The Beat with Ari Melber

October 16, 2026; President Trump’s White House press secretary Katie Zacharia is out after just five days on the job. MS NOW’s Ari Melber reports and is joined by Joe Lockhart, former White House press secretary under President Bill Clinton, and The New York Times’ Molly Jong-Fast. Plus, Melber sits down with “Saturday Night Live” comedian Michael Che for an extended conversation on free speech,...

October 15, 2026; MS NOW's Ari Melber reports on the latest developments following a shooting at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon. Plus, with less than three weeks until Election Day, Republicans are in panic mode as the midterms approach. Melber is joined by former SDNY civil prosecutor Maya Wiley and Fordham University's Christina Greer. Later, the co-author of "The Art of the Deal" joins Me...

October 14, 2026; MS NOW's Ari Melber reports on President Trump's failure to tame inflation and the broader political fallout for the GOP. Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and The New York Times' Michelle Goldberg join. Plus, Trump's DOJ is escalating its controversial probe into Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar. Melber reports on the latest developments and is joined by NYU's Melissa Murray....

October 13, 2026; The Trump administration is facing backlash for allegedly defying a judge’s order, reportedly missing a deadline to stop running taxpayer-funded campaign-style ads after a judge temporarily barred them. MS NOW’s Ari Melber is joined by former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance. Plus, Texas Democratic gubernatorial nominee Gina Hinojosa joins Melber to discuss her race against Republi...

October 12, 2026; MS NOW's Peter Alexander reports on The Wall Street Journal's reporting that Kimberly Guilfoyle, the new U.S. ambassador to Greece, boasted of private jet trips paid for by two wealthy Greek tycoons while working at the World Economic Forum. Trump vet Sarah Matthews joins. Plus, Alexander reports on the GOP's growing midterm panic as Election Day draws closer and is joined by MS...

October 9, 2026; The GOP reaches a new level of panic ahead of a potential midterm reckoning. MS NOW’s Ari Melber reports and is joined by podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen and political strategist Chai Komanduri. Plus Melber is joined by Hollywood super-agent Ari Emanuel to talk mergers, AI and political censorship. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on...

October 8, 2026; MS NOW's Ari Melber reports on a new legal loss for President Trump in his ongoing war on free speech. Andrew Weissmann, former FBI General Counsel and former Mueller prosecutor. Plus, Melber recaps MS NOW's live event "Together In Texas." To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz compan...

October 7, 2026; With just four weeks until the midterms, Republicans are trailing in most polls and playing defense in what Politico calls “triage mode.” MS NOW’s Ari Melber reports and is joined by Jelani Cobb, dean of the Columbia Journalism School, and Christine Quinn, vice chair of the New York State Democratic Party. Plus, Melber is joined by Maine Democratic Senate nominee Troy Jackson on t...

October 6, 2026; MS NOW’s Ari Melber reports on President Trump’s declining support as the midterms approach. The New York Times’ Molly Jong-Fast and former Washington Gov. Jay Inslee join. Plus, Melber reports on what some are calling the “first AI election” and what the rise of AI could mean for the future of politics. Ed Zitron, journalist and host of the “Better Offline” podcast, joins. To lis...

October 5, 2026; North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis joins MS NOW's Ari Melber on "The Beat" for an extended interview. Plus, Melber reports on new brutal midterm signs for Republicans heading into the midterms. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about o...

October 2, 2026; MS NOW’s Ari Melber reports on President Trump’s “Red State Tour” and the latest jobs report. Political analyst Juanita Tolliver and Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Eugene Robinson join. Plus, a new update on the Cornell University sexual assault investigation. Former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance joins. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NO...

October 1, 2026; Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed joins MS NOW's Ari Melber on "The Beat" for an extended conversation. Plus, fashion icon June Ambrose and MS NOW's Chris Jansing join for the latest "Fallback" installment. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswiz...

September 30, 2026; Leaked audio obtained by The New York Times reveals Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton apparently insulting President Trump’s convention. Paxton’s team disputes the claim that Paxton sees Trump as a drag. The New York Times' Molly Jong-Fast and former Democratic Congressman Mondaire Jones join. Plus, new fallout from former DOJ vet Jack Smith's hearing. NYU's Melissa Murray...

September 29, 2026; MS NOW's Ari Melber reports on bombshell testimony from former special counsel Jack Smith, the first federal prosecutor to criminally charge a former president. Smith appeared before Congress today defending his two indictments of Trump. Plus, Trump gathers with nearly 20 tech CEO's at the White House. Chris Hughes, co-founder of Facebook and tech critic, joins. To listen to th...

September 28, 2026; MS NOW’s Ari Melber reports on President Trump’s declining approval ratings as the midterms draw closer and is joined by legendary Democratic strategist James Carville. Plus, Melber delivers a special report on the backlash to AI and is joined by MIT’s Max Tegmark. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by...

September 25, 2026; MAGA is breaking with President Trump over his embrace of AI. MS NOW’s Ari Melber reports and is joined by Naomi Klein, journalist and bestselling author of "End times Fascism and the Fight for the Living World." Plus, spreading GOP panic ahead of the midterms. The New York Times' Molly Jong-Fast joins. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NO...

September 24, 2026; President Trump loses the first court test of his press ban. MS NOW's Ari Melber reports. Plus, Anthony Scaramucci, a Trump White House veteran who briefly served as communications director before leaving the administration and becoming a Trump critic, joins "The Beat" alongside Alex Wagner. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on...

September 23, 2026; President Trump’s White House press ban faced skeptical questions at an emergency court hearing. MS NOW’s Ari Melber breaks down what happened. Plus, Republicans distance themselves from Trump as the midterm elections draw closer. The New York Times’ Michelle Goldberg joins.  To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple...

September 22, 2026; New MS NOW reporting details how House Republicans are privately worried about their prospects in the midterm elections. Melissa Murray reports and is joined by The New York Times’ Molly Jong-Fast and David Litt, former Obama speechwriter. Plus, Trump faces fallout over his White House press ban. Former FBI General Counsel Andrew Weissmann and Jameel Jaffer, executive director...

September 21, 2026; In their lawsuit challenging President Trump’s White House press ban, CNN, MS NOW and Politico warn of the chilling effect the restrictions could have on press freedom. MS NOW’s Antonia Hylton reports and is joined by Marty Baron, former executive editor of The Washington Post. Plus, Hylton reports on the upcoming midterm elections and is joined by Christina Greer, professor of...

September 18, 2026; President Donald Trump says he is banning MS NOW, CNN and Politico from the White House. He did not cite specific reports that prompted the decision and suggested other news organizations could face similar action. The Trump administration has taken no formal action at this time. MS NOW’s Ari Melber reports. Plus, Rep. Ro Khanna, who is leading the push for a second Epstein Fil...

September 17, 2026; MS NOW’s Ari Melber reports on new warning signs for President Trump’s economy. Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and The New York Times’ Molly Jong-Fast join. Plus, “South Park” returned with a new name, “South America,” in a jab at President Trump’s decision to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America.” To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS...

September 16, 2026; MS NOW’s Ari Melber reports on new fallout from President Trump’s war and economic challenges, from the Fed to the markets. Slate’s Jacob Weisberg and The New York Times’ Michelle Goldberg join. Plus, Oscar winner Morgan Freeman joins to discuss his new project, “Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience.” To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for...

September 15, 2026; The Supreme Court denied the Trump administration’s bid to halt a judge’s order blocking federal mail-in ballot restrictions for the midterm elections. MS NOW’s Ari Melber reports and is joined by Andrew Weissmann, former FBI general counsel. Plus, Jimmy Kimmel says FCC pressure kept his interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico off TV. The YouTube intervi...

September 14, 2026; AI rivals are coming together with a new message: “Slow it down.” Leaders from OpenAI, SpaceX and Anthropic are responding to growing concerns over the rapid pace of artificial intelligence. MS NOW’s Ari Melber reports and is joined by Will Knight, senior writer for WIRED. Plus, the latest on the upcoming midterm elections. Political strategist Chai Komanduri and MS NOW contrib...