The Focus Group Podcast

Latest Episodes:

S6 Ep15: The Civilian-Military Relationship (with Mark Hertling) Dec 13, 2025

Show notes

The American military used to be one of the more trusted institutions in America. In 2025, it's a major political football. But how much do voters know about the military and its proper use? Bulwark military expert, Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) joins the show.
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S6 Ep14: (Focus) Group Therapy (with Astead Herndon) Dec 06, 2025

Show notes

Swing voters are pretty fed up with politics in general. They’re often “swingy” because they can’t really stand either party. And in our most recent focus group, they all let political leaders HAVE IT. We also check in with Maine Democratic primary voters on their U.S. Senate race, which is shaping up to be one of the biggest proxy wars in the Democratic Party in 2026 and is telling us a lot about what Democrats are more willing to tolerate from candidates, as long as they fight. New York Times-turned-Vox host Astead Herndon makes his return to the show.
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By Astead Herndon:
Inside the Improbable, Audacious and (So Far) Unstoppable Rise of Zohran Mamdani
How Zohran Mamdani won over Donald Trump — for now

S6 Ep13: Just Press The Deflation Button! (with Catherine Rampell) Nov 29, 2025

Show notes

Donald Trump got elected in 2024 because voters felt prices were too high. But, as our guest says, that's not really a great thing for a politician to promise. So, as we head into the holiday season of Trump's first year back in office, how are his voters feeling about the state of the economy? New Bulwark economics editor Catherine Rampell joins the show to discuss the state of the economy and what politicians can and cannot do to fix it. We also hear from voters about how their holiday spending habits have changed since last year.
By Catherine Rampell:
Trump Is Falling Into the Same Trap That Ensnared Biden
Trump’s One Weird Trick for Eliminating Bad News: Delete It

S6 Ep12: Epstein Files & Illegal Orders (w/ Will Sommer and Sen. Elissa Slotkin) Nov 22, 2025

Show notes

Donald Trump had to make an about-face on the Epstein Files because some Trump voters were getting…mildly annoyed. Will Sommer joins Sarah to hear them out. Then, Sen. Elissa Slotkin joins the show to discuss her PSA with her colleagues to the military and intelligence community, reminding them they can refuse illegal orders. They also discuss the recent government shutdown fight, and what Sen. Slotkin learned from winning several tough races in Michigan.
NOTE: This episode discusses Sen. Slotkin and her colleagues’ message to the military and intelligence community that President Trump called “seditious behavior, punishable by death.” This conversation was taped before that Trump post.
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S6 Ep11: The GOP's Life After Trump (with Robert Draper) Nov 15, 2025

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There's always a possibility that Donald Trump will try to run for a third term. But plenty of Republicans don't even want that...for now. We asked some of Trump's base how they're feeling about a third term for him (their answers may surprise you!) and talk about Marjorie Taylor Greene's about-face, and the rise of antisemitism on the right. Robert Draper of The New York Times Magazine joins Sarah to walk through some of the key forces bubbling up on the right.
show notes
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By Robert Draper:

S6 Ep10: Gen Z: They're Zooming Apart (with Rachel Janfaza) Nov 08, 2025

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We've heard a lot about how young men have shifted to the right...but this week's election showed young women moving to the left as well. Gen Z expert Rachel Janfaza, founder of The Up and Up, joins Sarah to discuss why young women have shifted to the left, why their male peers have shifted to the right, and why their life priorities are so different. They also discuss Gen Z's relationship with technology like AI, why Gen Z is a lonely generation, and the differences between Gen Z-ers who came of age before the pandemic, and after.
show notes:

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JOB ALERT: Sarah is looking for a qualitative researcher to join her team! Apply here.
By Rachel Janfaza in The Up and Up:
More on the two gen zs
Young women are the story (And here's how to piss them off...)
Nearly half of high schoolers have had a relationship with AI or know someone who has
Twice as many young people say religion is gaining influence in American life
Trad Husbands > Trad Wives

S6 Ep9: Virginia: National Politics is Local (with Jeff Schapiro) Nov 01, 2025

Show notes

No election in 2025 has been more impacted by the Trump presidency than the elections in Virginia. This state doesn't vote for MAGA candidates anymore, but their nominee for governor, Winsome Earle-Sears, isn't really campaigning like that. So one of Sarah's favorite Democrats, Abigail Spanberger, looks poised for a solid win on Election Day. Meanwhile in the Attorney General race, the Republican incumbent, Jason Miyares could pull off an unexpected comeback, so we talked to voters who are splitting their tickets between Spanberger and Miyares. Former Richmond Times-Dispatch columnist and University of Virginia Center for Politics scholar Jeff Schapiro joins the show to put this year's election in the context of Virginia's broad political evolution.
Show notes:
Jeff Schapiro in Crystal Ball: The Virginia Elections: Plenty of Late Drama, Although Not at the Top of the Ticket

S6 Ep8: New Jersey: The 'No Narc' State (with Jonathan V. Last) Oct 25, 2025

Show notes

The New Jersey governor's race is a little too close for comfort, after New Jersey had one of the largest swings toward Donald Trump of any state in the country, and the Democratic candidate, Mikie Sherrill is on track for a sub-optimal performance on Election Day against a sometimes-MAGA Republican, Jack Ciattarelli. Sarah doesn't let JVL on The Focus Group very often, but made an exception because he's one of The Bulwark's resident New Jerseyans. You don't want to miss this one.

S6 Ep7: New Yorkers Brace for Mamdani (with Harry Siegel) Oct 18, 2025

Show notes

Zohran Mamdani, the young, telegenic, democratic socialist state assemblyman, looks set to be New York City's next mayor. So how are New Yorkers feeling about turning the keys over to him? We asked some of his supporters and detractors. Harry Siegel, senior editor at The City, returns to the show to give his two cents on one of the wilder New York City races in recent memory.
show notes:
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By Harry Siegel:
FAQ NYC Podcast

S6 Ep6: They're 'Opening the Door' (with Andrew Egger) Oct 11, 2025

Show notes

For the last few weeks, the Trump administration has escalated its authoritarian impulses, from pressuring ABC to cancel a late night host, to deploying the Texas National Guard to Chicago. You might call it "authoritarian," but the voters are just getting mildly queasy. The Bulwark's Andrew Egger joins the show to talk about the news, the voters, and how we're even supposed to cover it these days.
By Andrew Egger:
Morning Shots: The Insidious Effort to Rationalize Trump’s Lawfare
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