Pod Save America

The good news: Trump's second term has already hit historic levels of unpopularity. The bad news: we're still only 100 days into it. The White House marks this milestone by bragging about its record on immigration and defending the arrest of a Wisconsin judge and the deportation of three very young American citizens, ages 2, 4, and 7. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy reflect on where the country stands at the 100-day mark and take stock of t...

As Tesla's losses mount, Elon Musk promises to step away from his work at DOGE and focus on his flailing car company. Trump and his top advisers flip-flop on China tariffs, even as Trump steers more cash into his own pocket by raffling off White House access to the top investors in his memecoin. Exclusive new polling shows Trump's weaknesses on immigration, even as the administration continues its crackdown and the courts push back...

The Supreme Court hits pause on Alien Enemies Act deportations—for now—and some MAGA diehards advocate for Trump to simply ignore the court. Pete Hegseth stars in the Signalgate sequel, reportedly using his personal phone to share top secret information with his wife, brother, and lawyer—with more bombshell reports to come, according to a former Pentagon spokesman. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy discuss the latest on Trump's deportation ag...

Rep. Sarah McBride has found herself the target of GOP attacks since taking office in January. They've barred her from restrooms and misgendered her in Congressional hearings, but the freshman congresswoman has risen above it all. Now she's got a message for her fellow Democrats: politics only works when you win over people who disagree with you. McBride sits down with Jon and Lovett to discuss the literal and figurative dangers of...

Donald Trump insists he has the right to render people to a foreign prison even though the courts say otherwise, and Democrats dig in for a critical fight. From El Salvador, Senator Chris Van Hollen briefs Dan on his effort to get answers about Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Then, Jon and Dan look at the latest targets of Trump's retribution tour, most notably Harvard, his threats to fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell, and Elon Musk's ultra-creep...

Donald Trump and the president of El Salvador gloat about shipping migrants to a Salvadoran mega-prison, muse about sending American citizens there next, and lie about the court orders they're ignoring. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy break down what it means for the administration to ignore the Supreme Court's order to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the message Trump is sending to student visa holders with the arrest of Rümeysa Öztürk, why T...

Republicans go into full propaganda mode to sell Trump's reversal on tariffs as the culmination of a brilliant master strategy—until Trump himself admits it was just a reaction to the markets freaking out. Meanwhile, in one of his scariest, most authoritarian moves yet, Trump orders investigations into two former aides for the sin of criticizing him and telling the truth about the 2020 election. House Republicans manage to pass the...

As Donald Trump's insane tariffs plunge America further into a trade a war, the MAGA faithful—with a few notable exceptions—fan out to defend Dear Leader. Meanwhile, Trump says he'd love to send Americans to El Salvador's mega-prison, anti-Trump protests sweep the country, and President Obama speaks out for the first time since the inauguration. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy discuss Republicans' new "suck it up" message on the economy, wh...

Michael Lewis, acclaimed author of The Big Short, Moneyball and The Fifth Risk joins Lovett to discuss his most recent book, Who is Government? Lewis and his coauthors profile the civil servants whose thankless and unglamorous work prevents mines from collapsing, castaways from drowning, and rare diseases from killing people. He and Jon talk about why it’s so important to break down the “bureaucrat” stereotype right now, why Lewis ...

Donald Trump's drastic new tariffs wreak havoc across the global economy, sending markets tumbling and powerful countries reconsidering their alliances—and it turns out they're based on fake math. Tommy and guest host Emma Vigeland, co-host of The Majority Report with Sam Seder, discuss how Democrats can turn Trump's disastrous "Liberation Day" into a win, Judge Susan Crawford's big victory in Wisconsin, and what Cory Booker's mara...

Donald Trump's long-promised "Liberation Day" of insane new tariffs approaches, but what's his plan for the global trade war he's promising to start? Jon, Lovett, and Tommy discuss all the latest madness, including Trump's new hints that he'll serve a third term, the galling new details about Alien Enemy Act deportations, and Elon Musk buying votes in the Wisconsin judicial race. Then, Jon sits down with Arizona Senator Ruben Galle...

In their new book, Abundance, journalists Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson argue that Trump's scarcity mindset is suffocating the country: America doesn’t do enough manufacturing? Better cut back on trade. Not enough jobs or housing? Get rid of immigrants.Klein and Thompson sit down with Jon to explain how faster (and better) infrastructure projects can re-engage Democrats’ base, why tolerating government failure has made liberals loo...

Donald Trump and his goons continue to spin the group chat screw-up as totally routine—even as evidence mounts that the story is breaking through to average Americans and causing serious concern. Jon and Dan discuss the Republican reaction, why the White House won't admit to making a mistake, and how Democrats can take advantage of the situation. Plus, Trump deepens consumer misery with new tariffs on cars, the Associated Press fig...

Donald Trump's top national security officials plan a major offensive in a Signal chat—after mistakenly inviting a journalist to join—and hilarity ensues. More American institutions cave to Trump's pressure campaigns, and the administration presses on with its effort to use the Alien Enemies Act to deport immigrants without so much as a hearing. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy break down all the latest developments and compare notes from a ...

As the dumpster fire of U.S. politics shoots sparks across the globe, will the Pentagon supply safeguards or sycophants? What will MAGA authoritarianism look like for our communities and those abroad? And should Democrats be reconsidering their approach to law and order? Congressman Adam Smith sits down with Tommy to discuss the state of American national security, and what Democrats need to do differently to broaden their coalitio...

With a Republican Congress bending to Trump’s every whim, the judicial branch is the last check on his power—and now he, Elon, and the MAGA regime have decided to wage war against it. Meanwhile, Trump wants to ax the Department of Education and is going after colleges he doesn’t like. Jon and Dan break down Trump’s latest (probably illegal) moves, check in with the DOGE-bags, and dig into Trump’s broader effort to dismantle the fed...

The Trump administration just took things to a chilling new level — deporting people to foreign prisons without due process. They’re using the Alien Enemies Act — a law last invoked to justify the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII — to deport 137 Venezuelans to El Salvador, where they’re now being held in a notorious, crowded mega-prison where visitation and recreation are forbidden. Meanwhile, Chuck Schumer’s decision t...

Jon and Dan discuss the pros and cons of the Senate Democrats' shutdown strategy, Trump's declining poll numbers, and the absurdity of his economic policies. Meanwhile, Trump’s family reportedly looks to get into business with a crypto felon seeking a pardon. Then, Lovett travels to Orange County to chat with former Rep. Katie Porter, who just announced her candidacy for governor of California. They talk about her priorities, the p...

The price of eggs is still high, the stock market is sinking, but Donald Trump is fulfilling at least one campaign promise: using the power of the government to punish those who disagree with him. ICE arrests one of the leaders of the campus protests at Columbia—a legal permanent resident—and sends him to a detention facility, while the administration strips $400 million in grants and contracts for the university itself. And, with ...