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.

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News
Government
Politics
151
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
152
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
153
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
154
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
155
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
156
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
157
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
158
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
159
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
160
Trump Legal Traffic Jam
Donald Trump’s criminal charges and lawsuits are piling up and his Michigan supporters have been charged; Ron DeSantis, Tim Scott, and the not-Trump Republican candidates are struggling; and Congressional Republicans are going to culture-war against the U.S. military.
53 min
161
The World Is Burning
Extreme weather, heat, and floods are driving up the world’s misery index; Threads is taking social media by storm; and we got fast cars.
52 min
162
Rural Arkansas Explored in an Extra Gabfest Reads
Monica Potts’ new memoir The Forgotten Girls asks what happens to the women you leave behind.
25 min
163
Live in Washington D.C. with Governor Wes Moore
Maryland Governor Wes Moore gabs live with David, Emily, and John; the Supreme Court is issuing decisions and dropping in the polls; and there is still no major Republican challenger to Donald Trump.
70 min
164
Not THAT President Kennedy
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. takes his presidential campaign online; Hunter Biden agrees to a plea deal; and Arkansas’s ban on medical care for transgender children is overturned while New York creates a shield for abortion-pill providers. Join Maryland Governor Wes Moore and us for Political Gabfest Live in Washington, D.C., Wednesday June 28, 7:30 p.m., Sixth & I. In-person and livestream tickets on sale now!
50 min
165
Gabfest Reads: The Case for Treating Animals Wi...
The 1975 Animal Liberation Now gets an update by author and animal-rights activist Peter Singer
30 min
166
What Could Judge Cannon Do?
Donald Trump is arraigned in federal court and Judge Aileen Cannon is assigned to his case – again; Atlanta’s Cop City is approved; and Elizabeth Gilbert’s book is delayed.
57 min
167
Trump Is Indicted – Again
Donald Trump is indicted for a second time; this time he faces the feds. And the Supreme Court holds off on ending the Voting Rights Act – for now.
27 min
168
Chris Christie Kamikaze Campaign
Mike Pence, Chris Christie, and Doug Burgum join the fight for the Republican presidential nomination; Oklahoma okays Catholic public-charter school; and Saudi LIV Golf tees up PGA Tour.
55 min
169
Kevin McCarthy, Hercules of Capitol City
President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy make a debt-ceiling deal; the Russia-Ukraine war continues; and the Texas House impeaches Attorney General Ken Paxton.
53 min
170
When Is The X Date?
Debt ceiling default approaches while President Biden and Speaker McCarthy talks continue; Governor DeSantis and Senator Scott announce presidential runs; and OpenAI CEO Altman recommends A.I. regulation
53 min
171
What Is The Comstock Act?
John Durham’s report on the Russia-Trump FBI investigation; the Fifth Circuit argument in the abortion pill case and North Carolina’s 12-week abortion ban; and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis v. Disney
53 min
172
Donald Trump is Liable
Donald Trump is liable for sexual abuse and defamation and now owes E. Jean Carroll $5 million; Title 42 ends and now President Joe Biden must revise U.S. immigration policy; and the debt ceiling crisis is now imminent.
54 min
173
Gabfest Reads: The Classic Hollywood Romance Ge...
Curtis Sittenfeld’s new book Romantic Comedy explores the middle-aged romance between a pop star and a comedy writer.
24 min
174
E. Jean Carroll, ‘Why Didn’t You Scream?’
The latest on the debt ceiling. E. Jean Carroll testifies in her lawsuit against Donald J. Trump. And Republican supermajorities defy the will of the people in state legislatures across the country.
50 min
175
Biden: 'Let’s Finish the Job'
President Joe Biden kicks off his re-election campaign; Fox News fires Tucker Carlson, CNN squeezes out Don Lemon; and Bud Light’s not Easy To Enjoy for Dylan Mulvaney.
45 min