Pod Save America

President Trump suggests that the high price of oil—surging upward because of his war in Iran—is a good thing, because the United States makes "a lot of money." Jon and Dan discuss the President's unique affordability message, his claim that the war has already been won, and what Joe Rogan, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Gen Z men are saying about Iran. Then, they check in on the GOP, including the p...

The war in Iran enters its second week and Donald Trump declares that it's about to end — and also that it's going to last a very long time. Jon, Tommy, and Lovett react to the president's conflicting statements, the cascading global energy crisis he created, and the way Republicans — especially warmonger Lindsey Graham — are reacting to the war. Then, they discuss why some Democrats are hesitant...

California Governor Gavin Newsom sits down with Jon and Tommy before a live audience in Los Angeles to discuss Trump's war on Iran, the crowded California gubernatorial primary, and his new book Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery. The governor talks about his close childhood friendship with the Getty family, issuing the first same-sex marriage licenses nationwide as San Francisco Mayor, a...

Trump abruptly fires Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Dan and Jon discuss the Congressional hearings that led to her dismissal, Trump's announcement that Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin will replace her, and the future of DHS. Then they react to the administration's ever-shifting justifications for their war with Iran, Republicans voting with Democrats to subpoena Attorney...

The Trump administration struggles to justify its new war with Iran, while Democrats struggle to effectively explain why Americans should oppose it. Jon, Tommy, and Lovett react to Trump's first live remarks following the killing of six American soldiers and dissect the administration's conflicting comments about the war's rationale, objectives, and timeline. Then, they discuss how Democrats are t...

Graham Platner, a Democratic candidate running for Senate in Maine, stops by the studio to talk with Jon about Trump’s impending conflict with Iran, the future of Medicare for All, and what community organizing in rural Maine taught him about building political power in our polarized era. The two discuss new polls showing Platner leading Janet Mills in the Democratic Senate primary, how his tattoo...

The White House debates going to extreme lengths to get the American public to stomach a war with Iran, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth tries to force Anthropic into letting him use their AI model to operate autonomous murder drones. Jon and Dan react with horror and then discuss the rest of the news, including the administration's new fraud-focused message, the draft executive order that the...

Donald Trump breaks his own record for longest State of the Union in history, delivering a meandering, angry, tone-deaf speech that utterly fails at its single most important goal: laying out a clear plan for lowering prices. Jon, Lovett, Dan, and Tommy react to Trump's stunts—including bringing on the members of the USA Hockey men's team—what he said about his plans for Iran, the fights he tried...

The State of the Union has arrived. Will war with Iran come with it? Jon, Tommy, and Lovett react to reports that Trump is considering launching air strikes against Iran in the coming days and then jump into the rest of the news, including the President's decision to impose a new fifteen percent global tariff—after the Supreme Court ruled his existing ones were illegal—Kash Patel's taxpayer-funded...

The Supreme Court tanks Donald Trump's tariff program in a 6-3 ruling supported by two of his hand-picked justices. Lovett talks to Jerusalem Demsas, economics writer and editor-in-chief of The Argument, about the epic presidential tantrum that followed and what Trump might do now. Then they discuss the findings from a new Argument poll about the backlash to trans rights, why Congress won't assert...

Trump's economic messaging tour takes him to Georgia, where he claims "I've won affordability"—as White House advisors concede in a high-level meeting that he "will do what he wants to do, say what he wants to say." No surprise then that Republican strategists are beginning to go public with their fears about the midterms. Jon and Dan react to all the latest, including Trump's plans for war in Ira...

Live from Sydney, Jon, Lovett, Tommy, and Dan discuss the lurid details of The Wall Street Journal exposé on Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski's eye-opening behavior at (and high above) the Department of Homeland Security. Then, they look at the latest with Republicans' efforts to steal the midterms, including Noem's promise to make sure "we have the right people voting, electing the right leaders...

What can we learn from other countries that have lived through dictatorships? How can artists fight authoritarianism? How should an Oscar nominee react to an encounter with ICE on the way to the Academy Awards? Alex Wagner is joined by actor and filmmaker Wagner Moura, star of the Oscar-nominated The Secret Agent — a thrilling, beautiful film set during Brazil’s military dictatorship. You may also...

Live from Melbourne, Jon, Lovett, Tommy, and Dan react to Democrats’ decision to stand firm on ICE funding and force a shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, Pam Bondi’s epic meltdown in front of the House Judiciary Committee, Megyn Kelly’s unhinged response to the Bad Bunny halftime show, and what really happened with the the laser weapon that shut down El Paso airspace. Then, the Austr...

Epstein revelations continue. New files reveal that the notorious sex offender had closer relationships than previously known with Trump’s inner circle, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Ghislaine Maxwell pleads the Fifth to Congress, while her lawyer says she’s “prepared to speak fully and honestly” if Trump agrees to let her out of prison. While Jon, Tommy, and Lovett are overseas, Al...

Does Trump know ball? Is he afraid of Bad Bunny—or did MAGA just fumble the halftime show? This Super Bowl Sunday, Tommy sits down with journalist and sportswriter Pablo Torre to unpack how America’s once-sacred sports institutions have been overtaken by politics. The two dig into Trump’s long and messy relationship with the NFL, MAGA’s Bad Bunny boycott, and the rise of online sports gambling and...

Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, and Mike Johnson hint at plans to steal the midterm elections, from "nationalizing" the voting to straight-up sending ICE to "surround" the polls. Jon and Dan sound the alarm and offer Democrats some advice on how to respond. Then, they react to Border Czar Tom Homan's announcement that 700 DHS officers (out of 3,000) will be leaving Minneapolis, Vice President Vance's...

The Justice Department releases more than three million more files related to Jeffrey Epstein, and the list of powerful people involved with the notorious pedophile is ... long. Jon, Tommy, and Lovett react to the most notable revelations from the new batch, including the many mentions of Trump, and then check in on the president’s corrupt dealings, including a half-billion bribe from the United A...

Marc J. Dunkelman, author of "Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress — and How to Bring It Back," stops by the studio to talk to Lovett about how Democrats — once they regain power — can make government work again. Together they dive into the ways progressive governance changed from the New Deal to today, the influence of Robert Caro's polemic "The Power Broker" on a generation of public employees...

Outrage over the killing of Alex Pretti spreads to nonpolitical and Trump-friendly spaces, even as Border Czar Tom Homan promises to "draw down" the DHS presence in Minneapolis and the White House caves to Democrats' demands on debating DHS funding. Could this be a turning point in the Trump presidency? Jon and Dan discuss all the latest, including Anderson Cooper's extraordinary conversation with...

Donald Trump caves to the national outrage over Alex Pretti's killing, telling Governor Tim Walz that he'll agree to allow for an impartial investigation and "look into reducing the number of federal agents in Minnesota." Lovett, on the ground in Minneapolis, joins Jon and Tommy to talk about what's happening in the state, and to share reactions to the tragedy and Trump's surprising about-face. Th...

What will it take for Democrats to win not just in 2026, but in 2028 and beyond? What do we need to change to win again in Iowa, Texas, and Florida? What's more important: a candidate's ability to communicate or their ability to govern? Dan talks to David Plouffe, former campaign manager for Barack Obama and senior advisor to Kamala Harris, about some hard truths the Democratic Party needs to get...

Donald Trump announces that he's reached a "concept of a deal" on Greenland, agreeing to drop his tariffs for … well, the details aren't exactly clear. Jon and Dan discuss what we know, Trump's invitation to Vladimir Putin to join his Board of Peace, and the most insane coverage of Trump's trip to Davos. Then, they break down Vice President Vance's appearance in Minneapolis—where he defended ICE's...

Trump tells the Norwegian Prime Minister that he no longer feels an "obligation" to peace because he didn't receive the Nobel Prize and announces that he's imposing tariffs on a series of NATO allies until "a deal is reached for the complete and total purchase of Greenland." Jon, Lovett, and Tommy discuss these latest developments and Trump's billion-dollar entry fee for the Board of Peace. Then,...

How can we hold ICE legally accountable? Can federal agents be prosecuted? Will Renee Good's family ever see justice? Strict Scrutiny's Leah Litman stops by the pod to talk to Alex Wagner about the legal avenues available to rein in ICE. The two break down ICE's recent actions in Minneapolis, Trump's threat  to invoke the Insurrection Act, and the Justice Department's push to investigate Renee Goo...