Shows / Political Gabfest
Political Gabfest
Voted “Favorite Political Podcast” by Apple Podcasts listeners. Stephen Colbert says "Everybody should listen to the Slate Political Gabfest." The Gabfest, featuring Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz, is the kind of informal and irreverent discussion Washington journalists have after hours over drinks.
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Episodes
- Political Gabfest
DOJ is DOA
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss a new oral history of President Trump’s Department of Justice, the complex transactional…
- Political Gabfest
Gabfest Reads | Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History
John Dickerson talks with journalist and author Andrew Ross Sorkin about his new book 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History and How It…
- Political Gabfest
Who Really Won the Shutdown?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss why Democrats caved to end the government shutdown and what comes next, the affordability…
- Political Gabfest
Spectacular Night for Democrats
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss how Tuesday’s decisive election results give a legitimate boost to Democrats’ prospects as…
- Political Gabfest
Live from Chicago!
This week, live from Chicago to celebrate 20 years of the Political Gabfest, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the Trump vs. Chicago…
- Political Gabfest
Trump Literally Knocks Down the White House
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss how President Trump reacted to the No Kings protests by embracing his own “cult of the ruler”…
- Political Gabfest
Gabfest Reads | The Radical Fund That Rewired American Progress
Emily Bazelon talks with Yale law professor John Witt about his new book The Radical Fund: How a Band of Visionaries and a Million Dollars Upended America…
- Political Gabfest
Trump Ends the Gaza War
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the Gaza ceasefire and prospects for long-term peace with Rob Malley, Middle East policy…
- Political Gabfest
Portland is Not Actually Burning
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the extremely consequential new Supreme Court term beginning this week, the facts on the…
- Political Gabfest
Fat Generals
This week, John Dickerson, David Plotz, and guest host Juliette Kayyem discuss the disturbing spectacle of military fealty staged by Hegseth and Trump at…
- Political Gabfest
Tough It Out, Pregnant Ladies!
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss how Trump is using the powerful machine of government prosecution to reverse-engineer crimes…
- Political Gabfest
Gabfest Reads | The Recent Past of Prison Punishment
Emily Bazelon talks with author and Yale professor Judith Resnik about her new book, Impermissible Punishments: How Prison Became a Problem for Democracy. They…
- Political Gabfest
The Domestic Terrorist
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the government’s intimidation tactics aimed at chilling free speech after Charlie Kirk’s…
- Political Gabfest
Assassination of Charlie Kirk
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the assassination of Charlie Kirk amid an extremely troubling climate of political violence…
- Political Gabfest
CDC DOA
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss what the spate of legal defeats for the Trump administration portends as cases wind toward…
- Political Gabfest
Dial M for Mortgage Fraud
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Trump’s brazen effort to smash Fed independence by wielding allegations of mortgage fraud…
- Political Gabfest
Is This Martial Law?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Trump’s deepening takeover of Washington D.C. as National Guard troops from red states…
- Political Gabfest
Gabfest Reads | The Four Years That Changed New York City Forever
Political Gabfest host Emily Bazelon talks with Jonathan Mahler about his new book, The Gods of New York. They discuss the unraveling of Mayor Ed Koch’s New…
- Political Gabfest
Humvees on the National Mall
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and guest host Jamelle Bouie discuss the perils of this week’s Trump-plus-Putin (minus Zelensky) summit in Alaska…
- Political Gabfest
Putting the BS in BLS
This week, Emily Bazelon, David Plotz, and guest host Juliette Kayyem discuss the future integrity of US economic data after Trump fired the head of the Bureau…
- Political Gabfest
Gaza is Starving
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the international condemnations of Israel’s…
- Political Gabfest
Is John Roberts to Blame for Everything?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the latest developments in the Epstein files saga, how Supreme Court decisions under John…
- Political Gabfest
Gabfest Reads | A Beach Read for the Outraged
David Plotz talks with author Carl Hiaasen about his new book, Fever Beach. Fever Beach is a political satire that follows a couple of dimwitted white…
- Political Gabfest
MAGA’s Epstein Obsession
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…
- Political Gabfest
Who Wants a Third Party, Anyway?
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…
- Political Gabfest
Is Trump’s Reckless Bill Unpopular?
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…
- Political Gabfest
Let’s Plunge, New York
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…
- Political Gabfest
Gabfest Reads | Alison Bechdel Explains Selling Out the Progressive Way
David Plotz talks with author Alison Bechdel about her new book, Spent. They discuss what’s memoir and what’s less than memoir in the comic novel, David’s own…
- Political Gabfest
Massive Ordnance Penetrator
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss whether the US should join Israel’s war on Iran, the tragic Minnesota assassinations and why…
- Political Gabfest
Very Heavy Force
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and guest host Juliette Kayyem discuss the ominous juxtaposition of Trump sending National Guard troops and Marines…
- Political Gabfest
Republicans vs. the Big Beautiful Bill
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Elon Musk’s dramatic entrance into the fight between Republican factions over details of the…
- Political Gabfest
Why Destroy Harvard?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss this week’s Supreme Court decision that validates Trump’s firing of 2 officials without cause…
- Political Gabfest
Big and Beautiful or Huge and Horrendous
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the huge House tax bill and its broad economic implications with Harvard economist Jason…
- Political Gabfest
Gabfest Reads | How to Create an Exceptional Family
Emily Bazelon talks with author Susan Dominus about her new book, The Family Dynamic: A Journey into the Mystery of Sibling Success. They discuss the…
- Political Gabfest
Just a Modest $400 Million Gift
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss how Trump’s trip to the Middle East is wildly off the scale of any past corruption and…
- Political Gabfest
Trump Backlash, Australian-Style
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss anti-Trump sentiment in foreign elections with former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm…
- Political Gabfest
Only 100 Days
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the Trump administration’s first 100 days and recent polls, the state of American health…
- Political Gabfest
One Thing Even Trump Won’t Do
This week, Emily Bazelon and David Plotz are joined by Henry Blodget to discuss the financial and political fallout from the President’s threats to fire Fed…
- Political Gabfest
Gabfest Reads | How to Turn the Creative Process Into “Good Trouble”
John Dickerson talks with author Maggie Smith about her new book, Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life. They talk about the…
- Political Gabfest
Trump vs. Harvard
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the Trump administration’s ramped up attacks on Harvard and international students, the…
- Political Gabfest
The Bond Market Shrieks
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the self-inflicted chaos of Trump’s tariffs and an escalating trade war with China; the…
- Political Gabfest
The Democrats Had A Good Day
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss liberal judge Susan Crawford’s sweeping victory in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race; Trump’s…
- Political Gabfest
Houthi PC Small Group
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the hilarious-if-it-wasn’t-so-terrifying accidental sending of secret attack plans from Trump…
- Political Gabfest
The “Constitutional Crisis Is Here”
This week, John Dickerson and David Plotz are joined by Ruth Marcus to discuss the showdown over mass deportation and the government’s defiant response to…
- Political Gabfest
Gabfest Reads | The Day the Challenger Fell From the Sky
David Plotz talks with author Adam Higginbotham about his new book, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space. They discuss the…
- Political Gabfest
What Happens When Government Breaks
This week, John Dickerson and David Plotz are joined by Juliette Kayyem to discuss how Elon Musk and DOGE are endangering Americans; the Trump administration’s…
- Political Gabfest
Trump’s Display of Dominance
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss President Trump’s authoritarian address to Congress and whipsawing on tariffs; the outright…
- Political Gabfest
So Europe is Our Enemy Now?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the future of the transatlantic alliance and Ukraine in the wake of the UN resolution votes…
- Political Gabfest
The “Justice Department is Dire“
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the apparent corrupt bargain involving NYC mayor Eric Adams and the bonfire of Justice…
- Political Gabfest
Gabfest Reads | A Former Haitian President’s Grandson Lives the Modern Immigrant Experience
Emily Bazelon talks with author Rich Benjamin about his new book, Talk to Me: Lessons From a Family Forged by History. They delve into Rich’s complex family…
- Political Gabfest
Trump vs. The Judges
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the constitutional crisis developing between President Trump and the courts, the attack on…
- Political Gabfest
Elon Musk’s DOGE Rampage
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Elon Musk’s speedy assault on federal agencies, talk to guest David Leonhardt about the…
- Political Gabfest
Elon Musk’s Fork in the Road
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the chaos and coming fight around impoundment of federal grants; the surprise market shakeup…
- Political Gabfest
This Time Trump Knows What He’s Doing
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss President Trump’s flurry of executive orders on the federal workforce and immigration; the…
- Political Gabfest
Gabfest Reads | Finding Connection in the Aftermath of History’s Horrors
Emily Bazelon talks with author Yael van der Wouden about her debut novel, The Safekeep. They discuss why Yael chose a queer love story, how Yael’s own Dutch…
- Political Gabfest
Every Single Trump Pick Will Be Confirmed
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the Senate confirmation hearings of Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees, including Pete Hegseth…
- Political Gabfest
One Measly Report
This week, Emily Bazelon and David Plotz are joined by Juliette Kayyem and discuss the status of the Jack Smith reports and Donald Trump’s legal troubles; Mark…
- Political Gabfest
The “Thank You, Jimmy Carter” Edition
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the presidency and post-presidential life of Jimmy Carter; the infighting of Elon Musk v…
- Political Gabfest
The “2024 Conundrums” Edition
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz close out a confounding year by answering listeners’ Conundrums. Thank you to Conundrums contributors…
- Political Gabfest
Gabfest Reads: The Life and Legacy of John Lewis
Slate Political Gabfest host David Plotz talks with author David Greenberg about his new book, John Lewis: A Life. They discuss how Lewis went from marching…