Beyond Politics

Matt Robison

Politics may be dismal, but the ideas that swirl around it and shape it are fascinating. This is a show that looks not just at politics, but the deeper ideas from history, science, psychology, economics, and technology that are shaping our world. We feature smart, lively, upbeat discussions with people who know what they're talking about and can help us understand the world better. Hosted by Matt Robison: writer, former senior congressional staffer, and campaign manager.

  1. −2 d

    The First AI Election? How AI Is Already Totally Reshaping Politics

    2026 is the first American election where AI is shaping every link in the chain of political power — from what campaigns put in front of voters, to how voters filter what they're told, to who tech companies are trying to elect.Matt Robison sits down with Katie Harbath — 25-year veteran of the tech-politics intersection, former Facebook elections lead, and author of the upcoming book Disrupting Politics: A Front Row Seat at the Collision of Technology and Democracy (Fall 2026) — to walk through her original survey data and what she's seeing on the ground right now.We cover:Her first-of-its-kind survey of campaign professionals: 87% use AI daily, and most campaigns still have no policy governing itWhy disclosure is more complicated than "just label it" — and the research showing labels can backfireThe voter side: only 9% say they use AI for political info, but that number is misleading once you count AI answers baked into a Google searchWhy Democratic campaign staff lean Claude and Republicans lean ChatGPT and GrokHard lessons from 2016 — and the new "flood the zone" risk Katie's most worried about heading into 2026 and 2028The most underrated vulnerability in American elections: the fog-of-war period between election day and certificationWhy state legislatures — not Congress — may be the most exposed to AI industry money and influence right nowThe forgotten story of Congress eliminating its own in-house science expertise in 1994, and what it has to do with today's AI policy gridlockKatie's own verdict on whether this is the first AI election — and possibly the last one where AI isn't the dominant issue📬 Subscribe to Worth Knowing: https://worthknowing.substack.comKatie Harbath writes Anchor Change, covering the intersection of tech, politics, and democracy: https://anchorchange.substack.com⏱️ TIMESTAMPS00:00 Stream picks up mid-conversation (technical difficulties at the top — sorry, folks)00:41 Recap: the four links in the AI-elections chain02:56 "Panic responsibly" — Katie's framework for AI fear vs. AI promise05:00 Inside Katie's first-of-its-kind campaign AI survey07:00 Is campaign AI use actually bad? Logos vs. deepfakes10:07 How voters are using AI to filter political information11:47 The Forum AI bias research and the "information gap" problem13:11 Lessons from 2016 at Facebook — and the new "flood the zone" risk17:34 Do Anthropic and OpenAI run election war-room scenarios?20:32 The most dangerous window: election day to certification22:53 The Detroit Edison hypothetical and shaping post-election perception25:00 Audience Q&A: why doesn't Facebook stop AI deepfakes?28:56 Geoffrey Hinton's fear: can we still tell reality from unreality?33:14 The optimism case — news audits, agency, and the return to in-person36:14 Audience Q&A: is Kara Swisher's tech reporting reliable?37:16 AI money in elections — and why state legislatures are most exposed41:31 The forgotten story of Congress eliminating its own science office44:47 The politicization of AI policy in Washington46:56 Verdict: is this the first AI election — and the last non-AI one?49:29 Wrap-up and what's next🔑 KEYWORDS: AI and politics, AI in elections, first AI election, Katie Harbath, campaign AI survey, AI deepfakes, Claude vs ChatGPT politics, AI money in elections, state legislature AI influence, election disinformation, Disrupting Politics book, Worth Knowing podcast#AIandPolitics #KatieHarbath #2026Midterms #ArtificialIntelligence #WorthKnowing #DisruptingPolitics #TechPolicy #Deepfakes #ElectionSecurity #CampaignTech

    51 min
  2. Trump's Plan: "Hostage Video With Balloons"

    −6 d

    Trump's Plan: "Hostage Video With Balloons"

    Trump made $2 billion while his own crypto investors lost their shirts — and that's just the opening story. This week on Political Rehab, Republican strategist Matt Wylie calls his own party's Trump-branded midterm convention plan "a hostage video with balloons," the Supreme Court hands Trump sweeping new power to fire independent regulators, Clarence Thomas drops a 91-page dissent warning he'll come for birthright citizenship again, and a campaign finance ruling quietly hands Republicans what Matt Robison calls "a billion-dollar hammer" heading into the midterms. Plus: this week's Battlefield midterm dashboard, and two very different doses of hope.Political Rehab is the show where PTI meets The Daily Show — one Republican strategist, one former Democratic Hill staffer, no scripts, no spin, just the week's biggest political stories argued out loud.🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every week.📩 Read Matt Robison's political analysis on Substack: https://worthknowing.substack.com📺 More Worth Knowing content: @worthknowing-mattrobisonTIMESTAMPS:0:00 – Cold open1:00 – Trump's $2B crypto windfall while investors lose big3:00 – Republicans' Dallas "Trumpapalooza" midterm convention6:00 – SCOTUS guts agency independence, hands Trump firing power8:00 – Kazakhstan mining deal & the imperial presidency9:00 – SCOTUS ruling on transgender athletes in women's sports13:00 – SCOTUS upholds birthright citizenship — Clarence Thomas's warning15:00 – The Battlefield: this week's midterm dashboard19:00 – SCOTUS campaign finance ruling reshapes 2026 fundraising27:00 – Dose of Hope: Congress goes home & "Young Washington"29:00 – Dose of Hope: the SpudCell synthetic cell breakthrough#PoliticalRehab #Midterms2026 #SupremeCourt #TrumpNews #Politics

    32 min
  3. 30 juni

    Socialists Won. Democrats Are Panicking. Is Everyone Missing the Real Story?

    After Zohran Mamdani's endorsed slate swept three New York primaries, headlines screamed that the Democratic establishment is in crisis. Fox News is thrilled. Trump's calling it a "communist" surge. And today, as Colorado votes in primaries being framed as the next test of a Democratic civil war, Matt makes the case that everyone — right-wing media, mainstream media, and panicked Democrats alike — is missing what's actually going on.Jonathan Larsen of The Fucking News (and former producer for Chris Hayes, Keith Olbermann, and Rachel Maddow) joins Matt to dig into whether this is really an ideological shift toward democratic socialism, or a hunger for fighters and change that cuts across ideology — and Jonathan pushes back hard, making the case that you can't separate "change" from what people are actually fighting for.Plus: today's three blockbuster Supreme Court rulings — birthright citizenship, transgender athletes, and a campaign finance decision that could quietly help Democrats more than it hurts them — and a closing conversation on what Jonathan calls "ideological corruption" on the Supreme Court, plus Trump's chaotic 250th-anniversary State Fair.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 – Cold open: today's Supreme Court rulings teased00:24 – Monologue: is the "Democratic civil war" story being misread?05:00 – Jonathan Larsen joins the show06:00 – The core debate: change and fighters, or rising progressivism?12:00 – Organizing, incumbency, and getting "out-organized"19:00 – Live chat: AOC vs. MTG — why the comparison doesn't hold24:00 – Supreme Court: birthright citizenship ruling27:00 – TPS, mass deportations, and Stephen Miller30:00 – Supreme Court: transgender athletes ruling40:00 – Supreme Court: the campaign finance ruling that could help Democrats50:00 – Jonathan's Substack picks: corruption, the State Fair fiasco, and mail-in voting58:00 – Closing thoughts🔗 Jonathan Larsen — The Fucking News → https://thefuckingnews.substack.com🔗 Jonathan Larsen's original reporting → https://jonathanlarsen.substack.com🔗 Matt Robison — Worth Knowing → https://worthknowing.substack.com🔗 YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@WorthKnowingwithMattRobison🎧 Beyond Politics Podcast → search "Beyond Politics" on Spotify#Mamdani #DemocraticParty #DSA #DemocraticSocialism #Politics2026 #Midterms2026 #SupremeCourt #BirthrightCitizenship #TransgenderAthletes #CampaignFinance #ColoradoPrimary #TPS #Immigration #TrumpAdministration #WorthKnowing #TheFuckingNews #JonathanLarsen #MattRobison #NYCPolitics #ProgressivePolitics #AOC #ZohranMamdani

    1 tim 2 min
  4. Trump Just Blew Up His Own Party

    27 juni

    Trump Just Blew Up His Own Party

    Donald Trump just blew up his own party. This week on Political Rehab, Matt Robison and Republican strategist Matt Wylie break down Trump's stunning decision to derail his own housing bill just before its signing ceremony, the explosive shouting match inside the Senate Republican lunch, a major court defeat for Trump's voting agenda, and the new strategy Republicans may be pursuing ahead of the midterm elections.They also examine growing Democratic anxiety after New York's progressive primary victories, launch another edition of The Battlefield with the latest midterm analysis, and finish with a Dose of Hope celebrating America's 250th birthday and remarkable new medical breakthroughs.If you want analysis based on facts, evidence, polling, and campaign strategy—not partisan talking points—subscribe and join us every week.📬 Read Matt's Substack:https://worthknowing.substack.com▶️ Subscribe to Worth Knowing with Matt Robison:https://www.youtube.com/@WorthKnowingMattRobisonChapters00:00 Introduction00:43 Trump Blows Up the Housing Bill03:34 Trump's Senate Meltdown06:07 Federal Judge Blocks Trump's Voting Order09:13 USPS, Mail Ballots & Trump's Election Strategy12:08 Democrats' Progressive Problem?15:16 The Battlefield Begins15:50 Why Republicans Love the New York Results17:30 Ohio Fundraising Surprise19:16 Why Congressional Republicans Are This Week's Biggest Losers20:33 Midterm Dashboard: What the Data Says22:48 Three Republican Hopes Collapse25:42 This Week's Dose of Hope28:35 Medical Breakthroughs You Probably MissedIn this episodeDonald TrumpTrump housing billSenate Republican fightBill CassidySAVE America ActVoting rightsMail-in ballotsUSPS controversyFederal court rulingVoter suppressionMidterm elections2026 electionDemocratic PartyZohran MamdaniDemocratic SocialistsRepublican strategyOhio governor raceVivek RamaswamyCampaign fundraisingPolitical pollingCharlie CookPolitical RehabMatt RobisonMatt WylieSubscribe for new episodes every week covering:U.S. politicsCongressElectionsPollingCampaign strategyPolitical analysisDemocracyPublic policyBreaking political news#PoliticalRehab #Trump #Politics #Midterms #Congress #Election2026 #VotingRights #Republicans #Democrats #PoliticalAnalysis #MattRobison #WorthKnowing #CampaignStrategy #USElections #NewsAnalysis

    30 min
  5. 23 juni

    A Constitutional Scholar Warns: Democrats Aren't Ready for What's Coming

    Senate Democrats are already war-gaming scenarios involving ballot seizures, armed federal agents at polling places, voter intimidation, and election interference ahead of the 2026 midterms.But constitutional law professor and former federal prosecutor Kim Wehle says those preparations may not be enough.In this conversation, Matt Robison and Kim Wehle examine the real risks facing the 2026 elections, the limits of existing legal safeguards, the role of state prosecutors, what the Supreme Court may do next, and why she believes Americans need to start thinking differently about defending democracy.Kim Wehle is an ABC News legal contributor, former Assistant U.S. Attorney, former Associate Independent Counsel in the Whitewater investigation, and author of How to Read the Constitution—and Why, What You Need to Know About Voting—and Why, and Pardon Power.Chapters00:00 Introduction: Is America Prepared?02:14 Senate Democrats' Election Defense Plan04:48 Why Kim Wehle Isn't Optimistic07:15 Voting Rights, Gerrymandering & Mail Ballots10:00 Trump's "Election Integrity Army"12:00 "We're Already There"15:20 Federal Agents at Polling Places?17:00 Could Troops Be Deployed?20:00 Why Denial Is Dangerous22:00 Fighting Back Without Fear24:00 Lessons from the Declaration of Independence27:00 What Citizens Can Do Right Now30:00 Election Protection Efforts Explained34:00 Why Lower Courts Still Matter37:15 The State Prosecution Theory40:00 Can States Go After Trump Officials?45:00 Mail Ballots and Postal Service Concerns47:45 Supreme Court Postal Service Ruling52:00 Supreme Court Cases to Watch53:30 Birthright Citizenship Case55:00 Final ThoughtsFollow Kim WehleKim's Substack:https://kimwehle.substack.comFollow Worth KnowingSubstack:https://worthknowing.substack.comYouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@worthknowing-mattrobisonTopics2026 Midterms, Election Protection, Kim Wehle, Constitutional Law, Supreme Court, Birthright Citizenship, Voting Rights, Mail Ballots, Democracy, Trump Administration, Rule of Law, Federal Courts, Election Interference, Voting Access, State Prosecutors, Election Security, Constitutional Crisis#KimWehle #Midterms2026 #ElectionProtection #Democracy #Constitution #RuleOfLaw #VotingRights #BirthrightCitizenship #SupremeCourt #WorthKnowing #MattRobison

    56 min
  6. Trump Is Leaving Republicans Confused (Plus: The Battlefield)

    21 juni

    Trump Is Leaving Republicans Confused (Plus: The Battlefield)

    Did Donald Trump just have his worst week of his second term?This week on Political Rehab, Matt Robison and Matt Wylie break down Trump's controversial Iran deal, the bizarre FISA standoff that left Congressional Republicans openly confused, a strange and meandering G7 summit performance, Trump's latest public-relations disasters at home, and the increasingly active 2028 presidential shadow primary.Plus: We debut our new segment, The Battlefield, where we track the key indicators shaping the 2026 midterms and explain what political insiders are actually watching right now.Subscribe for weekly analysis where facts matter more than spin.Subscribe to Worth Knowing with Matt Robison:https://www.youtube.com/@WorthKnowingMattRobisonRead Matt's Substack:https://worthknowing.substack.comTimestamps00:00 Introduction01:00 Trump's Iran Deal: Peace Agreement or Surrender?03:54 The FISA Standoff Leaves Republicans Mystified06:20 G7 Summit: Managing Trump or Leading Allies?08:57 Cleanup on Aisle Trump12:15 The 2028 Presidential Shadow Primary Begins15:25 The Battlefield: Where the Midterms Stand Right Now16:02 Georgia, Jon Ossoff, and the Senate Map17:35 Republican Affordability Messaging Tests20:12 Follow the Money: What GOP Spending Reveals21:56 Midterm Dashboard and Key Indicators25:36 Is Ohio Becoming a Democratic Opportunity?27:04 Dose of Hope: The World Cup's Love Letter to America28:57 Trump's Reflecting Pool Becomes a Literal Swamp30:40 Closing ThoughtsTopics CoveredDonald TrumpTrump Iran DealIran Peace AgreementVersailles TreatyFISA ReauthorizationSAVE ActBill PulteJay ClaytonJohn ThuneCongressional RepublicansG7 SummitUkraine AidNATOGavin NewsomJon OssoffJ.D. VanceMarco Rubio2028 Presidential ElectionMidterm ElectionsHouse ElectionsSenate ElectionsGeorgia PoliticsOhio Senate RaceSherrod BrownPolitical AnalysisPolitical RehabMatt RobisonMatt Wylie#Politics #PoliticalRehab #Trump #Iran #G7 #FISA #JDVance #GavinNewsom #JonOssoff #Midterms #Congress #Ukraine #Democrats #Republicans #WorthKnowing #MattRobison #PoliticalAnalysis #Election2026 #Election2028New episodes of Political Rehab every week.Facts. Context. Evidence. No partisan talking points.

    31 min
  7. 17 juni

    The People Who Broke American Politics Are Finally Leaving

    Ten years ago, a faction of Republicans set out to stop Donald Trump. They were right about nearly everything. And they failed.This week, Matt Robison is joined by writer and former Never Trump ghostwriter Melissa Amour for an inside look at why the movement failed, what she learned working behind the scenes, and what happens next as the Baby Boomer generation that shaped modern American politics begins to leave the stage.Along the way, Matt and Melissa discuss Trump's Iran deal, the collapse of traditional Republican opposition, Democratic branding problems, AI, Social Security, generational change, and whether Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z can build something better than the political system they've inherited.If you're interested in the future of American politics—not just the next election—this conversation is for you.Subscribe to Worth Knowing with Matt Robison:https://worthknowing.substack.comSubscribe to Melissa Amour:https://theinsideoutsider.substack.comXYZ: Politics After the Boom:https://xyzpolitics.substack.comCHAPTERS0:00 Introduction: Failure and Hope2:30 The political failure that gave us Trump5:40 Melissa Amour joins the show7:00 Why Never Trump failed9:00 The moment Republicans lost control of the party12:00 Why Melissa left the Republican Party13:30 From political movement to media business16:00 Did Never Trump lose the plot?17:00 What Melissa learned as a ghostwriter20:00 Why political insiders are more scared than they seem21:00 Can Democrats persuade Republicans?24:00 Democratic branding and the 2024 election29:00 Introducing XYZ: Politics After the Boom30:00 Will younger generations change politics?35:00 AI, jobs, and generational conflict39:00 Social Security, Medicare, and the coming fiscal crisis49:00 Building politics beyond red versus blue52:00 Is there hope after Trump?54:00 Final thoughtsABOUT MELISSA AMOURMelissa Amour is the author of The Inside Outsider on Substack and spent years working behind the scenes inside the Never Trump movement as a political ghostwriter. Her new project, XYZ: Politics After the Boom, explores what American politics looks like when Generations X, Y, and Z inherit leadership from the Baby Boom generation.ABOUT WORTH KNOWINGWorth Knowing with Matt Robison explores politics, economics, technology, history, science, and the ideas shaping America's future.New episodes every week.Subscribe:https://worthknowing.substack.comYouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@WorthKnowingwithMattRobison#NeverTrump #Trump #Politics #AmericanPolitics #MelissaAmour #GenX #Millennials #GenZ #BabyBoomers #PoliticalAnalysis #Democrats #Republicans #Election2026 #Midterms #SocialSecurity #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Iran #ForeignPolicy #WorthKnowing #MattRobison #Substack #PoliticalRehab #PoliticalPodcast #Democracy #FutureOfPoliticsSEO keywords: Never Trump movement, Melissa Amour, Trump opposition, Republican Party, Democratic Party strategy, Gen X politics, Millennials politics, Gen Z politics, Social Security crisis, AI and jobs, Iran war, Trump foreign policy, political realignment, future of American politics, Worth Knowing with Matt Robison.

    55 min
  8. Trump Says He Loves Inflation?!?

    14 juni

    Trump Says He Loves Inflation?!?

    Donald Trump says he loves inflation. Seriously. This week on Political Rehab, Matt Robison and Matt Wylie break down one of the strangest weeks of Trump's presidency as rising prices, a growing conflict with Iran, election conspiracy theories, media battles, and Trump's expanding sports empire all collide.The bigger question: is Trump betting against reality—and expecting voters to go along with it?In this episode:🔹 Trump responds to rising inflation with a shocking comment: "I love the inflation"🔹 The economic fallout from the Iran conflict and why Americans may soon feel it at the gas pump🔹 A major New York Times investigation into Trump's efforts to use the FBI, DOJ, and intelligence agencies to prove the "deep state" existed🔹 Why intelligence professionals are increasingly leaving government service🔹 Trump's explosive interview meltdown and walkout after being challenged on election claims🔹 California vote counting, election conspiracies, and the playbook Republicans may use in 2026🔹 Jill Biden's new memoir and why both parties may regret reopening the 2024 debate🔹 The Epstein story that neither party can seem to escape🔹 Deep Dive: Why Trump keeps showing up at the UFC, the World Cup, golf tournaments, and major sporting events🔹 The surprising connections between politics, sports, branding, power, and money🔹 FIFA, the World Cup, Dana White, professional golf, and the business of presidential accessIf politics increasingly feels like a reality show, this episode asks an uncomfortable question:Is Trump responding to reality—or creating his own version of it?📩 Subscribe to Worth Knowing with Matt Robison:https://worthknowing.substack.com🎥 Subscribe to the Worth Knowing YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/@WorthKnowingMattRobisonCHAPTERS0:00 Intro — Trump Says He Loves Inflation0:58 Inflation, Iran, and the growing economic threat4:08 Trump's war with the intelligence community6:48 Trump's interview meltdown9:51 Election conspiracies and California12:40 Jill Biden, Epstein, and political baggage16:31 Deep Dive: Trump, sports, power, and money28:31 Dose of Hope: Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, and the lost art of rivalry31:11 Dose of Hope: What the World Cup can teach AmericaABOUT POLITICAL REHABPolitical Rehab is where PTI meets The Daily Show.Every week, Matt Robison and Matt Wylie break down politics, policy, elections, media, and the biggest stories shaping America—with analysis, humor, facts, and a healthy dose of skepticism.#Trump #Politics #PoliticalRehab #MattRobison #MattWylie #Inflation #Iran #Election2026 #FIFA #WorldCup #UFC #DanaWhite #Media #IntelligenceCommunity #DOJ #FBI #PoliticalNews #PoliticalAnalysis #PoliticalPodcast #MAGA #ElectionNews #CampaignPolitics #YouTubePolitics

    33 min

Om

Politics may be dismal, but the ideas that swirl around it and shape it are fascinating. This is a show that looks not just at politics, but the deeper ideas from history, science, psychology, economics, and technology that are shaping our world. We feature smart, lively, upbeat discussions with people who know what they're talking about and can help us understand the world better. Hosted by Matt Robison: writer, former senior congressional staffer, and campaign manager.

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