Jen Psaki

Former President Barack Obama has made permanent residence in Donald Trump's head for most of Trump's political life, and now, in the shadow of his failed war on Iran, the contrast between Trump's shortcomings and Obama's accomplishments only add to Trump's burden. Jen Psaki traces the roots of Trump's insecurity about Obama, and talks with House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi. Senator Jon Ossoff lays into his new Republican opponent, Trumpy Rep. Mike Collins, and responds to Donald Trump's petty name calling with withering criticism of Trump's performance in office. Jen Psaki shares a clip of...

Jen Psaki reviews the fresh string of legal failures Donald Trump has suffered, including a federal judge dropping the hammer on Trump's sketchy IRS "settlement" trick to give himself a $1.8 billion slush fund. Former U.S. attorney Preet Bharara joins to share legal insights. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam tells Jen Psaki about Pam Bondi's behind-closed-doors testimony about the Jeffrey Epstein files before the House Overnight Committee, saying she repeatedly placed the burden of how the release of the Epstein files was handled on Donald Trump's former criminal defense lawyer and current acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. Jen Psaki points out that despite lots of promises, Donald Trump is repeatedly failing to secure a deal with Iran, and the terms that are reportedly being considered include monetary concessions that are significantly more than Trump and his allies criticized former President Barack Obama for. Ben Rhodes, former deputy national security advisor to President Obama, and Admiral John Kirby (ret.), former NSC coordinator for strategic communications, join to add further insight. And Jen surveys the mess Donald Trump has made of Washington, D.C. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jen Psaki shares reporting from Pro Publica that the White House played a direct role in helping a company in which Donald Trump Jr. is an investor. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani talks with Jen Psaki on a range of issues from affordable housing to the New York Knicks and the World Cup, and directly addresses the threat by Donald Trump's Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin that he plans to shut down international flights to sanctuary cities. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has endorsed democratic socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier over incumbent Democratic Congressman Adriano Espaillat in the Democratic primary for New York's 13th Congressional District. Mamdani and Avila Chevalier talk about the race with Jen Psaki. Donald Trump has turned his weaponized Department of Justice on E. Jean Carroll after she twice won massive civil judgements against him. Former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann discusses. And Terry Moran, former senior national correspondent for ABC News, talks with Jen about the right-wing ideologues who have taken over CBS News and are trying to influence its editorial content. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jen Psaki points out that Republicans in Congress are increasingly losing their motivation to follow Donald Trump through his wildly unpopular vanity projects and destructive policies that are hurting Americans. On top of that are the number of lame duck legislators who ran afoul of Trump and lost primaries because of him and not have the rest of their term to exact payback as members of the "Yolo Caucus." Senator Sheldon Whitehouse joins to discuss Trump's slush fund as well as bizarre remarks by Jeff Bezos about income inequality and taxing the rich. Jen Psaki shares video that suggests that Donald Trump was aware of his tax information being leaked months earlier than he claimed in his lawsuit against the IRS, putting him past the statute of limitations for what is ostensibly the basis of his slush fund settlement. Rep. Dan Goldman, former federal prosecutor explains the legal perspective to Jen Psaki and discusses why Trump's slush fund for criminal political allies is legally doomed. Ben Rhodes, former deputy national security advisor to President Barack Obama, talks with Jen Psaki about the Trump administration's clumsy belligerence toward Cuba. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jen Psaki shares new reporting from ABC News that Donald Trump is expected to settle his lawsuit against the IRS in exchange for a $1.5 billion slush fund for people he feels were persecuted by the Biden administration. Former FBI Director James Comey talks with Jen Psaki about the state of the FBI in the second Trump administration, the effect of Kash Patel's leadership on morale and the resilience of the FBI's culture to survive the deleterious conditions of the Trump administration. Senator Chris Van Hollen talks with Jen about legislative efforts to hold members of the Trump administration accountable for rampant corruption. Jack Schlossberg, grandson of former President John F. Kennedy and candidate to represent New York's 12th Congressional District talks with Jen Psaki about running a modern campaign, his qualification for the job of congressman, his controversial "first cousin once removed," Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his policy ideas should he be elected. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jen Psaki reviews the shocking litany of political targeting by Donald Trump's Justice Department, from investigations and indictments to raids of political opponents led by disgraced FBI Director Kash Patel. Andrew Weissmann, former FBI general counsel, and Tim Weiner, author of "Enemies: A History of the FBI," discuss the level of disgrace Kash Patel has brought to the by-the-book FBI. Rep. Jamie Raskin joins to discuss how federal workers can use whistleblower protections to report instances of government corruption to Congress. Howard Lutnick, Donald Trump's commerce secretary, answered questions about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein at a behind-closed-doors congressional hearing. Democrats who attended the meeting report that Lutnick did not exactly distinguish himself. And Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton talks with Jen Psaki about bringing accountability to the Trump administration if Democrats take over one or both chambers of Congres. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jen Psaki looks at the complicated financial entanglements Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and fellow real estate developer Steve Witkoff have in the Middle East where the interests of the United States may diverge from those of countries like Saudi Arabia which wields significant financial influence over the two top U.S. negotiators assign to resolve Trump's war with Iran. Donald Trump is learning the hard way that Iran is not interested in unconditional surrender, which is forcing Trump to accept that the only way he's getting out of his disastrous war with Iran is to find a compromise. Former national security advisory Jake Sullivan discusses with Jen Psaki. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear talks with Jen Psaki about the yawning gap between the actual teachings of Jesus Christ and the Christian values they inform, and the selfish, violent cruelty with which Donald Trump conducts himself and his administration. Harry Dunn, former Capitol Hill police officer, and Glenn Kirschner, former federal prosecutor, join with Jen to discuss the Trump administration's desire to clear the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers of their January 6 charges, and the remarkable number of pardoned January 6 insurrectionists who have been charged with yet more crimes. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Despite Donald Trump expressing shock and surprise at how Iran has responded to being attacked by the United States and Israel, Jen Psaki shares reporting that Trump was warned about everything from attacks on regional U.S. allies to the closing of the Strait of Hormuz, and Trump's struggle with these challenges is due to a lack of preparation, not a lack of prediction. Former CIA director John Brennan and former Pentagon press secretary John Kirby talk with Jen about the realities Donald Trump has to deal with in Iran. Jen Psaki looks at the bizarre conservative political circus that is CPAC and shares video of an awkward moment in which an intended rallying cry for Republican midterm candidates exposes a growing rift in Donald Trump's base of support. Jane Fonda, actor, activist and founder of the modern Committee for the First Amendment, who is scheduled to attend the flagship protest in St. Paul on No Kings Day, talks with Jen Psaki about what's at stake in standing up to the Trump administration and the importance of "neighboring" to keep communities resilient. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Even as the war in Iran tests Donald Trump's attention span and the patience of American voters, it's not like other problems that Trump has created that he can reverse by changing his mind and making an announcement. Jen Psaki looks at the sticking points of Trump's war in Iran. Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of the Atlantic, talks with Jen about how decisions are being made behind closed doors in the Trump administration. Jen Psaki shares news that Donald Trump says he will sign an executive order directing the Secretary of Homeland Security to pay TSA agents. But the mess Trump has made of gas prices will not be nearly so easy to fix. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill joins to discuss the challenges of helping her constituents deal with problems Trump has caused. And Norm Eisen, executive chair of Democracy Defenders Fund, talks with Jen about the extensive corruption in Donald Trump's administration. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jen Psaki shares new reporting from NBC News about Donald Trump being fed a daily sizzle reel of Iran war explosions, and growing concerns that even the most basic information about the war in Iran is eluding Trump's understanding regardless of the briefing format. And a classified Pentagon briefing of lawmakers on the plan for Iran was apparently so unacceptable that even Republicans were willing to risk Trump's ire to speak out against how the war is being run. Rep. Pat Ryan and Rep. Chris Deluzio talk with Jen about the growing consensus that Donald Trump has no idea what he's doing in Iran or how to get the U.S. out of it. Despite Judge Aileen Cannon restricting some documents from Jack Smith's investigation of Donald Trump from being made public, Rep. Jamie Raskin found that Trump Justice Department shared some of those documents with the House Oversight Committee in an effort to help smear Jack Smith, not realizing they were also exposing Smith's theory of why Trump was hoarding classified documents. Rep. Raskin discusses with Jen Psaki. Rep. Ro Khanna talks with Jen Psaki about progress in the Epstein investigation, which is being done by Congress because Donald Trump's Justice Department doesn't seem to be bothered. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.