The Sunday Podcast: We were right about Biden, a divided DNC, and Trump's speech, with Kmele Foster.

12 snips

May 18, 2025

Kmele Foster, Editor-at-large at Tangle and podcast host, joins the conversation to dive deep into the intricacies of Biden's presidency and media perceptions. They tackle sensitive discussions about Biden's mental state and the influence of celebrity on political narratives. The dialogue expands to the Democratic Party's internal struggles, the roles of figures like Jill Biden and David Hogg, and the pressing need for gender representation in Congress. The team also critiques Trump's foreign policy while sprinkling in humor about the chaotic digital world of email management.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Vindication on Biden's Health Concerns

Early skepticism about Biden's mental and physical state has been vindicated by recent revelations.
Media and aides protected him, masking his decline from the public and party insiders.

ANECDOTE

Media Reluctance on Biden's Decline

Journalists privately observed Biden's decline but rarely reported it openly due to cultural and political pressures.
Even influential figures like George Clooney hesitated to voice concerns publicly until evidence was undeniable.

INSIGHT

Challenges in Reporting Biden's Condition

Media bias and cultural climate created barriers to honest real-time reporting about Biden's condition.
People saw what was happening but feared public backlash and political repercussions if discussed openly.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

On today's Sunday podcast, Isaac and Ari are joined by our newest team member, Editor-at-large Kmele Foster. They delve into media criticism surrounding President Biden's presidency. They discuss revelations from a new book that highlights the challenges and perceptions of Biden's mental and physical state, the role of media in shaping public perception, and the complexities of reporting on political figures. The conversation also touches on the influence of celebrity in politics and the dynamics within Biden's family and support system. They talk about the complexities of political dynamics within the Democratic Party, focusing on the roles of key figures like Jill Biden and David Hogg, the implications of identity politics, and the challenges of representation and leadership. They focus on the DNC's controversial decisions, the impact of young leadership, and the ongoing struggle for gender parity in Congress, ultimately questioning the future direction of the party. Then, they discuss Trump's speech in Saudi Arabia and his foreign policy agenda, particularly regarding commitments in the Middle East and the implications of U.S. interventions. And, last but not least, the Airing of Grievances.

By the way: If you are not yet a podcast member, and you want to upgrade your newsletter subscription plan to include a podcast membership (which gets you ad-free podcasts, Friday editions, The Sunday podcast, bonus content), you can do that here. That page is a good resource for managing your Tangle subscription (just make sure you are logged in on the website!)

Ad-free podcasts are here!

Many listeners have been asking for an ad-free version of this podcast that they could subscribe to — and we finally launched it. You can go to ReadTangle.com to sign up! You can also give the gift of a Tangle podcast subscription by clicking here.

You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here.

Our Executive Editor and Founder is Isaac Saul. Our Executive Producer is Jon Lall.

This podcast was hosted by Ari Weitzman and Isaac Saul and edited and engineered by Jon Lall. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75 and Jon Lall.

Our newsletter is edited by Managing Editor Ari Weitzman, Senior Editor Will Kaback, Hunter Casperson, Kendall White, Bailey Saul, and Audrey Moorehead.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.