Episodes
This week finds Gibbs flying solo as Axe and Murphy are, shall we say, on the run. Nevertheless, the show must go on, and Gibbs is joined by two esteemed guests: GOP pollster Whit Ayers and Jonathan Martin, renowned author of “This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden and the Battle for America’s Future". Together, they embark on a deep dive into the week's tumultuous news cycle, examining everything from the latest New York Times poll to Trump’s hush money jury selection, the challenges and...
Published 04/16/24
This week, Axe and Murphy were joined by the distinguished Hack and renowned lie detective, Sasha Issenberg. Together, they delve into Trump's contradictory stance on abortion and his intriguing status as a Florida voter. The Hacks also dissect Biden's endeavors for student loan forgiveness, the evolving landscape of TikTok, the complexities of foreign policy, ongoing conflicts, the impact of social media, the rise of deep fakes, the lunar eclipse, and oh so much more!
Published 04/09/24
Published 04/09/24
This week Axe & Murphy were joined by a fan favorite Hackeroo, the great John Heilemann. The guys discussed Biden’s three presidents event, Trump’s holiday messaging, campaign financing, margins of error, debates, gag orders, hush money, porn stars, and so much more!
Published 04/02/24
The week Axe and Murphy were joined by Bakari Sellers, a former South Carolina State Rep, current attorney, and political commentator—making his debut appearance on Hacks on Tap! The Hacks discussed the propitious time we find ourselves in (bet you can’t guess who chose that word), Trump as a Showman, recent polls and their contextual significance, one-party rule, running against the couch, as well as knives, forks, and geometry. And, of course, so much more!
Published 03/26/24
This week Gibbs and Murphy were joined by the scoop-master Hackeroo extraordinaire Maggie Haberman, who is the Senior Political Correspondent for the New York Times and author of “Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America”. The Hacks discuss Trump’s colorful rally in Dayton, the Ohio Senate race, Biden’s messaging problems and opportunities, and so much more. Tune in for the brilliant analysis, listen all the way through for all of Murphy’s insider gossip.
Published 03/19/24
This week, Axe and Murphy were joined by the immortal and excellent Amy Walter, publisher, and editor-in-chief of The Cook Report with Amy Walter. The Hacks discuss Biden’s State of the Union speech and Katie Britt’s rebuttal. The guys also delve into discuss the state of the race, new campaign ads, the Trump Lobotomy Academy, guys in suits yelling at each other, loyalty purges and fun house mirrors. 
Published 03/13/24
This week, Murray and Gibbs took off on vacation, their absence becoming our gain, as Axe welcomed two powerhouse Hackeroos, along with familiar faces Jen Psaki and Scott Jennings. The Hacks delve into the aftermath of Super Tuesday, Haley's exit and its impact on the race, the art of acceptance speeches, effective messaging strategies, weird-ass campaigns, the ever-relevant sore loser rule, and the delicate dance of punching down. Plus, they peer into their crystal ball to speculate on what...
Published 03/06/24
This week, Axe and Gibbs had the pleasure of welcoming the illustrious Superstar Hackeroo and cherished friend of the pod, Sarah Longwell, who is the host of The Focus Group Podcast and publisher of The Bulwark. Together, the Hacks embark on a riveting exploration of the convoluted narratives surrounding the South Carolina primary, the tumultuous state of the GOP, the enigmatic campaign landscape in Michigan, Biden's political quagmires, Trumped-up allegations, and so much more!
Published 02/27/24
This week Axe and Murphy were joined by former congressman and savant Steve Israel. The Hacks dissect the adventures of the world's most 'useful idiot' on his escapade to Russia, explore the sneaker culture at Sneaker Con (pun intended), draw insights from the NY-03 race and the Suozzi blueprint, delve into the realm of kitchen table issues, speculate on potential State of the Union topics, savor some nerd food, marvel at Tim Scott's miraculous flexibility in flipping his moral stances faster...
Published 02/20/24
This week Axe and Murphy were joined by CNN Anchor and Chief National Affairs Analyst, the brilliant Kasie Hunt! The Hacks discuss Biden’s age, his tumultuous press conference last week, falling into the orchestra pit, the new Michigan, immigration bill negotiations, Trump’s geopolitical antics, and so much more!
Published 02/14/24
This week, Gibbs and Murphy were graced with the presence of Jonathan Martin, the senior political columnist for Politico and a Sublime Hackeroo. The trio delves into Nevada (pronunciation to be disputed), Nikki, four-digit numbers, Biden’s surrogate campaign, robot campaigns, five-alarm fires, desk chairs on the Titanic, Schoolhouse Rock, calculating double crazy, everything primary, everything polling, everything everywhere, all at once, and also so much more.
Published 02/07/24
This week the Axe and Murphy were joined by Jonathan Karl, ABC News’s chief Washington correspondent and co-anchor of This Week with George Stephanopoulos. The Hacks delve into the intricacies of Nikki Haley's campaign, Trump's unpredictable nature, the unique dynamics of campaigning from courthouses, the importance of reasonableness, chess with irate chimpanzees, bone spurs, bingo bango bongo, and so much more.
Published 01/31/24
This week, the Hacks gathered to delve into the results and implications of the New Hampshire primary, decoding their significance for the upcoming 2024 political landscape. In his usual fashion, Trump pivots his ire towards Nikki Haley. Biden’s campaign begins stepping up its game, preparing for another battle with Trump. And, most importantly, our beloved Mike Murphy has a special announcement!
Published 01/25/24
Axe, Murphy, and Gibbs convene to discuss the aftermath of the Iowa Caucus. Murphy, our boots-on-the-ground maestro, serves up firsthand accounts from the caucus battlegrounds. While Axe and Gibbs dissect Biden’s messaging problem. The Hacks also discuss crow burgers, building momentum, the romance of politics, what’s cooking in the other early states, dancing bears, tiny knives, and cracked crystal balls. The Hacks also walk the political prediction plank when discussing New Hampshire.
Published 01/16/24
This week our trio of seasoned hacks dives headfirst into the CNN debate, mourns Chris Christie's campaign exit, and anticipates the Iowa Caucus outcomes. The gloves are off as Nikki Haley and DeSantis enter a political brawl, while Trump's town hall takes center stage. Our hacks offer sharp insights on Iowa's weather, candidates' dance moves, and the political intricacies of the great states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. Tune in for a whirlwind tour of the week's political...
Published 01/12/24
In the run-up to the Iowa Caucus, Axe and Murphy were joined by expert Republican pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson. The Hacks dive into polling, discuss Nikki Haley’s blunder, the battle for second in Iowa, the promise of New Hampshire, blimps, blemishes, ugly zippers, and large orange marbles.
Published 01/03/24
Axe, Gibbs, and Murphy convened for their final episode of the year! The Hacks discuss recent polling, the upcoming Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire Primary, the one man Biden campaign, singing off a song sheet, Hunter Biden’s legal troubles, and the battle to be the new lion. Plus, the guys make their 2024 predictions. 
Published 12/13/23
We’ve kept you waiting long enough - here is the post debate Hacknalysis with your pals David Axelrod and Robert Gibbs. 
Published 12/07/23
This week Axe and Murphy were joined by ink stained Hack, Adam Nagourney. Adam is a political reporter for the New York Times and author of “The Times: How the Newspaper of Record Survived Scandal, Scorn, and the Transformation of Journalism”.  The Hacks discuss the upcoming Iowa caucus, the battle brewing between Haley and DeSantis, the cost of Thanksgiving, messages from presidents past, eating crow, and slicing the salami a little too thin. Plus, Murphy dabbles in ventriloquism.
Published 11/29/23
Axe and Murphy have a special Hacksgiving message for you!
Published 11/21/23
This week the Circus comes to town, literally, as the guys are joined by Mark McKinnon and John Heilemann, who created Showtime’s beloved show “The Circus.” The Hacks clown around while juggling a variety of topics, ranging from Biden’s acrobatics around recent poll numbers, Joe Manchin’s disappearing act, the elephants walking on a tight rope (and dropping off it), and Trump’s hare pulling. Tune in for even more puns, and even better analysis!
Published 11/14/23
This week Axe, Murphy, and Gibbs convened in the middle of the night to discuss the third GOP debate. The Hacks talk about the winners, the losers, and the battle for second in the Iowa caucus. Tune in to hear them discuss abortion messaging, dime store trump ideas, the royal we, panic polls, losers, and borscht sh!t. 
Published 11/09/23
This week Axe and Murphy were joined by the inimitable and unbelievable superstar Hackeroo Jonathan Martin. JMart is a senior reporter at POLITICO, and co-author of “This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden, and the Battle for America’s Future”. The guys break down the new Iowa poll, talk about who is up and who is down, Trump’s power in the GOP, the new Speaker of the House, Pence’s French vanilla problem, Dean Phillips, Israel and Palestine, the UAW strike, chat GPT speeches, and somehow so much...
Published 10/31/23
This week Axe and Gibbs were joined by Scott Jennings, a GOP strategist, conservative columnist, and CNN commentator. The Hacks pull back the circus curtains to reveal what’s going on behind the scenes in the speakers battle. The guys discuss the potential candidates, the relationship building across factions, role of democrats, and the commentary from the peanut gallery. The Hacks also discuss border security, Ukraine and Israel funding, Biden’s positioning on Israel, potential presidential...
Published 10/24/23