The Al Franken Podcast

4.6 (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.

1D AGO

Best Of: John Fugelsang on Jesus and Politics

Donald Trump and the Republican Party have the backing of Evangelicals and fundamentalist Christians. But if you read the Bible or listen to the teachings of Jesus Christ, it would be clear that their policies are anything but Christ-like. In this week's Best Of episode, we're joined by comedian, radio host, and NYT bestselling author John Fugelsang to discuss his book, “Separation of Church and Hate.” In this conversation, that originally aired in October of last year, Fugelsang shares his unique perspective as a Christian who was raised by a former nun and a Franciscan Brother. He shows the disconnect between what far-right Christians claim Jesus taught versus what he actually said in the Bible. Jesus promoted peace, love, compassion, and mercy... None of which are evident in today's Republican Party. We also break down many social issues that right-wing Christians use their faith to justify. Jesus advocated against the death penalty, provided for the poor, and never once said that homosexuality is a sin. Not to mention abortion, which was weaponized in the 1980s to consolidate power under Ronald Reagan. We hope this interview can help you engage with right-wing Christians in a civil way by pointing to actual scripture, which might help them see the contradictions and lies that their party embraces. READ John's bestselling book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Separation-of-Church-and-Hate/John-Fugelsang/9781668066898 LISTEN to The John Fugelsang Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-john-fugelsang-podcast/id1464094232 SUPPORT THE SHOW BY VISITING OUR SPONSORS Visit American Giant to get their Classic Full Zip Hoodie and other cold weather staples. Get 20% off of your first order by entering the code FRANKEN at checkout! https://www.american-giant.com

39 min
MAR 29

Rep. Madeleine Dean on POTUS Pardon Corruption

Guest Host Norm Ornstein welcomes Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) to discuss legislation they're working on to curb the President's pardon power after the onslaught of blatantly corrupt pardons from the Trump administration. Rep. Dean was the former impeachment manager for Trump's second impeachment, so she also addresses how the blanket pardon of all January 6th insurrectionists especially grotesque. We also discuss the latest on the "stolen documents" case and what Trump might have intended for them. Plus, people are making LOTS of money on insider trading around the Iran War. Rep. Dean shares her thoughts on the ICE brutality her constituents in Pennsylvania and around the country are facing. And she shares her first hand account of the Dilley detention center, where ICE is mistreating detainees and neglecting children. LEARN more about Rep. Madeleine Dean: https://dean.house.gov/biography 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

38 min
MAR 22

BEST OF: George Packer on JD Vance

JD Vance has had an unorthodox rise to power. After a troubled childhood, he joined the Marines, graduated from Yale Law School, became a best-selling author, and then won a seat in the U.S. Senate. And now, at only 41, he is Vice President to Donald Trump, a man who Vance once described as "America's Hitler" and "cultural heroin." In this Best Of episode, we revisit our June 2025 conversation with The Atlantic’s George Packer. His piece, “The Talented Mr. Vance,” explores Vance's political transformation and whether he genuinely evolved his political views or cynically abandoned his principles for ambition. We also look at the Democrats' path forward. Packer shares how they can respond to Trump's appeal to disengaged voters. Read Packer’s writing in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/george-packer/

33 min
MAR 15

Brian Tyler Cohen on The Unpopular Iran War

Trump can call it whatever he wants, but we are at war with Iran. Podcast host and YouTube star Brian Tyler Cohen joins us again to break down how Trump has dragged us into this wildly unpopular war. How long will we be there? What are our objectives? And who is behind the bombing of the Iranian girls' school that killed 175 people? Early investigations suggest America is responsible, but Trump blames... the Iranians? And the GOP attack on democracy continues as voters become disillusioned with the Trump agenda. Will John Thune and the Republicans blow up the filibuster to pass the SAVE America Act? Plus, the gutting of ACA subsidies, Medicaid cuts, food assistance slashed, and how Trump's trade war has made good on absolutely none of his cost-of-living promises. SUBSCRIBE to Brian's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/briantylercohen LISTEN to Brian’s podcast, “No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen”: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-lie-with-brian-tyler-cohen/id1515399733 SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY VISITING OUR SPONSORS: Save money on your wireless bill with Mint Mobile. Visit https://www.mintmobile.com/franken. Make sure you tell them you heard about this deal from The Al Franken Podcast! Get up to 15% off your skincare subscription needs at https://www.oneskin.co/franken

52 min
MAR 8

David Rothkopf and Paul Rieckhoff on The Iran War

America is at war with Iran. It's the eighth time that Donald Trump has attacked another country since he began his second term (despite pledging "no new wars" during his campaign). To break it all down, we're joined by foreign affairs expert David Rothkopf and Paul Rieckhoff, Iraq War vet and CEO of the Independent Veterans of America. We take a look at the difficult history between America and Iran along with the current military campaign Trump has started in the region. Trump and his administration have yet to outline exactly WHY we are fighting, and with Americans already dying, it's no surprise that this war is extremely unpopular. Not to mention, this is costing our country a billion dollars a day and will only become more expensive as the war expands. David and Paul discuss the long term impact this might have for America and the Middle East and how it may escalate in the region and could signal a scary moment for the global nuclear arms race. READ David Rothkopf in The Daily Beast: https://www.thedailybeast.com/author/david-rothkopf/ SUBSCRIBE to David's Substack "Need to Know": https://davidrothkopf.substack.com/ LISTEN to David’s podcast "Words Matter" with fellow friend of the show Norm Ornstein:https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/dsrs-words-matter/id1420216970 LEARN more about Paul's organization, Independent Veterans of America: https://independentveteransofamerica.org/ LISTEN to Paul's podcast, Independent Americans: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/independent-americans-with-paul-rieckhoff/id1457899667 SUPPORT THE AL FRANKEN PODCAST BY VISITING OUR SPONSORS: Refresh your wardrobe with Quince! Get free shipping and 365-Day returns at https://www.quince.com/franken

48 min
MAR 1

Ari Berman on Trump’s Plans to Steal the Midterms

We're joined by our friend and National Voting Rights Correspondent for Mother Jones, Ari Berman! Ari is here to break down the alarming ways the Trump administration is laying the groundwork to cheat and interfere in the 2026 midterms and what is standing in their way. The seizure of ballots from Fulton County, GA is a remarkable escalation of Trump's war against democracy. What could he, Tulsi Gabbard, and the rest of his goons be up to? We also do a deep dive on the SAVE America Act and all the ways it would disenfranchise voters. But Ari suggests that it might not have the intended outcome that Trump and the Republicans are hoping for. Plus, we get analysis of all of the redistricting happening around the country and how some of Trump's demands could backfire. READ Ari’s work in Mother Jones: https://www.motherjones.com/author/ari-berman/ SUPPORT THE SHOW BY VISITING OUR SPONSORS: Visit American Giant to get their Classic Full Zip Hoodie and other cold weather staples. Get 20% off of your first order by entering the code FRANKEN at checkout! https://www.american-giant.com

48 min
FEB 22

Molly Jong-Fast on Another Week in Trump’s America

Our good friend and host of The Fast Politics Podcast, Molly Jong-Fast, returns to the show! Molly’s recent writing in the New York Times has covered the Epstein files and why only a fraction of them have been made public. We tackle the Prince Andrew arrest, Howard Lutnick's lies, and the DOJ’s blatant attempt to scrub the files that have been made public. We also get into the SAVE Act and how this is just another attempt by Republicans to subvert democracy. Republican Senators know that the midterms spell trouble for them, so suppressing votes is their best strategy. Will the GOP blow up the filibuster? Does John Thune care more about democracy than Mike Johnson? Plus, we get Molly's thoughts on the latest CBS vs. Stephen Colbert saga, Trump's EPA destroying climate progress, ICE crackdowns around the country, and MUCH more. LISTEN to Molly's podcast, Fast Politics: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fast-politics-with-molly-jong-fast/id1645614328 READ Molly's writing in the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/by/molly-jong-fast

48 min
FEB 15

Mark Leibovich on Trump’s Chaos!

We're joined by our good friend, Mark Leibovich from The Atlantic, to go through a laundry list of current Trump controversies, including his immigration enforcement, blatant corruption, and focus on retribution. Not to mention, Attorney General Pam Bondi's complete meltdown over the Epstein files in Congress this week. We also look at how Trump's new management style involves humiliation rather than firing. So far, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has managed to keep her job, but Mark explains how Trump still made her pay. Plus, we look at Mark's most recent piece about the Democratic Party and its future. With a large majority of the party unhappy with Democratic leadership, how can the party rally to be successful in the midterms and find the right candidate to take back the Presidency in 2028? READ Mark's work in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/mark-leibovich/ SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY VISITING OUR SPONSORS: Save money on your wireless bill with Mint Mobile. Visit https://www.mintmobile.com/franken. Make sure you tell them you heard about this deal from The Al Franken Podcast! Get up to 15% off your skincare subscription needs at https://www.oneskin.co/franken.

1 hr

See All (379)

Al Franken

Host
Madeleine Dean

Guest
George Packer

Guest
Brian Tyler Cohen

Guest
Ari Berman

Guest
Molly Jong-Fast

Guest
Mark Leibovich

Guest
Dahlia Lithwick

Guest
Norm Ornstein

Guest
Wendell Potter

Guest

4.6

out of 5

7,995 Ratings

Is our action in Iran a war?

Mar 15

Lee Esq

It is an unlawful war in violation of the Geneva conventions the UN charter to which we are a signatory and to domestic laws of war. Can you think of another world leader who insists his war not be called a war? That would, of course be Putin. Trump keeps great company.
Power and a sick mind

Mar 9

Gateway cityZen

Excellent conversation. Coupled with detailed understanding of the perils of war, especially one started on a whim without any real plan was important discussion of Trump’s mental illness and deterioration. I wish more commentators would shine a light on the sociopathic personality at work in the malignant narcissist. A man with his sickness should never be granted this much power especially without any checks or guardrails. Damage and suffering is always the result.
Cuban Drones

Mar 8

WilderLander

Couldn’t this be a False Flag by Trump forces, to launch drones from Cuba at America or American assets?
Molly

Mar 2

Dameofdismay

There has not been a drawn down in Minnesota, Molly. We still need help!

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.