The Braver Angels Podcast

Rakim Brooks of the American Civil Liberties Union joins John Wood, Jr. to clear the air on the ACLU's commitment to free speech and to highlight the organization's work in the area of social justice. But before all of that, Rakim takes us back to his upbringing in the public housing projects of East Harlem and his unlikely journey to success as a public interest attorney. Learn more about the ACL...

The U.S. Senate must decide whether to convict Donald Trump of high crimes and misdemeanors in the aftermath of the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Two intellectual heavyweights on opposite sides of the aisle join host Ciaran O'Connor for a penetrating exchange. The conversation begins with the merits and constitutionality of Trump's second impeachment and ends with a deeper discussi...

Matt Taibbi is a contributing editor at Rolling Stone Magazine and the author of numerous books including Hate Inc. and Insane Clown President. Matt joins John Wood, Jr. and Ciaran O'Connor to talk about the history of media and how it became so polarized, the dangers of big technology companies regulating the public square, lessons learned as a journalist in Russia, Donald Trump being booted off...

Greg Smith, a blue-collar Ohioan and Trump voter, and Sage Snider, a Nashville musician and Biden voter, became friends through Braver Angels. Greg is deeply worried for America after President Biden's inauguration; Sage is hopeful. In this candid and heartfelt conversation, they join Braver Angels cofounder David Lapp to discuss their thoughts on unity and what it will take for reds and blues to...

The Reunited States is a groundbreaking documentary film by filmmaker Ben Rekhi, executive produced by Van Jones and Meghan McCain. The documentary follows the journeys of 5 Americans from across the political spectrum as they challenge themselves and the people around them to rediscover the shared humanity and imagine a path towards a healed nation. Ben Rekhi alongside Erin Leaverton, one of the...

Braver Angels members Chrissy Koach and Tom Cook are Trump voters who were at the January 6 protests on Capitol Hill. They join Braver Angels co-founder David Lapp to share their first-hand accounts of that day, and their thoughts on how we can move forward together. 

Loretta Ross is an author, academic, and radical Black feminist who currently teaches courses on human rights and white supremacy at Smith College. She believes deeply in the value of empathetic conversation -- "calling in" -- versus shaming, humiliating, or publicly "calling out" those with whom we disagree (or indeed those whose views we may find appalling). But she also believes there's a limit...

2020 was a year of pain, isolation, and deep uncertainty. But it was also a year of hope, perseverance, and a reminder that -- for better or worse -- we're all in this together. In the final episode of 2020, Ciaran O'Connor joins April Lawson, Randy Lioz, and Alma Cook to reflect on a year that broke our hearts, tested our mettle, and ultimately reaffirmed our commitment to the work of Braver Ange...

What is most challenging about getting people of color to participate in Braver Angels? What impact does member diversity have on our activities and mission? In this episode of the Braver Angels podcast, Carlos Hernandez interviews four Angels of Color about these questions and more. The guests share thoughts and stories about crime, social justice, reparations, trauma, and the dimensions of who "...

Lee Drutman, senior fellow in governance studies at New America, is a careful analyst of American political institutions. In his latest book, Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America, he arrives at the startling conclusion that America's two-party system is problematic not because it constrains voters' choices but because it creates incentives that drive Ameri...

In this episode of the Braver Angels Podcast, Alma Cook invites activist Susan Bro and singer-songwriter Becca Stevens to reflect on the 2017 Charlottesville rally. The women are connected through the death of Heather Heyer, Susan's daughter, who was killed while counter-protesting the Unite the Right demonstration. The event sparked something new in both women: in Susan, a new charitable foundati...

Bill Ottman is the founder of Minds.com , a new community-owned, "open source" social media network that prizes privacy, transparency, and open exchange. Unlike Facebook, which mines your data to target you with ads, Minds does not monetize its users' data and offers people financial credits based on the content they share. In this episode of the Braver Angels Podcast, Ciaran and Bill discuss how...

Shelby Steele has been one of America's most important Black conservative voices for more than a generation. His recent documentary film "What Killed Michael Brown?" critiques the mainstream narrative surrounding the death of Brown, a tragedy which spark protests for social justice across America.    But does Steele see any legitimacy in the new antiracist movement? And what does it mean to be Bla...

Cheyenne Donaghy, a junior at Detroit International Academy for Women, Autumn Brown, an Oklahoma State University aspiring Ph. D. candidate, and Keyshawn King, a Stanford University Class of 2022 member) tackle questions-of-curiosity. Which ones? Their vision, influencers, and cancel culture. They even probe the adult Angels' musings about celebrities' influence. Interviewing them are Braver Angel...

"It's been an emotional rollercoaster." Ciaran O'Connor and John Wood, Jr., the original hosts of the Braver Angels Podcast, come together to discuss the 2020 election, its aftermath, and how we can begin to heal the nation, confront multiple crises at once, and build a House United in 2021 and beyond. 

Artist and entrepreneur Alma Cooker, actor and Braver Angels social media manager Greg Steinbrecher, and Stacia Wilson of the Unity 2020 Movement join John Wood, Jr. to talk about the shifts in American political life on the eve of the election, and to survey the growing movement towards unity and political depolarization in American political life. Get ready for a forward looking conversation on...

Braver Angels' holds as its ethos the ability to be opposite colors, emphasizing one's values, vocalizing beliefs and opinions, and be more than civil. Meet and hear Ms. Julie Boler, Braver Angels' Partnership Specialist, and a Blue.  Hear Mr. Jim Allen, Red, also a specialist of a different sort - a retired US Special Forces warrior, Christian Pastor, and Guard1 Leadership Coach. #Hold AmericaTog...

Stand-up comedian and entrepreneur Mike Casentini and Chris Paul, (host of Be Reasonable: with Your Moderator, Chris Paul), join John Wood, Jr. to have a real conversation about the 2020 election. Is President Trump corrupt? Can we trust the outcome of the vote? And can we get along regardless of the outcome? Mike and Chris trade fascinating personal stories in taking their stands for and against...

Think swing voters don't exist? These two lifelong conservatives have decided to vote Biden this year.  Join us to find out why.     Braver Angels member Peggy Wardlaw is a former TX Republican congressional candidate, a mother, and an entrepreneur from a ranching family. Across the country member Andrew Stegmaier is a millennial, libertarian software developer living in Seattle, WA. Their stories...

Author Thomas Chatterton Williams is a unique and insightful voice out in the American cultural landscape. Contributor at New York Magazine and author of Losing My Cool  Williams racial commentary emphasizes the need to transcend racial categories to help depolarize American racial life. In this conversation he and John Wood, Jr. discuss their biracial upbringings, talk about the meaning of "Black...

Rick Gates is a former aide to the Trump campaign who is best known for being charged with money laundering as part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into ties between the campaign and Russia. In 2018, Gates pled guilty to lying to investigators and became a cooperator by helping the investigation that led to the convictions of Paul Manafort, President Trump's former campaign manag...

David French, Senior Editor of The Dispatch, has a new book called "Divided We Fall" about why America is so polarized, how it could tilt into civil war, and ways we can stop that from happening.   On this episode of the Braver Angels Podcast, he talks to Ciaran O'Connor and Greg Steinbrecher about his book, how and why polarization has gotten so bad, and what our government and we the people can...

Lydia Cornell is an actress, producer and writer known for her work on shows ranging from Love Boat and Full House to Curb Your Enthusiasm.  She is the author of the book How to Talk to Ann Coulter, If You Must . You may know Roxanne Beckford-Hoge from shows like A Different World  and films including Father of the Bride II and Something's Gotta Give. More recently, Roxanne was the Republican nomi...

Daniel McCarthy, editor of the venerable journal of conservative cultural commentary Modern Age , has been observing and commenting on Republican politics and intellectual trends in conservatism for decades now. How does someone who once deeply supported Ron Paul go on to deeply supporting Donald Trump? In this episode of the Braver Angels Podcast, co-hosts Luke Nathan Phillips and Silas Kulkarni...

"Why do you support Trump, and what reservations do you have about him?" Five conservative-leaning Braver Angels members join co-hosts Ciaran O'Connor and Carlos Hernandez for a lively discussion on President Trump, Joe Biden, and the Supreme Court vacancy. Featuring guests Iris Diaz, Larry Gutman, Joe D'Aura, Mark A Reinecke, and Ruth Littmann-Ashkenazi.