Talking Feds

Veteran political operative and former Republican strategist Rick Wilson takes Harry on a tour of a midterms map that just keeps looking better for Democrats. Rick breaks down why he thinks much of the MAGA coalition will stay on the sidelines, why Republicans' eleventh-hour attempts to break from Trump won't help them, and the Democratic campaigns that stand out in a swelling blue wave. It's a rollicking roadmap of the key races from Alaska to Florida.

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What were Republicans thinking going after Jack Smith again? Kyle Cheney, Conor Lamb, and Mimi Rocah join Harry to discuss that and the week’s cascade of big legal news. Will the Department of Justice actually pursue perjury charges against Smith? Will Judge Williams and Judge Boasberg get to push ahead toward contempt proceedings against Trump and the administration? And will Trump come to regret the acceleration of his deportation drive—boosted this week by SCOTUS—when midterm votes are tallied?

Mentioned in this episode:Kyle’s reporting.Conor’s Substack.Mimi’s Substack.Mimi’s forthcoming book.Harry’s column about the latest in Judge Williams’s slush fund case.The New Yorker’s reporting about the hard choices facing DOJ attorneys.

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Governor Andy Beshear discusses his three-part approach to governing as a Democrat in deeply red Kentucky—and what he’s learned along the way. He talks with Harry about how his faith shapes his policies, his vision for fixing a broken government, and why a post-Trump government can’t just restore the past but needs to become more efficient and effective. Plus, the stakes of the 2026 gubernatorial races, their impact on holding fair elections in the 2028 presidential election, and what comes next for Beshear.

Mentioned in this episode:

Governor Beshear’s new book, Go and Do Likewise: How We Heal a Broken Country

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Asha Rangappa, Stuart Stevens, and Jasmine Wright join Harry to break down cratering Republican poll numbers, Trump’s quixotic media ban, Susan Collin’s quid-pro-quo scandal, and the news out of the UN General Assembly. Are polls showing a lopsided Democratic advantage to be believed? How is the allegation of a pay-to-play donation scheme changing the Maine Senate race? And hasn’t Trump’s move to ban a trio of outlets from the White House just cost him the attention he craves and requires?

Mentioned in this episode:Asha’s Substack.Stuart’s Lincoln Square.Stuart’s Substack.Jasmine’s reporting.Harry’s column about the press ban.ProPublica’s reporting about Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding.ProPublica’s reporting about Susan Collins.

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When Donald Trump retook the White House, many of the most powerful Americans—including many who resisted him in his first term—hurried to bend a knee. Jacob Weisberg wanted to understand why. He joins Harry for a conversation about his study of that capitulation: Profiles in Cowardice. Jacob breaks down the often confounding reasons these people knowingly betrayed their principles. After digging into some of the worst offenders, like Mitch McConnell, George W. Bush, and John Roberts, the pair turn to the tactics needed to counter what Jacob calls the “contagion of cowardice.”

Mentioned in this episode:Jacob's book.Harry's column about a story of small-scale resistance succeeding.

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