What A Day

Latest Episodes:

Trump's Revenge Tour Could Backfire May 21, 2026

Show notes

A swath of President Donald Trump’s handpicked candidates won their primary elections Tuesday night – and one of Trump's biggest opponents in Congress, Kentucky Republican Representative Thomas Massie, lost. It was the continuation of Trump’s weeks-long revenge tour against Republicans he views as disloyal. So, for more about what we learned from Tuesday’s primaries, we spoke with Alex Wagner. She’s the host of Crooked Media’s Runaway Country.

And in headlines, President Donald Trump gives a commencement speech to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s graduates, the so-called Board of Peace needs money, and the Department of Justice announces charges against former Cuban President Raúl Castro as the Trump administration escalates pressure on the island.

Show Notes:

Check out Runaway Country – tinyurl.com/mrmmsw8d
Call Congress – 202-224-3121
Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Is The US Ready For A New Global Health Threat? May 20, 2026

Show notes

The World Health Organization met on Tuesday in Switzerland to discuss a deadly outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. According to the WHO, the outbreak, which has killed more than 130 people and infected more than 500, could last for months. Those numbers could be much, much higher than what they've been able to report. The Ebola outbreak comes in the midst of another deadly health crisis you've probably heard a lot about: hantavirus. It's part of a family of extremely dangerous viruses that are primarily spread by rats and mice. As all this is going on, you're probably wondering who's running the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention? And who is currently the Surgeon General of the United States? The answer to both? Currently, no one has been confirmed by the Senate. To find out more about what's happening with America's public health system, we spoke with Apoorva Mandavilli. She's a science and global health reporter at the New York Times.

And in headlines, President Donald Trump shows off the White House ballroom construction site, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche sits for a Congressional hearing, and guess who's making a lot of money trading stocks? You're not going to like the answer.

Show Notes:

Check out Apoorva's work – www.nytimes.com/by/apoorva-mandavilli
Call Congress – 202-224-3121
Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Has The West Forgotten About Ukraine? May 19, 2026

Show notes

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24th, 2022. And despite President Donald Trump's promise to end the conflict on his first day back in office, the two countries are still at war. So far, over 300,000 Russian soldiers have died in the war, compared to roughly 150,000 Ukrainian soldiers. The fighting is brutal, and it seems to keep… going. So how can both sides end this conflict – and what will the U.S. do to help (or hurt) the peace process? To find out, we spoke with Lucian Kim. He's a senior Ukraine analyst for the International Crisis Group. When we spoke, he had just returned from an 11-day trip to Ukraine.

And in headlines, Trump holds off on striking Iran, a data analytics firm unveils just how much several Polymarket accounts have made betting almost exclusively on U.S. military operations, and Trump's approval rating continues to dip.

Show Notes:

Check out Lucian's book – https://tinyurl.com/ytkkh6d3
Call Congress – 202-224-3121
Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Americans Should Be Happy, But They're Not May 18, 2026

Show notes

It's rather obvious Americans have not exactly been … cheerful for the last few years. And it's showing up in the data – the General Social Survey, the Consumer Sentiment Survey from the University of Michigan, the World Happiness Report, and even the Federal Reserve all report that Americans are less happy than they were a decade ago. Whether that's with their jobs, the economy, the state of the world – no matter the metric, Americans are not having it. To find out why we're feeling down, we spoke with Derek Thompson. He's the co-author of the book "Abundance," and he writes a popular Substack called, well, Derek Thompson.

And in headlines, President Donald Trump is once again threatening Iran via Truth Social, House Speaker Mike Johnson talks about the administration's priorities, and Taiwan's president stresses the importance of arms purchases from the United States.

Show Notes:

Check out Derek's piece –https://tinyurl.com/zzsjpf7a
Call Congress – 202-224-3121
Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Trump Made Inflation Great Again May 15, 2026

Show notes

Life is pretty expensive right now – and Americans are not happy about it. Trump came into office claiming he would lower prices, QUOTE, “on day 1.” But that didn’t happen – and his own policies are partially to blame. To talk more about the economy, inflation, and what we can do when our lives feel way too expensive, we spoke with Stacey Vanek Smith. She’s a reporter for Bloomberg Businessweek and co-host of the Bloomberg podcast, Everybody’s Business.

And in headlines, Trump says Chinese President Xi Jinping offered his help in making a deal to end the Iran war,FBI Director Kash Patel allegedly went snorkeling on his “not vacation” in Hawaii, and did the Supreme Court just become a feminist?

Show Notes:

Check out Stacey's podcast – https://tinyurl.com/y2zannt6
Call Congress – 202-224-3121
Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Stacey Abrams On Why We Still Need The Voting Rights Act May 14, 2026

Show notes

The Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais last month dismantled a critical portion of the Voting Rights Act. And since then, a slew of states — largely in the South — have moved to redraw voting maps. In doing so, they’re eliminating majority-Black voting districts. There are not many people who have done more to fight for Black voting power and for the rights of Black voters in the South than Stacey Abrams,host of Crooked Media’s Assembly Required. So we talked to her about the racist implications of Louisiana vs. Callais and where we go from here.

And in headlines, Senate Republicans once again block legislation that would halt President Donald Trump’s war of choice with Iran, Vice President JD Vance takes more steps in the administration’s anti-fraud initiative, and a Politico analysis finds that the Trump administration has lost in court more than 10,000 times in ICE detention decisions.

Show Notes:

Check out Stacey's podcast –
Call Congress – 202-224-3121
Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

What Does Trump Need Most From China? May 13, 2026

Show notes

President Donald Trump is arriving in Beijing today on a long-awaited trip – one that got delayed even further by Trump’s war in Iran. It’s Trump’s second trip to China and his first in nearly a decade. It’s also a trip where both sides see big opportunities (mostly to make money). But, the global balance of power has shifted – arguably, in China’s favor. Trump is in the midst of an unpopular war with no clear exit plan and he’s looking to make deals, not problems. Meanwhile, China has become an economic and military powerhouse more than able to stand up to the US and Trump’s trade wars. So to talk more about Trump’s trip to China and what’s at stake, we spoke to Phelim Kine. He is the DC based China correspondent at POLITICO.

And in headlines, Secretary of War/little boy Pete Hegseth returns to the Hill, Food and Drug Administration head Marty Makary steps down, and the What A Day newsletter investigates a new video game that parodies Trump’s second term in office.

Show Notes:

Check out Phelim's work – politico.com/staff/phelim-kine
Call Congress – 202-224-3121
Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Jeffrey Epstein Funded Harvard Women's Athletics May 12, 2026

Show notes

The impact of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes has been felt in so many places, from the halls of Congress to the royal families of Britain and Norway. Here in the U.S., it’s taken the work of student journalists to uncover the worrying details about Epstein’s hidden relationship with another important institution: Harvard University. Epstein didn’t go to Harvard (actually, he didn’t graduate from college at all). But back in 2020, Harvard released a report aiming to detail its relationship with Epstein, including the millions of dollars he donated to the university. As journalist Pablo Torre and student journalists at the Harvard Crimson discovered, Harvard was actually keeping a lot of secrets about its relationship with the convicted sex offender. We spoke with Torre about his investigation and what he wants Harvard to do now.

And in headlines, President Donald Trump participates in a Maternal Healthcare Event in the Oval Office, the Supreme Court is leaving access to a widely used abortion pill untouched until at least Thursday, and the man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner pleads not guilty.

Show Notes:

Check out Pablo's podcast – https://tinyurl.com/yjn2ndp2
Call Congress – 202-224-3121
Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

The Gentrification Of Intersectionality May 11, 2026

Show notes

Over the last year and a half, the Trump Administration has made a big effort to limit which words are used in federal documents. Across government memos and wide-ranging agency material, hundreds of terms and ideas have been explicitly or implicitly forbidden from use. These terms include words like “accessible” or “activism.” Another example? Intersectionality. It’s been nearly 40 years since Kimberlé Crenshaw coined the term “intersectionality.” And in that time, the word has been twisted into something barely recognizable. We spoke with Crenshaw about her work, her new book, and how her past has given her the strength to keep talking back.

And in headlines, Iran responds to the latest U.S. ceasefire proposal, Democrats respond to the Virginia Supreme Court ruling on redistricting, and the cruise ship roiled by hantavirus anchors in the Canary Islands.

Show Notes:

Check out Kimberlé's book – https://tinyurl.com/4ndwy3rx
Call Congress – 202-224-3121
Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Trump Still Has A Grip On Indiana May 08, 2026

Show notes

There’s a lot going on in this year’s midterm elections. Tennessee Republicans approved a new map on Thursday, splitting the majority-Black voting district that encompasses the city of Memphis – and possibly eliminating the state’s only blue congressional seat. The president also got to flex his muscles this week in Indiana’s Republican primary. Candidates with his support beat at least five Republican incumbents who had voted against his redistricting plans in the state. So what does all of this mean for the midterms? To find out, we talked to Jon Favreau. He’s a co-host of Pod Save America.

And in headlines, Russia preps for its annual Victory Day Parade, two reports shed new light on the Iran war, and President Donald Trump tries to square up with a child in the Oval Office.

Show Notes:

Call Congress – 202-224-3121
Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected