Best Adam Kirkpatrick Podcasts (2025)

1
Mark Hertling: Performative and Deadly 55:02

Play Pause

15h ago55:02

55:02

The lethal U.S. military strike on a speedboat in the Caribbean was more about putting on a show than countering the drug trade out of South America. And it's not even clear that the people killed on the boat were running drugs, or that any contraband was bound for America. Meanwhile, if senators are truly concerned that local police departments ar…

1
Lina Khan: The Impunity of the Elites 45:04

1d ago45:04

45:04

The economic populists at the Nat Con conference may be talking a lot about elites screwing over the little guy, but the Trump administration itself has been catastrophic for working people—its policies are all about doing special favors for elite interests. And while many loud voices in Silicon Valley cursed the Biden administration for blocking s…

1
Stuart Stevens: Say They're Not Patriots 52:24

3d ago52:24

52:24

Democrats need to learn to fight like Republicans. So when senators with serious foreign policy chops vote to confirm a middling weekend talk show host as secretary of defense, Dems need to call them out for being unpatriotic. And when they allow an ex-junkie to sabotage vaccines that have saved millions of American lives, say they're destroying th…

1
Jonathan V. Last: Burning Things Down 43:05

4d ago43:05

43:05

Red States are flexing their muscles and imposing their will on the other states through their coordinated redistricting efforts. And if they deploy their Guard troops to other blue cities beyond D.C., the only real precedent would be the era before the Civil War when the South tried to force more slave states on the union. Meanwhile, the infightin…

1
Tom Nichols: America's Problem Child 53:43

7d ago53:43

53:43

Trump is like a dysfunctional 8-year-old whose parents are always in the principal's office arguing that their son is a good boy. The media, CEOs, and Wall Street keep giving him a pass for his behavior while his supporters and apologists explain why he just had to set the school on fire. At the same time, he's empowering ideologues behind the scen…

1
Sam Stein and Talmon Smith: Brain Drain 1:10:46

8d ago1:10:46

1:10:46

The resignations of senior leaders at the CDC is a calamity. People with decades of expertise in infectious disease are leaving the agency because the new director—who Trump just appointed—refused to get on board with RFK's anti-vax crusade, including limiting access to Covid boosters. And Wednesday's violence in Minneapolis may be a sign that the …

1
Jake Sullivan: Trump Is Making China Great Again 59:24

9d ago59:24

59:24

A year ago, China was globally isolated and its economy was struggling. But once Trump was back in office pursuing his own personal and political gain, the U.S. brand got tossed in the toilet and the view from Beijing got pretty sweet. Trump has allowed China to buy American microchips that could be used against our own national security interests,…

1
Susan Glasser: An Exercise in National Humiliation 50:41

10d ago50:41

50:41

Some rando far-right social media suck-up, who Trump rewarded with an appointment to his administration, is pushing mortgage fraud investigations of Adam Schiff, Tish James, and now Fed governor Lisa Cook. Trump claims he's fired Cook based on a tweet—but will any institution stand up to these McCarthy-like campaigns against his political foes? Mea…

1
Bill Kristol: March to Dictatorship 51:25

11d ago51:25

51:25

Trump and his people have used the summer months to up the despot game—sending armed troops into the streets, taking over the police in D.C., and promising to export the same tactics to even more blue cities. And the attempted deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Uganda shows the lengths the administration will go for not submitting to its coerci…

1
Tommy Vietor: Trump's Security State 1:11:29

14d ago1:11:29

1:11:29

The fears of jack-booted thugs and the military in the streets that filled the fever dreams of numerous people on the right since the 90s have come to pass. Not to mention that these are boom times for private prisons, deportation camps, and huge data centers driving up electricity bills. (We're building things, Marc Andreessen!) Meanwhile, The Bul…

1
Garry Kasparov and Jerusalem Demsas: Democracy Can't Defend Itself 1:12:56

15d ago1:12:56

1:12:56

While Trump keeps working hard on his own monetization and glorification—and delivers a Watergate practically every hour—the pro-democracy coalition must stay focused on winning next year's midterm elections. Trump is at the point of no return, Congress is becoming the only institution that can stop him, and holding onto that lever of power is his …

1
Adam Kinzinger: Don't Feed the Dictator 58:48

16d ago58:48

58:48

Russia is losing the war in Ukraine. More than 1 million Russian troops have been killed or injured, and it's been estimated that it would take another four years and 2 million more soldiers for Putin to conquer the Donbas region. So no, Ben Shapiro, getting Ukraine to sacrifice the region in return for some kind of security guarantee would not be …

1
David Kirkpatrick: Trump's Self-Enrichment 50:49

17d ago50:49

50:49

Back in the day, Trump used to puff up his wealth to get on the Forbes list. Lately though, he doesn't talk about how much money he has, especially now that he and his family have pocketed an estimated $3.4 billion off his time in the White House. The bulk of those billions comes from various crypto-related ventures—and money from foreign nationals…

1
Bill Kristol: Authoritarian Takeover 44:36

18d ago44:36

44:36

Militarizing the nation's capital is not a distraction, and Democrats really need to stop using that term. Trump is trying to seize power, intimidate the public, and foment violence in the streets. And it's a purposeful MAGA marketing campaign—the masked federal thugs often have a camera person with them as they tase and tackle people. This is a fi…

1
Hakeem Jeffries: More Is More 1:05:27

21d ago1:05:27

1:05:27

While Donald Trump delivers chaos, cruelty, and corruption—and Republicans play the facts-and-hypocrisy don't matter game— Democrats have to do more rallies, more town halls, and more hearings, on and off the Hill. And if Leader Jeffries gets the gavel after the midterms, he promises investigations into Trump's huge pay-to-play scheme and says that…

1
Michael Weiss: Helsinki in Anchorage? 51:14

22d ago51:14

51:14

At the Alaska summit, Putin will likely be angling for a sequel of the Helsinki meeting, the infamous tête-à-tête in 2018 where Trump got rolled and cajoled. And because Trump refuses to accept that his charisma and imaginary friendship with Vladimir will never be enough to close a ceasefire deal, the best outcome for Ukraine is that Putin makes Tr…

1
Jason Calacanis: Anarcho Capitalism 1:07:29

23d ago1:07:29

1:07:29

Tim Cook groveling to Trump with a golden trophy and a dash of MAGA identity politics is probably a sign that we are not currently living in a healthy free-market economy. But business leaders apparently prefer pathetically sucking up to a president than feeling snubbed by one, like they did with Biden. And despite the sluggish job growth, rising p…

1
Amanda Carpenter: Fake Emergencies 59:42

24d ago59:42

59:42

Trump keeps creating all these phony crises—an 'invasion' at the border, immigrants in the interior, crime in D.C.—so he can put on a show of force for his white base. He's also declaring fake emergencies on college campuses so he can shake them down, or declaring an economic emergency to impose tariffs. Now, he's looking at a 'quick reaction force…

1
Bill Kristol: The Lawless Administration 49:02

25d ago49:02

49:02

Crime is down in D.C., but Trump is using the pretext of an attempted carjacking of "Big Balls," the former 19-year-old DOGE employee, to take over the city's police department and deploy the National Guard. It's a threat to other blue cities, and an ominous sign ahead of 2026 and 2028. Meanwhile, the DOJ has appointed 'a special attorney' and empa…

1
Lis Smith: Dems Need to Burn Down the Party Establishment 51:05

28d ago51:05

51:05

There's a direct line between when the Democratic Party got nationalized and when it started getting wiped out in red states. Dems need to embrace heterodoxy in their candidates—running in New York City is not the same as running in Nebraska. And the party has to exorcise itself of people like Andrew Cuomo. Plus, the administration has upped the cr…

1
Anne Applebaum: What USAID's Absence Looks Like on the Ground 50:42

29d ago50:42

50:42

The United States, through USAID, not only supplied a big chunk of the world's humanitarian aid, it also provided almost all of the logistical support for other aid organizations to deliver relief as well. Now in Sudan, where the state has disintegrated and millions of people are trying to flee anarchy and civil war, virtually no Western organizati…

1
Zerlina Maxwell and Josh Barro: We Are in a Bad Place 1:10:48

30d ago1:10:48

1:10:48

Gerrymandering has always been partisan, but what's happening in Texas is straight-up racial politics. Republicans are targeting and trying to disenfranchise black voters while betting that Latino voters will stick with them. And because Trump hasn't had a lot of luck making the furor over Epstein and Ghislaine go away, JD is stepping in to host a …

1
Chuck Todd: Is the Economy the Biggest Political Threat to Trump? 54:45

1M ago54:45

54:45

Voters in the seven swing states that elected Trump in 2024 thought he'd make the economy better. His perceived strength on the economy is the cornerstone Jenga piece of the whole Trump Tower. And he keeps making the economy worse. Meanwhile, Democratic voters are highly engaged—but just not with the party, whose brand is struggling. Plus, Republic…

1
Bill Kristol: This Is So Third World 56:41

1M ago56:41

56:41

The boss only wants to hear good news: that's the takeaway from Trump's high-profile firing over the weak job numbers. So if a government worker has something bad to report, they now know they'll have to lie to keep their jobs. And this isn't only about key information on the economy—it's also about hurricane forecasts, intel threats, and potential…

1
Dan Osborn: Connecting with Working People 54:33

1M ago54:33

54:33

Osborn, the populist independent who ran a surprisingly close campaign for a Senate seat in Nebraska last year, is back for another run in the 2026 midterms. A steamfitter and union member, he says he naturally connects with other workers drawing paychecks who are feeling the squeeze. And he likes to point out that his opponent last time took money…

1
Marc Elias: An Election War Machine 51:29

1M ago51:29

51:29

Texas Republicans are busy gerrymandering their already gerrymandered congressional map, and other red states are looking to do the same—all aimed at blocking the Dems from winning back the House and shielding Donald Trump at all costs. Meanwhile, the DOJ is trying to get state voter rolls and is laying the groundwork for interfering in the midterm…

1
Franklin Foer: Elon, the Man Who Ate NASA 46:24

1M ago46:24

46:24

The rise of Elon—and why he is still involved with our government—has everything to do with the dimming of America's one-time crown jewel, NASA. We are now dependent on his rockets and his satellites because Obama and the U.S. government saved SpaceX. Of course, Elon's hypocrisy knows no bounds, because when he had the power, he quickly worked to d…

1
David French: Israel's Humanitarian Obligations 1:06:58

1M ago1:06:58

1:06:58

Gaza is strewn with rubble, the war's end is nowhere in sight, and an entirely predictable humanitarian disaster is unfolding. With daily reports of starvation and malnutrition, Israel must provide a systematic and orderly distribution of large amounts of aid to stem the crisis—and stave off a Mad Max situation. Meanwhile, our abdication on USAID h…

1
Bill Kristol: Trump Is a Moral Monster 1:06:25

1M ago1:06:25

1:06:25

The man who cavorted with Jeffrey Epstein for 15 years never even bothers to feign empathy for Epstein's victims—even a sociopath would fake it. And neither Trump nor his administration and supporters can get their talking points straight on the scandal: The files are a hoax, but Ghislaine Maxwell is going to name names; she's a horrible person, bu…

1
Andrew Weissmann: It Stinks to High Heaven 59:25

1M ago59:25

59:25

The deputy attorney general of the United States, who took an oath to help Donald Trump no matter what, is conferring with Jeffrey Epstein's literal partner in crime—a woman who lied about the sex trafficking she orchestrated and participated in. And Ghislaine Maxwell has every motive to exculpate Trump now (and incriminate some other high-profile …

1
Mike Murphy: Trump's Kryptonite 55:18

1M ago55:18

55:18

The one thing Mr. Authenticity was supposed to be was the anti-politician: the guy who would supposedly go after the establishment, clean up Washington, and make a booming economy. Now, Trump's acting just like a typical politician trying to cover-up a scandal—and he's vulnerable to a backlash from the manosphere that went all in on him. Meanwhile,…

1
Neera Tanden: Aiding and Abetting Trump 57:19

1M ago57:19

57:19

Mike Johnson is racing to shut the business of the House down to avoid a vote on releasing the Epstein files. Trump's own criminal lawyer, who's moonlighting as deputy attorney general, will be minding the matter of Ghislaine Maxwell. And Texas is looking to squeeze out some more House seats to try to protect Trump from having to be held accountabl…

1
Chris Murphy: Time to Break Norms(?) 49:49

1M ago49:49

49:49

Republicans are nullifying bipartisan budget deals and planning a mid-decade redistricting to try to hold the House after the midterms. Trump is methodically working to crush dissent in the media, chill major Dem donors, and shut down the party's online fundraising portal, ActBlue. One political party is breaking all the norms, while the other is t…

1
Bill Kristol: It's the Crimes and the Cover-Up 49:28

2M ago49:28

49:28

Our government disappeared hundreds of Venezuelans to a hellish Salvadoran prison for 125 days. When Trump's and Stephen Miller's whole CECOT plan even became too much for the dictator who runs El Salvador, Marco Rubio helped orchestrate a political win for Venezuela's strongman, Nicolas Maduro—who gets to look like a white knight in the hostage ex…

1
Tom Nichols: Secrets and Lies 1:03:18

2M ago1:03:18

1:03:18

If anyone in America was still thinking that Trump's ties to Epstein were a nothingburger, Trump’s own behavior this week has probably disabused them of that notion. His panicking and flailing around sure seem exactly like how a guilty man would act. And the sudden firing of Jim Comey's daughter, Maurene—who worked on the Epstein and Ghislaine Maxw…

1
David Wallace-Wells: The U.S. Is Handing the Baton to China 1:08:20

2M ago1:08:20

1:08:20

While the Trump administration is doubling down on fossil fuels, China is annihilating us in the clean energy space. Right now, 75% of all renewable projects anywhere in the world are being built by a Chinese company. China is dominating the green energy supply chain with solar panels and batteries, and its electric car can charge in five minutes. …

1
Ben Wittes and Michael Feinberg: Breakdown at the FBI 1:05:44

2M ago1:05:44

1:05:44

In addition to eviscerating the top leadership at the Bureau, Kash Patel has assigned whole squads of agents to immigration enforcement. Seasoned FBI veterans who used to focus on national security or run RICO investigations are now doing perimeter security during ICE round-ups of kids and grandmas. The administration's purge is draining the Bureau…

1
Brian Beutler: Time to Pop Off, Dems 1:01:43

2M ago1:01:43

1:01:43

The majority of elected Democrats would prefer to talk only about policy, but that's not enough for today's freewheeling new media environment. It's way past time for Dems to figure out how to shoot the sh*t—and stop being the kids at the front of the class who don't know how to talk to the ones in the back. And when it comes to Epstein, Trump & co…

1
Bill Kristol: Has Trump Trapped Himself? 57:16

2M ago57:16

57:16

With the Epstein case, the conspirator-in-chief has finally found a hoax that MAGA isn't buying—and he's risking his credibility among his newer supporters in the manosphere by continuing to hawk it. Meanwhile, Trump may have figured out that Putin has not been nice to him. Plus, troops are still in Los Angeles, immigration laws meant for the borde…

1
Sam Stein: This Is the Country They Want 52:44

2M ago52:44

52:44

Republicans are creating, and celebrating, an immigration police state financed by their megabill. Our cities will be militarized, we'll have prison camps, more masked agents, and more dehumanization—like their sicko alligator hats. And the motivation all seems to be so Trump has a win and the Dems don't. But this is Stephen Miller's administration…

1
Galen Druke: Americans Do Not Like Trump's Deportations 1:05:22

2M ago1:05:22

1:05:22

Trump has moved public opinion against his own immigration policy platform by sending masked agents out to nab people off the street. So, Democrats should skip the last war, and instead push for laws requiring ICE agents to show their faces and wear their names on their badge. And another no-brainer for the midterms, in light of the Big Ugly Bill: …

1
E. Jean Carroll and Sarah Longwell: Such a Bad Man 1:26:16

2M ago1:26:16

1:26:16

Ever the journalist, E. Jean took assiduous notes about her two civil suits against Donald Trump, the only occasions he has been held liable for his lies since he became president. And while the origin story of her cases is situated in an infamous department store dressing room, she managed to find a high comedy in the courtroom—her description of …

1
Bill Kristol: Limp Opposition 54:01

2M ago54:01

54:01

Thom Tillis finally showed some backbone and opposed Trump—because of the giant Medicaid cuts in the Big Fugly Bill—but now he has to self-deport from the Senate. Meanwhile, the bill funds a giant internal police force for Trump, and gives a handout to the Dr. Strangeloves of Silicon Valley who don't want AI regulated. It would also cripple wind an…

1
Nicholas Kristof: Gratuitous Cruelty 1:13:16

2M ago1:13:16

1:13:16

A miracle food paste that fights malnutrition in children, that taxpayers have already paid for, is collecting dust in warehouses. Donated drugs for parasitic infections remain undistributed and are nearing their expiration dates. American-purchased ambulances sit idle because they have no gas. USAID was shut down in the name of government efficien…

1
Michael Weiss and Jonathan Cohn: Animal House at the Pentagon 1:10:48

2M ago1:10:48

1:10:48

Trump was so awestruck by Israel's intel infiltration and air supremacy over Iran that he just had to give himself an executive producer credit. And he's casting his appointees to help create a Hollywood ending—including using his Val Kilmer-esque SecDef to spike the success of the long-teased, "secret" military operation. At the same time, Trump i…

1
Derek Thompson: Winning Without Anger 1:04:32

2M ago1:04:32

1:04:32

A DSA candidate winning a Democratic primary in New York City is not an ideal laboratory for other Dems to draw lessons from, but Mamdani sounded authentic, he successfully juggled our fragmented media environment, and he had the right message for this cost-of-living moment—as well as the proper amount of party heresy for this anti-establishment ag…

1
Nicolle Wallace: The Silence of Republicans Is the Bigger Threat 54:24

2M ago54:24

54:24

While Trump and his administration are the ones politicizing the rule of the law, ignoring due process, and annihilating democratic norms, it's Republicans leaders saying and doing nothing in response that poses a bigger threat to our country and democracy. Meanwhile, when it comes to the Middle East, we don't know who Trump is talking to—or listen…

1
Bill Kristol: Trump Is Not the Right Man for a Crisis 49:29

2M ago49:29

49:29

Tim and Bill may have different takes on the wisdom of the U.S. bombing of Iran's nuclear sites—and on potential regime change—but they see eye-to-eye on the risks of Trump's ego and his incapable advisers in a dangerous situation. And where is the missing enriched uranium? Meanwhile, Stephen Miller's masked goons violently assaulted an immigrant l…

1
Mark Cuban: Character Is Destiny 57:08

3M ago57:08

57:08

What if it had been a Harris-Cuban ticket in 2024? Well, it turns out the billionaire entrepreneur had been seriously considered for the VP slot—and we can all dream of a potentially different outcome in the election. Meanwhile, the current guy in the Oval Office is failing spectacularly at the number one job of a president: to reduce the stress of…

1
Mark McKinnon and Dan Shapiro: Mid-Wreckage 54:28

3M ago54:28

54:28

Because half the country so desperately wanted Trump back, we may now be on the verge of attacking Iran because the fake peacenik president wants some credit for Israel's military accomplishments against Tehran. Meanwhile, decent, hard-working people are being swept up by his anti-American deportation policy, consumers—and home buyers— are continui…