The Takeout with Major Garrett

Join us for a look back at history that might tell us something about the present. Major sits down with author and historian H.W. Brands, author of the new book "America First: Roosevelt vs. Lindbergh in the Shadow of War." What does the pre-World War II period and historical figures like Charles Lindbergh mean for foreign policy today?

The nation has spent the better part of a week saying farewell to the 39th president, Jimmy Carter. Major sat down with Carter's biographer, Jonathan Alter, for a discussion about Carter's lasting impact at home and abroad. Alter argues that Carter's presidency was better than history gives him credit for and says many of his accomplishments are still with us today. We're at The Lambs Club in New...

Welcome to 2025! Want to be a little happier this year? Who doesn't? Major's guest this week is Arthur C. Brooks, noted professor and bestselling author who has written extensively on the topic of happiness (recently with Oprah....yes, THE Oprah). Brooks explains some of the science behind our moods and best practices for maximizing those good vibes. We're at Fish Taco in Tysons Corner, Virginia....

The man of many voices, Matt Friend, is back! We’re ringing in the holidays at The Dubliner near Capitol Hill. Join Major, Matt and all of Matt’s “friends:” Donald Trump, Joe Biden, JD Vance, Tim Cook, Bill Gates, Gavin Newsom, Mitt Romney, Jeff Goldblum, Jennifer Coolidge and many, many more. Happy Holidays, all!

Deal or no deal? Lawmakers are scrambling to salvage a spending agreement that would fund the government beyond December 20th. Otherwise, disaster relief funds won't go communities in the southeast hit hard by Hurricane Helene, TSA agents would go unpaid during a heavy travel period and national parks would likely close. Maryland Democrat Jamie Raskin, the soon-to-be the top Democrat on the Judici...

Congressman Seth Moulton (D-MA) sits down with Major for samosas and roti at Indigo, an Indian joint near the Capitol. On the menu: a discussion about how Democrats can regroup after the 2020 election, transgender rights, the Biden administration's successes and failures and, as always, the three threshold questions. Join us!

Major sits down with CBS News immigration reporter Camilo Montoya-Galvez to discuss Donald Trump’s sweeping plans to overhaul the U.S. immigration system. Trump has proposed the largest deportation effort in American history. Can he do it? What are the potential impacts on families, communities, and the economy? Join us for a comprehensive conversation on how these policy proposals could reshape A...

How will the incoming Trump administration handle challenges in China, the Middle East, Russia and Ukraine? Join Major as he goes around the world with the editor-in-chief of Foreign Policy, Ravi Agrawal. This episode was recorded on November 22, 2024.

West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin is headed for the exits after 14 years in the senate. Manchin was a Democrat for most of his political life but left the party to become an independent earlier this year. Join us at The Dubliner for a candid conversation about the 2024 election, the successes and failures of the Biden administration and learn what's next for the 77-year old Manchin who leaves cong...

President-elect Donald Trump roiled Washington this week with his picks for Defense Secretary, Director of National Intelligence and Attorney General. Senator Peter Welch (D-VT), a member of the Judiciary Committee, will have a say on whether Matt Gaetz, Trump's pick to lead the Justice Department, gets confirmed. He joins Major at the CBS News Washington Bureau to rehash the busy week that was in...

The people have spoken. Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States, will be the 47th president come January. How did Trump win? What will he do next? We've got the sharpest political minds at CBS News to break it all down over cheesecake and omelets at Junior's in New York City. CBS News Director of Elections and Surveys Anthony Salvanto and Senior White House and Political Corresponden...

More than 60 million Americans have already voted in the 2024 election. Who they voted for remains a mystery, but there are plenty of clues about voting patterns says Democratic data guru Tom Bonier of analytics firm TargetSmart. Voter registration data can also provide breadcrumbs to a public hungry for hints about the election outcome. Join us!

Hurricane Helene ran roughshod over western North Carolina in late September, killing nearly 100 and making life difficult for thousands more. Major speaks to Appalachian State professor and former CNN correspondent Chris Moody who lives in the region and has been tracking the clean up effort. Major is also joined by elections expert and CBS News contributor David Becker who explains how voting wi...

CBS News Executive Director of Elections and Surveys Anthony Salvanto joins Major this week to explain how CBS News digests data, conducts polls and makes Election Day projections. A recent CBS News poll found that Harris voters and Trump voters can't even agree on basic facts about the economy, FEMA relief and immigration. Join us for a behind the scenes look at CBS News's preparations for the up...

"The Apprentice," a Donald Trump biopic starring Jeremy Strong and Sebastian Stan, depicts Trump's early business career and his relationship with controversial mentor Roy Cohn. The film premieres on October 11th, but there's at least one person who doesn't want you to see it: Donald Trump. His lawyers threatened to sue the filmmakers earlier this year to block the film's release (they haven't sue...

Last month, Major traveled to Wisconsin and interviewed two prominent figures spreading the gospel of Trumpism via the growing white Christian nationalist movement. This week, Major sits down with Jim Wallis, a D.C.-based public theologian and justice activist who believes many of that movement's leaders are, "power brokers who are using religion to promote fear and hate." In his latest book "The...

Michigan Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D) believes her battleground state will remain competitive until the last vote is counted on Election Day. What advice does she have for Vice President Harris's presidential campaign? Do the Democrats have a chance of winning the House of Representatives? What can Congress get done between now and the end of the year? Rep. Dingell takes on these questions and...

Major traveled to Atlanta earlier this month to speak with four battleground state election administrators - Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D), Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Member Bill Gates (R), Philadelphia City Commissioner Seth Bluestein (R) and Chief Operating Officer for Georgia’s Secretary of State Gabriel Sterling (R). All four shared a sense of cautious optimism rough...

Election Day 2024 is roughly 5 Scaramuccis away. A Scaramucci, of course, is the length of time former Trump White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci lasted in that role (11 days). And how times have changed. Scaramucci is now an outspoken critic of the former president and has endorsed her opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris. The always colorful Scaramucci tells Major why he thin...

Lance Wallnau headlines the so-called "Courage Tour," an evangelical road show that aims to mobilize religious conservatives to vote, serve as election workers and spread the gospel of Trumpism. Wallnau, 68, is a business consultant, self-proclaimed prophet and firebrand influencer in the growing charismatic Christian movement. He views Donald Trump as a once-in-a-thousand years figure - flawed bu...

Three years ago this week, as U.S. forces were clearing out of Afghanistan, a suicide bomber killed thirteen American service members and about 170 Afghan civilians outside Karzai International Airport. What followed was what the U.S. had spent decades trying to prevent: the Taliban swiftly seized control of the country. Filmmaker Ibrahim Nash’at spent months chronicling a Taliban commander as he...

George Washington University Professor Timothy Shenk recently wrote an op-ed in The New York Times  on how Kamala Harris can re-position her party for the long term. Major sat down with Shenk in the CBS Bureau to discuss how history intersects with 2024 election and why Shenk believes this could be an inflection point for the party of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Vice Pres...

Robby Mook, Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign manager, is Major’s guest this week. Join us for a spirited conversation about the state of the 2024 race for the White House. Mook believes it’s a 50-50 toss up and Vice President Kamala Harris, riding a wave of enthusiasm, has limited time to define her candidacy for voters. Mook says Harris is better positioned to beat Donald Trump than President Bide...

Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorusch sat down with Major to discuss his new book “Over Ruled: The Human Toll of Too Much Law.” Gorsuch, who was nominated to the bench by Donald Trump in 2017, believes too much law can be dangerous. Sharing stories of a fisherman and a magician, Gorsuch explains his perspective that the law has become overwhelming for average Americans. In this exclusive sit down, Ma...

The new documentary “War Game” simulates a future scenario where Washington is beseiged by a heightened version of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. Major sits down with co-directors Jesse Moss and Tony Gerber and former Marine Captain Janessa Goldbeck to discuss how disillusionment among military members and growing extremism inspired the film. In “War Game,” policymakers and experts role play how they...