The Briefing with Jen Psaki

MS NOW's Michele Norris interviews former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama about their time in the White House and opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.

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MS NOW's Michele Norris interviews former President Barack Obama about his time in office and the opening of his new presidential center in Chicago.

To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jen Psaki talks with former speech writers for President Barack Obama, Jon Favreau and Cody Keenan, about the significance of the Obama Presidential Center and how the messaging of hope and hard work contrasts with the bleak mood as Americans endure Donald Trump's corruption and mismanagement.

Former President Barack Obama, in his remarks upon the opening of the Obama Presidential Center, tells the story of the origin of the now-famous quote, "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice," from 19th-century abolitionist pastor Theodore Parker.

Reggie Love, former personal assistant...

Former President Barack Obama has made permanent residence in Donald Trump's head for most of Trump's political life, and now, in the shadow of his failed war on Iran, the contrast between Trump's shortcomings and Obama's accomplishments only add to Trump's burden. Jen Psaki traces the roots of Trump's insecurity about Obama, and talks with House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi.

Senator Jon Ossoff lays into his new Republican opponent, Trumpy Rep. Mike Collins, and responds to Donald Trump's petty name calling with withering criticism of Trump's performance in office.

Jen Psaki shares a clip of...

Donald Trump's sycophantic FBI director, Kash Patel, has reportedly caused a rift between the FBI and the Secret Service for impulsively posting to social media about an investigation that was still ongoing, part of a pattern of Patel being unable to restrain himself. Patel's embarrassment comes as he is newly accused of making payouts to his inner circle from a taxpayer funded slush fund. Senator Adam Schiff joins Jen Psaki to discuss.

As Republican candidates wrestle over who can be Trumpier than the other, Democratic candidates are focused on the issues that matter to voters. Keisha Lance...

People gathered in person and online to witness the removal of Donald Trump's name from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.. The Trump administration made last-ditch efforts to delay the removal. Ultimately, the courts pushed back. Former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirshner joins Jen to discuss.

Following SpaceX's debut trading on the NASDAQ, Jen Psaki breaks down why you may end up boosting Elon Musk's net worth, whether you like it or not. 

Jen interviews Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger to discuss her first six months as governor, redistricting efforts in her state, and more.

Jen Psaki looks at catastrophic polling data about how Americans feel about Donald Trump and his handling of issues like the economy and his war with Iran Jen also shares interviews from MS NOW reporter Alex Tabet with frustrated Trump voters who turning away from Trump.

"They thought he was going to lower costs. They thought he was going to end the wars. They thought he was going to drain the swamp. They thought he was going to release the Epstein files. And now they're feeling pretty disillusioned." Democratic candidate for Senate from Texas, James Talarico, talks...

A new report from the New York Times exposes the frantic response from Donald Trump's White House to protect Trump from fallout from the revelations in the Jeffrey Epstein files and his association with the notorious sex predator. Rep. Robert Garcia talks with Jen Psaki about what the report's revelations mean for the ongoing congressional investigation.

In addition to bizarrely declaring his love for inflation, Donald Trump also announced that the U.S. is taking Iranian oil. Rep. Emilia Sykes took advantage of the fact that Trump's energy secretary, Chris Wright, was testifying before the House Committee...

Graham Platner, Democratic candidate for Senate from Maine, addresses his supporters in declaring victory in the Democratic primary, thanking them for his support, laying out his vision for the issues he hopes to champion on their behalf in Washington, D.C., and presenting a blistering criticism of Senator Susan Collins, his Republican opponent in the general election.

Ali Velshi, MS NOW chief data reporter, breaks down primary election returns as they are reported.

MS NOW's Alex Tabet shares his reporting on how Maine voters view the Senate primary race.

And Jim Messina, former...

A report from the non-profit watchdog group Public Citizen points out that while Donald Trump insists that donations are paying for his vanity project ballroom, those donors are being granted federal contracts totaling more than $50 billion.

Ruth Ben Ghiat, author of "Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present,” and Timothy L. O'Brien, senior executive editor of Bloomberg Opinion, discuss Donald Trump's corruption and how his behavior is typical of authoritarians, from trying to put his name and face on everything to going to war against the free press.

The discovery of the screwworm parasite in cattle in Te...

While Democratic candidate for Senate, Graham Platner, has incorporated a story of personal redemption as part of his campaign persona, new details are illustrating just how dark the life was from which he was redeemed. Chris Hayes follows his interview with Platner with a discussion of how compromising the latest revelations are for Platner's candidacy. 

Donald Trump is ready to appoint his own criminal defense attorney as Attorney General, and let slip that he wants the DOJ investigating his 2020 loss to Joe Biden. Senator Alex Padilla joins to discuss.

Former CIA director John Brennan discusses w...

While it is not unusual for Donald Trump to appoint completely unqualified people to important jobs in his administration, his choice of Bill Pulte, a Mar-a-Lago suck-up who Trump had already gifted the position of director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to be the new Director of National Intelligence is too far for many Republicans who are already dealing with the burden of association with Trump's unpopularity. Senator Adam Schiff, a former member of the House Intelligence Committee, discusses with Jen Psaki.

Jen Psaki talks with Iowa State Rep. Josh Turek, now the Democratic candidate for...

Senator Jon Ossoff, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, talks with Jen Psaki about the importance of his Senate race in Georgia to the Democrats' goal of retaking the majority, and shares his heated reaction to the news that Donald Trump is appointing Bill Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to replace Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence.

Jim Messina, former campaign manager for President Barack Obama's 2012 reelection campaign, and Addisu Demissie,Democratic Party political strategist, talk with Jen Psaki about key themes in Tuesday night's primary elections in New Jersey, South Dakota...

Jen Psaki reviews the fresh string of legal failures Donald Trump has suffered, including a federal judge dropping the hammer on Trump's sketchy IRS "settlement" trick to give himself a $1.8 billion slush fund. Former U.S. attorney Preet Bharara joins to share legal insights.

Rep. Suhas Subramanyam tells Jen Psaki about Pam Bondi's behind-closed-doors testimony about the Jeffrey Epstein files before the House Overnight Committee, saying she repeatedly placed the burden of how the release of the Epstein files was handled on Donald Trump's former criminal defense lawyer and current acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

...

Jen Psaki shares reporting from Pro Publica that the White House played a direct role in helping a company in which Donald Trump Jr. is an investor. 

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani talks with Jen Psaki on a range of issues from affordable housing to the New York Knicks and the World Cup, and directly addresses the threat by Donald Trump's Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin that he plans to shut down international flights to sanctuary cities.  

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has endorsed democratic socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier over incumbent Democratic Congressman Ad...

Former Rep. Beto O'Rourk talks with Jen Psaki about why the political conditions in Texas may finally be right for Democrats to start flipping Senate seats.

Donald Trump successfully lured the U.S. media into publishing headlines about another imminent peace deal with Iran over Memorial Day weekend, only for the deal to fall apart yet again and then days later the U.S. is firing more missiles despite the ongoing so-called ceasefire. Robert Malley, former special envoy to Iran, talks with Jen Psaki about the cycle of failure Trump is stuck in and what steps could...

As Texas Republicans follow Donald Trump's direction and give a primary victory to deeply flawed candidate, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Jim Messina, campaign manager for Barack Obama's 2012 reelection campaign, and Chuck Rocha, former senior advisor to the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign, talk with Jen Psaki about how the Republican Party's inability to break away from unpopular Trump is setting them up for and even more difficult midterm election.

Ali Velshi offers insights from the election data.

Jen Psaki describes the basic contours of some of the many scandals that make the newly selected Texas...

Donald Trump's avalanche of unpopular ideas and failures has Republican senators livid and turning against him. Even senators who have distinguished themselves as enthusiastic suck-ups to Trump are voicing concerns about Trump's slush fund and the hardships Trump's economy is imposing on the American people. Senator Richard Blumenthal joins to discuss.

The $1,776,000,000 that Donald Trump wants to distribute to his criminal political allies does not come from an insurance policy or a corporate entity. It is money from American taxpayers. Andrew Weissmann, former federal prosecutor and author of the newly released "Liar's Kingdom," discusses why Trump's fund...

Jen Psaki points out that Republicans in Congress are increasingly losing their motivation to follow Donald Trump through his wildly unpopular vanity projects and destructive policies that are hurting Americans. On top of that are the number of lame duck legislators who ran afoul of Trump and lost primaries because of him and not have the rest of their term to exact payback as members of the "Yolo Caucus."

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse joins to discuss Trump's slush fund as well as bizarre remarks by Jeff Bezos about income inequality and taxing the rich.

Jen Psaki...

Jen Psaki reports on a wild day in Republican politics as Rep. Thomas Massie was defeated in an insanely expensive Kentucky primary by a Trump-backed challenger. Massie's advocacy for the release of the Epstein files put him at odds with Trump. Senator John Cornyn committed no act of defiance against Trump, and, in fact, debased himself in a desperate appeal for Trump's favor, only to be stabbed in the back when Trump endorsed his exceptionally compromised opponent.

Tim Miller, host of The Bulwark podcast, and Jim Messina, campaign manager for Barack Obama's 2012 campaign, talk with Jen Psaki...

Jen Psaki looks at the boasts and promises Donald Trump made on the campaign trail about how he would handle China and President Xi, and compares that to Trump's performance on an actual trip to China.

Former U.S. ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, and former Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr discuss Donald Trump's underwhelming performance in his meeting with China's Presient Xi.

Rep. Jamie Raskin talks with Jen about insider trading and elected officials, including the president, and what legislators need to do to put an end to it.

And David Fahrenthold, investigative...

Jen Psaki shares new reporting from ABC News that Donald Trump is expected to settle his lawsuit against the IRS in exchange for a $1.5 billion slush fund for people he feels were persecuted by the Biden administration.

Former FBI Director James Comey talks with Jen Psaki about the state of the FBI in the second Trump administration, the effect of Kash Patel's leadership on morale and the resilience of the FBI's culture to survive the deleterious conditions of the Trump administration. 

Senator Chris Van Hollen talks with Jen about legislative efforts to hold members of t...

Jen Psaki looks at the political convenience of JD Vance's new anti-fraud talking points as he struggles to demonstrate some relevance while the rest of the Trump administration goes to China. But too much attention on fraud is a particularly awkward thing for Trump, who is trying to find a way to force the IRS to give him billions of taxpayer dollars, and while he his own son, Eric, with business interests in China, has joined him in traveling to Beijing. 

Senator Mark Kelly joins to discuss the corruption in the Trump administration and the incompetence of P...

Donald Trump's FBI directory, Kash Patel, testified before the Senator Appropriations Committee and faced more questions about reports of excessive drinking. Jen Psaki points out that despite Patel's umbridge in the face of questioning, before he became FBI director, he did not exactly keep his drinking a secret. Michael Feinberg, former FBI assistant special agent in charge, and award-winning journalist Tim Weiner join Jen Psaki to discuss the corrosive effects of Patel's leadership at the FBI.

Rep. Robert Garcia joins to discuss the ongoing fight to get justice for Jeffrey Epstein's victims.

Jen Psaki looks...

The Supreme Court's gutting of the Voting Rights Act followed closely by Virginia's supreme court rejecting their new redistricting has taken the wind out of Democratic sails, but the actual math and other political factors still favor Democrats re-taking the House in this year's elections. Dan Pfieffer, co-host of "Pod Save America," and Quentin Fulks, former Harris principal deputy campaign manager talk with Jen Psaki about why Democrats are in good shape to take the House and why the party's focus needs to shift to state legislatures.

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger joins to discuss Democratic election strategy...

Jen Psaki shows members of the Trump administration failing desperately to address questions about the price of gas as polling shows an absolutely livid voting public.

Former CIA director John Brennan talks with Jen Psaki about news reports on the war in Iran that contradict Donald Trump's boasts.

Former Attorney General Eric Holder, chair of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, talks with Jen Psaki about how Democrats should and can respond to Southern states eliminating Black congressional representation as quickly as the Supreme Court gave them the opportunity.

 ...

Jen Psaki reviews the shocking litany of political targeting by Donald Trump's Justice Department, from investigations and indictments to raids of political opponents led by disgraced FBI Director Kash Patel.

Andrew Weissmann, former FBI general counsel, and Tim Weiner, author of "Enemies: A History of the FBI," discuss the level of disgrace Kash Patel has brought to the by-the-book FBI.

Rep. Jamie Raskin joins to discuss how federal workers can use whistleblower protections to report instances of government corruption to Congress.

Howard Lutnick, Donald Trump's commerce secretary, answered questions about his ties to...

Pete Buttigieg, former secretary of transportation and former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, talks with Jen Psaki about the burden of Donald Trump on Republican candidates, even in red states, and how politicians are recalibrating their approach to voters as Donald Trump loses both relevance and any popularity he once enjoyed.

Dr. Amy Acton, Democratic candidate for governor of Ohio, talks with Jen about what she's hearing from voters in her state.

Jen Psaki takes a closer look at how Donald Trump's vanity project ballroom, which no one asked for, has ballooned in cost and...

Donald Trump's corruption and greed have reached a tipping point with the American public to become a campaign focus for many Democratic candidates. Ben Rhodes, former deputy national security advisor to President Obama, talks with Jen Psaki about the politics and also how Democrats can ensure justice is served as Trump's protective power slips.

Donald Trump using his position in the White House to enrich himself and cut deals with taxpayer money for countries and corporations that do him favors is an enduring feature of Trump's corrupt presidency. Jen Psaki and former Obama deputy national security advisor...

Jen Psaki looks at polling in key midterm Senate races that shows Democrats ahead, tied or within striking distance as Donald Trump's popularity continues to sag to new lows. Graham Platner, who essentially clinched the Democratic nomination for Senate from Maine when his opponent dropped out today, joins to discuss the grassroots energy behind his campaign and the significance of his race to eventual Democratic control of the Senate. "Any road to a Democratic Senate goes through the state of Maine," he says.

Graham Platner, Democratic candidate for Senate from Maine, talks with Jen Psaki about the...

Jen Psaki explains the map at the center of the new Supreme Court ruling that is likely to weaken Black representation in Congress and talks with Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock about what the ruling's real world effects will likely be.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries talks with Jen Psaki about how Democrats plan to address Donald Trump's disasters.

Jen Psaki shares highlights of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth being challenged by Democrats in a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee, and talks with veteran Rep. Pat Ryan about his frustration with Hegseth's answers and attitude.<...

Jen Psaki shares part of King Charles' speech to Congress in which he explains the importance of checks and balances in a functioning democracy to the very people who have abdicated their responsibility to be a check on Donald Trump. 

Senator Mark Kelly joins to discuss Donald Trump's misguided reaction to the security breach over the weekend, and also shares his thoughts on a report that JD Vance is concerned that Donald Trump's war on Iran is expending too much of the U.S. weapons stockpile and not achieving the level of success Donald Trump is boasting a...

With a new Fox News poll showing that most American think Donald Trump does not have the mental soundness to serve effectively as president, Jen Psaki looks at the trouble Trump is having even staying awake, and his bad habit of making poor decisions based on the incorrect assumption that everyone will give him what he wants.

White Donald Trump's Justice Department wages a bizarre political prosecution of the Southern Poverty Law Center, Trump seems to be confusing that attack with other political attacks the DOJ has carried out on his behalf. Rep. Dan Goldman talks with...

Jen Psaki looks at the conflicts of interest behind the business deals Donald Trump's sons (and son-in-law) have made with companies that are making millions of dollars from government contracts and the demands of Trump's war on Iran.

Rep. Jamie Raskin talks with Jen Psaki about holding Trump's family members accountable.

Adm. John Kirby (ret.), former Pentagon press secretary, talks with Jen Psaki about what Donald Trump is communicating between the lines while he acts like he feels no pressure and is in no particular hurry to get the U.S. out of his war...

As Donald Trump becomes ever more brazenly corrupt, finding ways to use his power over the federal government to enrich himself and his cronies, Americans are realizing the "checks and balances" they learned about in school are not happening because the Republicans controlling both chambers of Congress are doing everything in their power to make sure nothing gets in Trump's way. The result is that giving Congress the ability to hold Donald Trump accountable has become a campaign issue for Democrats. Jen Psaki explains.

Senator Jon Ossoff joins to discuss the importance of Democrats flipping the Senate...

Virginia voters agreed to a redistricting plan that could increase the number of Democratic members of the House after this year's midterm elections, helping to balance the rigging Donald Trump tried to push Republican states to do. Jen Psaki points out that the bad news for Trump in Virginia comes in the context of bad news from Iran, bad news on gas prices, bad news on consumer prices, bad news on his tariff plan and more that has Trump on a disastrous political trajectory.

Donald Trump's determination to corrupt the Fed was a key issue in a...

Sarah Fitzpatrick, staff writer for The Atlantic, talks with Jen Psaki about her new reporting about a bizarre freak-out by FBI director Kash Patel when he thought being unable to log into his work computer meant he'd been fired by Donald Trump, and episodes of excessive drinking that alarmed his FBI colleagues.

Rep. Greg Casar discusses Congressional Democrats taking a new interest Jared Kushner's potential conflicts of interest while he negotiates with Iran on behalf of the United States.

Jen Psaki looks at examples of behavior by Donald Trump that would have had right-wing politicians...

Jen Psaki looks at the political signs, from special elections to fundraising totals, that Donald Trump's political favor is fading fast and he has buried himself in messes he doesn't know how to fix.

Jim Messina, former campaign manager for Barack Obama, talks with Jen about the strategy Democrats should be pursuing to maximize their advantage while Donald Trump's unpopularity weighs down Republican candidates.

Rep. Pat Ryan and Rep. Chris Deluzio talk with Jen Psaki about Donald Trump's mismanagement of his war of choice in Iran and the bizarre distraction of Pete Hegseth's obnoxiousness.

Jen Psaki looks at the complicated financial entanglements Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and fellow real estate developer Steve Witkoff have in the Middle East where the interests of the United States may diverge from those of countries like Saudi Arabia which wields significant financial influence over the two top U.S. negotiators assign to resolve Trump's war with Iran.

Donald Trump is learning the hard way that Iran is not interested in unconditional surrender, which is forcing Trump to accept that the only way he's getting out of his disastrous war with Iran is to find...

Jen Psaki looks at how Donald Trump and his team of apologists have run out of answers and excuses for high consumer prices and high gas prices in particular, and the burden that is putting on other Republicans. And then, as if he hadn't lost enough support for his anti-immigrant campaign of terror, starting an unnecessary war, and causing a huge spike in gas prices, Trump compared himself to Jesus.

Donald Trump's sharing of an image depicting himself as Jesus Christ healing the sick has turned a spotlight on Trump's general immorality and made a mockery of...