Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou

A few years ago, former White House Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri found herself needing help in north central Montana. Her rented mini van was stuck on a snow-covered road a mile (or two) from Jon Tester’s farm, where she was meeting him for an interview to be featured on The Circus.

“It was great television, but mortifying,” Palmieri said. “But yes, Jon Tester big time came to our rescue.”

“The truth is that a staff member was supposed to tell you not to go down that road and he forgot,” Tester said. "So it really wasn’t your fault, but it sure was fun to blame you.”

Beyond the snowy hiccup, Palmieri joined Grounded to talk about her new venture hosting and producing Long Play, a series exploring the South, and the path forward for Democrats to dig themselves out from being stuck on the proverbial political road when it comes to winning elections in the region.

“If you can’t win the South, you can’t lead America,” Palmieri said.

Palmieri explains why southern voters feel misunderstood, the history lessons that have shaped the southern political environment today, and the shifts she sees on the ground. Plus, we talk about electability, independent candidates, and the wildest rumor she ever had to deal with as a comms director.

Before our chat with Palmieri, we discuss new bombshell ProPublica reporting that a Russian oligarch close to Putin secretly paid for parts of Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding in the Bahamas. Jon, who sits on Anthropic’s advisory board, also weighs in on AI safety and why Congress needs to act on regulation.

We wanted to take a moment on the 25th anniversary of terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. We hope you take some time to reflect on all of the lives we lost that day, and also a moment for the more than 9,000 people who have died since from their exposure to toxic materials in the aftermath.

Independent candidates are hoping to leave their mark on the 2026 midterm elections, with 47 on the ballot for U.S. Senate alone. And Montana’s race might be the wildest of them all.

Former University of Montana president and Army veteran Seth Bodnar joins Grounded to make his case for Montana’s open U.S. Senate seat. We clear the air on why he is running as an independent, what he’s hearing from voters, and why he thinks people are hungry for leadership that’s not beholden to either party. As for why he decided to run?

“Every veteran has a little bit of survivor’s guilt. I was really lucky. You know, I didn’t face what so many did,” Bodnar said. “But I’ve got friends who are in the ground who gave the ultimate sacrifice for this country. I have the privilege— I was blessed to be able to live, to be able to have kids, to be able to have a family. And I owe it to them. To try to do right by this country, the country they died for. And I’d be damned if I’m going to stand aside and watch it go to hell.”

The conversation includes his latest pledge on AI data centers, Medicaid cuts, housing costs, and the attacks he’s faced on the campaign trail. Plus, his military perspective on the escalating war in Iran.

“When you politicize the U.S. military, you strike at the very heart of what makes this country special,” the former Green Beret said. “I’ve got a lot to say about the U.S. military, but I'm deeply, deeply concerned.”

Make sure you stick around for the new reason Maritsa will only be addressing Jon Tester as “sir” from now on.

Grounded welcomes former Ambassador to Japan and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, known for his aggressive political style, who kicks things off by reminiscing about trying to recruit Jon Tester to run for the House instead of the Senate back in 2006 (spoiler: it was really about beating Chuck Schumer).

We have a wide ranging conversation that’s at times playful and at other times blunt and unfiltered. We discuss what Emanuel calls a dangerous erosion of American deterrence with China, North Korea, and Russia, which he says is being tested right now. We also dive into some of the more contentious issues showing up in political conversations, including the fight over the future of the Democratic Party and the discussions around Israel and Gaza—with his stances at times drawing pushback from those in his own party. Plus, why Emanuel says winning red and purple districts is imperative in the interest of delivering progressive legislation.