Politics War Room with James Carville & Al Hunt

James and Al highlight the importance of unity in the Democratic party going into midterms and welcome Pulitzer prize winning historian and journalist Anne Applebaum.  They examine the nature of Putin’s plans, the possibility of war and what it means for the current world order, and the value of defending an independent Ukraine facing imminent invasion. Email your questions to James and Al at poli...

James and Al emphasize the likelihood that Trump will face legal action, and are joined by former NBA player and Senator from New Jersey Bill Bradley to look at the changes in US-Russian relations going back to the fall of the Soviet Union up through the crisis in Ukraine.  Then, they discuss his sports experience and analyze the state of the Olympics.  Email your questions to James and Al at poli...

In this special Super Bowl episode, James and Al are joined by Tulane Law’s Gabe Feldman and Greg Cosell of NFL Films to break down the upcoming game, and give us the state of the sport– from college to the pros.  They also hold the Supreme Court to account for undermining our voting rights, as well as those who still haven’t gotten vaccinated. Email your questions to James and Al at politicswarro...

James and Al tackle the latest COVID news and are joined by former Solicitor General and Duke Law School Dean Walter Dellinger to explore the state of the current SCOTUS, the effects of Justice Breyer’s retirement and legacy, and the advantages of diverse appointees.  Then, with the Super Bowl coming up, they talk some football. Email your questions to James and Al at politicswarroom@gmail.com or...

James and Al are joined by NYT’s White House and National Security Correspondent David Sanger to break down the danger that Russia’s Putin poses to Ukraine and other former Soviet states in Europe.  Is there a danger of open cyber war or is this a chance to walk things back with a new missile deal?  And if things go hot, will we be able to protect our NATO allies? Email your questions to James and...

James and Al are joined by legal legends Sherrilyn Ifill, President of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and President of the Brennan Center for Justice Michael Waldman for a discussion about the ongoing fight to strengthen our voting rights.  Together, they take on an adversarial SCOTUS and hostile gerrymandering, and emphasize the need for activism, protest, and voting your values on races up and do...

James and Al give out some well deserved awards and are joined by author and cultural icon Molly Jong-Fast for a wide ranging conversation about her career and current events. In it, they cover how her notorious family inspired her writing, the upheaval in Britain sparked by Boris Johnson and Prince Andrew, and how Trumpites like Marjorie Taylor Greene are fueling the fever dreams of the Republica...

James and Al welcome Congressman and member of the House Select Committee investigating the events of last January 6th, Jamie Raskin, for a discussion about handling loss and what truly happened the day our democracy faced an attempted coup.  Will justice be served?  And what is the Congress doing to get the facts out, hold the responsible to account,, and make sure it never happens again? Email y...

Al and James are joined by top experts from the fields of journalism, economics, entertainment, medicine, and law, featuring Jill Abramson, Roger Altman, George Stevens, Dr. Cornelia Griggs, and Walter Dellinger to ring in 2022 and discuss how Biden and the country are faring.  Then they share their outrages of the past year and let us know what we can expect going into the next one. Email your qu...

In memory of Harry Reid, here is the episode we recorded with him earlier in May 2021 James and Al sit with Former Majority Leader Harry Reid to discuss Senate strategy and UFOs, with a few more nominations considered… Full Episode notes : https://politicon.com/podcasts/fmr-senate-major …eader-harry-reid/ BETTER HELP POLITICS WAR ROOM LISTENERS GET 10% OFF THEIR FIRST MONTH AT WWW.BETTERHELP.COM/W...

In this special holiday themed episode James and Al take on Joe Manchin’s sabotage of the Build Back Better Bill, defend Joe Biden and his first year of impressive accomplishments, and point the way forward for the party.  Then, they welcome their amazing wives Mary Matalin and Judy Woodruff to reflect on the season and their friendship.  WE HAD SOME TECHNICAL ISSUES WITH SOME OF THE RECORDING Ema...

James and Al are joined by Massachusetts General Hospital critical care and pediatric surgeon, Dr. Cornelia Griggs for an examination of the current state of the pandemic, and what the newest Omicron wave means for our medical system, social lives, mental health, and the country as a whole.  Then, they induct the final class of 2021 to the Hall of Sphincters. Email your questions to James and Al a...

James and Al are joined by author and Atlantic columnist Barton Gellman for a hard look at the threats to our democracy posed by the events of 1/6.  Is there a need for infiltration by law enforcement?  Why are politicians on the Right catering to the worst elements of the base?  And how do Democrats protect our system and keep winning? Email your questions to James and Al at politicswarroom@gmail...

A week out from the upcoming 80th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, James and Al are joined by U.S. Naval Academy Professor and author of “World War 2 At Sea” to examine the opening phases of the Pacific War.  They look at what our leaders knew at the time, how they responded to the attack, and how we bounced back to win the war.  Email your questions to James and Al at politicsw...

In this Thanksgiving episode, James and Al are joined by sports journalist and author of “Raise A Fist, Take A Knee” John Feinsten to talk about the ongoing race issues in sports and how players have fought to end bias in the NFL and other leagues.  Then, they discuss the need to keep shaking up the status quo so that these institutions build on past progress and live up to the legacy of our count...

James and Al are joined by Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas for a wide ranging talk about the philosophical differences that define the two parties and how the legacy of Trump influences Republicans in 2021.  Then, they weigh the drawbacks of gerrymandering, and the challenges Congress faces trying to pass large bills like ‘Build Back Better’ and infrastructure.   Email your questions to James and Al at...

James and Al reflect on the recent elections and emphasize the need for Democrats to sell their policies in addition to governing.  Then, they sit down with CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group Danny Meyer to discuss the current employment situation in our country, creating an environment that puts workers first, and fighting child poverty.  Email your questions to James and Al at politicswarroom...

James and Al celebrate the diversity of winners in the 11/2 election, mourn Virginia and examine where McAuliffe went wrong.  Then, they are joined by Senator Angus King (I) of Maine to look at politics in his state and the reforms the Senate needs to become effective and regain the trust of the American people.  Should we start by getting rid of the filibuster and giving power back to the majorit...

James and Al are joined by Wyoming’s Congressional Rep. Liz Cheney to examine the events of 1/6 and how the investigation is being conducted, the need for Republicans to focus on principles over personalities, and the state of our foreign policy.  Our hosts also break down the state of the VA Governor’s race and the prospects for the billionaires’ tax. Email your questions to James and Al at polit...

James and Al are joined by former U.K Prime Minister Tony Blair to discuss the challenges faced by democracies around the world.  From terror, to the Afghan War, rising illiberalism, the changing media business model, and dealing with Brexit in the U.K and EU-- how can we get people to believe in our liberal institutions again?  And the most important matter of what The Queen is like. Email your q...

James and Al are joined by Democratic campaign mastermind Paul Begala for his take on Texas politics and how liberals can start to regain ground there going into 2022.  Then, they look at ways to unite the progressive and moderate wings of the party and the critical need to defeat Trumpism.  Is returning to Clinton era politics the answer? Email your questions to James and Al at politicswarroom@gm...

With the budget and debt ceiling votes sending the Democratic party into disarray, James and Al convene the Politics War Room to discuss the importance of mending the intraparty schism and using the levers of power for key priorities.  Can Manchin and Sinema be brought on board, or will we have to hope the progressives show their pragmatic side? Email your questions to James and Al at politicswarr...

James and Al are joined by Chairman of the Financial Services Committee, congressman Barney Frank, for an in depth look at the current budget negotiations and the thinking motivating its key players.  Then, they examine the power of a competent and active government to make our lives better in the fight against COVID and beyond, with an update on the 2021 baseball season. Email your questions to J...

James and Al are joined by David Wessel of the Brookings Institution to break down the challenges posed to our country by the debt ceiling, a stalled budget, and the real estate crisis in China.  Then, Emily Bazelon of the NYT and Slate’s Political gabfest discusses the latest fronts in the war against Roe, and signs on to James’ idea for the next Supreme Court Justice. Email your questions to Jam...

James and Al are joined by American historian Joseph Ellis for a deep dive into the politics, people and passions that set off the American Revolution on both sides of the Atlantic.  How deeply did the years of 1773 - 1783 shape our nation?  And after watching our country lose to two insurgencies across the globe and our politics fracture, what lessons can we learn? Email your questions to James a...