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Pod Save America is a no-bullshit conversation about politics hosted by former Obama aides Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Dan Pfeiffer, and Tommy Vietor. It cuts through the noise to break down the week’s news and helps people figure out what matters and how they can help. They’re regularly joined by journalists, activists, politicians, entertainers, and world leaders. You can watch on YouTube or listen to new episodes every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Ad-Free Pod Save America episodes available NOW through Friends of the Pod subscription. Head to crooked.com/friends to join today! For a transcript of an episode of Pod Save America, please email [email protected] (edited)
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · June 2026
Pod Save America turns current political fights into sharp, consequence-focused analysis for listeners who want a clear argument after the headline.
Pod Save America is political commentary with a fast roundtable pulse. The sampled episodes keep circling the live pressure points: Donald Trump, January 6 pardons, Kamala Harris, executive power, Venezuela, and the cultural fight around institutions like the Kennedy Center.
A Beauty and the Beast pun lands just when you need a break from Trump's Kennedy Center plans.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
Fast, sharp political analysis that treats a bad headline as a bigger governing story.
Pod Save America turns a grim Axios headline into a brisk look at how Republicans might try to fund a war in Iran and ICE by cutting Medicare, Medicaid, and Obamacare.
A shutdown argument that treats ICE, TSA, and the SAVE Act as leverage, while Trump works to own the fight.
Pod Save America frames the shutdown as a leverage fight, with TSA pay, ICE funding, and the SAVE Act pulled into the same larger struggle. The discussion keeps coming back to the difference between public talk about ICE in airports and the narrower question of whether TSA…
A sharp, fast-moving debate over whether Democrats should back Trump's war funding request.
Pod Save America gets into the politics of war funding, with the hosts debating whether Democrats should approve money for a Trump request that still feels short on purpose. The discussion keeps coming back to congressional leverage and the risk of giving that away too easily.
A sharp, partisan read on how Democrats are responding to the war in Iran.
Pod Save America treats this segment as a test of power, party politics, and Democratic messaging. The discussion moves in clipped, politically fluent turns, and it is strongest when it tracks Republican lockstep alongside the split inside the Democratic Party.
A blunt, strategic read on Trump's tariff politics and the messaging fight around them.
The discussion moves quickly through Trump's tariff politics and the messaging fight over who actually pays for them. It keeps circling one core tension: a policy sold as protection is being framed as a cost increase, and that clash gives the segment its force.
Fast, sharp shutdown politics with real strategic bite and little patience for spin.
Pod Save America frames a looming shutdown fight as more than another round of cable-news noise. It treats the standoff as a test of political pressure, immigration, and how quickly the news cycle can move on while the damage keeps unfolding.
Political banter links architecture jokes to power and symbolism, then turns to reported documentary box office details.
It starts with sponsor copy, then drifts into political banter about classical architecture, the Kennedy Center, and a larger entertainment complex. The strongest stretch keeps the jokes tied to a plain point: aesthetics, power, symbolism, and what gets preserved.
Direct political talk that turns Trump fatigue and public silence into the main argument.
Pod Save America spends part of the show on the gap between Trump's promises and what some supporters say they actually got. That tension leads into a blunt question: who is still hanging on, and why.
A near-daily politics rundown from Dana Goldberg and Alison Gill on Trump-era legal fights.
Three Slate journalists debate the week's politics, plus live shows and author interviews.
Mike Pesca opens with a monologue, then digs into Supreme Court ethics and Iran policy.
Pod Save America hosts Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Tommy Vietor, and Dan Pfeiffer answer listener questions about 2026 strategy, Donald Trump, Robert F.
The hosts analyze Trump's contradictory messaging on Iran negotiations, the economic fallout of the war, and a GOP plan to cut healthcare funding for it.
Alex Wagner interviews journalist Don Lemon about his federal charges for covering an ICE protest, exploring attacks on press freedom, racism in the justice system, and his transition to independent journalism.
The hosts analyze the Iran war, where Trump appears bored and receives skewed briefings, while polls show his approval plummeting and Democrats gaining momentum for the midterms.
The hosts analyze Trump's erratic handling of the Iran conflict, from threatening escalation to claiming a fabricated deal, while discussing war funding, airport security chaos, and Democratic strategy.
Dan Pfeiffer interviews Jen Psaki about the Trump administration's messaging and policy failures in the war with Iran, analyzing its political and economic impacts.
The hosts analyze the Iran war's escalation into a global economic crisis, criticizing Trump's handling and the $200 billion Pentagon funding request.
The hosts analyze the third week of Trump's war with Iran, focusing on his desperate pleas for allied support to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, internal GOP tensions over the conflict, and escalating attacks on the media.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro discusses anti-Semitism, his evolution on the death penalty, and critiques of Trump's foreign policy.
Favreau and Pfeiffer analyze Trump's handling of the Iran war, which has killed seven American troops and cost $11.3 billion in its first week while failing to achieve regime change objectives.
The hosts analyze Trump's contradictory statements and actions regarding the Iran war, discussing its incoherent strategy, economic impacts, and political ramifications.
California Governor Gavin Newsom joins Pod Save America to discuss his memoir 'Young Man in a Hurry', sharing personal stories about his dyslexia, family struggles, and political career.
The hosts discuss Kristi Noem's firing from Homeland Security after congressional hearings reveal corruption and missteps, analyze Trump's war in Iran with its chaotic rationale, and cover primary election results including James Talarico's win and Republican infighting in Texas.
The hosts analyze Trump's decision to launch airstrikes in Iran, criticizing the shifting rationales, lack of congressional approval, and cavalier leadership that has led to American deaths.
Jon Favreau interviews Graham Platner, a Democratic Senate candidate in Maine, about his campaign against Governor Janet Mills.
The hosts analyze Trump's post-State of the Union messaging push, including J.D.
The hosts of Pod Save America analyze Donald Trump's record-long State of the Union address, critiquing its length, lack of substantive policy, and disconnect from public concerns on the economy and immigration.
The hosts discuss Trump's upcoming State of the Union address, his low approval ratings, and the potential for a war with Iran that lacks public support.
Jon Lovett interviews journalist Jerusalem Demsis about the Supreme Court's ruling against Trump's tariffs, a controversial poll on trans rights backlash, and strategies for Democrats to regain ground.
The hosts discuss Trump's controversial Board of Peace and threats of war with Iran, his misleading affordability claims, and the messy Texas Senate primary involving Stephen Colbert's interview controversy.
The hosts discuss Trump's threats to impose voter ID laws, Kristi Noem's scandalous affair and mismanagement at DHS, and Barack Obama's alien comments.
Alex Wagner interviews actor Wagner Mora about his Oscar-nominated film 'The Secret Agent,' which explores Brazil's military dictatorship.
The hosts analyze Attorney General Pam Bondi's chaotic testimony on the Epstein cover-up, Trump's attempts to indict political opponents, and the Democratic strategy in the Homeland Security shutdown over ICE abuses.
Alex Lagner and Ben Rhodes analyze Trump's corruption, including the Freedom 250 grift for America's 250th anniversary and Ghislaine Maxwell's pardon request tied to the Epstein files.
Tommy Vietor interviews Pablo Torre about how Donald Trump leverages sports for political gain, covering topics like Trump's relationships with the NFL and UFC, the explosion of sports gambling, and the weaponization of trans athlete issues.
Jon Favreau and Dan Pfeiffer analyze Trump's threats to interfere in the midterm elections, including plans to deploy ICE at polls and seize voting machines.
The hosts analyze the release of millions of Epstein documents, revealing extensive connections among elites like Trump and Musk, and discuss new corruption allegations against Trump, including a UAE deal and lawsuits.
Jon Lovett interviews author Mark Dunkelman about his book 'Why Nothing Works,' exploring why Democrats struggle with using government power effectively.
The hosts discuss the political fallout from ICE's killing of Alex Preddy in Minneapolis, analyzing Trump administration responses, public backlash, and implications for immigration policy.
The hosts analyze the political fallout from federal agents killing ICU nurse Alex Preddy in Minneapolis, criticizing government lies and hypocrisy.
Dan Pfeiffer interviews David Plouffe about the Democratic Party's structural crisis, including Electoral College challenges, low party branding, and the need for new leadership and candidates.
Jon Favreau and Dan Pfeiffer analyze Trump's failed attempt to acquire Greenland, highlighting geopolitical embarrassment.
The hosts satirically discuss Trump's threats to invade Greenland and impose tariffs on European countries, his corrupt pardons, and ICE raids in Minneapolis.
Alex Wagner interviews legal expert Leah Littman about the legal and political fallout from ICE's killing of Renee Nicole Goode in Minneapolis.
The hosts discuss ICE's aggressive operations in Minneapolis, including shootings and protests, with analysis of political fallout, polling, and debates over reforming or abolishing ICE.
The hosts analyze Trump's investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell over minor renovations, which backfires as Republicans threaten to block his nominees.
Jon Favreau and Alex Wagner discuss key political questions for 2026, including House investigations under Democrats, Supreme Court impacts on tariffs and immigration, media consolidation under Trump allies, and Democratic presidential prospects like Gavin Newsom.
The hosts discuss the ICE shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis, condemning the Trump administration's rhetoric and lies about the incident.
The hosts analyze Trump's military raid in Venezuela, arguing it's driven by oil interests and imperial ambitions rather than democracy, while critiquing Republican rhetoric like Stephen Miller's defense of colonialism.
Jon Lovett interviews Philippe Reines, the Democratic operative who played Donald Trump in debate prep for Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris.
The hosts of Pod Save America review the highs and lows of 2025 in a satirical awards show format, covering political scandals like Epstein, Trump administration fluffers, and media beefs, while debating the year's most defining moments.
Tommy Vietor interviews Rahm Emanuel about his potential presidential run, analysis of the 2024 Democratic loss, and foreign policy issues including Israel, Iran, and China.
Jon Favreau and Dan Pfeiffer analyze Trump's primetime address, Susie Wiles' revealing Vanity Fair interviews, threats of war with Venezuela over oil, executive orders on gender-affirming care and marijuana, and the DNC's buried autopsy report.
The hosts discuss recent tragedies including mass shootings and an anti-Semitic attack, critiquing Trump's responses and the rise of conspiracy theories.
Governor JB Pritzker discusses Democratic strategy against Trump, covering immigration enforcement, minimum wage, AI's impact on jobs, and personal influences on his politics.
The hosts analyze Trump's declining political position, focusing on his out-of-touch affordability message, low approval ratings on the economy and immigration, and the impact of tariffs.
The hosts analyze Trump's economic policies, including tariffs leading to farmer bailouts and delayed inflation data, critique Republican inaction on expiring ACA subsidies, and delve into the Netflix-Warner Bros merger battle involving Jared Kushner and Gulf funds.
Alex Wagner interviews Atlantic writer Michael Scherer about Robert F.
The hosts analyze the controversial Pentagon strikes in Venezuela, criticizing Pete Hegseth's actions as potentially illegal, and discuss political implications including Trump's messaging failures, Democratic strategies for the midterms, and interviews with Hakeem Jeffries on affordability and oversight.
The hosts discuss allegations of war crimes by Secretary Pete Hegseth in the Caribbean, Trump's immigration policies following a shooting, and controversial pardons including a Honduran president.
Maddow: "I'm not counting on human decency, but I am counting on human embarrassment" to limit what Trump can get from Republicans.
Michael Fanone was beaten, tased in the neck and told he'd be killed with his own gun, and his attacker is now free.
Pod Save America's Inauguration Day episode compares Trump's 29-minute inaugural address with his 2017 speech, noting near-verbatim lines about a 'small group in our nation's capital' and a 'radical and corrupt establishment.' Tommy Vitor fact-checks the claim that China operates the Panama Canal and the figure of 38,000 American deaths during its construction, and Dan Pfeiffer cites polling that 57% of Americans oppose using coercion to seize the canal.
Pod Save America's last show of the Biden administration opens with Jon Favreau and Dan Pfeiffer reviewing Biden's farewell address, in which he warned of 'an oligarchy' and a 'tech industrial complex.' Favreau argues Democrats need to abandon history-book speechmaking, while Pfeiffer says he would 'get rid of 99% of speeches' and have politicians communicate more often.
Pod Save America opens with Los Angeles wildfires that had burned more than 36,000 acres and damaged or destroyed over 12,000 structures.
Pod Save America host Jon Favreau interviews California Governor Gavin Newsom about the Los Angeles fires, Donald Trump’s criticism, and emergency response.
Jon Favreau and Dan Pfeiffer open amid Los Angeles fires that destroyed more than 5,000 Pacific Palisades buildings and at least 1,000 homes near Pasadena.
Pod Save America opens on January 6, 2025, four years after Donald Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol and 30 minutes after Congress certified his return to power.
Stacey Abrams introduces Assembly Required by examining healthcare, public health, Project 2025, and the incoming Trump administration.
Alyssa Mastromonaco and Dan Pfeiffer explain how serving on Barack Obama's 2008 transition differed from Donald Trump's privately funded 2024 process.
Pod Save America hosts Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Tommy Vietor, and Dan Pfeiffer revisit the 2024 election through their annual Pundies ranking of bad political takes.
Jon Favreau and Dan Pfeiffer assess Donald Trump’s pressure on Liz Cheney, Ann Seltzer, and media companies after Republicans issued a 128-page January 6 report.
Pod Save America examines why Joe Biden has largely left the public stage while Donald Trump announces a $100 billion SoftBank investment before taking office.
Pod Save America examines Donald Trump's post-election relationships with billionaires, corporations, and Democratic officials in December 2024.
Pod Save America examines healthcare anger, Trump’s nominees, Matt Gaetz’s media career, Kim Guilfoyle’s Greece appointment, and potential preemptive pardons.
Pod Save America analyzes Donald Trump's 76-minute Meet the Press interview with Kristen Welker, covering deportations, tariffs, healthcare, and political retaliation.
Jon Favreau and Dan Pfeiffer examine whether Joe Biden should issue preemptive pardons after Donald Trump promised prosecutions and selected Kash Patel to lead the FBI.
Eugene Daniels, Politico's White House correspondent and White House Correspondents Association president, assesses media coverage of Trump's second term with Tommy Vitor.
Pod Save America examines Joe Biden’s full and unconditional pardon of Hunter Biden after Biden repeatedly said he would not intervene.
Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor use a Thanksgiving mailbag to examine Democrats’ post-2024 election strategy, trans rights, and party trust.
Pod Save America host Dan Pfeiffer interviews Harris-Walz campaign leaders about the 2024 election after Kamala Harris replaced Joe Biden.
Pod Save America examines Matt Gaetz's withdrawal after Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitch McConnell, and John Curtis raised confirmation obstacles.
Tommy Vietor and Liz Smith examine Donald Trump's cabinet nominees, including Matt Gaetz for attorney general and Dr.