Political Gabfest

Voted “Favorite Political Podcast” by Apple Podcasts listeners. Stephen Colbert says "Everybody should listen to the Slate Political Gabfest." The Gabfest, featuring Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz, is the kind of informal and irreverent discussion Washington journalists have after hours over drinks.

News
Government
Politics
26
Should Liz Cheney Run?
Liz Cheney wrote a book; Chris Christie is still running for President; and Purdue Pharma might go bankrupt so the Sacklers don’t have to.
53 min
27
Why Does Everyone Hate Bidenomics?
The U.S. economy is good but Americans feel bad; there are three branches of government but the Supreme Court could chop off one; and white evangelicals are Christian nationalists but that might change.
59 min
28
Is Polling Broken?
Issue polling is down; Sam Altman is out, then back in at OpenAI; and the Oslo Accords never got off the ground.
68 min
29
Gabfest Reads: Watership Down Gets the Graphic ...
Cartoonist James Strum unpacks the classic novel and how he brought beloved characters to new life.
24 min
30
You’ll Miss Joe Manchin
Joe Manchin leaves the U.S. Senate and might hit the No Labels presidential campaign trail; the Supreme Court gets a code of conduct; and collateral damage from the Israel-Hamas war includes Democratic politics.
55 min
31
Was That A Great Or Terrible Night For Biden?
Democrats win on Election Day 2023; President Joe Biden is losing in the polls; and gun control might defeat the 2nd Amendment at the Supreme Court.
57 min
32
Could Nikki Haley Actually Win?
In the presidential races, Nikki Haley gains, Ron DeSantis is stuck, and Dean Phillips begins his campaign; the Supreme Court hears its first but not last social-media cases of the term; and David Leonhardt writes about the American Dream.
57 min
33
The “Live from Madison!” Edition
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers joins the hosts on stage; Mike Johnson is the new Speaker of the House; and Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro, and more are the latest witnesses against Donald Trump.
80 min
34
Gabfest Reads: How to Survive Working for Amazon
Kristi Coulter’s new memoir, Exit Interview, reveals the good, the bad, and the hilarious of working for Amazon.
29 min
35
Still No House Speaker
52 min
36
Gaza War
Hamas attacks Israel, Israel retaliates against Gaza, and the war impacts geopolitics; despite winning the Republican run-off, Steve Scalise faces an uphill battle to become Speaker of the House.
55 min
37
We Need to Talk About Kevin...McCarthy
Representative Matt Gaetz ends the historically short tenure of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy; the Supreme Court starts its term; and the conversation about crime in America continues.
62 min
38
Donald Duck and the Seven Dwarves
Republicans hold a second Trump-less presidential primary debate; Senator Bob Menendez is being tried again; and it is Amazon’s turn to face the United States in court.
55 min
39
Gabfest Reads: Zadie Smith Knows You're a Fraud
Zadie Smith’s new book The Fraud goes deep into a 19th century criminal trial whose politics speak to modern times.
27 min
40
Who’s Winning The Autoworkers Strike?
UAW autoworkers are on strike against the Big Three; the dilemma of social media trust and safety continues to loom large; and parent diplomacy adds to teachers’ workload.
58 min
41
Impeach ‘Em All, Let God Sort ‘Em Out
Wisconsin Republicans want to impeach Justice Janet Protasiewicz; Speaker Kevin McCarthy starts an impeachment inquiry of President Joe Biden; and Biden’s age might be high but Donald Trump’s poll numbers in battleground states are low.
55 min
42
Is Biden The Last Politician?
Author Franklin Foer discusses the first two years in President Joe Biden’s White House; the war in Ukraine slogs on and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un wades in; and higher education is in trouble.
53 min
43
March Forth, Trump!
Donald Trump’s 2024 calendar is filling up with trials and primaries; Vivek Ramaswamy is talking and being talked about; and is the difference between the best and worst places disadvantage?
56 min
44
Who Won the Trump-less Debate?
Republicans debate while Donald Trump appears in a taped interview; legal scholars question if the Constitution prohibits another Trump presidency; and nothing unites Americans like a chain restaurant. And put it on your calendar: Political Gabfest Live in Madison, Wisconsin on October 25! More information coming soon.
53 min
45
Gabfest Reads: How a David Copperfield Reimagin...
Barbara Kingsolver’s latest draws inspiration from Charles Dickens to tell the truth of her people.
28 min
46
Georgia v. The Trump 19
A Georgia grand jury indicts Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants; Montana youth win a climate-change court case while Maui residents lose everything to wildfire; and Michael Oher hits his supposed “Blind Side” parents with a lawsuit.
58 min
47
Abortion Rights Win at the Polls
Ohio voters decide not to change their state constitution now so they can change it later; Republicans struggle to deal with Donald Trump; and we all need to better prepare for and deal with disasters.
53 min
48
The Defendant Knew They Were False
Donald Trump knew his 2020 election claims were false and Special Counsel Jack Smith will prove it; President Joe Biden is battling Trump in the polls; and let’s try talking about small towns.
56 min
49
Can Israel Survive As A Democracy?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu takes a step forward to limit judicial powers but the court and protestors might force a step back; Harvard University and other elite colleges are reconsidering legacy admissions; and Hunter Biden’s plea deal hits a stumbling block.
55 min
50
Gabfest Reads: How the British Empire Twisted t...
David Grann’s The Wager tells the harrowing story of a shipwrecked crew in 1741 that had to tell their stories to save their lives.
25 min