Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou

• Superpower Suicide

  Former ambassador and national security adviser Susan Rice joins Grounded to discuss why America’s current foreign policy strategy amounts to “superpower suicide.” On the Russian invasion into Ukraine, Rice says not enough was done to stop Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2014 during the invasion of Crimea. When will it end? “He doesn’t stop until he is stopped,” Rice said about Putin. Rice provides a history lesson on what led to this moment and doesn’t hold back on the Trump administration’s strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean. We discuss the impact of dismantling USAID and what it all means for our national security. Plus, Sen. Tester weighs in on the $12 billion bailout for farmers and Maritsa’s viral moment with Gene Simmons.

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• The Montana Plan

  We tried and (mostly) succeeded in our first live recording with a live in-person audience! The audio isn’t perfect, but we thank you for your patience! Former Montana Gov. Steve Bullock joined us for some headlines before we dove into this week’s topic: A Montana effort to make the effects of the Citizens United decision a moot point—with hopes the effort will spread to other states. That’s where Jeff Mangan and the Transparent Election Initiative (aka the Montana Plan) comes in. We broke it all down with Mangan, including the legal hurdles still facing the initiative, what opponents are saying, and how to get an effort like this started in other states.

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• Houston, We Have a Problem

  It’s hard to predict when news will break, but today’s episode is quite timely. We invited Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) to join us on Grounded after being one of the subjects of a video that prompted the President of the United States to amplify posts calling for six members of Congress to be hanged. We talked about the video, if he expected this response from the White House, and if he thinks he’s being investigated or surveilled. That’s when the Dept. of War announced it’s investigating Kelly for alleged misconduct. In addition to the video, we discuss the potential Ukraine peace plan being floated by the Trump administration, the economy, and his favorite space movie. Don’t worry—we also asked about his astronaut Labubu.

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• Pardon Our Mess

  Former DOJ pardon attorney Liz Oyer joins Grounded to discuss a whole lot of chaos happening inside her former office. Hours before our interview, Congress moved to force the DOJ to release its Epstein files, raising major questions about what comes next. Oyer breaks down the complications ahead. With nearly 2,000 pardons already granted in Trump’s second term, Oyer talks to us about why the pardon process looks wholly different in a Trump 2.0 term and the negative impacts on the American people. Plus, a chat with American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten about the latest moves to dismantle the Dept. of Education. 

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• As the Crow Flies

  The last time Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) appeared on Grounded was Oct. 1, 2025—the very first day of what became the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history. When an event with Crow and JT lined up in Arizona, we decided it was a good chance to check in on what was accomplished during the shutdown, the renewed focus on the Epstein files and his efforts to recruit Democratic candidates in flippable House districts. Plus, we bring Tiffany Muller of End Citizens United back into the fold to again discuss money in politics.

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