In the moment, I said yes, because I believe the vast majority of Americans—including a lot of people who voted for Donald Trump, many of whom are now regretting that decision—are sick of this moment, where some of the worst voices in our society are dominating the discourse and dragging the country down.

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I’ve been paying more attention to how differently the same story gets covered depending on where you read it—especially lately, when everything feels optimized for speed and outrage instead of context.

Take this one—over 200 outlets covered Trump criticizing NATO’s response around Iran.

CNN frames it as “Trump is not listening to experts” as tensions escalate.

New York Post states he’s “calling NATO members ‘cowards’ for not stepping up.”

Same story—completely different narratives.

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People are exhausted. What looks like apathy isn’t apathy—it’s overload. There’s so much chaos and noise that people have gone numb just to keep up. But that numbness isn’t permanent. When the pressure lifts, people are going to feel all of this more clearly. And that’s when empathy and kindness are going to matter most—when people are trying to process what happened and start putting things back together. We’re going to need people to step up and be part of the solution.

And I look forward to that moment because, as I’ve said before when I’ve debated conservatives on their shows, I don’t hate them. I don’t hate people who voted for Donald Trump. I’m mad at them. I don’t understand them. But I don’t like the coarseness of our politics. I don’t like waking up every morning and writing a “good fucking morning” tweet. It doesn’t feel good. As much as the engagement is great, it feels cheap for the discourse to operate that way.

I want us to get back to a politics that’s about improving people’s lives—having real debates, but actually solving problems. And I think we can get there. But there’s an important caveat.

A return to empathy or kindness should not be used to force some kind of bland D.C. moderation. It should not become an excuse to forgive and forget the corruption, the chaos, and the damage that’s been done.

The clearest example is Gerald Ford pardoning Richard Nixon in the name of national unity. I don’t think that made the country stronger. I think we’d be in a different place today if a president had actually been held accountable.

We’ve seen this pattern before. We didn’t prosecute the people who devastated millions of lives during the Wall Street financial crisis. We’re still not prosecuting people tied to the Epstein files.

We can be kind. We can be empathetic. We can love our neighbors—people who are just trying to survive, people who’ve made decisions we don’t understand. But that empathy cannot come at the expense of accountability.

I worry about two paths from here.

The first is that Democrats try so hard to win that they become a mirror image of Republicans—driven by grievance, focused on anger, more interested in pissing people off than actually helping anyone. The moment the party stops trying to improve people’s lives—even imperfectly—I’m registering as an independent.

The second is more subtle, and maybe more dangerous. We elect a Democrat in ’28, everyone exhales, and people tune out again. Civility returns—but so does a lack of accountability.

We’ve heard this before: time to move on, don’t look backward, focus on healing. No. We can’t do that again. What’s actually good for the country is accountability.

Right now, the country feels adrift. Part of that is because we’re not holding the right people accountable. We over-penalize low-level offenses, but we don’t go after white-collar crime. There’s an entire class of people who can abuse kids and get away with it. We haven’t even prosecuted the people who helped traffic them—and the DOJ has the information to act.

Mid-rant note: this section is sponsored by Ground News.

I’ve started paying more attention to how the same story can feel completely different depending on who’s reporting it. Ground News makes that easy to see by showing coverage from across the political spectrum and pointing out what certain outlets leave out.

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We can’t turn away again. Civility cannot become a way to avoid hard decisions instead of a foundation for making them. That kind of D.C. thinking is more about protecting the cocktail party circuit than delivering for the public.

We should show empathy and kindness to our fellow Americans—including people who were misled or taken advantage of, yes, even people who voted for Donald Trump. That doesn’t mean you don’t get to be mad. I’m mad. I’m still mad at MAGA influencers who flipped overnight but won’t admit the role they played.

But empathy is not a pass.

There are people in this administration, in Trump’s orbit, who have stolen from the American people, gotten people killed, and covered up serious crimes. They must be held accountable—period. Not just for justice, but because failing to act tells the next group in power they can get away with the same thing.

And even if some of them are pardoned on the way out, that doesn’t change the obligation to pursue the truth.

So whoever earns my vote in the 2028 primary has to do two things.

First, lay out a real vision for the future. How do we rebuild this economy so it actually works for average Americans—not corporations or the untouchable elite, but working people? What does the American dream look like in a world shaped by AI, robotics, and constant technological change?

Second, show me what accountability actually looks like—and make me believe it. Investigations? Hearings? DOJ action? I want specifics. Real oversight, subpoenas, independent investigations, and stronger guardrails that can’t be ignored.

How do we rein in executive power so we never end up here again? How do we confront corruption and abuses of power instead of brushing them aside?

That means strengthening the law. It’s been too weak. We have to reassert Congress as a co-equal branch of government.

I’m not going to support a technocrat who says the right things and does nothing with teeth. On some level, that’s how I feel about the Biden administration. I love Joe Biden, but I don’t think they did enough—and that’s part of how we ended up back here, in a situation worse than Trump’s first term.

We’ve tried that version of “normal.” It doesn’t hold.

There has to be strength behind the empathy. Consequences behind the rhetoric. Accountability—full stop. Otherwise, we fail people again.

And when that happens, voters will look for someone louder, more extreme.

I get laughed at when I say this, but I don’t think Donald Trump is the bottom. I think someone worse could come along and take this country down an even darker path.

That’s why this moment matters.

Yes, this period has been chaotic and damaging. But it’s also an opportunity—to fix what’s been broken for decades, to restore dignity, and to build a system that actually lets people live the lives they were promised.

We can do that. I believe we can.

But don’t let anyone confuse empathy with weakness. Empathy is strength. It lets you see clearly and act decisively when it matters most.

The best leaders are strong, clear-eyed, and willing to act. We can be compassionate and still hold the line.

If we’re serious about fixing this country, we have to be both.

P.S. Anytime a story feels like it’s missing context, it probably is. Ground News helps you spot the gaps and see the full range of coverage. Check it out here →

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Hey folks,

Jack Cocchiarella and I dug into Trump’s meltdown, the cracks spreading across MAGA, and the one race that might quietly blow the whole thing open. We got into the money, the fear, the infighting—and yeah, some stuff that’s been sitting just under the surface for a while.

Here’s what we got into:

• [00:01:07] Trump goes all-in to take down Thomas Massie—and still might lose. What that says about his grip on the party right now.

• [00:06:45] The “death by a thousand cuts” theory: how Trump’s power doesn’t collapse all at once—but might be closer than it looks.

• [00:10:32] Marjorie Taylor Greene crosses a line—and exposes something deeper inside MAGA that can’t be ignored.

• [00:18:10] Tucker, Megyn, and the influencer class turn on Trump—what’s real, what’s opportunism, and what comes next.

• [00:24:56] The MAGA coalition fractures into three camps—and why that could turn Trump into a lame duck faster than anyone expected.

This conversation covers a lot: the Massey primary as a proxy war inside MAGA, the role of billionaire money, the growing divide among right-wing influencers, and the dangerous places some of this rhetoric is heading. But more than anything, it’s about power—who has it, who’s losing it, and what happens when fear starts to fade. If you’re trying to understand where this is all going, this is essential listening. And if you value honest conversations like this, help me keep them going.

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With urgency,

—Mike

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Hey folks,

I sat down with retired Maj. Gen. Randy Manner and we didn’t hold back—on Trump, on Iran, on NATO, on what’s actually happening behind the scenes. We got real about the stakes, and honestly, it left me more unsettled than I expected.

This isn’t theoretical anymore. It’s happening.

Here are a few moments you don’t want to miss:

• [00:01:07] Trump goes from threatening annihilation to calling it a “ceasefire”—we break down what’s actually in Iran’s plan and why it feels completely backwards

• [00:03:05] The nuclear question—how close did we actually get, and what would have stopped it if things escalated further

• [00:05:11] Two years of missiles gone in 30 days—Randy explains why the U.S. is weaker right now than most people realize

• [00:08:47] The Kuwait attack—what the Pentagon isn’t telling you, and why our troops may have been dangerously exposed

• [00:11:02] The endgame—what this conflict is really about, and the sobering truth about how it might all “resolve”

We covered a lot in a short amount of time—Trump’s threats, NATO instability, China stepping into the vacuum, and the very real possibility that the American people aren’t getting the full story.

If you’re trying to make sense of where we are—and where this could go next—this is essential listening. And if you believe in honest, urgent conversations like this, help me keep them going.

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With urgency,

—Mike

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Hey folks,

Don Lemon and I jumped right into foreign policy, media spin, the cost of chaos—and didn’t hold back. It’s one of those conversations where you can feel the frustration building in real time.

Here’s what we got into:

• [00:01:07] We break down the so-called “ceasefire” and why it’s already falling apart—rockets still flying, nothing actually resolved.

• [00:05:05] The human cost hits hard: service members lost, families grieving—and what, exactly, did we gain?

• [00:08:10] How Trump’s global strategy is isolating the U.S. and handing leverage to rivals like China.

• [00:13:02] “This is Trump’s Katrina”—why this moment could define the collapse of his presidency.

• [00:21:21] The shifting goalposts: regime change, oil routes, uranium—none of it achieved, and Americans paying the price.

We talk about what actually happened here—beyond the headlines—and why it matters for all of us. This is about leadership, accountability, and the real-world consequences of political decisions that too often feel abstract until they’re not. If you care about where this country is headed—and you want more honest, unfiltered conversations like this—help me keep doing this work.

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With urgency,

—Mike

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Hey folks,

Adam Mockler and I covered a lot in this one—and honestly, it’s heavy. We dug into what happened last night with Iran, why this “ceasefire” feels like anything but, and how things are spiraling in ways that should make all of us uneasy.

Here’s what we got into:

• [00:01:07] Trump concedes to Iran’s framework—and why analysts are calling it a humiliation for the U.S.

• [00:05:00] What “winning” was supposed to look like—and how none of those goals were actually achieved

• [00:10:12] The 25th Amendment gains traction as concerns about Trump’s judgment escalate

• [00:15:48] Why allies don’t trust us right now—and how unpredictability is backfiring globally

• [00:21:26] Breaking news: attacks in Lebanon threaten to collapse the ceasefire before it even begins

This is about more than one bad decision—it’s about a pattern. A pattern of chaos, weak strategy, and real human consequences. We talk about what this means for global stability, for everyday Americans, and for the future of leadership in this country. If you’ve been trying to make sense of all of this, this is one you need to hear.

If you value honest conversations like this—grounded, urgent, and unfiltered—help me keep them going.

Become a paid subscriber to Endless Urgency today »

With urgency,

—Mike

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Hey folks,

I sat down with Governor JB Pritzker and we didn’t hold back. We talked about Trump, the 25th Amendment, war powers, and what it actually means when things feel like they’re spinning out of control. This one’s urgent.

Here’s what we got into:

• [00:01:01] Pritzker lays out why Trump’s behavior is “frightening” and what it’s doing to U.S. credibility globally

• [00:02:06] The case for the 25th Amendment—and what those closest to Trump should be doing right now

• [00:04:24] The uncomfortable question: is J.D. Vance actually better, or just different?

• [00:07:18] Dark money, AIPAC, crypto cash—and why voters still saw through it in Illinois

• [00:11:05] The housing crisis nobody in Washington is fixing—and what Illinois is trying to do differently

This conversation moves from global instability to local accountability in a way that feels very real right now. We talk about leadership, consequences, and the systems that are either holding—or failing—all of us. If you’ve been trying to make sense of the chaos, this is one you need to hear. And if you believe in honest, unfiltered conversations like this, help me keep building them.

Become a paid subscriber to Endless Urgency today »

With urgency,

—Mike

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Donald Trump has the entire country, if not the entire world, on edge this morning with repeated threats to wipe Iran’s civilization off the map. And the implication behind that rhetoric is that he’s at least considering using nuclear weapons to end this illegal and disastrous war. At a bare minimum, he’s already said that he’s willing to strike civilian targets, which would be a pretty clear war crime.

And the truth is, I don’t know how serious he is. Maybe it’s just another weak man issuing threats he won’t follow through on, as he’s done many times before. But we’ve watched this president violate norm after norm, law after law. And at this point, we have to take seriously the possibility that he might do something that hasn’t been done in almost 100 years: use a nuclear weapon in the middle of a war.

When it comes to Donald Trump, I tend to be somebody who takes what he says seriously. At the time that I’m writing this and sending it out, I don’t know what’s going to happen. The deadline is at 8 o’clock Eastern tonight. If you’re reading this after, you may know more than I do about whether or not he was serious, if he backed down, or to what extent he’s willing to attack the people of Iran. But I always try to take what Donald Trump says seriously so that I can better prepare for what might happen.

When he jokes about a third term, I take it seriously. When he talks about meddling in elections, I take it seriously. So when he starts talking like this, and when I see MAGA influencers like Mark Levin, who Donald Trump is very close to, start justifying and laying the groundwork for Donald Trump to use nuclear weapons, I take that very seriously.

Because what we’re watching is a president who’s launched an illegal war without congressional authorization, who has, by all appearances, misled the public about casualties and outcomes, and who shows a disturbing disregard for human life. People are disposable to him. He treats the world like a chess game. The only life that matters is his.

Decisions of this magnitude aren’t meant to rest with one person. They’re supposed to be checked, debated, and constrained. That’s why we have a Constitution. And here he is, using the language of a dictator more openly than ever and, frankly, scaring the hell out of everybody.

It’s not what this country is supposed to be about. This is not real leadership. We don’t need reckless threats or escalating rhetoric with no clear strategy, with no clear plan to improve this situation and help the American people with their lives. What we should be doing is de-escalating. What we should be doing is leading the world and working with our allies, not alienating them. We should be understanding the weight of the decisions that are made behind the Resolute Desk. And the president of the United States, who is in control of the world’s most powerful military, should act with restraint, not impulse.

At our best, America leads. We helped win World War II. We rallied the world around Ukraine. We haven’t always gotten it right, but at our best, we’ve been a force for good—something people could look to for leadership. And in just one year, Donald Trump has shredded that credibility at home and abroad. Our allies are pushed away, our global stability has been shaken, and the economy is damaged, potentially beyond repair. The American people are scared. And when credibility erodes, the risks aren’t theoretical. They get more real, more immediate, and harder to control.

Even if this nuclear threat is empty, and I suspect it is, the fact that people believe it’s possible says everything about the man who sits behind the Oval Office. The fact that so many people today are calling for Donald Trump to be removed by the 25th Amendment—not just Democrats, but also core members of the MAGA movement. People like Alex Jones are starting to make sense to me on removing Donald Trump from office. Candace Owens is saying we have to remove him because he’s lost his mind. It’s a strange day in paradise when Mike Nellis and Alex Jones and Candace Owens are all in agreement.

We are no longer dealing with hypotheticals; we’re dealing with a reality people can actually see happening. We’ve seen what nuclear weapons can do. The only time they’ve ever been used in war came under extraordinary circumstances at the end of World War II—circumstances that have been debated for decades. And there will be no such justification for such action here should Donald Trump decide to do that. Multiple members of his administration have refused to rule that out, in case you think I’m being irrational.

There will not be grace. There will not be understanding. But there must be consequences if Donald Trump does something like that.

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The truth is, today more than other days, I’m exhausted—and I imagine that you are too. When you think about it, we have lived through some extraordinary times: pandemics, economic instability, technological upheaval, constant political chaos. None of this is normal. People are just trying to make it through their day. They want to pay their bills. They want to find a moment’s peace at night and maybe watch a basketball game. And instead, we’re sitting here wondering how far this can go.

That isn’t okay.

So yeah, I’m a little scared today. But what happens next matters. If things escalate—whatever he does tonight—people aren’t just going to be afraid in theory. They’re going to be afraid of retaliation, of what comes next, of how far this spirals. And the only way through that is together: supporting each other, staying engaged, refusing to tune out when it feels overwhelming.

Because this is one of those moments that actually matters. We don’t get to look away. We don’t get to assume someone else will fix it. We don’t get to pretend this is normal. It’s not.

And if we meet this moment with clarity, with urgency, and with a willingness to stand up for our values—for each other, for the kind of country we’re supposed to be—then we’ll have a chance to pull ourselves back from the brink. But that only happens if we show up.

It means paying attention, speaking out, holding leaders accountable—not letting this become background noise just because it’s overwhelming and scary. So stay engaged and connected, take care of each other, and don’t lose sight of what’s actually at stake here. Because it’s bigger than politics—it’s the future, and it’s whether we’re going to face it together or let it slip away.

With urgency,

Mike

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This segment got heated, but the core issue is pretty straightforward: Republicans are elevating clips of Jennifer Siebel Newsom right now for a reason. It’s not random—it’s part of a broader effort to define Gavin Newsom early, because they see him as a serious 2028 threat.

What I pushed back on is the idea that this is some organic outrage cycle. It’s not. It’s a distraction strategy. Instead of talking about Trump’s economic record, rising costs, or foreign policy risks, the focus shifts to something designed to spark outrage and go viral online.

That doesn’t mean candidates and their families are off-limits—but voters should be clear-eyed about what’s actually at stake. If we’re spending more time arguing about viral clips than the economy, corruption, or real policy decisions, that’s not an accident. That’s the strategy.

—Mike

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Hey folks,

I went live with Katie Phang under some pretty heavy circumstances today—and yeah, you can feel it. We talked fear, frustration, and the very real stakes of what’s unfolding right now—and honestly, this one hit deeper than usual.

Here are a few moments you don’t want to miss:

• [00:01:07] Trump’s post about Iran gets read out loud—and it lands exactly as unhinged as you’d expect

• [00:05:12] Katie unloads on the lack of “adults in the room” and why that should terrify all of us

• [00:07:48] The question we can’t shake: what if he actually follows through?

• [00:16:03] The Republican messaging playbook—and how it twists every argument into something unrecognizable

• [00:22:21] A real debate on impeachment, the 25th Amendment, and whether any of it actually stops what’s coming

This conversation covers a lot—foreign policy chaos, political reality, and the emotional toll of watching all of it unfold in real time. It’s messy, it’s honest, and it’s exactly the kind of dialogue we need right now. If you’ve been trying to make sense of any of this—or just needed to hear someone say “this isn’t normal”—this one’s for you. If you value honest conversations like this, help me keep them going.

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With urgency,

—Mike

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I went on Newsmax to talk about Trump’s latest rhetoric on Iran, and I think it’s important to cut through the noise here. When a president openly talks about targeting civilian infrastructure—bridges, power plants, entire systems that people rely on to live—that’s not just tough talk. That’s the kind of language that risks pulling us into something far more dangerous than most Americans want.

What really stuck with me in that exchange is how quickly some people try to normalize it. The idea that this is just “how war works” ignores both the human cost and the long-term consequences. Most Americans don’t want another endless conflict, especially one that puts our troops in harm’s way without a clear, credible strategy behind it.

And politically, there’s a bigger story unfolding. Voters are frustrated—about the economy, about costs, about leadership that feels disconnected from reality. Democrats don’t win by just opposing Trump; we win by offering something real in return. That means focusing on affordability, competence, and actually delivering for working people.

There’s a lot at stake right now—both abroad and here at home. And if we’re not honest about what’s happening, we’re going to keep repeating the same mistakes.

—Mike

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Hey folks,

Grant Hermes and I went live right after Trump’s latest press conference—and honestly, this one felt different. Not just chaotic. Not just frustrating. Something deeper. We got into the threats, the confusion, the bigger political unraveling—and it got a little personal too.

Here’s what we got into:

• [00:01:07] Markets react in real time as Trump speaks—and it’s not good. We break down what it signals about confidence and leadership.

• [00:03:01] Trump threatens journalists with jail time—and why this moment feels more dangerous than the usual rhetoric.

• [00:06:03] The press conference spirals into bizarre details, rambling stories, and what it reveals about how decisions are being made.

• [00:14:03] We zoom out: collapsing approval numbers, GOP panic, and why the political ground is shifting fast.

• [00:21:03] That unhinged Sunday post—and the bigger question of what happens next as tensions escalate.

This episode is a real-time reaction to a presidency that feels like it’s coming apart at the seams—politically, strategically, and maybe personally. We talk about what’s actually at stake here, what the next 48 hours could bring, and why all of this matters for the future of the country. If you value honest conversations like this—unfiltered, urgent, and grounded in reality—help me keep them going.

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With urgency,

—Mike

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He’s looking at the same polling that you and I are. He’s at 32% with the American people. Republicans are headed for a beating in the midterms, barring some massive shift in the economy.

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People are pissed about the Epstein files. They’re angry and scared about the war in Iran. They’re exhausted by the cruelty and corruption that pours out of Trump’s Washington at a level we’ve never seen before. And instead of looking inward or trying to deliver anything that actually helps people, Trump is panicking and blaming everyone around him—without even the bare minimum of pretending to take responsibility or the kind of political theater you usually see in moments like this. There’s no effort to course-correct, no acknowledgment of wrongdoing, just a pattern of self-preservation above all else.

It’s Pam Bondi’s fault. It’s Kristi Noem’s fault. It’s Tulsi Gabbard’s fault. It’s everybody’s fault but his.

And by the way, it’s not a great look that the only people he’s fired—and the ones on the chopping block—are women.

Meanwhile, Kash Patel is flying around the world on a private FBI jet on the taxpayer’s dime, abusing his position, lying to Congress about the Epstein files. Pete Hegseth, wildly unqualified for the job he has, keeps his seat. But I digress.

Because the truth is simple: the rot in this administration sits behind the Resolute Desk. No staff shake-up fixes that.

Trump had a massive political opportunity. The opposition was weak. People were willing to give him another shot—even after an insurrection. And he made two core promises: make life cheaper immediately, and keep Americans out of another forever war.

He’s broken both.

Because of that, he shattered the MAGA coalition, fractured the Republican Party, and burned a huge amount of goodwill with the American public. He’s not building a legacy—he’s collapsing what little one he had.

And I know what the defense is: “His approval is still high with MAGA.” Sure—but fewer people are even identifying as MAGA anymore.

You can see it happening in real time. Influencers who backed him are now distancing themselves: “This isn’t who I voted for.” Yes, it is. It always was. This outcome was inevitable.

They can still be part of the solution—but they need to own their role first. None of this changes until people stop excusing it. Not the insiders, not the influencers, not the voters. Accountability doesn’t start with him, it starts with the people who keep giving him cover.

And Trump knows it. That’s why he’s panicking.

Everywhere he looks, there are daggers out. Allies like Ted Cruz, J.D. Vance, and Marco Rubio are already eyeing the next race. He knows he’s about to become irrelevant—and that terrifies him.

That’s why he’s slapping his name on everything. Late-night Truth Social posts, picking fights with celebrities—it all comes back to one fear: being forgotten. And worse, being remembered as a failure.

So he builds monuments to himself. Rebrands institutions. Chases optics. Because there’s no substance to point to. No real accomplishments to anchor a legacy.

He’s got nothing.

And now he’s stuck in a quagmire in Iran after making a reckless, planless decision to attack. No strategy. No endgame. Just bad options.

The economic fallout is coming, too—we just haven’t fully felt it yet.

And people are angry.

So read every move through that lens: a weak, vain, out-of-touch president who is flailing. That’s why the rhetoric is getting wilder. That’s why the swings are getting bigger. Desperation.

When he posts extreme threats or says something outrageous, understand what you’re looking at: a man fighting to stay relevant as everything slips away.

We’re going to have to deal with the consequences for a while. There will be damage. There will be fights.

But politically? He’s running out of road.

There’s no real path back. The damage he’s already done is going to carry real consequences that don’t just disappear overnight—unless he suddenly fixes the cost of living, raises wages, and stabilizes the economy.

And we all know he doesn’t have the juice for that.

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Hey folks,

I sat down with Adam Mockler and this one got intense. We dug into what feels like a full-on unraveling—firings, panic, war, and an economy that’s about to hit people even harder. We got real about what’s happening and who’s actually paying the price.

Here’s what we got into:

• [00:01:07] The floodgates open—Trump’s firing spree begins and the cabinet starts to crack

• [00:04:02] Panic mode—why the chaos, the weird distractions, and the polling all point to one thing

• [00:07:05] The budget bombshell—a massive military increase while cutting everything else

• [00:12:43] Inside the Pentagon shakeup—Hegseth, the firings, and why this should scare all of us

• [00:20:17] The coming economic shock—why the worst of the gas and supply crisis hasn’t even hit yet

This conversation covers a lot—Trump’s escalating firings, a dangerous reshaping of leadership inside the Pentagon, a wildly out-of-touch budget proposal, and the very real economic pain heading straight for American families. If you’re trying to make sense of this moment—what’s noise, what’s real, and what’s coming next—this is essential listening. And if you value honest conversations like this, help me keep them going.

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With urgency,

—Mike

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I went on NewsNation to talk about what’s actually driving the political conversation right now, and it’s pretty simple: people are struggling, and Donald Trump isn’t delivering on the promises he made. He said he’d lower costs and keep us out of another war. Instead, prices are still high, and we’re watching another conflict unfold overseas.

That’s why all the chatter about cabinet shakeups or staffing changes misses the point. Swapping out personnel doesn’t matter if there’s no real plan to make life more affordable. For most Americans, this isn’t theoretical—it’s whether they can pay for groceries, cover healthcare, or just get through the month without falling behind.

And politically, that creates a real opening. When Republicans are focused on tax cuts and foreign conflicts while saying we “can’t afford” things like childcare or healthcare, voters notice. But Democrats still have to meet the moment—we can’t just point out the failures, we have to offer a clear alternative that actually improves people’s lives.

—Mike

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Hey folks,

Dr. Alvin Tillery and I jumped on for an emergency episode the second the news broke. Trump just fired his Attorney General—and what that actually means is a whole lot messier than the headline.

Here’s what we got into:

• [00:01:07] Immediate reaction: relief, yes—but also a warning about why she was really pushed out

• [00:07:28] Is the system holding? Where it’s working—and where it’s already breaking at the top

• [00:10:36] The next AG fight: why the replacement could be even worse (and what that signals)

• [00:18:00] Trump’s pattern: chaos, distraction, and the deeper strategy behind these firings

• [00:24:24] The Democratic Party debate: identity, turnout, and what we’re still getting wrong about winning

This conversation goes way beyond one firing. It’s about power, accountability, and the fragile places where our system is still holding—and where it’s not. If you’ve been trying to make sense of the chaos, this is a must-watch. If you care about where this is all heading, help us keep conversations like this alive.

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With urgency,

—Mike

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Hey folks,

I sat down with Jack Cocchiarella to discuss Trump’s meltdown, the war rhetoric, the cracks inside MAGA… it’s all right there. We got into the psychology, the politics, and honestly, the human side of what’s happening right now. You don’t want to miss this one.

Here’s what we got into:

• [00:01:12] Jack breaks down Trump’s speech—and why it felt like pure insecurity, not leadership

• [00:08:47] We dig into the Truth Social meltdown and what it says about Trump’s mental state

• [00:18:30] The MAGA media fracture: Shapiro losing ground while Tucker and Megyn pivot

• [00:32:05] Why younger voters are angry—and why neither party is really meeting the moment

• [00:46:22] The big takeaway: politics is downstream of culture, and Democrats still aren’t naming the enemy

This conversation covers a lot: Trump’s unraveling, the instability inside his coalition, and the bigger question of why so many Americans—especially younger ones—feel like the system has nothing left to offer them. If you’ve been trying to make sense of where things are headed and why everything feels so volatile right now, this is essential listening. If you value honest conversations like this, help me keep them going.

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With urgency,

—Mike

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Hey folks,

Don Lemon and I dove right it, and it got messy fast. It’s funny, it’s sharp, and underneath all the chaos is something real about hypocrisy, power, and who gets judged in this country. We went all the way in on the double standard—and yeah, we laughed a lot too.

Here’s what we got into:

• [00:01:07] We jump right into the hypocrisy—how “family values” gets used as cover while real harm gets ignored.

• [00:04:23] The conversation turns to grace, power, and why the powerful always seem to get the compassion they deny everyone else.

• [00:07:03] We unpack the weaponization of moral panic—and why the accusations always seem to come from the same people.

• [00:12:20] We zoom out and talk about what actually matters to voters versus the outrage machine Republicans keep feeding.

• [00:21:34] We end on the bigger point: sometimes the only way to deal with this level of absurdity is to mock it directly.

This episode is chaotic in the way real conversations are chaotic, but it’s also honest. We’re talking about shame, power, identity, and the games politicians play while everybody else pays the price. If you’ve ever looked at this political moment and thought the rules are completely different depending on who you are, this one is going to hit. If you value honest conversations like this, help me keep them going.

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With urgency,

—Mike

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Hey folks,

Adam Mockler and I did our midweek check-in and… yeah, this one’s a lot. We dug into what’s really going on with Republicans retiring in droves—and how it connects to Trump, the war, and a party that feels like it’s coming apart in real time. You can feel the stakes shifting.

Here’s what we got into:

• [00:01:08] The numbers don’t lie: the largest wave of Republican retirements since 1930—and what that signals for the midterms

• [00:03:30] Trump’s approval is collapsing, even with his base. What happens when the floor starts falling out?

• [00:06:30] The 15% drop that could swing everything—and why Republicans are jumping ship early

• [00:10:05] Trump’s speech, the war narrative, and a strategy that keeps changing because there’s no real plan

• [00:15:45] Follow the money: who’s actually benefiting from this war—and why it’s not you

This episode is about accountability, truth, and whether people in power are willing to put the country ahead of themselves. We’re watching a party fracture, a narrative unravel, and decisions being made that affect all of us. If you’ve been trying to make sense of it, this conversation will help connect the dots. Help me keep these conversations going.

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With urgency,

—Mike

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Hey folks,

I sat down with Zachary Foust—realtor, creator, and someone who’s been sounding the alarm on housing—and we didn’t hold back. We talked about why the American dream feels like it’s slipping away, who’s actually to blame, and what it’s going to take to fix it.

Here’s what we got into:

• [00:01:07] We jump straight into it: does anyone in power actually care about housing—or are millions of Americans being ignored?

• [00:03:45] The stat that stopped me cold: a third of homes are going to investors. Zach breaks down how we got here—and why it’s getting worse.

• [00:06:30] Where’s the line between smart investing and breaking the system? We get into the uncomfortable gray area.

• [00:10:20] Why the housing market isn’t just broken—it’s structurally locked, and what would actually have to happen for prices to fall.

• [00:14:55] Real solutions: wages, supply, zoning, and a few ideas that could actually give people a fighting chance again.

This conversation is about stability, dignity, and whether people still believe they have a future in this country. If you’ve felt like owning a home is getting further out of reach, you’re not imagining it. And if we don’t start having honest conversations like this, nothing changes. If you value that kind of honesty, help me keep it going.

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With urgency,

—Mike

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So Axios had a story this weekend about how a bunch of DC-based Democratic strategists think Democrats have to run “a straight, white, Christian man” in 2028 to win the presidency. And this is exactly the kind of lazy analysis you get from a lot of the DC consulting class that drives me absolutely up a wall.

I want to take a moment to explain my position, because I think very differently than a lot of other strategists in the party.

Up front: sexism, racism, homophobia, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia—these things are real. It is harder for a person of color or a woman to get elected president of the United States. Just look at the track record. That part is obvious.

But my rebuttal isn’t that those things don’t exist. It’s that there’s something deeper going on. And if we don’t understand that, we’re going to keep misdiagnosing why we lose.

There are a lot of people in politics—Democrat and Republican—who will jump through every mental hoop imaginable to avoid taking responsibility when their campaigns lose. They don’t stop to reflect on what they contributed to the loss. Instead, they blame the voters.

I’ve met plenty of people in DC who sneer at voters who don’t support their candidates. It happens in both parties, and it drives me crazy.

When Kamala Harris lost in 2024, I wasn’t on the campaign. But on election night, I went to bed early because it was clear there weren’t enough votes in Pennsylvania for her to win. The next morning, I locked myself in a room with a whiteboard for about an hour and a half and wrote down everything I could think of that contributed to the loss—because I wanted to be part of the solution.

And I started with what I could control: myself.

I can’t control voters. I can’t control the media. I can’t control campaigns I’m not on (hell, most of the time I can’t control campaigns I am on.) But I can control what I do.

So I made a list of what I wish I’d done differently. I wish we had handled “White Dudes for Harris” differently. I wish I had spoken out more about my concerns regarding Joe Biden’s health and age. I didn’t do that. And a lot of us in the Democratic Party didn’t either. I think that haunts many of us.

I also wasn’t very public for most of those four years. Changing that is part of why I became a content creator. I started thinking more critically about how I advise clients and how I could improve. I went down deep rabbit holes—YouTube, the manosphere, how everyday Americans actually experience the economy, and other spaces—to better understand the environment we’re operating in.

I’m a better consultant today than I was two years ago.

But a lot of people in this space don’t want to do that kind of self-reflection. And that’s how you end up with stories like this Axios piece—”It has to be a white guy”—which is really just an implicit way of shifting blame onto Kamala Harris, reducing the loss to the fact that she’s a Black woman.

And while I’m absolutely certain Kamala Harris has experienced racism and sexism (I’ve seen firsthand the kind of bigotry that gets directed at candidates in these races—especially at Kamala.) I’m not convinced that’s the primary reason she lost. I’m just not. If you changed only her race and gender, I think she still would have lost given the state of the economy and the perception of the broader Democratic Party after the Biden debate.

And as long as we keep defaulting to “run the safest white guy we can find,” we’re going to keep reinforcing the same dynamics we claim to want to change.

You have to be pragmatic. Of course you do. But if pragmatism just becomes an excuse to avoid risk, nothing actually changes.

So I need some of these consultants—many of whom are very good at their jobs and will be working on 2028 campaigns—to look in the mirror and ask: Were my ads good? Were my strategies sound? Was my messaging effective? Did I understand the race correctly? What mistakes did I make? How did I contribute?

Those are the questions that matter.

Instead, people are blaming voters—and, frankly, blaming Kamala Harris, who ran an imperfect but Herculean campaign that likely prevented a much worse outcome for Democrats.

This excuse-driven culture has to stop. And to be clear, I’m not talking about every individual. I’m sure someone will read this and think I’m attacking them personally—I’m not. But as a party, we have a habit of blaming everyone except ourselves.

Look at 2016. After Hillary Clinton lost, there was a massive blame game—James Comey’s letter and Russian interference. Both of those things are real. But so were the strategic mistakes. A lot of people needed to take a hard look in the mirror, and many didn’t, which is how we got Trump again.

It’s not either/or. You can acknowledge real structural challenges and still take responsibility for your own decisions. In fact, you have to. That’s how you get better—and how the candidates you work with get better.

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Second, there’s an identity politics angle here. For a long time, Democrats have believed they can carve up the electorate into constituencies and win through subtraction. That’s not how this works.

There’s been a tendency to organize campaigns around identity-based groupings—“we’ll bring in this group, message to that group”—and that approach was clearly present in Kamala Harris’s campaign and the broader Democratic Party. I say that as a co-founder of White Dudes for Harris. We were part of that.

At the time, it made sense in context, and there’s nothing wrong with celebrating people’s backgrounds or cultures. But we have to make sure everyone feels included—and more importantly, we have to recognize that identity alone isn’t what wins elections. It’s a piece of the puzzle, but it can’t be the whole strategy.

The candidate who wins isn’t going to be some mythological straight white male. We can’t rebuild Bill Clinton from 1992 in the aggregate (although a lot of consultants are going to try in 2028.) It’s going to be someone who feels real.

At a time when most Americans don’t believe politicians are looking out for them, people are searching for someone who seems like they’ll actually fight on their behalf.

Whether you like Trump or not, that’s what he represents to a lot of voters. Yes, he’s betrayed that trust—and that’s why his approval is sinking like a rock—but the appeal was never about identity alone. It was about perceived authenticity.

That’s the lesson.

And part of what gets missed in all of this is class. Most voters aren’t walking around thinking about politics in terms of identity; they’re thinking about whether they can afford their life. Groceries, rent, bills, stability. If you’re not connecting on that level, none of the rest of it matters.

It’s the same kind of surface-level analysis showing up in other parts of this conversation, too. There’s another story this week about how Democrats need to run “hot” candidates—which is another piece of reductive analysis. Maybe it helps in the margins, but that’s not what moves votes. And it’s not the point. The point is connection. Can you talk like a normal person? Can you cut through the scripted, poll-tested DC language? Because a lot of these candidates sound like they were built in a think tank lab, and voters can feel that.

Authenticity matters more.

And history backs this up. After Democrats lost to George W. Bush in 2004, very few people would have said Barack Hussein Obama was the ideal candidate for 2008. But he was—and he went on to win a historic landslide and deliver 60 Senate seats.

That kind of outcome is still possible.

But only if we’re willing to do the work.

Have a real primary in 2028. Let it be messy. Let the strongest candidates rise, regardless of gender, race, and religion. Don’t try to pre-select the answer based on some consultant-driven theory. Don’t discount people based on identity.

Let AOC compete. Let Gretchen Whitmer compete. Let Pete Buttigieg compete. Let Josh Shapiro and JB Pritzker compete. Let them make their case to the American people and let them decide.

They’re already some of the most well-liked politicians in the country. Trust the voters to decide.

If we move away from this lazy, reductive thinking—and if we start taking real responsibility for the strategies we deploy—I think Democrats can actually win big over many elections to come.

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