The Axe Files with David Axelrod

Arizona Senator Mark Kelly never planned to go into politics. But in the years after his wife, former Rep. Gabby Giffords, was shot in an assassination attempt, the former astronaut decided to put aside his space suit and run for office. Sen. Kelly joined David to talk about gun violence, moving forward in the wake of Gabby’s injury, immigration and the Arizona border, the debt ceiling, and the importance of believing in science. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

Former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson sued the network’s longtime boss Roger Ailes for sexual harassment in 2016, catapulting her into a broader fight for women’s rights. Since leaving Fox News, Gretchen has become a force in advocating for safer workplaces for women and other marginalized groups through her organization, Lift Our Voices, which has helped enact legislation banning forced arbitration and non-disclosure agreements. Gretchen joined David to talk about her early days as a violin prodigy, competing in Miss America as a Stanford undergrad, her decades in television news, suing Roger Ailes, and her mission to make it impossible to sweep workplace sexual misconduct under the rug. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has carved out a national profile as a staunch advocate for abortion rights and gun control, raising speculation last summer that a 2024 presidential run was in his future. While he confirmed he won’t take on President Joe Biden, Gov. Pritzker joined David to talk about governing through Covid-19, the rise in anti-Semitism and attacks on minorities, his views on immigration and gun violence, and why he can’t rule out an eventual presidential run. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

California Rep. Katie Porter is best known for wielding a whiteboard during congressional hearings, stumping CEOs and government officials on how their actions impact everyday Americans. As a single mother who grew up on a farm in Iowa, Rep. Porter has said she entered Congress with a different perspective than many of her colleagues on what exactly an everyday American is, inspiring her jump to politics. She joined David during a live recording to talk about her path from law professor to Congress member, her roots in Iowa politics, her passion for consumer protection issues, how she made the whiteboard famous, and her new book, “I Swear: Politics is Messier Than My Minivan.” To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

Chicago mayor-elect Brandon Johnson started his campaign trailing in the polls with little name recognition among Chicago voters. But with the help of the Chicago Teachers Union, the former teacher and CTU organizer built a progressive movement, ultimately winning the mayor’s race. Mayor-elect Johnson joined David to talk about growing up as one of 10 children, his introduction to politics, making the shift from teaching to organizing, his philosophy on public safety and policing, and what he sees for Chicago’s future. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

Former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson recently announced he’s running for president in 2024. While Gov. Hutchinson has less name recognition than other Republican primary contenders—primarily\ Donald Trump—he hopes to draw a contrast between himself and other candidates by eschewing outrage and focusing instead on bringing back civility and traditional conservative values to the GOP. After serving in Congress and holding leadership roles at the Drug Enforcement Administration and Department of Homeland Security, Gov. Hutchinson hopes his track record will speak for itself. Gov. Hutchinson joined David to talk about growing up in rural Arkansas, his stance on abortion, why he thinks improving mental health is the best way to combat gun violence, why he is critical of Alvin Bragg's prosecutorial judgement, and why he believes Trump can’t win in 2024. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

From trying his hand as a monk at a monastery in Sri Lanka to reporting from Prague following the collapse of the Soviet Union, former reporter Neil King has traveled all over the world. In March 2021, he set out on a different kind of journey, walking from his home in Washington, D.C. to New York City. Along the way, he hoped to explore “a founding slice” of the country and take the pulse of present-day America. Neil joined David to talk about his decades as a reporter, his battle with esophageal cancer, the people he met and lessons he learned on his 26-day walk, and his new book, “American Ramble: A Walk of Memory and Renewal.” To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

This week, we revisit a 2017 conversation with CNN Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour. She joined David in London to discuss growing up in Iran during the revolution, her experience covering the first Gulf War, her relationship with John F. Kennedy Jr., the refugee crisis, and much more. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

Theo Epstein made a name for himself in baseball by helping teams facing significant championship droughts, like the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs, capture World Series wins using data and analytics. He now works for Major League Baseball, where he helped develop new rules intended to move the game away from data-driven play and improve the flow and entertainment value of the game. For opening day, Theo talked with David about the new rules this baseball season, the impact they’ll have on players and fans, and why he believes they’ll help the game “get closer to the very best version of baseball.” To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

CISA Director Jen Easterly got an early taste of government as a sixth grader when her class was featured in a commercial for then-presidential candidate Ronald Reagan. The ad never made it to air, but Director Easterly continued in public service. After spending decades in the Army and the private sector, Director Easterly now leads the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA. As head of CISA, she works to protect against cyberattacks on everything from U.S. election infrastructure to systems Americans use every day, like water, schools, and hospitals. Director Easterly joined David to talk about what she believes makes a good leader, cyber threats from Russia and China, the potential downsides of A.I. and TikTok, and why cybersecurity needs to be a collaborative effort. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

Since childhood, journalist John Hendrickson has lived with a stutter: wrestling with it, searching for escapes from it, and working to accept it. John, who rose to national prominence after interviewing then-presidential candidate Joe Biden about his own stutter in 2019, recently wrote a book about his experiences and the science behind stuttering. John joined David to talk about living with a stutter, his work as a journalist, interviewing Biden, and reexamining his own relationship with his stutter in his book “Life on Delay: Making Peace with a Stutter.” To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

In high school, Michael McFaul developed an interest in the Soviet Union that would eventually lead to him serving as US Ambassador to Russia from 2012 to 2014. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, McFaul emerged as a vocal supporter of Ukraine. McFaul joined David to talk about his work advising on sanctions against Russia, why he believes that the US should go all-in on military aid to Ukraine, how Russian President Vladimir Putin could claim victory, how much time Ukraine has to turn the tide of the war, and his skepticism that Putin will resort to using a nuclear weapon. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

Just days after he was sworn in to Congress, former GOP Rep. Peter Meijer of Michigan watched in horror as protestors stormed the Capitol. Deeply unsettled by the experience, he voted to impeach President Trump, opening a lane for a Trump-endorsed primary opponent to defeat Meijer in 2022. He joined David to talk about his Michigan-famous family name, his time in the military, the importance of defending Ukraine, his decision to vote to impeach Trump, the importance of long-term thinking in politics, and a potential Senate run. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

Beto O’Rourke shot to national prominence in 2018 when he narrowly lost to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in an unexpectedly close election. Two years later, he ran in the Democratic presidential primary, and, in 2022, he ran for governor of Texas. While the three back-to-back races were unsuccessful, they generated enthusiasm and energy and at times helped reinvigorate the Democratic Party in Texas. Beto joined David to talk about the political fight in Texas, raising three children while running three successive campaigns, why he decided to run for governor, gun violence and its impact on young voters, immigration, and what he sees for his political future. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

As a Jewish kid growing up in Duluth, Minnesota, Amb. Tom Nides didn’t plan to be a diplomat some day. After a career spanning roles in government and business, he took on the position of US ambassador to Israel in 2021. Following a year of relative calm, Nides now finds himself weathering a tumultuous few months under a new Israeli government—the most right-wing in the country’s history. He joined David to talk about the US’s “unbreakable bond” with Israel, the state of Israeli democracy, the chain of violence between Israelis and Palestinians, and the prospects for a two-state solution. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

Growing up with severe dyslexia, California Governor Gavin Newsom questioned his own intelligence and path forward. But things began coming together in college when he embraced his interest in politics. Gov. Newsom joined David to talk about his childhood, the tension of growing up with little money while being deeply connected to the Bay Area’s elite, approving same-sex marriage in San Francisco as mayor, gun violence, his disdain for Gov. Ron DeSantis, and why he thinks the Democrats need to stop playing defense. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

A chance meeting with his Congressman during a high school football banquet set Tim Ryan on a path to politics, from a seat in the Ohio Senate, to two decades in the U.S. House of Representatives, to a bid for U.S. Senate in 2022. He joined David to talk about growing up in working class Ohio and how the Democrats lost touch with blue-collar America, the state of the federal government and the need for reform, the House of Representatives under Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s leadership, and what his own political future holds. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

Secretary of State Antony Blinken had a circuitous path to government, working in journalism, law, and the movies before landing a job in the Clinton administration. He still has varied interests; while he spends his days meeting with world leaders, guitar fans can also find him on Spotify. Secretary Blinken joined David before a live audience at the University of Chicago to talk about Russia’s war on Ukraine, America’s relationship with China, Afghanistan, the state of the world, and the power of public service. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

When poet Amanda Gorman was 5 years old, she was already in the habit of waking up before dawn to write; her mother paid her a quarter each morning she stayed in bed past 6 a.m. Poetry became Amanda’s outlet for exploring history and her own experiences. Her talents have taken her from serving as the first National Youth Poet Laureate to reciting her poem, “The Hill We Climb,” at President Joe Biden’s inauguration. Amanda joined David to talk about her mother’s influence, working through her childhood speech impediment, the importance of representation in poetry and literature, writing for the inauguration following the Jan. 6 attacks on the Capitol, poetry as the language of the people, and her presidential aspirations. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

Although New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu has said that he was a shy child, he has no problem with the spotlight now; there is widespread speculation that he will run for president in 2024. As a popular Republican governor in a purple state, some say Gov. Sununu has the right playbook for putting a Republican back in the White House, while his detractors say he doesn’t stand a chance against former President Donald Trump’s base. Sununu joined David to talk about the power of local government, where he believes President Joe Biden has failed, his thoughts on Trump and his 2024 chances, his stance on abortion, New Hampshire’s place on the primary calendar, and when the public can expect a decision from him on a presidential run. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy