Politics War Room with James Carville & Al Hunt

With our future seeming more unpredictable by the year, James and Al invite theoretical physicist and host of the Mindscape Podcast, Dr Sean Carroll to the show to gain insight into the secrets of existence-- that is, if anything exists outside of politics... In their wide ranging conversation we find out whether anyone really understands quantum physics, the fate of Iran and Schrödinger's cat, al...

James and Al host Ret. Brigadier General Ty Seidule for a deep dive into the residual myths surrounding Robert E. Lee and the confederacy, as well as the implications they have for the region and our politics.  Former NOLA Mayor Mitch Landrieu then calls in to join the conversation, discussing the changes happening in the modern South and how we can reclaim patriotism from those who would divide u...

Is the GOP on the short bumpy road to irrelevance?  James and Al bring on strategist, author, and Bulwark contributor Amanda Carpenter -- formerly a Ted Cruz staffer-- to find out why the Republican Party can’t escape Trump, and what things might look like if they do.  If they can’t, Democrats can press a generational advantage, but it might not matter if they can’t get their act together! Get Mor...

With Texas in turmoil after facing down a disastrous ice storm and Ted Cruz caught making a run for the sun, Al and James welcome Congressman Colin Allred from Texas to fill us in on what’s happening there on the ground.  Will the state pull itself together or will it need to turn blue first? Get More From This Week’s Guest: Rep. Colin Allred Twitter | House. Gov | Facebook | @transportDems | @hou...

With our nation buffeted by everything from climate change to Covid, James and Al are joined by the incomparable activist and actress Jane Fonda find out how we all can become more involved on the issues most critical to our shared future.  Can President Biden rally us in time?  The consensus is yes-- so we might make it after all!  Get More From This Week’s Guest: Jane Fonda IMDB Twitter Facebook...

With the impeachment process ongoing and President Biden scrambling to right the wayward ship of state, Senator Doug Jones of Alabama joins James and Al to give his unique insight into the challenges that face the Democratic party and the country.  How difficult will it be to govern when we’re at each other's throats?  And is there hope for the more moderate among us once we get past Trump? Get Mo...

With Covid-19 raging across the country for a full year, James and Al are joined by Pulitzer prize winning author and journalist Laurie Garrett to find out what we can expect going forward, and what our lives will look like in 2021 once the vaccine begins to get more widely distributed.  Then expert football analyst and senior producer at NFL Films Greg Cosell comes on to get us fired up about the...

With Russia in upheaval, and our media not exactly sure how to cover the Biden Administration, Al and James are joined by former Ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul , and NPR’s David Folkenflik to take a look at how both will fare after the transition to the new presidency.  Can the media keep the Biden Administration honest while respecting the American people?  And will Russia fall to the waysi...

In spite of the mayhem at the Capitol, the inauguration of Joe Biden and the transfer of power went smoothly, and James and Al are beginning to feel some optimism about the next four years...if the Democrats don’t screw it up!  Leon Panetta joins them to look at the domestic and international prospects for the new administration.  Then, Duke Law School’s legal mastermind Walter Dellinger comes on...

With the Capitol garrisoned with troops and the passions of insurrection and the subsequent defense of the Union still cooling, Al and James examine the worrisome situation we find ourselves in going into the Biden inauguration.  The threat is evident, and so they are joined by expert on the militia and white power movements, University of Chicago Professor Kathleen Belew to look at how we got to...

2021 already promises to be as crazy as 2020, and Al and James are ready to game things out for you in their Politics War Room.  They’re joined on their first episode of the year by award winning pollster John Couvillon to take a look at the double Democratic victory in the GA Senate races and bask in the results.  Then, former Defense Secretary William Cohen comes on to game out the final days of...

With 2021 just around the corner, Al and James celebrate our scientists and first responders, and give us the inside scoop on who has power in the Democratic congress. Then they’re joined by author of Saint Makers , Joe Drape of @NYTSPORTS , to discuss some of the things we’ve seen in the cultural realms outside of politics-- updating us about the state of the modern church, before switching over...

Al and James welcome The New York Times National Security Correspondent David Sanger to analyze the recent Russian cyber attacks on our country and go through our possible responses, legislative and otherwise.  James is appalled we could let it happen, and all three wonder if our country is still secure.  Then, Al and James continue their annual holiday season tradition by bringing their wives Jud...

Texas and Trump have been rejected by the Supreme Court and things are starting to look like President-Elect Biden will sail smoothly into his inauguration.   Al and James discuss their support for most of his cabinet picks so far, even though they worry that the party needs to focus on shoring up support (not to mention the Senate) before swinging for the fences.  Then, they are joined by Ron Bro...

President Elect Biden’s cabinet is beginning to fill up, and James and Al have a lot to say on the subject.  And if the party wants to win both seats in the Georgia Senate run-offs, they would do well to listen!  Then, they are joined by Bloomberg columnist and author of Trump Nation , Tim O’Brien to give insight into the final machinations of the Trump White House and what we can expect from him...

It’s the election that never seems to end, but with President-Elect Biden putting together a cabinet and Trump’s legal challenges floundering across the country, Al and James are looking ahead to 2021.  Georgia maven Stephen Fowler joins the show to discuss the facts on the ground and his expectations for the Senate races there.  Then Senator Chris Dodd comes on to share his optimism for the Biden...

The Biden era is finally beginning, and his cabinet and prospective agenda are already exciting people across the political spectrum.  Al and James are fired up, and talk to political maven Bill Kristol about the prospects for the Republican party, and why he’s a fan of Biden and the Democrats after Trump.  Then, journalist and author of Joe Biden: The Life, The Run, and What Matters Now, Evan Osn...

As we get further from the election, it’s time for Biden to start putting together a cabinet.  Al and James take a look at how it might look and what to expect in the early days of a Biden-Harris administration before taking your questions.  Then they’re joined by Shane Harris , to talk about how President Trump could make the Snowden leaks pale by comparison to what he can sell or release, and Ge...

With Biden the presumptive President-Elect, James and Al take a moment to celebrate the win, despite wishing that the Democratic party had worked harder on its messaging.  They’re joined by Ed Luce of the Financial Times and Tom Edsall of the New York Times to discuss how the international order will change under a Biden Administration and whether the party can mend the growing schism between the...

James and Al break down election law and court challenges with Cass Sunstein before being joined by an all star panel with Jill Abramson , Paul Begala , and Tara Setmayer to help us digest what we experienced on election day.  With no official call made, is it in the bag for Biden and McConnell?  It’s a whole new era.  Will we be stuck in the same battles of the last four years, or can we expect t...

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Live Stream 'Election 2020

James and Al are joined by two political giants from critical swing states - Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan - to discuss the situation on the ground with only a few days to go until the election.   Which counties are make or break for Biden?  Will he be able to flip both states and expand the map?  And perhaps most importantly, when will we know either...

Sarah Silverman is excited about the Biden campaign, but worries that we are losing the cause of progress to our cultural divisions. Meanwhile election day is only 2 weeks away, and over 41 million voters have already cast their ballots.  Michael McDonald of the United States Elections Project goes over how things look.  And so far, the early voting seems to indicate a groundbreaking year for Demo...

With only weeks to go, gigantic sums of campaign cash have washed over the electoral landscape, but when the country is this polarized does money still talk?  James and Al are starting to become optimistic about a Biden election, and think this might be his chance to expand the map.  University of Houston’s Dr. Richard Murray reviews the possibility of flipping reliably red states, while Founder a...

The President and his team have been infected with the Coronavirus, giving new significance to the phrase October Surprise.  But even though James and Al think an electoral blow out is coming, it’s too early for Democrats to get comfortable— there are too many threats.  Guest Professor Kathleen Belew details the rise of white supremacist movements and their plans for overthrowing the United States...