Episodes
Tara is joined by Puck’s own Abby Livingston to discuss the political chaos surrounding House Speaker Mike Johnson’s perilous decision to move forward with the bipartisan Ukraine aid bill. They examine the viability of a coalition government, shine a light on the internal GOP mudslinging, and speculate on Johnson’s future with the gavel. For more of Tara's reporting, please sign up for her newsletter, ‘The Best and the Brightest,’ at puck.news/tarapalmeri and use the discount code...
Published 04/23/24
Tara is joined by political strategist Nathan Daschle, and they begin their conversation by talking about RFK Jr.'s presidential campaign and shining a light on how both the Biden and Trump camps are attempting to define him. They then examine the big issues motivating voters in 2024, notably immigration and abortion, and discuss how they will influence the big swing state political races. For more of Tara's reporting, please sign up for her newsletter, ‘The Best and the Brightest,’ at...
Published 04/18/24
Tara is joined by CNN legal analyst Elie Honig to discuss the first day of the Donald Trump hush money trial in New York City. They go over the events that led up to this historic moment, shine a light on key witnesses and jury selection strategies, and speculate on the final verdict. For more of Tara's reporting, please sign up for her newsletter, ‘The Best and the Brightest,’ at puck.news/tarapalmeri and use the discount code TARA20 Host: Tara Palmeri Guest: Elie Honig Producer: Chris...
Published 04/16/24
Tara is joined by Puck’s own Teddy Schleifer, and they begin their conversation by discussing the GOP reaction to both Donald Trump’s reproductive rights announcement and the Arizona Supreme Court’s abortion ban. They then examine the state of RFK Jr.’s presidential campaign; shine a light on his mysterious running mate, Nicole Shanahan; and debate whether Kennedy will become a disruptor to either Trump or Biden in the upcoming election (9:29). For more of Tara's reporting, please sign up for...
Published 04/11/24
Tara is joined by Republican political consultant Sam Nunberg to share their reactions to Donald Trump’s public announcement concerning his stance on abortion. Then they dive into Trump’s history with reproductive rights issues, dissect the strategic reasoning for the announcement, and debate the political ramifications that this decision may have for his presidential campaign going forward. For more of Tara's reporting, please sign up for her newsletter, ‘The Best and the Brightest,’ at...
Published 04/09/24
Tara is joined by CNN political commentator David Urban to discuss the religious revival surrounding Donald Trump and the state of conservative politics in Pennsylvania. Then, they then survey some of the intensely close senatorial races across the U.S. and speculate on Trump’s VP choice (24:46). For more of Tara's reporting, please sign up for her newsletter, ‘The Best and the Brightest,’ at puck.news/tarapalmeri and use the discount code TARA20 Host: Tara Palmeri Guest: David...
Published 04/02/24
Tara starts the pod by detailing the vibes in the MSNBC newsroom after the Ronna McDaniel hiring/firing debacle, and examining the abortion pill case on which the Supreme Court is currently hearing arguments. She’s then joined by political consultant Robin Leeds to discuss the star-studded Radio City Music Hall fundraiser for Joe Biden, and expound on the optimistic financial outlook for his campaign (10:11). For more of Tara's reporting, please sign up for her newsletter, ‘The Best and the...
Published 03/28/24
Tara and Puck’s own Bill Cohan get together to share their reactions to the news of the N.Y. appeals court’s surprise decision to reduce Donald Trump’s bond from his civil fraud case and offer him an extra 10 days to pay it. They then speculate on Trump’s actual net worth, break down his appeals pathway, and take a hard look at the future of Truth Social. For more of Tara's reporting, please sign up for her newsletter, ‘The Best and the Brightest,’ at puck.news/tarapalmeri and use the...
Published 03/26/24
Tara is joined by political consultant Sam Nunberg and they begin their conversation by discussing Sam’s time as an advisor to Donald Trump during his ascent to president. They then dive into Trump’s mindset as his 2024 campaign kicks into gear, and debate whether his polarizing political strategy will pay off with another stint in the White House. For more of Tara's reporting, please sign up for her newsletter, ‘The Best and the Brightest,’ at puck.news/tarapalmeri and use the discount code...
Published 03/21/24
Tara is joined by New York Times correspondent Katie Rogers to discuss Katie’s latest book, ‘American Woman: the Transformation of the Modern First Lady, From Hillary Clinton to Jill Biden’. They begin by shining a light on Melania Trump’s role during her time at the White House and breaking down all the ways that Jill Biden is helping out her husband both in the administration and on the campaign trail. Katie and Tara then share journalistic notes on the difference in press access between...
Published 03/19/24
Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci joins Tara to share his insights into the world and psychology of a major political donor. They then take a look at which side of the aisle the Wall Street elites are currently leaning toward and examine some of the big-name loyalists and financiers buzzing around the Trump campaign train. For more of Tara's reporting, please sign up for her newsletter, ‘The Best and the Brightest,’ at puck.news/tarapalmeri and use the discount...
Published 03/14/24
Tara is joined by Puck’s own Teddy Schleifer to discuss the state of Donald Trump’s campaign fundraising and his takeover of the RNC. They then examine some of the fringe political entities looking to make noise on the presidential ballot, like No Labels and American Values (which supports RFK Jr.), and debate whether one of those groups can emerge as a legitimate challenger to either Trump or Biden in the upcoming election. For more of Tara's reporting, please sign up for her newsletter,...
Published 03/12/24
Tara is joined by Michigan senatorial candidate Hill Harper to discuss his grassroots campaign and talk about his plans to heal the political division in his state. They dive deep into the roots of the recent uncontested voter protest, examine Donald Trump’s gains with African-American voters, and Hill offers advice to Joe Biden on how to reconnect with Michigan progressives. For more of Tara's reporting, please sign up for her newsletter, ‘The Best and the Brightest,’ at...
Published 03/08/24
Tara and Marc Caputo from The Bulwark take a break from Donald Trump’s Super Tuesday victory party festivities to reflect on the history of Trump’s legal woes leading up to this point and survey what’s left of the presidential race. They speculate and debate about the political futures of Joe Biden, Nikki Haley, the RNC, and much more. For more of Tara's reporting, please sign up for her newsletter, ‘The Best and the Brightest,’ at puck.news/tarapalmeri and use the discount code TARA20 Host:...
Published 03/06/24
Tara is joined by Hunter Walker, author of the book ‘The Truce: Progressives, Centrists, and the Future of the Democratic Party,’ to discuss the political impact of Joe Biden’s recent performances in the Michigan and South Carolina primaries. They survey his shaky standing with the Dems' progressive wing on the subject of the Israel-Hamas war and debate whether Biden can heal those rifts by November. For more of Tara's reporting, please sign up for her newsletter, ‘The Best and the...
Published 02/29/24
Tara is joined by CNBC analyst Ron Insana to discuss the state of the U.S. economy and analyze the muddled messaging being put forth to the voters by President Joe Biden and the Democrats about its positive gains. Throughout their conversation, they dive into the political implications of inflation over the past few presidential terms and debate whether the American middle class will be feeling the current boom in their wallets by the November general election. For more of Tara's reporting,...
Published 02/27/24
Tara is joined by political strategist Terry Sullivan to share their reactions to the announcement that Nikki Haley is staying in the presidential race and discuss the current state of her campaign. They then examine the beginnings of Haley’s career and speculate on her political future after this weekend’s South Carolina primary. For more of Tara's reporting, please sign up for her newsletter, ‘The Best and the Brightest,’ at puck.news/tarapalmeri and use the discount code TARA20 Host: Tara...
Published 02/21/24
Today, Tara brings Philadelphia Representative Brendan Boyle onto the pod to discuss his state's role in the 2024 election. Congressman Boyle gives his predictions for how integral Pennsylvania will be in the race, shares his opinions on the special counsel report on Joe Biden, debates the merits of an old candidate vs. a wild one, and more! For more of Tara’s reporting, please sign up for her newsletter, 'The Best & the Brightest,' at puck.news/tarapalmeri and use the discount code...
Published 02/15/24
Today, Tara invites conservative journalist and author Charlie Spiering onto the pod to chat about his new book ‘Amateur Hour: Kamala Harris in the White House.’ They discuss Kamala's career and journey to the White House, how she's performed as vice president, her relationship to the Bidens, and how exactly her approval rating might affect Biden's current campaign for reelection. For more of Tara's reporting, please sign up for her newsletter, ‘The Best and the Brightest,’ at...
Published 02/13/24
Meghan McCain joins Tara to discuss their reactions to a special counsel report into President Joe Biden's handling of classified documents. The report cleared the president of any criminal wrongdoing, but referred to him as a "well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory." Meghan and Tara analyze political fallout to the report and wonder how long Democrats can keep their heads in the sand about Biden's shortcomings as a candidate. For more of Tara's reporting, please sign up for her...
Published 02/10/24
On Tuesday, a federal appeals court rejected Donald Trump’s claim that he was immune to charges of election subversion, signaling a major hit to his defense thus far in his battle against the DOJ. To break down exactly what that means, Tara invites on CNN senior legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Elie Honig. Tara and Elie recap all of the charges against Trump, debate which ones could make it to trial (and when), and which ones could actually lead to a criminal conviction. For more...
Published 02/07/24
When will Biden's campaign actually start? Tara brings CNN political analyst and communications guru Jamal Simmons onto the podcast to get to the bottom of that question and others. Tara and Jamal discuss how young protestors might be drowning out Biden's campaign messaging, why Trump might just be appealing to Black voters, and the ramifications of Biden's recently extinguished border bill. For more of Tara’s reporting, please sign up for her newsletter, 'The Best & the Brightest,' at...
Published 02/06/24
Tara welcomes on ‘Network of Lies’ author and the host of Vanity Fair’s 'Inside the Hive' podcast, Brian Stelter, to give his forecast on this year in political media. Will 2024 just be a repeat of 2016? How does Biden become a main character in this story? Listen for these answers and more! For more of Tara's reporting, please sign up for her newsletter 'The Best & The Brightest' at puck.news/tarapalmeri and use the discount code TARA20 Host: Tara Palmeri Guest: Brian Stelter Producers:...
Published 02/01/24
Tara is joined by Puck’s own Teddy Schleifer to share their instant reactions to the New Hampshire primary results, which saw Donald Trump ultimately emerge as the victor. They debate what this means for the GOP moving forward and speculate on how much further Nikki Haley’s campaign can go from here. For more of Tara's reporting, please sign up for her newsletter 'The Best & The Brightest' at puck.news/tarapalmeri and use the discount code TARA20. Host: Tara Palmeri Guest: Teddy...
Published 01/24/24