Episodes
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
Tara is joined by Republican operative Matthew Bartlett to share their instant reactions to the news that Ron DeSantis dropped out of the presidential race. They discuss the factors that led to this decision and speculate what this means for the election and the GOP going forward. 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: Matthew Bartlett Associate...
Published 01/21/24
Tara brings on radio host and president of the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy Drew Cline to discuss the ins and outs of New Hampshire’s primary, where the state’s undeclared voters are up for grabs. Tara and Drew chat about Ron DeSantis’s lack of local appeal in the Granite State, how write-in votes for Biden might work against Nikki Haley, 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...
Published 01/18/24
Tara Palmeri reports on the results of the Iowa caucus live from … New Hampshire? From a cigar lounge in Nashua, Tara links back up with insider Jimmy Centers to get an idea of the feeling among Iowa voters, before reacting live to the news that Ron DeSantis officially came in second with advisor Matthew Bartlett and breaking down the ramifications this might have for New Hampshire next week. Host: Tara Palmeri Guests: Jimmy Centers and Matthew Bartlett Producers: Devon Baroldi and Conor...
Published 01/16/24
It wasn't the debate we wanted, but it's the debate we got. Tara welcomes Iowa political insider Jimmy Centers onto the pod to recap the latest GOP debate between Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley. Did either candidate strengthen their case to Iowa voters before the caucuses? Does their race for second place even matter? 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...
Published 01/11/24
For this special emergency episode, Tara welcomes fellow Puck colleague Teddy Schleifer to the pod to break down the implications and juicy details of Chris Christie's very recent announcement that he will be dropping out of the 2024 presidential race. What does this mean for Nikki Haley? Did he mean to spill all that tea on a hot mic? Tara and Teddy search for these answers and more. For more of Tara’s reporting, please sign up for her newsletter, 'The Best & the Brightest,' at...
Published 01/10/24
Tara is joined by veteran political strategist and co-host of the 'Highball Politics' podcast, David Kochel, to talk about the importance of the upcoming Iowa caucus for Donald Trump and the other GOP presidential hopefuls. Next, friend and founding correspondent for Puck news, Tina Nguyen, stops by the pod to discuss her upcoming memoir, ‘The MAGA Diaries: My Surreal Adventures in the Right Wing, and How I Got Out.' They share their personal experiences coming up as young journalists in the...
Published 01/09/24
Tara begins today's episode by sharing her brief takeaways from the additional Jeffrey Epstein court documents that were unsealed this week. Then, Tara invites Bloomberg correspondent and bestselling author Joshua Green onto the pod to discuss his new book, ‘The Rebels,’ which details the uprising within the Democratic Party led by Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. In their chat, Tara and Joshua take a closer look at why the Democratic Party might have lost the...
Published 01/04/24
Before we usher in 2024, Tara Palmeri invites the great Alex Thompson onto the pod to recap the political highlights and (mostly) lowlights from 2023. They make predictions and also discuss Thompson's latest reporting about Joe Biden’s unwillingness to accept his age, and how exactly that could hurt his campaign in the new year. 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...
Published 12/28/23
Tonight, we come to you earlier than usual with an emergency reaction pod after Trump's massive legal defeat in Colorado. What just happened? Will it have massive ramifications for the 2024 presidential election? Tara invites CNN anchor John Avlon to join her on the podcast to search for the answers to these questions 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...
Published 12/21/23
Tara is joined by CBS chief election correspondent Bob Costa to share their notes on the state of the upcoming 2024 presidential election. They discuss and debate Donald Trump’s dominance over the Republican Party, the viability of the top GOP and third-party challengers, Hunter Biden’s impact on his dad’s re-election campaign, and much 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 12/19/23
Tara Palmeri takes her turn as the interviewee in a podcast swap with 'The Assignment with Audie Cornish.' Audie dives into Tara's journey as a journalist, what it’s like to cover a campaign in this period of political pessimism, 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: Audie Cornish Producers: Devon Baroldi and Conor Nevins Learn more about...
Published 12/14/23
Tara is joined by political analyst and strategist Steve Schmidt to discuss his work with Democratic presidential candidate Dean Phillips and the imperative task of keeping Donald Trump out of office. Throughout their conversation, they dive into the state of Joe Biden’s reelection campaign, the importance of the New Hampshire primary, Nikki Haley’s escalating profile, and much more. For more of Tara's reporting, please sign up for her newsletter 'The Best & the Brightest' at...
Published 12/12/23
Tara Palmeri and Julie Mason team up once again to recap the fourth GOP debate, a.k.a. the Nikki Haley Pile-On. Tara and Julie discuss how Haley fared versus everyone, examine the night’s biggest moments, pick their favorite defenses, 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: Julie Mason Producers: Devon Manze and Conor Nevins Learn more about your...
Published 12/07/23
Tara begins the pod by sharing her takes on George Santos, the chaos surrounding the Ron DeSantis campaign, and the Fox News debate between DeSantis and California governor Gavin Newsom. She’s then joined by legendary Democratic strategist James Carville to examine the obstacles facing his party and Joe Biden in the upcoming election and what they can do to refocus their current messaging to appeal to young and blue-collar voters. For more of Tara's reporting, please sign up for her...
Published 12/05/23
Is Ron DeSantis’s campaign in its death throes, or can he stage a comeback? Tara Palmeri and Florida insider Peter Schorsch search for an answer to this question and more in their conversation about DeSantis’s upcoming and extremely random debate with Gavin Newsom, who's not even in the presidential race. 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: Peter...
Published 11/30/23
Tara is joined by New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu to examine the Republican presidential race and the key challengers to Donald Trump’s seemingly insurmountable grip on the lead. Throughout their conversation, they shine a light on all of the major GOP contenders, discuss some of the Democratic and third-party upstarts, and debate the possibility of either party moving on from the Trump and Biden monoliths before the 2024 election. For more of Tara's reporting, please sign up for her...
Published 11/28/23
Tara is joined by political strategist and adviser Michael LaRosa to reflect on his time within the White House ecosphere and discuss what the Biden campaign team should do to update their messaging to a public that seems to be ignoring his presidential successes. She then welcomes Adam Green from the Progressive Change Campaign Committee to the pod to shine a light on some of the current national polling data and offer strategies on how Democrats can garner political momentum heading into...
Published 11/21/23
Tara kicks off the episode by chatting with New Hampshire political insider Matthew Bartlett about the latest polls coming out of the Granite State, before bringing on Republican Party pollster and political strategist Patrick Ruffini to break down the growing support for Donald Trump among working-class voters of color. 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...
Published 11/16/23
Tara is joined by Matt Bennett from Third Way to examine the new proliferation of third-party groups looking to challenge the Trump-Biden monopoly. They discuss the rise of the No Labels party, debate the political leanings of independent voters around the nation, and shine a light on fringe presidential hopefuls like RFK Jr., Cornel West, and Dean Phillips. For more of Tara's reporting, please sign up for her newsletter "The Best & The Brightest" at puck.news/tarapalmeri and use the...
Published 11/14/23
The GOP candidates just had their third debate, but the larger debate may be why any of this even matters for the presidential race. Tara Palmeri and Julie Mason search for an answer to that question and more in their recap of Thursday’s debate, and give out the night’s gold, silver, and bronze medals in the process. Host: Tara Palmeri Guest: Julie Mason Producers: Devon Manze and Conor Nevins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Published 11/09/23
Tara is joined by former spokesperson for the 2020 Biden campaign, Michael LaRosa, to share their reactions and analysis of a recent New York Times national poll that shows Donald Trump currently leading Joe Biden in six key swing states. They then discuss the Democrats’ growing anxiety over this data, the effect of Trump’s indictments on GOP voters, and whether the divided messaging within the DNC on the Israel-Gaza conflict will be problematic for Biden’s re-election chances. For more of...
Published 11/07/23
Tara Palmeri sits down with former Vice President Mike Pence’s chief strategist, Marc Short, to talk about his time on the campaign trail, any regrets, and the state of the presidential race. Plus: Will Pence continue challenging Donald Trump from the sidelines? 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: Marc Short Producers: Devon Manze and Conor...
Published 11/02/23