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The Muckrake Podcast is the political podcast that promises to dig deeper. Political analysts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman tackle the news of the day but go beyond the stale and tired narratives to provide historical context and alternative perspectives, all to bring a little order to chaotic times.
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Animated host chemistry and historical pattern-spotting turn Trump-era news into a sustained argument about power, institutions, and geopolitical consequence.
The Muckrake Political Podcast turns Trump-era developments into an animated conversation about power, institutional decline, and consequences beyond Washington.
The lost-dog ad made you think 'surveillance state'? Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman did too.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
An angry, lucid conversation about humiliation, power, and a world that no longer feels stable.
This episode treats political anger as more than noise. It follows how humiliation hardens into a method, then into damage, and it does so with a sharp ear for how quickly that logic can spread.
A sharp, angry look at Epstein, power, and the machinery that protects bad actors.
The episode treats the Epstein files as part of a wider political and cultural mess, not just a single-name scandal. The hosts tie that frame to Trump, Biden, and the institutions they say helped keep it buried, which gives the conversation more shape than a simple run-through…
A forceful geopolitical take that turns a breaking crisis into a broader warning about power and collapse.
The episode treats the Iran crisis as one piece of a wider story about U.S. power, Middle East escalation, Trump’s volatility, and the shrinking room left for good choices.
A furious political roundup that stays concrete enough to land.
JJ Sexton and Nick Houseman start with a loose California check-in, then turn sharply to ICE, deportation politics, and the Trump administration's cruelty.
A furious look at a killing and the broader argument over escalation.
A grim, angry episode about a fatal federal confrontation at a protest, with Alex Pretty's killing at the center of it. The hosts stay close to what happened, then widen the lens without losing the force of the moment.
A live-reaction pregame that treats Trump as a symptom of a larger disease.
This live-reaction pregame treats Trump less as a single story than as a symptom of a wider habit in government, and that is where the episode has its bite. Jerry J. Sexton and Nick sound sharpest when they move away from the night's spectacle and into that larger pattern.
A grim, fluent political conversation that turns a brutal weekend into a warning.
The Muckrake Political Podcast spends this episode taking stock of a bad weekend and, as it goes, widening the frame until the news feels less like a pileup than a warning.
Holiday banter turns into a pointed, unruly argument about redaction, photos, and transparency.
This holiday edition moves from loose banter into a sharp argument about redacting Donald Trump's name from the Epstein files and the public money spent on it. From there it drifts through Bill Clinton, photos, bloggers, and the idea that some images may be cherry-picked.
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.
Jared and Nick analyze the political fallout after ICE's murder of Alex Preddy, discussing shakeups like Greg Bovino's removal as PR tactics rather than real change.
The hosts analyze Donald Trump's primetime address, criticizing his rhetoric on immigration and the economy while discussing rumors about potential war with Venezuela.
Hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman introduce an episode blending political analysis with schadenfreude over Kristi Noem's misfortunes, while promoting Patreon support and teasing deeper war coverage.
McCraig Podcast hosts J.D.
The Muckrake Political Podcast opens with JJ Sexton and Nick Houseman reacting to New York Times reporting that DHS sent hundreds of subpoenas to Google, Meta, Discord, and Reddit for anonymous ICE-tracking accounts.
The Muckrake Political Podcast episode centers on the killing of 37-year-old Alex Pretty, a Veterans Affairs nurse the hosts say was helping a pepper-sprayed protester when ICE border officials wrestled him down and shot him about 10 times.
In this weekend edition, host Nick Houselman is joined by friend Brian Kaplan for a casual lunch conversation about politics, featuring humorous personal anecdotes and promotions for the podcast's Patreon community.
Jared Yates Sexton runs this one solo and opens by saying it is a bare-bones, bootleg Muckrake recording.
The hosts open in disbelief at the story that the United States used special forces to kidnap Nicolas Maduro while Caracas was bombed.
Hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman analyze Trump's erratic letter to Norway about the Nobel Peace Prize and Greenland, discussing its implications for NATO alliances and intelligence sharing.
The Muckery Podcast starts with loose banter about basketball injuries.
J.J.
The Muckrake Political Podcast frames Trump's tariff fight around a Supreme Court 6-3 ruling, Trump's new 10% and 15% tariff moves, and the claim that $133 billion in tariff revenue is unaccounted for.
The hosts analyze a Washington Post report detailing plans by Trump-aligned groups to craft an executive order declaring the 2020 election stolen by China, which would be used to justify emergency powers to control future elections.
J.J.
Jerry J.
The Muckrake Political Podcast episode "Powell To The People" centers on the DOJ investigation into Jerome Powell after Fed renovation costs and Powell's June testimony, which the hosts describe as "targeted harassment" and a pressure campaign from Donald Trump.
Jared Yates and Nick Hausman open with a government-shutdown airport mess, then argue that the Trump administration’s decision to send ICE into airports came from a caller on the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton show named Linda from Connecticut.
The Muckrake Political Podcast emergency episode on the U.S.
Hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman discuss Jeff Bezos' layoffs at the Washington Post, framing it as part of a larger pattern where oligarchs buy and destroy critical media institutions.
Hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman analyze the escalating US-Iran conflict, where Trump claims victory while Iran blockades the Strait of Hormuz.
Hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman answer a listener question about the Democratic Party's failure to confront fascism, discussing potential for a progressive movement, labor's role, and anti-corruption reforms.
Political commentary exploring Rob Reiner's murder and Trump's cruel Truth Social response.
The hosts discuss breakdown of ceasefire negotiations, Trump's conflict with the pope, and the secretary of state attending a UFC match instead of handling diplomacy.
Political analysts discuss the Iran war and ceasefire breakdown, providing historical context and alternative perspectives.
Hosts discuss current political news with historical context and alternative perspectives.
Jared and Nick discuss Trump's national address on Iran and other political news with historical context.
Political analysts discuss the escalating conflict with Iran and its impact on oil markets, providing historical context and alternative perspectives.
The hosts discuss recent political events including Trump's threat to use the Insurrection Act, while promoting their Patreon for independent funding.
Hosts discuss newly released Jeffrey Epstein emails and their political implications, then introduce an interview with a Nebraska congressional candidate.
Host Nick Hauselman interviews journalist Aaron Rupar about covering the Trump administration's NATO meeting and the challenges of real-time political news analysis.
The hosts discuss US military action in Iran and upcoming travel plans, blending political analysis with personal anecdotes.
The hosts discuss the massive No Kings protest against the current authoritarian regime, sharing personal experiences and analyzing its significance.