The Briefing with Jen Psaki

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Trump's sketchy prosecutor switch made clear with expected Comey indictment Sep 25, 2025

Show notes

While it was generally understood that Donald Trump's installation of his own personal lawyer, Lindsey Halligan, as U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia to replace the abruptly departed Erik Siebert, was related to his stated desire that his personal enemies be criminally prosecuted, it wasn't entirely clear until today's MSNBC report on the expectation of an indictment of former FBI Director James Comey what was really going on. Jen Psaki reports on Trump's disdain for Comey and his frighteningly direct tactic of assigning unquestioning loyalists to attack his enemies.

Jimmy Kimmel returned to his late-night TV show, not only defiant, but before a significantly larger audience, a reflection of the broad support he has received after the Trump administration tried to bully the corporations that carry his show into taking him off the air. Terry Moran, former ABC News senior national correspondent, talks with Jen Psaki about Donald Trump's miscalculation about the importance of free speech to Americans.

And the Trump administration sank to a new low as former Trump lawyer turned DOJ attack dog is dabbling in Sandy Hook conspiracy theories with Alex Jones.

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Trump humiliated by UN escalator; Anatomy of a Donald Trump rage cycle Sep 24, 2025

Show notes

Donald Trump managed to take it personally when an escalator at the UN General Assembly stopped working while he was on it. Jen Psaki takes the opportunity to observe another instance of the "Donald Trump rage cycle," and points out that the thin-skinned president's petty tyrades are less intimidating the more people learn to stand up to him.

Jen Psaki revisits MSNBC reporting from the weekend about the FBI investigating Trump border czar Tom Homan until the investigation was suddenly dropped, and reviews a litany of cuts to the government's anti-corruption capacity.

The pressure campaign against Disney/ABC appears to have worked, and Jimmy Kimmel is to return to the airwaves, but many Americans won't be able to make the choice to watch him or not on their own because Nexstar and Sinclair, the media conglomerates that own their local ABC station, may have a financial interest in appeasing Donald Trump rather than serving local communities. FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, the lone Democratic appointee on the commission, joins Jen Psaki to discuss the dynamics at play.

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Free speech BACKLASH as even members of Trump's base reject his attack on the First Amendment Sep 20, 2025

Show notes

Jen Psaki reports on the negative reactions of some surprising Republicans to the Trump administration's use of political intimidation to silence Donald Trump's critics. Along with the few Republicans who have opposed Trump on covering up Jeffrey Epstein's crimes, the unquestioning obedience Trump enjoys from his party may be showing cracks.

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Bigger than Kimmel: Psaki shows what's really behind the comedian's suspension Sep 19, 2025

Show notes

With Donald Trump saying the quiet part out loud about who should be allowed to speak in the United States, Jen Psaki follows the money through the corporate powers that are helping the Trump regime reshape American media in order to protect their financial interests.

Meanwhile, Congressoinal Democrats intend to investigate potential conflicts of interest by media conglomerates looking to appease Donald Trump for business reasons.

Stacey Abrams joins to dicuss what people can do to push back on Trump's power grab.

"The moment you hear 'public interest,' it should ring the bell." Russian dissident Garry Kasparov, founder and chairman of the Renew Democracy Initiative, talks with Jen Psaki about what it looked like as Russia's democracy gave way to autocracy under Putin, and parallels he sees with the Trump regime now.

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Pritzker on bowing to Trump intimidation: The consequences of not standing up are worse Sep 18, 2025

Show notes

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker reacts to breaking news that Disney's ABC television network has capitulated to strong-arming by the Trump administration to remove Jimmy Kimmel from the air, and encourages Americans to not only push back on Disney, but to remain steadfast in standing up to Donald Trump's intimidation tactics. Former federal prosecutor Preet Bharara weighs in on the legal perspective, and Rep. Dan Goldman joins to discuss Donald Trump's power overreach.

Jen Psaki reports on a Senate health committee hearing in which Republicans were trapped trying to maintain the Trump administration's anti-vaccine attitude in the face of well-informed testimony from former CDC officials, including Republican-confirmed former CDC Director Susan Monarez, pushed out by Trump's HSS secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Dr. Debra Houry, the CDC's former chief medical officer, who also testified at today's hearing, joins to discuss the lack of scientific rigor and transparency from Trump's new health officials.

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Gov. Walz TRASHES Trump on shootings, national guard, economy Sep 17, 2025

Show notes

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz talks with Jen Psaki on the day that he had declared his candidacy for reelection. Walz offers harsh words on Donald Trump for his response to shootings in Minnesota, including the fatal shooting of Democratic politician Melissa Hortman, as well as the deployment of the National Guard to American cities, and Trump's handling of the economic challenges Americans are facing.

Jen Psaki reports on FBI Director Kash Patel's credulity-straining Senate testimony today and shares new MSNBC reporting that FBI agents are being diverted from human trafficking and child predator cases to work on Trump's immigration agenda.

Jen Psaki looks at how the Trump administration is taking an active opposition to free speech in the United States in the wake of the murder of Charlie Kirk, with Donald Trump going so far as to suggest to a reporter that treating Trump "unfairly" is "hate."

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Psaki: National crises of political violence call for unifying leadership Sep 13, 2025

Show notes

Jen Psaki looks back at past examples of political violence in the United States and how political leaders addressed the country with calls for unity and cooler heads, with examples from John Boehner to Utah Governor Spender Cox, who spoke this morning at a press conference announcing that the suspect in the shooting of Charlie Kirk is in custody. Senator Tina Smith discusses the dire state of politics in the U.S.

While the suspect in the Kirk shooting is in custody, Kash Patel's poor performance leading the FBI did not go unnoticed. Andrew Weissmann joins to explain how the FBI is supposed to work in normal times under normal leadership.

Donald Trump has named Memphis as the next target of his military policing plan. Tennessee State Rep. Justin J. Pearson expresses his vehement opposition to what Trump intends to do.

NATO suffered significant alarm when Russia sent drones into Poland in what is widely seen as a test of NATO readiness. Donald Trump seemed more inclined to excuse Vladimir Putin than to rally with allies, Jen Psaki explains.

And a CDC panel assembled by Trump HHS secretary and vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy will decide whether they endorse the new booster, which will determine whether residents of as many as 16 states are able to access the vaccine this season.

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With reward and images, authorities engage public in hunt for Kirk shooter Sep 12, 2025

Show notes

As the manhunt continues for the person who shot and killed conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Alicia Menendez talks with Vaughn Hillyard, MSNBC senior White House correspondent, Ken Dilanian, MSNBC justice and intelligence correspondent, and Marc Santia, MSNBC investigative correspondent, about progress in the investigation so far.

Senator Amy Klobuchar talks with Alicia Menendez about how the increase in political violence and threats toward political figures has legislators not only looking for increased security but also for a way to alter the tone of political discourse in the United States.

Utah officials hold a press conference in which they release new video and enhanced photos in an appeal to the public for help finding the person who shot adn killed Charlie Kirk.

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Ability to 'tap in' to the youth: Charlie Kirk’s rise in conservative politics Sep 11, 2025

Show notes

Senior White House Correspondent Vaughn Hillyard, who has covered Charlie Kirk's ascent in conservative politics, joins Jen Psaki to provide insight into Charlie Kirk’s rise and influence within the MAGA ranks and young conservatives. 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 https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Trump's lies become more OUTLANDISH as he contorts reality to suit himself Sep 10, 2025

Show notes

Donald Trump and his Republican acolytes defy credulity with their bizarre denial that Trump's page in Jeffrey Epstein's birthday book is somehow a 22-year-old forgery, but as Jen Psaki points out, that isn't the only unbelievable story Trump is trying to push to escape a reality that makes him look really bad.

In the latest edition of "Jen's Version," Jen Psaki addresses questions asked at the White House press briefing, including what Donald Trump meant by "if a man has a little fight with the wife they say this is crime," as he complained about the crime getting in the way of his claim that Washington D.C. doesn't have any more crime.

Texas State Rep. James Talarico, fresh from declaring his candidacy to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate, talks with Jen Psaki about the role of "love thy neighbor" religion in his politics, and the fight he wants to help bring to bear against Donald Trump's Republicans.

Senator Adam Schiff joins to talk about Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, and Wes Moore discusses his decision to run for reelection as Maryland's governor.

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