State of the Union features video podcasts by independent media. A partial list includes: Leigh McGowan, PoliticsGirl; Rick Wilson; The Lincoln Project; Marc Elias, Democracy Docket; Steve Schmidt, The Warning; Joe Walsh, The Social Contract; Heather Cox Richardson, Letters From an American; Simon Rosenberg, Hopium Chronicles; Jim Acosta; David Rothkopf; Jen Rubin, The Contrarian; Charlie Sykes, To the Contrary; and others.
Calling This Court “Supreme” Is Obeying in Advance
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This Week In Politics, A Big-Picture Look at Where We Are Right Now
ARE the BAD GUYS Winning?
Former Ambassador to Russia and author of the new book Autocrats vs. Democrats Michael McFaul reminds us that the autocratic world is united while the democratic world is not, and quite frankly, we have to get it together. We’re not allowed to just ignore what’s happening, or simply give up because it’s too hard. If we do that, the consequences will be even worse. We must find our allies, both at home and abroad, and work with them to defeat that which would defeat us. Fantastic insight in this episode.
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What's an Economic Boycott, Anyway?
Boycotts work. Mostly. One of the first things our children learn about regarding our founding is the Boston Tea Party — basically, a boycott. In retaliation against British-imposed taxes, colonists boycotted British tea — and famously dumped tea shipments into Boston Harbor. This direct action galvanized the American Revolution and became one of our history’s most famous economic protests.
The Montgomery Bus Boycott, sparked by Rosa Parks’ arrest, and led by Martin Luther King Jr. and others, forced the Supreme Court to declare bus segregation laws unconstitutional, marking a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement. Of course, that one took nearly a year of struggle to bear fruit.
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Extreme Makeover: Authoritarian Edition
The White House East Wing didn’t fall—it got vibed out of existence. Trump’s building a ballroom fit for his ego, bulldozing history for a disco ball. In this week’s Elephant in the Room, Rick drags the Trump ballroom demolition 2025 mess like it’s an HGTV fever dream gone fascist. We’re talking $300 million in private “donations,” government accountability in shambles, and a former president who treats democracy like a side hustle. It’s giving Marie Antoinette-core, dripping in gold, and built on pure delusion. Tune in for a darkly hilarious breakdown of how Trump’s corruption and power trip just turned America’s most iconic building into his personal event space—because of course he did.
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My Message to Muslim New Yorkers — and Everyone Who Calls This City Home.
The dream of every Muslim is simply to be treated the same as any other New Yorker. And yet, for too long, we have been told to ask for less than that, and to be satisfied with whatever little we receive.
No more.
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Pritzker announces NEW order on ‘accountability' amid federal deployments in Illinois
As President Donald Trump's sweeping immigration crackdown across the Chicago area continues, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker will sign an Executive Order Thursday morning to "pursue accountability for the people of Illinois amid the federal deployments."
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Karoline Leavitt's Response to a Journalist Question Was REPREHENSIBLE
While she's normally aggressive with the media, Karoline Leavitt took things to a new level when she levied a playground-level response at a reporter. Steve Schmidt reacts to the "Your Mom" comment and explains exactly what type of person Leavitt is.
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Project 2025 Architect Russell Vought Is Using Shutdown to Gut Federal Agencies
We look at the influence of Trump's top budget adviser and the architect of Project 2025, Russell Vought, over the Trump administration's policies and Trump himself. Vought is "the driving force behind the [government] shutdown" and "basically a second commander-in-chief, a shadow president," says ProPublica reporter Andy Kroll, who spent months researching Vought for an extensive profile on the Office of Management and Budget director. During this second Trump administration, Vought's deeply conservative ideology has been unchallenged by a compliant Congress, Kroll explains, placing unprecedented power into the hands of the executive branch.
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It's Time for an End to the Bland Leading the Bland in the Democratic Party
Democratic leadership doesn’t seem to be up to the challenge of this new Trump era. Despite some strong Democratic figures fighting back, the party has been lethargic to say the least. So what do Democrats need to do to reenergize? Tara McGowan and Simon Rosenberg are back with David Rothkopf to diagnose the problem and prescribe solutions to cure this malaise.
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Fired Justice Department lawyer blows the whistle on what he describes as abuses of power at the DOJ
Former Justice Department lawyer Erez Reuveni speaks out about the disregard of due process and for the rule of law that he says he witnessed in his final weeks at the Department of Justice.
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Trump Has NEVER Been "America First"
Trump’s newest fiction comes with a price tag: $40 billion to Argentina. It’s not aid, it’s a favor — a payoff to Wall Street insiders and political loyalists who bankrolled his second term. While American farmers drown under tariffs and export bans, Trump’s cronies are cashing foreign checks. And right on cue, he approves a Qatari airbase in Idaho, conveniently following his Doha golf course deal. Rick Wilson calls it what it is: a presidential pay-to-play scheme on a global scale.
But Trump’s authoritarian impulses don’t stop at the border. At home, armed agents act as his private militia, silencing dissent and intimidating journalists under vague “national security” orders. This isn’t leadership — it’s monarchy cosplay with taxpayer funding. Rick reminds listeners that this country was founded in rebellion against one man’s unchecked power. Two hundred and fifty years later, the warning still stands: We are a nation of No Kings.
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Rep. Stansbury: We're all in this fight together!
They won’t break our soul. 👑💕 Today we’re sharing your stories of strength, resilience, and hope. Together, we’ll keep showing up, showing out, and doing the work!
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Why It Matters That Trump Rerouted Money to Pay the Troops
Get full, free access to Letters from an American on Substack.
Make Propaganda Great Again?
Using taxpayer dollars for propaganda has been illegal for nearly 75 years.
That hasn't stopped Donald Trump.
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As His Powers Ebb Trump Has Chosen Autocracy Over Democracy. It Is Up To Us To Stop Him.
Trump is in political, physical and cognitive decline. His powers are ebbing. A review of public polling in the past few weeks shows Trump in the 20s, 30s and low 40s on all the issues that matter to voters, and in most of his personal leadership attributes. Despite an extraordinary information superiority he has lost the power to rally even his own voters behind him and his agenda. Essentially 55%+ of the country has become unavailable to him, and his ceiling now appears to be in the low to mid 40s.
YouTube | Hopium Chronicles
Billionaire Peter Thiel's Antichrist Farce Is Dangerous
Sam Osterhout opened by asking what it means when a billionaire starts sermonizing about the Antichrist. Instead of treating it as spectacle, he treated it as signal. Andra Watkins explained that Peter Thiel’s worldview isn’t fringe mysticism — it’s policy dressed in prophecy. The notion that Israel must exist to fulfill scripture, she said, has nothing to do with Judaism and everything to do with maintaining a divine map for power. What sounds absurd in headlines becomes strategic when millions believe destruction is holy.
YouTube | Lincoln Square Media
BEHIND the SCENES of the GOV SHUTDOWN
Republicans aren’t even pretending to govern… Leigh McGowann with Rep. Katherine Clark.
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Image vs. Reality—What the Administration Wants You to Think
smine Crockett SMACKS DOWN Trump after insane late-night rant
INTERVIEW: Jasmine Crockett discusses Trump's overreach, the descent into fascism, the threat of a third term, and the future of the Democratic Party.
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JD Vance EMBARRASSED On Live TV
While most MAGA goons get the chance to spew their lies on the airwaves, JD Vance's appearance on ABC was a different story. Steve Schmidt reacts to Vance's ill-fated interview and the potential repercussions from the White House.
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He's In His Coup Era 🏰
Trump is flirting with invoking the Insurrection Act, and when he says he “can do something,” he usually means he's GOING to do it. This week, Stephen Miller encouraged the fantasy of Trump’s so-called “plenary authority” to deploy the National Guard in Chicago and Portland. At the same time, Kristi Noem floated an ICE expansion to “restore order.” Rick Wilson breaks down how Trump’s martial law threats, Miller’s authoritarian fetish, and MAGA’s open calls for arrests are all part of the same anti-democracy fever dream that's becoming more and more of a reality.
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Trump's Portland War Zone Doesn't Exist
As Trump continues to deploy National Guard troops in Portland, his goons on TV spread more and more ridiculous lies about what's really going on. Steve Schmidt reacts to the ongoing conflict in Portland and the lies being spread by the media.
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NY AG Letitia James full statement on Trump indictment
New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a full statement on the Donald Trump indictment, calling the charges baseless and vowing to fight aggressively.
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REACTION: New York AG Letitia James Indicted | A Conversation with @jimacosta
On the heels of James Comey's indictment, Trump and his regime have turned their sights on NY AG Letitia James. Steve Schmidt sits down with @jimacosta to discuss the James indictment and MAGA's ongoing mission to prosecute their enemies.
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Trump’s $83 Million Ego Check (Sad!) 🪦
He said she was “not his type.” The jury said he was lying. In this can’t-miss episode, Rick Wilson talks with E. Jean Carroll about her jaw-dropping victory in the Trump defamation and sexual assault civil case. They discuss the courtroom madness, the appeals court ruling that upheld her $83.3 million judgment, and the surreal moment she realized Trump’s mouth had finally cost him real money. Her new book, Not My Type: One Woman vs. a President, is equal parts courtroom thriller, survivor’s manifesto, and roast of America’s worst date.
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Pam Bondi's Corruption Put On Display At Senate Hearing
During her Senate Oversight Hearing, Attorney General Pam Bondi showed she will say whatever she needs to enact Trump's policies. Steve Schmidt breaks down Bondi's hearing and what it reveals about Trump's true goals.
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CBS Becoming Another Arm of MAGA Propaganda
After the announcement that the Free Press was bought by CBS, it's become clear the legacy media giant is fully under Donald Trump's control. Steve Schmidt reacts to the hiring of Bari Weiss at CBS News and the loss of trust in American media.
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Chris Murphy Breaks Down Each Step Of Trump's 'Authoritarian Takeover'
During remarks on the Senate floor Tuesday, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) explained why he believes the United States is currently experiencing an "authoritarian takeover" by President Trump.
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Senator Cory Booker On Why "These Issues Are Not Right Or Left. They're Right Or Wrong."
Morning all, sending along a recording of the live conversation I had last night with Senator Cory Booker. An old friend, Senator Booker does what he so often does in our discussion - lifts us up and inspires us to keep finding that higher gear we so often talk about here. We touch on many big issues of the moment - the battle over the budget, the Republican shutdown, their disorganized response to Democratic demands to negotiate, Trump’s escalating authoritarianism, and his optimism about Mikie Sherrill winning in New Jersey this November. Friends, get to this interview when you can. It’s a warm conversation with one of the most important leaders of our pro-democracy movement.
When we look back at how we got here, now, this place of Democrats finally challenging Trump in the way we all hoped for, I think we need to give a great deal of credit to Senator Booker. His 25 hour speech on the Senate floor in March showed Democrats that we can and must do more. And now we are doing more. They are flummoxed, confused, stumbling. And we need to keep going, keep fighting, keep working to win this big argument with Trump, win the November elections, and win the fall, together. Like, subscribe, join our community at https://www.hopiumchronicles.com/, keep working hard, for as Robert Frost told us "the best way out is always through."
— Simon
Trump's plan to militarize US cities
Over the weekend, Trump deployed National Guard troops to American cities like Portland and Chicago. Steve Schmidt sits down with Ryan Lizza to discuss troops patrolling American streets and how we can fight back against Trump's tyranny.
YouTube | Substack
WHAT will the MILITARY DO?
Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump met with 800 of the military’s top brass last week and it was difficult to process how demoralizing it felt. If you’re like me, you didn’t recognize your country as our president talked about bringing US cities “under control” and painting anyone who didn’t agree with him as the “enemy from within”. There was a lot to be outraged about in that meeting, and plenty that felt terrifying, but the event was also just humiliating. For our country, for the brave men and women of the military who had to sit and listen, and for the speakers, who, quite frankly, embarrassed themselves. However, none of that limits the danger the event presents for nation on a crash course with dictatorship. Join me and Marine veteran and advocate, Janessa Goldbeck as we discuss. Thank you so much!
xoPG
VetVoice Foundation: https://vvfnd.org/
A Wonderful New Conversation With James Talarico
Afternoon all, many of you may recognize James Talarico, an eighth-generation Texan, former middle school teacher, Presbyterian seminarian, now state representative and candidate for the U.S. Senate. This breakthrough young leader has been getting a lot of buzz and in our uplifting interview you will see why. He’s an incredibly powerful communicator - bright, passionate, committed, articulate - and a fellow hope-monger.
YouTube | Hopium Chronicles
There Are No "Good" Republicans
Stop grading Republicans on a curve. There are no Republican heroes in the fight for democracy. Staying grounded in the truth is essential — our democracy depends on it.
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Rep. Adam Smith Unloads On Trump, Hegseth And Their Weakening Of America
Our good friend, Rep. Adam Smith, Ranking Member of the House Armed Services came by a live discussion earlier today. A recording and transcript of our conversation are above.
I asked to Rep. Smith to drop by and report in on how House Democrats were seeing things on day three of the Trump shutdown. And I will say this - I’ve known Rep. Smith for almost thirty years and this was perhaps the most fired up I’ve ever seen him. In our discussion you can feel his outrage over the damage Trump is doing to the country and our democracy; you can feel his determination to keep the Congressional Dems together and win this critical fight; and you can feel the sense of righteousness Congressional Dems have right now for they know their cause is just, they are winning the argument with Trump and the Republicans, and are excited to finally be in the fight we all knew we needed to have with our reckless and dangerous leader.
Hopium Chronicles
Trump Making Corruption and Xenophobia The New American Values
With the government shutdown underway, Trump and his goons have been busy spreading propaganda and hate across America. I react to the latest threats from Trump and Stephen Miller, and urge Americans to come together to remove MAGA from power.
YouTube | Substack
SCARY: Trump Knows What He's Doing | Ruth Ben-Ghiat
Donald Trump is not as dumb as he looks. Historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat joins us today with a warning about Trump's next authoritarian moves.
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The actual "enemy from within"
Senator Joseph McCarthy used the same term “enemies from within” in his speech to the Ohio County Republican Women’s Club in Wheeling, which launched the 1950s red scare. I doubt this was a coincidence by Trump’s speechwriter.
Substack