For the final episode of The Al Franken Podcast, we're joined one last time by our good friend Dahlia Lithwick, Senior Editor at Slate and host of the Amicus podcast! As we await the Supreme Court’s remaining decisions, we turn to Dahlia to recap a bleak judicial term, including the decisions to gut the Voting Rights Act, strip immigrants of their Temporary Protected Status, and expel transgender servicemembers from the military.

Dahlia and Al look past the mainstream media's narrative of a "moderate" bench to reveal an institution deeply aligned with MAGA's political playbook that continues to make way for an imperial presidency. On a more hopeful note, Dahlia offers a blueprint for how regular citizens can find their lane and fight back from the ground up. Dahlia issues a call for Americans to move past "learned helplessness" to dismantle the cult of the Court and return constitutional power to the people.

LISTEN to Dahlia's podcast, Amicus:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/amicus-with-dahlia-lithwick-law-justice-and-the-courts/id928790786

READ Dahlia in Slate Magazine: https://slate.com/author/dahlia-lithwick

We’re joined by our longtime friend, Franklin Foer of The Atlantic! We have a deal in Iran or at least an agreement to have an agreement. Even some Republicans are calling this an unconditional surrender. Al and Frank break down the massive concessions, which include a staggering $300 billion to reconstruct Iran, lifted blockades, and Iranian tolls in the Strait of Hormuz. And what does all of this mean for Trump and Netanyahu’s plummeting relationship ahead of the Israeli elections this fall?

Frank also breaks down the war in Ukraine, the situation in Venezuela, and ongoing tensions with Cuba.

Plus, we discuss Frank’s bestselling book, “How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization.” It was recently reissued to coincide with the U.S. hosting the World Cup. Frank explains how his views of world soccer have changed since the original publishing and why globalization never brought us the "kumbaya political liberalism" we were promised.

READ Franklin Foer in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/franklin-foer/

READ Frank’s book, “How Soccer Explains the World:” https://www.harpercollins.com/products/how-soccer-explains-the-world-franklin-foer 

A little over a year ago, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live! For this Best Of episode, we revisit our February 2025 conversation when we switched things up a bit as Executive Producer Peter Ogburn asked 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 character.

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Our friend Anne Applebaum has written a new book called Autocracy Inc. She chronicles the rise of authoritarianism around the world and how those autocracies work together to keep themselves in power. With Donald Trump running for President of the United States, could we be heading for a similar fate? We've seen other countries thwart autocracies in recent weeks. Is America ready to do the same? Plus, Donald Trump has one of the most disliked VP candidates in history. We talk to The Liberal Redneck, comedian Trae Crowder, about JD Vance and his "Hillbilly" roots. 

Read Anne's work in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/anne-applebaum/

Check out Trae Crowder's YouTube channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTHsQd-vRXK1bp4vpifl6yA

This past week, we saw President Joe Biden drop out of the Presidential race and VP Kamala Harris emerge as the new nominee for the Democratic Party. The Atlantic's Frank Foer wrote the book "The Last Politician" about Joe Biden's consequential first term and Elaina Plott Calabro, also from The Atlantic, has interviewed Kamala Harris multiple times. We recap some of Biden's biggest accomplishments and examine the radically changed political landscape since Joe Biden withdrew from the race. How will the Trump campaign adjust to run against Kamala Harris? Can she sustain the excitement around her campaign all the way to November? P

Read Elaina's latest on the Trump vs Harris campaign: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/07/kamala-harris-prosecutor-president/679226/

Read Frank's latest on Biden's exit from the race: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/07/bidens-greatest-strengths-proved-his-undoing/679179/

The Republican National Convention concluded last week. We heard from Trump's VP nominee, JD Vance, and we heard from Donald Trump for the first time since the assassination attempt. Trump pushed lie after lie during his speech. No surprise. The real question is whether or not Joe Biden can beat him. Mark Leibovich from The Atlantic and Molly Jong Fast from the Fast Politics Podcast join the podcast to lay out the plan forward to defeat Donald Trump. Plus, you've probably heard of Project 2025. What is it and how is it fueling the Republican Party's agenda?

Read Mark's writing in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/mark-leibovich/

Watch Molly's YouTube video on the dangers of Project 2025: https://youtu.be/yUJSEvYIiy8?si=ZmiG6zibjMSDNJl6

The Supreme Court term has ended after a series of punishing decisions that break years of precedent. While there were many horrible decisions made in this term, two stand out: The cases on Presidential Immunity and the Chevron Doctrine. Why are these so important? We're joined by our Supreme Court expert and host of the Amicus podcast, Dahlia Lithwick. Al and Dahlia lay out the devastating consequences ahead in the wake of these decisions and try to lay out a path forward.

Listen to Dahlia's Amicus podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/amicus-with-dahlia-lithwick-law-justice-and-the-courts/id928790786

Read Dahlia's great work in Slate:https://slate.com/author/dahlia-lithwick

One of my favorite episodes from this year (so far). The historian on her bestseller "Democracy Awakening" and how America's democracy is on a knife's edge. Perfect for July 4th weekend!

Jefferson reflects on the glaring error he made 248 years ago.

Donald Trump lied over and over again at the debate. But it's been overshadowed by President Biden's terrible performance. Political scientist and an emeritus scholar at the American Enterprise Institute Norm Ornstein joins us to recap Thursday evening's debacle. Is there a plan forward for the Democratic Party if Biden drops out? How can Biden prove that the debate was an anomaly and win his party back? Plus, the latest round of Supreme Court decisions dropped on Friday. Norm breaks down the terrible decisions and what they say about the direction they are taking this country. 

Bulwark Founder Sarah Longwell and former Republican operative and host of the Bulwark podcast Tim Miller are worried about a dangerous potential second term of Donald Trump. The first step for Joe Biden defeating Trump? Have a good showing in this week's coming debate. Tim has prepped Presidential candidates to face Trump and shares his insight. And what messages should President Biden hit on during the debate? Sarah hosts The Focus Group podcast and shares what voters are looking for this November. Joe Biden has a LOT of policies that poll extremely well. So how does he take that message to the American people?

Listen to Tim and Sarah's podcast and read their great work at www.TheBulwark.com

One of the biggest issues in the coming election will be the economy. So how has President Biden done on that front? We talk to Catherine Rampell about Bidenomics and how the President should tout his economic record. His opponent, Donald Trump could be a disaster for the economy if his previous term is any indication. Catherine discusses what a second Trump term could look like and the difficulty even Republicans have with working with him. 

Read Catherine’s latest here:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/catherine-rampell/

My friend Howard Fineman died this week. He had a long career as one of Washington's most respected political reporters and began his career at the Louisville Courier Journal. There, he was able to witness the rise of Mitch McConnell and learn what kind of politician he was. In this episode from 2019, we discuss what makes McConnell tick and Howard's career. May his memory be a blessing.

 Guest Host Heather McGhee, author of the groundbreaking book “The Sum of Us” and expert in economic and social policy, is joined by The Atlantic's Adam Serwer! They discuss a number of issues facing the country, including the continued unrest in Minnesota and the No Kings protests happening nationwide. From the steps of the Supreme Court to the streets of Minneapolis, McGhee and Serwer explore how the struggle for Black freedom has historically paved the way for immigrant rights and why that "inheritance" is currently under its most aggressive attack in generations.

Heather and Adam also examine the recent SCOTUS arguments on birthright citizenship and how this could create a whole new class of undocumented immigrants in this country, particularly Chinese immigrants. 

They also examine Adam's recent writing following the death of Rev. Jesse Jackson  about what Rev. Jackson’s message meant to the movement. They dissect his 1980's vision of cross-racial, cross-class solidarity and explain why his "Patchwork Quilt" philosophy is more relevant today than ever.

LEARN more about Heather McGhee: https://heathermcghee.com/

READ Adam Serwer's writing in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/adam-serwer/

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The war in the Middle East continues, but is a ceasefire in sight? The Biden administration has an outline of a plan. Two of our leading foreign policy experts join us to discuss. Plus, now that Donald Trump is a convicted felon, what could that mean for this election? And how does the Biden administration sell the undeniable success of the economy to the American people?

Read Frank's latest work in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/franklin-foer/

Read David Rothkopf in The Daily Beast: https://www.thedailybeast.com/author/david-rothkopf

Donald Trump has been convicted on all 34 charges in his NYC hush money trial. What does that mean for his future? We get the latest from our legal expert Harry Litman. Plus, longtime political reporter Dan Balz from the Washington Post joins for a wide ranging political discussion! Will these convictions help or hurt Trump? We also discuss the state of the Presidential race and what President Biden's strengths and weaknesses are as election season ramps up. 

Read Harry's coverage of the Trump trial for the LA Times: https://www.latimes.com/people/harry-litman

Read Dan Balz' latest in the Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/dan-balz/

My friend, basketball legend Bill Walton died this week after a private battle with cancer, I wanted to share our interview with Bill from March of 2022, You will hear the unbounded life force of his generous spirit. RIP Bill.

Former U.S. Attorney and Deputy Assistant Attorney General Harry Litman joins to discuss the Trump hush money trial. Both sides have rested. Harry has been in the courtroom watching the trial. With closing arguments coming next week, we break down what has transpired and all the possible outcomes Trump could expect as his verdict looms. 

Harry has been covering the trial for the Los Angeles Times. Read his reporting here: 

https://www.latimes.com/people/harry-litman

Trae Crowder, the viral Tennessean comedian joins to discuss his upbringing in a red state, why rednecks are Trumpies and what happens to a community when the jobs leave. Learn why he understands Trump's appeal to rednecks, and how and why they transitioned from not liking Trump to supporting his every move.

In the two years since Elon Musk bought Twitter, he's turned irt into a leading source of right wing propaganda. He spreads hateful rhetoric, platforms white nationalists and engages with unfounded conspiracy theories. He lies about President Biden, promotes racist ideology and pushes his own commentary onto X users whether they follow him or not. All of this is working to do get Donald Trump elected President again. Judd Legum from the very popular newletter Popular Information explains the damage Elon could be doing in this year's elections.

Subscribe to Judd's newsletter, Popular Information! https://popular.info/

Al has a brand new stand-up comedy tour! Check the dates to see if he's coming to your town! https://www.alfranken.com/appearances

Molly Jong-Fast, special correspondent for Vanity Fair and host of the Fast Politics podcast joins us for a wide ranging conversation covering Congress, abortion, the protests happening around the country and the Presidential election. She also discusses the ongoing Trump hush money scandal happening in NYC. She says the trial is "over-delivering," which could mean a guilty verdict for Trump. 

Read Molly's latest pieces for Vanity Fair! https://www.vanityfair.com/contributor/molly-jong-fast

Al is on tour! Catch him in your city: https://www.alfranken.com/appearances

The GOP is undermining democracy all over the country. The will of the people is being subverted for a loud and active minority. In his new book, guest Ari Berman explains how and where this is happening in America. And, more importantly, what we can do to fight back. 

The first criminal trial for Donald Trump is underway. The hush money trial over Stormy Daniels might be the first, but it won't be the last. But will we see the other trials before the election? And what are the consequences if Trump is found guilty? We talk to The Bestselling Authors on The Trump Indictments Andrew Weissmann and Melissa Murray! 

The Republican Party has spent years undoing the will of the people in the state of Wisconsin. With gerrymandered voting maps, they've been able to lose the popular vote and still have a huge majority in the state legislature. But things are changing thanks to Ben Wikler and the Wisconsin Democratic Party! In our first Battleground State episode, Ben explains the work that is being done to preserve democracy in this critical swing state and how they are organizing to secure a win for Joe Biden in November. 

Donald Trump and the Republican Party have the backing of Evangelicals and fundamentalist Christians. But if you read the Bible or listen to the teachings of Jesus Christ, it would be clear that their policies are anything but Christ-like. In this Best Of episode, we revisit our October 2025 conversation with comedian, radio host, and NYT bestselling author John Fugelsang to discuss his book, “Separation of Church and Hate.”

Fugelsang shares his unique perspective as a Christian who was raised by a former nun and a Franciscan Brother. He shows the disconnect between what far-right Christians claim Jesus taught versus what he actually said in the Bible. Jesus promoted peace, love, compassion, and mercy... None of which are evident in today's Republican Party.

We also break down many social issues that right-wing Christians use their faith to justify. Jesus advocated against the death penalty, provided for the poor, and never once said that homosexuality is a sin. Not to mention abortion, which was weaponized in the 1980s to consolidate power under Ronald Reagan.

We hope this interview can help you engage with right-wing Christians in a civil way by pointing to actual scripture, which might help them see the contradictions and lies that their party embraces.  

READ John's bestselling book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Separation-of-Church-and-Hate/John-Fugelsang/9781668066898

LISTEN to The John Fugelsang Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-john-fugelsang-podcast/id1464094232

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The 2024 election is less than 8 months away. How do Democrats defeat Trump? How do they retain the Senate? Our guests say that it all comes down to messaging. It's important to remind voters that on issues like abortion and the economy, the Democratic Party represents their interests. 

Al is on tour! Come see his NEW standup

https://www.alfranken.com/appearances

We begin our wide-ranging conversation by discussing the attack on a Moscow concert hall last week. What are the implications of that violence? And who is behind it? Then delve into the US's failure to fund the Ukrainian effort and the resulting loss of life. Will we help them? Or will Republicans continue to enable Putin? Anne also lays out the dangers of a second Trump term. With autocracy on the rise around the world, what would it look like here in America? 

Domenico Mantanaro joins us to cover the political landscape! Trump trials, the general election, the Robert Hur report, and Congress. Plus, is Donald Trump taking over the RNC to help bail him out of his financial problems? And as a reporter, how does Domenico maintain objectivity vs neutrality? 

See all of Domenico's reporting here! 

https://www.npr.org/people/392602474/domenico-montanaro

Al is going on tour! See if he's coming to your town and grab tickets today! 

https://www.alfranken.com/appearances

Former Republican operative Tim Miller joins the podcast to discuss a wide range of topics! We cover Biden's re-election strategy and react to his State of the Union speech. (Plus the GOP response from Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL), With Congress as dysfunctional as it is, is there any chance of funding the effort in Ukraine? And does Tim still find common ground with his old Republican Party?

See more of Tim's work at The Bulwark

Al is going on tour! Get your tickets today! 

While anti-Semitism has run rampant among the far right, it has been growing among the political left. In Frank Foer's recent piece for The Atlantic, he explains how we got to this point. How have college campuses and schools become the center for anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic speech? How did college presidents mishandle the hate speech on their campuses? And what is the future of American Jews if Trump is elected again?

Read Frank Foer's entire piece in The Atlantic:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/04/us-anti-semitism-jewish-american-safety/677469/

Al is going back on tour! Get your tickets now! 

https://www.alfranken.com/appearances

Reproductive rights are under attack all over the country and will be one of the most important issues in the election this November. Abortion bans and limits on reproductive help are extremely unpopular and could be bad news for the Republicans enacting them. This is a must listen for reproductive rights!

The author of the profoundly disturbing book "The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory" 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 back on him after he criticized Donald Trump. How did the evangelical church turn so far towards right wing politics? What exactly is an evangelical? How can those voters ever be won back?

Al is going on tour! See if he's coming to your town and grab tickets today! 

https://www.alfranken.com/appearances

David Frum from The Atlantic Monthly discusses the chaos that Donald Trump would bring if he were elected to a second term. From the border to foreign aid to Trump's attempt to pardon his crimes... Can we withstand another Trump term?

Read more from David in The Atlantic:

https://www.theatlantic.com/author/david-frum/

Al is going on tour! See if he's coming to your town and grab tickets today! 

https://www.alfranken.com/appearances

Tales from the Campaign Trail

Will the Jan. 6th Trial happen in time? Or will it just be the Stormy Daniels Case?

Guest Host Norm Ornstein welcomes Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) to discuss legislation they're working on to curb the President's pardon power after the onslaught of blatantly corrupt pardons from the Trump administration. Rep. Dean was the former impeachment manager for Trump's second impeachment, so she also addresses how the blanket pardon of all January 6th insurrectionists especially grotesque. 

We also discuss the latest on the "stolen documents" case and what Trump might have intended for them. Plus, people are making LOTS of money on insider trading around the Iran War.

Rep. Dean shares her thoughts on the ICE brutality her constituents in Pennsylvania and around the country are facing. And she shares her first hand account of the Dilley detention center, where ICE is mistreating detainees and neglecting children.

LEARN more about Rep. Madeleine Dean: https://dean.house.gov/biography

LISTEN to Norm's podcast "Words Matter" with fellow friend of the show David Rothkopf: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dsrs-words-matter/id1420216970

On MAGA

Al & Jim On How They Tried to Reward the Audience for Knowing Stuff but Not Punish Them for Not

The Federalist Society’s Got the Worst Ones All Lined Up

Heather says that Trumpers have bought into an alternative reality and that we are, at this moment, on a knife’s edge. She’s an historian and not a clairvoyant. But she’s also an activist, doing all she can to spread the word through historical analysis. Beat that, Trump!

Really great!

Jim talks about comedy and his decision to come out against Trump. 

A Tour of the Big Political Events of 2023

A tour of Ukraine, Russia, China, Israel, and Gaza

My friend Norman Lear passed on this week at 101. A great man, who created legendary TV

Where they’ve been and where they’re going

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 41, he is Vice President to Donald Trump, a man who Vance once described as "America's Hitler" and "cultural heroin."

In this Best Of episode, we revisit our June 2025 conversation with The Atlantic’s George Packer. His piece, “The Talented Mr. Vance,” explores Vance's political transformation and whether he genuinely evolved his political views or cynically abandoned his principles for ambition.

We also look at the Democrats' path forward. Packer shares how they can respond to Trump's appeal to disengaged voters.

Read Packer’s writing in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/george-packer/

Protect Democracy's Executive Director on Our Nightmare

The New York Times Reporter Puts the Current Trial Into Perspective

On the 2024 Election!