Best Michael Heilemann Podcasts (2025)

1
Michael Osterholm: Be Afraid – Very Afraid – of RFK Jr. & The Next Pandemic 1:04:40

Play Pause

14d ago1:04:40

1:04:40

John welcomes world-renowned epidemiologist Dr. Michael Osterholm to discuss the threats to America’s public health system under Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Osterholm catalogues the damage Donald Trump’s Secretary of Health & Human Services has inflicted in just seven months in office; the misstatements and misinformation he put forward in his recent ap…

1
Floyd Abrams: Comey, Kimmel, & Trump’s Limitless Enemies List 1:11:36

3h ago1:11:36

1:11:36

John welcomes celebrated First Amendment lawyer Floyd Abrams to discuss Donald Trump’s efforts to stifle and/or prosecute his political opponents. Abrams—who has argued more free-speech cases before the Supreme Court than any attorney and whose clients have ranged from the New York Times in the Pentagon Papers case to Mitch McConnell in Citizens Un…

1
Introducing Simpsons Declassified with Nancy Cartwright 2:09

2d ago2:09

2:09

Simpsons fans —THE VAULT IS OPEN! I’m Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simpson for 35+ years, and I’m finally taking you inside Springfield. Simpsons Declassified is your all-access pass to the world’s most iconic, animated series. Each week, we crack open wild predictions, eerie coincidences and fan conspiracies and stories from 36 seasons (tha…

1
Rahm Emanuel: Jimmy Kimmel Shows Why Growing a Pair > Bending the Knee 1:13:21

3d ago1:13:21

1:13:21

John welcomes Rahm Emanuel—former Democratic Illinois congressman, White House chief of staff, mayor of Chicago, U.S. ambassador to Japan, and likely 2028 presidential candidate—to discuss the lessons of the Jimmy Kimmel conniption; how the broadcast networks could band together to beat back Donald Trump's regulatory and legal campaign against them…

1
Drew Nieporent: The Restaurateur Who Remade New York 1:08:45

7d ago1:08:45

1:08:45

John welcomes Drew Nieporent, the celebrated owner-operator behind Nobu, Tribeca Grill, and Montrachet, to discuss his new memoir, “I’m Not Trying To Be Difficult: Stories From the Restaurant Trenches.” Nieporent describes his role in transforming the stuffy, fussy, French-focused fine dining culture of New York in the 1970s into the dynamic, freew…

1
Robert Draper & David Frum: Charlie Kirk Assassination Aftershocks 1:19:59

10d ago1:19:59

1:19:59

John welcomes New York Times scribe Robert Draper and Atlantic staff writer and podcast host David Frum to discuss the political reverberations from the fatal shooting of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. Draper joins the show from Kirk’s home base in Arizona, and assesses the impact of the shooting on those who revered him in the MAGA movement and…

1
Frank Figliuzzi: Charlie Kirk’s Killing & America’s Political Violence Crisis 1:14:12

17d ago1:14:12

1:14:12

John welcomes former FBI assistant director Frank Figliuzzi back to the show to discuss the murder of Charlie Kirk. Figliuzzi assesses the state of the investigation into the apparent assassination and manhunt for the killer; what we know and don’t know on the basis of the evidence that's been made public; what’s driving thecross-partisan epidemic …

1
Rob Reiner: The Spinal Tap Sequel, Like the Original, Goes to 11 1:08:45

21d ago1:08:45

1:08:45

John welcomes writer, director, and actor Rob Reiner to the show to discuss the release of the sequel to his genre-defining 1984 mockumentary “This Is Spinal Tap” — “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues". Reiner explains why it took 30 years for the follow-up to get made; how the original film went from box-office dud to cultural landmark; and its infl…

1
Leigh Ann Caldwell: 12 Angry Women (& One Addled Man) Hit Capitol Hill 56:55

24d ago56:55

56:55

John welcomes Puck’s chief Washington correspondent, Leigh Ann Caldwell, back to the show to discuss Congress’s return to work after its August recess. Leigh Ann assesses the political potency (and limitations) of the public display of solidarity by a phalanx of Jeffrey Epstein survivors in the face of Donald Trump’s continued insistence that the s…

1
Jonathan Mahler: NYC’s 1980s Reinvention & The 40-Year Era it Spawned 1:31:53

28d ago1:31:53

1:31:53

John welcomes Jonathan Mahler, New York Times Magazine staff writer and bestselling author of “The Bronx Is Burning,” to discuss his new book, “The Gods of New York: Egotists, Idealists, Opportunists, and the Birth of the Modern City: 1986-1990.” Mahler unpacks the reinvention of the Big Apple in the second half of the Eighties; riffs on the outsiz…

1
Presenting: The C-Word 2:37

29d ago2:37

2:37

With every episode, Lena Dunham and Alissa Bennett take you on a historical deep dive into the life of a woman society dismissed by calling her mad, sad, or just plain bad: Lindsay Lohan, Judy Garland, Winona Ryder, Mariah Carey, Lil Kim and many more. Join them for a rich, hilarious, and heartbreaking look into exactly what it means when we call a…

1
Chuck Klosterman: Oasismania Overcomes America 1:39:55

1M ago1:39:55

1:39:55

John welcomes legendary music and pop culture writer, thinker, and theoretician Chuck Klosterman to talk about the runaway success of the Oasis reunion tour and why America is suddenly gaga for the band 30 years after its peak. For those too young to remember the Britpop era or too addled to recall it clearly, Klosterman explains just how huge Oasi…

1
James Talarico: Flipping Seats & Flipping Tables in the Lone Star State 1:07:13

1M ago1:07:13

1:07:13

John welcomes Democratic Texas state representative James Talarico to discuss the escalating war over redistricting kicked off by Lone Star State Republicans. In the wake of Texas's enactment of a new congressional map sought by Donald Trump and designed to deliver five House seats to the GOP in next year’s midterms, Talarico explains why the two-w…

1
Michael McFaul: Trump’s Red Carpet & Putin’s Middle Finger 1:08:00

1M ago1:08:00

1:08:00

John welcomes Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia, back to the show to discuss the past week’s flurry of diplomatic efforts to bring an end to the war in Ukraine. McFaul analyzes the meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska; the subsequent visit of Volodymyr Zelensky and a phalanx of European leaders to the White House…

1
Dan Pfeiffer: Gavin’s Gamble, J.B.’s Jibes & Other Harbingers of 2028 1:05:27

1M ago1:05:27

1:05:27

John welcomes Pod Save America cohost, Message Box author, and former top Obama adviser Dan Pfeiffer back to the show to discuss the burgeoning competition to be the face of the Democratic Party’s future. Pfeiffer assesses the risks and rewards of California governor Gavin Newsom’s redistricting gambit for his presidential ambitions; the efforts of…

1
Christine Brennan: Caitlin Clark’s Culture Wars & the WNBA’s Cluelessness 1:31:17

1M ago1:31:17

1:31:17

John welcomes USA Today sports columnist Christine Brennan to discuss her runaway bestseller “On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women's Sports.” Brennan lays out the formative experiences that turned Clark into a national sensation; the WNBA’s lack of preparation to capitalize on the surge in popularity, income and impact that her ar…

1
Robert Garcia: “Things Are Fucked Up” 57:39

2M ago57:39

57:39

John welcomes second-term Democratic congressman and former mayor of Long Beach, CA, Robert Garcia to talk about the imperative for his party to move away from “respectability politics” to combat the Trump 2.0 agenda. Garcia explains why the Texas redistricting fight transcends the particulars of the Lone Star State as a central part of Donald Trum…

1
Anne Applebaum: Nihilism in Sudan & Orbanism in the USA 1:05:50

2M ago1:05:50

1:05:50

John welcomes Atlantic staff writer Anne Applebaum back to the show to discuss her new cover story in The Atlantic on the devastating civil war in Sudan. Applebaum—whose 2004 tome “Gulag: A History” won the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction and whose most recent book, “Autocracy, Inc.” comes out in paperback this month—explains how anarchy…

1
Adam Pritzker & Daniel Squadron: Detoxifying the Democratic Brand 1:24:09

2M ago1:24:09

1:24:09

John is joined by Adam Pritzker and Daniel Squadron, co-founders of a pair of increasingly influential Democratic groups trying to cure what ails their party by looking WAY beyond Washington, D.C.—to the nation’s state legislatures. Pritzker and Squadron explain the genesis of the States Project, which they formed eight years ago and is already the…

1
Remnick & Miliband: Moral Crises & Killing Fields in Israel & Gaza 1:16:02

2M ago1:16:02

1:16:02

John welcomes David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker, and David Miliband, head of the International Rescue Committee, to discuss Israel’s war with Hamas and the humanitarian horror show unfolding in Gaza. Having just authored his fourth major reported piece on the conflict since October 7, 2023, Remnick explains Israel’s sense of “national euphori…

1
Bob Shrum: Deep State Donald & The Democratic Messaging Imperative 1:14:06

2M ago1:14:06

1:14:06

John welcomes legendary Democratic strategist Bob Shrum to discuss Donald Trump’s inability to extricate himself from the Jeffrey Epstein quagmire and the opportunity for Democrats to weave the story into a broader political narrative. The Los Angeles-based Shrum, who rose to prominence as Ted Kennedy’s speechwriter and played a central role on bot…

1
Maggie Haberman: The Epstein Metastasis 1:08:41

2M ago1:08:41

1:08:41

John welcomes Maggie Haberman, New York Times White House Correspondent and author of the bestselling “Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump & The Breaking of America,” to discuss the ongoing Jeffrey Epstein imbroglio and why Trump has thus far been entirely unsuccessful in his efforts to stanch the bleeding from what may prove to be the most …

1
Todd Purdum: How Desi Arnaz & “I Love Lucy” Created the TV Business 1:12:32

2M ago1:12:32

1:12:32

John welcomes legendary former New York Timesman Todd Purdum to the show to discuss his new book, “Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television.” Purdum tells the story of Arnaz's rise to become the most powerful and influential Latino executive in Hollywood history: from his arrival in America as a Cuban refugee in the 1930s to his first taste of f…

1
Lis Smith: MAGA & The Manosphere Turn On Trump 1:13:46

2M ago1:13:46

1:13:46

John welcomes Democratic media strategist and crisis communications wizard Lis Smith—who has worked for candidates ranging from Barack Obama and Pete Buttigieg to Andrew Cuomo and Eliot Spitzer—to discuss the ongoing MAGA meltdown over the Jeffrey Epstein files. Lis explains why the Epstein scandal is different (in severity and in kind) than any of…

1
Will Leitch: Games People Play 1:12:36

3M ago1:12:36

1:12:36

John welcomes Will Leitch—New York Magazine columnist, MLB.com national correspondent, and author of the acclaimed new novel “Lloyd McNeil’s Last Ride”—back to the show to discuss the mix of sports, culture, and politics that mingle on his journalistic playground. A year out from the next World Cup, Leitch weighs in on the Trump administration’s ca…

1
Nicolle Wallace: Why MAGA Went Ballistic Over Epstein & The Bear Heals All Wounds 1:14:13

3M ago1:14:13

1:14:13

John welcomes his bestie Nicolle Wallace, host of MSNBC’s Deadline White House, back to the show to discuss the intra-MAGA fallout from Donald Trump and Pam Bondi’s Trump failure to release the long-rumored list of Jeffrey Epstein’s clients; Nicolle’s new podcast, The Best People, and why its approach to politics is so different from than her daily…

1
Andrew Sullivan: Trump as King, State Terror Tactics & The Anti-Trans Backlash 1:24:53

3M ago1:24:53

1:24:53

John welcomes Andrew Sullivan—former editor of The New Republic, first-wave blogger, current Substacker, pioneering gay marriage advocate, #BritishGayCatholicConservative public intellectual, and controversy magnet for nearly 40 years—to discuss the Trump 2.0 era and Sullivan’s recent New York Times op-ed, “How the Gay Rights Movement Radicalized a…

1
Ben Kweller: Love, Loss, Grief, Hope & The Healing Power of Music 1:13:24

3M ago1:13:24

1:13:24

In a special July 4th weekend episode, John welcomes the country rock/indie folk/Americana musician Ben Kweller to talk about his remarkable new record, “Cover The Mirrors,” and the journey of love, loss, and recovery that inspired it. A musical prodigy who burst on the rock scene nearly 30 years ago as a teenaged phenom, Kweller explains the role …

1
Angus King & Jason Crow: Casus Belli & Caveat Emptor re Iran 1:15:51

3M ago1:15:51

1:15:51

John welcomes Independent Senator Angus King of Maine and Democratic Congressman Jason Crow of Colorado to discuss the strategic and political fallout from America’s bombing of Iran. In back-to-back conversations, King and Crow—both members of the intelligence and armed services committees on their respective sides of Capitol Hill—contend that they…

1
Ron Chernow: Forever the Twain Shall Meet 1:31:07

3M ago1:31:07

1:31:07

John is joined by National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize winning author Ron Chernow to discuss his new, best-selling biography, “Mark Twain.” Chernow explains why Twain, whom he argues was America’s original political pundit, exerts a powerful and enduring hold on America’s imagination; why his insights and humor remain not just relevant today but …

1
Tim Miller: Why Iran is Making J.D. Squirm & MAGA Media Melt Down 1:10:39

3M ago1:10:39

1:10:39

John welcomes The Bulwark’s Tim Miller back to the pod to discuss the split in Donald Trump’s base over his military gambit in Iran, the New York Democratic mayoral race, and more. Tim digs into why the stars of MAGA media are at each other’s throats over Trump's Middle East moves; how the political fallout could impact the GOP nomination contest i…

1
Jeremy Bash: Point of No Return 1:28:14

3M ago1:28:14

1:28:14

John is joined by former C.I.A. and Pentagon chief of staff Jeremy Bash to discuss the decision facing Donald Trump about going to war with Iran. Bash explains the history of the Iranian nuclear program and where it likely stands today; what Israel’s dramatic new efforts to destroy it have and haven’t achieved; the intelligence, domestic political …

1
Tom Nichols: L.A. Was a Dress Rehearsal 1:23:21

4M ago1:23:21

1:23:21

John welcomes U.S. Naval War College professor emeritus and Atlantic staff writer Tom Nichols back to the pod to discuss the implications of Donald Trump’s militarization of law enforcement in Los Angeles and an array of related topics. Nichols argues that Trump’s mobilization of the National Guard and the Marines to deal with protests of his depor…

1
Jeh Johnson: On Trump, Newsom, Noem, Padilla, & America’s Homeland Insecurities 1:33:08

4M ago1:33:08

1:33:08

John is joined by former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson to discuss President Trump’s deployment of National Guard and Marine Corps troops to Los Angeles in the face of protests of his immigration policies. Johnson explains how he would have assessed the situation in LA if he were still leading DHS; the dangers of tasking the U.S. milita…

1
Karen Hao: Superintelligence & Supreme Hype on the A.I. Frontier 1:17:26

4M ago1:17:26

1:17:26

John is joined by journalist Karen Hao to discuss her new book, “Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI,” and both the promise and the perils of the coming age of artificial intelligence. Hao explains how OpenAI went from being an altruistic nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that A.I. would “benefit all of humanity” to a burgeonin…

1
Miles Taylor: Anonymous No More 1:31:26

4M ago1:31:26

1:31:26

John is joined by former Department of Homeland Security chief of staff Miles Taylor to discuss the recent executive order by Donald Trump directing federal law enforcement agencies to investigate Taylor (for unnamed and unknown crimes) and his fledgling efforts to fight back. Taylor—who rose to prominence during Trump's first term with a New York …

1
Robert Wolf: Elon’s Adios, Biden Agonistes & The TACO That Ate Trump 1:18:09

4M ago1:18:09

1:18:09

John is joined by former CEO of UBS Americas and Democratic mega-donor Robert Wolf to discuss the exit of Elon Musk from the White House and Donald Trump’s latest economic-policy gyrations. The recipient of three presidential appointments from Barack Obama and one from Joe Biden, Wolf explains why Musk’s foray into government was always bound to en…

1
David Hogg: Hope I Die Before I Get Old 1:17:48

4M ago1:17:48

1:17:48

John is joined by Parkland survivor, gun control activist, and embattled DNC vice chair David Hogg to discuss the controversies swirling around him and what his party needs to do to fix itself. Hogg explains the rationale behind his plan to spend $20 million through his Leaders We Deserve PAC to elect younger candidates who embrace a combative anti…

1
Mark Whitaker: Why Malcolm X Still Matters 1:12:41

4M ago1:12:41

1:12:41

John is joined by Mark Whitaker to discuss his new book, “The Afterlife of Malcolm X: An Outcast Turned Icon’s Enduring Impact on America.” A former editor in chief of Newsweek, Washington bureau chief for NBC News, and managing editor of CNN Worldwide, Whitaker lays out the two narrative threads at the heart of his book: the first, a deep explorat…

1
Jake Tapper & Alex Thompson: Joe Biden's Sins & His Party's Penance 1:17:33

4M ago1:17:33

1:17:33

John is joined by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios's Alex Thompson to discuss their scoop-filled, headline-spawning, controversy-stirring new book, "Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again." Jake and Alex explain the nature and central players in the concealment of the decline in President Biden's me…

1
Pablo Torre: Influence + Audience = The Cultural Supremacy of Sports 1:22:11

4M ago1:22:11

1:22:11

Pablo Torre, ESPN and MSNBC commentator and host of the Edward R. Murrow Award-winning video podcast Pablo Torre Finds Out, is back with John to weigh in on an assortment of red-hot stories at the intersection of sports, culture, and politics: from the backlash in Canada against Wayne Gretzky over his association with Donald Trump and the reinstate…

1
David Jolly: On the Take in the Middle East 1:10:35

5M ago1:10:35

1:10:35

John is joined by former Florida Republican congressman David Jolly to discuss Donald Trump’s trip to the Mideast and the naked corruption on display in his embrace of a $400 million 747 gifted by Qatar to serve as a new Air Force One; disarray among House Republicans over the “one big, beautiful bill," and Jolly’s defection to the Democratic Party…

1
Davis Guggenheim: “Deaf President Now!” & The Power of Documentaries 1:35:38

5M ago1:35:38

1:35:38

John is joined by the Oscar and Emmy Award-winning documentarian Davis Guggenheim to discuss his new film for Apple TV +, “Deaf President Now!” Davis lays out the story behind the movie, which revolves around a student protest that erupted over eight days in 1988 at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC, the world’s only university for the deaf, a…

1
Ashley Parker & Michael Scherer: It’s Good to Be the King 1:07:27

5M ago1:07:27

1:07:27

John is joined by Atlantic staff writers Ashley Parker and Michael Scherer to discuss their new cover story on the remarkable political resurrection that returned Donald Trump to the White House and imbued him with a patina of invincibility—and the recent signs that this veneer is starting to crack. Parker and Scherer weigh in on Trump’s tete-a-tet…

1
Anthony Scaramucci: Kissing Ass & Taking Names 1:02:52

5M ago1:02:52

1:02:52

John is joined by hedge fund manager Anthony Scaramucci to discuss the first White House personnel shake-up of Donald Trump’s second term and the culture of sycophancy in his cabinet. Scaramucci — who served a famously shambolic 11-day stint at Trump’s communications director in 2017 — offers his take on why Mike Waltz lost his job as national secu…

1
Ben Smith: Trump's Gravity Bong & Silicon Valley's Samizdat 1:16:18

5M ago1:16:18

1:16:18

John is joined by Semafor editor-in-chief Ben Smith to discuss the role of private group chats in pushing Silicon Valley's politics to the right—and many of its most powerful figures into the arms of Donald Trump. Ben lays out how dozens of hush-hush Signal and WhatsApp groups emerged during Covid among the tech elite in reaction to what its member…

1
Peter Hamby: The First 100 Days (Almost) of Trump 2.0 1:10:35

5M ago1:10:35

1:10:35

On the eve of Donald Trump’s 100th day back in office, John is joined by his Puck Political Superfriend and partner Peter Hamby to look back on what 45/47 hath wrought since January 20 — what has mattered and what hasn’t; the most truly surprising, most entirely predictable, and most grievously overlooked developments and storylines; and both the s…

1
Susan Morrison: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night (Live) 1:20:26

5M ago1:20:26

1:20:26

John is joined by Susan Morrison, articles editor of The New Yorker, to discuss “Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live,” her biography of SNL creator and producer Lorne Michaels. Morrison argues that no one has done more to shape modern America’s sense of humor than Michaels, an enigmatic Canadian about whom most Americans know nothing; a…

1
Introducing: What We Spend 11:24

5M ago11:24

11:24

Imagine if you could ask someone anything you wanted about their finances. On What We Spend, people from across the country and across the financial spectrum are opening their wallets—and their lives—to tell you everything: what they make, what they want, and—for one week—what they spend. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices …

1
Conway & Stevens: Kilmar’s Fate, Harvard’s Fight & America's Last Best Hope 1:10:13

5M ago1:10:13

1:10:13

John is joined by a pair of former GOP panjandrums turned NeverTrump stalwarts — attorney George Conway and political strategist Stuart Stevens — to discuss the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case and Donald Trump’s efforts to turn the U.S. into a police state. Conway and Stevens argue that the guardrails preventing that outcome are banged up but still holdi…