The Briefing with Jen Psaki

A key element of Jeffrey Epstein conspiracy theories is that Epstein's friends and "clients" are wealthy elites who commit horrible crimes against underage girls but never get in trouble for it because of their elite status. And so, key to Donald Trump's support is the idea that he would bring accountability to those elites. Jen Psaki argues, now that Trump is apparently standing in the way of the...

Jen Psaki reports on how the Trump administration's insistence that there is no worthwhile information to be released from the files on notorious pedophile Jeffrey Epstein is not sitting well with supporters who believed the many stories spun by now-serving members of the administration. And that discontent is reportedly also seeping into the administration.  To listen to this show and other MS po...

Jen Psaki points out how much of what we know about what the Trump administration is up to is due to leakers and whistleblowers on the inside exposing the truth about an administration where lying is the norm. Trump has been trying to silence truth tellers since his first day in office, and now he wants to put a loyalist, Paul Ingrassia, in charge of the Office of Special Counsel, the watchdog tha...

Jen Psaki piles up evidence in a litany of examples of Donald Trump having no idea what he is doing, what is being done in his name, or what is going on in his own administration, and not even doing a very good job faking it. Meanwhile, the scammers are running amok, planting ideas in Trump's head and manipulating him on issues like cryptocurrency regulation.  To listen to this show and other MS p...

Jen Psaki looks at questions about the preparedness of FEMA to offer its full assistance to Americans struggling through natural disasters while Donald Trump works to phase out the agency. Former FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell joins to discuss how federal assistance can help in emergencies like the deadly flooding in Texas. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for...

Jen Psaki remarks on how the devastating removal of health care and food aid to millions of Americans was actually only an afterthought for Republicans, in service of tax cuts for rich people, and reports on protests already spreading nationwide. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm...

Jen Psaki looks back at how Democrats made Republicans pay for their efforts to kill Obamacare by making that a central focus of House races that ultimately flipped the House to Democratic control. Donald Trump's budget bill is so wildly unpopular that Democratic candidates are already preparing to run against the bill and anyone who supported it. Republicans, in the meantime, are busy trying to d...

Rep. Maxwell Frost talks with Jen Psaki about the uphill battle Republicans face in the House to pass Donald Trump's budget bill because they're already well short of the votes they need. Democrats hope that by delaying the vote, enough people will learn about the bill to make it too unpopular to pass. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Po...

Jen Psaki reviews the terrible poll numbers of Donald Trump's budget bill, including among Donald Trump's core constituency, and runs through the diverse array of people and organizations, some of whom would otherwise be aligned with Trump, who utterly reject the bill's content as well as its intentions.  To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple...

Jen Psaki looks at how we arrived at today's Supreme Court ruling on nationwide injunctions, from Donald Trump's unpopular policies, frequently unlawful executive orders, and Republican lemming Congress, to the state attorneys general defending rights and the rule of law, and the millions of Americans who have been organizing against Trump. That organizing is going to be useful as the Supreme Cour...

Jen Psaki looks at the strenuous lengths to which Pete Hegseth and Tulsi Gabbard are going to support Donald Trump's story that bombing Iran was a work of military genius that obliterated the Iranian nuclear program, even as facts continue to emerge that suggest a different reality. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Si...

In his first national interview since Tuesday's primary election New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani talks with Jen Psaki about the principles of his campaign and how he reached out to voters who had previously chosen Trump, and how he countered significant opposition spending. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted...

Jen Psaki reports on the evolving explanations and contradictory statements from the Trump administration about the U.S. bombing of Iran, and new reports that Iran's nuclear program is not, in fact, "obliterated," as public polling already shows that Trump's decision to bomb Iran is mostly unpopular with Americans. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premiu...

JD Vance came to Los Angeles with the goal of making the case that the fear of unruly protests justifies the continued deployment of military forces of the city (and other cities), completely ignoring the fact that what the people of Los Angeles are actually afraid of is Donald Trump's militarized raids and street snatchings. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS...

Jen Psaki points out the mistake some media outlets made in relaying Donald Trump's two-week deadline to make a decision on U.S. action on Iran, without also pointing out that Trump often promises to do things in two weeks, and seldom actually follows through. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz co...

Jen Psaki looks at the various influences manipulating Donald Trump as he makes decisions on the war between Israel and Iran without having any personal principles mooring his thinking, and how his lack of leadership is leaving his supporters to fight with each other. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an Ad...

Jen Psaki reports on yet another public official being arrested by ICE in the course of their heavy-handed tactics in rounding up immigrants. But each new instance of abuse of power by ICE is met with more vocal outrage and louder public protests. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pc...

Jen Psaki looks at the effort Donald Trump is putting into trying to make himself look like a third world tough guy even as the tough guy world leaders he admires keep making it clear they don't respect him. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information ab...

Jen Psaki covers breaking news of an attack by Israel on Iran, while at the same time a federal judge issued a temporary stay on Donald Trump's use of the National Guard in Los Angeles and California Governor Gavin Newsom addresses the press. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.ads...

Jen Psaki reports on the absurdity of Donald Trump's military deployment to Los Angeles, and the expectation that similarly militarized actions are expected in other major cities across the United States as Trump's deportation frenzy intensifies. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm...

Donald Trump needs the protests in L.A. to be violent and chaotic so he can justify the power grab he desperately wants. His allies in Congress and right-wing media are only too happy to oblige by encouraging his exaggerations and distortions. Jen Psaki takes a closer look at how the protests in L.A. are being mischaracterized as Trump edges toward invoking the Insurrection Act. To listen to this...

Even as the feud between Donald Trump and Elon Musk threatens untold chaos, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of DOGE in granting access to Americans' personal Social Security data. Jen Psaki, Ronan Farrow, Senator Elissa Slotkin, and Rep. Melanie Stansbury discuss the dangers and the level of concern among American voters. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NO...

In the midst of Donald Trump and Elon Musk throwing insults and threats at each other on their respective social media platforms, Musk accused Donald Trump of being ungrateful to Musk for purchasing the election for him, an admission of sorts that his support for Trump was transactional. Jen Psaki takes a closer look. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Pre...

Jen Psaki reports on the tantrum Elon Musk is throwing over the Republican budget as his business interests are not well represented, and Republican support for their own bill seems to be splintering as details emerge about what the bill contains. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pc...

Jen Psaki looks at a startling number of Trump Cabinet members whose lack of fitness for the jobs they serve is glaringly apparent, all while career public servants who make the government work regardless of the competence of the people in charge are struggling to adjust to crippling DOGE cuts and burdensome new red tape.  To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NO...