The Focus Group Podcast

The Iran War has been going on for a month, and it’s deeply, DEEPLY unpopular. Plus, we get reactions from swing voters on the characters inside the Trump administration who they like (like Marco Rubio), or REALLY dislike (listen to find out). Atlantic staff writer Ashley Parker returns to the show. By Ashley Parker:The Wrath of Stephen MillerPre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!

Artificial intelligence is such a big change to human civilization that our political class is struggling to keep up. The voters in our focus groups are struggling, too. The Washington Post's Megan McArdle joins the show to discuss how everyday Americans are using (and misusing!) AI, its impact on the political process and information environment, and how public policy can adapt to this brave new world.Megan McArdle's Washington Post Podcast, Reasonably OptimisticMake laundry day the best day of the week! Get 20% off your entire order @LaundrySauce with code THEFOCUSGROUP at https://laundrysauce.com/THEFOCUSGROUP #laundrysaucepodGet 60% off your first box with Tempo Meals at https://TempoMeals.com/THEFOCUSGROUP.

A lot of the young people we’ve been talking to recently in our focus groups are relatively apolitical, and many of them don’t vote. But what DO these young people care about? And what could mobilize them in the future? Rachel Janfaza discusses with Anderson Clayton, the youngest state party chair in the U.S. and chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party.

The Democratic primary for US Senate in Illinois is a bit quiet, according to our guest. But underneath the surface, one candidate has a VERY interesting way of getting attention...and voters are starting to notice. David Axelrod, former adviser to President Obama, joins the show to discuss this Chicago-style Senate race. Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!

Sarah was out last week, and felt she had to bring you some timely focus group reactions to the War in Iran. We also check in on their feelings about the Trump administration (especially their handling of the Epstein Files), and talk about a growing strain of conspiracy theorizing tied to Israel (Jeffrey Epstein and Charlie Kirk are BOTH involved!)Finally, we’ve recently seen members of the Bulwark community pop up in the wild in our focus groups. Hear what drew THEM to The Bulwark. Sarah and Bill Kristol sift through it all.Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!

Rachel Janfaza sits in for Sarah on this week’s Focus Group to take a look at Gen Z’s personal finances, from their long-term outlooks to their day-to-day habits…especially their investments in crypto and how they’re engaging with sports betting and prediction markets. Ed Elson, co-host of Prof G Markets, joins Rachel.Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!Show notes:Rachel in The Up and Up: How Gen Z spends, saves, and investsRachel in The Up and Up: The Kalshi electionEd’s interview with Kalshi founder Tarek Mansour

The Texas Senate primary on March 3 between James Talarico and Rep. Jasmine Crockett is a toxic cesspool on Twitter. But Texas Democrats are practically giddy over how much they like both candidates. Atlantic staff writer Elaine Godfrey, who's profiled both candidates, joins the show to chat about the race and discuss why she was kicked out of a Jasmine Crockett campaign event.By Elaine Godfrey:Why I Got Thrown Out of a Jasmine Crockett RallyAudio of Elaine being kicked out: ‘Elaine From Atlantic … She Needs to Leave’Texas's PeteA Democrat for the Trump Era

Sen. John Cornyn has been a consistent ally of President Trump. Even Trump likes him just fine...but that may not be enough to save him in Texas, because he may have just been too mild-mannered for too long. He's running against a scandal-plagued (but combative) Attorney General, and a less scandal-plagued (but also less known) newcomer. Texas Monthly writer Eric Benson joins Sarah to break down the Republican brawl in the Lone Star State.Get 60% off your first box with Tempo Meals at https://TempoMeals.com/THEFOCUSGROUP.Show notes:Eric Benson's John Cornyn profile: The Last Ride of Big Bad John

More and more Trump voters are souring on his administration. But why? Inflation, immigration, and Epstein are all in the mix, but there's a giant mosaic of disappointments. We needed a second qualitative researcher to make sense of it all. Democratic pollster Margie Omero joins the show to discuss what she's heard in her own focus groups, listen to Trump voters who are down on his job performance, and check in with the Democratic base.Get free shipping and 365 day returns from Quince at https://Quince.com/THEFOCUSGROUP.Margie's focus groups:Trump’s Problems With Latinos Go Deeper Than the Economy14 Wellness Voters Talk Parenting, MAHA and Social Media

Why are Gen Z men drifting right while Gen Z women move left? And why do right-wing zoomers think the gender gap is so wide? Sarah Longwell talks with the newest Bulwark contributor Rachel Janfaza, founder of The Up and Up, to analyze new focus groups of Gen Z Trump voters. They also get into these voters' Trump fatigue on foreign policy, why a future JD Vance presidential run isn't appealing, and whether these voters could ever date someone across the political divide.The Bulwark is heading to Minneapolis, and then to Texas. Get your tickets at https://TheBulwark.com/Events.Show notes:Rachel in Vox: The quiet reason why Trump is losing Gen ZFrom November 2025: Rachel Janfaza on The Focus Group Podcast

We saw an ICE officer kill an American citizen for the second time in less than three weeks. This time, it was harder for some of the voters we talked to to make an excuse for it. Bulwark immigration correspondent Adrian Carrasquillo returns to the show to discuss his reporting and listen to voters' raw reactions to what they're seeing in the news.Show notes:The abhorrent power of the photograph of a 5-year-old held by ICEBy Adrian Carrasquillo:Why a Scared 5-Year-Old Boy Shook Our National ConsciencePortraits of the Minneapolis ResistanceLet Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. Join at https://RocketMoney.com/THEFOCUSGROUP

Some strange, under-the-radar things are happening on the right. Marco Rubio is experiencing a strange rehabilitation with the Republican base, and some young men are excited about taxing OnlyFans. Meanwhile, JD Vance is still on the struggle bus with swing voters, especially women. Will Sommer, The Bulwark’s right-wing fever swamp correspondent, joins Sarah to break down the growing rift between the MAGA establishment and the America First wing—and what it means for 2028.By Will Sommer:MAGA Influencers Cheered Trump’s Venezuela War. Their Audience Said ‘WTF?!’Meet the First Groyper Politician

There's a lot of bad news right now—so much that none of it is breaking through that much to the voters we talked to. From the ICE killing of Renee Good to the Epstein files to the criminal investigation into Jerome Powell, Bulwark editor-at-large Bill Kristol joins Sarah for a reflective conversation on the tough times we live in and how voters are processing them.Get $30 off your first box and free croissants for life when you visit https://Wildgrain.com/FOCUSGROUP.Previous shows discussing the Epstein Files:With Will Sommer (November 2025)With Ashley Parker (September 2025)With Will Sommer (July 2025)

The United States just captured Venezuela's dictator, and we needed to get some quick voter reactions. Is this REALLY what the newest members of Trump's coalition voted for? We're also sensing growing discontent from them with the state of the country, and with the Trump administration governing more for its friends than for them. Atlantic staff writer Jonathan Chait joins the show to break down voter sentiment nearly a year into Trump's term.Let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. Join at https://RocketMoney.com/THEFOCUSGROUP.

Sarah started doing focus groups in 2018 and 2019 hoping to save the Republican Party from Trump—by finding a primary challenger who wouldn’t embarrass themselves. Instead, she discovered voters who were fine with Trump, and she picked up a years-long addiction that turned into this show. We listen to audio from Sarah’s earliest focus groups with reluctant Ohio Trump voters, and not-so-reluctant New Hampshire Trump voters. Then, Sarah and producer Conor Kilgore take some listener questions and look ahead to 2026 races.Get free shipping and 365 day returns with Quince at https://Quince.com/THEFOCUSGROUP.

A year in review from The Focus Group Podcast: the revealing moments, toughest conversations, and warnings that hit a little harder with hindsight—from swing voters to Democrats to cracks inside MAGA. Get 15% off OneSkin with the code THEFOCUSGROUP at https://www.oneskin.co/THEFOCUSGROUP #oneskinpod Original episodes: Nothing is True, Everything is Possible (with Anne Applebaum): https://audioboom.com/posts/8711563-nothing-is-true-everything-is-possible-with-anne-applebaum Do the Next Right Thing, Change the World (with Heather Cox Richardson): https://audioboom.com/posts/8741588-do-the-next-right-thing-change-the-world-with-heather-cox-richardson The GOP's Life After Trump (with Robert Draper): https://audioboom.com/posts/8806639-the-gop-s-life-after-trump-with-robert-draper

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s 'Make America Healthy Again' movement and its adherents have done some of the most harm of anyone in Donald Trump's second term. The voters who are motivated by 'MAHA' are also some of the most interesting. The Bulwark's resident healthcare expert, Jonathan Cohn joins the show to break down the policy consequences of RFK's healthcare regime, and what motivates the everyday 'MAHA' voter.By Jonathan Cohn:This Is What It Looks Like When RFK Jr. Wins

The American military used to be one of the more trusted institutions in America. In 2025, it's a major political football. But how much do voters know about the military and its proper use? Bulwark military expert, Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) joins the show.This holiday, give your loved ones the only gift that keeps on giving — health. Go to Superpower.com/gift to get a free $49 gift box with your gifted membership.Show notes: Get free shipping and 365 day returns with Quince at https://Quince.com/THEFOCUSGROUP.

Swing voters are pretty fed up with politics in general. They’re often “swingy” because they can’t really stand either party. And in our most recent focus group, they all let political leaders HAVE IT. We also check in with Maine Democratic primary voters on their U.S. Senate race, which is shaping up to be one of the biggest proxy wars in the Democratic Party in 2026 and is telling us a lot about what Democrats are more willing to tolerate from candidates, as long as they fight. New York Times-turned-Vox host Astead Herndon makes his return to the show.Get $30 off your first box with Wildgrain at https://Wildgrain.com/FOCUSGROUPBy Astead Herndon:Inside the Improbable, Audacious and (So Far) Unstoppable Rise of Zohran MamdaniHow Zohran Mamdani won over Donald Trump — for now

Donald Trump got elected in 2024 because voters felt prices were too high. But, as our guest says, that's not really a great thing for a politician to promise. So, as we head into the holiday season of Trump's first year back in office, how are his voters feeling about the state of the economy? New Bulwark economics editor Catherine Rampell joins the show to discuss the state of the economy and what politicians can and cannot do to fix it. We also hear from voters about how their holiday spending habits have changed since last year.By Catherine Rampell:Trump Is Falling Into the Same Trap That Ensnared BidenTrump’s One Weird Trick for Eliminating Bad News: Delete It

Donald Trump had to make an about-face on the Epstein Files because some Trump voters were getting…mildly annoyed. Will Sommer joins Sarah to hear them out. Then, Sen. Elissa Slotkin joins the show to discuss her PSA with her colleagues to the military and intelligence community, reminding them they can refuse illegal orders. They also discuss the recent government shutdown fight, and what Sen. Slotkin learned from winning several tough races in Michigan. NOTE: This episode discusses Sen. Slotkin and her colleagues’ message to the military and intelligence community that President Trump called “seditious behavior, punishable by death.” This conversation was taped before that Trump post. Take our quick listener survey and help us make The Bulwark even better. https://bit.ly/bulwarkaudio

There's always a possibility that Donald Trump will try to run for a third term. But plenty of Republicans don't even want that...for now. We asked some of Trump's base how they're feeling about a third term for him (their answers may surprise you!) and talk about Marjorie Taylor Greene's about-face, and the rise of antisemitism on the right. Robert Draper of The New York Times Magazine joins Sarah to walk through some of the key forces bubbling up on the right.show notesGet free shipping and 365 day returns this holiday season with Quince at https://Quince.com/THEFOCUSGROUP.By Robert Draper: Weapons of Mass Delusion Nick Fuentes: A White Nationalist Problem for the Right

We've heard a lot about how young men have shifted to the right...but this week's election showed young women moving to the left as well. Gen Z expert Rachel Janfaza, founder of The Up and Up, joins Sarah to discuss why young women have shifted to the left, why their male peers have shifted to the right, and why their life priorities are so different. They also discuss Gen Z's relationship with technology like AI, why Gen Z is a lonely generation, and the differences between Gen Z-ers who came of age before the pandemic, and after.show notes:Get your first three months with Mint Mobile for $15/month at https://MintMobile.com/THEFOCUSGROUP.JOB ALERT: Sarah is looking for a qualitative researcher to join her team! Apply here.By Rachel Janfaza in The Up and Up:More on the two gen zsYoung women are the story (And here's how to piss them off...)Nearly half of high schoolers have had a relationship with AI or know someone who hasTwice as many young people say religion is gaining influence in American lifeTrad Husbands > Trad Wives

No election in 2025 has been more impacted by the Trump presidency than the elections in Virginia. This state doesn't vote for MAGA candidates anymore, but their nominee for governor, Winsome Earle-Sears, isn't really campaigning like that. So one of Sarah's favorite Democrats, Abigail Spanberger, looks poised for a solid win on Election Day. Meanwhile in the Attorney General race, the Republican incumbent, Jason Miyares could pull off an unexpected comeback, so we talked to voters who are splitting their tickets between Spanberger and Miyares. Former Richmond Times-Dispatch columnist and University of Virginia Center for Politics scholar Jeff Schapiro joins the show to put this year's election in the context of Virginia's broad political evolution.Show notes: Jeff Schapiro in Crystal Ball: The Virginia Elections: Plenty of Late Drama, Although Not at the Top of the Ticket

The New Jersey governor's race is a little too close for comfort, after New Jersey had one of the largest swings toward Donald Trump of any state in the country, and the Democratic candidate, Mikie Sherrill is on track for a sub-optimal performance on Election Day against a sometimes-MAGA Republican, Jack Ciattarelli. Sarah doesn't let JVL on The Focus Group very often, but made an exception because he's one of The Bulwark's resident New Jerseyans. You don't want to miss this one.

Zohran Mamdani, the young, telegenic, democratic socialist state assemblyman, looks set to be New York City's next mayor. So how are New Yorkers feeling about turning the keys over to him? We asked some of his supporters and detractors. Harry Siegel, senior editor at The City, returns to the show to give his two cents on one of the wilder New York City races in recent memory.show notes: Get free shipping and 365 day returns from Quince at https://Quince.com/THEFOCUSGROUP.Get 30% off your first order with Soul at https://GetSoul.com with promo code THEFOCUSGROUP.By Harry Siegel: FAQ NYC Podcast

For the last few weeks, the Trump administration has escalated its authoritarian impulses, from pressuring ABC to cancel a late night host, to deploying the Texas National Guard to Chicago. You might call it "authoritarian," but the voters are just getting mildly queasy. The Bulwark's Andrew Egger joins the show to talk about the news, the voters, and how we're even supposed to cover it these days. By Andrew Egger: Morning Shots: The Insidious Effort to Rationalize Trump’s Lawfare Get your first three months with Mint Mobile for $15/month at https://MintMobile.com/THEFOCUSGROUP.

We haven't caught up with Democratic voters since the summer. So, who do they see in the Democratic Party who is distinguishing themselves? And, do Democratic voters really want to shut down the government? It turns out some of them are really wrestling with how to wield power. Dan Pfeiffer, co-host of Pod Save America and author of the Substack newsletter The Message Box joins Sarah to download on how the base of the party is feeling.Get free shipping and 365 day returns from Quince at https://Quince.com/THEFOCUSGROUP.By Dan Pfeiffer:Why Everyone Should Stop Freaking Out About Gavin Newsom's Social MediaThe Democratic Divide That Could Decide 2026 (and 2028)New NYT Poll Shows How Dems Can Win the Shutdown - and the Majority

Charlie Kirk was one of the most important figures in conservative media for over a decade, especially for Gen Z. We asked a couple of focus groups of young conservatives what Kirk meant to them, how they're grappling with his passing, and who else they think will take up his mantle on the right. Will Sommer, author of The Bulwark's False Flag newsletter, joins Sarah to discuss the state of young conservatives and his reporting on Kirk's legacy.Get your first three months with Mint Mobile for $15/month at https://MintMobile.com/THEFOCUSGROUP. Get 30% off your first order with Soul at https://GetSoul.com with promo code THEFOCUSGROUP.

Donald Trump is bleeding support from Hispanic voters, including from some who voted for him. So, we found some former Trump voters who are souring on him, and asked them why. Adrian Carrasquillo, author of The Bulwark's Huddled Masses newsletter, joins the show to discuss voter sentiments on immigration, the future of the immigration debate (especially among Democrats), and his on-the-ground reporting in cities around the country. By Adrian Carrasquillo: Trump Hasn’t Invaded Chicago, But the City Is Still Rattled Get free shipping and 365 day returns from Quince at https://Quince.com/THEFOCUSGROUP. For our friends in Canada, we added a second live show with Sarah, Tim and Sam to the schedule. Tickets are on sale now for our bonus Bulwark Live Q&A Matinee show on Saturday, September 27, here.

The murder of Charlie Kirk was the culmination of Americans' long-brewing fear of political violence. First, political violence expert Rachel Kleinfeld joins Sarah to discuss the ramifications of Kirk's death on the American body politic, and then Sarah discusses voters' fears of political violence that we've heard through the years.

Donald Trump has run into some summer doldrums...from the uncertainty in the economy, to his Big Beautiful Bill, to his refusal to come clean about Jeffrey Epstein. We're wondering how voters are processing the last couple of months. Atlantic staff writer Ashley Parker, who's covered Trump for over a decade, joins Sarah for our season premiere. By Ashley Parker: 'I Run the Country and the World' Flattery, Firmness, and Flourishes Why Is the National Guard in D.C.? Even They Don’t Know. Inside the White House’s Epstein Strategy

The Focus Group Podcast will be back for real in a couple of weeks, but by popular demand, Sarah and her producer, Conor Kilgore, take on some of our listeners' frequently asked questions about how and why they do all these focus groups.

The Focus Group Podcast is still on hiatus, but the Trump administration's walkback of the promised "Epstein Files" this week got us curious about how voters were thinking. The Bulwark's own Will Sommer sat down with Sarah to break down a focus group we convened with 2024 Trump voters who disapprove of Trump's job performance, and discuss how Democrats can talk about this Epstein news.

Our season finale is a bit of a pep talk. America is in a precarious place, but Americans everywhere are speaking up against the authoritarian threat. Historian extraordinaire Heather Cox Richardson joins Sarah to discuss the lessons history leaves for this moment, and Americans' role in fighting back. By Heather Cox Richardson: Letters from an American Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America

The New York City mayoral primary is "dumb" and getting lots of "dumb attention," at least according to our (radically candid) guest. Democratic voters face a choice between disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and the inexperienced socialist state assemblyman Zohran Mamdani. There's another candidate who was just arrested by ICE, which may shake up this race at the VERY end. The City's Harry Siegel joins Sarah for a wide-ranging conversation about New York City's politics today. By The City: The City's Meet Your Mayor Quiz FAQ NYC Podcast By Harry Siegel: NYC’s lousy election rules create lousy choices Mamdani’s moment for momentum: The surging socialist in the Democratic mayoral primary

Donald Trump's Big Beautiful Bill is moving through Congress, and you may be surprised by some former Trump voters' reactions. Bulwark in-house policy wonk Jonathan Cohn joins Sarah to talk about the bill's negative consequences and why healthcare has been such a political albatross for the Republican Party. We also learn that plenty of voters are irritated by Congress only seeming to pass 'big' bills these days.

The Democratic primary for New Jersey governor is crowded, and Democratic voters all over the map. But as always, they're united in wanting a candidate who can fight the Trump administration effectively. So which candidate can do it? Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report and the podcast The Odd Years makes her sixth appearance on the show to discuss how these off-year elections in New Jersey and Virginia can change the political environment.

Sarah had a busy travel schedule this week, so we're bringing you some raw audio. With the recent revelations about Joe Biden's mental state during his term, we asked a couple of groups of Democrats what they thought during (and after) his presidency, and how it might inform their thinking going forward. These voters liked Biden but supported his decision to withdraw from the 2024 race. The excerpts of these groups were edited for length and for participants' privacy.

Donald Trump is looking to pass his Big, Not-So-Beautiful Bill through Congress. To do it, he needs to get it past congressional Republicans. So what do Republican voters think of congressional leaders, and whether this bill is as big and beautiful as it seems? New York Times congressional reporter Annie Karni joins Sarah.By Annie Karni:Mad House: How Donald Trump, MAGA Mean Girls, a Former Used Car Salesman, a Florida Nepo Baby, and a Man with Rats in His Walls Broke CongressGo to https://surfshark.com/thefocusgroup or use code thefocusgroup at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN!

JD Vance is one heartbeat away from the presidency, and he's a big part of the Republican Party's future. It turns out, his ideas are also part of the reason the second Trump term has been a lot more pure MAGA than the first. POLITICO's Ian Ward returns to the show to recap Vance's first few months in office, his political future, and go deep on some of the New Right's major intellectual influences.By Ian Ward: The Spiritual Case for Greenland There’s No Need to Guess. JD Vance Is Ready to Ignore the Courts. Curtis Yarvin’s Ideas Were Fringe. Now They’re Coursing Through Trump’s Washington. The Seven Thinkers and Groups That Have Shaped JD Vance’s Unusual Worldview Go to https://surfshark.com/thefocusgroup or use code thefocusgroup at checkout toget 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN!

With Donald Trump's approval ratings falling, that means some of his voters aren't getting what they voted for. We talked to those voters, to find out what that does and doesn't mean about their relationship to this administration (spoiler: they DON'T wish they'd voted for Kamala Harris). Semafor's Dave Weigel joins the show to break down how those voters are feeling, and the battle lines for the upcoming legislative battles over Trump's agenda.show notesBy Dave Weigel:Democrats’ new pitch: Down with the kingDemocrats are all but done with Trump impeachment talk