The Stakes

Tara Setmayer is joined by Mallory Hagan, host of Pretty Furious Podcast, on this week's episode of The Stakes.

Donald Trump is using hunger as a compliance tactic, withholding SNAP benefits, and prioritizing the destruction of the East Wing for his 90,000 sq ft ballroom. Tara and Mallory discuss this and more on The Stakes LIVE.

The Seneca Project is one of the few groups unafraid to stand our ground, and we canno...

This week on The Stakes, Tara Setmayer and Michelle Kinney sit down with Dr. Steven Hassan, one of the world’s foremost experts on cults. As America faces growing extremism and political radicalization, Dr. Hassan helps us understand the psychology behind cult-like devotion, how manipulation spreads, and what it takes to break free.

From his personal story as a former cult member to his decades of research and activism, Dr....

The Stakes hiatus is over! Tara and Michelle were back this week with a jam-packed episode of The Stakes. From the recent school shootings, Pam Bondi’s threats to free speech, doxxing democrats, and the public fallout after the death of Charlie Kirk, there was so much to discuss. 

The highlight? Our friend Gay Valimont joined us! 

Gay is a former Florida congressional candidate and longtime gun violence prevention ...

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Guest ✨ Cait Conley — Democratic candidate for Congress in New York’s 17th district. A U.S. Army veteran and West Point graduate, Cait served in Iraq and Afghanistan before working at the Pentagon and in national security. Now she’s running to bring integrity, service, and real leadership back to Congress in one of the most competitive swing districts in the country.

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Guests Professor Corey Brettschneider and Democratic Strategist Julie Roginsky -- from the fight to save democracy to the takedown of CNN’s favorite fragile pundit, Scott Jennings.

In the first half, we’re joined by Corey Brettschneider, Professor of Political Science at Brown University, where he teaches constitutional law and political theory. He is the author of The Presidents and the People: Five Leaders Who Threat...

Tara and Michelle are joined by investigative reporter Vicky Ward, renowned for her groundbreaking coverage of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Ward is the host and co-producer of the acclaimed podcast and docuseries Chasing Ghislaine and a New York Times bestselling author whose work has exposed the dark intersections of power, privilege, and abuse.

Vicky is also the author of The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy,...

This week on The Stakes, Tara Setmayer and Michelle Kinney are joined by former U.S. Attorney, legal analyst, and Host of Talking Feds Podcast Harry Litman to break down the latest headlines—from the renewed focus and legal implications on Jeffrey Epstein.

We also talk about Trump and MAGA's gutting of PBS, and episode of South Park that everyone is talking about -- including us!

Talking Feds Podcast: https://www.t...

America is in distress. Tara and Michelle are flabbergasted by the detainment of California Senator Alex Padilla and discuss the implications of the shocking moment before moving on to the No Kings protests scheduled for June 14.

📺 Watch The Stakes with Tara Setmayer and Michelle Kinney every Thursday live at 7:30 PM ET.

💥 The Seneca Project is one of the few groups unafraid to stand our ground—and we cannot continue ...

There's a new Pope!

He's from the U.S..

He's from Chicago?!

Tara and Michelle discuss what this means for the future of the Catholic Church and MAGA.

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Watch The Stakes with Tara Setmayer and Michelle Kinney every Thursday live at 7:30 PM ET.

The Seneca Project is one of the few groups unafraid to stand our ground, and we cannot continue this fight without you. Are you with us?

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Seneca co-founders and co-hosts of The Stakes Tara Setmayer and Michelle Kinney talk Trump's First 100 Days, Democrats' capitulation, Gretchen Whitmer, JD Pritzker, and more.

Tune in every Thursday at 7:30 pm ET LIVE on X, Facebook, and YouTube.

SUPPORT THE SENECA PROJECT: https://www.SenecaProject.Us

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This Week on The Stakes:

We WON The Webby's!

We dove into the pro-natalist movement — the push to “persuade” women to have more children, and how it’s tied to eugenics, tech-world obsession, religious extremism, and Opus Dei’s role in selecting the next Pope. We also break down RFK Jr.’s alarming autism registry proposal, Trump’s collapsing approval numbers, the worsening economy, and Pete Buttigieg’s strategic 3-hour appea...

This week, we’re breaking down the chaos, the cruelty, and the constant drumbeat of authoritarian nonsense — and asking how we fight back without losing our minds (or our rights). No gaslighting. No sugarcoating. Just the truth and what comes next.

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This week, the red flags are no longer warnings — they’re sirens:

🚨 Treason? Donald Trump revokes security clearances from two former DHS officials — Chris Krebs and Miles Taylor — and orders DOJ investigations into their work. A chilling authoritarian move to punish dissent.

📉 Markets respond as Wall Street finally wa...

Michelle and Tara are joined by former GOP Congressman Denver Riggleman—a senior advisor to The Seneca Project, author of "The Breach" and technical advisor on the January 6 Committee. He’s breaks down the SignalGate scandal, Elise Stefanik’s failed UN nomination, and the chaotic state of democracy. What’s happening behind the scenes in the GOP—and what does it mean for the country?

The Seneca Project is one of the few grou...

VOTE FOR THE SENECA PROJECT FOR A 2025 WEBBY AWARD!

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📺 THE STAKES: “The Past is Present: A Warning”

A powerful and deeply personal episode about the echoes of history in our present. With democracy under threat and authoritarian rhetoric on the rise, what can we learn from those who have lived through it—or inherited the stories of survival...

America has crossed the red line. The warning signs have been there, but now we are living through a moment that will define the future of our country. What we do next will determine everything.

Join Tara Setmayer & Michelle Kinney as they break down the latest authoritarian power grabs, the erosion of democracy, and what this moment demands from all of us. This is not just another political show—this is a call to actio...

This week on The Stakes, we break down Trump’s off-the-rails Oval Office press conference that almost no one saw—because it aired on MTG’s boyfriend’s bizarre far-right YouTube channel. From openly negotiating Ukraine land grabs to bizarre rants about eggs, Greenland, and Canada, we’ve got the wildest clips.

Plus:

🔥 The White House Car Show—while the GOP pushes more cuts for veterans

🔥 Elon Musk’s emotional meltdowns an...

Join co-hosts Tara Setmayer & Michelle Kinney, along with special guest Marcus Flowers from Hold The Line PAC, as we expose Trump’s latest betrayal of America’s veterans. 30% of federal workers are veterans, and Trump is gutting the programs they rely on while using them as political props.

We’ll also discuss our latest rapid-response video, “Betraying the Brave,” produced with Hold The Line PAC, calling out Trump’s...