The Lincoln Project

Host Reed Galen is joined by Mark Leibovich, author and Staff writer for The Atlantic, to discuss how Trump’s Washington was a result of inaction from those who “knew better”, why the media continues to hire people to toe the Trump line, and what will happen on election day if the GOP continues to take political losses. If you’d like to connect with The Lincoln Project, send an email to [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Author and Daily Beast Columnist Wajahat Ali to discuss the importance of President Joe Biden’s recent primetime speech in Philadelphia, why so many media outlets have been critical of the speech for all the wrong reasons, and the incestuous nature of the Washington media/political establishment. Plus, how does the nature of the modern day GOP inform the biblical story of Moses? If you’d like to connect with The Lincoln Project, send an email to [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Legendary Silicon Valley Marketer to discuss how Silicon Valley came to be the tech epicenter that it is, what led Silicon Valley to go to Washington, and the importance of history and how it can inform our future. Plus, what are the responsibilities of the tech sector to our nation as a whole? If you’d like to connect with The Lincoln Project, send an email to [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Anne Applebaum (Staff Writer for The Atlantic and Pulitzer-prize winning historian) to discuss the latest in Ukraine now that it’s been six months since the Russian invasion began, the development of the authoritarian movement in the United States, and why Trump’s supporters continue to support him throughout the documents investigation. Plus, how does one govern against a majority? If you’d like to connect with The Lincoln Project, send an email to [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Maya May (Comedian and Host of LPTV’s “We're Speaking” and “The Game We’re In”) to answer questions asked by YOU, the members of the Lincoln Project community. Listeners ask about the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago, the upcoming fall hearings from the House Select Committee on January 6th, the political futures of Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, and why Ron DeSantis is such a sinister threat to our nation’s democracy. Plus, what on earth is going on at CNN? As mentioned in the episode, here is the link to Ron DeSantis’ disturbingly bizarre “Top Gov” ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epwnsVTM-YA If you’d like to connect with The Lincoln Project, send an email to [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode was originally released on March 4, 2022. In this encore presentation, host Reed Galen is joined by John Avlon (Author and Senior Political Analyst/Anchor at CNN) to discuss how Abraham Lincoln’s character informed his commitment to an unconditional surrender from the Confederacy, how even though Lincoln was surrounded by reactionaries and radicals…he maintained the notion that there was more that united Americans than divides them, and how peace needs to be waged with the same intensity as war. Plus, how the wisdom of Lincoln and the founding fathers can be applied to the present moment for which our nation finds itself. Be sure to pick up John’s latest book Lincoln and the Fight for Peace at your favorite book retailer. If you’d like to connect with The Lincoln Project, send an email to [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by author, journalist, and QAnon expert Mike Rothschild to discuss how the QAnon conspiracy theory grew to be in the forefront of American political discourse, why it resonated so fervently with such a large percentage of the population, and how it continues to infect our nation’s culture today. Plus, is there a prescription to get the QAnon devout to “snap out of it” and denounce the conspiracy? For more on this, be sure to pick up Mike Rothschild’s latest book, The Storm Is Upon Us: How QAnon Became a Movement, Cult, and Conspiracy Theory of Everything, now available in paperback. If you’d like to connect with The Lincoln Project, send an email to [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Josiah Osgood (Professor of Classics at Georgetown University) to delve into how the political rivalry between Julius Caesar and Marcus Cato devolved into a toxic polarity which precipitated the end of the Roman Republic. They discuss how each actor came to power, what positions they ultimately stood for, their downfall, and what parallels we can make to our nation’s current political landscape. For more on this, be sure to pre-order, Uncommon Wrath: How Caesar and Cato's Deadly Rivalry Destroyed the Roman Republic. If you’d like to connect with The Lincoln Project, send an email to [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Maggie Severns, an investigative and domestic policy reporter with Grid. They discuss how the Conservative Partnership Institute rose to become one of the most powerful messaging voices in the MAGA-verse, how institutional support for Trumpism continues to grow, and how seemingly unserious players like Patrick Byrne, Mike Lindell, and Cleta Mitchell can actually do a fair amount of damage. Plus, how do you get to the Marshall Islands? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Journalist and Historian Garrett Graff to discuss this week’s raid on Donald Trump’s Florida home. They discuss how Trump's documents investigation came to be in the sights of DOJ, the similarities (and differences) between the raid and the Watergate scandal, and the notion that (as of yet) we have never seen Trump backed into a corner. They also offer their thoughts as to whether we are in the beginning, the middle, or the end of “The Trump Era”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Michael Teter, the Managing Director of The 65 Project, a bipartisan organization whose mission is to protect U.S. democracy through holding the lawyers accountable who raise fraudulent court claims with the goal of overturning legitimate elections results (named for Donald Trump’s 65 failed lawsuits aimed at overturning the 2020 presidential election). They discuss just how the 65 Project is holding lawyers like Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Ted Cruz, and the like accountable, why it’s so important to do so (even without past precedent), and how this work can disincentivize future disinformation campaigns in the same vein as “the Big Lie”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Lincoln Project Senior Advisors Trygve Olson and Jeff Timmer for the conclusion to their in-depth conversation about the 2022 midterm elections. The panel breaks down the November general election races they’ll be targeting in key states including Nevada, Missouri, Florida, Texas, and Utah. Plus, are Democrats taking the completely wrong approach when it comes to talking with non-white voters? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen welcomes back Lincoln Project Senior Advisors Trygve Olson and Jeff Timmer for an update as to where our nation stands 100 days out from the 2022 midterm elections. In “Part 1” of a two-part conversation, the panel discusses the latest in the “existential threat” races in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, what to look for in the upcoming primaries, and why it's so dangerous to underestimate the cavalcade of cartoonish, ultra-maga GOP candidates. Stay tuned for “Part 2”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Gary Gerstle, the Professor Emeritus and Director of Research in American History at Sidney Sussex College at the University of Cambridge. They discuss how the New Deal and its subsequent political order influenced American government throughout the Cold War, how the fall of communism gave way to mostly unfettered capitalism and the subsequent neoliberal order, and how this neoliberal order and the political and economic decisions made along the way led us to our present-day circumstance of political polarity and chaos. To hear more from Gary Gerstle, be sure to pick up his latest book, The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order: America and the World in the Free Market Era, available wherever fine books are sold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Lincoln Project Senior Advisor Trygve Olson to discuss the revelations of the eighth hearing from the House Select Committee on January 6th, how the committee serves as an example to all aspiring members of the pro-democracy coalition when it comes to setting aside ideological differences for a common belief, and how Donald Trump must never be allowed to set foot inside the Oval Office ever again. Plus, why the stakes for the 2022 midterms have never been higher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the eighth hearing, the last of its planned summertime hearings, the committee focuses on the more than 3 hours in between Trump’s January 6th speech where he encouraged rioters to march on the Capitol to when he tweeted for those rioters to go home. This hearing originally aired on Thursday, July 21, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen answers questions asked by the members of the Lincoln Project community about the absolutely riveting public January 6th Committee hearings, the always-growing-closer 2022 midterm elections, possible scenarios for the 2024 presidential election, and so much more! Plus, why Texas should do themselves a favor and keep Greg Abbott out of the governor’s mansion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by The Bulwark’s Tim Miller to discuss the psychological reasoning as to why so many Republicans supported Trump and his administration for as long as they did, how the culture of Washington can so easily warp the reality of those who work inside the beltway, and how all the Ron DeSantis hype is just a result of running Trumpism through the carwash and a dramatic shift in the Overton window. Plus how will the ultra-maga movement influence Donald Trump when he inevitably announces a 2024 presidential run. For more on this be sure to pick up Tim’s brand new New York Times Bestseller, Why We Did It: A Travelogue from the Republican Road to Hell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by fellow Lincoln Project Co-Founder Rick Wilson to recap the seventh public hearing from the House Select Committee on January 6th and give their reactions to the testimony heard…both taped and in-person. Plus, voting for the 2022 midterms begins in about six weeks…how are the hearings shifting election dynamics for the pro-democracy coalition? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the seventh hearing, the committee focuses on the role right-wing extremist groups played in the violence that took place on January 6th which interrupted the counting of electoral votes for the 2020 election. Plus, testimony from a former Oath Keepers "propagandist." This hearing originally aired on Tuesday, July 12, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Hugo Lowell, Congressional Reporter for The Guardian covering the January 6th Committee. In anticipation of this week’s Committee hearing, they recap the arc that’s been presented over the course of the last 5 weeks and preview what can be expected in the upcoming July 12th hearing. Plus, given the testimony and evidence presented by the committee…what will Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Department of Justice ultimately do when it comes to Donald Trump? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by political advisor and media-literacy expert Dietmar Pichler (Co-Founder of Vienna Goes Europe & Programmatic Director for the Center for Digital Media Literacy). They discuss the current state of the European region as a whole, especially in regards to the war in Ukraine and why media literacy is such a crucial tool in defending against disinformation…both Russian and otherwise. Plus, why is it so easy to spread disinformation…yet so difficult to debunk it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Nick Carmody (psychotherapist, lawyer, and Executive Board Member for the World Mental Health Coalition) to discuss from a psychological perspective, the evolution of the GOP and how its transforming from a cult of personality into a cult of tribe. If Donald Trump, Tucker Carlson, and Steve Bannon are the three pillars of the Republican party, how will they interact with each other in the near-future, and who will inevitably be the last man standing? Plus, the exponentially increasing political violence in our nation and a look back on key moments in the January 6th hearings. To read more from Nick Carmody, you can follow him on Twitter, @Nick_Carmody and visit patreon.com/NickCarmody. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Maya May (Comedian and Co-Host of LPTV’s, “We’re Speaking” & “The Game We’re In”) to break down and react to the bombshell sixth hearing from the January 6th Committee, in which surprise witness Cassidy Hutchinson (Former White House Aide to Mark Meadows) gave testimony that included accounts of Donald Trump’s disregard for weapons and safety of anyone but himself and of Donald Trump attacking his own secret service personnel when he was told he couldn’t go to the Capitol on January 6th. Plus, Reed and Maya answer questions from the Lincoln Project audience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the sixth hearing (also known as, “the emergency hearing”), the committee hears testimony from surprise witness Cassidy Hutchinson, Former White House Aide to Mark Meadows. Her testimony includes an account of Donald Trump attacking his own security personnel, Trump’s lunchtime temper tantrum, and how far he went encouraging violence against his own Vice President. This hearing originally aired on Tuesday, June 28, 2022 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Lincoln Project Senior Advisor Joe Trippi to discuss how Fox News has suddenly changed their tune on covering the hearings from the House Select Committee on January 6th, the SCOTUS overturning of Roe & Miranda and the the overall ultra-maga attack on the individual rights of all Americans, and what to make of the latest polling in key 2022 races. Plus, why “right now” is the best time to join “The Union”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the fifth hearing, the committee focuses on former President Trump's pressure campaign on DOJ officials to coerce them into helping with his plan to overturn the results of the 2020 election. This hearing originally aired on Thursday, June 23, 2022 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the fourth hearing, the committee focuses on the pressure former President Trump exerted on state legislators and state/local election officials to toss out the 2020 presidential election results. This hearing originally aired on Tuesday, June 21, 2022 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the third hearing, the committee focuses on the pressure campaign carried out on then-Vice President Mike Pence. This hearing originally aired on Thursday, June 16, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the second hearing, the committee focuses on “The Big Lie” and how Trump (along with his minions) kept it alive. This hearing originally aired on Monday, June 13, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There have been more than 1,000 interviews and over 140,000 documents. The bipartisan January 6th Committee makes its case to the public in this opening primetime hearing. This hearing originally aired on Thursday, June 9, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Barbara F. Walter, one of the world's leading experts on civil wars, political violence, and terrorism who is an Author and Professor of International Affairs at UC San Diego. They discuss what sorts of societal/political factors contribute to the dangerous likelihood of civil war, whether or not we’re seeing any of those factors in the United States, and what must be done to restore our democracy which is currently headed in the wrong direction. For more on this, be sure to pick up Barbara’s latest book, How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them at your local bookseller. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by David H. Laufman, Partner at Wiggin and Dana LLP and former Federal Prosecutor with the Department of Justice to discuss the latest with the House Select Committee on January 6th public hearings, what exactly the DOJ is looking for as they watch these hearings, and the different prosecution scenarios that could play out after the hearings. Plus, is political violence coming to a head in our nation? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by George Conway, Attorney and Contributing Columnist for The Washington Post. They discuss the legal implications of January 6th, the prosecutions that could ultimately come as a result of the case being built by the House Select Committee on January 6th, and what would Donald Trump’s motivations be to seek the Oval Office once again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Lincoln Project Senior Advisor Trygve Olson to discuss the revelations of the first two public hearings from the House Select Committee on January 6, what those revelations mean and will continue to mean for the Republican candidates who have hitched their wagon to “the big lie”, and what does the ever growing divide between Trump and MAGA mean for the future of the GOP. Plus, what do the public J6 hearings mean for the pro-democracy coalition in regards to the 2022 midterm elections? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Lincoln Project Senior Advisor Stuart Stevens to discuss what they are expecting in the first primetime public hearing from the House Select Committee on January 6th. Plus, why is Fox News going against the grain of every other major network and electing to not broadcast the hearing in favor of “counter-programming”...and what can we expect from the right wing apparatus as a whole throughout the course of the public J6 hearings? For more on this…be sure to check out Reed’s latest article: lincolnproject.us/fox-news-isnt-covering-jan-6th-its-not-about-you/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Dr. Jennifer Mercieca, a historian of American political rhetoric…and a Communications Professor at Texas A&M University. They analyze the intentional rhetoric used by both Donald Trump and Tucker Carlson, predict how that rhetoric will be used in response to this week’s public hearings from the House Select Committee on January 6th, and why the media and American people continue to let Trump and Tucker get away with their dangerous words. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Ron Insana (Senior Analyst and Commentator at CNBC) to discuss that current state of inflation and how it got this way, what is on the horizon for the American economy, and what are the potential consequences for corporations who waffle on key issues tied to our nation’s democracy. Plus, why is there an abundance of shock and awe when history inevitably repeats itself? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Bob Brandon, the President & CEO of the Fair Elections Center, a national, nonpartisan voting rights and election reform organization whose mission is to use litigation and advocacy to remove barriers to registration and voting. They discuss their outlook on the 2022 midterm elections, how various voter suppression tactics can be combated, and the exponentially increasing threats that elections officials and poll workers face. To learn more about the work of the Fair Elections Center, visit FairElectionsCenter.org. Plus, visit WorkElections.org to do your part to “Power the Polls” and become a poll worker on election day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Senior Defense Analyst and Author Brynn Tannehill to discuss the characteristics of fascism exhibited in the modern GOP and the trajectory for how those characteristics came to be. Plus, why are Americans so apprehensive to acknowledge the GOP’s dangerous autocratic threats and has the opportunity already passed to save our nation’s democracy? To hear more from Brynn Tannehill, be sure to pick up her latest book, American Fascism: How the GOP Is Subverting Democracy which is available wherever fine books are sold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Lincoln Project Senior Advisor Joe Trippi to discuss the latest in the investigation on January 6th and why strong leadership is key in keeping the insurrection top-of-mind as the November midterms continue to draw near. Plus, what could happen as a result of the too-close-to-call Pennsylvania Republican primary for U.S. Senate and why is it so crucial to keep a close election focused on the local...rather than getting baited into focusing on the national? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Class is now in session! Host Reed Galen is joined by fellow Lincoln Project Co-Founder Rick Wilson to break down what the Democrats must do to win the midterm elections in 2022 - how to fight, what opportunities to seize, and why the perfect message is so important. Plus, why is Mitch McConnell feeling blue and experiencing 2010 déjà vu. As mentioned in the show, here is the “Flag of Treason” ad. Also, don’t forget to pick up one or both of Rick Wilson’s New York Times bestselling books, Running Against the Devil and Everything Trump Touches Dies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Clint Watts (National Security Analyst and President & CEO of Miburo Solutions) to discuss Russia/Ukraine - including the strategies Russia is likely to deploy and how the Ukrainians can continue to successfully defend their nationhood, how the Russian people’s opinions are souring on the conflict as accurate reporting continues to trickle in, and how Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the model for a new generation of leadership on the international stage. Plus, what does the United States’ next generation of leadership look like and will this new generation of leaders arrive in time to win America’s fight for democracy? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Senator Mallory McMorrow, a Democratic member of the Michigan State Senate representing Michigan’s 13th District. They discuss the importance of Sen. McMorrow’s now viral speech in which she took to the Senate floor to defend herself against the absurd accusations from Republican State Senator Lana Theis who, in a fundraising email, had accused Sen. McMorrow of wanting to “groom and sexualize kindergarteners”. Can Sen. McMorrow’s response to the attack be a prescription for how the pro-democracy coalition can and should be fighting back against the authoritarian right? Plus, perspective on the Supreme Court’s leaked draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade and why Michigan is crucial in securing our nation’s democratic future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Author and Contributing Writer at The Atlantic Tom Nichols to discuss the implications of and the political landscape surrounding last week’s leaked Supreme Court draft opinion on overturning Roe v. Wade. Plus, Tom gives his expert perspective on Russia/Ukraine and why does America seem to have a short term memory problem when it comes to considering it's history? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Lincoln Project Senior Advisors Trygve Olson and Jeff Timmer for the conclusion to their in-depth conversation about the 2022 midterm elections. To start, the panel gives their criteria for how they score the upcoming 2022 elections and the unique decision to score them not on a scale of “Democrat to Republican” but rather on a scale of “Democracy to Autocracy”. Then, they do a deep dive into the races in the 4 most important states for the future of American democracy…also known as…the “WAMP” states (Wisconsin, Arizona, Michigan, and Pennsylvania). Plus, analysis into the upcoming races in Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Virginia, Alaska, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Lincoln Project Senior Advisors Trygve Olson and Jeff Timmer for an in-depth conversation about the 2022 midterm elections. In “Part 1” of a two-part conversation, the panel discusses “the game we know vs. the game we are forced to play” and how it relates to the present state of our nation’s democracy, the impacts of the 2022 political environment on 2024, and how we at the Lincoln Project uniquely view the different midterm races as interconnected and the strategies we plan to and are already deploying as a result. Stay tuned for “Part 2”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by David Rothkopf (Contributing Columnist for The Daily Beast and Host of Deep State Radio) to discuss the grades each of the major world leaders should receive in regards to how they’ve responded to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Plus, the GOP is in complete disarray but you wouldn’t know it by how they’re portrayed in the media…and are there any correlations between the recent French elections and what is going on in the United States? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Sarah Rumpf, communications strategist and contributing editor for Mediaite to discuss the latest in the ever-evolving Disney/DeSantis saga centered around the “Don’t Say Gay” bill now turned law. Plus, Toyota has resumed giving political contributions to members of the sedition caucus, and what drives Florida Governor Ron DeSantis…is it a passion to serve those who call Florida their home…or is it a passion to serve himself and his presidential run? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Lauren Windsor, the Executive Producer of The Undercurrent, to discuss how she’s continued to use her undercover journalism to fight against the ongoing threats against our nation’s democracy. She shares a recent infiltration with Congressman Jody Hice (GA-10) and gives an update on the constantly-evolving saga of John Eastman. Plus, the importance of connecting with voters in exurban and rural areas, and is there an explanation to the recent influx of insanity in the GOP? To keep up with Lauren Windsor, be sure to follow @lawindsor on Twitter and check out TheUndercurrent.tv. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices