Fast Politics with Molly Jong-Fast

Brian Stelter joins us to talk about the flaws of modern-day political coverage. Directors Anne Alvergue & Debra McClutchy tell us about their documentary, The Martha Mitchell Effect, which is now streaming on Netflix.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tells us how she navigates communicating the nuances of the world’s most complicated job. Bloomberg Opinion’s Tim O’Brien tells us how to interpret the explosive job numbers that were just released. Plus, CNN Legal analyst Elie Honig joins us to talk about his new book Untouchable: How Powerful People Get Away With It. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi tells us about the implications of conspiracy theories on the quality of government. Senator Patty Murray (WA) tells us about her unique position in the Senate. Former DNC chair. Howard Dean talks about how the Dems can repair crucial party infrastructure. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Atlantic’s Ronald Brownstein gives us an overview of how the 218th Congress will play out. NBC political analyst Susan Del Percio talks about the Republican Party’s descent into chaos. And The Washington Post’s Danielle Allen previews her year-long project reporting on how we can repair our broken democracy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin tells us the next steps to we need to take to expand health care in America. The Daily Beast’s Sam Brodey talks about the recent Congressional committee assignments and the chaos they are bound to unleash. Plus Michael Weiss of Yahoo News fills us in on the implications of Biden sending tanks to Ukraine.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Senator Al Franken tells us about the message the GOP should have received from the last election—a message which they are continuing to ignore. Senator Chris Murphy (CT) recounts the truly unexpected discoveries he made at the U.S.-Mexico border. And Washington Post White House economics reporter Jeff Stein tells us about the less frequently discussed bargaining chips that could be used in the debt ceiling negotiations. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rep. Ruben Gallego stops by to talk to us about his Senate run against Kyrsten Sinema and what it’s like to have the office next to Rep. George Santos. Balls & Strikes editor Jay Willis details the dystopian lawsuit against Beto O’Rourke that could give millionaires even more power over our politics. And Jared Holt of Posting Through It recaps Trump’s appearance at Diamond’s funeral and Steven Crowder's feud with The Daily Wire. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former DOJ prosecutor Andrew Weissmann gets us up to speed on Trump’s many legal jeopardies. Vanity Fair’s Bess Levin describes the lunatics and cowards Kevin McCarthy has to manage in Congress. And Teddy Schleifer of Puck News talks to us about his odd experience hanging out recently with FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell contrasts brinkmanship in Congress in previous decades with today’s unhinged brawling. Michael S. Schmidt of The New York Times talks to us about his new revelations concwrning Trump Chief of Staff John Kelly’s regrets about his time working for the former president. And Politico’s Rachel Bade talks to us about the ticking time bomb that could blow up Kevin McCarthy at any moment.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Congressman Eric Swalwell talks to us about the horrible precedent Kevin McCarthy has set by denying Democrats committee assignments in the 218th Congress. The Nation’s Jeet Heer tells us about the implications of escalating political violence in America. And Alex Theodoridis of the University of Massachusetts spells out how the GOP is doing the exact opposite of what the polls clearly show that the American people want.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former congressman Max Rose tells us about the hidden cracks he’s already seeing in Kevin McCarthy’s majority in congress. The Daily Beast’s Zachary Petrizzo talks to us about the contestants vying to be Trump's 2024 VP pick. Erin Murphy & Megan Hondl tell us the surprising strategy used to turn Minnesota’s state Senate blue.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank stops by to talk through the crazy new precedents Republicans have already set in the 118th congress. New York Times contributor Justin Wolfers gives us an easy-to-understand explanation of how our economy is getting back to normal and why you shouldn’t fear a recession. And Puck News senior political correspondent Tara Palmeri talks about what lies ahead for Biden’s classified document special counsel investigation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

George Conway stops by to talk about the new lows Republicans have hit since taking over Congress. Former congressman Mondaire Jones talks to us about his hilarious encounter with Congress’s biggest liar, Representative George Santos, or whatever his real name is. And Semafor's Dave Weigel describes the nightmare Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy is about to enter.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Lincoln Project’s Rick Wilson drops by to give us a glimpse of the hell-world Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy is about to enter. Cerise Castle tell us about her podcast A Tradition Of Violence, which documents the sheriff’s gangs of Los Angeles County. And Blake Zeff stops by to tell us about his new documentary, Loan Wolves, which shows the shocking predatory behavior that created the student loan crisis. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NBC News’s Jon Allen talks us through Kevin McCarthy's many, many failed attempts to become Speaker of the House. Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Stacy Schiff speaks to us about her latest biography, Samuel Adams: The Revolutionary. And historian Barbara F. Walter explains to us how we can avoid another civil war in America.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Legendary strategist James Carville stops by to talk all about of the fuckery that unfolded over the holidays. Then Kevin Kruse & Julian Zelizer talk about their new book, Myth America: Historians Take On the Biggest Legends and Lies About Our Past. And author Kathleen Belew informs us about extremist movements in America and the threats they pose today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Congressman Jake Auchincloss previews the challenges both Democrats & Republicans will face in the 118th Congress. Kim Kelly, author of Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor, talks to us about how America’s labor movement is growing again.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof stops by to talk to us about giving effectively and his favorite charities. New York City’s Chief Climate Officer, Rohit Aggarwala, tells us what NYC is doing to prepare for future climate disasters.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Supermodel Paulina Porizkova talks to us about her book No Filter: The Good, The Bad, and The Beautiful. The Marshall Project founder Bill Keller breaks down his book What Are Prisons For?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Robin Marty, author of New Handbook For A Post-Roe America, tells us about what she’s seeing on the front lines of women's reproductive care. Dana Ballout talks to us about The Last Resort, a podcast on California’s secessionist movement. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Wallace of the New York Times talks to us about the latest scientific insights into COVID and climate change. Forever Wars author Spencer Ackerman looks back at two years of Biden foreign policy and tells us what sets Biden’s team apart from past administrations. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Countdown’s Keith Olbermann talks to us about what he saw with the final 1/6 Commitee hearing. Survival of the Richest author Douglas Rushkoff tries to make sense of the implosion of FTX and Elon Musk’s erratic behavior. The Daily Beast’s Matt Fuller tells us about the insane struggle for power happening in the Republican leadership. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NPR’s Roben Farzad talks to us about the latest economic news and the hidden economic indicators he’s seeing. Nick Bilton, author of Hatching Twitter, gives us insight into the chaos at Twitter. And crypto researcher Molly White tells us what she’s seeing with the government’s newfound interest in crypto oversight. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

United States Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo talks to us about the Biden administration’s actions to strengthen the economy. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal tells us how the Progressive Caucus and President Biden have productively collaborated. And Ian Dunt, host of Oh God What Now, talks us about the United Kingdom’s current government turmoil. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Representative Ruben Gallego tells us all about how Senator Sinema has failed Arizona. Representative Gallego throws the maximum amount of shade allowed by congressional regulations. And Representative Maxwell Frost talks to us about his unlikely road to being the first Gen Z congressman. TPM’s Hunter Walker has pored over 2,000 of Mark Meadows’s texts and he offers some new revelations about just how nefarious the plotting of 1/6 was. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Nation’s Elie Mystal talks to us about the Supreme Court’s ruling on Moore v. Harper and how horrific it could be for our democracy. Comedic duo The Good Liars speak with us about all the wacky things they encounter at MAGA rallies. And Nilay Patel, the editor of The Verge, talks us through Elon Musk & Bari Weiss’s pathetic attempts to make a controversy out of The Twitter Files. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) stops by to talk to us about his new bill that attempts to prevent the gas companies from gouging consumers. Bloomberg Opinion’s Tim O’Brien fills us in on the likely consequences of the Trump Organization being convicted of tax fraud. And The Nation’s Jeet Heer talks to us about Herschel Walker’s defeat in the Georgia Senate run-off. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doug Balloon, who runs the hilarious Twitter parody account New York Times Pitchbot, stops by to tell us how much fun he is having harpooning the terrible hot takes of major political journalists. Nancy Northup, President of The Center For Reproductive Rights, talks to us about how the outcome of the midterms was determined by reproductive rights issues. And The Washington Post’s Phillip Bump talks us through Trump’s troubled relationship with the Constitution. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Lincoln Project’s Rick Wilson drops by to talk to us about Trump wanting to throw out the Constitution. Heated’s Emily Atkin tells us about corruption in the climate change advocacy world. Dennis Baron, author of You Can’t Always Say What You Want, talks to us about what Elon Musk actually means when he says he’s a “free speech absolutist.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, stops by to talk about the real motives behind the GOP attacks on our public schools and teachers. Congressman Ritchie Torres tells us about his hopes for the new Democratic Party leadership in the House. And the Daily Beast’s congressional reporter Sam Brodey gives us the inside story of the power struggles in our lame-duck Congress.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Bulwark’s Sarah Longwell talks to us about the tangled web Republicans find themselves in after Trump dined with unabashed anti-semites. Inside Elections Jacob Rubashkin tells us about the Senate runoff election in Georgia. The Washington Post’s Yvonne Wingett Sanchez tells us all about the fuckery going on with counting ballots in Arizona. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Legendary Democratic strategist James Carville stops by to preview the lame-duck session of Congress. Ross Morales-Rocketto, co-founder of Run For Something, tells us about the results of the down-ballot midterm races and the interesting things he saw in campaigns for local offices. Dr. Marc Loustau, an expert on Eastern European religion and politics, tells us about what we can learn from Hungary’s slide into authoritarianism. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Fanone, a January 6th insurrection survivor and the author of Hold the Line: The Insurrection and One Cop's Battle for America's Soul, tells us his thoughts on the aftermath of January 6th. Douglas Rushkoff, author of Survival of the Richest and also our favorite tech explainer, gives us an incredibly insightful analysis of Elon Musk’s Twitter chaos and FTX’s demise.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Congressman Ro Khanna stops by to talk what the Democrats can do in the lame-duck session of congress. The Bulwark’s Tim Miller talks to us about the Colorado Springs shooting and his recent encounter with Steve Bannon. The Guardian’s Hugo Lowell runs us through Trump’s innumerable legal woes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Congressman Mondaire Jones stops by to tell us about how to fix the mess of the NY Democratic Party. Then, we talk to ABC News political director Rick Klein about the unexpected outcome of the midterms. Squawk Box’s Dan Nathan shares some thoughts on inflation and how it’s affecting our politics today, and also has a few observations on the bleak state of Twitter.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Mary Trump Show’s Mary Trump joins us to talk our new reality since Donald Trump announced his run for the presidency in 2024. Then, Moms Demand Action’s Shannon Watts stops by to tell us about the effect gun activists had on the midterms. If that weren’t enough, Politico Playbook’s Rachel Bade tells us about the aftermath of the midterms and its effect on the leadership of the two parties. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

George Conway stops by to react to Trump’s 2024 presidential announcement. Ambassador Gordon Sondland stops by to talk to us about him time under Trump and his new book The Envoy. Then we’re joined by Nick Turner President of the Vera Institute, who will talk to us about crime and the effect it had on the midterms. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MSNBC’s Lawrence O'Donnell, joins us to talk about how midterm elections should be covered. Then, Tom Bonier CEO of Target Smart, tells us about how he was able to accurately predict the midterms. Finally, we’re joined by Hard Fork podcast host Casey Newton to talk Elon Musk’s Twitter and FTK’s bankruptcy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Inside Elections analyst Jacob Rubashkin, joins us to talk about what he sees coming out of the midterms. Washington Post Associate Editor Ruth Marcus gives us a thorough analysis on how Dobbs turned out votes in the midterms. Lawfare Senior Editor Roger Parloff, talks to us about the unexpected things he’s seeing in The Oathkeepers federal case. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NBC News Jon Allen joins us to talk about election results on the morning after a very bad night for Donald Trump. Then, we’re joined by The Daily Show’s Jordan Klepper whos going to discuss his new special, America Unfollows Democracy and the things he saw attending MAGA rallies. Then we’ll talk to Douglas Rushkoff, the author of Survival of the Richest about what’s going on with Elon Musk’s Twitter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Legendary activist, Jane Fonda stops by to talk about the candidates she’s supporting, as well as the midterms. Then, Princeton Election Consortium’s Sam Wang talks to us about what he’s seeing in the polls. Former Harry Reid staffer and Author of Kill Switch, Adam Jentelson, tells us what the Dems should be doing with their majority in the lame duck.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, stops by to talk to us about Democrats going on Fox News and midterm voters' values. Then, The Nation Magzine’s Jeet Heer, talks us through America’s descent into a land of conspiracies. Lastly, we’re lucky enough to be joined by Justice Democrats Waleed Shahid, who will tell us what he sees as we head into the midterms.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Angelo Carusone of Media Matters joins us to talk how Elon Musk’s new version of Twitter is similar to Fox News. In light of a dark week in our politics, Jonathan V Last, editor of The Bulwark joins us to bring some cheer to our political hellscape. Then we’re joined by Wisconsinsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, to talk about the importance of Wisconsin in this coming election. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Lincoln Project’s Rick Wilson, host of the new podcast The Enemies List, drops by to talk about how MAGA world will continue to incite violence towards Dems and Elon Musk’s degradation of Twitter. Then Rep. Ruben Gallego talks with us about what to watch leading up to the midterms. Then we have an important interview with Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. the Principle Chief of the Cherokee Nation, as well as, Kim Teehee, the Cherokee Nation’s nomination to be their delegate to Congress. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mea Cupla podcast host Michael Cohen, drops by to talk his new book, Revenge: How Donald Trump Weaponized the US Department of Justice Against His Critics. As well, Greg Sargent of the Plum Line blog at The Washington Post, talks to us about our descent into MAGA madness. If that weren’t enough we’re lucky enough to be joined by Parker Molloy of the newsletter The Present Age to talk Elon Musk taking over Twitter and more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vice President Kamala Harris drops by to give her thoughts on a post-Dobbs world and midterm elections filled with election-denying candidates. Squawk Box’s Andrew Ross Sorkin breaks down stagflation and the tough place the administration finds itself with economic decisions. And Showtime’s The Circus host John Heilemann lays out the many adventures the midterm election could take us on. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Countdown’s Keith Olbermann joins us to talk about Trump’s latest bloviating and the potential for him to open his mouth and get into even more trouble. Then we’re joined by The New York Times Magazine’s Robert Draper, the author of Weapon of Mass Delusion: When The Republican Party Lost Its Mind to talk about the GOP’s descent into madness. Then Rep. Patrick Ryan of New York’s 19th congressional district tells us about his competitive race. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As an American, it’s rare we get to look down on another country’s political situation, but Ian Dunt took us inside the UK’s political woes and the short-lived tenure of PM Liz Truss. Then the always thoughtful Soledad O’Brien joins us to talk about her new film, The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks. Lastly, we talk to candidate Will Rollins who is the Democratic nominee in California’s 41st district. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MSNBC anchor Lawrence O’Donnell has thoughts about the midterms and if you know him, you know they won’t be what everyone else is saying. Then we talk to Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill about legislating reproductive rights and the shocking things she saw running up to 1/6. Then to wrap up the show Rachael Bade & Karoun Demirjian stop by to talk their new book, Unchecked: The Untold Story Behind Congress's Botched Impeachments of Donald TruSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senate Majority Leader, Charles Schumer, stops by to tell his story of what went down on 1/6 for the first time in full detail. Then chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, Ben Wikler, tells us the details of one of the most crucial states in the midterms and why you should focus your attention there.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.