The Takeout with Major Garrett

United States Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power joins Major this week to share her thoughts on the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. She argues for the importance of both military and economic assistance for Ukraine from the US and Europe and warns, "If this economic support gets cut off, Putin can win this war without firing a shot." Power also weighs in on the allegations...

Director and writer Michael Kirk joins Major this week to talk about his upcoming FRONTLINE documentary, "Democracy on Trial," which premieres on January 30th across all PBS stations and streaming on demand and YouTube. The film explores January 6th and the Congressional hearings investigating the insurrection, and the criminal cases against former President Trump. Kirk discusses his approach to m...

There's "So Much More" to Fat Joe, our special guest this week, than his legendary career in hip-hop music. The "Lean Back" rapper joins Major for a light lunch at Santa Rosa Taqueria in D.C. to discuss Power to the Patients, the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to raise awareness on the need for prices and transparency in healthcare. During his recent visit to Washington, he went "All...

This week, Major sits down with Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey, a Democrat and member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Casey said, “There has to be a lot more transparency," surrounding Defense Secretary's Lloyd Austin's hospital stay. “No one should say that this is acceptable." Casey also weighs in on immigration and the funding fight for aide to Ukraine and Israel. This episode was recorde...

Dr. Jerome Adams, who served as Surgeon General under former President Donald Trump, joins Major this week to discuss the lessons he learned during the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequences of mixing politics and public health. His new book, "Crisis and Chaos," chronicles his successes and failures trying to communicate accurate medical information to an often skeptical public and how we can impr...

Alex Gambal left behind his family's successful real estate and parking garage business in 1993 to pursue a dream: making wine in France. His new book, "Climbing the Vines in Burgundy," chronicles his experience working the land and selling wine as an American vinter in the Burgundy region. Join us for a conversation that also includes wine recommendations for your New Year's Eve celebration. We'r...

What did you do in 2023? Publish a book? Produce and star in an hourlong comedy special? Both? That's what this week's guest Gary Gulman did in 2023. His new special "Born on 3rd Base" debuted this week on MAX and his book, "Misfit," was released this fall. Join us at The Lambs Club on in Midtown Manhattan for a very funny chat.

Alongside the CBS News investigative unit, Major visited Dekalb County, Georgia, recently to look at why there has been a sharp increase in the number of voter registration challenges since the last election. Citizens can now legally file an unlimited number of challenges in their own county if they believe there is an error in the voter rolls. Proponents of the practice argue it will help make th...

Former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger describes himself as politically “homeless,” at odds with a GOP he views as “anti-constitutionalist.” He believes former President Donald Trump will be the 2024 Republican nominee - and if that’s the case, Kinzinger intends to vote for President Biden. Kinzinger was one of two Republicans who served on the House committee investigating the January 6, 20...

This week, Major sits down with Congressman Greg Landsman (D-OH), a devotee of religious text and...pop star Taylor Swift! Their conversation - recorded at one of our Capitol Hill favorites, Santa Rosa Taqueria - begins with T-Swift "conspiracies theories," and then pivots effortlessly to talk of Landsman's Masters degree in theology from Harvard Divinity School. The freshman lawmaker says that th...

This Thanksgiving week, we're giving thanks for 1963's March on Washington and the key architect of that peaceful demonstration, activist Bayard Rustin. The new Netflix film "Rustin" tells the true story of the openly-gay Black civil rights leader, an oft-overlooked figure in the quest for racial equality. Actor Colman Domingo, who portrays Bayard Rustin, tells Major he thinks the film "charges [v...

Former Washington Post executive editor and author Marty Baron joins Major this week to talk about the state of journalism, Donald Trump, and his new book "Collision of Power." Baron was portrayed by Liev Schreiber in the 2015 film "Spotlight," which won an Oscar for Best Picture. Join us!

Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, shares his thoughts on the war raging in the Middel East, the funding fight in congress for Israel and Ukraine, one senator's ploy to block military promotions and the retirement announcement of West Viginia Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin. Join us!

Well, it depends who you ask. And this week, Major put that question to the director of the American Communities Project Dante Chinni, whose research focuses on what shapes Americans’ views based on where they live. Despite perceptions, Chinni’s research suggests, we may be a lot more similar than we are different. We’re at Dupont Italian Kitchen in D.C. Join us!

Israel. Gaza. Ukraine. Congress. There is so much news right now. We thought it would be helpful to check in with some of the best reporters in the business to bring you the latest on several stories making headlines. Major's guests this week include Face the Nation moderator Margaret Brennan, Senior White House correspondent Weijia Jiang, congressional corrrespondent Scott MacFarlane and David Ma...

For those closely following the latest headlines out of Washington, the GOP's efforts to elect a new Speaker of the House appears as if it's a neverending quest. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) lost the House speaker vote for a second time on Wednesday, nearly a week after Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) ended his speaker bid. Major's guest this week is Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), who thinks Republicans could consider...

Congressman Mike Lawler (R-NY) is frustrated. The removal of Kevin McCarthy of speaker has left the House paralyzed, unable to perform basic functions like passing an aid package for Israel, Lawler says. Major sits down with the freshman lawmaker to discuss the battle over the next speaker of the house and understand why Lawler is not supporting Rep. Steve Scalise, the GOP's pick for speaker. "Thi...

Major sits down with the team behind new CBS show "FBI True" which explores famous cases handled by the FBI and the people who helped solve them. Executive producer Anne Beagan and former FBI official John Miller join Major to talk about FBI True's next episode: the 2016 bombing in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan (airs October 10th at 9p ET on CBS). Stay for a conversation about a future epi...

This week, we take a break from politics to tell spy stories. Lis Wiehl, author of “A Spy in Plain Sight” joins Major to talk about the book’s subject, former FBI agent Robert Hanssen. Hanssen was the most damaging spy in FBI history and he’s also the focus of Major’s new podcast series “Agent of Betrayal: The Double Life of Robert Hanssen.” Download and subscribe wherever you get your pods. And J...

Sean Penn set out to make a documentary about the youthful, new Ukrainian president, Volodomyr Zelensky. Zelensky had had a successful career as a comedic actor prior to jumping into politics. In fact, he played the fake Ukranian president on TV before he became the elected president. What Penn didn't anticipate was that the first day of shooting the film would also be the among first days of Russ...

Adam Smith, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services committee, sits down with Major in his Capitol Hill office to talk about a potential government shutdown, Republican efforts to launch an impeachment inquiry against President Biden and the impact of Senator Tommy Tuberville’s (R-LA) hold on military promotions. Plus, Smith explains his years long struggle with chronic pain, crippling an...

Hot enough for you? The three-month period from June to August was the hottest ever recorded, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service. Wildfires in Maui claimed at least 115 lives and devastated the town of Lahaina. And a category 4 hurricane hit Southern California in August. What on Earth is happening? We've got Pulitzer Prize winning author and New Yorker staff write...

How did we get here politically? It's a question we've asked a lot lately. Author and professor Matthew Dallek has a theory on the origins of our current political moment. His new book, "Birchers: How the John Birch Society Radicalized the American Right," traces how a group in the 1960s laid the foundation for 21st century conservatism and may have paved the way for Donald Trump's political ascen...

Join us for an interview with actor/writer/producer/stand-up Wayne Federman, who helped make a documentary called "George Carlin's American Dream," a look at the life of comedian George Carlin. Carlin happens to be Major's favorite stand-up comedian of all time. We're at Junior's in New York City. Pull up a chair.

Corndogs, anyone? Major is at the state fair in Des Moines, Iowa, talking politics and eating porkchops. He spent time with an array of politicos who hope to influence the outcome of January's caucuses - Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), GOP presidential contender Asa Hutchinson, Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart and conservative political activist Bob Vander Platts. Major also talked to a slew of Re...