The Al Franken Podcast

America is at war with Iran. It's the eighth time that Donald Trump has attacked another country since he began his second term (despite pledging "no new wars" during his campaign). To break it all down, we're joined by foreign affairs expert David Rothkopf and Paul Rieckhoff, Iraq War vet and CEO of the Independent Veterans of America.
We take a look at the difficult history between America and Iran along with the current military campaign Trump has started in the region. Trump and his administration have yet to outline exactly WHY we are fighting, and with Americans already dying, it's no surprise that this war is extremely unpopular. Not to mention, this is costing our country a billion dollars a day and will only become more expensive as the war expands. 
David and Paul discuss the long term impact this might have for America and the Middle East and how it may escalate in the region and could signal a scary moment for the global nuclear arms race.
READ David Rothkopf in The Daily Beast: https://www.thedailybeast.com/author/david-rothkopf/
SUBSCRIBE to David's Substack "Need to Know": https://davidrothkopf.substack.com/
LISTEN to David’s podcast "Words Matter" with fellow friend of the show Norm Ornstein:
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/dsrs-words-matter/id1420216970
LEARN more about Paul's organization, Independent Veterans of America: https://independentveteransofamerica.org/
LISTEN to Paul's podcast, Independent Americans: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/independent-americans-with-paul-rieckhoff/id1457899667
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We're joined by our friend and National Voting Rights Correspondent for Mother Jones, Ari Berman! Ari is here to break down the alarming ways the Trump administration is laying the groundwork to cheat and interfere in the 2026 midterms and what is standing in their way.
The seizure of ballots from Fulton County, GA is a remarkable escalation of Trump's war against democracy. What could he, Tulsi Gabbard, and the rest of his goons be up to?
We also do a deep dive on the SAVE America Act and all the ways it would disenfranchise voters. But Ari suggests that it might not have the intended outcome that Trump and the Republicans are hoping for. 
Plus, we get analysis of all of the redistricting happening around the country and how some of Trump's demands could backfire. 
READ Ari’s work in Mother Jones: https://www.motherjones.com/author/ari-berman/
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Our good friend and host of The Fast Politics Podcast, Molly Jong-Fast, returns to the show! Molly’s recent writing in the New York Times has covered the Epstein files and why only a fraction of them have been made public. We tackle the Prince Andrew arrest, Howard Lutnick's lies, and the DOJ’s blatant attempt to scrub the files that have been made public.
We also get into the SAVE Act and how this is just another attempt by Republicans to subvert democracy. Republican Senators know that the midterms spell trouble for them, so suppressing votes is their best strategy. Will the GOP blow up the filibuster? Does John Thune care more about democracy than Mike Johnson?
Plus, we get Molly's thoughts on the latest CBS vs. Stephen Colbert saga, Trump's EPA destroying climate progress, ICE crackdowns around the country, and MUCH more.
LISTEN to Molly's podcast, Fast Politics: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fast-politics-with-molly-jong-fast/id1645614328
READ Molly's writing in the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/by/molly-jong-fast

We're joined by our good friend, Mark Leibovich from The Atlantic, to go through a laundry list of current Trump controversies, including his immigration enforcement, blatant corruption, and focus on retribution. Not to mention, Attorney General Pam Bondi's complete meltdown over the Epstein files in Congress this week. 
We also look at how Trump's new management style involves humiliation rather than firing. So far, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has managed to keep her job, but Mark explains how Trump still made her pay. 
Plus, we look at Mark's most recent piece about the Democratic Party and its future. With a large majority of the party unhappy with Democratic leadership, how can the party rally to be successful in the midterms and find the right candidate to take back the Presidency in 2028?
READ Mark's work in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/mark-leibovich/
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We're joined by our good friend, Dahlia Lithwick, Senior Editor at Slate and host of the Amicus podcast, to cover a wide range of topics, including the courts and their role during this difficult time in American history. 
We start with Minnesota and the disturbing actions of ICE that have rattled the nation. From the ICE abduction of 5-year-old Liam Ramos to the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, Dahlia connects the dots between eroding civil liberties and a Supreme Court that has systematically dismantled accountability. 
We also discuss Trump's recent FBI seizure of ballots in Georgia and what that could mean for our democracy. Dahlia issues a strong warning about where all of this could be heading and how we need to be prepared for it.
Plus, Dahlia walks us through some of the cases currently before the Supreme Court: the further gutting of the Voting Rights Act, controversial redistricting, Trump's retribution, and tariffs.
READ Dahlia in Slate: https://slate.com/author/dahlia-lithwick
LISTEN to Dahlia's podcast, Amicus: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/amicus-with-dahlia-lithwick-law-justice-and-the-courts/id928790786
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