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PODCAST

The Focus Group Podcast

Unfiltered, uncompromising, unexpected—The Focus Group is a look into what the average voter thinks about politics, policy, and current events. Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark, has conducted hundreds of hours of focus groups all across the country. She and a series of special guests will take you behind the glass to hear what real focus group participants have to say. https://www.thebulwark.com/podcast/focus-group/

news politics

All Episodes

59:11

S6 Ep9: Virginia: National Politics is Local (with...

The Focus Group Podcast ·

2025/11/01

No election in 2025 has been more impacted by the Trump presidency than the elections in Virginia. This state doesn't vote for MAGA candidates anymore, but their nominee for governor, Winsome Earle-Sears, isn't really campaigning like that. So one of Sarah's favorite Democrats, Abigail Spanberger, looks poised for a solid win on Election Day. Meanwhile in the Attorney General race, the Republican incumbent, Jason Miyares could pull off an unexpected comeback, so we talked to voters who are splitting

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62:07

S6 Ep8: New Jersey: The 'No Narc' State (with...

The Focus Group Podcast ·

2025/10/25

The New Jersey governor's race is a little too close for comfort, after New Jersey had one of the largest swings toward Donald Trump of any state in the country, and the Democratic candidate, Mikie Sherrill is on track for a sub-optimal performance on Election Day against a sometimes-MAGA Republican, Jack Ciattarelli. Sarah doesn't let JVL on The Focus Group very often, but made an exception because he's one of The Bulwark's resident New Jerseyans. You don't want to miss this one.

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59:54

S6 Ep7: New Yorkers Brace for Mamdani (with Harry...

The Focus Group Podcast ·

2025/10/18

Zohran Mamdani, the young, telegenic, democratic socialist state assemblyman, looks set to be New York City's next mayor. So how are New Yorkers feeling about turning the keys over to him? We asked some of his supporters and detractors. Harry Siegel, senior editor at The City, returns to the show to give his two cents on one of the wilder New York City races in recent memory.show notes: Get free shipping and 365 day returns from Quince at https://Quince.com/THEFOCUSGROUP. Get 30% off your first

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49:24

S6 Ep6: They're 'Opening the Door' (with Andrew Egger)

The Focus Group Podcast ·

2025/10/11

For the last few weeks, the Trump administration has escalated its authoritarian impulses, from pressuring ABC to cancel a late night host, to deploying the Texas National Guard to Chicago. You might call it "authoritarian," but the voters are just getting mildly queasy. The Bulwark's Andrew Egger joins the show to talk about the news, the voters, and how we're even supposed to cover it these days.By Andrew Egger: Morning Shots: The Insidious Effort to Rationalize Trump’s Lawfare Get your first

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59:42

S6 Ep5: I'd Do Anything To Win (But I Won't Do That)...

The Focus Group Podcast ·

2025/10/04

We haven't caught up with Democratic voters since the summer. So, who do they see in the Democratic Party who is distinguishing themselves? And, do Democratic voters really want to shut down the government? It turns out some of them are really wrestling with how to wield power. Dan Pfeiffer, co-host of Pod Save America and author of the Substack newsletter The Message Box joins Sarah to download on how the base of the party is feeling.Get free shipping and 365 day returns from Quince at

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49:56

S6 Ep4: The Right's 'Turning Point'? (with Will Sommer)

The Focus Group Podcast ·

2025/09/27

Charlie Kirk was one of the most important figures in conservative media for over a decade, especially for Gen Z. We asked a couple of focus groups of young conservatives what Kirk meant to them, how they're grappling with his passing, and who else they think will take up his mantle on the right. Will Sommer, author of The Bulwark's False Flag newsletter, joins Sarah to discuss the state of young conservatives and his reporting on Kirk's legacy.Get your first three months with Mint Mobile for

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54:49

S6 Ep3: 'Secure Borders...At What Cost?' (with Adrian...

The Focus Group Podcast ·

2025/09/20

Donald Trump is bleeding support from Hispanic voters, including from some who voted for him. So, we found some former Trump voters who are souring on him, and asked them why. Adrian Carrasquillo, author of The Bulwark's Huddled Masses newsletter, joins the show to discuss voter sentiments on immigration, the future of the immigration debate (especially among Democrats), and his on-the-ground reporting in cities around the country.By Adrian Carrasquillo: Trump Hasn’t Invaded Chicago, But the City

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42:24

S6 Ep2: You Can Ramp It Up or Ramp It Down (with...

The Focus Group Podcast ·

2025/09/13

The murder of Charlie Kirk was the culmination of Americans' long-brewing fear of political violence. First, political violence expert Rachel Kleinfeld joins Sarah to discuss the ramifications of Kirk's death on the American body politic, and then Sarah discusses voters' fears of political violence that we've heard through the years.

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60:09

S6 Ep1: Swing Voters Say Trump is "Meh" (with Ashley...

The Focus Group Podcast ·

2025/09/06

Donald Trump has run into some summer doldrums...from the uncertainty in the economy, to his Big Beautiful Bill, to his refusal to come clean about Jeffrey Epstein. We're wondering how voters are processing the last couple of months. Atlantic staff writer Ashley Parker, who's covered Trump for over a decade, joins Sarah for our season premiere.By Ashley Parker: 'I Run the Country and the World' Flattery, Firmness, and Flourishes Why Is the National Guard in D.C.? Even They Don’t Know. Inside the

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34:09

S5 Ep26: What Are Focus Groups for Anyway?

The Focus Group Podcast ·

2025/08/16

The Focus Group Podcast will be back for real in a couple of weeks, but by popular demand, Sarah and her producer, Conor Kilgore, take on some of our listeners' frequently asked questions about how and why they do all these focus groups.

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25:15

S5 Ep25: Former Trump Voters on the "Epstein Files"

The Focus Group Podcast ·

2025/07/12

The Focus Group Podcast is still on hiatus, but the Trump administration's walkback of the promised "Epstein Files" this week got us curious about how voters were thinking.The Bulwark's own Will Sommer sat down with Sarah to break down a focus group we convened with 2024 Trump voters who disapprove of Trump's job performance, and discuss how Democrats can talk about this Epstein news.

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61:18

S5 Ep24: Do the Next Right Thing, Change the World...

The Focus Group Podcast ·

2025/06/28

Our season finale is a bit of a pep talk. America is in a precarious place, but Americans everywhere are speaking up against the authoritarian threat. Historian extraordinaire Heather Cox Richardson joins Sarah to discuss the lessons history leaves for this moment, and Americans' role in fighting back.By Heather Cox Richardson: Letters from an American Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America

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61:13

S5 Ep23: Cuomo vs. Mamdani (with Harry Siegel)

The Focus Group Podcast ·

2025/06/21

The New York City mayoral primary is "dumb" and getting lots of "dumb attention," at least according to our (radically candid) guest. Democratic voters face a choice between disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and the inexperienced socialist state assemblyman Zohran Mamdani. There's another candidate who was just arrested by ICE, which may shake up this race at the VERY end. The City's Harry Siegel joins Sarah for a wide-ranging conversation about New York City's politics today.By The

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53:17

S5 Ep22: 'This Country is Effed' (with Jonathan Cohn)

The Focus Group Podcast ·

2025/06/14

Donald Trump's Big Beautiful Bill is moving through Congress, and you may be surprised by some former Trump voters' reactions. Bulwark in-house policy wonk Jonathan Cohn joins Sarah to talk about the bill's negative consequences and why healthcare has been such a political albatross for the Republican Party. We also learn that plenty of voters are irritated by Congress only seeming to pass 'big' bills these days.

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61:44

S5 Ep21: New Jersey's (Very) Odd Year (with Amy Walter)

The Focus Group Podcast ·

2025/06/07

The Democratic primary for New Jersey governor is crowded, and Democratic voters all over the map. But as always, they're united in wanting a candidate who can fight the Trump administration effectively. So which candidate can do it? Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report and the podcast The Odd Years makes her sixth appearance on the show to discuss how these off-year elections in New Jersey and Virginia can change the political environment.

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38:48

S5 Ep20: Democrats on Biden's Decline

The Focus Group Podcast ·

2025/05/31

Sarah had a busy travel schedule this week, so we're bringing you some raw audio. With the recent revelations about Joe Biden's mental state during his term, we asked a couple of groups of Democrats what they thought during (and after) his presidency, and how it might inform their thinking going forward. These voters liked Biden but supported his decision to withdraw from the 2024 race. The excerpts of these groups were edited for length and for participants' privacy.

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48:41

S5 Ep19: Congress: Trump's Super-Staffers (with Annie...

The Focus Group Podcast ·

2025/05/24

Donald Trump is looking to pass his Big, Not-So-Beautiful Bill through Congress. To do it, he needs to get it past congressional Republicans. So what do Republican voters think of congressional leaders, and whether this bill is as big and beautiful as it seems? New York Times congressional reporter Annie Karni joins Sarah.By Annie Karni: Mad House: How Donald Trump, MAGA Mean Girls, a Former Used Car Salesman, a Florida Nepo Baby, and a Man with Rats in His Walls Broke Congress Go to

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60:26

S5 Ep18: Liberal Order Elegy? (with Ian Ward)

The Focus Group Podcast ·

2025/05/17

JD Vance is one heartbeat away from the presidency, and he's a big part of the Republican Party's future. It turns out, his ideas are also part of the reason the second Trump term has been a lot more pure MAGA than the first. POLITICO's Ian Ward returns to the show to recap Vance's first few months in office, his political future, and go deep on some of the New Right's major intellectual influences.By Ian Ward: The Spiritual Case for Greenland There’s No Need to Guess. JD Vance Is Ready to Ignore

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56:21

S5 Ep17: Trump Had ONE JOB (with Dave Weigel)

The Focus Group Podcast ·

2025/05/10

With Donald Trump's approval ratings falling, that means some of his voters aren't getting what they voted for. We talked to those voters, to find out what that does and doesn't mean about their relationship to this administration (spoiler: they DON'T wish they'd voted for Kamala Harris). Semafor's Dave Weigel joins the show to break down how those voters are feeling, and the battle lines for the upcoming legislative battles over Trump's agenda.show notes By Dave Weigel: Democrats’ new pitch: Down

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64:09

S5 Ep16: Can You Say 'Oligarchy'? (with Faiz Shakir)

The Focus Group Podcast ·

2025/05/03

Sarah didn't think she'd be looking to Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as examples of good Democratic communicators. But all of a sudden, they're some of the only people in the Democratic Party showing how to get the Trump opposition engaged. Faiz Shakir, Sanders' adviser and 2020 presidential campaign manager, joins the show to talk about Sanders' and Ocasio-Cortez's rallies around the country, why he thinks they'll advance the Democratic Party going forward, and what even moderates can

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115 results

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