The Briefing with Jen Psaki

Jen Psaki explains that Donald Trump is hosting another dinner in support of his cryptocurrency meme coin, ignoring the fact that his own followers took massive losses investing in the coin, with many openly disparaging him for it. Rep. Jamie Raskin joins to discuss the myriad ways the Trump administration operates outside of ethical and even legal bounds, and the investigations Democrats are likely to open if they win control of the House. Jen Psaki shares highlights from a new interview Donald Trump gave to Time magazine that shows someone woefully out of touch, misguided on the facts, and tone deaf about his political situation. Jim Acosta, former White House correspondent for CNN, joins to discuss Donald Trump's resentment of a news media that won't adore him. 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.

September 30, 2026 - Despite the increasingly dangerous global security environment, made even more dangerous by Donald Trump's inexplicable war on Iran and Pete Hegseth's mismanagement of it, Hegseth has devoted his attention to prioritizing a cartoonish image of what it means to be an American servicemember. Michael Steele discusses with veterans Rep. Pat Ryan and Rep. Chris Deluzio. Former congressman and ambassador, Rahm Emanuel, joins to discuss the steady implosion of Ken Paxton's Senate campaign in Texas and the responsibility Donald Trup bears for for putting Republicans at a disadvantage in Texas for the first time in a very long time. Senator Eric Schmitt was warned that the text message he planned to use as a perjury trap for special counsel Jack Smith had not been vetted, but Schmitt was so convinced of his own conspiracy theory about the criminal investigations of Donald Trump that he ignored the warning and ran headlong into humiliating himself in the national spotlight. Capitol Hill reporter Mychael Schnell joins to explain MS NOW's exclusvie reporting and former Senator Claire McCaskill provides her analysis. 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 the events at a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee in which Republican Senator Eric Schmitt thought he had caught former special counsel Jack Smith in a perjury gotcha only to be called out for his spectacular failure by Senator Amy Klobuchar who pointed out that Schmitt's blind spot for women's sports led him into what Psaki describes as a "slow-moving self-implosion" leaving Smith unscathed and unflapped. Senator Amy Klobuchar joins Jen to talk about destroying Senator Eric Schmitt's big "gotcha" moment with a simple fact check. Senator Cory Booker joins to discuss the issues facing the Senate and the U.S. government broadly. Rep. Jim Himes, likely chair of the House Intelligence Committee if the Democrats take control of the House with the upcoming midterm elections, talks with Jen Psaki about how Democrats intend to investigate Trump administration corruption like pay-to-play deals if they are able to take control of the House with the coming 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.

September 25, 2026 - Jen Psaki holds Donald Trump's boasts about helping Republican candidates on the campaign trail up against the reality that he is being sent to safely Republican districts where he not only won't face pushback from angry American voters, but he won't cause any damage with his politically toxic poll numbers. Pastor Adam Hamilton, Democratic candidate for Senate from Kansas talks with Jen about why his blue campaign is performing so well in such a red state. Marc Elias, founder of Democracy Docket talks with Jen about whether and how much to worry about Donald Trump's efforts to purge voter rolls. Jen Psaki unearths past video of Donald Trump decrying state dinners, especially with China, and contrasts them with Donald Trump's literal red carpet treatment of China's President Xi, embarrassing himself and the United States with his fawning admiration. Former U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan 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.

September 24, 2026 - As Donald Trump ban on members of the media whose coverage he doesn't like continues to play out in court, Jen Psaki points out that the media model Trump seems to most want to emulate is that of the dictators he admires. Peter Alexander, chief national reporter for MS NOW, and Jim Acosta, former chief White House correspondent for CNN, discuss the importance of news organizations staying united in the face of Donald Trump's attacks. Former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirscher talks with Jen about the legal principles behind Donald Trump's failure to defend banning certain members of the media from the White House. Rob Flaherty and Jesse Lehrich, co-hosts of the "Nobody Knows Anything" show, talk with Jen Psaki about the desperation among Republican legislators up for reelection this November trying to distance themselves from Donald Trump as Trump continues to double down on some of his most unpopular positions. 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.

September 23, 2026 - Jen Psaki points out that the last time Donald Trump lost his cool and tried to ban a member of the news media from the White House he had just been clobbered by a blue wave midterm and his political power was at a nadir. Polling shows him to be even worse off now than he was then. Jim Acosta, former chief White House correspondent for CNN who successfully challenged being banned from the White House in Trump's first term, joins to discuss why Trump's bad news makes him angry at the news media. Jen Psaki explains that despite the importance of the visit to the United States by China's President Xi, the fuss Trump made to greet Xi was not covered by the TV press pool because of Donald Trump's decision to ban CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House. Jay Carney, former White House press secretary, joins to discuss. Rep. Jamie Raskin joins Jen in the studio to talk about the many ways Donald Trump violates the U.S. constitution, from tearing apart the White House to attempting to interfere in states' 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.

While Donald Trump banning news organizations from the White House because he doesn't like their coverage is objectively inexcusable in the United States of America, Republicans are nonetheless trying their hardest to make excuses for Trump. Jen Psaki dismantles them with facts and context. Jen Psaki shows the many Republican candidates campaigning for the coming midterm elections with a suspiciously similar message about the need for Donald Trump's disastrous Iran war to come to a quick end. But Psaki also points out that many of these Republicans failed to vote for war powers resolutions that would have forced Trump's hand in bringing the war to an end. Jen Psaki shares new video of former President Barack Obama advocating for more people younger than himself to be elected to office and criticizing "old men" who won't make way for a new generation of leaders. Maryland Governor Wes Moore joins to discuss the importance of a younger generation serving in government at a time when new technology is changing Americans' lives at an alarming rate. 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 reviews the history of American presidents clashing with members of the press but still respecting their First Amendment role, and reports on Donald Trump's declaration that he is banning MS NOW, CNN and Politico from the White House. Trump previously lost a legal challenge to banning a member of the press, and Psaki notes that Trump's war on the free press hasn't prevented the press from continuing to cover him and his administration. Terry Moran and Eugene Daniels join to discuss the relationship between presidents and the press, and Donald Trump's thin skin and petty nature. Kerry Kennedy, President John F. Kennedy's niece, talks with Jen Psaki about Donald Trump's threat to destroy the Kennedy Center, a memorial to her uncle, if Trump is not allowed to also put his own name on it, and points out the contrast between JFK's vision of service to one's country versus Donald Trump's corruption and self-dealing. Texas State Rep. Jon Rosenthal talks about the unexpcted support he is receiving from Republicans after his opponent revealed himself to be too racist even for very the low bar Republicans set. 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 Republican candidates who have purged their campaign materials of mentions of Donald Trump or have avoided events with Trump or Trump officials. Some candidates are even speaking out in defiance of Trump despite having previously been supportive. But Trump is too unpopular now to admit that support. Even as Republicans insist that technology companies can police themselves to ensure the public is safe from overstepping artificial intelligence and Donald Trump assures Americans that his firm hand is all that is necessary, the artificial intelligence industry continues to make alarming disclosures about the dangerous capabilities of A.I. and its occasional tendency to do something it supposedly shouldn't be able to do. Ronan Farrow, investigative reporter for the New Yorker, joins to discuss. Rep. Joyce Beatty talks with Jen Psaki about her fight to defend the Kennedy Center from Donald Trump's spitefulness. Sherrod Brown joins to discuss his campaign to retake his old Senate seat for Ohio. And Thomas Hicks and Benjamin Hovland, former U.S. Election Assistance commissioners, talk with Jen about protecting the right to vote and also the practice of voting, and emphasize checking to make sure your registration is up to date. 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 explains how articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth, filed by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, put House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Republicans in an awkward position so he ended the session a day early to avoid having to deal with it. This comes as new reports show that the Trump administration is not being forthcoming about the damage Iran is inflicting on U.S. assets. Senator Mark Kelly joins to share his views on the matter. The United States declared measles eliminated in 2000, but Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been working hard to make that no longer the case. Jen Psaki traces Kennedy Jr.'s anti-vaccine activism through his time as Donald Trump's Health and Human Services secretary overseeing a surge in preventable measles cases including several deaths. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, whose state has been hit particularly hard by the measles outbreak, 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.

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.