The Muckrake Political Podcast

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Plattner Of Least Resistance Jul 07, 2026

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Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman break down the Graham Plattner Senate campaign finally hitting the wall it was always speeding toward, and neither of them pretends to be surprised. They walk through the accusation that dropped hours before recording, why the red flags were flying for months, and whether Janet Mills can salvage the Maine seat from Susan Collins without dragging the stink along. Then it's on to America's 250th birthday, a flyover-heavy festival of military hardware and stolen riches with a banking trail that runs straight to Trump's personal checking account. Trump also phoned FIFA to un-red-card his way to a better World Cup match, which somehow loops back to Christopher Steele, bribery, and the reliably rotten heart of the beautiful game. It all comes back to the sting of realizing you've been conned: the sudden fall of Freddy the German soccer fan, Michael Cohen angling to be the next Rush Limbaugh, and every "resistance" grifter who turned out to be in it for the money. Plus a check-in on Mitch McConnell's convalescence, and the mystery of why his wife suddenly needed to be in China.

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Sweet Land of Larceny Jul 03, 2026

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This is a preview of The Weekender. Sign up for our Patreon and get access to the full episode every Friday, plus live shows and our community Discord: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast

Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman celebrate America's 250th birthday the only way this era allows: by tallying the $2 billion Donald Trump has pocketed since returning to the White House, most of it in untraceable crypto, plus 327 stock trades disclosed a year late and made conveniently close to his own tariff announcements. They trace the rot downward through emergency fertilizer imports, gutted nuclear safety rules, and Germany quietly shredding its sick leave. Then it's on to the Supreme Court's 6-3 birthright citizenship ruling, a rare win whose dissents double as a how-to guide for undoing it. Plus: Kamala Harris and Gavin Newsom start circling Zohran Mamdani, and the guys discuss what political weathervanes tell you about which way the wind is blowing.

The Fed and the Furious Jun 30, 2026

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Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman unpack the latest defensive maneuvers by centrist Democrats. The newly formed Promise to America coalition is scrambling to block progressive momentum following primary victories by politicians like Zohran Mamdani. Freezing rents and embracing class-based politics are proving highly popular but deeply threatening to the traditional party establishment.

Shifting to the judicial branch reveals an equally turbulent landscape. A recent 6-3 Supreme Court decision just dismantled a 90-year precedent regarding the executive branch. The ruling allows the president to fire independent regulators at will while conveniently carving out a protective exemption for the Federal Reserve. This stark contrast exposes the underlying economic incentives shaping our current legal framework.

Our co-hosts wrap up with a sobering look ahead at the nation's 250th anniversary. Decrepit conditions at the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool serve as a grim metaphor for an ongoing existential crisis. Rather than a grand celebration of independence, the crumbling infrastructure perfectly mirrors the current state of the American experiment.

A New York Slate of Mind Jun 26, 2026

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The podcast is entirely independent media with zero corporate backing. To support the show and unlock the full, uncut Weekender episodes, head over to patreon.com/muckrakepodcast.

Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman kick off the weekend edition of the podcast with a look at shocking election results and the intersection of entertainment and modern politics. The discussion covers progressive primary surges, intense establishment pushback, and a bizarre new theory regarding the death of nu metal.

The New York Shift: Leftist candidates backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani secure surprising victories in the New York primaries, including Brad Lander unseating incumbent Dan Goldman. Nick and Jared break down the significance of these primary wins and how a promise to address material conditions is changing the progressive landscape.
Establishment Meltdown: The primary results trigger a wave of panic and overreaction from both the right wing and centrist Democrats like Hakeem Jeffries and Jamie Harrison. The discussion outlines an impending stress test for the future principles of the Democratic Party.
Trump's Legislative Hostage Situation: Attention turns to the Trump administration as the president blocks a bipartisan housing bill. Jared details how corporate carve-outs allowed the bill to pass, while Trump holds it hostage in a bid to force an end to the filibuster for an anti-voting law.
Reflecting Pool Retaliation: Meanwhile, security cracks down at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Surveillance and out-of-state law enforcement are being deployed to manufacture "Antifa culprits" for the peeling paint and algae caused by the administration's own rush job.
Tucker's Tweener Turn: Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson makes the rounds claiming he can no longer support the Republican Party. Jared analyzes this shift as a calculated, mercenary move to position himself for a future political comeback.
The Woodstock '99 Nu Metal Conspiracy: A viral right-wing theory claims that the elites intentionally killed off nu metal and bands like Limp Bizkit to prevent an angry white male revolution. Nick and Jared debunk this framing, demonstrating how the death of rock was actually driven by corporate monopolies and streaming shifts rather than a cultural Marxist plot.
Weekend Reviews & Brain Rot: To wrap up, Nick gives a scathing review of Steven Spielberg's overlong new film Disclosure Day, prompting a trip down memory lane comparing it to Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Arrival. Plus, Jared shares his ongoing psychological torment over a legendary Black Eyed Peas earworm.

Labour Pains Jun 23, 2026

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Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman review recent shifts in global politics. The discussion begins by examining the legacy of Alan Greenspan. They detail how his monetary policies and devotion to Ayn Rand laid the groundwork for modern neoliberalism.

UK Leadership Collapse: Keir Starmer has resigned as Prime Minister amidst plummeting approval ratings. Jared and Nick explore how this signifies a broader rejection of centrist politics. Andrew Burnham is poised to potentially shift the Labour Party leftward.
Vetting Failures: Attention then shifts to reports regarding Tulsi Gabbard. Her connections to Chris Butler and the Science of Identity Foundation highlight massive vetting failures within the Democratic Party. The conversation reveals how cult influence mirrors the mechanics of corporate think tanks.
Soft Power: The episode scrutinizes Ezra Klein's defense of Peter Thiel's private Dialog conference. Jared breaks down the insidious nature of elite networking.
Cults of Denial: Finally, they examine Donald Trump's claims about the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Rather than accepting basic science regarding algae, the former president blames political subterfuge. This serves as a metaphor for the reality-denying nature of political cults.

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We're Talking About Revolutionary Shit, Here Jun 19, 2026

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Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman analyze Donald Trump's farcical new memorandum of understanding signed at the Palace of Versailles. The administration is suddenly defending Iran's right to ballistic missiles and nuclear programs. Jared explains how foreign adversaries successfully bypassed American interests by appealing directly to Trump's ego and financial greed. Reports even indicate Iranian officials consulted dementia specialists to manipulate the negotiations. A leaked detail exposes a potential dual-toll system on the Strait of Hormuz to enrich political insiders.

Blatant corruption hits the legal system as Trump appoints his personal defense lawyer to lead the Southern District of New York. Concurrently, FBI Director Kash Patel faces scrutiny over an alleged slush fund distributed to loyalists. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice is weaponizing anti-terrorism laws against citizens in Minnesota as authorities arrested over a dozen local protesters who resisted an ICE operation.

Nick and Jared examine a leaked list revealing members of a secret society led by tech billionaire Peter Thiel. High-profile political figures attended these private meetings to discuss global collapse. Finally, Nick reviews the disaster film Greenland while Jared shares his unique obsession with highway infrastructure.

For His Own Birthday, Trump Gifts Iran $300 Billion Jun 16, 2026

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Visit patreon.com/muckrakepodcast to join the Patreon, support the ad-free show, and gain access to the Weekender, special events, and the Discord server.

Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman break down Donald Trump’s highly publicized 80th birthday peace plan, which is actually just an extension of the ceasefire with Iran. Jared details the staggering public and private costs, including $24 billion in unfrozen assets and a minimum of $300 billion in American-funded war reparations to a nation whose entire GDP matches that amount. While JD Vance takes to the airwaves to compare the deal to the unconditional surrenders of World War II, Nick and Jared expose the framework as a massive vehicle for market manipulation designed to kick economic and energy consequences down the road while bypassing crucial nuclear considerations.

The corporate circus continues on the front lawn of the White House, which Trump transformed into an octagon for UFC 250. The duo reacts to the garish spectacle, which included fighter entrances from the Oval Office, flyovers, and fighter Josh Hoke's bizarre post-fight interview antics. They also dig into the deleted tweet controversy involving Eric Trump allegedly hunting for insider fighter data to place bets via direct message.

Finally, they confront the reality of unchecked tech capitalism as Elon Musk officially becomes the world’s first trillionaire, propped up by billions in government subsidies to form a new tech-military-industrial complex. The hosts close with a look at the quiet, bipartisan surrender to artificial intelligence as the Trump administration readies to buy shares in OpenAI while competitors like Anthropic warn of autonomous self-replication.

Iran Out of Good Options Jun 12, 2026

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Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman reunite after Nick's trip to Washington, where the Constitution turns out to be as faded on the page as it is in practice. The two ask the question nobody in power wants asked out loud: if Donald Trump orders a strike on Iran, will the military actually carry it out? They trace the madman theory back to Nixon's Watergate breakdown, poke holes in the suspiciously cinematic tale of the rescued pilot, and follow the Epstein story behind the curtain, where JD Vance, Dan Bongino, and Susie Wiles sang to reporters while Pam Bondi got shoved under the bus for promising files the White House never intended to release. It all points to an administration that can't contain its own contradictions, let alone a war.

The guys close with what they're watching, including Bradley Cooper's latest and the marketing blitz around Disclosure Day.

The Paradigm Shift Jun 09, 2026

Show notes

Nick Hauselman is out and about for business, so it's a Professor Jared episode. Jared Yates Sexton runs through recent developments, including a changing paradigm in the Middle East as Iran resumes attacks against Israel, the alliance between the U.S. and Israel strains, the Trump Administration destroying one of the marvels of modern science, and gets into the situation with Graham Platner in Maine.

To support the show and gain access to Friday's bonus Weekender show, head over to ⁠http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast⁠ and become a patron. If you're interested in checking out Jared's Dispatches From A Collapsing State, you can find it at ⁠http://jaredyatessexton.substack.com⁠

No DNI-ing the Corruption Jun 05, 2026

Show notes

Visit Patreon.com/muckrakepodcast to join the Patreon today for exclusive access to the weekend edition every Friday, live specials, and bonus coverage.

Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman break down a week filled with corporate raiding and political theater on this edition of The Weekender. The conversation kicks off with Donald Trump nominating former housing executive Bill Pulte to replace Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence. They analyze how this appointment signals a private equity approach to governing, where state power is handed directly to the wealth class while cutting out the middle manager.

The guys also take a look at the House of Representatives passing a symbolic War Powers resolution regarding Iran, highlighting the conflicting financial incentives between local used-car barons and federal oligarchs. Finally, they investigate the curious disappearance of Representative Tom Kean Jr. from Capitol Hill before diving into a nostalgic review of Planes, Trains and Automobiles and the unexpected creepiness of rewatching The Wonder Years.

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