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PODCAST

Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou

Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou

If you’re feeling confused or overwhelmed by the news coming out of Washington, D.C. right now, know this: you are not alone. Each week, former U.S. Senator Jon Tester of Montana and veteran journalist Maritsa Georgiou are here to talk you through it.Grounded is about more than just deciphering the headlines; It’s about hearing from changemakers, sharing insider insight, and leaving each episode with a roadmap forward.Let’s stay grounded: In facts, in reason, and in community.You can also find us on

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All Episodes

41:09

Viewers Like You

Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou ·

2026/01/15

PBS News White House correspondent Liz Landers joins Grounded to discuss her latest reporting that ties official administration language to extremist groups and white nationalist circles. We talk about how these messages are being used to recruit new ICE officers, the administration’s response and why experts have expressed concern. Plus, how to support public journalism oulets like PBS at a time when it matters more than ever.

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57:31

What a Year This Week Has Been

Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou ·

2026/01/10

t’s hard to believe all of the major news that happened in 2026—and we’re only nine days in. The capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was not even one week ago. We’ve seen reporting that the U.S. government is considering sending individual checks of up to $100,000 to Greenlanders, and of course the protests happening all across the country after the killing of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. Since JT made the trip to Maritsa’s side of the Continental Divide, we decided we should host a

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64:45

Deadly Force

Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou ·

2026/01/08

Minnesota again finds itself at the center of a political firestorm with the ICE killing of Renee Good, 37. Bystander footage contradicts the message from the Trump administration. The mayor of Minneapolis has told ICE to “get the fuck out,” while Gov. Tim Walz has alerted the National Guard. It’s a pivotal moment that we discuss in depth with Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) and longtime political journalist Mary Lahammer.

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61:26

Regime Change

Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou ·

2026/01/03

We didn’t plan to release a weekend episode, but that all changed when we woke up to news the U.S. launched attacks on Venezuela and captured the country’s leader. In a news conference later Saturday, President Donald Trump said the U.S. is now “going to run” Venezuela until there’s a safe, proper, and judicious transition. But what does that mean? Sen. Angus King (I-ME) joined us for a discussion about what comes next, along with some other big picture questions. What happened to getting out of the

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69:54

Holding the Line

Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou ·

2026/01/01

As the press comes further under attack, journalists who are driven by integrity have found themselves exploring new ways to share unvarnished truth. We talk with Zach Toombs of Evident Media about the new nonprofit news outlet, their latest investigative work around immigration raids, and how to get this type of content into more hands. We also discuss the state of the press and the need for independent journalism at a time when CBS is pulling fully vetted 60 Minutes stories and media companies

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61:17

Kitchen Table Issues

Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou ·

2025/12/22

In what we hope is our final episode before the Christmas break, we take on one of the biggest stressors for American families: the cost of food. Why are grocery prices rising so quickly, and what can be done—locally and federally—to rein them in? Scott Faber of the Environmental Working Group joins us to explain the many factors at play, from the war in Ukraine to immigration crackdowns to industry consolidation.. Plus, JT has a lot of questions about buying a lottery ticket.

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72:55

Global Disorder

Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou ·

2025/12/16

Our conversations with Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia, always go by way too quickly with pages of unasked questions. We still fit a lot in, including the state of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. We discuss mistakes made in the Cold War, the difference in threats between Russia and China, and why he says his long-term strategy is for all American interests, not just members of a single political party. Plus, the topic that worries him most about our security. These are

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74:29

Superpower Suicide

Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou ·

2025/12/10

Former ambassador and national security adviser Susan Rice joins Grounded to discuss why America’s current foreign policy strategy amounts to “superpower suicide.” On the Russian invasion into Ukraine, Rice says not enough was done to stop Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2014 during the invasion of Crimea. When will it end? “He doesn’t stop until he is stopped,” Rice said about Putin. Rice provides a history lesson on what led to this moment and doesn’t hold back on the Trump administration’s

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83:57

The Montana Plan

Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou ·

2025/12/02

We tried and (mostly) succeeded in our first live recording with a live in-person audience! The audio isn’t perfect, but we thank you for your patience! Former Montana Gov. Steve Bullock joined us for some headlines before we dove into this week’s topic: A Montana effort to make the effects of the Citizens United decision a moot point—with hopes the effort will spread to other states. That’s where Jeff Mangan and the Transparent Election Initiative (aka the Montana Plan) comes in. We broke it all dow

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63:13

Houston, We Have a Problem

Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou ·

2025/11/24

It’s hard to predict when news will break, but today’s episode is quite timely. We invited Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) to join us on Grounded after being one of the subjects of a video that prompted the President of the United States to amplify posts calling for six members of Congress to be hanged. We talked about the video, if he expected this response from the White House, and if he thinks he’s being investigated or surveilled. That’s when the Dept. of War announced it’s investigating Kelly for alleged

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59:39

Pardon Our Mess

Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou ·

2025/11/19

Former DOJ pardon attorney Liz Oyer joins Grounded to discuss a whole lot of chaos happening inside her former office. Hours before our interview, Congress moved to force the DOJ to release its Epstein files, raising major questions about what comes next. Oyer breaks down the complications ahead. With nearly 2,000 pardons already granted in Trump’s second term, Oyer talks to us about why the pardon process looks wholly different in a Trump 2.0 term and the negative impacts on the American people. Plu

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28:37

As the Crow Flies

Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou ·

2025/11/16

The last time Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) appeared on Grounded was Oct. 1, 2025—the very first day of what became the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history. When an event with Crow and JT lined up in Arizona, we decided it was a good chance to check in on what was accomplished during the shutdown, the renewed focus on the Epstein files and his efforts to recruit Democratic candidates in flippable House districts. Plus, we bring Tiffany Muller of End Citizens United back into the fold to

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78:18

Every Day is Veterans Day

Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou ·

2025/11/11

It’s not every day we’re live on Substack when a U.S. senator calls Jon Tester’s landline and agrees to be put on speaker phone. But that’s exactly what happened today when Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) called the farm. On this Veterans Day, we also welcome Paul Rieckhoff, a veteran himself in addition to being the president of Righteous Media and founder of a group called Independent Veterans of America. He discusses what he calls a cultural war the Trump administration is waging on our government

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64:19

In the Room

Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou ·

2025/11/10

Author and journalist Michael Wolff joins Grounded to discuss the new lawsuit he filed in response to First Lady Melania Trump’s lawyers threatening him with a $1 billion defamation suit. Wolff brings a unique perspective, as he’s not only spent time with President Donald Trump, but also Jeffrey Epstein. He’s written four books about Trump and has more than 100 hours of interviews with Epstein. What does he hope will come out of the lawsuit? What does it even mean when we talk about the Epstein

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49:31

Governerds Unite

Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou ·

2025/11/07

Sharon McMahon, America’s Government Teacher, joins Grounded to discuss the government shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history. We talk about the new legal battle over sending out SNAP payments and the cancellation of hundreds of flights across the country. Sharon’s energetic and enthusiastic approach to teaching makes it easy to see why she’s so effective and popular. The former government teacher now uses her online platform to teach the rest of us the basics of civics. Her “Governerd” community

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58:12

Broken Harvest

Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou ·

2025/11/05

2025 election results show big wins for Democrats in races across the country. What does it mean for the government shutdown? Will it change minds in Washington? Plus, our conversation about the state of farming and ranching at this moment in the U.S.— from tariffs to price increases to the government shutdown. We tackle it all with a farmer and rancher and what it means for the future of their livelihoods.

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38:43

SNAP Decisions

Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou ·

2025/10/31

42 million people are going to bed tonight worried about the legal limbo over whether they’re going to get their SNAP benefits. In normal government shutdowns, SNAP benefits continue to go out because of contingency funds. That’s not what’s happening this time around. Josh Protas of Meals on Wheels and Liza Lieberman of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger help us dig into the hunger crisis that exists in this country even without the threat of taking away SNAP payments. We also discuss how this

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67:53

Pop Quiz

Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou ·

2025/10/29

Influencer Emily Amick, known as Emily in Your Phone, joins Grounded to discuss headlines and why more Americans are getting their news from social media than ever. We chat about a new partnership between the Trump administration and a spyware company, the ongoing government shutdown, SNAP payments and more. Plus, we tackle messaging deficiencies on the left and how people can become more engaged if they feel hopeless and/or overwhelmed. Don't forget to stay for JT's pop quiz.

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46:08

Let Them Eat Cake

Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou ·

2025/10/24

Historian Heather Cox Richardson returns to Grounded to talk shop with JT & MG. We cover everything from the demolition of the White House East Wing to McKinley parallels to threats of Trump 3.0 in 2028. What is the most surprising thing HCR has seen in the last nine months? What continues to give her hope? Who does she think is getting ready for a 2028 run? It’s a packed show!

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59:41

Pickin’ & Grinnin’

Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou ·

2025/10/20

It’s been a wild 10 days for country singer Bryan Andrews, whose new song (and corresponding spicy social media clips) about ICE raids, the Epstein files and economic woes launched him into viral stardom. We chat with Andrews about his decision to get political, the country music industry and what he hears from his rural friends and neighbors. Plus, if your name is Stephen Colbert or Jimmy Kimmel, wait until you hear his ultimate dream. Disclaimer: If you do not like swear words, this is not the

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