Hacks On Tap

Axe, Gibbs, and Murphy are abuzz with post-debate analysis as they convene for a special late night edition of Hacks on Tap. They break down the night’s biggest moments and discuss whether, in a tumultuous week for the 2020 race, this moved the needle in any way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoice...

Former Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill joins Axe and Murphy to discuss the physical and metaphorical clusters surrounding President Trump. The Hacks attempt to make sense of Trump’s return to the White House after a brief stay at Walter Reed, unpack the latest polling numbers, and the Senator offers advice for her former colleagues on how Democrats should navigate the impending hearings for Trum...

The news that President Trump tested positive for Coronavirus has thrown the campaign—and the country—into a new realm of uncertainty. Axe, Gibbs, and Murphy convene for a special edition of Hacks on Tap to discuss this breaking news and what it means for the presidential race. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoic...

Axe and Gibbs spend this episode talking to The Bulwark's Charlie Sykes and in search of this river! Two days after the Cleveland Debacle we sift through the debate one more time, talk about the politics of the economy and ask Charlie about what's happening in his state of Wisconsin. We're still wondering who is they and, yes, we'll keep looking for the river. Learn more about your ad choices. Vis...

Axe, Murphy, and Gibbs convene after the first presidential debate to discuss the perfectly polite and productive national conversation we just witnessed. What are the implications for the race moving forward? How does this impact the VP debate next week? Has the shouting ended? The Hacks break down all this and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more...

Murphy and Gibbs welcome the Honorable Hack/former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to talk about Trump’s comments on election rigging, what Biden has to do in the upcoming debate next week and more politics around the Supreme Court. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Axe and Murphy are joined this week by Bob Shrum, longtime political consultant, speechwriter, and strategist. The Hacks discuss the politics of the Supreme Court vacancy and what this means for Republicans’ chances of keeping the majority in the Senate. Plus, with one week to go before the first presidential debate, the Hacks break down what both Biden and Trump must achieve in this critical firs...

Axe is joined by John Heilemann of Showtime’s The Circus, and Matthew Dowd, Chief Political Analyst at ABC and former chief strategist for the Bush 2004 campaign. The Hacks discuss Attorney General Bill Barr’s eye-popping assertions, the politics of a COVID vaccine, and the latest installment of Democratic bedwetting about Biden’s campaign strategy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastc...

You got a polling question? Well, we got your answer! Murphy and Gibbs tap the voluminous knowledge and experience of super pollster Mark Mellman on battleground states, Latino voters, undecided voters, debate polling bumps, third party voters, how a poll is conducted and…ok, you get the point! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. V...

Gibbs and Murphy are joined by guest hack Joe Trippi. In this episode, they talk about Trump’s 18 (!!!) interviews with Bob Woodward, the polling anxiety that goes with being a Democrat and winning Senate seats in tough political territory in 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Axe and Murphy are joined by Stephanie Cutter, a longtime Democratic operative who most recently produced the 2020 Democratic National Convention. They discuss the Atlantic’s reporting that Trump made disparaging remarks about the military, how the Trump campaign squandered its huge cash advantage, and what the Biden campaign must do in the lead-up to the first debate. Learn more about your ad cho...

Gibbs and Axe are joined by the one and only Mark McKinnon, co-host of Showtime’s The Circus and a former Presidential advisor to George W. Bush, who spent the week in the battleground state of Wisconsin. We cover the plethora of new national and state polling and talk about where the race stands 60 days before the 2020 election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...

Axe and Murphy are joined this week by Addisu Demissie, former campaign manager for Cory Booker’s presidential run and senior advisor for Joe Biden and the DNC. With both national conventions in the rear view mirror, a new phase of the 2020 presidential campaign has begun. The Hacks discuss Trump’s continued law and order strategy, the efficacy of Biden’s condemnation of violence and destruction,...

Welcome to It Was Said, a 10-episode limited documentary series looking back on some of the most powerful, impactful and timeless speeches in American history. Join Pulitzer Prize winning and best-selling author-historian, Jon Meacham, Peabody-nominated C13Originals Studios and HISTORY, as we take you through 10 speeches. Season One of It Was Said draws on a selection of speeches from powerful fig...

Guest Hack Amanda Carpenter of CNN and The Bulwark joins Gibbs and Murphy to recap the Trump National Convention. Did the GOP move the needle? What's the next move for Biden and Harris? Is Trump ever going to finish this speech?! The Hacks meticulously dissect the four day reality show and talk about what to expect over the next 67 days of Campaign 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit pod...

Guest Hack John Heilemann of Showtime's The Circus is back this week to help Axe and Murphy recap the first night of the Republican National Convention. The GOP promised a week full of optimism and opportunity; after night one, did they deliver? The Hacks discuss whether the first night offered a glimpse of the Republican primary in 2024, if the RNC will ultimately succeed in expanding Trump's bas...

With our new Hackaroo host Robert Gibbs at the helm, Axe, Murphy, and Gibbs recap the Democratic National Convention. After an eventful week which culminated in Joe Biden officially accepting the Democratic nomination for president, the guys discuss their biggest takeaways. Did the Democrats accomplish what they set out to do? How will the Republicans respond next week? Plus, will traditional, fun...

The day after the debut of the first-ever virtual convention, Axe and Murphy convene to discuss what worked and what didn’t. Joined by former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel, the Hacks break down the messaging, strategy, and tactics used throughout the first night of the Democratic National Convention. They also take listener questions about how convention speakers are selected, what the future holds f...

Axe and Murphy are reunited this week and joined by Paul Begala, former counselor to President Clinton and author of the new book, "You're Fired: The Perfect Guide to Beating Donald Trump." The Hacks convened before Biden announced his choice of Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate, but that doesn't mean we can't include one final round of veepstakes. We also discuss the Trump campaign's rene...

The veepstakes are finally over and the pick is in: Joe Biden has chosen Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate! In this special addition of Hacks on Tap, Axe, Murphy, and guest Hack Robert Gibbs discuss what went into this decision and what it means for Biden’s chances in November. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podc...

Murphy is out on assignment this week, but thankfully Alex Wagner and Robert Gibbs are here to fill the void. The Hacks discuss Trump’s unrelenting attacks on mail-in voting and his attempts to undermine institutions like the Post Office that are vital to the election; the strategy—or lack thereof—behind granting sit-down interviews with the President; the latest speculation about Biden’s VP pick;...

This week we’re joined by super Hack John Heilemann, co-host of The Circus on Showtime. It’s no secret that one of Trump’s biggest obstacles to reelection is his own handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. What, if anything, can he do to make up ground before November? And with time running out for Biden to announce his VP pick, will he make a head or a heart decision? Plus, the recent polls are good n...

Axe and Murphy are joined this week by Democratic political strategist and former acting DNC Chair Donna Brazile. We talk about Trump’s new interview with Fox’s Chris Wallace, POTUS’s alternative reality strategy, and the Confederate-named military base controversy. We also assess the politics of the Democratic and Republican conventions, talk VP selection stakes, and more. Learn more about your a...

Axe and Murphy are joined by guest hack Mark McKinnon, former presidential adviser and co-host of Showtime’s The Circus. This week we talk Trump’s continuous Covid catastrophe, presidential ad wars, Roger Stone on the loose, Veepstakes, and more. We also answer listener questions on Trump and race, presidential debates, and third-party advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastch...

The Hacks return for a special Senate deep-dive with The Cook Political Report’s Amy Walter. First, we talk Trump’s new ad offensive, the torqued up grievance war, and how it may play in the 2020 presidential race. We turn to the Senate and assess the most competitive races: vulnerable seats, Republicans in trouble, and the likeliest blue-to-red flips. When will it be time for down-ballot Republic...