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Hell & High Water

John Heilemann sits down with President Biden's first White House press secretary, Jennifer Psaki, who recently left the administration to join MSNBC as a political analyst and host of a new show that will launch next year on Peacock. Psaki discusses how no one was more surprised than her to see her regular smackdowns (aka, #psakibombs) of reporters trading in bullshit or bad faith, most notably Peter Doocy of Fox News, turn into a social-media sensation. She also talks about her struggles with imposter syndrome — her recurring worry that she wasn't really qualified for any of the jobs she's done so well.

Jen Psaki v. Peter Doocy: Behind Fox's Disinformation Machine | Hell & High Water

The Cook Political Report publisher and editor-in-chief Amy Walter and senior editor for House of Representatives Dave Wasserman join John Heilemann on “Hell & High Water” to assess the prospects of both the Democrat and Republican parties at the House, Senate, and gubernatorial levels. Do Democrats have a chance of retaining control of the House and picking up seats in the Senate?

Listen to the full conversation on the Hell & High Water Podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts! recount.co/HHW

For a more in-depth look at why this midterm election is so crucial for Democrats, check out “Margin of Error,” hosted by The Recount’s Steve Morris, where he breaks down what you need to know leading up to November. recount.co/MOEep1

Democracy on the Brink This Midterm Election | Hell & High Water

John Heilemann talks with visionary film and television director Allen Hughes about Dear Mama — the sprawling, spellbinding documentary series about the lives and times of hip hop icon Tupac Shakur and his mother, Afeni, a prominent member of the Black Panther Party in the Sixties and Seventies — that Hughes has been working on for much of the past three years. The first episode of Dear Mama premieres on September 15 at the Toronto International Film Festival, with the entire five-part series airing on FX later this year; Hughes's conversation with Heilemann is the first time he has spoken in detail about the project. In this clip, they discuss the hot-eyed feud between hip hop's East Coast and West Coast factions in the Nineties and the still much-debated circumstances surrounding Tupac's murder in Las Vegas in 1996. Listen to the full conversation on the Hell and High Water Podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts!

Allen Hughes Says There’s No Confusion About Tupac Shakur’s Death | Hell & High Water

John Heilemann goes all-in on "The Bear" — the FX series set in the fictional sandwich shop The Original Beef of Chicagoland that came out of nowhere (Yes, chef) to become the breakout show of the summer (Heard, chef), the source of a jillion Internet memes (Hands!), and a full-blown cultural phenomenon (all day) — with its star, Jeremy Allen White, and creator, Chris Storer. White and Storer discuss the show's surprising runaway success and their passion for and commitment to creating the first scripted series ever to capture the realities of the world of restaurant kitchens accurately and authentically.

BTS of the Viral 'Yes, Chef' and a Peek into the Kitchen Industry | Hell & High Water

John Heilemann speaks with former Obama campaign and White House communications guru and Pod Save America co-host Dan Pfeiffer about Pfeiffer's new book, Battling the Big Lie: How Fox, Facebook, and the MAGA Media Are Destroying America. The two discuss the right-wing disinformation and propaganda machine, how it works, why it's so powerful, and how Democrats can change their messaging to fight back. Catch their full conversation on the Hell and High Water podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts.

How Democrats Can Win the 2022 Midterms | Hell & High Water

John Heilemann talks with George Conway conservative superstar litigator, and one of the sharpest and most savage Never Trump Republicans – and also, ahem, husband to Trump’s 2016 campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway - about the FBI's search of Mar-a-Lago; the ways in which Trump is as much a symptom as he is a cause of the extreme right's mentality; and Trump’s bizarro-world belief that, despite the imminent legal jeopardy he faces, last week’s events were actually a boon to him politically.

Will More People Rally Around Donald Trump After the Mar-a-Lago Search? | Hell & High Water

John Heilemann goes deep with two leading voices at the intersection of law, national security, and Trumpworld – George Conway and Asha Rangappa — into the fallout from the FBI’s search-and-seizure operation at Mar-a-Lago and the Justice Department’s investigation of Donald Trump for illegally being in possession of classified documents, including top secret material ... some of which may pertain to nuclear weapons. They also discuss the appalling chorus of Republican elected officials and media magpies demonizing the FBI and stirring up animus, threats, and actual violence against federal law enforcement officials. Listen to the Hell & High Water podcast for John's full conversation with Asha and George.

Why Was The GOP So Quick to Attack The FBI After Mar-a-Lago? | Hell & High Water

John Heilemann talks with authors Mark Leibovich (Thank You for Your Servitude: Donald Trump's Washington and the Price of Submission) and Tim Miller (Why We Did It: A Travelogue From the Republican Road to Hell) about Lindsey Graham's soulless craving for proximity to power; how his ever-changing opinion of the former president is an act to maintain relevance; and what the Senator from South Carolina really thinks of Donald Trump.

“This Was His Genuine View Of Donald Trump" | Hell & High Water

John Heilemann talks with Jonathan Lemire, White House Bureau Chief at Politico, host of Way Too Early on MSNBC, and author of the new book, The Big Lie: Election Chaos, Political Opportunism, and the State of American Politics After 2020, about various 2024 scenarios, from a Biden v. Trump rematch to potential presidential runs by Ron DeSantis and Gavin Newsom, the ultra-thirsty governors of Florida and California

President Biden Can Beat Trump, But Can He Beat Trumpism? | Hell & High Water

John Heilemann talks with Lis Smith, Democratic communications guru and author of a new memoir, Any Given Tuesday: A Political Love Story, about her experience working in Andrew Cuomo's cabinet amidst the string of sexual assault allegations that were made against him in 2018, why she initially believed him, and what she's learned from it all.
Tune in to the full podcast to hear more about Lis Smith's 20-year-long career as a political communications strategists and her predictions for 2024.

Why Lis Smith Believed Andrew Cuomo, At First | Hell & High Water

John Heilemann talks with Marie Brenner, Vanity Fair writer-at-large and author of the new book, “The Desperate Hours: One Hospital's Fight to Save a City on the Pandemic's Front Lines,” about her estimable career as a journalist and just how little Donald Trump has changed since she wrote a truth-telling magazine piece on him in 1990 titled "After the Gold Rush." Brenner recounts a run-in she had with Trump after the piece was published in which a younger, but-nonetheless-brash version of the former President took revenge on her in a public, scene-making, cowardly — and perfectly Trumpian — fashion.

Trump Came Up Behind Me and Poured a Glass of Wine Down My Back | Hell & High Water

John Heilemann talks with former Missouri Sec. of State Jason Kander, author of “Invisible Storm: A Soldier’s Memoir of Politics and PTSD,” about why he thinks Donald Trump didn’t create today’s divisions, why the entire world is facing an existential crisis over democracy and authoritarianism, and why he thinks any potential charges for Jan. 6 won't impact the midterms.

Tune in to the full podcast to hear more about Jason’s desire to destigmatize PTSD treatment and optimism.

Trump vs. Anti-Trumpers Isn't America's Real Fight | Hell & High Water

John Heilemann talks with Alyssa Mastromonaco and Dan Pfeiffer, former senior advisers to Barack Obama, about the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. And Alyssa explains how the ruling is the result of one man’s 30-year-goal.

Tune in to the full podcast to hear more about impact of the January 6 committee's hearings, Matthew McConaughey's emotional remarks at the White House about the Uvalde school massacre, and Dan’s new book, “Battling the Big Lie: How Fox, Facebook, and the MAGA Media Are Destroying America.”

Mitch McConnell's 30-Year Plan: How One Man Shifted the Course of A Nation | Hell & High Water

John Heilemann talks with Alyssa Mastromonaco and Dan Pfeiffer, former senior advisers to Barack Obama, about their initial reactions to the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. Dan also talks to John about why and how he thinks Republicans would go even further if they win control of Congress, and what Democrats' next move should be.

Tune in to the full podcast to hear more about impact of the January 6 committee's hearings, Matthew McConaughey's emotional remarks at the White House about the Uvalde school massacre, and Dan’s new book, “Battling the Big Lie: How Fox, Facebook, and the MAGA Media Are Destroying America.”

Post-Roe: Can Republicans Enact A Nationwide Abortion Ban? | Hell & High Water

John Heilemann talks with Symone Sanders, former senior adviser and spokesperson for Vice President Kamala Harris, top aide on Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign and Bernie Sanders’s 2016 bid, and now host of a new weekend show on MSNBC, Symone. Heilemann and Sanders discuss her experience growing up Black in Omaha, Nebraska, how she convinced Bernie Sanders to hire her (at just 24 years old, with no presidential-campaign experience) as his campaign press secretary, and why she made the transition from Bernie to Biden just four years later. Tune in to the full episode to hear about the launch of the January 6th House Select Committee’s televised hearings, the strength of Liz Cheney’s performance; the shocking evidence of Donald Trump’s dereliction of duty on that fateful day; and Symone’s memories of being at the DNC that day with VP Harris when they learned that a bomb had planted there.

Looking Ahead to the 2024 Election With MSNBC Host Symone Sanders | Hell & High Water

John Heilemann talks with Symone Sanders, former senior adviser and spokesperson for Vice President Kamala Harris, top aide on Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign and Bernie Sanders’s 2016 bid, and now host of a new weekend show on MSNBC, Symone. Heilemann and Sanders discuss the launch of the January 6th House Select Committee’s televised hearings, the strength of Liz Cheney’s performance, and the shocking evidence of Donald Trump’s dereliction of duty on 1/6. They also discuss Symone’s memories of being at the DNC that day with VP Harris when they learned that a bomb had planted there. Tune in to the full episode to hear about Symone’s experience growing up Black in Omaha, Nebraska, how she convinced Bernie Sanders to hire her (at just 24 years old, with no presidential-campaign experience) as his campaign press secretary, and a childhood spent acting out (with the help of an imaginary alter ego named Donna Burns) the very role she’s playing now as a TV host.

The One Thing Trump Didn't Do on January 6th | Hell & High Water

Has QAnon Infiltrated the GOP? | Hell & High Water

PREVIEW of January 6th Hearings By Former 1/6 Committee Member Denver Riggleman | Hell & High Water

John Heilemann talks with former Attorney General Eric Holder and speechwriter Sam Koppelman, co-authors of the new book Our Unfinished March: The Violent Past and Imperiled Future of the Vote — A History, a Crisis, a Plan. They discuss the significance and larger implications of the Georgia primaries, why Brian Kemp’s victory over David Perdue is no victory for Democracy, and the insidious nature of Georgia’s voting laws that protect the counting of ballots while making it harder for Black citizens to vote. Tune in to the full episode to hear about the importance of the right to vote and why it has been under siege since the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision in Shelby County v. Holder, and their wide-ranging prescriptions for saving the American democratic process, including not just protections of voting rights but fundamental reforms to the Supreme Court, the U.S. Senate, congressional redistricting, and the Electoral College.

A Better Look at the Georgia Primaries and Election Integrity | Hell & High Water

John Heilemann talks with former Attorney General Eric Holder and speechwriter Sam Koppelman, co-authors of the new book Our Unfinished March: The Violent Past and Imperiled Future of the Vote — A History, a Crisis, a Plan. In the wake of the fatal shooting of 19 schoolchildren and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, they discuss the Republican Party’s intransigence on the Second Amendment, the impact and influence of the gun lobby, and what might be required to shock voters and their representatives in Congress into reforming the nation’s gun laws. Tune in to the full episode to hear about the importance of the right to vote and why it has been under siege since the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision in Shelby County v. Holder, and their wide-ranging prescriptions for saving the American democratic process, including not just protections of voting rights but fundamental reforms to the Supreme Court, the U.S. Senate, congressional redistricting, and the Electoral College.

What It Will Take to Shock Congress Into Action On Gun Violence | Hell & High Water

John Heilemann talks with Mallory McMorrow, the 35-year-old Democratic state senator in Michigan whose fiery, 5-minute floor speech last month denouncing the Republican Party’s divisive rhetoric and demagogic tactics on cultural issues (and its targeting of LGBTQ Americans in particular) went wildly viral .... turning her into an overnight national political sensation. Heilemann and McMorrow discuss the genesis of the speech, her decision to speak out after being baselessly accused of “grooming” children by a GOP colleague, and how Democrats can and should fight back against the Republican culture war and reclaim the language of faith from those using it as a weapon. Tune in to the full episode to hear why McMorrow agrees with James Carville that Democrats have a “wokeness problem” — and why her method of arguing in favor of progressive goals in language suited to the factory floor, not the faculty lounge, is the solution.

Behind The Viral Speech That Made Mallory McMorrow an Overnight Sensation | Hell & High Water

John Heilemann talks with Mallory McMorrow, the 35-year-old Democratic state senator in Michigan whose fiery, 5-minute floor speech last month denouncing the Republican Party’s divisive rhetoric and demagogic tactics on cultural issues (and its targeting of LGBTQ Americans in particular) went wildly viral .... turning her into an overnight national political sensation. Heilemann and McMorrow discuss the likely overturning of Roe v. Wade and the implications for women in Michigan, the extreme views held by numerous Republican candidates on the issue (including one candidate seeking to impose a birth control ban), and the high stakes of the November elections. Tune in to the full episode to hear about McMorrow’s decision to speak out after being baselessly accused of “grooming” children by a GOP colleague, and how Democrats can and should fight back against the Republican culture war and reclaim the language of faith from those using it as a weapon.

State Sen. Mallory McMorrow On Abortion Rights In Michigan | Hell & High Water

John Heilemann talks with two-time Peabody Award-winning comedian Hasan Minhaj, best known for hosting six seasons of the Netflix series Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj and his widely acclaimed Netflix special, Homecoming King. Heilemann and Minhaj discuss the centrality of his autobiography as a first-generation Indian- and Muslim-American, and experience growing up in a predominantly white neighborhood, to his work. They also discuss Minhaj’s internal debates about whether or not he should perform in the Middle East — and the advice he received from Trevor Noah on the issue. Tune in to the full episode to hear about his breakout stint as a correspondent for The Daily Show and how it shaped his political and social commentary; his 2017 performance at the White House Correspondents dinner and his return to the capital two years later to testify before Congress on the student loan crisis; and the embrace of Homecoming King as a “calling card for a new brown America.”

How Being Muslim Shapes Hasan Minhaj’s Comedy

John Heilemann talks with two-time Peabody Award-winning comedian Hasan Minhaj, best known for hosting six seasons of the Netflix series Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj and his widely acclaimed Netflix special, Homecoming King. Heilemann and Minhaj discuss how being a debate kid changed his life and jump-started his comedy career, why making people laugh gave him a sense of agency and control, and how he decided to pursue political comedy professionally. Tune in to the full episode to hear about his breakout stint as a correspondent for The Daily Show and how it shaped his political and social commentary; his 2017 performance at the White House Correspondents dinner and his return to the capital two years later to testify before Congress on the student loan crisis; and the embrace of Homecoming King as a “calling card for a new brown America.”

How Hasan Minhaj Fell in Love with Comedy