The American Enterprise Institute is pleased to present a new podcast: Stubborn Things, hosted by Gerald R. Ford Nonresident Senior Fellow Jay Cost and by Nonresident Fellow Sean Trende.

John Adams famously said: “Facts are stubborn things. Whatever our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." In this era of knee-jerk partisanship and ideological posturing, Adams's warning is as important as ever. Tune in to Stubborn Things every other week as Cost and Trende draw on their wide-ranging base of knowledge and stubborn commitment to the evidence to understand what is happening in the world of American politics.

Enjoy this trailer, in which Cost and Trende preview what is to come.

Produced by Michael Schwartz.

On this week’s episode of Stubborn Things, Jay Cost and Sean Trende recap the oral argument before the Supreme Court in Trump v. Slaughter and present an overview of the political history, legal cases, and theories of executive power that have led the Court to this point. Plus, our hosts kick off the way-too-early speculation about who might be the Democratic nominee for President in 2028. Will it be Gavin Newsom? AOC? Someone else? Take a listen to hear what Jay and Sean think.

Show notes:

• Trump v. Slaughter
• Myers v. United States
• Humphrey's Executor v. United States
• Justice Scalia’s dissent in Morrison v. Olson
• Woodrow Wilson: The Study of Administration
• Jay’s recent AEI report on Wilson’s early views on regulation

In the very first episode of Stubborn Things, Jay Cost and Sean Trende kick off with a deep dive into gerrymandering. This year alone, 10 states have redistricted or are in the process of doing so, often with overt partisan aims. In a statewide election last month, California approved a new congressional map to favor Democrats. In September, the governor of Missouri signed that state's new map — passed by a state house and senate featuring supermajority Republican control — into law, a move that is projected to boost Republican candidates. And over at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the President referred to Indiana Republicans who (at least initially) resisted the pressure to gerrymander as "RINOs" and called for them to be primaried. To unpack all of this and more, Cost and Trende explore the origins of gerrymandering and connect the historical, partisan, and legal dots that make up the story of American congressional redistricting.

On Stubborn Things’ first episode of 2026, Jay and Sean talk about elections both past and future. How will President Trump’s approval rating, partisan redistricting, and other factors affect the outcome of the midterms this November? Our hosts discuss whether the midterm results and the results of the 2028 GOP presidential primary are foregone conclusions. Plus, how do current election procedures differ from ones of centuries past, and why are some Americans prohibited from getting drunk on election day? Come for an analysis of JD Vance’s 2028 odds, stay for Sean’s humming of The Imperial March.

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This week, Jay and Sean talk the Donroe Doctrine. They address the centuries-old historical precedent of American military intervention in the Western Hemisphere and analyze how the Trump admiration's forays into Venezuela fit into this story. On the second half of the episode, Jay interviews Sean about his experiences as an election lawyer and congressional map-drawing extraordinaire. Take a listen!

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This week, Jay and Sean zoom out from the ongoing immigration enforcement debate to talk about the history and politics of immigration. In the spirit of Stubborn Things, Jay and Sean try to make sense of various views – right, left, and center – on immigration and discuss the radical politics that prevents compromise and consensus. During the second half of the episode, they talk about Senate dysfunction and the upcoming Senate election in Texas. Take a listen!

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AEI’s Jay Cost and Sean Trende talk about the topic on everyone’s mind this week: the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Learning Resources v. Trump, which struck down President Trump’s use of tariffs under IEEPA. Throughout the episode, our hosts touch on the majority opinion, as well as the various concurrences and dissents, that came down last Friday. Jay and Sean address the history of tariffs in American political economy before moving on to a conversation about the separation of powers. They wrap up by discussing the ideological makeup of the Court and this case’s implications for questions of checks and balances. Take a listen and let us know what you think!

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Comments? Suggestions? Email us at StubbornThings@aei.org.

Show notes:

Jay’s review of The Constitution of Conflict

On this week’s episode, Jay and Sean continue their focus on the Senate. In particular, they talk about the formation, history, and modern uses of the filibuster. Our hosts explain the rationale for the filibuster before addressing several criticisms of the procedure. In the second segment, Jay and Sean address the unexpected effectiveness Mike Johnson has shown as Speaker of the House. Take a listen!

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Jay and Sean are joined this week by Ruy Teixeira, Nonresident Senior Fellow at AEI and longtime analyst of Democratic politics. Our hosts interview Ruy about the evolving relationship between the Democratic Party and organized labor, whether Democrats can learn from their past mistakes to form a durable electoral coalition, and more. Along the way, Jay, Sean, and Ruy discuss the “Abundance" movement, immigration, class, and if there are any heterodox Democrats who can make waves in future elections. Take a listen!

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Comments? Suggestions? Email us at StubbornThings@aei.org.

Show notes:

America's Forgotten Majority

The Emerging Democratic Majority

Where Have All the Democrats Gone?

Ruy's last article in The Liberal Patriot

This week, our hosts take a break from talking about the drama of 21st century American politics and turn back the clock. In this very special edition of Stubborn Things, Jay and Sean start the Very Official Stubborn Things Presidential Tiers List. They start, of course, with Washington and make it all the way through Buchanan. See where Jay and Sean agree and where their lists diverge. Take a listen and let us know what you think about our tiers!

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Show notes:

Jay’s biography of James Madison

Our Stubborn Things hosts this week talk voting and the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, a.k.a. the SAVE Act, a.k.a. the SAVE America Act, currently making its way through Congress. Jay and Sean discuss how the bill would change voting, the advantages and challenges with requiring proof of citizenship to vote, and the bad faith arguments each camp makes about the bill. Then, they go back in time to review the 2021 Democrat-led For the People Act, and Sean calls Jay old. Finally, the episode wraps with a focus on campaign finance and the role of big money in elections.

Take a listen and let us know what you think!

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Show notes:

H.R.22 – SAVE Act

Yuval Levin’s National Review article

NYT article about campaign finance

This week, Jay and Sean tackle the results of the Senate primary in Texas. They discuss James Talarico’s victory in the Democratic primary and the religious dimension of Talarico’s candidacy. They also assess the strengths and weaknesses of Talarico’s two potential GOP opponents, incumbent John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who will face each other in a runoff in May, as well as how Texas demographics may play in the general election. Plus, Jay and Sean dip into the mailbag and answer a listener question about the books that have influenced them. Take a listen and let us know what you think!

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Show notes:

Sean’s Recommendations:

The Almanac of American Politics

Electoral Realignments, by David Mayhew

The Emerging Democratic Majority, by John Judis and Ruy Teixeira

Jay’s Recommendations:

Conjectures and Refutations, by Karl Popper

Micromotives and Macrobehavior, by Thomas Schelling

Reflections on the Revolution in France, by Edmund Burke

This week, Stubborn Things is laser-focused on the Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais. Our hosts discuss the history of the Voting Rights Act, as well as the Gingles test which the majority updated last week. Sean and Jay evaluate how far-reaching the Court’s decision will prove to be, and they correct some of the narratives that have emerged in the wake of the decision. What do they think of Justice Alito’s argumentation? What about Justice Kagan’s dissent? Take a listen to find out!

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Show notes:

Louisiana v. Callais

Amy Coney Barrett’s Precedent and Jurisprudential Disagreement

Back by popular demand, this week, Sean and Jay continue their rankings of America’s presidents. After harshly grading the antebellum presidents, our Stubborn Things hosts sprinkle in a few good grades for the presidents of the latter half of the 19th century. Still, failing grades abound, as Stubborn Things has a strict policy against grade inflation! Let us know in the comments where you agree and where you disagree with Sean and Jay’s tiers.

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The last Stubborn Things episode was so popular that we couldn’t resist doing yet another presidential tiers episode. Take a listen to hear how Sean and Jay rank the first presidents of the twentieth century, from Theodore Roosevelt through Hebert Hoover. And let us know where you’d place these presidents on your own tiers!

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This week, Jay and Sean welcome Echelon Insight’s Patrick Ruffini to Stubborn Things to talk about how the GOP went from the party of Reagan to the party of Trump. Patrick discussed the Republican Party’s demographic shift and how Trump began to appeal to working class voters during the 2016 election. Jay, Sean, and Patrick also touched on the idea of economic aspiration, potential reversions in the GOP’s demographic gains, and economic and educational indicators of voting patterns. Plus, hear Patrick’s thoughts about the future of the GOP post-Trump and what to watch for in the midterms.

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Show notes:

Party of the People: Inside the Multiracial Populist Coalition Remaking the GOP

Grand New Party: How Republicans Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream

Steadfast Democrats: How Social Forces Shape Black Political Behavior