The Fly

In this exciting episode, the flies sat down with Robert Doar, the President of the American Enterprise Institute and a highly respected public policy expert. The conversation surrounded all things about think tanks in America and the role they have in affecting legislation. This is surely an episode you do not want to miss out on, so grab a snack and listen now!

This week, Will and Kelvin sat down with Elaine Luria, a former United States representative for Virginia's Second Congressional District. She covered the day-to-day life of a member of Congress, recent ideas of isolationism, defense spending, and the differences in serving under the past two presidencies. This is an episode you won't want to miss, so enjoy the spring weather and take a listen!!

For this week’s special episode, the flies sat down with Sam Feist, Washington Bureau Chief and Senior Vice President for CNN. Given his incredible experience in the broadcast industry having won multiple Emmy awards and overseeing multiple of the most watched political shows in history, the flies had an engaging conversation with him about his work as a journalist, the broadcast industry as a whole, and the future of politics and news in America. This is surely an episode you do not want to miss the buzz on so listen now!

On this week’s episode, Austin and Kenneth sat down with Jonae Wartel, an activist and organizer. She’s the former Georgia Senate Runoff Director and a current partner at Arc Initiatives. Now she’s a 2023 Spring GU Politics Fellow! This episode covers the difference between the two recent Georgia Senate runoff races, the importance of on-the-ground mobilization, candidate quality, and the future and potential of the Democratic Party in the South. This is a must-listen episode!

This week, we sat down with Peter Hamby, the host of Snapchat's "Good Luck America" and contributing writer for Puck News and Vanity Fair. After getting his master's in journalism at Georgetown, Hamby started his career at CNN and has worked at Snapchat since 2015. In this episode, the flies discuss the legitimacy of social media news, and how to appeal to an audience that grew up on the platform. Hamby also dives into his experience with Puck News and weighs the value of the journalist versus the institution. Take a listen!

In this flytastic episode of The Fly, the flies sat down with Chris Stirewalt, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, weekly columnist for The Dispatch, political editor at NewsNation, and GU Politics Fellow. In the episode, Chris spoke about his journey in the journalism industry, the current polarization of the media, and much more! This is surely an episode you don't want to miss so listen now!

The flies are back with the second episode of Season 13! This week, we sat down with Michael Ricci, the Director of Communications for Governor Larry Hogan, and former Director of Communications for Paul Ryan. In this conversation, Ricci shared his day-to-day as a Republican Communications Director, as well as his experience during a public health crisis. He also shares his opinion on AI in political speech writing, his experience in the White House, and the rapidly changing expectations of working in political communications. Take a listen!

The flies are kicking off Season 13 with MJ Lee, Senior White House Correspondent for CNN. In this conversation, MJ shared her experience as an Asian American Journalist having grown up in Hong Kong and now reporting on American politics. She discussed her investigative reporting covering the #MeToo movement in DC and her reporting on the campaign trail for the 2016 and 2020 elections. She even gave the flies the inside scoop on what it is like to be in Air Force One. This is an episode you do not want to miss, so grab something warm and take a listen!

Season 13 is coming soon, but first, we have a very special announcement. We are changing our name to "The Fly" to better reflect the work we do and podcast we produce!

In the season 12 finale of Fly on the Wall, the flies sat down with Ro Khanna, a U.S. representative from California's 17th congressional district since 2017. In the interview, we discussed the 2022 midterms, Biden’s chances at reelection, ownership of Twitter, and the economic future of inflation. You’re not going to want to miss this finale episode of the season, so settle in!

In this episode of Fly on the Wall, the flies sat down with Mark Leibovich, the current staff writer for The Atlantic and the former chief correspondent for The New York Times. In the interview, we discussed his experience profiling politicians and those closest in Trump’s orbit, his take on nepotism in Trump’s administration, and much more. This is certainly an episode you don’t want to miss so grab a piece of leftover pumpkin pie and listen now!

Terry McAuliffe sits down with the Flies to discuss his time as governor of Virginia and as DNC chair. McAuliffe and the Flies also touch on leadership styles and even dive into McAuliffe’s 2020 election bid. Don’t miss this episode with Fall 2022 GU Politics Fellow Terry McAuliffe.

What happened in the 2022 Midterms? The flies check back in with political data expert Alex Lundry to get his take on what these historic elections mean for Republicans, Democrats, and the future of the country. Tune in to hear the buzz about the 2022 Midterm elections!

In this very special episode, the Flies flew downtown to chat with the former Governor of North Carolina, Pat McCrory. In this exciting conversation, McCory talks about his experience in public service, his accomplishments as governor and mayor, handling political controversy, and the threat of political violence. You surely don't want to miss out on this episode so listen now!

This week, the Pod interviews GU Politics Fellow Alex Lundry, Chief Analytics Officer for Jeb Bush for President, Director of Data Science for Romney for President, and Co-Founder of Tunnl. Lundry shares his experience as a data scientist and how data can inform strategy. Lundry also discusses the role of data in the midterms and provides some predictions. Take a listen now!

This week the flies sat down with Xochitl Hinojosa, former Senior Advisor and Communications Director for the DNC and the current Managing Director for Bully Pulpit. Xochitl shared her expertise on what's exactly at stake with the current midterm elections as well as the current political crisis against women. There is a lot of buzz swarming about this episode so you definitely don't want to miss out! Listen now!

In this episode of FOTW, the Flies sit down with Katie Harbath, Former Director of Public Policy at Facebook and now Director of Democracy and Technology at the International Republican Institute and CEO of Anchor Change. Harbath shares her expertise on the intersection of technology and politics. We hear about her time at Facebook, her views on bias in and de-platforming on social media, and the impact of technology on democracy. Take a listen!

This week the flies chatted with Karoun Demirjian, the Pentagon Correspondent for the Washington Post. She has covered stories from all over the world including Russia and the Middle East and has won numerous awards for her work. In the interview, she shared her experience as a former foreign correspondent and gave insight into the media’s role in shaping how international conflict is covered, especially in context to Russia’s war on Ukraine. She also explained America’s perception abroad, the hardest stories she has reported on, and much more. The flies are buzzing about this episode so be sure to check it out!

In our first episode of Season 12, the flies sit down with GU politics Fellow Mary Elizabeth Taylor, who was Former Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs and is currently the Vice President and Head of External Affairs at Robinhood Markets. Taylor shares her expertise about the nominations process, her leadership styles, how she developed her political beliefs, and more!

For the Season 11 Finale, the flies sit down with Congressman Jamie Raskin for Maryland’s 8th Congressional District. Raskin shares why he is in public service, his experience leading President Trump’s second impeachment, and his views on bipartisanship. Tune in for one of our most impactful interviews from this season.

In this exciting episode of FOTW, the flies met with Lindsay Hayes, founder of Free the Facts, and the writer and speechwriter for the US Senate, as well as two presidential campaigns. During the conversation, Hayes shares her expertise in the world of American politics in addition to her path to becoming CEO of Free the Facts, a non-partisan, policy-focused NGO. You won’t want to miss this, listen now!

In this episode of FOTW, the flies met with Ellen Keast, the Campaign Manager for Charles Herbester in the Nebraska Gubernatorial Race. In this conversation Ellen shares her perspective on key issues for young conservatives, Trump's influence on state politics, and much more! This is definitely an episode you don't want to miss so listen now!

This week on the Pod, the Flies spoke with Kristen Soltis Anderson, a Republican pollster and Founder at Echelon Insights. We talk about all things polling, including what it means to be a Republican pollster, generational divides, and hot button issues. You don’t want to miss it!

On this week's episode, the flies were joined with Elliot Williams, GU Politics Fellow and former Deputy Assistant Attorney General for legislative affairs at the Department of Justice during the Obama administration. In this lively conversation, Williams shares the highlights of his career in legislation and media and gives special insight on the confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson, restoration of faith in government, the state of future elections and much more! You won't want to miss this, listen now!

In this episode of Fly on The Wall, the Flies sit down with Ofirah Yheskel, who is the Deputy Communications Chair at the DNC. Ofirah shares her background working in communications and campaigns across the country, explaining how she crafts messages and targets certain voters. Happy listening!

In this episode, the Flies sat down with GU Politics Fellow Wesley Lowery, Pulitzer Prize-winning Journalist and CBS News Correspondent. As one of the country’s foremost journalists on issues of race, law enforcement, and social justice, Lowery shares his own experience as a political reporter in this day and age, diving into specific highlights and pinpoints of his career. This is an episode that you surely don’t want to miss, so listen now!

In this special episode of Fly on the Wall, we cover the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. The flies first interviewed protestors outside of the White House two days after the invasion. We then called into Moscow and sat down with Georgetown Professor and Russian expert Jill Dougherty to hear her analysis of the ongoing crisis. Listen now and hear the War in Ukraine from two sides of the world.

In this episode, the Flies talk with GU Politics Fellow Alyssa Farah Griffin, former Communications Director for the Trump Administration. She shares expertise and experience working in the communication field, discusses her views on American Conservatism and the Republican Party.

For the first episode of Season 11, flies sat down with Dafna Linzer, a GU Politics Fellow who was a Managing Editor at NBC News. We talked about her experience working in a combat zones, highlights of her career, her advice to aspiring journalists, and more. Don’t miss the debut episode of Season 11!

For the Season 10 finale, the flies were joined by GU Politics Fellow Rebecca Pearcey to discuss her career, her extensive experience in the campaign world, her advice to young people interested in entering politics, and more! Don’t miss this great conversation with Rebecca.

In this episode, the flies sat down with John Anzalone, Chief Pollster of the 2020 Biden Campaign, Tony Fabrizio, Chief Pollster of the 2016 and 2020 Trump Campaigns, and Jocelyn Kiley, Associate Director of the Pew Research Center, to pull back the curtain on all things polling in this day and age. This conversation is one that you don't want to miss, with perspectives from both partisan and nonpartisan pollsters explaining the integral roll polling plays in political campaigns and what that looks like within our polarized political atmosphere.

Enjoy this Thanksgiving BONUS episode with the Fly! We are joined by DSCC Communications Director David Bergstein. We talk 2022 election prospects, candidates to watch, and the Democratic Party's message heading into the midterms. Bergstein also touches on how the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill will impact senate races across the country.

This week on the Pod, the Flies spoke with Amna Nawaz, chief correspondent for PBS NewsHour and GU Politics fellow. After serving as an ABC News anchor and NBC News foreign correspondent, Amna joined PBS, where she currently reports on a wide range of topics, including politics, foreign affairs, education, climate change, culture and sports. In this interview, she delves into her journalism journey following the events of 9/11, the importance of diversity in the newsroom, and advice for promoting balanced dialogue on partisan issues.

GU Politics hosted an amazing watch party for the 2021 Virginia gubernatorial elections. The Fly spoke with students from across the political spectrum, delving into their thoughts on the competition between Republican Glenn Youngkin and Democrat Terry McAuliffe. Hear the buzz from election night in this special episode of Fly On the Wall!

The Flies were joined by Brian Stelter — CNN’s chief media correspondent, the anchor of “Reliable Sources,” and a fall GU Politics fellow — in this week’s episode. A familiar face on cable news, he sheds light on the “post-truth” era, how TV news has evolved over time, and the challenges that journalists face when reporting on science and changing public health policies.

This week on the Pod, GU Politics fellow Charlotte Clymer (S’16) shared her extensive experience as a transgender activist and military veteran. In addition to serving as the Press Secretary for Rapid Response at the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest civil rights organization dedicated to LGBTQ equality, Charlotte was a communications and strategy director for Catholics for Choice. Tune in to hear about what it was like shaping messaging in response to the White House, being a transgender activist in both military and political spheres, and the issues she is watching in upcoming elections.

Rory Cooper sat down with the Flies in this episode to discuss his experience working for former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and his role shaping the Department of Homeland Security. Cooper and the Flies also touch on the changing character of the Republican Party, the War in Afghanistan, and the future of national security. Don’t miss this insightful conversation with Fall 2021 GU Politics Fellow Rory Cooper

The Flies kicked off Season 10 this week with a recap of some of our favorite episodes from last year. Revisiting interviews with Jenny Durkan (Mayor of Seattle), Julie Pace (Associated Press Executive Editor), Sarah Rogers (former Chief of Staff to Rep. Patrick Meehan), Faiz Shakir (Campaign Manager, Bernie Sanders’ 2020 campaign), Hilary Franz (WA State Commissioner of Public Lands), and former Congressman Charles Djou (HI-01), we discussed lessons learned from the pandemic, elections, and more. Enjoy this jam-packed, laughter-filled episode featuring the entire Pod team!

In this special episode of Fly On the Wall, we bring you analysis of the recent effort to recall California Governor Gavin Newsom. Mike Madrid, expert in Latino voting trends, former political director for the California Republican Party, and co-founder of the Lincoln Project shared his take on conservative politics in liberal states, the fate of American Experiment, and how both parties are changing their messaging in response to demographic changes in the country. Madrid also touched on what it's like swimming against the political current in the age of culture war politics, and his favorite moments from his time studying here at Georgetown University!

For our Season 9 finale, we interviewed Tom Perez, a Spring 2021 GU Politics Fellow and former Chair of the Democratic National Committee. He served President Obama for eight years, first as DOJ Civil Rights Head and then as U.S. Secretary of Labor. In this episode, Tom not only took the Flies behind the scenes of his civil rights career, but also shared his take on Democratic party unity following the 2020 election cycle and the biggest challenges facing the nation moving forward.

In this episode, the Flies sat down with Guy Benson, host of “the Guy Benson Show,” spring GU Politics Fellow, Fox News contributor, and political editor at TownHall.com. Guy shares his journey from a high school student calling baseball games on local access channels to being a political commentator for Fox News. We also explore politics in post 9/11 America, party realignment, cancel culture, and young people in the conservative movement.

This week on the Pod, we spoke with Spring 2021 GU Politics Fellow and former U.S. Senator Doug Jones, who represented Alabama from 2018 to 2021. Prior to being one of the Senate’s most bipartisan members, he served as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama and prosecuted the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church. Tune in to hear about the most impactful moments of his legal career, important issues he prioritized as a senator, and his most effective strategies for achieving bipartisanship.

Put your rain jackets on because this week the Pod visited the Pacific Northwest! The Fly sat down with Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan in this episode, chief of executive of the first major American city to be hit by COVID-19. Mayor Durkan shared her experience coordinating with cities across the globe to respond to the pandemic, building a mass-vaccination campaign, and communicating policy to the city regarding COVID-19. We also dive into Mayor Durkan’s views on the police abolition movement and managing the summer 2020 demonstrations in Seattle.

Our episode this week features North Carolina State Representative Ricky Hurtado, who became the first Latino Democrat elected to the NC General Assembly in 2020. In addition to representing District 63 (Alamance County), Ricky serves on the Board of Alamance Partnership for Children and co-founded LatinxEd, a nonprofit that aims to expand opportunities for first-generation college students and immigrant families. After finding his passion for public service during his time at the University of North Carolina, he received his Masters from Princeton with a focus in fighting poverty and community building.

How has the Trump presidency, COVID-19, and social media changed the journalism industry? What salient issues and policies will dominate the news cycle moving forward? Find out in our latest episode with Julie Pace, Washington Bureau Chief for the Associated Press and a Spring GU Politics Fellow. In addition to the presidencies of Barack Obama and Donald Trump, she has covered four presidential campaigns, Congress, national security, and more.

The Flies sat down with former Congressman Charles Djou (HI-01) this week for an interview jam-packed with insights from his extensive career in public service. In addition to serving as a Honolulu City Councilmember (2003-2010) and State Representative (2000-2002), the Congressman was a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. Listen now for the inside scoop into everything from his military leadership in Afghanistan, to Republican support for Biden, to Hawaiian state politics.

GU Politics Fellow Sara Sendek brings the Fly inside the George Bush White House, shares how she developed the public affairs strategy for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and more in this interview. Listen in for insights on combating misinformation and the duty of federal government communicators to the American people from Sara's experience working under the Trump and Bush administrations.

How are young conservatives shaping the future of the Republican Party? What issues matter to Asian American voters? This week, we got answers to these questions and more from GOP political expert Adi Sathi, who is Chief of Staff to the Young Republican National Foundation, former GOP Director of APA Engagement, and former Vice Chair of the Michigan GOP.

Spring GU Politics Fellow Anatole Jenkins discusses political organization and mobilization in this week’s episode. Learn about his experience organizing for Barack Obama, Kamala Harris, and his most recent experience serving as National Director of States Organizing for Joe Biden. Anatole shares his analysis of key points in the 2020 Democratic Primary, how he chooses strong candidates, and more in this amazing interview!

This week, the Flies spoke with seven Hoyas across the country who spent the fall semester working on political campaigns. From state house to presidential races, from Arizona to South Carolina, these Georgetown students took us behind the scenes of the 2020 election and shared their favorite stories from the campaign trail.