Impolitic with John Heilemann

John is joined by The Daily Show’s Jordan Klepper to discuss the return of Jon Stewart to the show, the challenges of covering the RNC and DNC live, and his signature forays into the dark, savage, achingly comical heart of the MAGA-sphere at Donald Trump’s rallies. The two pals—who worked together when John dragooned Jordan into guest hosting his Showtime series The Circus—also debate the merits of Chicago’s iconic but disgusting local liqueur Malort (and even more iconic and appalling style of deep dish pizza), whether Klepper has a crush on former Estonian prime minister Kaja Kallas, and his resemblance to Gregor Samsa, the man-turned-cockroach protagonist in Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John is joined by Pod Save America co-host, New York Times bestselling author, must-read Substacker, and former Obama campaign and White House communications whiz Dan Pfeiffer to discuss the state of the presidential race as we enter the post-Labor Day home stretch: from Kamala Harris’s performance in her first post-nomination sit-down interview to Donald Trump’s ridiculously desperate shape-shifting on abortion and desperately ridiculous pandering on IVF, Barack Obama’s pearls of wisdom at the DNC, Joe Biden’s place in history—and why no polling lead for Harris will be big enough for Dan sleep soundly on Election Eve. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John is joined by two-time Pulitzer-prize-winning New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof to chew over the presidential race: from Joe Biden’s decision to bow out and the wave of enthusiasm that has greeted Kamala Harris to Bill Clinton’s and Barack Obama’s speeches at the Democratic convention. They also discuss Kristof's recently published memoir, Chasing Hope: A Reporter’s Life, the work that Nick is proudest of—on Darfur, global health, and international sex trafficking—and a thought-provoking recent Kristof column arguing that our disparate treatment of dogs and farm animals has no moral basis. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John hooks up with his pal Alex Edelman—the young genius behind last year’s sold-out Broadway sensation and this year’s Emmy-nominated HBO comedy special Just For Us—at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to discuss his discovery that lobbyists bum him out but a roomful of Democratic delegates sets his heart aflutter; the bit of his about Joe Biden's age that some found unfunny but cracked Biden up; what professional joke-peddlers can do to help Kamala Harris's cause; and why, even though Alex has already won an Obie and a Tony by the age of 35, he really (really) wants to snag that Emmy. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John is joined by CEO of the Center for American Progress Action Fund, Patrick Gaspard, and Politico senior political columnist Jonathan Martin to discuss the second two days of the Democratic National Convention. From the rat-a-tat succession of star turns by Bill Clinton, Tim Walz, and Oprah Winfrey on Wednesday to Kamala Harris sticking the landing on Thursday, the three friends chop up what worked and what didn’t, where the Harris-Walz ticket stands coming out of Chicago, and if exultant Democrats need to worry about trap doors as they race off toward November. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John is joined by James Bennet—Lexington columnist for The Economist and former editor-in-chief of The Atlantic and editorial page editor of The New York Times—to discuss the first two days of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago: from Hillary Clinton’s roof-raising revisitation of that highest, hardest glass ceiling she cracked but failed to shatter and Joe Biden’s way-past-prime-time political valedictory to Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff’s reminiscences of courting Kamala and forming their very own modern family to the Obamas' back-to-back oratorical tours de force touting Harris and torching Donald Trump. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John is joined by veteran Democratic strategist and former Clinton White House political director Doug Sosnik, who helped guide his boss against the odds to a landslide reelection in 1996, to assess the state of this year’s campaign on the eve of the Democratic convention. Having concluded a month ago that Joe Biden no longer had a viable path to victory, Sosnik discusses the top-to-bottom transformation of the race in the weeks since then, why Kamala Harris is (so far) winning the battle to define her public imagine, and wisdom of her efforts to reframe the race as being about the future—while Trump remains stuck in the past. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John is joined by Ezra Klein—pioneering blogger in his twenties, founder and editor-in-chief of Vox in his thirties, and now columnist and host of a popular, eponymous podcast at New York Times—to discuss Donald Trump’s round-the-bend behavior in reaction to Kamala Harris’s ascent, Nancy Pelosi’s preternatural intuition and how it fuels her political mastery, and why the Democratic Party didn’t flinch from the break-glass moment presented by Joe Biden’s faltering candidacy. Ezra also offers his theory as to Harris’s true political identity, and reveals (after John cites photographic evidence) that his body is festooned with not one but two tattoos. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John is joined by two rising stars of sports journalism and commentary, Pablo Torre (formerly of ESPN and now host of the hit podcast Pablo Torre Finds Out) and Cari Champion (also formerly of ESPN and now host of The Cari Champion Show on Amazon Prime Video) to talk about the Summer Games: from the athletic prowess of Simone Biles, Gabby Thomas, and Katie Ledecky to the cultural currency of Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart, and from the culture-war kerfuffle around Algerian boxer Imane Khelif to the genius streaming strategy that unleashed a ratings bonanza for NBC, and why Paris 2024 stands as the first truly postmodern Olympic Games. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John is joined by Nicolle Wallace—host of Deadline: White House on MSNBC, former aide to George W. Bush and John McCain, and author of three bestselling novels (Eighteen Acres, It’s Classified, and Madam President) about life inside the White House—to discuss Kamala Harris’s selection of Tim Walz as her running mate and its potential impact on the election. The two close friends talk about the secrecy and mystery surrounding every veepstakes, the factors driving Harris to pick the relatively unknown Walz over popular Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, and why Wallace says that the aftermath of Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance and his eventual departure from the presidential race was the hardest story she’s ever had to cover as an MSNBC anchor. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John is joined by Michael Bennet, Colorado’s senior U.S. Senator, and Errin Haines, editor-at-large of The 19th, longtime Kamala Harris chronicler, and member of National Association of Black Journalists—whose annual meeting in Chicago this week was the site of Donald Trump’s latest spasm of racial animus and ignorance. The legislator and the journalist discuss the event where the former president’s desperation was evident from start to finish. Also: Kamala Harris’s rocket ride and J.D. Vance’s unrelenting weirdness. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John is joined by #NeverTrump stalwarts George Conway (founder of the new Anti-Psychopath PAC and ex-husband of Kellyanne) and Sarah Longwell (publisher of The Bulwark and ubiquitous focus group impresario) to discuss the state of the presidential race after the mother of all resets. The trio assess why Kamala Harris’s unexpected elevation to the top of the Democratic ticket, the swift coalescence of her party behind her, and the wave of Momalamania sweeping mainstream and social media alike have left Donald Trump, his team, and the right writ large stunned, angry, and flailing. Also: how the J.D. Vance imbroglio is even worse than it appears, and who makes most sense for Harris to pick as her No. 2. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John is joined by #NeverTrump stalwarts George Conway (founder of the new Anti-Psychopath PAC and ex-husband of Kellyanne) and Sarah Longwell (publisher of The Bulwark and ubiquitous focus group impresario) to discuss the state of the presidential race after the mother of all resets. The trio assess why Kamala Harris’s unexpected elevation to the top of the Democratic ticket, the swift coalescence of her party behind her, and the wave of Momalamania sweeping mainstream and social media alike have left Donald Trump, his team, and the right writ large stunned, angry, and flailing. Also: how the J.D. Vance imbroglio is even worse than it appears, and who makes most sense for Harris to pick as her No. 2. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John is joined by two faces of the Democratic Party’s future—former New York City mayoral candidate and current head of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Maya Wiley, and former presidential candidate and 10-term Ohio congressman, Tim Ryan—with different backgrounds and ideological moorings but a shared sense of optimism about Kamala Harris’s ascension and prospects against Donald Trump this fall. Also: why Biden’s Oval Office address met the moment and Trump is right to be freaking out. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John goes deep on Joe Biden’s historic, campaign-upending decision to exit the presidential race with NBC News presidential historian and author of nine books on the presidency, Michael Beschloss, and Robert Costa, CBS News chief election correspondent and co-author (with Bob Woodward) of the New York Times No. 1 best-seller, “Peril." The three friends discuss the internal and external forces that compelled Biden to bow out; his decision to endorse his understudy, Kamala Harris; how the game-changing turn of events has fundamentally rebooted the presidential race; and how Donald Trump is likely to react to being deprived of his preferred foil, Biden, and instead having to face Harris (bottom line: unhappily). To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John is joined by a trio of prominent if disaffected (or fully lapsed) Republican strategists: former Trump White House staffer and current co-host of The View and political analyst for CNN, Alyssa Farah Griffin; former chief of staff to Vice President Dan Quayle, co-founder of The Weekly Standard, and editor-at-large of The Bulwark, Bill Kristol; and former Jeb Bush adviser and Republican National Committee spokesman turned host of The Bulwark Podcast and Not My Party on Snapchat, Tim Miller. At the close of a jubilant G.O.P. convention in Milwaukee, they discuss the political implications of the failed attempt to assassinate Donald Trump, Trump's efforts to recast himself as a kinder, gentler Emperor of the MAGA-sphere, and the continuing crisis in the Democratic Party over the fate of Joe Biden’s reelection bid. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John is joined by two veteran G.O.P. operatives turned #NeverTrump stalwarts—Mitt Romney's 2012 chief strategist, Stuart Stevens, and The Bulwark's Tim Miller—to discuss the opening night of the Republican National Convention and the extraordinary weekend that preceded it, when an assassin’s bullet nearly claimed Donald Trump’s life. Tim and Stuart assess Trump’s subdued entrance and rapturous reception in the convention hall, his choice of J.D. Vance as his running mate, and the possibility he might emerge as a less incendiary, more unifying figure (which they deem close to nil). And they offer dramatically divergent points of view on whether Democrats should dump or double down on Joe Biden. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John is joined by James Carville, the most celebrated political strategist of the modern era—and one of the earliest and loudest influential Democrats to argue that voters’ doubts about Joe Biden’s capacity to serve well into his eighties could be his undoing. James explains his conviction that, despite Biden’s determination to stay in the race, he'll almost certainly have no choice but to drop out; why asking an electorate hungry for change and a champion who embodies the future to swallow a status quo candidate who embodies the past was unwise from the jump; and how a wide-open, multi-candidate bake-off showcasing his party’s deep bench of young talent—and presided over by Barack Obama and Bill Clinton—could be the cure for what ails Democrats (and rid us all of Trump in the bargain). To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John is joined by Jonathan Freedland—Guardian columnist, BBC radio presenter, cohost of the podcast Unholy: Two Jews on the News, and author of the best-selling book The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World—for a tour d’horizon of political news in Europe and the U.S. as seen from across the pond. Jonny explains the electoral landslide last week that put Labour back in power in the U.K. for the first time in 14 years, why the French election a few days later produced such a muddle (and why so many, including Emmanuel Macron, are celebrating anyway), and how the European political-diplomatic establishment is panicking over Joe Biden’s debate debacle almost as much as Democratic donors and elected officials. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John is joined by Steven Brill — founder of The American Lawyer, Court TV, and NewsGuard, and author of the new book The Death Of Truth — for a deep dive into the morass of fake news online. Steve discusses how and why the major social media platforms have turned into toxic, conspiracy-theory-spreading cesspools, and what might be done to fix it. He also assesses the Supreme Court’s landmark decision this week on presidential immunity, the debasement of the court by Justices Alito and Thomas (both of whom Brill first met as fellow students at Yale Law School), and how SCOTUS has lost much of its legitimacy with the public in the past two decades. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices