The Politics Lab

This week, Bill and Phil explore elections around the world, from political upheaval in Serbia and Brazil to an uncertain future in Israel. What do these results tell us about the health of democracy Then, with the U.S. midterms just days away, they turn to the battle for Congress. Who's ahead, who might win, and who gets to decide who qualifies as a "real American"?

This week, Bill and Phil examine Trump’s growing embrace of Putin—asking whether we’re witnessing a fundamental realignment in American foreign policy or simply more transactional diplomacy. Then, they explore what’s driving protests in France, why demonstrations turn violent, and what the unrest could mean for Europe’s upcoming elections. And finally, they turn to the politics of masculinity—aski...

This week, Bill and Phil examine the war in Ukraine and the growing divisions over how to confront Putin. Then, they explore what Navi Pillay’s Nobel Peace Prize says about the state of international law and the claims of genocide in Gaza. And finally, they consider Pete Hegseth’s proposal to livestream a firing-squad execution—asking what happens to democracy when punishment becomes political spe...

This week, Bill and Phil ask how far America’s ethical lines have moved and whether political behavior that once generated outrage has simply become normalized. Then, they go global: from Germany and Brazil to India, what are elections around the world telling us about the state of democracy? And finally, they debut a new game inspired by a week in which reality once again seemed stranger than fic...

This week, Bill and Phil ask whether gunboat diplomacy is back. From the extraordinary story of Venezuelan gold being brought to the United States, to Trump’s escalating pressure on Cuba, has the administration embraced a neocolonial approach to American foreign policy? Then, with the midterm elections just over a month away, we take our first serious look at 2026. What are the polls, battleground...

This week, Bill and Phil unpack Trump's UN speech—from threats to annihilate Iran and claims to the spoils of war in Venezuela, to his attacks on Cuba and the International Criminal Court. What does it all mean for the future of the international order? Then, Trump's latest confrontation with the press. As CNN, MS NOW, and Politico face new restrictions, what does this mean for press freedom and d...

This week, Bill and Phil explore the growing debate over the dangers of AI and whether regulation is the answer. Then, they ask an even bigger question: Is the American era coming to an end? From the war in Iran to a global economy increasingly looking beyond the United States, are we witnessing a fundamental shift away from America?

This week, Bill and Phil reflect on the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks and consider how that day changed American politics and the world. Then, after more than a month away from the lab, they take stock of an American political landscape that somehow seems even stranger than when they left it—asking whether we have become so accustomed to the abnormal that we no longer recognize ju...

This week, Bill and Phil unpack the latest developments in the war with Iran, ask whether the world is witnessing the slow collapse of international justice, and explore why admitting you’re wrong has become one of the hardest things to do in modern politics.

This week, Bill and Phil break down the drama in the U.S. Senate—from Graham Platner and Lindsey Graham to Mitch McConnell—examine the collapse of the ceasefire in Iran, and meet Binface, the man taking on Nigel Farage.

This week, Bill and Phil reflect on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and then look 50 years into the future and speculate on what the American democracy might look like at its 300th anniversary.

This week, Bill and Phil discuss the war in Iran, revisit the legacy of Brexit ten years later, and ask one very important question: What's more stupid—the reflecting pool conspiracy, an all you can eat Greenland shrimp strategy, or a cabinet obsessed with sauerkraut?

This week, Bill and Phil examine the proposed U.S.–Iran Memorandum of Understanding and explore what a UFC fight on the White House lawn might tell us about the changing norms of American democracy.

This week, Bill and Phil discuss the latest developments in the Iran war and the prospects for peace. They then explore whether Democrats have a viable path back to electoral success before closing with a look at Trump’s controversial new compensation fund and what it says about corruption and power in American politics.

This week, Bill and Phil dig into Trump’s king-like behavior and reflect on political violence in America.

This week, Bill and Phil take on Donald Trump’s escalating clash with the Pope—from social media provocations and questionable theology to a broader question about faith, power, and political messaging. They then turn to Hungary’s elections as a test of populism’s durability and close with a look at Iran’s viral AI-generated LEGO-style propaganda videos, which are unexpectedly winning the online n...

This week, Bill and Phil break down the war in Iran—from the president’s stark warning about Iranian civilization, to the fragile prospects for a ceasefire, to the global backlash against U.S. actions, including the controversy involving threatening the Pope. They also explore a surprising twist: segments of the far-right media turning on Trump.

This week, Bill and Phil ask whether the United States is acting as a rogue state—or a predatory hegemon—shaking the foundations of the international system. They then turn to a conversation on Christian identity politics, examining how the administration is using religious language to frame its war against Iran.

This week, Bill and Phil reflect on the second week of the military operation in Iran, introduce the new Politics Lab Political Absurdity Index to evaluate the administration’s rhetoric about the war, and close with a look at the Texas primary.

This week, Bill and Phil examine the United States' preemptive invasion of Iran and discuss the fallout and implications of the operation.

This week, Bill and Phil sort through the longest State of the Union in American history, then discuss the largest buildup of American troops in the Middle East since the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and whether it means war with Iran is likely.

This week, Bill and Phil breakdown Marco Rubio‘s big week of diplomacy, ponder whether George W. Bush was trolling Donald Trump in a recent essay about George Washington, and discuss whether Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito may soon retire. 

This week, Bill and Phil are heading into a speed round — quick hits on big topics: the 2026 midterms and election legitimacy, Trump’s latest social media controversy, the expiration of the last U.S.–Russia nuclear arms treaty, the pace of democratic backsliding, America’s declining soft power, tensions with Canada over a new border bridge, and yes… even a little Bad Bunny. 

This week, Bill and Phil react to the escalation of political violence in Minneapolis and then discuss the rupture of the liberal international order in the aftermath of the World Economic Forum.

This week, Bill and Phil discuss Trump’s return to Great Power politics - threats to Greenland, intervention in Venezuela, and potential regime change in Iran - then turn to the unrest in Minneapolis in response to ICE’s lethal tactics.