The Briefing with Jen Psaki

Jen Psaki shares videos of Donald Trump answering questions about artificial intelligence that suggest that he does not actually know what artificial intelligence is, though he certainly seems aware that it is another area in which he can use his corrupt influence to make himself more wealthier. Senator Jon Ossoff talks with Jen Psaki about the myriad issues associated with new artificial intelligence technology and how a competent president who could understand the issue beyond how to exploit his power over it to make himself rich would be addressing the matter and using the tool of government to make sure that the interests and safety of the American public was being served. Senator Adam Schiff joins to discuss FBI Director Kash Patel's testimony in the Senate today and the oversight Democrats hope to conduct if they can take control of the Senate after the midterm elections. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jen Psaki shares reporting on the sudden departure of fervent Trump acolyte Joe DiGenova, who had been tasked with proving the existence of a grand conspiracy against Donald Trump and failed to secure even a single indictment. Former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann joins to share his insights. Barbara Starr, former CNN Pentagon correspondent, shares her reflections on the events of September 11th and its aftermath. Donald Trump's desperation continues to grow with the release of each new poll as results show Trump and the Republican Party falling farther out of favor with the American public. But Marc Elias, one of democracy's greatest legal champions in the Trump era, believes at least one of Trump's desperation tactics, his attack on mail-in voting, will fail at the Supreme Court. Elias joins Jen Psaki to talk about why. Antonia Hylton previews her new show and talks with Jen about visiting the Big Bend region of Texas and talking with regretful Trump voters. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jen Psaki talks with House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries about Donald Trump's "phony promise" to give every adult in America $5000 and why Trump is resorting to such a transparent gimmick with the midterm elections looming ever closer. Jen Psaki looks at how JD Vance is trying to distinguish himself from Donald Trump, particularly on Iran policy, while being stuck in the role of making excuses for Trump's poorly considered ideas as he eyes the 2028 presidential race. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jen Psaki shares video of Donald Trump weirdly claiming to members of the media that many Republicans did not attend his midterm Republican convention in Texas because there is no enough room for them, even though the event is being held in a massive arena that video shows to have plenty of empty seats. Jen Psaki looks at Republican candidates trying to distance themselves from Donald Trump so his deep unpopularity will do the least amount of damage to their campaigns, even as Trump insists that associating with him and making himself the central focus of the midterm elections is the best strategy for the Republican Party. Mitch Landrieu, former senior advisor to President Joe Biden, and Jim Messina, former campaign manager for Barack Obama, discuss how Republicans are struggling to distance themselves from Trump to avoid being punished by voters because of his unpopularity. State Rep. Gina Hinojosa talks with Jen Psaki about her race for governor of Texas. Following an alarming warning raised by an Anthropic employee resigning in protest over the threat of artificial intelligence to the very survival of humanity, members of Congress are giving more serious consideration to regulating A.I. Rep. Greg Casar talks with Jen Psaki about legislation he is introducing with Senator Bernie Sanders called the Ban Superintelligence Act to make sure A.I. does not get dangerously out of control. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jen Psaki points out that Republicans should rethink their new talking points that 2026 is an election of common sense versus crazy when they are running so many candidates who would seem to fall into the crazy category. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker talks with Jen Psaki about how corruption has become a hallmark of the Trump administration, and why the only road to accountability is with a Congress controlled by Democrats. Jen Psaki looks at new polling showing that Donald Trump's extreme upopularity is driving down the number of people who identify as Republicans and driving up the number of people who identify as Democrats. David Plouffe, former campaign manager for Barack Obama, joins to discuss what this means in terms of the midterm election and whether these numbers will be echoed in voting patterns. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Retired U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Nancy Lacore, a Democratic candidate for Congress, and Rep. Chris Deluzio, talk with Jen Psaki about how the House and Senate should be using their oversight responsibilities to hold Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth to account for their shambolic handling of the war in Iran and their mismanagement of the U.S. military, and why Americans need to take Republicans out of power in Congress if they want to restore checks and balances to Trump's power. Jen Psaki looks at how voters in Tarrant County, Texas are livid over a party-line vote to remove dozens of polling sites for this year's midterm elections. And House Democrats are focused on a newly exposed scheme to use the U.S. Postal Service to disrupt mail-in voting. Rep. Robert Garcia joins to discuss efforts by Democrats to shine a bright light on Donald Trump's mail-in ballot scheme to keep voters informed and hold U.S.P.S. officials accountable for any deviations from the law. Troy Jackson, Maine Democratic candidate for Senate, talks with Jen Psaki about messaging in the campaign. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jen Psaki looks at how JD Vance is trying to minimize Donald Trump's war against Iran even as there appears to be a new escalation of fighting and Pete Hegseth is reportedly extending deployments in the Middle East. But as criticism of the administration grows louder, so does criticism of Republicans in charge of Congress as well as military leaders who are not pushing back on Trump's recklessness. Frank Kendall, former Secretary of the U.S. Air Force joins to discuss. Jen Psaki looks at how Elon Musk's tone deafness on issues like data centers and his evident antisemitism, not to mention his image as a villain to many Americans since his disastrous implementation of DOGE at the start of Trump's second term, makes him a likely political liability for Republicans even as he hopes to help them financially. Jesse Lehrich and Rob Flaherty, co-hosts of the "Nobody Knows Anything" show, join to discuss. Rep. Joe Neguse talks with Jen about Donald Trump's efforts to corrupt mail-in voting. Jessica Mackler, president of EMILYs list, talks with Jen Psaki about the life and legacy of Gloria Steinem. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jen Psaki takes a closer look at how former weekend right-wing cable news host Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump's defense secretary, is gutting the top tiers of the U.S. military while doing a poor job handling Donald Trump's inexplicable war on Iran, and running down the U.S. military with wasteful, ill-considered decisions. Rahm Emanual, former Obama White House chief of staff, discusses the crisis of Pete Hegseth's leadership. Rahm Emanual, former Obama White House chief of staff, makes an emphatic case to Jen Psaki that the Democratic Socialists of America are their own party, separate from the Democratic Party, and should be treated as such, including for primary elections. Priya Sridhar, MS NOW Pentagon correspondent, reports from Thailand on the USS Lincoln coming to port. Rep. Pat Ryan talks with Jen Psaki about keeping voting secure for Americans and safe from Donald Trump. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The tech executives who have debased themselves sucking up to Donald Trump and taken advantage of Trump's negligent regulatory attitude are not only feeling direct political pressure over things like addictive algorithms and resource-sucking data centers, but they're recognizing Trump's waning power and the increasingly likelihood that Democrats will not let them off the hook if and when they regain power in the federal government. Rob Flaherty and Jesse Lehrich, co-hosts of the "Nobody Knows Anything" show, join Jen Psaki to discuss. Marc H. Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, and Janai Nelson, president and director-counsel of the Legal Defense Fund, talk with Jen Psaki about today's protest march and rally for voting rights in Washington, D.C. Jen Psaki shares reporting from NOTUS that Donald Trump is working to give a potentially very valuable part of Yosemite National Park to a private developer who has some interesting ties to the Trump administration. An exodus of employees from the FBI, either through mass firings or fleeing the disgrace of the Trump administration and Kash Patel has raised the level of desperation for new hires to such a level that personal histories, including criminal histories, that would have previously disqualified applicants are no longer an obstacle to being hired. Michael Feinberg, former assistant special agent in charge with the FBI, discusses with Jen Psaki. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jen Psaki peels through the layers of a scheme described by a Florida grand jury in which millions of dollars were laundered through charities and ultimately ended up funding political activities. And while the grand jury was not able to identify who to indict in the matter, the people involved, with close ties to outgoing Governor Ron DeSantis, saw their careers advance. Former Rep. David Jolly, Democratic candidate for Florida governor, talks with Jen about the details of the scheme. Iowa State Rep. Josh Turek, Democratic candidate for Iowa’s U.S. Senate seat, talks with Jen about a new lobbying scandal in Iowa that has involved his Republican opponent. Max Lederer and Erik Slavin, the fired publisher and editor-in-chief of Stars and Stripes, talk with Jen about their new legal effort to restore their jobs and preserve the newspaper's independence as Pete Hegseth's Pentagon seems intent on turning it into a propaganda outlet. Jen Psaki shares New York Times reporting on how Donald Trump Jr. throws his weight around as the son of a corrupt president to influence the legal circumstances of a company and an industry in which he has a financial interest. David Yaffe-Bellany, New York Times crypto industry reporter, joins to discuss his reporting. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jen Psaki talks with David Plouffe, Barack Obama's 2008 campaign manager, about the balance of the congressional elections just a few months away from midterm elections, and the challenge Republicans face carrying the burden of Donald Trump's unpopularity when Trump's only campaign idea is to promote himself. Taken separately, Donald Trump's bad policies are problematic enough, his petulant tariffs, his foolhardy trade wars, his inexplicable war in Iran, his assault on immigrants, etc. But taken together they are a crippling burden hurting both supply and demand as well as resources and materials for operating farms and businesses. Jen Psaki discusses with Senator Amy Klobuchar, Democratic candidate for governor of Minnesota. Senator Mark Kelly joins to discuss the crisis Pete Hegseth has created in the American military. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jen Psaki relays breaking news that Darline Graham, sister of former Senator Lindsey Graham, is projected to win the South Carolina Republican primary for Seante, overcoming some embarrassing gaffes and apparently benefitting from a strong endorsement from Donald Trump. Tim Miller, host of the Bulwark podcast, and Jim Messina, former Obama campaign manager, talk about the stakes of the South Carolina Senate race, Trump's extraordinary effort to see his candidate to victory and whether Darline Graham is damaged enough as a candidate to be vulnerable to the very compelling Democratic candidate Annie Andrews. Jen Psaki talks with former Governor Roy Cooper, Democratic candidate for Senate from North Carolina about the contradiction in Donald Trump paying lip service to affordability while at the same time starting a trade war with Canada that will be a further burden on American consumers. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jen Psaki reports on the firing by Pete Hegseth's Pentagon of the editor-in-chief of the Stars and Stripes military newspaper, as well as one of its reporters, and considers the broader context of the Trump administration's attacks on the free press and Hegseth's particular battle against independent media. Erik Slavin, now former editor-in-chief of Stars and Stripes, and Lara Korte, former Middle East reporter for Stars and Stripes join to discuss with Jen Psaki. A report from the Center for American Progress shows that despite costing a huge amount of money and making huge human resource demands, Donald Trump's National Guard deployment to U.S. citites like Washington, D.C. has not done what Trump promised. Neera Tanden, president and C.E.O. of the Center for American Progress talks with Jen Psaki about the the evidence that Donald Trump's deployment of the National Guard to fight crime in U.S. cities has been a giant waste of taxpayer money that has not reduced the rate of violent crime in those cities. Rob Flaherty and Jesse Lehrich , co-hosts of the "Nobody Knows Anything” show, discuss the week's news in politics with Jen Psaki. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jen Psaki takes a closer look at the bizarre devotion Natalie Harp shows to Donald Trump and her reported behavior that is not at all normal for a presidential aide. And the similarly abnormal role of Jennifer Hegseth, Pete Hegseth's wife, former Fox News producer and awkward shadow in the Trump administration. Chris Meagher, former chief Pentagon spokesman, and Ned Price, former CIA spokesman, talk with Jen Psaki about the glaring security problems with Donald Trump's aide, Natalie Harp, and Pete Hegseth taking his wife to work with him, and how the relationships undermine the trust of our allies and hurt U.S. national security. Abdul El-Sayed joins Jen to talk about his Senate race in Michigan and trying to get his Republican opponent to agree to a debate. Brandon Dukes, a Democrat who won a special election in Pennsylvania county that Donald Trump won by 18 points, talks with Jen about the keys to his successful campaign. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jen Psaki looks at the terrible performance of some of the candidates endorsed by Donald Trump, and the lack of help struggling Republicans candidates are getting from Trump, who may be too unpopular to help them even if he was inclined to do so. Maggie Haberman, White House correspondent for The New York Times and co-author of "Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump," and Dan Pfeiffer, co-host of Pod Save America, join to discuss Donald Trump's waning influence in the Republican Party and his fixation on vanity projects instead of midterm elections, as well as new MS NOW reporting on questions about Trump aide Natalie Harp's security clearance. Jen Psaki shares highlights from a weird, newly released reality-style show from Donald Trump's transportation secretary, former reality show performer and Fox host, Sean Duffy, featuring Duffy's family and products from the corporations that paid for the production. Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost discusses his objections to a new crypto bill supported by Donald Trump. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jen Psaki looks at the collection of shameless and scandal-plagued MAGA candidates running in Florida Republican primary races that leave Trump-era Republican voters wanting for good choices. Democratic pollster Fernand Amandi and former Obama campaign manager Jim Messina talk with Jen Psaki about why the surprising results of the Florida primary elections point to strong Democratic momentum and a real opportunity for Florida Democratic candidates for the first time in over a decade. Newly nominated Democratic candidate for Senate, Angie Nixon, joins to discuss the key to her "stunning" success despite significantly smaller fundraising and a lower national profile compared to the opponent she defeated. Jim Acosta, former chief White House correspondent for CNN, joins to discuss ABC suing the Trump admnistration for its attempt to intimidate the network with threats. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jen Psaki considers Senator Jon Ossoff's charge that Donald Trump doesn't actually want to be president and would rather spend time with his sycophantic aides flying around on his fancy Qatari airplane, and posits that Trump's interest in only the most superficial aspects of the presidency makes his administration more akin to movie production than government. Senator Jon Ossoff talks with Jen Psaki about Donald Trump's ongoing efforts to use his position at the top of the U.S. government to enrich himself and his family, and how the outrage over that open corruption is feeding Democratic enthusiasm for the coming midterm elections. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes joins to talk about defending Arizona elections from Donald Trump's interference. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Donald Trump is trying to get around restrictions on the construction of his White House ballroom by arguing that the facility is a military necessity. But as Jen Psaki points out, it's hard to argue the national security purpose of covering everything in gold. Jen Psaki looks at how Donald Trump's incompetence and mismanagement of his war on Iran has not only wasted physical military resources but has been injurious to service members as well, to the point where family members are having to speak out publicly even as Trump and his sycophants continue to deny there's a problem. Ben Rhodes, former deputy national security advisor, joins to discuss Trump's disastrous handling of his war against Iran. Life in the Trump era keeps getting easier for criminal fraudsters. Former Rep. Tom Malinowski talks with Jen Psaki about how Donald Trump is steadily dismantling the tools for catching and prosecuting criminals, and why the news that Trump's Treasury Department will stop enforcing the Corporate Transparency Act is good news for money launderers and drug dealers. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jen Psaki criticizes the priorities of outgoing Donald Trump press secretary Karoline Leavitt for avoiding good faith engagement with real reporters' questions while elevating Trump sycophants. Senator Mark Kelly talks with Jen Psaki about Donald Trump making extreme and expensive demands for changes to aircraft carriers without having any idea what he's actually talking about. Jen Psaki shares reporting from the New York Times about hundreds of millions of dollars worth of planes purchased by the Department of Homeland Security that are sitting idle because DHS lacked the foresight to realize the cost of maintaining a fleet of airplanes. John Sandweg, former acting director of ICE, joins to discuss. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral and former White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby joins MS NOW’s Jen Psaki to discuss Donald Trump’s claims that the United States has “complete control” over the Strait of Hormuz and new reporting for The Washington Post that the CIA questioned the credibility of Israeli intelligence about an Iranian threat to Trump that ultimately led to Trump’s secret flight out of Turkey last month. MS NOW’s Jen Psaki talks to MS NOW Senior Medical Analyst Dr. Vin Gupta about the dangers of Donald Trump’s executive order rolling back federal childhood vaccine recommendations. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.