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.

 

Politics
176
Trump’s Fury at NYT Explodes amid Fresh Concern...
As Trump’s rage at the paper of record reveals too much, the author of piece on Trump as “lame duck dictator” explains how devastating it is for him that his carefully-cultivated illusion of strength is collapsing.
16 min
177
Trump Erupts in Frantic Tirade over 2026 as GOP...
As the GOP’s Obamacare problem worsens and Trump urges Republicans to rig the midterms, the author of a piece on the GOP conundrum explains how GOP hatred of the ACA could doom Republicans electorally.
21 min
178
Raging Trump Spirals Further as Push to Jail En...
With Trump seething at Dems even as his efforts to prosecute foes hits new setbacks, a sharp legal commentator explains why Trump’s revenge project is running aground—and why he’s at fault for all of it.
20 min
179
Trump Is a Weak, Failing President, and the Med...
As Trump’s downward spiral starts producing harsher media coverage, a writer who regularly dissects MAGA and political media explains why he’s entering a tailspin that will be very hard to reverse.
21 min
180
Trump’s Angry Tirade Calling for “Death” to Dem...
As Trump’s call for the execution of “seditious” Dems works against him, Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, one of his targets, explains why she and other Dems are warning service members against carrying out illegal orders.
24 min
181
Trump’s Anger over Prices Goes Nuclear as Fresh...
As Trump’s inflation rants grow more unhinged amid brutal new polls for him, an economics writer explains why Trump is ill-suited for the crisis that might be coming—and why the bottom might be about to fall out.
18 min
182
Trump’s Plot to Rig 2026 Is Falling Apart, and ...
As the Trump-GOP scheme to gerrymander the midterms suddenly faces big new setbacks, a Democratic operative who’s leading in these fights explains why the battle isn’t over—and what must happen now.
19 min
183
Trump Accidentally Stabs Vance in the Back as M...
As Trump’s comments about neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes create a surprising problem for JD Vance, the author of a piece on the Fuentes fiasco explains why this has ignited a civil war inside MAGA that's about to get worse.
20 min
184
Trump Explodes in Angriest Epstein Tirade Yet a...
With Trump distracted by Jeffrey Epstein even as allies and advisers visibly fret about the midterms, the author of a new piece on Trump’s standing decodes why his approval is hitting dangerous new lows.
23 min
185
Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Fresh Epstein Bombshel...
As signs mount that more Republicans than expected will break with Trump on Jeffrey Epstein, Rep. Yassamin Ansari explains why Trump has much more to worry about than is commonly known.
23 min
186
Trump Press Sec’s Epstein Spin Implodes as New ...
As Karoline Leavitt struggles to explain away Trump’s growing panic over new Jeffrey Epstein revelations, a sharp observer of the right explains why MAGA is cracking up over the scandal—and what to expect from it next.
22 min
187
Trump Wrecks His Own Case for Tariffs as Bizarr...
As Trump unleashes confused statements about the Supreme Court case on his tariffs, a trade expert explains how he accidentally undermined his argument for them—and why all this is trending toward a big fiasco.
17 min
188
Trump’s Rage over Shutdown Boils Over in Rant t...
Trump’s angry new rant about air traffic controllers and the government shutdown showed his weakness. A sharp observer of Senate Democrats explains why they seem to be caving—and what they can do instead.
19 min
189
Angry Trump Snaps at Media as Brutal New Data S...
As Trump seethes at journalists amid the release of striking new analyses of the election, a reporter who covers Republicans details how they’re barred from acknowledging Trump’s unpopularity—a dangerous place to be.
20 min
190
Unraveling Trump Accidentally Blurts Out Secret...
As Trump’s excuses for GOP losses worsen and he calls for rigging the midterms in response, a Democratic operative explains why his schemes could still be a problem—and how Democrats should respond.
18 min
191
Angry Trump Snaps at GOPers as Scale of Losses ...
As Trump finds a novel way to evade blame for Tuesday’s crushing election losses, the author of a piece on the energy driving Democrats explains what Trump won’t accept about the the MAGA coalition’s collapse.
22 min
192
Angry Trump Tirade Forces Press Sec to Undercut...
As Trump’s latest eruption over the shutdown leaves Karoline Leavitt no choice but to contradict him, the author of a new piece on Trump’s weakness explains why his position is rapidly getting worse by the day.
21 min
193
MAGA Rages at Tucker Carlson after “Nazi” Shock...
As Tucker faces criticism for hosting white nationalist Nick Fuentes, an expert on conservatism decodes how this tells the bigger story of the American right’s refusal to police its extremists for the last half century.
19 min
194
Trump’s Angry New Tirades Push Mike Johnson int...
As Trump’s eruptions over the shutdown create new complications for the House Speaker, a progressive organizer explains how this reveals Trump’s deep laziness—and how voters on the ground are reacting to it.
21 min
195
Trump ICE Raids Take Awful Turn as Dem Gov Drop...
As Illinois’ Governor warns of worsening fallout from Trump’s assault on Chicago, a political communications expert explains what this saga tells us about the state of our info-wars—and how Dems should wage them.
27 min
196
Trump Ballroom Fiasco Takes Bad New Turn as Eco...
As the ballroom story gets more damaging for Trump against a backdrop of terrible economic news, a progressive organizer explains how all this gives Democrats a big opening to regain crucial lost ground.
20 min
197
Marjorie Taylor Greene Wrecks Trump’s Shutdown ...
As Representative Greene blows the lid off the Trump-GOP shutdown ruse, a sharp observer of the right explains why the Obamacare fight is fracturing the MAGA coalition—and how Democrats can exploit it.
19 min
198
Trump’s Angry, Crazed Eruption over Cognitive T...
As Trump’s rant about his cognitive test accidentally reveals his unfitness, a critic of political media explains how the press fails to connect his mental decline to the real-world horrors he’s visiting on real people daily.
21 min
199
Trump Nixing of Dem State Disaster Aid Backfire...
After Trump’s handling of disasters boomerangs on MAGA country, the author of a piece on his retribution against blue America explains how this saga reveals MAGA ideology’s deepest depravities.
19 min
200
Jamie Raskin’s Harsh New Takedown of Trump Expo...
As Rep. Raskin’s broadside against Trump’s $230 million shakedown of DOJ hits home, a legal expert demystifies why this scheme is so appallingly corrupt—and what it says about MAGA’s ugliest designs.
25 min