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PODCAST

The Al Franken Podcast

The Al Franken Podcast

A five-time Emmy winning SNL comedy writer/producer, joins a four-time #1 NYT bestselling author, a three-time highest-rated national progressive radio host, a two-time Grammy winning artist, and a former US Senator. So, it gets a little crowded in the booth when Al talks public policy and sometimes political comedy with notable guests. Think “The Daily” without the resources of the NYTimes.

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All Episodes

46:13

War Correspondent Tim Mak on the War in Ukraine

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/09/07

Donald Trump rolled out the red carpet for Vladimir Putin in Alaska last month and came up empty handed... No ceasefire, no concessions, nothing. So what does the future of the war in Ukraine look like? We turn to journalist Tim Mak who has been based in Kiev since the start of the war. Tim is the founder of The Counteroffensive, a Substack that chronicles life in Ukraine and the agony of this war. Tim breaks down the current state of the war, and he’s not too optimistic about the possibility of

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53:46

BEST OF: Bob Odenkirk on Comedy (and Drama)!

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/08/31

In this Best Of episode, we revisit our 2022 conversation with comedian and actor Bob Odenkirk! We got to hear from him about his memoir “Comedy, Comedy, Comedy, Drama” and his early beginnings writing comedy in grade school. We reminisce about our days together at Saturday Night Live and discuss some of our favorite sketches. We also talk about his sketch series, “Mr. Show with Bob and David.” Bob also shares about his 13 years playing Saul Goodman on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul and how he

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54:53

Barbara McQuade and Daniel Richman on Trump’s...

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/08/24

In his second term, Donald Trump has upended many American institutions, but perhaps none more than the Department of Justice. He's filled the DOJ with lackeys, like AG Pam Bondi, who are corrupting our system of justice in ways never seen before. We're joined by two veterans of the DOJ: Barbara McQuade, professor at University of Michigan Law School, and Daniel Richman, professor at Columbia Law School. We discuss the disturbing tendencies of Trump's Justice Department: from emphasizing

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49:20

Ari Berman on the GOP’s Gerrymandering Plot

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/08/17

With Donald Trump and the Republican Party low in the polls, Texas is resorting to one of their favorite ways to win voters: cheating. They’ve drawn new maps to implement unprecedented gerrymandering, taking away five Democratic-held seats - all done at Trump’s insistence, of course.We're joined by Ari Berman, national voting rights correspondent for Mother Jones, to walk us through Texas Governor Abbott’s scheme. Democrats are attempting to fight back in Texas and across the country… even if it

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50:15

Franklin Foer on the Famine in Gaza

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/08/10

Gaza faces mass starvation as Israel blocks critical food and aid to the region. We're joined by The Atlantic's Franklin Foer to discuss his recent piece, “Israel's Last Chance,” and how the only answer to this atrocity is for Israel to flood Gaza with food. Foer also discusses the legitimate criticism of Benjamin Netanyahu, while acknowledging that some of the protests can veer into antisemitism, especially on college campuses. Columbia and Harvard are the most prominent universities being

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47:49

Jonathan Alter on Trump’s Authoritarian Police State

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/08/03

We're joined by journalist and best-selling author, Jonathan Alter, to dig deeper into the latest in Trump’s America. Jonathan’s most recent piece in Washington Monthly explains how the BBB’s enormous funding for ICE will turn America into a police state. With over 75 billion dollars, ICE will now be bigger than all American law enforcement agencies combined. We discuss Trump's authoritarianism, including the ongoing shake down of American universities and law firms. Plus, Texas Republicans are

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63:02

Kevin Nealon on His Career in Comedy!

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/07/27

We're thrilled to welcome an old friend from Al’s SNL days, comedian Kevin Nealon! Kevin and Al trade stories from working together on Saturday Night Live and discuss how the show has changed over the years. Kevin shares how he created several trademark bits, including Mr. Subliminal and Hans and Franz. Plus, we get backstories on some sketches that Al and Kevin worked on together. We also get into Kevin's post-SNL life, including his role on the hit TV show “Weeds,” his standup, and his hiking

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39:49

Catherine Rampell on Trump’s Economic Policies

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/07/20

We’re joined by Washington Post columnist and co-host of MSNBC's The Weekend, Catherine Rampell!Catherine breaks down what the Big, Beautiful Bill means for Americans and why it's been so important for Trump and the Republicans to get it done. It will balloon our deficit and gut the social safety net. And for what? Tax breaks for the richest Americans. We also discuss immigration and why immigrants are so important to the economy. Catherine delves into how Trump is rounding up immigrants with NO

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48:54

Dahlia Lithwick on The Godawful SCOTUS Term

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/07/13

Another devastating term of Trump's Supreme Court has come to a close. There's a lot to be angry about, so we're joined by Dahlia Lithwick, our authority on all things SCOTUS and host of Slate’s podcast, Amicus.Dahlia explains how this Supreme Court is using the "shadow docket" to advance bad policy without full briefings or arguments and how the results of these decisions can lead to judicial chaos. We also discuss many of the awful decisions handed down by The Court, including those on

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46:24

Marc Elias on Trump’s Authoritarian Second Term

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/07/06

One of Donald Trump's priorities when he returned to the White House was to target law firms that he felt had wronged him. While some immediately caved to his demands, others fought back... and won. We're joined by Marc Elias, preeminent election lawyer and founder of Democracy Docket, to discuss Trump using his second term to settle personal scores, abuse his power, and put a strain on the judicial system in America. Marc and Al discuss the growing authoritarianism and how the recent Supreme Court

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50:48

CNN’s Kasie Hunt on Her Career & Trump II

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/06/29

We are joined by CNN Anchor and Chief National Affairs Analyst Kasie Hunt for her first time on the podcast! It's a very fun conversation covering her work and what inspired her to follow her passion for journalism.She discusses the early days of her career covering Obama, Congress, and the passage of the Affordable Care Act. We also talk about how much Congress and the information ecosystem has changed over the years. And Kasie shares her thoughts about watching Donald Trump pardon the rioters

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47:15

Molly Jong-Fast on her Bestselling Memoir!

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/06/22

We are joined by Molly Jong-Fast this week to discuss her new book, “How to Lose Your Mother: A Daughter's Memoir.” We've had Molly on the podcast many times, but you've never heard her like this! She discusses growing up in the shadow of her mother, feminist icon Erica Jong, and their relationship over the years. Molly shares stories of her mother's affairs, alcoholism, and addiction to fame. We also discuss the latest news out of Washington and how the "Big, Beautiful, Bullshit Bill" will bring

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47:59

Heather McGhee on Trump’s Wars on DEI and Immigration

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/06/15

The Trump administration is waging war on DEI. But what does that mean? We ask one of our favorite guests, Heather McGhee, to break down how and why DEI has become such a focus for Trump and his allies. Heather wrote the groundbreaking book “The Sum of Us” and is an expert in economic and social policy. She explains that diversity is the backbone of America and that it’s unquestionably better for everyone when we embrace more diverse voices.We also discuss the appalling ICE raids in Los Angeles

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40:06

YouTube Sensation David Pakman on The Big, Beautiful...

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/06/08

First time guest David Pakman joins us for this week's show! David is a political commentator and hosts one of the most watched independent progressive programs in the country. With over 3 million YouTube subscribers, David spreads truth and commentary on the devastating impact Donald Trump is having on our country.Al and David kick around news out of Washington including the "Big, Beautiful Bill" and its chances of survival now that some Republicans have expressed their opposition (and Elon Musk

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33:17

George Packer on Vice President JD Vance

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/06/01

JD Vance has had an unorthodox rise to power. After a troubled childhood, he joined the Marines, graduated from Yale Law School, became a best-selling author, and then won a seat in the U.S. Senate. And now, at only 40, he is Vice President to Donald Trump, a man who Vance once described as "America's Hitler" and "cultural heroin." We’re joined by The Atlantic’s George Packer. His most recent piece, “The Talented Mr. Vance,” explores Vance's political transformation and whether or not he genuinely

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00:49:30

BEST OF: Ed Shelleby on Being My Senate...

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/05/25

In this Best Of episode, we revisit our conversation with Al’s former Senate Communications Director, Ed Shelleby, to relive their time working together. Ed tells tales of him TRYING to manage Al's comedic impulses in serious situations, but also talks about the great work they accomplished together. Ed shares several behind-the-scenes stories including how Al, as a newly elected official, had to learn to "pivot" in interviews and explains how the office coined a brand new term: The

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00:32:09

Michael Lewis on Amazing Government Workers

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/05/18

From the start of Donald Trump's second term, he's been eager to cut the federal workforce. So, Elon Musk headed the newly minted DOGE to begin slashing tens of thousands of jobs. Our friend, Michael Lewis, author of "The Big Short" and, most recently, "Who is Government?," joins us to share stories of public servants who not only improved this country but have saved countless lives. Those improvements and breakthroughs could only have happened through the power and effectiveness of a strong

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00:44:13

Dahlia Lithwick on the Courts vs. Trump

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/05/11

We're joined by Dahlia Lithwick, award-winning journalist, author, and host of the Amicus podcast. Dahlia looks at the judicial pushback against the Trump administration, as the Courts have stood up to Trump's policies on birthright citizenship and deportation. We also discuss Trump’s targeting of law firms.The Supreme Court notably ruled 9-0 that the administration must facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from El Salvador, which it has ignored. Is this the Constitutional crisis we've

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00:46:36

Mark Leibovich and Molly Jong-Fast on Trump’s 100 Days

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/05/04

Trump’s first 100 days back in office have been a whirlwind filled with chaotic, confusing, and authoritarian behavior and very little thoughtful policy - the perfect opportunity to welcome back our friends, Mark Leibovich of The Atlantic and Molly Jong-Fast, host of the Fast Politics Podcast.These 100 days have been filled with bizarre stories that we may have already forgotten about. So, we run through some of the under reported stories with Mark and Molly and get their opinions on some of

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00:45:38

Robert Reich on Fighting The Trump Autocracy

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/04/27

Every day we see this country inch closer to authoritarianism under Donald Trump. We're joined by Robert Reich, political economist, professor, author, and former Secretary of Labor under Bill Clinton. We cover how Reich thinks Democrats should fight back against this era of oligarchy in America. He explains the power of protest and lays out the messaging that Democrats need to embrace to show solidarity for the coming midterms and beyond.Plus, Reich tells the story of being classmates with

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371 results

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