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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.

news politics

All Episodes

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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00:59:35

BEST OF: Tim Alberta on Evangelicals in an Age of...

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/04/20

In this Best Of episode, we revisit our conversation with Tim Alberta, the author of the profoundly disturbing book "The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory,” which was released before the 2024 election. In this interview, he explains how evangelicals have been turned into a political tool for the Republican Party. Alberta grew up in the evangelical wing of The Presbyterian Church and watched as they turned their backs on him after he criticized Donald Trump. How did The Evangelical Church turn so far

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00:43:50

Atul Gawande on Musk’s Destruction of USAID

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/04/13

Elon Musk and DOGE have been taking a chainsaw to the federal government since Trump was re-elected. It could take us generations to fully recover from the damage inflicted by the careless and cruel nature of these cuts. We're joined by American surgeon, author, and public health advocate Atul Gawande to discuss just how devastating these actions are. During the Biden administration, Gawande was a senior official at USAID. He walks us through many of the great works the program did around the world…

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00:53:04

Catherine Rampell on Trump’s Tariffs and DOGE

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/04/06

Despite widespread warnings about what economic havoc they could cause, Donald Trump announced his plan to put tariffs on nearly every nation in the world. Catherine Rampell, opinion columnist for The Washington Post and co-host of MSNBC’s The Weekend, gives her instant reaction to Trump's plan. If history (and the current stock market) is any indication, we're in for a painful road ahead. Catherine also discusses Elon Musk and how his Department Of Government Efficiency has created painful

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00:37:57

Jessica Yellin on Our Anxiety Producing News Cycle

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/03/30

A potentially catastrophic breach of security within The White House has set off alarm bells for both Republicans and Democrats in D.C. Independent journalist Jessica Yellin joins us to discuss SignalGate. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz are both under fire after The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg was added to a group chat that contained top secret war plans (or was it just attack plans?). Will anyone get fired for this?Plus, we talk about the Trump

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00:34:31

Norm Ornstein on Another Terrible Week in D.C.

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/03/23

It's been another chaotic week in Donald Trump's America, and we're thrilled to have our good friend, Norm Ornstein, back on the podcast. We talk about Trump's Executive Order TO dismantle the Department of Education and what that could mean to communities across the country. We also break down the divisions in the Democratic Party and why Leader Chuck Schumer didn't help the situation by caving to Donald Trump. Plus, what is the future of Ukraine and America's standing in the world as we abandon

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00:42:48

BEST OF: Trae Crowder on Comedy and The Liberal Redneck

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/03/16

In this Best Of episode, we revisit our conversation with Trae Crowder, the viral comedian from Tennessee aka The Liberal Redneck. We talk about Trae's upbringing in a red state, why rednecks are Trumpies, and what happens to a community when the jobs leave. Listen to Trae’s take on Trump's appeal to voting rednecks, even though they might have seen him as a New York elite (from his TV show, The Apprentice) before he entered politics.Learn more about Trae Crowder, The Liberal

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00:39:45

Mark Leibovich on the Week in Washington

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/03/09

We're joined by our friend Mark Leibovich of The Atlantic to break down a wild week in Washington D.C.! Donald Trump gave his address to Congress. It was the longest one ever and didn't seem to say much (except blame Joe Biden for all of the country's problems). We also take a look at America's deteriorating relationship with Ukraine and how Republicans who USED TO support Ukraine are turning their backs when our ally needs it the most. Plus, we discuss the ongoing drama around tariffs and why Trump

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00:50:00

War Correspondent Tim Mak on Russia and Ukraine

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/03/02

As Trump and his administration try to rewrite history and say that Ukraine started the war with Russia, we're joined by Tim Mak, war correspondent and founder of The Counteroffensive. Tim has been living in Kyiv since the beginning of Russia’s invasion and discusses the toll that the war has taken on the people of Ukraine. He examines what kind of leader Donald Trump is - will he exploit America’s longstanding friendships or choose to abandon them? We also discuss the future of President Zelensky

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00:49:27

Sarah Longwell on Voter Reactions to Trump's First Month

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/02/23

A month into Donald Trump's second term, how do voters feel about the job he's doing? We talk to Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark and host of The Focus Group podcast. We discuss how Trump is currently in the "honeymoon" period of his presidency and how plenty of voters are just happy that Trump is doing SOMETHING. Sarah also gives advice to Democratic leaders about messaging and how to fight back against the onslaught of bad policy coming from the White House.Listen to Sarah's podcast,

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01:03:20

SPECIAL: Al on SNL's 50th

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/02/16

We're celebrating the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live this week! This special episode changes things up a bit as Executive Producer Peter Ogburn asks Al about his history with the show. We pull the curtain back on what a typical week looks like building up to the live show on Saturday and learn about how Al and his writing partner, Tom Davis, found themselves writing on the first season of the show. We also chat about some iconic sketches and the birth of Al's legendary Stuart Smalley

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00:42:04

Molly O’Toole on Immigration

The Al Franken Podcast ·

2025/02/09

Donald Trump ran on a platform of mass deportations. Now that he's back in the White House, what does that look like? We're joined by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Molly O'Toole, whose upcoming book “The Route” details global migration through the Americas. Molly has spoken to hundreds of migrants making their way from war-torn countries to be in the U.S. and sheds some light on the VERY difficult American immigration process. We discuss Trump's rhetoric versus what is ACTUALLY happening with

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