Pod Save America - TopPodcast.com

View Top 200 Chart

Back to Rankings Page

Pod Save America — Games & Hobbies
Pod Save America

Pod Save America is a no-b******t conversation about politics hosted by former Obama aides Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Dan Pfeiffer, and Tommy Vietor. It cuts through the noise to break down the week’s news and helps people figure out what matters and how they can help. They’re regularly joined by journalists, activists, politicians, entertainers, and world leaders. You can watch on YouTube or listen to new episodes every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday.

Subscribe to Friends of the Pod! Your subscription makes Crooked’s work possible and gives you access to ad-free episodes of Pod Save America and Pod Save the World, plus exclusive content and a lively Discord community. Learn more and subscribe at crooked.com/friends or on Apple Podcasts.

For a transcript of an episode of Pod Save America, please email transcripts@crooked.com.

Copyright: © Crooked Media. All Rights Reserved.

Latest Episodes:

Is Elon a Drag on Trump? Feb 14, 2025

Show notes

Elon Musk holds a rambling Oval Office press conference and admits that he and DOGE will make mistakes as they rampage through our government, even as congressional Republicans move forward with a budget that promises massive cuts to healthcare, education, and food assistance to pay for Trump's tax cuts for billionaires. Jon and Dan discuss whether Musk's antics could undermine Trump's agenda, what the Senate's confirmation of RFK Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard means for the GOP, and the White House's attacks on the press. Then, they debut a new segment: "Wait, Did That Really Happen?," featuring this week's most absurd scenes. Later, Lovett sits down with Rohit Chopra, recently forced out as Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, to discuss why Trump and Musk are so determined to shut down the CFPB, and what it means for the rest of us.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Will Trump Defy the Courts? Feb 11, 2025

Show notes

Federal judges are starting to do something most elected Republicans won't: say no to Donald Trump and Elon Musk. The question now is, will Trump obey their orders? Jon, Lovett, and Tommy break down all the latest, including new onslaughts against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the National Institutes of Health, and new allegations of Trump family grift. Then, Jon sits down with Strict Scrutiny's Leah Litman to unpack how Trump is testing the limits of presidential power and pushing constitutional guardrails to the brink.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

How the Right Took Over the Media Feb 09, 2025

Show notes

Ben Smith, former media columnist at the New York Times and now the editor-in-chief of Semafor, joins Dan to talk about today's ultra-challenging news media landscape. The industry is significantly weaker than it was in 2016, and Trump's aggressive lawsuits have the executives in charge of CBS and ABC scrambling to appease him. Will the death blow for America's free press come from within? Smith runs through what we should have learned from the first Trump presidency, how cults of personality rule in journalism just like they rule in politics, and why the dominance of the Times is terrible for fascism-proofing the country.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Trump's War on the U.S. Government Feb 07, 2025

Show notes

Donald Trump and Elon Musk continue their all-out assault on the federal government, shuttering USAID, rooting out and firing workers linked in any way to diversity initiatives, and breaking and ignoring laws as they go. Jon and Dan hash out all the latest, including Trump's plan to have the US "own" and redevelop Gaza, Democratic pushback, and whether federal judges will step in to stop—or at least slow—the madness. Then, Tommy talks with Sen. Brian Schatz about Democrats' all-night floor fight against Trump's OMB pick, what they think is working, and how they're gearing up for the big battles ahead.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Elon Musk's Nerd Coup Feb 04, 2025

Show notes

With Donald Trump's blessing, Elon Musk and a small crew of inexperienced software engineers take near full control of the government, moving to shut down USAID and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and taking control of a critical payment system at the Treasury Department. Trump delays his trade war with Canada and Mexico by a month after securing minor concessions that were probably already in the works. Meanwhile, congressional Democrats begin to push back harder—though whether it'll be enough is still an open question. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy break down all the latest, and Lovett speaks with former Obama and Biden economic adviser Brian Deese about just how bad things could get if a real trade war kicks off over the next four years.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Trump Heals Grieving Nation Jan 31, 2025

Show notes

Finally, a president willing to blame a devastating air crash on diversity hiring and two of his predecessors! Nearly two weeks into his second term, Trump continues to sow bitterness, fear, and chaos everywhere he turns: issuing a spending freeze so drastic and haphazard that his team has to rescind it after three days, demanding that more than two million federal workers resign or face loyalty tests, and vowing to send 30,000 immigrants to Guantanamo Bay. Meanwhile, three of his most extreme cabinet picks face tough questions in their confirmation hearings—but will it matter? Jon and Dan reflect on a dismal week, what's next, and signs of life in the opposition party. Then, Jon checks in with Senator Chris Murphy about the threats that Democratic leaders are getting, and why it's so important to fight back anyway.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Has Anyone Seen the Democrats? Jan 28, 2025

Show notes

Apparently, there's an opposition party in this country—but they've been awfully quiet lately. Meanwhile, Trump's immigration crackdown nearly sparks a trade war with Colombia, and back at home, he's doing battle with his own federal government—from loyalty tests to gutting diversity programs to pausing cancer research. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy break down which of the moves are the most dangerous, which are just for show, and why Democrats don’t seem to know what to say about it all. Then, they make their pick for who should be the next DNC chair. Later, Tommy sits down with Dara Lind, Senior Fellow at the American Immigration Council, to break down what's going on with deportations and immigration policy—and why it's more important than ever to pay attention.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Rachel Maddow on Surviving Trump 2.0 Jan 26, 2025

Show notes

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow joins Jon to talk about Trump's breathtaking first week in office, how she decides what to cover—and what to ignore—in an an ultra-chaotic news environment, and the power of embarrassment as a political tool. Then, Maddow shares her strategies for staying sane in crazy-making times. Hint: it involves ice fishing.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Trump's Indefensible Pardons Jan 24, 2025

Show notes

Donald Trump makes good on his promise to free the January 6 rioters—including those convicted of savage violence against police officers—calling the attacks "very minor incidents" in a primetime interview with Sean Hannity, and saying it would be too "cumbersome" to review individual defendants' records. Jon and Dan react to the pardons, the expansive list of executive orders that Trump signed this week, the prospects for his cabinet picks, and how Democrats are doing in their efforts to push back. Then, Dan talks to progressive strategist Faiz Shakir about his bid for DNC Chair and where he wants to steer the party.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Well ... he's back. Jan 21, 2025

Show notes

And so it begins—again. In front of an audience of adoring billionaires, Donald Trump takes the oath of office, delivers a speech promising a return to American greatness, and vows to make drastic changes to federal policy on immigration, gender identity, energy, and more. Meanwhile, Joe Biden ends his presidency with preemptive pardons for Liz Cheney, Anthony Fauci, and members of his immediate family. Jon, Lovett, Tommy, and Dan react to Trump's big speech, his planned executive orders, and Biden's final moves. Then they offer their thoughts on how we can all survive the next four years with our sanity intact.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Related Podcasts