THE DAILY BLAST with Greg Sargent
Every weekday, The New Republic’s Greg Sargent brings you a fresh way of thinking about the biggest political stories of the moment, offered up in an entertaining, information-packed conversation with a leading lawmaker, journalist, or newsmaker. We go deep into the stories behind the headlines leading TNR and other news outlets—while making it fun and fast.
101
“Madness”: Trump Tariff Fiasco Suddenly Worsens...
As the IMS downgrades growth projections and Trump's approval on the economy slides, economic commentator Heather Long explains why the future looks so grim—with no easy exit for the president.
20 min
102
“Full-Blown Meltdown”: Don Jr. and MAGA Rage as...
As the scandals around Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth grow and GOP knives come out for him, a sharp observer of the national security bureaucracy explains why President Trump is caught in a brutal bind.
18 min
103
Trump’s Ugly New MS-13 Ramblings Wreck His Case...
As Trump accidentally exposes the weakness of his own arguments in the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case, an expert on MS-13 takes us inside what this gang really is—and why tying this man to the group is implausible.
16 min
104
Trump’s Fury at Harvard Darkens as GOPer Openly...
As Trump's use of the state to bully Harvard University takes an unnerving turn, a shrewd observer of MAGA helps decode the authoritarian right's larger game plan here—and what must be done to resist it.
22 min
105
Fiasco for Trump as Judge Threatens Contempt am...
As President Trump gets hit by a harsh court ruling, the author of a piece about his deportation strategy explains why we're heading toward a legal abyss—and how Dems should proceed now.
20 min
106
Trump’s Unhinged Eruption at Harvard Actually R...
As the President goes full tinpot tyrant over Harvard's refusal to do his bidding, a free speech advocate explains why this shows there's a major opening for institutions to unify against MAGA's assault.
19 min
107
“Horrifying”: Trump’s Angry New Rants to Media ...
As Donald Trump and El Salvadoran leader Nayib Bukele expressly declare that a wrongfully deported man won't be returned, a reporter who closely covers MAGA explains Trump's unnerving long-term plot.
20 min
108
“Terrifying”: Trump’s Fury at Foes Darkens amid...
As Donald Trump escalates the lawlessness with the help of henchwoman Alina Habba, a sharp legal observer explains why all this suggests the rule of law is on a knife's edge—and what we must do about it.
23 min
109
Fox News Accidentally Wrecks Trump’s Tariff Spi...
As Fox struggles to keep pace with Trump's shifting propaganda needs, a leading historian of conservative media explains the right's slide into pro-Trump sycophancy—and deciphers all the tensions inside MAGA.
23 min
110
“Trump Is Backing Down Again”: Hakeem Jeffries ...
Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries tells us what Trump's reversal on tariffs says about his weakness, why Democrats can expand the House map, and how they should make the case against Trump's lawlessness.
27 min
111
Sotomayor’s Harsh Dissent on Trump Arrests Offe...
As the Supreme Court begins ruling on Trump's deportations, a legal expert unravels the complexities of all these cases and explains how Sonia Sotomayor laid bare the truly alarming stakes we currently face.
21 min
112
Unwell Trump Rages Wildly at Many Targets as GO...
As Trump vents at China and at the handful of Republicans now moving to rein in his tariffs, an economist digs into the deeper, almost pathological incoherence underlying his broader aims and vision.
22 min
113
“Disaster”: Trump Voters Suddenly Realize How B...
As Trump's core voters prepare to get slammed by his trade wars, the author of a book about MAGA country explains what all this says about the dark nature of his rural support—and how Democrats can capitalize.
20 min
114
“Horrifying”: Trump’s Weird, Confused Rant to M...
As Trump's shockingly destructive global tariffs cause the markets to crater and he rambles bizarrely about it to reporters, congressional scholar Norm Ornstein walks through how this madness can be stopped.
20 min
115
Trump Suddenly Set to Cut Musk Loose as Knives ...
As Trump reportedly signals Elon Musk's coming departure after their disastrous Wisconsin loss, a leading Democrat from the state explains what it all says about the unpopularity of the Trump-Musk agenda.
21 min
116
Trump’s Arrests Take Dark, Unnerving Turn, and ...
As JD Vance and press secretary Karoline Leavitt angrily defend the removal of a Maryland man to a Salvadoran prison in "error," a shrewd immigration observer says we're now in alarmingly lawless territory.
22 min
117
Trump Hit by Two Brutal Polls on Econ as GOP Ta...
As Republicans scramble to defend their states and districts from Trump's looming tariffs, economist Jared Bernstein explains why they're likely to prove so destructive to the country—and to the GOP.
19 min
118
Trump Text Fiasco Suddenly Worsens as MAGA Kniv...
As Trump allies begin turning on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth amid the darkening war-text scandal, Jennifer Rubin of The Contrarian explains why this will grow politically untenable for Trump and the GOP.
27 min
119
Trump’s ICE Removals Take Darker Turn after Unn...
As Secretary of State Marco Rubio makes a shocking claim about Trump's efforts to deport foreign students, an expert in immigration law explains why these escalating removals should deeply unsettle us all.
16 min
120
Trump Privately Seethes at Text Fiasco as Hegse...
As Trump reportedly grows "frustrated" over his team's failure to manage media coverage of the war text scandal, a shrewd observer of the right explains how all this reveals the deeper failings of MAGA.
24 min
121
Trump Text Fiasco Worsens as Tulsi Gabbard Impl...
As the controversy grows over a breach in a war-planning text chat, an expert in national security law explains how DNI Tulsi Gabbard's Senate testimony made things worse—and why Fox's spin is dumber than usual.
22 min
122
Trump’s Angry Rant about Stunning Leak of War P...
As Trump downplays the news that a journalist was included in a highly sensitive discussion of war plans, a top national security lawyer explains why this is so shocking—and why Trump's response is so derelict.
19 min
123
Trump Blurts Out Revealing Aim of Law Firm Shak...
As President Trump says the quiet part out loud about his vile extortion of law firms, New Republic editor Michael Tomasky explains what all this says about Trump's lawlessness—and what's needed to resist it.
23 min
124
“Terrifying”: Trump’s Rage at Judge Unnerves GO...
As Trump begins defying a judge blocking deportations and Republicans balk at his demands for the judge's impeachment, a legal expert explains why this is headed for a major crisis.
17 min
125
Trump’s Fury at Canada Boils Over on Fox—and Po...
As Trump's imperialist designs suddenly look much scarier, The Bulwark's William Saletan explains how Trump is now looking at Canada the way Putin looks at Ukraine—through "the eyes of a predator."
24 min