The Lincoln Project

Host Reed Galen is joined by writer and academic Yascha Mounk for a wide-ranging and nuanced discussion on American identity and how it informs our society, our political discourse, and ultimately our small-d democratic future. Plus, what to expect in the upcoming Polish election. For more on this topic be sure to pick up Yascha Mounk’s latest book, The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in...

Host Reed Galen is joined by Former Lt. Governor of Maryland and Former Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Michael Steele. They discuss the field of 2024 GOP presidential candidates, the normative force of MAGA/right-wing media, and what to make of the impending government shutdown (and Kevin McCarthy’s catch-22). Plus, why our nation as a whole needs to re-embrace “E Pluribus Unum”. T...

Host Reed Galen is joined by fellow Lincoln Project Co-Founder Rick Wilson and Lincoln Project Senior Advisors Stuart Stevens and Joe Trippi to discuss why it's so important for Americans to understand what a good job President Joe Biden is doing, the real reason behind the GOP wanting to shut down the government, and what a recent poll out of New Hampshire could reveal about 2024. If you’d like t...

Host Reed Galen is joined by the television star turned crypto-critic…Ben McKenzie. They discuss the rise of cryptocurrency, who’s drawn to it, and why no one can seem to explain exactly what it is. Plus, a look at the fraud of Sam Bankman-Fried/FTX and other major players in the crypto-space…and how Donald Trump’s presidency/MAGA set the stage for cryptocurrency to take off in the way that it did...

Host Reed Galen shares why The Lincoln Project is dedicating the month of September to ensuring that Americans across the country know just how good of a job that President Joe Biden is doing. For this moment in time, he’s exactly who is needed to lead the pro-democracy coalition. Plus, Donald Trump has nothing to offer the American people except for ugliness, division, and destruction. If you’d l...

Host Reed Galen is joined by Heidi Przybyla , an award-winning National Investigative Correspondent for Politico . They get into her latest reporting on how the likes of Ginni Thomas and Leonard Leo gamed Citizens’ United and what dark money means for the MAGA movement as 2024 approaches…but first, what’s going on with Kevin McCarthy, his caucus, and the latest series of events in the GOP clown sh...

Host Reed Galen is joined by Ruth Ben-Ghiat , Author and Professor of History and Italian Studies at New York University. They discuss the role extremist groups play in a nation’s evolution to authoritarianism, how every Trump rally since 2015 has been a radicalization site, and how the history of strongmen can inform our nation’s current political moment. If you’d like to hear more from Ruth, che...

Host Reed Galen is joined by Simon Rosenberg , the Veteran Political Analyst, Strategist and Commentator. They discuss why it's so important for Democrats to continue spotlighting the accomplishments of President Joe Biden, why the current brand of the GOP is such a tough sell to the American people, and why Republicans continue to threaten a government shutdown when they’ve never ended well. Plus...

Host Reed Galen is joined by Madison Horn , a cybersecurity expert and former 2022 Democratic candidate for U.S Senate from Oklahoma. They discuss how her cybersecurity background has informed her politics, the dangerous power of misinformation/disinformation online, and why modern campaigns cannot treat rural voters like they commonly have in the past. If you’d like to connect with The Lincoln Pr...

This episode was originally released on April 12, 2023. In this encore presentation, host Reed Galen is joined by journalist and New York Times bestselling author, Jeff Sharlet . Jeff shares scenes from his travels across the United States which exemplify the convergence of MAGA, religion, militias, and fascism. The aftermath of Ashli Babbitt’s death, the “jokes'' from a men’s rights hotel room, a...

Host Reed Galen is joined by Imran Ahmed, the Founder and CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH). They discuss the landscape of online hate and how it has exponentially grown in the last decade, the role of social media in the dangerous rise of misinformation/disinformation, and why it is so important for the fabric of our society to hold social media companies accountable for their...

Host Reed Galen shares his thoughts on last night’s Republican Presidential Primary Debate and Donald Trump’s “counter-programming” on Twitter with Tucker Carlson. Plus, what do the events of last night mean for the 2024 election, and how should the pro-democracy coalition respond? If you’d like to connect with The Lincoln Project , send an email to podcast@lincolnproject.us . Learn more about you...

Host Reed Galen is joined by author and Senior Political Correspondent for Yahoo News. They discuss the rise of the American Evangelical movement, the types of people it attracts, and how it became so closely tied to Trumpism. To hear more from Jon Ward, be sure to check out his latest book ( Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Failed a Generation ), his podcast ( The Long Game ), and...

Host Reed Galen is joined by Lincoln Project Senior Advisor Stuart Stevens. They preview the upcoming Republican presidential primary debate slated for next week, examine the state of the GOP writ large (spoiler alert…it isn’t good), and discuss how Trumpism (and everyone that allows it to persist) is inarguably un-American. For more in-depth information be sure to check out the post-2012 RNC Auto...

Host Reed Galen is joined by Ron Insana (Senior Analyst and Commentator at CNBC) to discuss the current state of the American economy, how remote-work and other post-pandemic variables have greatly affected the commercial real estate market, and how the economic policies of authoritarian states like China never seem to work. Plus, the wise words of Princess Leia. If you’d like to ask a question or...

Host Reed Galen is joined by Judd Legum, Founder and Author of the Popular Information newsletter. They discuss how those inside the Washington ecosystem don’t seem to be adequately alarmed that Donald Trump could return to office, how Ron DeSantis is influencing the Republican field despite his atrocious campaign, and how the changing dynamics between Democrats, Republicans, and corporations will...

Host Reed Galen is joined by New York Times bestselling author Brad Thor. They discuss Brad’s most recently published thriller, the competing forces with the Russian military ecosystem, the security threats of social media, and whether or not “post-americanism” is our nation’s new normal. If you’d like more from Brad Thor be sure to pick up his latest book, Dead Fall , and check out his website Br...

Host Reed Galen is joined by the Political Scientist and Humanitarian Expert, Aleksandra K. Wiśniewska to discuss the importance of humanitarian aid on the international stage, her first-hand account of the current state of Ukraine (the people, the politics, and the military), and how Poland plays a crucial role as NATO’s eastern flank. Plus, what is the root cause of so many European nations movi...

In a special bonus episode, host Reed Galen gives you his thoughts on Donald Trump's third indictment. He discusses why this indictment should worry Trump much more than his previous two, what sort of response we can expect from the Republican party, and why it's never been more crucial for the pro-democracy coalition to decisively defeat Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. If you’d li...

Host Reed Galen is joined by Lincoln Project Senior Advisor Joe Trippi to discuss the current state of the 2024 presidential election, why a decisive win for Joe Biden would deliver a devastating blow to Donald Trump and his movement, and why defending our nation's democracy is so crucial when it comes to defending democracy around the world. If you’d like to ask a question or share a comment with...

Host Reed Galen is joined by the Lincoln Project’s Deputy Political Director, Philip Germain, to discuss the latest in the No Labels third-party-effort. They break down why the electoral math doesn’t work, how their recently published policy positions lack substance, and why a No Labels “Unity” ticket helps Donald Trump and hurts Joe Biden. Plus, are the true intentions of No Labels more nefarious...

Host Reed Galen is joined by Financial Times columnist Jemima Kelly to discuss the comedic value of Donald Trump, the Mar-a-Lago ecosystem, and why our nation still cannot look away from Donald Trump. Plus, a UK lens on the American political landscape. Be sure to check out the latest from Jemima Kelly at Financial Times . If you’d like to ask a question or share a comment with The Lincoln Project...

Host Reed Galen is joined by Miles Taylor, a national security expert who previously served as Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. They discuss Miles’ (sometimes horrific) experiences from inside the Trump administration at DHS, why he came out against the administration (first anonymously and then unmasked), and the ultimate blowback that followed once he left. Plus, what...

Host Reed Galen is joined by Pulitzer Prize winning and New York Time bestselling author, Stacy Schiff to discuss the life of Founding Father Samuel Adams, his role in the American Revolution, and the legacy he leaves behind (despite his best efforts not to). Plus, what are the parallels between our nation's infancy and today. If you'd like more from Stacy Schiff, be sure to pick up her latest boo...

Host Reed Galen is joined by Brendan Ballou, a Federal Prosecutor who served as Special Counsel for Private Equity in the Justice Department's Antitrust Division. They discuss the inner-workings of how private equity works, how it's reshaped American business (by raising prices, reducing quality, cutting jobs, and shifting resources from productive to unproductive parts of the economy), and how pr...