The Fly

In this episode of The Fly, Sarah and Chase bring together Mayor Aftab Pureval of Cincinnati, Mayor Arunan Arulampalam of Hartford, and Mayor Andrew Ginther of Columbus to discuss the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act and the challenges of expanding affordable housing. Mayor Pureval has focused on zoning reform and developer incentives to increase housing supply, while Mayor Arulampalam has pursued...

In this episode of The Fly, David and Olivia sit down with Hudson Munoz, executive director of Guns Down America, to discuss how corporate accountability can help address gun violence. He explains the firearms industry’s influence, ways to bridge cultural divides around gun ownership, and why community interventions and safe-storage efforts matter—especially as firearm suicides rise.

Join Kennedy and Sarah as they sit down with the first GU Politics fellow of the semester: Sabrina Singh! Sabrina walks us through how an internship in Senator Barbara Boxer’s office during the 2009 recession unexpectedly launched a career at the center of American politics and national security. We get into what it’s really like to shape messaging in high-pressure environments, from Democratic ca...

In this episode, Chloe and Kennedy interview Alex within the RFK Campus Master Plan public comment period, regarding the stadium construction set to begin in 2027. The economic impact is groundbreaking: 2,000 permanent jobs, 14,000 construction jobs, new affordable housing, restaurants, parks, and public services that will cost the district and Commanders $3.8 billion. Alex talks about all things...

The Fly sat down with John Leganski, former Deputy Chief of Staff and the youngest floor director in House history. His deep understanding of the policymaking process has launched Leganski's book to the bestseller list. Leganski is also the first Republican aide to serve on the floor team for each House leadership position, including the Majority Whip, Majority Leader, Minority Leader, and Speaker...

Welcome back to The Fly for a special episode with Tiffany Muller, the President of End Citizens United and Let America Vote. Named one of the Most Influential People in Washington, Tiffany transformed End Citizens United into a national organization with more than 4 million members. She's an outspoken advocate for campaign finance reform and voting rights. With the midterms coming up and recent v...

Award-winning journalist and Zateo founder Mehdi Hasan joins us on The Fly to discuss his transition from corporate media giants like MSNBC to the "fascinating, dynamic" world of independent, subscriber-funded journalism. Hasan offers a candid critique of mainstream media "groupthink" and explains why independent reporting is essential for covering global crises like the genocide in Gaza without t...

We are flying back in with a special guest! Our flies Kennedy and Aniya sit down with AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler as she discusses her journey from a young activist to becoming the first female leader of the federation. She highlights the stark differences between the Biden and Trump administrations, arguing that recent executive actions have undermined federal worker protections and collective b...

Aaron Bennett discusses the founding of the show and the importance of relationship building in Washington, D.C., noting how his own career trajectory was shaped by connections made at the Institute of Politics and Public Service. As a professional speechwriter for high-profile figures like Nancy Pelosi and Tim Walz, he outlines his "three M's" formula for success: the message, the messenger, and...

Sit down with Richard Walters to hear about the Republican Party's strategy heading into the 2026 midterm elections, why affordability and "pocketbook issues" remain the top priority for voters, and where the GOP lands with tax cuts, housing, and healthcare. The conversation also dives into the complexities of election integrity, fundraising dynamics, and the stark contrasts between Republican and...

Former Montana Senator Jon Tester joins us to talk about his journey from small‑town school board member to the U.S. Senate — and back to his family farm. He shares hard-earned lessons on public service, building trust across the aisle, and why authenticity beats “slick” politics every time. We also dive into his candid take on the war in Iran, congressional war powers, and what it will take to re...

Welcome back to another episode with Nora O'Donnell, a Georgetown alumn and award-winning journalist! This episode features O'Donnell's experiences covering significant events like 9/11 and the October 7 attacks, and her 60 Minutes Interview with President Donald Trump. Tune in to hear more about O'Donnell new book, "We the Women," which explores women's contributions to American history. This is...

Stephen Martinko, TikTok's Global Head of Product Public Policy, "There aren’t Republican bridges or Democratic roads" by Georgetown's Institute of Politics and Public Service

Monica Popp, Former Chief of Staff to Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), "In this town, integrity is everything.” by Georgetown's Institute of Politics and Public Service

Welcome to our President’s Day special episode with guest Representative Greg Landsman! Will and Bode had the chance to talk with the Ohio Representative to hear about how he flipped a swing seat, his time in Congress so far, and his plan for an “American comeback”. Listen to our latest episode to hear more about Representative Landsman’s honest insights about life on the Hill.

This week, fly to Radio Free Europe's Headquarters in Prague to sit down with Sarah Sverdlov as she interviews Alsu Kurmasheva, a journalist who served nearly nine months in a Russian prison. Kurmasheva was imprisoned for her work, including a book titled "Saying No to War," which documented Russian dissent. She described the harsh prison conditions and her coping mechanisms, such as running and r...

Our latest episode is with Ankit Jain! Elected in 2024, Ankit Jain has served as the Shadow Senator for the District of Columbia and has stayed committed to advocating for statehood and expanding voting rights for DC. Before entering politics, Jain worked as a voting rights attorney and founded Young Democrats Ward 2 to encourage civil engagement in young people. Jain’s election as a shadow senato...

Welcome back to another episode of the Fly on the Wall! Today, we welcome Former Senator Laphonza Butler on the podcast! Laphonza Butler is a former senator representing California, who Governor Gavin Newsom appointed to replace the late Senator Dianne Feinstein after her death in 2023. Born in Mississippi, Butler attended Jackson State University before beginning her career as a labor organizer....

Tune in to this week’s episode with a fellow podcaster, Jamelle Bouie! Co-host of his own podcast, Unclear and Present Danger, and columnist for the New York Times, Jamelle Bouie, provides perspective on history and politics.  Before joining the Times, Bouie began his career at The American Prospect magazine and then became the chief political correspondent at Slate magazine. From receiving the Hi...

Welcome back, flies! We hope you had a spook-tacular halloween 👻 🎃 This week we sat down with Mark Green, the former Ambassador to Tanzania. Green’s career has been nothing short of extraordinary. Green began his political career as a congressman for Wisconsin’s 8th congressional district, where he served as Assistant Majority Whip. During the second Bush administration, he worked to promote int...

Hi Flies, welcome back to Episode 5 of Season 18! On this episode, we have Congressman Adam Smith, a democrat from Washington state’s 9th district on the podcast. Representative Smith recently spoke at an event hosted by Georgetown’s Initiative for U.S-China dialogue, and discussed the U.S/China relationship and its importance. Representative Smith was born here in Washington, D.C and grew up in W...

Get ready for Episode 4 of Season 18! 🪰🪰 Listen to Georgetown University 2025 Fall Fellow Amy Howe! Amy Howe is an accomplished journalist and legal analyst, best known for her work SCOTUSblog. She is the co-founder of SCOTUSblog, where she helps break down complex Supreme Court decisions and is a leading voice on the intersection between law and public life. Before turning to journalism. Amy Ho...

Welcome back to the Fly for our third episode of Season 18! Rob Flaherty is a Georgetown University Fall 2025 Fellow who is a leading political strategist. He previously served as Former Assistant to President Joe Biden, as well as his Director of Digital Strategy. When President Biden exited the presidential race in 2024, Flaherty took over as Deputy Campaign Manager for Harris for President in h...

There is a big buzz in that air for Episode 2 of Season 18! Jamaal Bowman, former middle school principal turned US Representative for New York’s 16th Congressional District joined us for a special episode on activism. Before entering politics, Bowman founded Cornerstone Academy for Social Action, a middle school focused on a restorative justice approach for their students. In the 2020 Democratic...

Welcome back, Flies! For the first episode of Season 18, we met with a special guest: FOX News original Trace Gallagher! Gallagher has been a member of FOX News since its creation in 1996. Gallagher is an anchor and Chief Breaking News Correspondent for “FOX News @ Night,” where approximately 1.5 million households watch his reporting each night. He is truly an international expert, having reporte...