Daily Kos' The Brief

Daily Kos

A one-hour weekly political conversation hosted by Markos Moulitsas and Kerry Eleveld highlighting on-the-ground leaders of the progressive movement. read less

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Daily Kos' The Brief

Daily Kos' The Brief

Welcome to The Brief! A weekly show about politics. Here we’ll discuss the issues that are driving the news as we fight for a more progressive America. Hosted by Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas and Senior Political writer Kerry Eleveld. Trump may not be president, but Trumpism isn’t defeated. So join us every Wednesday as we discuss the battles that lay ahead, and plot a course for a more just, kind, and progressive America.

Episodes

Rebroadcast: “I’d rather be on Biden’s team” this election, with Simon Rosenberg

Rebroadcast: “I’d rather be on Biden’s team” this election, with Simon Rosenberg

Hopium Chronicles' Simon Rosenberg joins Markos to discuss the “red wave-ification” of the economy and how prepared Democrats are for November. There is still work to do but we have a better candidate—and we have the edge.This episode first aired June 11, 2024

Rebroadcast: Republicans are the dog that caught the car, with EMILY’s List’s Christina Reynolds

Rebroadcast: Republicans are the dog that caught the car, with EMILY’s List’s Christina Reynolds

We are joined by our friend Christina Reynolds, who is senior VP of communications and content at EMILY’s List. Christina talks with Kerry and Markos about how small a box the Republican Party is locked into on reproductive rights.This episode first aired March 2024

What to expect in the Biden-Trump debate

What to expect in the Biden-Trump debate

President Joe Biden successfully goaded Donald Trump into an early June debate, with Trump even acquiescing to most of the Biden team's terms. Markos and Kerry break down what to expect from Biden and from Trump.This episode was recorded on May 28, 2024.

Rural organizing with Matt Hildreth

Rural organizing with Matt Hildreth

Kerry speaks with Matt Hildreth, the executive director of Rural Organizing and treasurer of the RuralVote.org super PAC. He explains what Democrats can—and must—do to change the political conversation in rural communities.This episode was recorded on June 7, 2024.

Say it with me: It’s “convicted felon” Donald Trump

Say it with me: It’s “convicted felon” Donald Trump

Donald Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records on May 30. What are potential voters saying about this historic news? And what is the Biden-Harris campaign doing now that the “teflon Don" is no more?

Every day brings a new prognostication that is making President Joe Biden's campaign operatives worry or freak out. Is Donald Trump running away with the election? No. Not even close.

Donald Trump really stepped in it this week

Donald Trump really stepped in it this week

Like many Republicans, Donald Trump has tried to sidestep the issue of abortion and reproductive rights. But he stumbled during an interview with a CBS affiliate in Pittsburgh this week, promising an “interesting” new policy that would let states restrict contraception.

We speak with Protect Democracy’s Ian Bassin

We speak with Protect Democracy’s Ian Bassin

Ian Bassin is the former associate White House counsel and co-founder and executive director of Protect Democracy. Protect Democracy is a nonprofit, nonpartisan group focused on anti-authoritarianism, how to protect our democracy, and safeguarding our free and fair elections.

We speak with the people behind Navigator Research

We speak with the people behind Navigator Research

Navigator collects, analyzes, and distributes real data on progressive messaging. The Hub Project's Bryan Bennett and Gabriela Parra talk with Kerry about what they are seeing in their research this election cycle, and which messaging can help progressive candidates win elections in 2024—and beyond.

Is RFK Jr. Trump’s spoiler now?

Is RFK Jr. Trump’s spoiler now?

When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. entered the 2024 presidential race as an independent, many feared (and the MAGA faithful cheered) that he would siphon off important swing-state Democrats and independents from President Biden. That doesn’t seem to be so true anymore. In fact, the opposite may be true—and Donald Trump is hopping mad about it.

Recast: Sarah Longwell talks beating Trump

Recast: Sarah Longwell talks beating Trump

This episode originally aired March 12, 2024. The Bulwark’s Sarah Longwell joins Kerry to discuss the State of the Union and what President Biden needs to do to soundly defeat Donald Trump in November.

Immigration: Fact and fiction! with Zachary Mueller of America’s Voice

Immigration: Fact and fiction! with Zachary Mueller of America’s Voice

Zachary Mueller is the senior research director for America’s Voice and America’s Voice Education Fund. He brings his expertise on immigration politics to talk about how much money the GOP is using to promote its racist immigration campaigns.

Trump bungles his abortion speech

Trump bungles his abortion speech

Trump’s lose-lose situation on abortion somehow got worse this week after he released a video attempting to spin a position on the polarizing issue. What does this mean? Bad news for the Republican Party, already in disarray.

Is Florida in play for Democrats?

Is Florida in play for Democrats?

Kerry and Markos talk about Florida, its strict abortion ban, and Democratic challengers' chances in the Sunshine State.

Republican disarray all the way!

Republican disarray all the way!

President Joe Biden’s approval ratings have been improving since his fiery State of the Union speech—as we predicted. At the same time, the Republican Party cannot stop the infighting, even as Donald Trump’s takeover seems to be complete. Markos and Kerry get into Biden’s improving fundamentals as the race to save America heats up.

What exactly is the GOP's message? with Patrick Gaspard

What exactly is the GOP's message? with Patrick Gaspard

The President and CEO of the Center for American Progress Action Fund, Patrick Gaspard, joins us to give his thoughts on what the Republican Party’s actual message is.

There’s good news for Democrats: Donald Trump is old … and he's DONALD TRUMP

There’s good news for Democrats: Donald Trump is old … and he's DONALD TRUMP

Simon Rosenberg from the Hopium Chronicles Substack is back to talk about the facts of the 2024 election cycle. The facts are: Things look bad for Donald Trump—and even worse for the Republican Party.

Newsflash: Joe Biden and Donald Trump are old!

Newsflash: Joe Biden and Donald Trump are old!

Democratic voters know Joe Biden is old and MAGA voters like to pretend that Trump isn't just as long in the tooth. Both men were old the last time we did this and the only thing that’s changed is Biden is now a successful incumbent, while Trump is busy juggling trials and indictments.

Rebroadcast: We talk with Tim Miller about Trump’s weaknesses!

Rebroadcast: We talk with Tim Miller about Trump’s weaknesses!

Tim Miller from “The Next Level” podcast comes on to discuss Iowa, New Hampshire, and the cracks they expose in Donald Trump’s MAGA movement.This episode first aired 1/24/2024

President Biden calls GOP’s bluff and they implode

President Biden calls GOP’s bluff and they implode

Republicans demanded border security, worked on a compromise deal with Democrats, and now want to blow the whole thing up. Biden is promising to remind Americans every day that the Republican Party is at fault for the lack of solutions to the problems they claim are most important.