The Briefing with Jen Psaki

Latest Episodes:

Psaki on what national narratives are missing about primary elections so far Aug 13, 2026

Show notes

Jen Psaki sets the record straight on extraordinary Democratic enthusiasm in this year's midterm elections, as evidenced by exceptional turnout in the primaries so far, and points out that despite the media's obsession with intra-party competition, Democrats are actually very unified with candidates in even the most contentious primaries supporting each other once the contest is over. And meanwhile, Donald Trump's distortion of the Republican Party is producing seriously flawed candidates.

Senator Jon Ossoff points out that between regular leaks to the press and a White House full of advisors with self-interests and ambitions for 2028, it can hardly be surprising that details of secret protective measures surrounding the president are exposed to the public.

Jen Psaki talks with David Crowley, the new Democratic nominee for governor of Wisconsin after defeating poll-favorite Francesca Hong. While Crowley's victory was a surprise based on polling, he was ready to win and discusses the keys to his success and his plan moving forward to the general election.

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Midterm primaries pit the establishment against outsiders Aug 12, 2026

Show notes

Jen Psaki and a panel of her MS NOW colleagues watch the primary election returns in Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Carolina and Connecticut and discuss the intra-party dynamics this primary season.

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Trump abandons ship: GOP left to sink under the burden of a profoundly unpopular president Aug 08, 2026

Show notes

Donald Trump appears to be distancing himself from his own Republican Party, perhaps hoping to avoid association with expected midterm losses, despite being responsible for the unpopularity Republicans are suffering for their association with him. Ben Wikler, former DNC chair, joins to discuss.

How did a long-standing plan by the Department of the Interior to refurbish the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool turn into the mess that would become Donald Trump's highest profile public humiliation (so far)? David Fahrenthold, investigative reporter for the New York Times, talks about his reporting on how the project spun out of control in the most Trumpian ways.

Donald Trump appears not to understand that the resources of the presidency are not his personal property, as his vanity projects are taking an ever-increasing amount of his attention. Now a federal appeals court has shut down construction on his White House ballroom with a reminder that he is not a king. Rep. Jamie Rasking joins to discuss.

Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II talks about how Michigan Democrats are uniting after their contentious primary in which Abul El-Sayed emerged victorious.

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Blame game clown show: Trump looks for Iran fiasco scapegoats Aug 07, 2026

Show notes

Donald Trump and his former cable news weekend co-host defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, are reportedly fighting over who is to blame for wasting U.S. military resources and depleting the U.S. weapons stockpile on Trump's inexplicable war on Iran. Hegseth reportedly blamed his deputy. Rep. Pat Ryan, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, joins to discuss Trump's foolhardy prosecution of the war.

Donald Trump's brazen corruption is so much a part of his political identity that it has become an election issue unto itself. And when Senator Tim Scott tries to gaslight the American public into believing Trump is a model of ethics, or when JD Vance tries to pretend prosecuting fraud is an important priority of his, Trump's corruption only makes them look ridiculous. Rep. Ro Khanna joins to discuss.

Mitch Landrieu and Jennifer Palmieri discuss the shifting politics in the American South.

Stacey Abrams joins to talk about resurrecting the protections of the Voting Rights Act.

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With nothing to run on, Republicans return to low road 'gutter' politics Aug 06, 2026

Show notes

Donald Trump's disastrous time in office has left campaigning Republicans with very little to boast about to constituents back home. What they are left with instead is their familiar playbook of culture war scare tactics and divisive distortions to try to scare voters into supporting them. Senator Ted Cruz wasted no time to resort to absurd smears when asked about Democratic Senate candidate from Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed.

One of Donald Trump's endorsed Republican candidates lost the primary election to a guy who was so disfavored to win that news organizations didn't even bother to prepare his photo. But at least that candidate didn't have to drop out of the race in disgrace, which is more than can be said for other Republicans.

Mother Jones has published body camera and interview footage from a child abuse investigation involving Rep. Max Miller. The footage was obtained via a public records request from the City of Bay Village in Ohio, where the investigation took place.

Miller continues to deny the abuse allegations made by his ex-wife, Emily Moreno. The investigation ended with the allegations "unsubstantiated" by police.

Michael Steele plays part of the clip obtained by Mother Jones, where a child protective specialist describes an injury his 2-year-old daughter sustained while in his care.

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Trump HUMILIATED by stunning admission as pool case collapses Aug 01, 2026

Show notes

Despite Donald Trump's endless talking about the vandalism he said was done to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Poll, U.S. attorney and former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro was forced to drop the Justice Department's case against former Olympian David Hearn and admit that the problem with the pool's liner was the fault of the contactor Donald Trump selected.

The Wall Street Journal reports that after receiving a gift of a massive ring covered in diamonds and other jewels, Donald Trump made an exception from his tariffs for the diamond industry. Rep. Greg Casar discusses how Donld Trump's corruption and self-dealing, especially in contrast with the higher prices Americans are struggling with, has become a key issue for Democrats to campaign on as midterm elections approach.

Marc Elias, founder of Democracy Docket, joins to discuss Donald Trump's efforts to use voter data to undermine the upcoming midterm elections.

Donald Trump is so bitter about Minnesota Governor Tim Walz that he rejects the suggestion that his inexplicable war with Iran has led to a hacking attack on the water systems of several U.S. states and instead bizarrely insists that Minnesota somehow hacked its own water system. Rep. Seth Moulton joins to discuss Trump's apparent inability to take U.S. national security seriously.

Texas State Rep. Gina Hinojosa joins to talk about how Democrats are surging in Texas and the stakes of the Texas elections for national politics.

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Trump weakness at dealmaking leaves him stuck in Iran folly Jul 31, 2026

Show notes

Even as Americans are dealing with the fallout of Elon Musk's devastating cuts to the federal government when Donald Trump let him run amok, with new terrible consequences still coming to light on a regular basis, Musk is reportedly planning on trying to use his vast wealth to influence the midterm elections in favor of Republicans. Polls suggest his involvement may do Republicans more harm than good.

Alex Isenstadt, senior political reporter for Axios, Norm Eisen, founder of Democracy Defenders Action, and Democratic strategist Chuck Rocha discuss the many advantages Democrats are pursuing in the midterm elections.

Stacey Young, an 18-year Justice Department veteran, and Norm Eisen, founder of Democracy Defenders Action, discuss Donald Trump's effort to install his criminal defense attorney as U.S. attorney general.

A new report from Democrats on the Senate Homeland Security Committee shows how Donald Trump's deep cuts to counterterrorism agencies and repurposing of law enforcement resources to investigate his political enemies, his personal conspiracy theories and political pet projects has undermined important counterterrorism measures put in place after 9/11. Former CIA director John Brennan joins to discuss.

Whether because of bad advice, manipulation or foolhardiness, Donald Trump apparently thought his military adventure against Iran would be quick and easy, and now reports say he is in a frustrated rage over his own inability to escape the conflict as Americans grow increasingly bitter at the hardships Trump's folly has wrought. Admiral John Kirby, former White House national security communications advisor, joins to discuss the challenge Trump is facing.

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Devastating poll shows Trump's base crumbling Jul 30, 2026

Show notes

White voters without a college education have been a core component of Donald Trump's base and key to putting him in the White House. But a new poll from CNN shows that group now disapproves of Trump more than approves by 8 percentage points. One insight in the poll is that Americans by a wide margin thing Trump is focused on the wrong priorities. Jen Psaki takes a closer look.

Jen Psaki reports on the postponement of a Senate committee vote on the nomination of Donald Trump's former criminal defense lawyer, Todd Blanche, to be attorney general. A vote was contingent on Blanche agreeing in writing to drop his pursuit of a settlement with the IRS to fund payouts to January 6 rioters. Trump was apparently not willing to allow Blanche to make that agreement. Senator Adam Schiff joins to discuss.

Jen Psaki talks with Josh Turek, Democratic candidate for Senate from Iowa, in his first interview since being endorsed by former President Barack Obama.

And Maine's Democratic nominee for Senate, Troy Jackson, also joins Jen in the studio.

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'Donald Trump is gonna hate it': Mobile Epstein files museum hits the road Jul 29, 2026

Show notes

A mobile version of the Epstein files reading room in New York City, with millions of printed pages of notorious pedophile Jeffrey Epstein's records, is set to go on tour, in part to highlight the mishandling of the files by Trump lawyer and attorney general nominee, Todd Blanche. Miles Taylor, former DHS chief of staff under Donald Trump, joins Jen Psaki to discuss the project.

Senator John Cornyn was primaried out of his job by a candidate endorsed by Donald Trump, leaving him in the position of being a lame duck with an axe to grind. One way he is expressing his lack of charity for Trump is by insisting that Trump's lawyer-turned-attorney general nominee, Todd Blanche, put into writing that Trump's corrupt slush fund for January 6 rioters and other political allies is totally off the table. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse talks with Jen Psaki about the opposition to Blanche in the Senate.

Abdul El-Sayed, Michigan Senate candidate, talks with Jen Psaki about he stakes in his race and what comes after Donald Trump.

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The Briefing with Jen Psaki special coverage of the White House Correspondents' Dinner Jul 25, 2026

Show notes

Jen Pskai anchors special coverage of the White House Correspondents' Dinner and talks with a panel of guests about the relationship between Donald Trump and the media.

Jen Psaki reviews The first stretch of Donald Trump's meandering address to attendees of the White House Correspondents' Dinner and talks with Terry Moran, former senior national correspondent for ABC News, and Eugene Daniels, MS NOW's senior Washington correspondent, about the state of the political media and what is motivating Trump's participation in an event he has previously eschewed.

Jen Psaki points out the awkwardness of the White House Correspondents' Association giving an award to the reporting team that withstood Donald Trump's rage and intimidation after reporting on a weird birthday greeting from Trump to Jeffrey Epstein, while Trump sat on the dais in front of everyone and even shook the hands to the reporters. Rep. Ro Khanna joins to discuss the ongoing investigation in Epstein's crimes and associates.

Jen Psaki reports on the Trump administration's attempt to minimize the ultimate sacrifice made by four U.S. service members to Doanld Trump's war against Iran by removing them from the list of American casualties in the war. Barbara Starr, former CNN Pentagon correspondent, and retired United States Army Lieutenant General Mark Hertling join to discuss the contentious relationship Trump's Pentagon has had with the media.

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