The Blueprint with Jen Psaki

Maxwell Alejandro Frost, the youngest U.S. Congressman from Florida, shares his frustration over recent Senate decisions, emphasizing the need for Democrats to adapt to new political realities. He argues for better healthcare, stating that existing options are inadequate. Lis Smith discusses party dynamics and missed opportunities post-election. Frost reflects on the inspiration he draws from Obama and Bernie, urging young leaders to maintain authenticity in their messaging. Together, they advocate for bold changes to engage voters and sustain meaningful political action.

Last night felt like a make-or-break moment for Democrats, as voters handed decisive victories to the party, especially in New Jersey, Virginia, and New York City. The three candidates that won in those places (Mikie Sherrill, Abigail Spanberger, and Zohran Mamdani respectively) are very different from each other and ran very different campaigns, showing that there isn’t only one face of the Democratic party. David Plouffe, Democratic strategist and former campaign manager to Barack Obama, joins Jen Psaki and Lis Smith to analyze the races, the key takeaways, and how the Dems can take advantage of the momentum to stage a return to power. Subscribe to MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts for ad-free listening to this and other podcasts. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Voters have been hitting the polls across the nation — choosing a governor in two states, electing the next mayor of New York City, as well as deciding on California’s redistricting proposal. And the result was a big night for Democrats. Listen to key moments from MSNBC’s live analysis of Election Night 2025, led by Rachel Maddow and Jen Psaki. Highlights from this excerpt include NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's fiery victory speech and an interview with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) reminding Dems that they'll need to stick together if they want to beat back authoritarianism. Be sure to visit msnbc.com for more on Decision 2025. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On November 2nd, Jen Psaki hosted a pre-election “Blueprint” special live on MSNBC. She spoke with Jen Palmieri, former communications director for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, Pennsylvania state representative Malcom Kenyatta, New York City comptroller Brad Lander, and more about two governor races in New Jersey and Virginia, state Supreme Court races in Pennsylvania, and the mayoral election in New York City. Plus, Prop 50, the redistricting proposal out to voters in California. It might be an off year, but there is a ton going on. And a lot of it has implications for the 2026 midterms. Listen here to an audio version of that TV special so you can have the most up-to-date news and analysis from around the country as voters head to the polls this week.Subscribe to MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts for ad-free listening to this and other podcasts. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The freshman Congresswoman from Delaware has been a politics nerd from a young age. Sarah McBride had Joe Biden’s autograph on her wall growing up, interned in the Obama White House, and then was elected a Delaware State Senator. In that role, she helped pass the largest increase in the social safety net in the state’s history. McBride is known for being the first openly transgender member of Congress, and she says it’s been difficult, and lonely. But she’s in the fight to win – which she says is only possible by rejecting purity tests and welcoming everyone with good intentions to the Democratic coalition. "I think too often we find ourselves wanting the comfort of preaching to our own choir,” she says, “rather than exercising the courage to truly grow our congregation.” And before we hear from McBride, Lis Smith is here to discuss the lessons Democrats can learn from Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner and Virginia gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger about how to weather a crisis.Want more from “The Blueprint”? On Sunday, November 2nd, Jen will lead a primetime weekend pre-election special, “The Blueprint with Jen Psaki: Decision 2025,” at 9 p.m. ET on MSNBC.Subscribe to MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts for ad-free listening to this and other podcasts. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The two-term governor of Kentucky is a Democrat – and he runs a state Trump won by 30 points last year. He’s got plenty to say about what’s holding Democrats back and where they go from here. His most direct advice? “Talk normal.” And he doesn’t shy away from standing up for things he believes in even when they’re unpopular in his deep red state. As one of the most popular governors in the country, it's a pretty safe bet he’ll join the field of Democrats running for president in 2028. Before that, Jen and Democratic strategist Lis Smith talk about how Democrats can win on the immigration debate, becoming a party that stands for more than being anti-Trump, and the gerontocracy fights back via Cincinnati Bengal Joe Flacco.Subscribe to MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts for ad-free listening to this and other podcasts.Editors’ Note: In this episode, Jen Psaki and Lis Smith discuss the NYC Mayoral race. We want to note that previously in her career, Lis Smith worked for and advised former Governor Andrew Cuomo who is currently running for mayor. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Many of your favorite MSNBC hosts gathered recently at an annual fan event to talk about the future of the Democratic party and democracy itself. Jen teamed up with Rachel Maddow to tackle tough and thoughtful questions from audience members including how to cut through all the political noise and how to understand how we got here. Jen also interviewed the cohosts of the wildly popular “I’ve Had It” podcast, Angie “Pumps” Sullivan and Jennifer Welch. Their irreverent hot takes on the current state of our politics often go viral, and they didn’t hold back in their conversation with Jen. This is the Blueprint, live from MSNBCLIVE ‘25.Subscribe to MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts for ad-free listening to this and other podcasts. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the second season of “The Blueprint,” Jen Psaki is convening rising stars and leading voices to hash out a viable playbook and identify the priorities that will help propel Democrats back into power. And each week, she kicks things off with a conversation with her friend and Democratic campaign strategist Lis Smith, who has advised dozens of candidates vying in races at the local level all the way to the White House. To start off episode one of the new season, Jen and Lis discuss Maine Governor Janet Mills running for Senate and how the move potentially upends a must-win race for Democrats hoping to regain control in Washington. You’ll also hear from Texas Congressman Greg Casar, an ascending Democratic leader challenging the establishment who says, “if we're talking to people like we talk to them on a construction site, then we will be way better off as a party.”Subscribe to MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts for ad-free listening to this and other podcasts.Editors’ Note: In this episode, Jen Psaki and Lis Smith discuss the NYC Mayoral race. We want to note that previously in her career, Lis Smith worked for and advised former Governor Andrew Cuomo who is currently running for mayor. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Democrats are looking to regain power, and there is a whole lot of warranted debate about what a winning formula looks like. “The Blueprint with Jen Psaki” is a forum where those discussions take place. On season two of her podcast, Jen sits down with some of the biggest names on the left side of the political spectrum to talk about confronting Trump 2.0 and how the Democratic party can shape the future they’d like to see.New episodes drop October 15th. Subscribe to MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts for ad-free listening. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The first 100 days of President Trump’s second term have now come to a close. In a live legal special, MSNBC’s Ari Melber breaks down the most consequential legal moments of the new administration, including the Trump administration’s continued dismantling of key federal agencies, the targeting of private law firms, and the response from the judicial system and the US Supreme Court. Melber is joined by legal experts and insiders, including hosts of MSNBC’s Main Justice podcast, Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord. Visit msnbc.com for more coverage. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.