The Politics Guys

The Politics Guys - Government Democracy & News
  • 4.4 (752)
  • Politics
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The Politics Guys is an independent, ideologically diverse American politics and policy podcast hosted by experts: political scientists, law professors, and practicing attorneys with government experience. Our mission is to give listeners a much-needed break from conservative and liberal echo chambers through civil, rational, and evidence-based discussion of American politics and policy from multiple perspectives.

  1. 2d ago

    Midterm Predictions, Election Interference, and Trump's Reckoning?

    Mike, Michael, and Trey preview the 2026 midterm elections, examine Justice Department interventions in Alaska and California, and debate what a Democratic Congress could accomplish during Donald Trump's final two years in office. They start with Michael's election models, which point toward Democratic control of the House and a strong possibility of a Senate takeover. But are the polls reliable, and which races in Texas, Iowa, Kansas, and elsewhere will tell us whether a Democratic wave is developing? Next, the guys discuss the controversy surrounding Alaska's two Dan Sullivans, the DOJ's attempt to challenge thousands of California mail ballots, and the increasingly troubling intersection of partisan politics and federal law enforcement. Finally, the guys offer their plausible best-case scenarios for the midterms and beyond. Would congressional investigations expose Trump administration corruption or accomplish little beyond political theater? Could Democrats advance legislation despite presidential vetoes? And might the election finally loosen MAGA's grip on the Republican Party? Michael's Substack The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

    Midterm Predictions, Election Interference, and Trump's Reckoning?

  2. 5d ago

    Major Political Events: The 2000 Election Part 2

    On this midweek supporters-exclusive episode of The Politics Guys, Trey Orndorff and Justin Holmes continue their brand-new miniseries examining key structural, legal, and constitutional turning points in contemporary American politics. In Part 2 of a three-part retrospective on the 2000 Presidential Election, Trey and Justin give a week-by-week examination of what happened after election night in November. The hosts trace the key strategies for both Bush and Gore, the moves of the various state officials in Florida, and analyze who would have won depending on how the ballots were counted. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

    Major Political Events: The 2000 Election Part 2

  3. Oct 23

    Astroturfed Town Halls, The Acton Attack Ad, Raiding Rep. Omar, Meta’s $25B Judgment

    On this week’s episode of The Politics Guys, Trey Orndorff is back with Justin Holmes to look past horse-race headlines and dissect the deeper political science, constitutional, and regulatory developments shaping the national landscape. The guys begin by examining the astroturfed confrontation in Michigan between Abdul El-Sayed and “Tommy,” or Thomas Teepell, a former operative for Senator Josh Hawley. The hosts discuss why "constants don't explain variables" in electoral behavior, noting that while viral moments generate online engagement, they rarely shift voter preferences late in a cycle. The hosts explore the economics of modern astroturfing, campaign spending rationality, and the weaponization of anti-Muslim tropes in midterm messaging. Next, the pair turns to a controversial television commercial in the Ohio governor’s race produced by Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy against Dr. Amy Acton featuring her estranged birth mother, Donna Arther. Trey discussed the academic literature on negative advertising, discussing whether scorched-earth ads suppress turnout and how it might help the Ramaswamy campaign, while Justin addresses the role of perceived fairness in voter persuasion and institutional risks of normalizing perusal trauma in campaign discourse. After that, the hosts turn to an executive branch search warrant targeting a sitting member of Congress, Ilhan Omar (D-MN). Federal agents executed a search warrant of the personal home snd property of Rep. Omar, including her phones, laptops, notebooks, and her passport. Trey and Justin examine the 2006 FBI raid on Representative William Jefferson’s congressional office (United States v. Rayburn House Office Building), which established strict limits on executive searches of legislative communications. The hosts analyze the constitutional danger of sweeping electronic seizures against sitting lawmakers and the evidentiary hurdles of prosecuting three-decade-old paperwork signed by a deceased parent. They close looking at the $25 billion civil judgment against Meta. Justin and Trey discuss the practical realities of parenting in a digital era, the technical barriers to reliable age verification without creating secondary privacy risks, and whether mega-judgments lead to genuine algorithmic reforms or get treated as a cost of doing business. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

    Astroturfed Town Halls, The Acton Attack Ad, Raiding Rep. Omar, Meta’s $25B Judgment

  4. Oct 20

    Trump's Troubled Appointments and War on the Press

    In this supporters' exclusive midweek episode, Mike and Justin discuss Kimberly Guilfoyle's resignation as ambassador to Greece, the Trump administration's antitrust investigation into major news networks, and the extraordinarily short tenure of White House press secretary Katie Zacharia. They begin with allegations that Guilfoyle solicited money and personal favors from wealthy Trump supporters, raising broader questions about political patronage, diplomatic appointments, and corruption. Next, they examine whether the Justice Department has a legitimate antitrust case against television networks that suspended White House press pool coverage—or whether the investigation represents another effort to punish critical media outlets. The discussion turns to Zacharia's departure after just five days, Trump's approach to staffing, and whether the traditional White House press secretary still serves a useful purpose in the social media era. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

    Trump's Troubled Appointments and War on the Press

  5. Oct 17

    GOP Midterm Woes, Russian Diesel, Rep. Omar Raid

    With the 2026 midterms approaching, Mike and Justin examine the increasingly difficult electoral landscape for Republicans, including Democrats' chances of capturing both chambers of Congress. They discuss record-breaking campaign spending, Elon Musk's extraordinary contributions, and why Trump is sitting on hundreds of millions in campaign funds while concentrating his rallies in Republican strongholds. Next, the guys turn to the Justice Department's search of Rep. Ilhan Omar's home, examining allegations involving her citizenship and finances, previous investigations that produced no charges, and whether the timing suggests political intimidation rather than legitimate law enforcement. Finally, they consider Trump's decision to ease sanctions on Russian diesel, whether the deal could meaningfully reduce American fuel prices, and reports of restrictions on Ukraine's satellite communications. They also explore growing Republican resistance to Trump's Russia policy and the broader institutional implications of a presidency increasingly willing to test the limits of executive authority, with Congress seemingly unable or unwilling to impose meaningful restraints. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

    GOP Midterm Woes, Russian Diesel, Rep. Omar Raid

  6. Oct 13

    Is Trump's Approval Too High?

    In this special full-length release of our normally supporters-only midweek episode, Mike and Michael Levy tackle a provocative question: Why are Donald Trump's approval ratings still so high? With approval in the 30s, Trump's popularity looks dismal by conventional standards. But given his controversies, policy failures, and challenges to democratic institutions, should his numbers be even lower? Mike challenges Michael's argument (from his Substack - link below) as they explore Trump's unusually resilient political support, the role of partisan identity and affective polarization, and whether Trumpism can survive without Trump himself. They also examine whether Democrats are susceptible to the same tribal loyalties, why some voters actively welcome Trump's aggressive use of presidential power, and what the erosion of respect for the rule of law means for American democracy. Finally, they consider why fact-checking and policy proposals so often fail to change minds—and what Democrats might do differently. Michael's Substack Piece on Trump's Approval The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

    Is Trump's Approval Too High?

  7. Oct 9

    Midterm Money, Botched Executions, Trump Ads & Measles

    With the 2026 midterms less than four weeks away, Republicans still hold a major financial advantage—but increasingly have to decide which House and Senate races are worth saving. Mike and his fellow political scientist Michael Levy look at GOP spending pullbacks, Democratic opportunities, whether polls may still underestimate Republican support, and what it could all mean for control of the Senate. Next, Tennessee’s second botched execution this year raises a larger question: is the problem lethal injection, or the death penalty itself? The guys discuss wrongful convictions, the economics and deterrent value of capital punishment, whether executions should be public, and the moral distance between supporting an execution and actually carrying one out. Then they turn to the Trump administration’s use of taxpayer money for ads promoting the president and his policies. Mike argues the spending was almost certainly illegal regardless of whether the ads qualify as propaganda, while the two consider why Trump picked this fight—and whether Democratic outrage plays directly into his political strategy. Finally, Pennsylvania’s massive measles outbreak leads to a broader discussion of falling childhood vaccination rates, growing vaccine skepticism, RFK Jr., Trump’s false claims about the MMR vaccine, and Ken Paxton’s investigation of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Michael’s Substack The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

    Midterm Money, Botched Executions, Trump Ads & Measles

  8. Oct 7

    Can Congress Still Govern? Tim Ryan on Crypto and the CLARITY Act

    Former Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan joins Mike to discuss why Congress has become less capable of governing—and whether it can still handle complex issues like cryptocurrency regulation. They talk about congressional dysfunction, concentrated leadership power, the decline of congressional expertise, earmarks, and the incentives that discourage lawmakers from taking political risks. Then they turn to the CLARITY Act and the future of crypto regulation. Ryan makes the case for Congress setting clear rules for digital assets, while Mike presses him on an understaffed CFTC, Trump’s crypto interests, Democratic opposition in the Senate, industry campaign spending, community banks, and whether a lame-duck session may be the best chance to get legislation passed. Tim Ryan on X The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

    Can Congress Still Govern? Tim Ryan on Crypto and the CLARITY Act
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4.4
out of 5
752 Ratings

About

The Politics Guys is an independent, ideologically diverse American politics and policy podcast hosted by experts: political scientists, law professors, and practicing attorneys with government experience. Our mission is to give listeners a much-needed break from conservative and liberal echo chambers through civil, rational, and evidence-based discussion of American politics and policy from multiple perspectives.

Information

  • Creator
    The Politics Guys - Government Democracy & News
  • Years Active
    2015 - 2026
  • Episodes
    1K
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Michael Baranowski
  • Show Website
    The Politics Guys

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