Gloves Off

Gloves Off with Tara McGowan cuts through the noise, holds power accountable, and speaks directly to the millions of Americans who feel politically abandoned to turn outrage and confusion into civic action. In an era marked by democratic backsliding, media consolidation, and historic levels of burnout, Tara sits down with the most influential — and controversial — political, cultural, and media figures shaping our future. This is not punditry. It’s accountability, clarity, and courage — from someone who has been inside the democratic party system and is now exposing its flaws. Each episode blends high-profile interviews, sharp analysis, and Tara’s candid, unfiltered POV. Whether confronting politicians, challenging corporate power, or explaining how information warfare shapes our politics, Gloves Off gives viewers the context they need — and a reason to stay in the fight.

  1. 22 Aug

    Don Lemon on How CNN and CBS Are Becoming Propaganda Machines

    Across America, the free press is capitulating to the most corrupt administration this nation has ever seen. The irony? The man CNN pushed out for speaking truth to power is now more free — and powerful — than ever. And he won’t stop no matter how hard Trump tries to silence him.  That’s why COURIER CEO and founder Tara McGowan wanted to sit down with Don Lemon, former CNN anchor and current host of The Don Lemon Show, for an honest conversation on the state of media right now. What does it really mean to be an independent journalist in 2026? Why is legacy media giving into Trump? Why should everyone be concerned for the First Amendment? Tara and Don get into all of it.  They talk about the Elon Musk deal that fell apart just because Don sat him down for an interview and actually challenged him. They get into Don’s arrest by federal agents while covering the ICE protests in Minnesota and why he no longer trusts Trump’s DOJ. They get into how the Ellisons buying CBS and destroying everything the network has worked for is the same playbook coming for CNN. Once they tell you what to report, how to report and what to leave out, freedom of the press is over.  The silver lining is how Don leaving CNN and going fully independent was the best thing that could have happened to him. He can report on important stories at length, like the Nolan Wells case, without anyone telling him it’s time to move on. He’s actually encouraging every journalist out there whose newsrooms are being bought up to go independent. Build something of your own. Because the state of media as we’ve known it is over.  If you care about media, politics, free speech and the 2026 midterms, this episode is for you. Follow and rate our show if you're enjoying what you hear! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Don Lemon on How CNN and CBS Are Becoming Propaganda Machines
  2. 15 Aug

    This Is How To Actually Beat Trump in 2026 (ft. Rashad Robinson)

    Why do Democrats keep losing? Heading into the 2026 midterms, the left is wondering how we can march, protest, go viral but still watch our wins get rolled back faster than we can win them. That's why Tara McGowan sat down with longtime movement strategist and activist Rashad Robinson, former head of Color of Change and author of the brand-new book From Presence to Power: How to Take On the Fights That Matter and Win. Rashad's answer? Democrats have confused presence with power. Presence is the visibility, the retweets, the awareness. Power is being able to force people who don't want to do something to do it anyway. And until the left understands the difference, Democrats will keep getting played by Trump and the Republican Party.  Take Chuck Schumer. Right after Trump won in 2016, Schumer told Rashad and other civil rights leaders not to worry about the Supreme Court filibuster because Orrin Hatch was an "institutionalist." He wasn't worried about Attorney General Jeff Sessions either because he and Sessions "worked out together in the gym." We all know how that turned out. It's a perfect case study in what Rashad calls "magical thinking" — the Democratic fantasy that Republicans will do the right and moral thing when all the evidence says they won't. So Tara and Rashad get into all of it, including why Democrats celebrate wins the right would never celebrate, why moral clarity alone is a losing strategy, why AIPAC and big tech money still control Congress, how everyday people can build real power and win elections heading into the 2026 midterms and so much more.  Follow Tara McGowan on Instagram: @taramcgowanri And rate our show if you're enjoying what you hear! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    This Is How To Actually Beat Trump in 2026 (ft. Rashad Robinson)

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About

Gloves Off with Tara McGowan cuts through the noise, holds power accountable, and speaks directly to the millions of Americans who feel politically abandoned to turn outrage and confusion into civic action. In an era marked by democratic backsliding, media consolidation, and historic levels of burnout, Tara sits down with the most influential — and controversial — political, cultural, and media figures shaping our future. This is not punditry. It’s accountability, clarity, and courage — from someone who has been inside the democratic party system and is now exposing its flaws. Each episode blends high-profile interviews, sharp analysis, and Tara’s candid, unfiltered POV. Whether confronting politicians, challenging corporate power, or explaining how information warfare shapes our politics, Gloves Off gives viewers the context they need — and a reason to stay in the fight.

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