The Rick Smith Show

On The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with labor historian Shaun Richman, educator and author, unpacking his piece “Mamdani is right to side with the nurses.” They dive into why backing frontline healthcare heroes against corporate greed is a working-class must, solidarity over suits.

Later, TTD-AFL-CIO President Greg Regan joins for the 3-year East Palestine derailment anniversary, spotlighting a bipartisan press conference pushing th...

On The Rick Smith Show, Rick dives into Trump’s grift with Will Ragland, VP of Advocacy and Outreach at American Progress. They unpack the Epstein files where Trump is named 5,300 times and the Trump Take Tracker, exposing how the family’s raking in millions from the presidency via crypto schemes, foreign deals, and MAGA merch. Where’s the outrage from Hunter Biden obsessives?

Later, Emily de La Bruyere, co-founde...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with Sarah Burris, senior editor at Alternet, about “Melania the Movie” and the newly released Epstein files, asking where MAGA is now after years of Hunter Biden outrage while Trump’s name appears 5,300 times. Rick then welcomes John Logan, director of Labor and Employment Studies at San Francisco State University, to unpack rising labor militancy, strike waves, and whether ...

On this episode of the Rick Smith Show Rick kicks off with investigative reporter Greg Palast, who exposes the “real story” behind the FBI raid on Fulton County, Atlanta, arguing it’s less about 2020 and more about Trump’s fixation on his loss as a pretext to supercharge voter suppression against Black and brown communities in future elections. Palast previews his film, Vigilantes Inc.: America’s New Vote Suppression Hitmen, ...

On this episode of the Rick Smith Show Rick opens with Dan Herman, senior director for national security, accountability, and reform at the Center for American Progress, to unpack CAP’s new report, “The Trump Administration’s ICE and CBP Have Become a Threat to Americans.” They walk through how DHS has been weaponized in Minneapolis and why Democrats are demanding oversight, investigations, and structural reforms. Later, Medi...

On this episode of the Rick Smith Show Rick dives deep into Minneapolis' labor uprising against ICE terror and street violence. First up, acclaimed labor journalist Steven Greenhouse unpacks the federal crackdown's toll on workers, from raids disrupting work sites to the latest police killing fueling outrage. He details how Minnesota unions are channeling George Floyd-era militancy into a no-work, no-shop general stri...

On this episode of the Rick Smith Show Rick talks with labor attorney David Borer, breaking down the chilling ICE crackdowns in Minneapolis, the workers caught in the middle, and what legal and constitutional tools unions and communities still have to fight back. Later, Rick is joined by Chelsie Glaubitz Gabiou, President of the Minnesota Regional Labor Federation, to lay out how organized labor is responding on the ground de...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick opens the show wrestling with ICE’s execution of Alex Pretti. He digs into the human cost, challenging “law and order” narratives and demanding accountability from the politicians who hide behind them. Later, he’s joined by Sarah Burris, Senior Editor at AlterNet, to break down ICE abuse, runaway immigration enforcement, and the latest police killing on the streets of Minneapolis. Togeth...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick is joined by Bucknell economics professor Matias Vernengo to break down Donald Trump’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos and sketch out what a world dominated by nationalist economics and the dismantling of 20th-century alliances might actually look like for workers and democracy. Later, historian Erik Loomis returns to explore talk of sending troops to Minneapolis and IC...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick Smith looks back at the nightmare that has been Year One of Trump’s second presidency—chaos, cruelty, and the constant distractions working people can’t afford. Rick also breaks down Trump’s latest wild message about Greenland and what it says about the priorities of this administration. Then Rick is joined by Aretha Morgan, a striking pediatric ER nurse at NewYork-Presbyterian and...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick Smith digs into the weekend’s biggest political chaos with Sarah Burris, senior editor at AlterNet. From Trump floating the idea of sending troops to Minneapolis, to new tariff threats aimed at allies over Greenland, Rick and Sarah break down what it all means and why the instability never stops. Then Rick is joined by Natalie Baker, Director of Economic Analysis at the Center for ...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick Smith breaks down the chaos and consequences of Trump’s so-called “Great Health Care Plan” with Laura Packard, founder of Voices of Health Care Action. Rick and Laura dig into what the administration’s promises really mean for working families, rising costs, and access to care. Then, Rick is joined by Michael Sainato, labor reporter at The Guardian, to expose the latest disturbing ...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick Smith takes on the myth that “everything was cheaper under Trump.” Rick is joined by Margaret Poydock, Senior Policy Analyst at the Economic Policy Institute, to break down EPI’s new report, 47 Ways Trump Made Life Unaffordable, exposing how Trump-era policies drove up costs for working families. Later, legendary labor journalist Steven Greenhouse joins Rick to discuss his latest a...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick is joined by David Janovsky, Acting Director of the Constitution Project at the Project on Government Oversight (POGO), to unpack the FBI’s controversial handling of the investigation into the killing of Renee Good and explore real avenues for holding ICE and federal law enforcement accountable within a system seemingly designed to shield them. Later, Rick talks with Jon Schleuss, ...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick checks in with Mother Jones freelance journalist Amanda Moore for an on-the-ground update from Minneapolis, where ICE operations are ramping up and Border Patrol’s presence is intensifying tensions in neighborhoods already on edge. Amanda explains how everyday encounters are escalating into chaos as residents and activists track federal agents through the streets. Later, Rick is jo...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick is joined by Sarah Burris, Senior Editor at AlterNet, to dig into the latest turmoil in Venezuela, the political battles in Minnesota, and the broader chaos defining the Trump administration’s agenda. Sarah connects the dots between foreign adventurism and domestic dysfunction. Later, NC-9 congressional candidate and 24-year Army veteran Rich Ojeda talks about the growing militariz...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick is joined by Craig Harrington, Research Director at Media Matters, to unpack the frantic “justification gymnastics” inside MAGA world as right-wing media scrambles to sell its latest talking points on Trump’s Venezuela adventure. Craig breaks down how the narrative keeps shifting to protect the former president. Later, Virginia Burger, former active-duty Marine Corps officer and no...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with Emily de La Bruyère, co-founder of Horizon Advisory, about how China’s leaders must be ecstatic watching the United States chase every distraction as Trump abducts Venezuela’s president and shifts focus away from Beijing’s long-term strategy. Emily unpacks the geopolitical stakes and what U.S. inattention means for global power. Later, Ed Wytkind, Interim Director of the...