for
House minority leader was the "best professional experience" of his life
and how Democrats need to tweak their messaging in order to reach
working class people.
16/12/16•53m 41s
David Brock: Clinton campaign allowed her image "to be destroyed"
Media Matters founder and long-time Clinton friend David Brock sits down
with Glenn Thrush for a 2016 post-mortem. Brock criticizes the Clinton
campaign's press strategy, lays out tactics for Democrats going forward
and opens up about how pizza-gate has affected his day-to-day life.
12/12/16•1h 8m
Grover Norquist: The anti-tax man's take on Trump
Americans for Tax Reform founder Grover Norquist sits down with Glenn
Thrush to discuss how anti-communism books inspired his political career
at 10 years old, his take on Donald Trump's politics and why he believes
America does best with less government.
05/12/16•59m 5s
Maggie Haberman: How New York tabloids shaped Trump
New York Times reporter and friend Maggie Haberman sits down with Glenn
Thrush to discuss how they began their career together in New York City
Hall and how the tabloid culture shaped Donald Trump. Haberman also
sheds light on Trump's angry tweeting, cabinet picks and management
style.
27/11/16•1h 13m
Best of Off Message
In honor of Election Day, Glenn Thrush takes a look back at his favorite
moments on the show - interviews that framed the narrative, made news,
gave insight into the candidates' mindsets or, at least, gave us a
laugh.
08/11/16•39m 25s
Mark Stephenson and John Hagner on early voting
Data gurus Mark Stephenson and John Hagner sit down with Glenn Thrush to
discuss early voting and absentee ballots - what the trends say about
campaign strategies and the electorate.
31/10/16•56m 52s
Mark Kelly: Everyone deserves to be heard on guns
Astronaut Mark Kelly sits down with Glenn Thrush to discuss his lifelong
experience with guns, from having two parents in law enforcement to
being shot at while in Navy and, of course, the act of gun violence that
left his wife, Gabby Giffords, in critical condition. Kelly opens up
about the importance of having civil conversations with those who
adamantly disagree with you and what needs to be done to stop gun
violence.
24/10/16•46m 37s
Kris Kobach: Trump’s immigration whisperer
Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach sits down with Glenn Thrush in
Topeka, Kansas, to discuss the challenges of being a conservative at
Harvard, what has driven Kobach to make immigration reform his life's
work, his take on the Trump tapes and voter fraud.
17/10/16•1h 6m
Michael Che, Colin Jost: What SNL's weekend anchors really think of 2016
Saturday Night Live's Colin Jost and Michael Che sit down with Glenn
Thrush in 30 Rock for an unvarnished conversation about hating on Donald
Trump, what Hillary Clinton is like behind the scenes and growing up in
New York City. These guys are hilarious and their take on Trump might
just surprise you.
03/10/16•1h
Jen Palmieri: 2016 is 'a harrowing experience'
Hillary Clinton’s communications director Jen Palmieri sits down with
Glenn Thrush in the Brooklyn headquarters to talk debate prep and which
Donald Trump the campaign is expecting on the stage Monday night.
Palmieri also opens up about her time working with Elizabeth Edwards and
discusses why Hillary has a hard time connecting with voters.
26/09/16•56m 43s
Jill Stein: Trump may have 'memory problem'
Jill Stein: Trump may have 'memory problem' by POLITICO
19/09/16•55m 5s
Ann Coulter: The Doyenne of the Deplorables
Author and political commentator Ann Coulter delves into what in her
genetic makeup allows her to endure and even delight in being called
unsavory names (most recently at the Comedy Central Roast). Coulter also
discusses why she is so drawn to Donald Trump and what influence she's
had over his immigration platform.
12/09/16•1h 12m
Neera Tanden: Hillary Clinton's anger translator
Neera Tanden: Hillary Clinton's anger translator by POLITICO
29/08/16•1h 4m
Tony Blair: Centrism may be dead
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair sits down with Glenn Thrush in
London to discuss the relationship between American and British
politics, his close relationship with the Clintons, Brexit, and the
danger of approaching politics with a closed-mind.
23/08/16•48m 13s
John Dickerson: Don't blame media for Donald Trump's rise
John Dickerson: Don't blame media for Donald Trump's rise by POLITICO
15/08/16•1h 5m
Chris Murphy: Newtown gave me a mission
Senator Chris Murphy made a name for himself when he held a 15 hour
filibuster calling for gun control reform. The freshman senator sits
down with Glenn Thrush in Philadelphia to discuss how the Sandy Hook
shooting jolted him into action - giving his work in the Senate and life
purpose.
08/08/16•40m 49s
Jeff Weaver on the Bernie Sanders surrender
Bernie Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver sits down with Glenn Thrush
in Philadelphia to discuss growing up in Vermont, his love of
comic-books, Clintonism and what Sanders understands about politics that
she doesn't.
01/08/16•49m 19s
Robby Mook on how to sell Hillary
Hillary Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook sits down with Glenn Thrush
in Philadelphia to discuss how they came together with the Sanders camp,
why voters may not trust Clinton until after she's elected and the
Russians hacking DNC emails.
28/07/16•46m 25s
Nancy Pelosi's advice to Hillary Clinton: 'Be yourself'
Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi sits down with Glenn Thrush in
Philadelphia's Walls Fargo Center to share her perspective on being the
country's highest-ranking female politician and what she learned from
her experiences at 14 conventions - including the 1968 Chicago
convention brimming with protests and violence. Pelosi also gives some
advice to Hillary Clinton in order to rise above Donald Trump's "faked"
sincerity.
26/07/16•34m 20s
Mike DuHaime: Christie 'wasn't expecting' veep nod
Longtime Chris Christie adviser Mike DuHaime sits down with Glenn Thrush
in Cleveland to discuss Christie's complicated relationship with Donald
Trump, how the Bridgegate scandal affected his White House bid and
Trump's RNC performance.
24/07/16•27m 10s
Bill Kristol to Democrats: Don't underestimate Trump
Weekly Standard founder Bill Kristol sits down with Glenn Thrush in
Cleveland to discuss his take on Donald Trump's candidacy and why he
can't get on board. Kristol reviews Trump's performance at the
convention and muses about how he could strengthen his policy platforms
while preserving his brand.
23/07/16•56m 53s
Chuck D takes on Rudy G
Public Enemy frontman Chuck D sits down with Glenn Thrush in Cleveland
to discuss the Black Lives Matter movement, his experience with race
relations growing up in New York City and his take on the 2016 race.
20/07/16•39m 35s
Ted Cruz talks: He's not ready to endorse ... yet
Texas senator and former 2016 hopeful Ted Cruz sits down with Glenn
Thrush to discuss Governor Mike Pence joining the Trump ticket, what the
senator admires about President Obama's past campaigns, and what he and
Bernie Sanders have in common. Cruz also blasts the media's coverage of
Trump and delves into what the press has gotten wrong about him.
18/07/16•59m 3s
Playbook passes the torch
The new Playbook authors Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman sit down with
Glenn Thrush to discuss how they got their start in Washington, what
they've learned along the way and how they plan to fill the shoes of
Mike Allen.
11/07/16•43m 6s
Nate Silver: Primary whiff made me humbler, smarter
Statistician and fivethirtyeight.com founder Nate Silver sits down with
Glenn Thrush to discuss his general election predictions, how his
attitude towards journalism has changed since 2008, what he's learned
from getting it wrong, and how third-party votes could affect 2016.
05/07/16•1h 10m
Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Trump’s political godfather
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio sits down with Glenn Thrush on his
and Donald Trump's birthday. The sheriff looks back on his 84 years and
opens up about how his mother made the ultimate sacrifice for him. The
two also discuss the media's role in politics, discrimination in the
country and immigration.
20/06/16•1h 17m
Jeff Roe: Allergy to analytics could be fatal for Trump
Ted Cruz strategist Jeff Roe and Glenn Thrush get in the weeds about
campaign operations and strategy. Roe also reflects back on what went
wrong on the Cruz campaign and discusses his love for baseball.
14/06/16•1h 22m
Joe Scarborough dishes on Donald Trump, Jeff Zucker
'Morning Joe' host Joe Scarborough sits down with Glenn Thrush to talk
music, what fuels Donald Trump and the balancing act of being a good
host and asking tough questions.
08/06/16•54m 8s
Gary Johnson on Zen and the art of Trump trolling
Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson sits down with Glenn
Thrush to talk Donald Trump's immigration policy, the benefits of
marijuana, similarities with Bernie Sanders and how he stays so Zen.
03/06/16•55m 15s
Jeff Sessions to GOP: Adapt to Trump or die
Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions sits down with Glenn Thrush to discuss his
idyllic childhood just miles away from civil rights battlegrounds, why
Republican lawmakers need to accept the will of the people and support
Donald Trump and the importance of guarding our border.
31/05/16•56m 5s
Paul Ryan: Trump could win, but I’m not ‘betting’ on it
House Speaker Paul Ryan sits down with Glenn Thrush to discuss the
importance of party unity, how he's adjusting to his new leadership role
and the importance of keeping expectations in line with reality. The
Speaker also reflects back on the 2012 presidential campaign and shares
his views on Obama's presidency.
23/05/16•36m 52s
Mark Salter on Trump: 'I think he could come apart'
Former top John McCain aide and one of the most prominent Republicans to
publicly back Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump – tells Glenn Thrush
that he believes the 2016 campaign could drive Trump insane- literally
clinically insane- on cable TV. Salter also discusses the decision to
choose Sarah Palin as McCain's VP and if that choice cracked the door
open for Trump's candidacy.
09/05/16•52m 46s
Larry Wilmore is not joking around
Comedian and 2016 White House Correspondents' Dinner host Larry Wilmore
sits down with Glenn Thrush to discuss what attracts people to Donald
Trump and why he thinks voters might be suffering from Clinton fatigue.
The Nightly Show host also rates President Obama's performance and muses
about why he pursued the frequently dreaded WHCD gig.
29/04/16•46m 53s
Roger Stone on Trump campaign: 'You don't manage Donald'
Republican political adviser Roger Stone sits down with Glenn Thrush to
discuss his advice to Donald Trump's campaign and why the candidate
didn't take it. He also reveals the meaning behind his Richard Nixon
tattoo and how his love for theater led him to politics.
25/04/16•1h 6m
Kirsten Gillibrand's tearful plea to Bernie: Give up your guns
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, a passionate Clinton backer and
feminist, broke down during an emotional sit-down when asked her about
her own conversion from a upstate House member with a 100 percent NRA
rating (who once stored a shotgun under her bed) to an upper-chamber
anti-gun crusader.
18/04/16•55m 7s
Tim Miller: ‘Hillary would beat him from jail’
Republican strategist Tim Miller tells Glenn Thrush why he thinks Donald
Trump would be beat soundly by Hillary Clinton. The two explore the
future of the Republican party, muse on a contested convention and
Miller discusses the nuances of being a gay Republican staffer.
11/04/16•54m 2s
Hillary Clinton has had enough of Bernie Sanders
Hillary Clinton sits down with Glenn Thrush following a campaign event
in Syracuse, New York. The former secretary of state compares Donald
Trump to foreign demagogues and says she's not even sure her primary
opponent is a Democrat.
06/04/16•58m 28s
Alan Gross on Bernie Sanders, 'failure' of socialism in Cuba
Former Cuban prisoner Alan Gross sits down with Glenn Thrush to recount
how he spent his 1,481 days locked up, who visited him (plus what snacks
they brought) and why socialism has failed Cuba. Gross also explains why
he thinks Congress needs to lift the embargo and confesses he was angry
with Secretary Hillary Clinton at the time, but has since forgiven her.
30/03/16•47m 55s
Gen. Michael Hayden: Hillary Clinton second choice on national security
Former CIA Director Michael Hayden sits down with Glenn Thrush to
discuss his career at the NSA and CIA, who he trusts in the 2016 race on
national security and his criticisms of certain journalists he's
encountered over the years.
28/03/16•54m 38s
Jill Abramson on NYT email stories: 'Why is that a big deal?'
Jill Abramson, the first woman editor of the New York Times, tells Glenn
Thrush that Hillary Clinton gets "more scrutiny" than men because she's
subjected to a political "purity test." She also talks about beginning
her career in the South, how people how overlooked Donald Trump's
'Apprentice' years, what she learned from The New York Times and more.
21/03/16•1h 4m
Joel Benenson: No path for Donald Trump in November
Pollster Joel Benenson tells Glenn Thrush that Donald Trump has no path
to victory in November and predicts that states like Arizona and North
Carolina could flip in a Clinton/Trump matchup.
14/03/16•50m 43s
Sanders strategist Tad Devine: Losing Nevada was a game-changer
Bernie Sanders' senior advisor Tad Devine sits down with Glenn Thrush to
discuss how the loss in Nevada forced the campaign to restrategize, what
drove Sanders to double down on the Goldman Sachs attacks, reclaiming
American imagery with their ads and Sanders' favorite food on the road.
07/03/16•48m 33s
Former top Ted Cruz adviser: Conservatives won't stop making case against Trump
Rick Tyler sits down with Glenn Thrush to discuss his sudden dismal from
the Cruz campaign, why conservatives will keep pushing back against
Trump and the future of the Republican party.
29/02/16•41m 32s
David Plouffe: Hillary Clinton has 98% chance of beating Bernie Sanders
Former Obama political strategist and UBER SVP David Plouffe sits down
with Glenn Thrush to discuss Hillary Clinton's winning odds, why she's a
better candidate, the Donald Trump phenomenon and muses on how the
Trump, Clinton matchup would end.
29/02/16•57m 0s
Ben Carson: Obama was ‘raised white’
Dr. Ben Carson sits down with Glenn Thrush to discuss how his background
has informed his presidential campaign, his feelings about President
Obama and classism vs. racism. Plus, Dr. Carson divulges his strategies
for staying so calm and defends his statement that a Muslim shouldn't
run for president.
22/02/16•34m 34s
Rev. Al Sharpton: Donald Trump is the white Don King
Rev. Al Sharpton talks with Glenn Thrush about what drives Donald Trump
in today’s episode of the Off Message podcast. Sharpton also discusses
Bernie Sanders’ Brooklyn roots and his record on race, and what it’ll
take for one of the candidates to receive his endorsement. Plus: he
weighs in on Black Lives Matter and evaluates the Obama administration
on criminal justice.
21/02/16•37m 47s
'The Big Short' director on supporting Bernie Sanders and avoiding politics with his parents
'The Big Short' director Adam McKay sits down with Glenn Thrush to
discuss how the financial crisis is shaping the 2016 presidential race —
and to trace the candidacies of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders back to
what happened on Wall Street.
14/02/16•24m 23s
Jeb goes after Marco: 'He's never been challenged in his life'
Governor Jeb Bush and Glenn Thrush discuss the 2016 race, standing up to
Donald Trump, George W. Bush's presidency and more while the Jeb!
campaign bus makes its way from Manchester to Concord.
07/02/16•35m 56s
Martin O'Malley insists he won't play Iowa kingmaker, tells supporters "hold strong"
Governor Martin O'Malley sits down with POLITICO's Glenn Thrush in
Johnston, Iowa, to discuss what motivates him to keep campaigning
despite low poll numbers, his parents' influence on his political
career, the Celtic punk band The Pogues and why voting has become an
"act of protest."
01/02/16•36m 1s
Glenn Thrush interviews President Obama on Iowa, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and the 2016 race
In an Oval Office interview for POLITICO's Off Message podcast, the
president offers his most expansive comments yet on the race to succeed
him in the White House.
24/01/16•39m 25s
Hugh Hewitt gives Donald Trump 25 percent chance of winning nomination
Radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt sits down with Glenn Thrush to talk
about the 2016 race, how he got his start in politics and why Donald
Trump is the best interview.
21/09/15•48m 6s
George Pataki: The underdog's take
POLITICO's Chief Political Correspondent Glenn Thrush sits down with
Republican 2016 candidate George Pataki at the Mayflower Hotel to
discuss the race and what compelled him to jump in. The former New York
governor also expands on his immigration stance and why he thinks its
important to move beyond the Bush or Clinton name.
11/09/15•26m 58s
Axe on Hillary: I would have nixed paid speeches, book tour
Glenn Thrush with David Axelrod, author of 'Believer,' on President
Barack Obama's evolution on same-sex marriage, Valerie Jarrett's role in
the White House, Hillary Clinton in 2016 and why reporters are some of
his best friends.
02/09/15•27m 9s
Nicolle Wallace's advice to Carly Fiorina: Hands off Hillary
POLITICO's Chief Political Correspondent Glenn Thrush sits down with
'Madam President' author and political commentator Nicolle Wallace this
week. The two political junkies talk 2016's female candidates, the
similarities between Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton, the GOP's social
messaging hurdles and immigration.
02/09/15•34m 50s
Paul Ryan's advice to Hillary: Figure out who you are
POLITICO's Chief Political Correspondent Glenn Thrush sits down Rep.
Paul Ryan to discuss growing up in Wisconsin, his love of Metallica and
being Mitt Romney's running mate in 2012. The Ways and Means chairman
also offers some advice to Hillary Clinton and shares what he thinks
President Obama gets wrong.
20/04/15•36m 46s
50 Shades of Barney Frank
POLITICO's chief political correspondent Glenn Thrush sits down with
Congressman Barney Frank to discuss his early life in Bayonne, New
Jersey, the challenges of concealing his private life, the politics of
being gay in Congress and the New York Times book review of 'Frank.'
20/04/15•41m 59s