Standing Room Only

JD and Usha Vance can't escape the divorce rumors and JD certainly isn't helping. Amanda unpacks the couple's catastrophic public relations strategy, JD's latest "jokes" that land as demeaning moments for his wife, and what all of it reveals about gender dynamics in conservative movements, MAGA gender politics and the role political spouses are expected to play within Christian, right-wing family values narratives. Moira Donegan, G...

The Whatever Podcast—also known as "Dating Talk"—isn't just edgy entertainment for young men. It's a pipeline into misogyny. In this episode, we examine how host Brian Atlas stages confrontational "debates" with women to push anti-feminist narratives disguised as discussion.

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An on-stage hug between the vice president and Charlie Kirk's widow sparked wild rumors about their relationship. But the real story isn't an affair, instead it's an image problem for the GOP. JD Vance's marriage to Usha Vance increasingly clashes with the ideals he's selling, built on white supremacy and rigid gender roles. In this episode, Amanda explains why that's becoming a serious liability for the Republican Party and what i...

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani beat incredible odds to win in New York City. His campaign rejected old guard, establishment Democrats and leaned heavily into volunteers and a clear vision. In this episode, Amanda talks about why it worked and show how Mamdani is one of many young people helping usher in a new generation of courageous Democratic leadership. The guest is Amanda Litman, president and co-founder of Run for Something, an or...

House Speaker Mike Johnson is going to great lengths to exploit the government shutdown in order to hide the Jeffrey Epstein files. Amanda explains why this move is all about silencing victims, defending alleged abusers, and worse of all, protecting President Donald Trump. Trump was already found to have sexually abused journalist E. Jean Carroll in a department store dressing room by a civil jury in New York. Carroll joins the sho...

Pam Bondi's Senate Judiciary Committee appearance revealed just how far the attorney general will go to protect Donald Trump. Channeling the manipulative energy of Mean Girls movie villain Regina George, Bondi has turned cruelty, nasty insults and tantrums into a political strategy. Amanda explains why Trump can't quit this sneering mean girl, no matter how much other Republicans want her gone. This week's guest is Angie "Pumps" Su...

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has set herself apart from the GOP as an anti-Republican Republican, but her rebellion might finally be catching up to her. As she distances herself from Trump and GOP leadership, Amanda digs into the one big reason why her outsider strategy will actually get her nowhere in Washington. Laura Bassett, journalist and writer of Nightcap on Substack and former editor in chief of Jezebel, joins the show to ta...

Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk's widow, is now the CEO of Turning Point USA (TPUSA). But can she ever replace the role Charlie played in his "debates" with college students? In this video, Amanda digs into the myth of those debates and why Erika's record exposes a deep hypocrisy. Drew McCoy of Genetically Modified Skeptic joins the conversation to explain why Charlie Kirk's debate performances were mere theater and why actual human-to-hu...

Some right-wing commentators are saying Taylor Swift's engagement to Travis Kelce means she's turning into a tradwife... wrong! Amanda breaks down why Taylor's love life isn't a conservative turn at all, why her relationship represents a fantasy for single women and how pundits are twisting this to support their anti-feminist talking points. Author Lyz Lenz als...

Katie Miller launched The Katie Miller Podcast to bring honest conversations to conservative moms. Turns out, it's all fluff talk with guests like Mike Tyson and JD Vance. Katie's husband Stephen Miller built his political career by throwing tantrums on cable news and her ex-bosses have included Elon Musk, Mike Pence and Donald Trump. This show may seem like a cute distraction, but the point of it is far deeper. Journalist Tess Owe...

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health and human services secretary, has twisted, harmful ideas about health. From restricting access to vaccines to restoring the often-humiliating presidential fitness test for kids, Amanda explains what's really driving RFK Jr. and the MAHA moms who support his every move. This week's guest is "How To Be Well" author and journalist Amy Larocca, who explains how the multibillion-dollar wellness industry...

Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha seem very unhappy together in their public appearances. Usha looks miserable and talks about wanting to return to her career and home, while JD runs her down, uses her as a prop, and discusses marriage and parenthood like they're requirements that must be endured. Joining me this week to discuss the politics of divorce, the second family's interracial marriage and what Usha should do next i...

Right-wing media personality Charlie Kirk is turning to religion to level up his racism. The Turning Point USA founder used to call himself "secular," but now he's a radical right-wing Christian arguing against the First Amendment and trying to reach young adults. Amanda's guest this week is Randall Balmer, Dartmouth historian and author of "America's Best Idea: The Separation of Church and State." He explains what Kirk gets wrong ...

Conservative pundits are mad about the new"Superman" movie. They've called the blockbuster "Superwoke" for emphasizing Superman's immigrant roots and complained about Gunn's directorial message of kindness and morality. Amanda explains what their anger really reveals about their deep anxieties around masculinity and race. Also, they completely miss the point of what Superman has stood for forever! This week's guest is Salon senior ...