Jen Rubin's Green Room
This is Jen Rubin, columnist for The Washington Post, contributor to MSNBC, author of How Women Saved America from Donald Trump. I'm delighted to tell you all about my new podcast, Jen Rubin's Green Room. We're gonna have weeks of fun with friends of Jen. Some of us will talk about the ins and outs of Washington gossip, the fun stories that we don't talk about on air, and sometimes we'll talk about deadly serious subjects and religion. Keep up with the show every Wednesday when you follow Jen Rubin's Green Room on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. I can't wait for you to join us.
Episodes
April 24, 2024 • 54 mins
John Dean discusses his study of authoritarian personalities and the lessons learned from Watergate. He explains that there are two approaches to understanding authoritarianism: studying the way authoritarian governments operate and studying the personality traits of those attracted to authoritarian leaders. Dean describes the traits of social dominators and right-wing authoritarian followers, as well as the enablers who suppo...
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April 17, 2024 • 62 mins
Jen Rubin chats with author Brian Klass about his new book, "Fluke," diving into the role of randomness in shaping events and the need to embrace uncertainty. They discuss how seemingly minor events can have major impacts and caution against overconfidence in predictions, advocating for policy experimentation and emphasizes individual responsibility in shaping the future. They also explore the challenges of social science rese...
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April 10, 2024 • 67 mins
Billy Ray discusses various movies he has worked on, including 'Breach' and 'Shattered Glass,' and delves into the complexities of understanding characters like Robert Hansen. He explores the themes of deception, confirmation bias, and the power of storytelling in politics.
Billy emphasizes the importance of understanding conservative voters' fear of chaos and the need for Democrats to rebrand themselves as agents of stab...
Billy emphasizes the importance of understanding conservative voters' fear of chaos and the need for Democrats to rebrand themselves as agents of stab...
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April 3, 2024 • 74 mins
Jen calls for a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war and welcomes labor leader Michael Podhorzer. They discuss how the rural-cosmopolitan divide has framed our politics from the founding to the present day, the role white Christian nationalism has played in the rise of MAGA, the threat extremist groups pose to our freedoms, and how we can preserve our democracy. Their analysis lays out the importance of mass movements, the need ...
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March 27, 2024 • 54 mins
Jen welcomes psychotherapist John Gartner to discuss the history of the psychiatric profession’s involvement in our elections and why the Goldwater Rule should not stand in the way of its duty to warn us about Trump’s decline into dementia. They lay out how he presents symptoms of cognitive issues in line with DSM criteria by analyzing his patterns of speech, the repeated confusion of dates and names, and his uncontrolled mov...
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March 20, 2024 • 61 mins
Jen welcomes author and military historian Max Boot for a deep dive into the Ukraine-Russia war and to contrast the modern Republican Party with the presidency of Ronald Reagan. They discuss the situation on the ground in Eastern Europe, what Ukraine is trying to preserve in light of Russia’s recent gains, the role of air power and ammunition production, and why support from the United States is essential as things become mor...
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March 13, 2024 • 59 mins
Jen welcomes legal maven Barb Mcquade of #SistersInLaw to discuss how malicious actors are using technology to endanger our democracy by spreading disinformation. They analyze the ways that social media, algorithm manipulation, A.I., and other tools of mass communication can erode trust in our institutions, drive radicalization and partisanship, undermine elections, and even lead to violence. With our national security incre...
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March 6, 2024 • 65 mins
Jen welcomes Professor Kathleen Belew to lay out the history of post-war white power movements in the United States leading up to MAGA, QANON conspiracy theories, and the 1/6 insurrection. They discuss how these groups recruit followers, their relationship to Trump, and the role of former military members, religion, and women in their organizations. More importantly, they explore the part that journalism, properly understood...
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February 28, 2024 • 56 mins
Jen welcomes political scientist Norm Ornstein to explore the rise of radicalism in the Republican party and how to defeat it. They discuss how reasonable governance ended with the Gingrich Revolution, why this election must be about saving democracy, and what will happen to our freedoms, particularly for women and the LGBT community, if Trump wins again. Then they lay out the strategies that will stop him, covering the refo...
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February 21, 2024 • 66 mins
Jen gives an update on the presidential primaries and frames the choice facing Nikki Haley, before welcoming NY prosecutor Karen Friedman Agnifilo. As Trump’s first criminal case moves to trial, they discuss why his hush money payments broke the law, the role of Michael Cohen, and the possibility of Trump racking up an additional perjury charge. They also cover the courtroom process, including jury selection, the demeanor of ...
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February 14, 2024 • 69 mins
Jen blasts Republicans for rejecting the Democrats’ border bill and welcomes legal expert Dennis Aftergut to break down the constitutional and legal means of stopping Trump. They explore the possible outcomes of Trump’s quest to uphold presidential immunity in the courts, whether Section 3 of the 14th Amendment will keep him off any ballots, and if the SCOTUS is up to the challenges of the moment. After his attempts to seat ...
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February 7, 2024 • 54 mins
Jen picks apart Trump’s claim to presidential immunity and welcomes Renew Democracy Initiative CEO Uriel Epshtein. They break down how authoritarian governments wield power, review the evidence that Trump has rejected liberal values, and explain why the US still holds a critical role as a standard bearer of democracy. They go on to look at the deterioration of democratic values around the world evidenced by the lackluster su...
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January 31, 2024 • 55 mins
Jen explores Nikki Haley’s impact on Trump’s electoral prospects and the toxicity of the Republican Congress, before welcoming foreign policy maven Aaron David Miller. They discuss the recent history of US-Iranian relations, the danger Iran’s proxies pose to our forces, and review the most effective ways to protect our interests. Then, they break down the mechanics of Middle Eastern politics, and game out the next phase of t...
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January 24, 2024 • 48 mins
Jen analyzes the Republican primary and looks at how the budget battle ties into recent foreign policy developments, before welcoming legal expert Ben Ginsberg. They compare J6 to Bush vs. Gore, looking at how our politics have become more extreme and why equal protection under the law is relevant to our elections. Then, they weigh whether our elections are secure, discuss how vote by mail, voter ID, and an increased number ...
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January 17, 2024 • 63 mins
Jen dives into the Iowa caucus results driven by an unenthusiastic electorate dominated by Trump’s radical minority and welcomes ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt. They analyze the explosion of anti-semitism after the 10/7 attack and what constitutes it, the rise of hate on college campuses, and the dangers posed by the social media algorithms driving popular opinion. Then, they emphasize the importance of informed DEI education b...
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January 10, 2024 • 54 mins
Jen contrasts the strong pro-democracy speeches of President Biden with Trump’s immunity claims, and welcomes the Brennan Center’s Michael Waldman. They lay out the scope of corruption delegitimizing the SCOTUS, and look at term limits, court expansion, an ethics code, and regular presidential appointments as possible remedies. Then, they discuss the progression of the DOJ’s prosecutions of Trump, with a focus on his attempt...
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January 3, 2024 • 44 mins
In this special New Year’s episode, Jen discusses the recent victory for judicial independence in Israel and the resignation of Harvard President Claudine Gay, before taking your questions covering everything from the personal to the political. Politically, she covers the impact of A.I., how we can reform the Supreme Court, the popularity of Senator Fetterman, how to persuade Trump’s voters, and her predictions for his cases....
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December 27, 2023 • 55 mins
Jen breaks down the latest developments in the Israel-Hamas war and welcomes CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, Halie Soifer. They discuss what it means to be Jewish amid the explosion of anti-semitism in the United States, and examine the interplay between Jewish values and intersectionality. As part of their analysis, they weigh the strength of the pro-Israel response by President Biden and the Democrats, con...
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December 20, 2023 • 40 mins
Jen welcomes States United Democracy Center CEO Joanna Lydgate to sound the alarm over the war on democracy being waged by Trump and the election deniers he inspires. They discuss the dangers their rhetoric poses to election workers, their motives for undermining our voting systems, and why we need to take them at face value. Critically, they emphasize how protecting democracy should be the single issue we vote on in 2024 an...
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December 13, 2023 • 64 mins
Jen welcomes legal scholar Ruth Halperin-Kaddari to raise the alarm about the violence against women perpetrated by Hamas on 10/7. They discuss the scope of the crimes and fight back against the propaganda attempting to cover them up by laying out the evidence from video footage, first responder reports, and testimony from the hostages. Then, they share the importance of speaking out for Israel's women in the name of global ...
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