Best US Presidential Candidates Podcasts (2025)

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What Next | Why Are So Many Institutions Caving to Trump? 32:16

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26m ago32:16

32:16

As Trump came back to the presidency, one of the first warnings liberals began repeating was “Do not obey in advance.” But from government-agency heads to university presidents to news organizations, people are opting to simply leave their jobs, rather than do the uncomfortable work of standing up to authoritarianism. Guest: Jonathan Last, editor o…

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What Next | Trans and Shut Out in Trump’s America 32:15

1h ago32:15

32:15

Trans rights and access to health care have been under attack on the state level for years, but the second Trump administration and the Supreme Court have accelerated a chilling effect at clinics across the country. Guest: Grace Byron, author of “The Grim State of Trans Health Care” and “The Bureaucratic Nightmares of Being Trans Under Trump” for t…

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Hang Up | Chaos Inside the NFLPA 1:02:09

2h ago1:02:09

1:02:09

Hosts Alex Kirshner, Ben Lindbergh, and Lindsay Gibbs speak with ESPN senior NFL reporter Kalyn Kahler on the secrets, scandals, and leadership implosion plaguing the NFL Players Association ahead of labor negotiations. They also discuss the historic induction of Ichiro Suzuki in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the death of Hulk Hogan. On th…

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What Next | Why The Shelves Aren't Empty (Yet) 33:51

9h ago33:51

33:51

In May, after Trump announced a thorough regime of tariffs, supply chain experts warned that Americans would be looking at empty shelves by the end of June. But here we are in late July and the stores still seem fully stocked. So what happened? Guest: Justin Wolfers, professor of economics at the University of Michigan Want more What Next? Subscrib…

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What Next: TBD | Dupes! 36:24

4d ago36:24

36:24

There’s an entire economy devoted to seeing what products are trending—clothing, skin care, even Greek Islands—and delivering you a cheaper knock-off to buy. Guest: Mia Sato, reporter for The Verge Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscri…

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Slate Money | DORKs Are Cool Again 1:08:09

3d ago1:08:09

1:08:09

This week: The redditors have found a fresh batch of meme stocks. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck examine the so called DORK stocks – Krispy Kreme (DNUT), Opendoor (OPEN), Rocket Mortgage (RKT) and Kohl’s (KSS) among others – and what this resurgence of meme stocks says about the state of the market. Then, the Trump administration’s …

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Amicus | When Unaccountable People Come for Your Vote 50:52

3d ago50:52

50:52

Civil rights are under attack. The Supreme Court seems to have its sights set on the Voting Rights Act. The Trump administration, meanwhile, is taking every issue to the court knowing that it will never have to face accountability there. And with states like Texas considering unpopular redistricting plans, the administration may never face it at th…

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What Next: TBD | A Colbert Report 28:12

6d ago28:12

28:12

Was the Late Show too unprofitable, or too political? Guest: Eric Deggans, NPR TV critic and media analyst, Knight Chair, Journalism and Media Ethics, Washington & Lee University. Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple …

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Political Gabfest | Is John Roberts to Blame for Everything? 1:08:55

4d ago1:08:55

1:08:55

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the latest developments in the Epstein files saga, how Supreme Court decisions under John Roberts have dramatically expanded Trump’s power, and whether the Texas Republicans’ redistricting plan will tip the map redder, or backfire. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, Joh…

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What Next | He Says Gaza Is a Genocide 34:37

5d ago34:37

34:37

What does it change to call Israel’s assault on Gaza a “genocide”? Guest: Omer Bartov, Dean's Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Brown University and author of the op-ed, “I’m a Genocide Scholar. I Know It When I See It.” Another article mentioned in this episode: “The Need to Forget” by Yehuda Elkana Want more What Next? Subscribe to S…

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What Next | How Dead Is the Department of Education? 27:59

6d ago27:59

27:59

If Trump follows through and successfully shuts down the Department of Education, what does America stand to lose? Guest: Laura Meckler, national education writer for The Washington Post and author of Dream Town: Shaker Heights and the Quest for Racial Equity. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole Wha…

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ICYMI | The Astronomer CEO Coldplay Cheating Scandal 46:54

6d ago46:54

46:54

Kate Lindsay and Candice Lim break down everything that’s happened since a software CEO was caught in a suspicious position with his co-worker at a Coldplay concert. From Chris Martin’s viral dialogue to the dearth of content emerging from this story, they run through the tenets of a monocultural moment and debunk the misinformation that has transp…

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What Next | On Epstein, Democrats Go Low 33:52

9d ago33:52

33:52

Why the Epstein scandal—more than any of Trump’s other, lengthy list of scandals—is so damaging that even the Democrats can wield it effectively. Guest: Brian Beutler, author of the Substack “Off Message,” cohost of the podcast Politix. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across…

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Slate Money | Money Talks: Contemplations on Consumption 44:33

7d ago44:33

44:33

In this Money Talks: Elizabeth Spiers is joined by Emily Mester to discuss her book American Bulk: Essays on Excess. They’ll get into the dopamine-driven appeal of haul videos and Costco, the comforts and horrors of retail chains, the variable signifiers of wealth among classes, and other ways in which overconsumption shapes and reflects our lives …

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What Next | Getting Anti-Vaxxers To Roll Up Their Sleeves 33:53

10d ago33:53

33:53

Their son was immunocompromised and couldn’t get the measles vaccines. So his dad asked if everyone going to his school would get vaccinated. And the thing is—people listened. Guest: Carl and Rhett Krawitt Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcas…

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What Next: TBD | When Bots Go Nazi 31:52

11d ago31:52

31:52

It’s kind of strange that Grok, Elon Musk’s chatbot, went full Nazi a few weeks ago, and is just…still out there. But, then again, how are you supposed to hold an LLM accountable? Guest: Drew Harwell, technology reporter for the Washington Post Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next famil…

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Slate Money | Which Coke's For You? 54:19

11d ago54:19

54:19

This week: A judge has blocked a Biden era rule that would prevent medical debt from affecting credit scores. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck discuss the logic behind the proposed rule and the economic consequences of this decision. Then, the French Prime Minister has proposed eliminating two national holidays as a way of reducing th…

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Amicus | How To Build A Police State (With The Supreme Court’s Blessing) 58:53

12d ago58:53

58:53

Over the last six months, life has been upended for millions of people in America as Stephen Miller's extreme immigration policies have been unleashed. And while the first weeks of the second Trump administration saw some genuine pushback from the Supreme Court, six months in, that feint at checking and balancing has fallen away. On this week's Ami…

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What Next: TBD | How The Epstein Files Blew Up MAGAworld 32:18

13d ago32:18

32:18

The MAGA world has been waiting for Jeffrey Epstein’s client list to be released since the first Trump administration. But with those like Kash Patel and Dan Bongino, who stoked interest in the list literally in power, the administration is now saying that no such list exists. For some MAGA fans, this is finally a bridge too far. Guest: Anna Merlan…

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Political Gabfest | MAGA’s Epstein Obsession 1:17:54

13d ago1:17:54

1:17:54

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the epic MAGA meltdown over the DOJ’s “there’s nothing to see here” Epstein files memo, how the Supreme Court is using the “shadow docket” to bolster Trump’s efforts to dismantle the federal government, and whether rescission will kill NPR and PBS. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus ep…

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What Next | Can Trump Bully Russia? 29:24

14d ago29:24

29:24

For years, Donald Trump was often the only Western leader with anything nice to say about Vladimir Putin.But with Russia and Ukraine still fighting six months into his term, their friendship is on the rocks. Are we seeing a temporary spat – or a real policy shift? Guest: Michael McFaul, U.S. ambassador to Russia 2012-2014, author of the upcoming bo…

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What Next | Deported—To a Country You've Never Been To 31:08

15d ago31:08

31:08

His client, Nyo Myint, is a refugee from Myanmar who was deported by the Trump administration—first to Djibouti, then to South Sudan—along with seven other men. His lawyer is now reaching out to the United Nations to intervene. Guest: Jonathan Ryan, San Antonio-based immigration attorney and author of the Firewall Substack. Want more What Next? Sub…

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ICYMI | “Gen-Z Stare” and the Log-In Epidemic 52:54

15d ago52:54

52:54

Kate Lindsay and Candice Lim parse through the annoying practice of logging in and downloading apps. From hiking in the woods to brushing our teeth, it seems like we can’t do anything online these days without being prompted to make an account or download an app. Why do tech companies pressure us to log in all the time? And if we log out, why do th…

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What Next | Behind the Democrats’ Losing Strategy 31:37

16d ago31:37

31:37

Why the Democrats’ electoral strategy of “hire consultants to tell you which positions poll well enough to take” has run its course—and where they should look to start rebuilding. Guest: Ben Mathis-Lilley, Slate senior writer and author of “How Strategist Brain Took Over the Democratic Party”. Cited in this episode: The Hollow Parties: The Many Pas…

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What Next | Who Is Trump Promoting For Life? 31:10

17d ago31:10

31:10

This week, the Senate Judiciary Committee prepares to vote on Emil Bove, who has been promoted from Trump’s personal lawyer to his current nominee for a lifelong appointment to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. In any other administration, Bove would be a real outlier. But here? He’s par for a very strange course. Guest: Jay Willis, editor-in-chi…

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What Next: TBD | When A.I. is Sycophantic 25:30

18d ago25:30

25:30

He started using ChatGPT to help with spreadsheets. But their relationship took a turn, and before long it was telling him he could leap off a 19-story building and fly. Guest: Kashmir Hill, features writer at the New York Times. Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your …

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Slate Money | One Big BS Bill 59:14

19d ago59:14

59:14

This week: Trump's supersized “One Big Beautiful Bill” is now one big BS act. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers the economic ramifications of congress passing the controversial megabill. Then, Trump’s trade war continues to shock and confuse. The hosts discuss the logic, or lack thereof, of his latest tariff proposals. And finally, buri…

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Amicus | The Call Is Coming From Inside The Court 51:34

19d ago51:34

51:34

In this episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick sits down with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse to dissect the most recent Supreme Court term and its implications. They explore Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's emerging role and influence, the patterns of bias within the court that she’s calling out, and the broader systemic issues facing the judiciary. Their c…

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What Next: TBD | Hot Measles Summer 29:30

20d ago29:30

29:30

It’s a record-breaking year for America: we’ve now had the most reported cases of measles since the disease was declared “eradicated” in 2000. How did public health backslide so hard that it undid decades of progress—and is there any hope we can get back on track? Guest: Dylan Scott, senior health correspondent at Vox. Want more What Next TBD? Subs…

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Political Gabfest | Who Wants a Third Party, Anyway? 1:12:05

20d ago1:12:05

1:12:05

This week, David Plotz and guest hosts Mike Pesca and Susan Glasser discuss what to make of Elon Musk’s quixotic attempt to start a third political party in America, how Trump’s conflation of national interest with self-interest creates an incoherent foreign policy, and the tedious but impactful “summer rerun season” of Trump’s tariff folly. Here a…

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What Next | Stage Managing Sex in Hollywood 33:51

21d ago33:51

33:51

In the wake of #MeToo, Hollywood productions began hiring “intimacy coordinators,” people who work to ensure sex scenes are safe and comfortable for performers. How are they working out so far? Guest: Jennifer Wilson, staff writer at the New Yorker. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next fami…

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What Next | Was the Flash Flooding in Texas Preventable? 27:47

22d ago27:47

27:47

After one of the deadliest floods in American history in central Texas, people are looking at cuts to the National Weather Service and FEMA’s absence contributing to the devastation. But one looming problem is much, much bigger. Guest: Jeff Goodell, writer covering climate change, author of The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched…

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What Next | Is Trump Running the Fugitive Slave Act Playbook? 26:45

23d ago26:45

26:45

A federal force—often defying local governance—coming to take people away without due process has happened before. What lessons can be drawn from parallels between a law that led to the Civil War and what’s happening today with Trump’s hardline immigration enforcement? Guest: Jamelle Bouie, columnist at the New York Times Want more What Next? Subsc…

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Slate Money | Money Talks: The Working Homeless in America 48:39

23d ago48:39

48:39

In this Money Talks: Elizabeth Spiers is joined by journalist Brian Goldstone to discuss his book There is No Place for Us on the rising homelessness crisis and how a huge swath of the US population can be working and still lack stable housing. They’ll dive into the misconceptions around who makes up the homeless population, the many ways people li…

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What Next | The Spectacle of “Alligator Alcatraz” Is the Point 30:17

24d ago30:17

30:17

Built in just eight days, Donald Trump and Kristi Noem toured “Alligator Alcatraz,” a migrant detention facility built on a disused airstrip in the Florida Everglades. Even before Trump touched down in South Florida, branded merchandise was being sold. Soon after he headed back to Washington, the first detainees were brought in. Guest: Sommer Bruga…

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What Next: TBD | How A.I. Lost (and Won) the Big Beautiful Debate 30:55

25d ago30:55

30:55

As the One Big Beautiful Bill bounced around Congress, one provision—the 10-year moratorium on states making laws to regulate artificial intelligence—fell out. But AI-fans don’t need to worry, there’s still plenty of industry support in the bill. Guest: Will Oremus, technology news analysis writer for the Washington Post. Want more What Next TBD? S…

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Slate Money | Markets Will Be Markets 55:11

26d ago55:11

55:11

This week: The US stock market has reached a new all time high. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers are joined once again by investments expert Barry Ritholtz who talked us through the market turmoil of Trump’s tariff spree back in April. Barry helps the hosts break down the behavior of the markets right now, examine the historical contex…

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ICYMI | Not Even Lawsuits Can Stop AI 46:46

26d ago46:46

46:46

Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are joined by Slate senior tech editor Tony Ho Tran to parse through what Meta’s victory in a recent AI lawsuit means for its users. Tools like ChatGPT are becoming more common at home and at work, but without protections, they could threaten not just the creativity of artists, but anyone who posts online. As regulation…

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What Next: TBD | Rerun: Death of the Weather Forecast? 30:24

27d ago30:24

30:24

This episode was originally published on April 27, 2025. The Trump administration has already begun cutting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which includes the U.S. National Weather Service. What’s the advantage to understanding the weather less? Guest: Daniel Swain, weather and climate scientist with the University of Californi…

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Political Gabfest | Is Trump’s Reckless Bill Unpopular? 1:13:15

27d ago1:13:15

1:13:15

This week, David Plotz and guest hosts Will Saletan and Catherine Rampell discuss what the Senate’s regressive budget bill will do to the health of America, whether there is space left for non-Trump conservatives in American politics, and how Paramount’s settlement of Trump’s meritless lawsuit signifies the fall of another guardrail against an auth…

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What Next | One Big Deeply Unpopular Bill 32:11

28d ago32:11

32:11

Trump wants his “One Big Beautiful Bill” passed by July 4. But the bill is so large and expensive—with deep tax cuts only partially offset by huge cuts to Medicaid and SNAP—there’s something in there for almost every member of Congress to hate. Guest: David Dayen, executive editor of the American Prospect. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Pl…

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What Next | Is This the End of NPR and PBS? 33:02

29d ago33:02

33:02

The Trump administration’s plans to strip funding from PBS and NPR is the latest in a long line of Republican fights against public broadcasting. The House has already voted to take back over a billion dollars it had previously agreed to pay. Will the Senate sign off on it next? Guest: Brian Stelter, chief media analyst at CNN. Want more What Next?…

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Amicus | Our All-Star SCOTUS End-of-Term Breakfast Table 1:02:19

29d ago1:02:19

1:02:19

Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern host the panel that’s guaranteed to help you understand what happened during the Supreme Court’s latest term – examining the major decisions, the emergency docket, and the evolving dynamics on the court. Dahlia and Mark welcome the New York Times’ Jamelle Bouie, civil rights lawyer and 14th Amendment scholar Sh…

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What Next | We Need to Talk About the Supreme Court 34:33

30d ago34:33

34:33

Last week’s big Supreme Court decisions walked back rights for individuals and the powers of the lower courts—and in aggregate made it ever more difficult to believe the court is anything other than another vehicle for delivering the outcomes favorable to Republicans and the conservative project. Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, Slate senior writer coveri…

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What Next | Why Is ICE Masked Up? 33:34

1M ago33:34

33:34

ICE agents have begun concealing their identities in masks and plainclothes while making arrests. Experts—including a former ICE official—say that endangers those agents, and violates the trust between law enforcement and the citizenry. Guests: Philip Bump, columnist for the Washington Post Scott Shuchart, ICE’s Assistant Director for Regulatory Af…

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What Next: TBD | The FTC’s Merger Shakedown 27:31

1M ago27:31

27:31

Under a normal administration, a merger between two large advertising firms might attract the government’s interest for anti-monopoly reasons. Under this one, the Federal Trade Commission is creating conditions to…ensure that X still gets advertiser dollars? Guest: Kate Conger, technology reporter for the New York Times. Want more What Next TBD? Su…

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Slate Money | Megayacht Foam Parties Are In 49:42

1M ago49:42

49:42

This week: Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic primary in the race for New York City mayor. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the alarmist reactions from business leaders to the Mamdani’s win and why he’s hardly the threat to capitalism they make him out to be. Then, Trump has turned his sights on Jay Powell once again, threatenin…

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Amicus | “No Right Is Safe” 56:19

1M ago56:19

56:19

The cataclysmic opinions from SCOTUS on Friday certainly suggest that the courts can no longer save us. In fact, in Trump v. CASA., we learned that it’s somehow not actually the job of the courts to save us from blatant violations of our rights. With universal injunctions drop-kicked and district court judges sidelined, it’s going to be nearly impo…

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What Next: TBD | The Other Iran-Israel War 27:29

1M ago27:29

27:29

In addition to the three-dimensional war of bombs and missiles, Iran and Israel—and the US—are squaring off in a cyber battle. With everything from water infrastructure to banking connected to the internet in some way, how much damage can cyberattacks do? Guest: Maggie Miller, POLITICO cybersecurity reporter Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Sl…

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Political Gabfest | Let’s Plunge, New York 1:09:39

1M ago1:09:39

1:09:39

This week, Emily Bazelon and guest hosts Ruth Marcus and James Forman discuss Trump’s bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities with guest Steven Cook from the Council on Foreign Relations, Zohran Mamdani’s stunning victory in the NYC Democratic mayoral primary, and an astonishing whistleblower report that sheds incriminating light on Trump’s judicial n…