Start Me Up with Kimberley A. Johnson

Cheri is back! This week, Cheri and I dig into the Supreme Court and the Alito situation, the possibility of another Trump appointment, and what it could mean for democracy. We talk political strategy — Tallarico in Texas, Susan Collins and a potential MAGA nominee, the Collins-Platner Senate race in Maine, and Mitch McConnell's health — plus where the MAGA movement goes after Trump and how me...

Sarah Burris is a reporter at Alternet. Topics: Sarah visited The Reflecting Pool, and she's here to tell us everything she experienced. We also discussed donald's threat to not sign the housing bill unless the SAVE Act is passed, and the Supreme Court's ruling in favor of Bayer in the Roundup lawsuit. We also touched on internal Democratic Party divisions as well as the experimental d...

Steph is back! Topics: Trump's rapidly declining health; concerns about Graham Platner; holding elected officials accountable; and we talked about fun stuff. Lots of topics today!  Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

My guest is Lisa Parker, AKA Mamaw's Porch Politics. She's a liberal woman who lives in rural Ohio and was raised in Appalachia, and her political commentary has caught the attention of thousands of voters. Her social pages are growing quickly because her message resonates so deeply. Lotsa laughs today! Topics: The midterms are coming and Mamaw shares how she sees it playing out; what Repu...

Sarah Wood is back. Her social media company: Relevate Strategies Sarah and I got into a lot this episode — Ken Paxton's win in Texas, a wild bill in North Carolina that would declare life begins at fertilization, and the DOJ looking into E. Jean Carroll. We also talked through the difference between some of the Republican and Democratic candidates--and how Tallarico's whole religious, cen...

Sarah Burris is a reporter at Alternet. Topics: Trump's endorsement of Ken Paxton over John Cornyn in the Texas Senate race, which left senators like Susan Collins and Chuck Grassley visibly confused; and his proposed $1.7 billion "slush fund" for Antifa, which progressive legal experts are already preparing to challenge in court. They touched on 25th Amendment speculation — Robert Rei...

My guest: Qasim Rashid, Esq. Human Rights Lawyer; Author; SiriusXM Host; Creator of Let's Address This Substack We discussed Qasim’s brilliant and necessary Substack article, Men, We Need to Talk About "Rape Academy" —why he wrote it specifically for men, the response he received, and why men need to step up. He also shared sobering facts about rape and systemic male violence, and whil...

Topics focused on current headlines, nighttime routines, AI regulation, and citizenship. We're besties, so, as per usual, we did our thing.  Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Buzz Burbank is back! Topics: Gas prices, Louisiana Governor wants to cancel the primaries; Voting Rights Act killed by SCOTUS; 86'd meaning; and men's reaction to the Rape Academy...all that and more. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Jody Hamilton, co-host of The Politics Bar podcast, is back! TOPICS: Swalwell Allegations Red state voter registration strategy donald's visible failing health -- and where he currently stands in the GOP Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Sarah Wood is back, and she's started a new social media consulting business! Relevate Strategies Topics: TACO taco'd out on destroying an entire civilization; Iran is effectively and hilariously trolling donald with Lego videos; big name right-wing influencers are turning on donald; there's a change in the air...can you feel it? All that and more. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcir...

Sarah Burris is a reporter at Alternet. Topics: No Kings protests on 3/28; when democracy prevails and Democrats win back power, they cannot simply "move past" these last 10 years--we need accountablity and progressive changes; how we treat former trumpers who are currently waking up will affect how they vote in future elections; matriarchy is being discussed and taken seriously--how that...

Steph is back! Two chatty best friends talking about politics, ways to cope with life and stress and shows we're watching as democracy hangs in the balance. (We do cover rape, sexual assaults and how it's being discussed today versus ten years ago. We packed a lot in.) Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Born into the Children of God cult and trafficked as a child, Daniella escaped to the U.S. at 15, put herself through school to become a U.S. Army intelligence officer who deployed twice to Afghanistan with the 101st Airborne Division, and now studies Organizational Psychology at Harvard Extension School, researching group behavior, extremism, leadership demagoguery, and cults. Topics: What happen...

Sarah Wood is back, and she's started a new social media consulting business! Relevate Strategies Topics: Democratic primaries look good for Dems; donald wants to cancel the 2026 midterms--but he's going to have a hard time; donald's poor health; rage against the patriarchy is rising; FB is now the National Enquirer and much more! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Pri...

My guest is Lisa Parker AKA Mamaw's Porch n Politics. She's a liberal woman who lives in rural Ohio and was raised in Appalachia, and her political commentary has caught the attention of thousands of voters. Her social pages are growing quickly because her message resonates so deeply. Topics: Lisa (Mamaw) says she continues to see a decline in trump supporters in rural Ohio; how rural MAGA...

Topics: The Texas Senate race (with emphasis on Jasmine Crockett); Dems are winning special elections and primaries with big percentage points--good news for November; ICE - it'll get worse before it gets better but it will get better because Americans are not having it; donald is old and sick, so we discussed what it may look like if JD gets in...all that and more. Advertising Inquiries: http...

Greg Olear is back! He's the author of Rough Beast , PREVAIL  columnist & podcaster, and co-host of The Five 8  on YouTube. Topics: Sh*ts f*ucked up and we talk about it. Esptein (Greg had an interesting theory on what could be a smoking gun); fascism; general strikes; and I ended with a lil rant. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/...

Sarah Burris is a reporter at Alternet. Former: Raw Story, AlterNet and Salon. Topics: The repercussions of ICE murdering Renee Nicole Good; the resignation of six Justice Department prosecutors in Minneapolis; the escalating actions of ICE and the public's response; donald's mental state; we also touched on the horrific accounts of what William Sasha Reilly says happened to him at the han...

Sarah and I discuss the aftermath of the ICE murder of Renee Nicole Good. We emphasized that the current regime will escalate their cruelty and that voters must not allow all of the cruelty to crush their spirit. We covered a variety of issues but our main focus was on how we maintain sanity while we beat fascism. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redci...

Jody Hamilton, co-host of The Politics Bar podcast, is back for the last Start Me Up of 2025! We talked about the tragic deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner, and Jody offered up great advice on how to handle people going through grief. We also chatted about dealing with MAGA family members; the desire for sweeping progressive changes when democracy is back; the potential for a 2026 midterm blue tsuna...

We chatted about aging--the good, the bad and the ugly. We shared personal stories and then we talked about how democracy will be restored. It's a fun, hopeful show with lotsa laughs. We're besties and we never plan what we discuss. Come join us!  Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Brian Karem is a White House Columnist and his latest book is titled Free the Press: The Death of American Journalism and How to Revive It . He's a political analyst for CNN and hosts the "Just Ask The Question" podcast. Topics: Brian's take on the recent Tennessee special election and what it could mean for democracy; where the Republican Party is headed; Sen. Mark Kelly is establ...

Comedian Andy Kindler is back. Topics: We talked some shit about Bill Maher's whining; both of us seeing a democracy light at the end of the fascist tunnel; donald is losing the narrative; we talked about so many different things: spirituality, hope, show business...come join us. A fun, light show! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/pri...

Elizabeth is the CEO/Founder at The Gaia Leadership Project; Author of  Becoming Heroines: Unleashing Our Power for Revolution and Rebirth  and the host of  #ResistanceLive on Youtube. We discussed the potential political impact of donald's presidency and the release of Epstein files, and how these events could influence Republicans and the broader political landscape. We discussed the content...