The Weekend

June 7, 2026, 8 AM; National Democrats are carefully navigating how to respond to growing controversies surrounding the likely nominee in one of their most important Senate flip targets — Maine being the only Republican-held seat on the ballot in a state that Kamala Harris won in 2024. So far, Democratic leadership has not pulled support for Platner. Kevin Fry and Jackie Kucinich join The Weekend...

June 7, 2026; 7am: Republicans are reportedly “thrown off-balance" by Trump’s distractions and dismissal of cost-of-living issues. Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Dingell joins “The Weekend” to talk Trump's inability to connect with voters on the economy and the scandal-plagued campaign of Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendms...

June 6, 2026, 9 AM; In his interview with Eugene Daniels, Mamdani also discusses how the party can improve on its outreach to young Americans, new voters, and his relationship with President Trump. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS N...

June 6, 2026, 8 AM; Even as he faces a record low approval rating amid the ongoing war with Iran, Trump is focusing on celebrating America's 250th Anniversary the only way he knows how: By centering himself in a series of vanity projects. Those projects include the octagon on the south lawn of the White House for the upcoming UFC fight, construction on the ballroom, painting and refilling the refl...

June 6, 2026; 7am : Last night, more than 500 Mainers joined a rally for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner in his first public event since The New York Times reported allegations of physical intimidation against him by ex-girlfriends. Platner has denied the claims, and his campaign has since announced that it raised more than $200K in the 24 hours since the report. MS NOW Congression...

May 31, 2026, 9 AM; Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is scheduled to appear before a House Appropriations subcommittee Tuesday, where he could face new questions about the Department of Justice's mishandling of the investigation. In her interview with the House Oversight Committee Friday, Former Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared to shift blame for the mishandling of the files' release onto B...

May 31, 2026, 8 AM; After most of the musicians slated to perform at the White House's Great American State Fair for the nation's 250th Anniversary dropped out, the president announced in a series of Truth Social posts that the concert would be changed to a rally headlined by of course, Himself. Akayla Gardner and Dana Milbank join The Weekend to discuss some of the setbacks the president is facin...

May 31, 2026, 7 AM; Senate Republicans are preparing for a showdown over President Trump's $1.7 billion so called Anti-Weaponization fund, which is part of a roughly $70 billion immigration enforcement reconciliation package. It's unclear how GOP leadership plans to navigate the dissent over the fund within their own party after previous concerns that some Republicans would support Democratic amen...

May 30, 2026, 9 AM; While there were no reports of her coming with that burn book like we saw in her last Congressional hearing, Democrats on the committee say Bondi was not forthcoming and was even combative at times, especially when asked about Donald Trump who she said she would not discuss. Bondi appeared to shift the blame to her deputy - now acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. Rep. Suhas S...

May 30, 2026, 8 AM; Trump pulled off a clean sweep in Republican primary battles, driving out or sidelining candidates he deems insufficiently loyal. However, as Republicans look ahead to the general, Trump says the midterms are the least of his concerns amid negotiations with Iran. Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico's campaign says it raised $3M in just 24 hours after Ken Paxton's runoff...

May 30, 2026, 7 AM; The grown pusback included a judge ordering the removal of his name from the Kennedy Center, a judge's refusal to dimmiss the most serious charges against Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes and his fellow supporters who were convicted on charges of seditious conspiracy, a ruling barring his $1.8 billion slush fund, and accusations that the president has committed fraud when he...

May 24, 2026; 9am: President Trump put his authoritarian tendencies on full display this week as he is pushing to give his allies $1.8 billion dollars of taxpayer money over claims of government “weaponization”. MS NOW Legal Analyst Andrew Weissmann joins The Weekend to discuss. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnbc.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnbc TikTok: @theweeke...

May 24, 2026, 8 AM; Those districts are in states like Arizona, Michigan, and Georgia, battleground states that have repeatedly helped decide control of Congress and the White House in the past. The voters in these communities could offer an early read on how Americans are feeling about the economy, the conflict with Iran, government corruption, and the broader state of our democracy heading into...

May 24, 2026; 7am : Secret Service agents shot and killed a gunman who opened fire near a security checkpoint. A bystander was shot during the gunfire exchange and was rushed to a nearby hospital in serious condition. It is unclear whether that person was struck by the gunman or a responding officer. Sources tell MS NOW the suspect is identified as 21-year-old Nasire Best, who had previous encount...

May 23, 2026, 9 AM; In the past week, two of his biggest Republican critics, Rep. Thomas Massie and Sen. Bill Cassidy, lost their respective primaries to keep their seats after Trump pushed for their defeat. Trump has also made remarks that seem to threaten the seat of another critic within his party, Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, who has dared to, at times, go against Trump's ag...

May 23, 2026, 8 AM; Clyburn is South Carolina’s only Black member of the U.S. House and one of the most influential voices in congress and the Democratic party, and this move would further dilute Black voting power in the state for potentially decades. The new map still has to get through the State Senate, which yesterday failed to secure enough votes to finalize it before early voting begins Tues...

May 23, 2026; 7am : In a rare show of defiance, members of President Trump's own party are pushing back against his so-called anti-weaponization fund, which could give millions to January 6 rioters. Republican lawmakers have described the $1.8B fund as “utterly stupid, morally wrong”, “unexplainable,” a galactic blunder,” and “stupid on stilts.” Ali Vitali, host of “Way Too Early” and MS NOW Senio...

May 17, 2026; 9am: ICE is moving forward with its plan to convert warehouses across the country into mass immigration detention centers despite active lawsuits from multiple states. Just this week, a Georgia town of fewer than 5,500 people sued the Department of Homeland Security to stop a facility for 10,000 detainees from opening in their backyard. Andrea Flores, a former DHS official in the Oba...

May 17, 2026, 8 AM; On Saturday, Americans mobilized for voting rights demonstrations across the south, including Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, who was at a rally in Montgomery, Alabama. He joins “The Weekend” to share what's at stake for our democracy. 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 comp...

May 17, 2026; 7am :   Organizers say thousands gathered yesterday in Selma and Montgomery, Alabama, to protest gerrymandering while honoring the historic 1965 civil rights marches that made the Voting Rights Act possible. MS NOW Contributor David Drucker and Former State Representative Don Calloway join “The Weekend” to discuss. Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow Tik...

May 16, 2026, 9 AM ;The Supreme Court's ruling gutting the Voting Rights Act has cleared the way for a new congressional map in Alabama that would eliminate one of the state's two majority-Black districts before this year's midterms. Alabama is just one of several Republican-led Southern states that are seeking to redraw their maps in a way that would dilute Black voting power. House Minority Whip...

May 16, 2026, 8 AM ; Peters was sentenced to nine years after prosecutors proved she gave an unauthorized person access to Mesa County election equipment in the aftermath of the 2020 election, then helped spread false claims that the vote was stolen. Her case became a cause célèbre on the right, with President Trump repeatedly calling her a “political prisoner” and demanding that Colorado set her...

May 16, 2026; 7am : President Trump is back in Washington following his two day summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The visit was heavy on pageantry and flattery but appears to have accomplished little in terms of policy, with no resolution on key issues like trade, the war in Iran, or Taiwan. Lara Seligman, National Security Reporter for the Wall Street Journal, and Jennifer Welch, Former Nati...

May 10, 2026; 9am:  With less than six months until the midterms, Republicans are facing Trump’s plummeting approval ratings and warning signs on the economy. However, GOP lawmakers privately tell MS NOW they will still stand by the president because they have ‘no choice.’  California Congressman Kevin Kiley, a former Republican, joins “The Weekend” to discuss. For more, follow us on social media:...

May 10, 2026, 8 AM ; The crowded primary is June 2nd with the top 2 candidates advancing to the general election regardless of party. Among the candidates are Democrats Xavier Becerra, Katie Porter and Tom Steyer, and Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco. However, after two fiery debates last week, there is still no clear frontrunner. A CBS-YOUGOV POLL, conducted in late April, shows only 7 pe...