Not Even Mad

The final episode of Not Even Mad , Mike Pesca, Elizabeth Bruenig, and Ben Kawaller debate the rising power of democratic socialism after several progressive upset victories. The panel then shifts to JD Vance's new faith memoir, Communion , analyzing the theological contradictions of Vance's self-professed lack of fear regarding damnation and his framing of Catholicism as a tool for Western social...

Former congressman Anthony Weiner and Reason editor-at-large Matt Welch join the panel for another edition of "Not Even Mad." The trio debates the massive market valuation of Elon Musk's SpaceX, analyzing how concentrated wealth reshapes global geopolitics, media structures, and domestic policy debates. They also turn their focus to the upcoming New York primary races, exploring the rise of age-ba...

Mike Pesca is joined by venture capitalist Bradley Tusk and Manhattan Institute senior fellow Charles Fain Lehman for a panel debate on political judgment and modern vice. The trio dives into the results of the Maine Democratic primary, questioning whether progressive candidate Graham Plattner can overcome a cascade of personal scandals to unseat longtime Republican incumbent Susan Collins. They a...

Today is Not Even Mad. Tangle founder Isaac Saul and journalist Jamie Kirchick discuss the creation of the Department of Justice's $1.776 billion anti-weaponization settlement fund, the legislative fallout from the Trump primary revenge tour, and the unpredictable new swing votes in the Senate. Finally, they honor the trailblazing legacy and posthumous warnings of the late Barney Frank before shar...

Today on the Gist, the US intelligence assessment of the Iran blockade, and why the current administration lacks the attention span for a prolonged overseas conflict. Then, Dartmouth professor Russ Muirhead and Calm Down author Ben Dreyfuss join the panel for another round of Not Even Mad. The trio tackles the media's catastrophizing of political violence, the electoral baggage of RFK Jr.'s fringe...

Today on the Gist, Mike is joined by Sarada Peri, former speechwriter for President Obama, and Sarah Isgur, senior editor at SCOTUSblog and author of Last Branch Standing , for a new installment of Not Even Mad. The trio discusses the Virginia redistricting vote, how concerning the "shadow docket" really is, and Kash Patel's lawsuit against The Atlantic. Finally, in Goat Grinders: boarding times,...

Today on a Not Even Mad, Mike is joined by political writer John Ganz and Reason's Nick Gillespie to debate whether the ceasefire with Iran is a strategic victory for the regime or a result of Donald Trump's bellicose rhetoric. The trio analyzes the New York Times reporting on JD Vance's backseat skepticism and Trump's habit of choosing airpower over long-term diplomacy. They also tackle the liber...

Today on a Not Even Mad edition of The Gist, Mike is joined by political scientist Yascha Mounk ( The Good Fight ) and Colin Cole, director of policy outreach and communications at More Equitable Democracy and host of The Future of Our Former Democracy , to fiercely debate whether adopting proportional representation would cure America's polarization or simply plunge the country into parliamentary...

Jeff Nussbaum and Dan Rothschild debate the Iran war's shaky public support, the administration's failure to make a clear case for sacrifice, and whether the mission is deterrence, regime change, or just another round of mowing the lawn. Then they turn to the Democrats who won in 2025, asking whether Abigail Spanberger, Mikie Sherrill, and Zohran Mamdani are actually governing on affordability or...

Austin Berg (Chicago Policy Center) and Andrew Egger ( The Bulwark ) join Mike to dissect Trump's marathon State of the Union: was it a missed opportunity to reach the median voter, or a "clip farming" masterclass? They also unpack the awkwardly timed Supreme Court tariff ruling that derailed his economic pitch, and the high-stakes standoff between the Pentagon and AI giant Anthropic over autonomo...

Joe Nocera of The Free Press and Jonah Goldberg of The Dispatch parse the Epstein files fallout on both sides of the Atlantic, from Keir Starmer's London personnel shakeup to America's seemingly bottomless tolerance for shamelessness. Then they pivot to Mark Leibovich's Atlantic provocation, "The Democrats Aren't Built for This," with Nocera arguing the party's job is simple, win elections, and Go...

Mike contemplates the hierarchy of American attention, contrasting the 50 million eyes on the AFC Championship game with the obscurity of the men leading the "Metro Surge" in Minnesota. Then, Ruy Teixeira ( The Liberal Patriot ) and Jesse Adams ( The Ivy Exile ) join for Not Even Mad. The panel debates whether the chaos in Minnesota is a strategic "theater" of enforcement or a policy failure that'...

Michael A. Cohen, author of the  Truth and Consequences  newsletter, and Charles Fain Lehman, Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, debate the capture of Nicolas Maduro and whether Marco Rubio is positioning himself as the "Governor General of Latin America." The panel analyzes Tim Walz's exit from the Minnesota governor's race amid a $9 billion pandemic fraud scandal and the controversial appointmen...

Anthony Weiner and John Ketcham break down a Congress being flayed by its own fringes, where the "crazies" sometimes deliver the sharpest institutional critiques. They then assess Pete Hegseth and the possible release video of a lethal Caribbean boat strike, the challenges reshaping New York politics, and what it really means to govern a city you once nearly ran. Goat Grinders takes on  Waymo runn...

Mike Pesca welcomes back Nick Gillespie (Reason Magazine) and first-time guest Russ Muirhead (Dartmouth professor and New Hampshire State Rep.) for a spirited debate that is—we swear—not even mad. Today, we look at the half-full autocratic glass: Does the dismissal of the Comey and James indictments prove that institutions are holding, or does the very attempt confirm our slide toward norms violat...

Brad Carson (Americans for Responsible Innovation) and Charles Lehman (Manhattan Institute / City Journal) dig into the shutdown endgame, Schumer's calculus, 2026 vibes, and why data centers might be a sleeper issue. They argue affordability vs. "afford to dream," culture vs. policy, and whether legalization waves for pot, NIL, and sports betting were built to fail. Plus: AI guardrails, why adding...

Steve Hayes and Damon Linker debate whether Trump's demolition of the White House East Wing is another norm-busting outrage or just a gaudy renovation. They argue over visuals versus substance in anti-Trump outrage, Trump's manipulation of public opinion, and whether Congress's abdication of power is the true engine of American authoritarian drift. Then: could "Trump 2028" be both a joke and a tri...

Hamas hostages, Trump and autocracy, and the strangely quiet shutdown — we tackle all three. Why Trump's blunt style played in the Middle East, whether "competitive authoritarianism" really fits his second-term instincts and enablers, and who's taking the fall for Obamacare-premium brinkmanship. Plus: goat-grinders (pointless rebrands at Max and Apple TV, Crowder's vest-and-glass cosplay, and the...

Free speech under heat: the ACLU's Ben  Wizner  and the Manhattan Institute's  Ilya Shapiro square off (and sometimes align) on the "ethos" of the First Amendment—from the Ball State firing over Charlie Kirk comments to cancel culture, government jawboning, and campus heckler's vetoes. We dig into the Supreme Court's shadow docket and unitary-executive fights, birthright citizenship, visas vs spee...

Michael A. Cohen and Jamie Kirchick discuss the Charlie Kirk assassination and the immediate retreat to priors — who's weaponizing grief, what counts as incitement, and whether "fascistic" vs. "authoritarian" language clarifies or inflames. Plus, the TikTok law end-run and why process crimes don't move voters the way visible force does. In Goat Grinders: antisemitic conspiracies about Kirk's murde...

Mike Pesca welcomes Galen Druke and Josh Barro for a sharp yet civil debate on Trump's immigration strategy, crime, and the charge of creeping autocracy. They weigh whether cruelty brings Trump political advantage, how Democrats should frame their response, and what "autocracy makes you poor" really means for voters. Plus, Mike spotlights where polls mislead, why midterms punish incumbents, and wh...

New York Post  columnist Rikki Schlott and  Tangle  founder Isaac Saul join Mike to discuss policing Washington, D.C.—who's in charge, who gets blamed, and why federal takeover is more problem multiplier than solution. Then: scalpel or a chainsaw on the syllabus for higher ed. Plus, using the concept of  toxic empathy to explain both a recidivist subway-jacker and a diplomatic move toward Palestin...

Unf**k America Tour founder Z Cohen-Sanchez and Washington Examiner contributor Jesse Adams join for a tour through Trump's waning immigration support, the public broadcasting defunding that will hurt the next generation of Jesse Adamses, and why even Epstein truthers may be losing the thread. They debate whether GOP border hawks want actual deportations or just spicy cable-news optics, and whethe...

Boston Globe columnist Carine Hajjar and five-time Emmy-winning comedy writer and proprietor of the  I Might Be Wrong Substack, Jeff Maurer, join to discuss the flood of ICE agents and President Trump's growing suspicion that Putin isn't on the up-and-up. And as part of the political pundit compact—a discussion of all that Zohran Mamdani might mean. Plus, in Goat Grinders: teeny-tiny air condition...

Economist Allison Schraeger and  Slow Boring 's Matt Yglesias join Mike to discuss the unrest in Los Angeles — and how to protest without giving Donald Trump a win. Then, the trio surveys the NYC mayoral mess — or, if not a mess, whatever government-run grocery stores are. Plus, the Big Beautiful Bill is only one of those things, and it's the worse one. Goat Grinders: summer smells, promiscuous ea...