Daily Kos' The Brief
187 episodes - English - Latest episode: 8 days ago - ★★★★★ - 104 ratingsA one-hour weekly political conversation hosted by Markos Moulitsas and Kerry Eleveld highlighting on-the-ground leaders of the progressive movement.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Rebroadcast: “I’d rather be on Biden’s team” this election, with Simon Rosenberg
July 09, 2024 07:00 - 29 minutes - 40.9 MBHopium Chronicles' Simon Rosenberg joins Markos to discuss the “red wave-ification” of the economy and how prepared Democrats are for November. There is still work to do but we have a better candidate—and we have the edge. This episode first aired June 11, 2024
Rebroadcast: Republicans are the dog that caught the car, with EMILY’s List’s Christina Reynolds
July 02, 2024 07:00 - 39 minutes - 54.1 MBWe are joined by our friend Christina Reynolds, who is senior VP of communications and content at EMILY’s List. Christina talks with Kerry and Markos about how small a box the Republican Party is locked into on reproductive rights. This episode first aired March 2024
What to expect in the Biden-Trump debate
June 26, 2024 07:30 - 30 minutes - 41.8 MBPresident Joe Biden successfully goaded Donald Trump into an early June debate, with Trump even acquiescing to most of the Biden team's terms. Markos and Kerry break down what to expect from Biden and from Trump. This episode was recorded on May 28, 2024.
Rural organizing with Matt Hildreth
June 19, 2024 07:30 - 38 minutes - 52.4 MBKerry speaks with Matt Hildreth, the executive director of Rural Organizing and treasurer of the RuralVote.org super PAC. He explains what Democrats can—and must—do to change the political conversation in rural communities. This episode was recorded on June 7, 2024.
“I’d rather be on Biden’s team” this election, with Simon Rosenberg
June 12, 2024 07:00 - 29 minutes - 40.9 MBHopium Chronicles' Simon Rosenberg joins Markos to discuss the “red wave-ification” of the economy and how prepared Democrats are for November. There is still work to do but we have a better candidate—and we have the edge.
Say it with me: It’s “convicted felon” Donald Trump
June 05, 2024 07:30 - 37 minutes - 51 MBDonald Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records on May 30. What are potential voters saying about this historic news? And what is the Biden-Harris campaign doing now that the “teflon Don" is no more?
Don’t panic!
May 29, 2024 07:30 - 31 minutes - 42.9 MBEvery day brings a new prognostication that is making President Joe Biden's campaign operatives worry or freak out. Is Donald Trump running away with the election? No. Not even close.
Donald Trump really stepped in it this week
May 22, 2024 07:30 - 38 minutes - 53.1 MBLike many Republicans, Donald Trump has tried to sidestep the issue of abortion and reproductive rights. But he stumbled during an interview with a CBS affiliate in Pittsburgh this week, promising an “interesting” new policy that would let states restrict contraception.
We speak with Protect Democracy’s Ian Bassin
May 15, 2024 07:30 - 45 minutes - 62.5 MBIan Bassin is the former associate White House counsel and co-founder and executive director of Protect Democracy. Protect Democracy is a nonprofit, nonpartisan group focused on anti-authoritarianism, how to protect our democracy, and safeguarding our free and fair elections.
We speak with the people behind Navigator Research
May 08, 2024 07:00 - 46 minutes - 63.6 MBNavigator collects, analyzes, and distributes real data on progressive messaging. The Hub Project's Bryan Bennett and Gabriela Parra talk with Kerry about what they are seeing in their research this election cycle, and which messaging can help progressive candidates win elections in 2024—and beyond.
Is RFK Jr. Trump’s spoiler now?
May 01, 2024 08:30 - 41 minutes - 56.5 MBWhen Robert F. Kennedy Jr. entered the 2024 presidential race as an independent, many feared (and the MAGA faithful cheered) that he would siphon off important swing-state Democrats and independents from President Biden. That doesn’t seem to be so true anymore. In fact, the opposite may be true—and Donald Trump is hopping mad about it.
Recast: Sarah Longwell talks beating Trump
April 24, 2024 05:30 - 28 minutes - 39 MBThis episode originally aired March 12, 2024. The Bulwark’s Sarah Longwell joins Kerry to discuss the State of the Union and what President Biden needs to do to soundly defeat Donald Trump in November.
Immigration: Fact and fiction! with Zachary Mueller of America’s Voice
April 17, 2024 04:00 - 42 minutes - 58.5 MBZachary Mueller is the senior research director for America’s Voice and America’s Voice Education Fund. He brings his expertise on immigration politics to talk about how much money the GOP is using to promote its racist immigration campaigns.
Trump bungles his abortion speech
April 10, 2024 07:00 - 42 minutes - 58.2 MBTrump’s lose-lose situation on abortion somehow got worse this week after he released a video attempting to spin a position on the polarizing issue. What does this mean? Bad news for the Republican Party, already in disarray.
Is Florida in play for Democrats?
April 03, 2024 07:00 - 36 minutes - 50.5 MBKerry and Markos talk about Florida, its strict abortion ban, and Democratic challengers' chances in the Sunshine State.
Republican disarray all the way!
March 27, 2024 07:00 - 40 minutes - 55.1 MBPresident Joe Biden’s approval ratings have been improving since his fiery State of the Union speech—as we predicted. At the same time, the Republican Party cannot stop the infighting, even as Donald Trump’s takeover seems to be complete. Markos and Kerry get into Biden’s improving fundamentals as the race to save America heats up.
What exactly is the GOP's message? with Patrick Gaspard
March 20, 2024 07:00 - 38 minutes - 52.6 MBThe President and CEO of the Center for American Progress Action Fund, Patrick Gaspard, joins us to give his thoughts on what the Republican Party’s actual message is.
Sarah Longwell talks beating Trump
March 13, 2024 05:30 - 28 minutes - 39 MBThe Bulwark’s Sarah Longwell joins Kerry to discuss the State of the Union and what President Biden needs to do to soundly defeat Donald Trump in November.
Republicans are the dog that caught the car, with EMILY’s List’s Christina Reynolds
March 06, 2024 04:00 - 39 minutes - 54.1 MBWe are joined by our friend Christina Reynolds, who is senior VP of communications and content at EMILY’s List. Christina talks with Kerry and Markos about how small a box the Republican Party is locked into on reproductive rights.
There’s good news for Democrats: Donald Trump is old … and he's DONALD TRUMP
February 28, 2024 06:00 - 41 minutes - 57.5 MBSimon Rosenberg from the Hopium Chronicles Substack is back to talk about the facts of the 2024 election cycle. The facts are: Things look bad for Donald Trump—and even worse for the Republican Party.
Newsflash: Joe Biden and Donald Trump are old!
February 21, 2024 04:00 - 41 minutes - 56.8 MBDemocratic voters know Joe Biden is old and MAGA voters like to pretend that Trump isn't just as long in the tooth. Both men were old the last time we did this and the only thing that’s changed is Biden is now a successful incumbent, while Trump is busy juggling trials and indictments.
Rebroadcast: We talk with Tim Miller about Trump’s weaknesses!
February 14, 2024 04:00 - 33 minutes - 46.6 MBTim Miller from “The Next Level” podcast comes on to discuss Iowa, New Hampshire, and the cracks they expose in Donald Trump’s MAGA movement. This episode first aired 1/24/2024
President Biden calls GOP’s bluff and they implode
February 07, 2024 04:00 - 34 minutes - 47.8 MBRepublicans demanded border security, worked on a compromise deal with Democrats, and now want to blow the whole thing up. Biden is promising to remind Americans every day that the Republican Party is at fault for the lack of solutions to the problems they claim are most important.
Could Biden and Taylor Swift trounce Donald Trump in the election?
January 31, 2024 04:00 - 34 minutes - 47.6 MBIt is primary season, and Donald Trump seems pretty low energy these days. Kerry and Markos talk about the chances of Trump stumbling through the election season and the need to press our advantage and make gains in the House and Senate. Meanwhile, the right-wing media world is losing its collective minds about Taylor Swift registering younger Americans to vote!
We talk with Tim Miller about Trump’s weaknesses!
January 24, 2024 05:00 - 33 minutes - 46.6 MBTim Miller from “The Next Level” podcast comes on to discuss Iowa, New Hampshire, and the cracks they expose in Donald Trump’s MAGA movement.
Iowa exposed how weak Trump is
January 17, 2024 04:00 - 32 minutes - 45.2 MBThe Iowa primary took place Monday, and while traditional media outlets would like you to believe Trump won big the reality was anything but. Kerry and Markos talk about what the numbers really show and the possible ramifications for the rest of the primary season as well as the national election.
It’s 2024 and primary season is upon us
January 10, 2024 04:00 - 34 minutes - 46.8 MBTrump is going to win Iowa, but what does that mean for Haley and DeSantis—and for whomever else is still (barely) in the running? Kerry and Markos talk about what to expect and what weird and wild stuff could happen this coming Monday.
Recast: We talk 2024 messaging with Jennifer Fernandez Ancona
January 03, 2024 04:00 - 38 minutes - 53.1 MBJennifer Fernandez Ancona from Way to Win joins "The Brief" to talk about how bad Republican messaging has been and what Democrats need to say in 2024 to win. This episode originally went out on Dec. 13, 2023.
Markos and Kerry are thankful for ... Republican disarray
December 20, 2023 04:00 - 31 minutes - 43.7 MBIt's our last episode of the year and we wanted to talk about what we are thankful for. It turns out that Republican disarray and ineptitude topped our list. Join us to count the ways!
What do we expect to see in 2024?
December 06, 2023 04:00 - 38 minutes - 53 MBMarkos and Kerry give their thoughts on what the country is facing in 2024. The Republican Party is running on losing issues like abortion and repealing the ACA—with no explanation of what they plan on replacing it with. Trump has a lot of criming to atone for, and the Republican platform remains set on destroying democracy.
Rebroadcast: North Carolina’s Democratic Party chair has a plan
November 29, 2023 04:00 - 44 minutes - 40.4 MBThis interview first aired in May 2023. Back with new episodes next week! We speak with Anderson Clayton, the 25-year-old chair of North Carolina’s Democratic Party. Clayton has a big-picture plan for 2024, and explains the granular changes needed to get out the vote on college campuses and in the rural communities of the Tar Heel State.
Holiday Rerun: You can survive conservative family members this holiday season with this great advice
November 21, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 58 MBThis episode originally aired December 8, 2021. Happy Listening! As we all prepare for the holidays, today, we’re going to talk to Monica Guzman, journalist and author of the upcoming book I Never Thought of it That Way, (now available for pre-order). There are clear challenges reconciling our partisanship with Guzman's desire to “be curious” when talking to our political foes, but the advice is wise and applies far beyond politics to business and our personal relationships. This podcast c...
Trump and the Republican Party spiral further into fascism
November 15, 2023 04:00 - 39 minutes - 54.1 MBRepublicans are challenging labor leaders to fights and allegedly physically assaulting one another. Donald Trump says he will abolish reproductive rights entirely and is openly calling for the extermination of his detractors, referring to them as “vermin” on Veterans Day. The Republican Party has emerged from its corruption cocoon as a full-blown fascist movement.
Democrats win big … again!
November 08, 2023 04:00 - 55 minutes - 76.9 MBThe band is back together, and it is a glorious day as Markos and Kerry’s hot takes over the past year came true—again! Republicans continue to lose at the ballot box and we are here for it!
We are back! The Republican Party has a new speaker and the GOP remains a disaster
November 01, 2023 04:00 - 30 minutes - 41.6 MBToday, Markos talks with Daily Kos writer Joan McCarter about the Republican Party’s last three weeks of disarray. There is a new House speaker and what that means going forward remains a mystery.
Rebroadcast: The Republican Party is a hellscape. We speak with an insider
October 26, 2023 04:00 - 40 minutes - 36.8 MBKerry is joined by Tim Miller. Miller is a political consultant and writer. A former Republican, Miller left the party after years of disappointment. His book "Why We Did It: A Travelogue from the Republican Road to Hell" is an introspective look at his personal journey through (and out) of the conservative movement.
Rerun: Should Trump go to jail? We have the guy who polled Americans on that question
October 19, 2023 04:00 - 39 minutes - 36 MBKerry talks with Drew Linzer, director of the online polling company Civiqs. Drew tells us what the polls say about voters’ feelings toward President Joe Biden and Donald Trump, and what the results would be if the two men were to, say … run against each other for president in 2024. Oh yeah, Drew polled to find out who thinks Donald Trump is guilty of the crimes he’s been indicted for, and whether or not he should see the inside of a jail cell.
RERUN: What scares expert Malcolm Nance about Trump’s documents case
October 04, 2023 15:00 - 38 minutes - 35.5 MBMalcolm Nance is a former United States Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer specializing in naval cryptology. He breaks down the nature of the classified materials rescued from Trump’s private residence. This interview was recorded on June 22, 2023.
Rerun: D.C. media and pundits are out of touch with the data
September 29, 2023 04:00 - 45 minutes - 41.5 MBTrump’s continuing legal problems, the car crash of a Republican debate, and the polling numbers defy the traditional media’s narrative that the Republican Party is even above water with voters.
Rerun: Woke Barbie movie breaks box office records
September 20, 2023 04:00 - 27 minutes - 25 MBConservatives cried about how the “woke” (whatever that means) “Barbie” movie would fail. It didn’t. In fact, the film struck a chord with American and international audiences. Daily Kos writer Laura Clawson joined Markos to talk about the film and the implications of the Republican Party’s fixation on mythical culture wars, which is failing them in bigger and bigger ways every day.
Should Trump go to jail? We have the guy who polled Americans on that question
September 13, 2023 04:00 - 39 minutes - 36 MBKerry talks with Drew Linzer, director of the online polling company Civiqs. Drew tells us what the polls say about voters’ feelings toward President Joe Biden and Donald Trump, and what the results would be if the two men were to, say … run against each other for president in 2024. Oh yeah, Drew polled to find out who thinks Donald Trump is guilty of the crimes he’s been indicted for, and whether or not he should see the inside of a jail cell.
A Ukraine update
September 06, 2023 04:00 - 53 minutes - 48.9 MBKerry and Markos talk about what is happening in Ukraine, what needs to be done, and why the fate of Ukraine is tied to democracy’s fate in 2024.
D.C. media and pundits are out of touch with the data
August 30, 2023 04:00 - 45 minutes - 41.5 MBTrump’s continuing legal problems, the car crash of a Republican debate, and the polling numbers defy the traditional media’s narrative that the Republican Party is even above water with voters.
Is there a path for a Republican to beat Donald Trump?
August 23, 2023 04:00 - 48 minutes - 44.2 MBWe talk about the upcoming Republican presidential debate and how sad a situation it is. The Republican Party shot itself in the foot with a Trump-sized bullet, and now it’s stuck with him for the foreseeable future. We try to game out the possible paths the Republicans might take to rid themselves of The Donald.
We went away and Donald Trump was indicted not once, but twice!
August 16, 2023 04:00 - 49 minutes - 45.5 MBDid anything happen while we were all taking a well-deserved break? Something about Donald Trump being indicted not once, but two times! Also in the news: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ campaign collapse. So much is happening!
RERUN: The Republican Party has an abortion problem
August 09, 2023 04:00 - 43 minutes - 40 MBWe are joined by Christina Reynolds of Emily’s List. Reynolds is the Senior Vice President of Communications and Content at the progressive organization that works on getting women elected to office. Reynolds talks about what she is seeing up and down the ballot this election cycle on the anniversary of the outrageous Supreme Court Decision to take away the reproductive protections of Roe v. Wade. This episode first aired June 21, 2023
Woke Barbie movie breaks box office records
August 02, 2023 04:00 - 27 minutes - 25 MBConservatives cried about how the “woke” (whatever that means) “Barbie” movie would fail. It didn’t. In fact, the film has struck a chord with American and international audiences. Daily Kos writer Laura Clawson joins Markos to talk about the film and the implications of the Republican Party’s fixation on mythical culture wars, which is failing them in bigger and bigger ways every day.
RERUN: We are Rural Organizing! And it’ll make the difference in 2024
July 26, 2023 04:00 - 40 minutes - 37.5 MBToday we have Rural Organizing’s Aftyn Behn. Markos and Aftyn talk about what has been happening in rural communities across the country and progressives’ efforts to engage those voters. Behn also gives the podcast a breakdown of which issues will make the difference in the coming elections. Since our interview, Behn has recently announced her candidacy for the Tennessee House of Representatives in Nashville’s District 51. Interview originally aired May 31, 2023.
The Republican Party’s attacks on Joe Biden continue to fail
July 19, 2023 04:00 - 33 minutes - 30.7 MBSimon Rosenberg comes back to talk with us about how all of the Republican Party’s attempts to malign President Biden have failed. This episode was recorded a couple weeks before airing.
What scares expert Malcolm Nance about Trump’s documents case
July 12, 2023 04:00 - 38 minutes - 35.5 MBMalcolm Nance is a former United States Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer specializing in naval cryptology. He breaks down the nature of the classified materials rescued from Trump’s private residence. This interview was recorded on June 22, 2023.