The Al Franken Podcast

ASF Productions

4.6 (7.8K)
POLITICS
UPDATED WEEKLY

A five-time Emmy winning SNL comedy writer/producer, joins a four-time #1 NYT bestselling author, a three-time highest-rated national progressive radio host, a two-time Grammy winning artist, and a former US Senator. So, it gets a little crowded in the booth when Al talks public policy and sometimes political comedy with notable guests. Think “The Daily” without the resources of the NYTimes.

3D AGO

Atul Gawande on Musk’s Destruction of USAID

Elon Musk and DOGE have been taking a chainsaw to the federal government since Trump was re-elected. It could take us generations to fully recover from the damage inflicted by the careless and cruel nature of these cuts. We're joined by American surgeon, author, and public health advocate Atul Gawande to discuss just how devastating these actions are. During the Biden administration, Gawande was a senior official at USAID. He walks us through many of the great works the program did around the world… and the damaging and deadly road that lies ahead now that it's been gutted. We also discuss the state of our healthcare system and the popularity of Medicaid expansion. The Affordable Care Act has improved the lives of millions of Americans, but Donald Trump and the Republicans threatened to take it away from Americans in his first term. Does he dare try again? To hear more from Atul, check out his recent piece in The New Yorker about the chaotic attempt to freeze federal assistance: https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/behind-the-chaotic-attempt-to-freeze-federal-assistance See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

44 min
APR 6

Catherine Rampell on Trump’s Tariffs and DOGE

Despite widespread warnings about what economic havoc they could cause, Donald Trump announced his plan to put tariffs on nearly every nation in the world. Catherine Rampell, opinion columnist for The Washington Post and co-host of MSNBC’s The Weekend, gives her instant reaction to Trump's plan. If history (and the current stock market) is any indication, we're in for a painful road ahead. Catherine also discusses Elon Musk and how his Department Of Government Efficiency has created painful chaos as he dismantles the government’s workforce and essential services. Read Catherine's writing in the Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/catherine-rampell/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

53 min
MAR 30

Jessica Yellin on Our Anxiety Producing News Cycle

A potentially catastrophic breach of security within The White House has set off alarm bells for both Republicans and Democrats in D.C. Independent journalist Jessica Yellin joins us to discuss SignalGate. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz are both under fire after The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg was added to a group chat that contained top secret war plans (or was it just attack plans?). Will anyone get fired for this? Plus, we talk about the Trump administration's lawlessness when it comes to deportations. What happens when a President blatantly defies a court order? And Jessica shares why she left mainstream news and the importance of independent, online journalism, like her platform - News Not Noise. Subscribe to Jessica's substack: https://newsnotnoisejessicayellin.substack.com/ Follow Jessica on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicayellin See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

38 min
MAR 23

Norm Ornstein on Another Terrible Week in D.C.

It's been another chaotic week in Donald Trump's America, and we're thrilled to have our good friend, Norm Ornstein, back on the podcast. We talk about Trump's Executive Order TO dismantle the Department of Education and what that could mean to communities across the country. We also break down the divisions in the Democratic Party and why Leader Chuck Schumer didn't help the situation by caving to Donald Trump. Plus, what is the future of Ukraine and America's standing in the world as we abandon our allies? Listen to Norm's podcast "Words Matter" with fellow friend of the show David Rothkopf: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dsrs-words-matter/id1420216970 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

35 min
MAR 16

BEST OF: Trae Crowder on Comedy and The Liberal Redneck

In this Best Of episode, we revisit our conversation with Trae Crowder, the viral comedian from Tennessee aka The Liberal Redneck. We talk about Trae's upbringing in a red state, why rednecks are Trumpies, and what happens to a community when the jobs leave. Listen to Trae’s take on Trump's appeal to voting rednecks, even though they might have seen him as a New York elite (from his TV show, The Apprentice) before he entered politics. Learn more about Trae Crowder, The Liberal Redneck: https://www.traecrowder.com/ Watch Trae's brand new standup special, Trash Daddy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VULUOEy-Ro8 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

43 min
MAR 9

Mark Leibovich on the Week in Washington

We're joined by our friend Mark Leibovich of The Atlantic to break down a wild week in Washington D.C.! Donald Trump gave his address to Congress. It was the longest one ever and didn't seem to say much (except blame Joe Biden for all of the country's problems). We also take a look at America's deteriorating relationship with Ukraine and how Republicans who USED TO support Ukraine are turning their backs when our ally needs it the most. Plus, we discuss the ongoing drama around tariffs and why Trump can't seem to make up his mind on using them. Read Mark Leibovich in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/mark-leibovich/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

40 min
MAR 2

War Correspondent Tim Mak on Russia and Ukraine

As Trump and his administration try to rewrite history and say that Ukraine started the war with Russia, we're joined by Tim Mak, war correspondent and founder of The Counteroffensive. Tim has been living in Kyiv since the beginning of Russia’s invasion and discusses the toll that the war has taken on the people of Ukraine. He examines what kind of leader Donald Trump is - will he exploit America’s longstanding friendships or choose to abandon them? We also discuss the future of President Zelensky and how Ukrainians view his leadership. Read Tim's work in The Counteroffensive: https://www.counteroffensive.news/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

50 min
FEB 23

Sarah Longwell on Voter Reactions to Trump's First Month

A month into Donald Trump's second term, how do voters feel about the job he's doing? We talk to Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark and host of The Focus Group podcast. We discuss how Trump is currently in the "honeymoon" period of his presidency and how plenty of voters are just happy that Trump is doing SOMETHING. Sarah also gives advice to Democratic leaders about messaging and how to fight back against the onslaught of bad policy coming from the White House. Listen to Sarah's podcast, The Focus Group: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-focus-group-podcast/id1586423406 Check out The Bulwark: https://www.thebulwark.com/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

49 min

See All (327)

TRAILER

COVID-19 Trailer

This COVID-19 pandemic is arguably the greatest global crisis since World War II. Since the coronavirus hit, Al has been talking with guests about the various aspects of this horrible scourge. To date, guests include: Andy Slavitt, former head of Medicare/Medicaid; Austan Goolsbee, former Chair of the President's Council of Economic Advisors; Dr. Leana Wen, former president of Planned Parenthood; and Michael Lewis, author of the Fifth Risk. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

E1

•

6 min

4.6

out of 5

7,821 Ratings

Great: ya know—for a change!

Apr 4

Music L8d!

Al Franken’s podcast is where sharp political insight meets razor wit. With A-list guests and Franken’s trademark self-deprecating humor, it’s like getting the inside scoop from the funny, snarky guy in the war room. Must listen!
Lousy voice mixing

Apr 6

Paul. W W

Again this week the guest voice is at a lower volume than Al’s. If you hear Al at a comfortable level the guest is hard to hear. If you raise the guest’s voice to a proper level Al sounds like he is shouting. This happened last week as well.
My feelings precisely!

Mar 30

GoGreen930

If you listen to the first 2 minutes alone, you will feel better!!😅 Thanks for your honest opinions on the insanity and scariness of this moment, AND what a great guest in Jessica Y. So insightful and interesting. Thank!!
I never miss an episode

Mar 30

Lee Esq

I wait until late Saturday night for your podcast Al. You’re a critical voice, which we desperately need now. Thanks for all you’re doing.

A five-time Emmy winning SNL comedy writer/producer, joins a four-time #1 NYT bestselling author, a three-time highest-rated national progressive radio host, a two-time Grammy winning artist, and a former US Senator. So, it gets a little crowded in the booth when Al talks public policy and sometimes political comedy with notable guests. Think “The Daily” without the resources of the NYTimes.