
Politics War Room with James Carville & Al Hunt
Master political strategist James Carville and revered journalist Al Hunt convenes a war room each week to discuss the battle for the soul of the nation! Join them as they gather the sharpest minds from across the country to see who has the most compelling case for the American people on the issues that matter most.
Latest episodes

Jun 5, 2025 • 1h 7min
312: The Haves & The Have-Yachts with Evan Osnos
Watch Politics War Room & James Carville Explains on YouTube @PoliticsWarRoomOfficial
James and Al celebrate the daring attack by Ukrainian forces against the Russian Air Force and put Trump through the wringer for his treatment of vets and the military while neglecting our allies. From there, they look at how Democrats can take advantage and welcome journalist Evan Osnos. Together, they expose the perils of wealth inequality in our new Gilded Age, explore what the policies addressing current class imbalance would look like, and discuss how to take power back from the oligarchy when people like Elon are seemingly being given the keys to the castle (or at least the White House).
Email your questions to James and Al at politicswarroom@gmail.com or tweet them to @politicon. Make sure to include your city– we love to hear where you’re from!
More from James and Al:
Get text updates from Politics War Room and Politicon.
Watch Politics War Room & James Carville Explains on YouTube @PoliticsWarRoomOfficial
Get updates and some great behind-the-scenes content from the documentary CARVILLE: WINNING IS EVERYTHING, STUPID by following James on X @jamescarville and his new TikTok @realjamescarville
James Carville & Al Hunt have launched the Politics War Room Substack
Check Out Andrew Zucker’s New Politicon Podcast: The Golden Age
Check Out Kimberly Atkins Stohr’s New Politicon Podcast: Justice By Design
Get More From This Week’s Guest:
Evan Osnos:
Twitter | The New Yorker | Brookings Institution | Website | Author
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May 29, 2025 • 1h 8min
311: Deadly, Dangerous, Decline with Larry Summers
Watch Politics War Room & James Carville Explains on YouTube @PoliticsWarRoomOfficial
James and Al welcome former Harvard University President and U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers to defend the university system against Trump and his attacks on science, offer the system some tough love by laying out the policies that have lowered their public perception, and explain why their actions contribute to the extreme reputation of Democrats. They also highlight how the economy has historically performed far better under liberal administrations and the ways Trump’s corruption undermines his political legitimacy. Then, James and Al discuss optimizing messaging for 2026 and why the media should investigate Trump’s apparent cognitive decline.
Email your questions to James and Al at politicswarroom@gmail.com or tweet them to @politicon. Make sure to include your city– we love to hear where you’re from!
More from James and Al:
Get text updates from Politics War Room and Politicon.
Watch Politics War Room & James Carville Explains on YouTube @PoliticsWarRoomOfficial
Get updates and some great behind-the-scenes content from the documentary CARVILLE: WINNING IS EVERYTHING, STUPID by following James on X @jamescarville and his new TikTok @realjamescarville
James Carville & Al Hunt have launched the Politics War Room Substack
Check Out Andrew Zucker’s New Politicon Podcast: The Golden Age
Check Out Kimberly Atkins Stohr’s New Politicon Podcast: Justice By Design
Get More From This Week’s Guest:
Fmr. US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers:
Twitter | Harvard | Website | World Bank | US Dept. Of Treasury
Please Support Our Sponsors:
3 Day Blinds:
For their buy 1 get 1 50% off deal, head to 3DayBlinds.com/warroom
Naked Wines:
To get 6 bottles of wine for $39.99, head to nakedwines.com/warroom and use code WARROOM for both the code and password.
NPR:
Tune in and listen now to the NPR Politics Podcast, only from NPR – wherever you get podcasts.

May 22, 2025 • 1h 4min
310: It’s The Keystone State For A Reason with Rep. Brendan Boyle
Watch Politics War Room & James Carville Explains on YouTube @PoliticsWarRoomOfficial
James and Al give their take on the growing news surrounding Biden’s health problems in the final days of his presidency and reemphasize why they were calling for a fresh face to represent the party before welcoming Congressman from PA, Brendan Boyle. They discuss the dangers of the Republican budget, lay out its failure to constrain costs in light of DOGE cuts, and highlight how it has also ignored the desires of the Republican electorate. Then, they delve into the best action items that Dems can focus on going forward, celebrate Philadelphia’s sports teams, and look at the bigger picture surrounding the intersection of sports and politics.
Email your questions to James and Al at politicswarroom@gmail.com or tweet them to @politicon. Make sure to include your city– we love to hear where you’re from!
More from James and Al:
Get text updates from Politics War Room and Politicon.
Watch Politics War Room & James Carville Explains on YouTube @PoliticsWarRoomOfficial
Get updates and some great behind-the-scenes content from the documentary CARVILLE: WINNING IS EVERYTHING, STUPID by following James on X @jamescarville and his new TikTok @realjamescarville
James Carville & Al Hunt have launched the Politics War Room Substack
Check Out Andrew Zucker’s New Politicon Podcast: The Golden Age
Check Out Kimberly Atkins Stohr’s New Politicon Podcast: Justice By Design
Get More From This Week’s Guest:
Rep. Brendan Boyle:
Twitter | House.gov | Website | FaceBook | Instagram
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May 15, 2025 • 1h 9min
309: Politics NOT As Usual with Senator Angus King
Watch Politics War Room & James Carville Explains on YouTube @PoliticsWarRoomOfficial
James and Al call out how Trump continues catering to authoritarians around the world and stand up for diversity-focused policies in the military and civil service before welcoming Independent Senator from Maine, Angus King. They discuss the dangers of Trump’s guardrail-free presidency, looking at whether the administration will protect Medicaid for the millions of Americans who rely on it, the effect of DOGE on government spending, and how the new administration’s priorities affect the coming budget battle. They also examine if Trump’s foreign policy reflects our national priorities and explain the impact of his changes on the future of international relations.
Email your questions to James and Al at politicswarroom@gmail.com or tweet them to @politicon. Make sure to include your city– we love to hear where you’re from!
More from James and Al:
Get text updates from Politics War Room and Politicon.
Watch Politics War Room & James Carville Explains on YouTube @PoliticsWarRoomOfficial
Get updates and some great behind-the-scenes content from the documentary CARVILLE: WINNING IS EVERYTHING, STUPID by following James on X @jamescarville and his new TikTok @realjamescarville
James Carville & Al Hunt have launched the Politics War Room Substack
Check Out Andrew Zucker’s New Politicon Podcast: The Golden Age
Check Out Kimberly Atkins Stohr’s New Politicon Podcast: Justice By Design
Get More From This Week’s Guest:
Senator Angus King:
Twitter | Senate.gov | Campaign Site
Please Support Our Sponsors:
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May 8, 2025 • 46min
308: Time For A Democratic Schism with Rep. Ro Khanna
Watch Politics War Room & James Carville Explains on YouTube @PoliticsWarRoomOfficial
James and Al rip the Trump family’s use of crypto for personal enrichment, chastise the Democrat elites, and call for bottom-up activism to help the party build an enduring majority before welcoming Silicon Valley Rep. Ro Khanna. They discuss the need for unified messaging when there is a risk of intra-party strife after the election loss, the importance of party discipline, and how to address immigration and the economy going forward. They also emphasize the danger of trusting Republicans on the economy over the Democrats, and explain why our policies consistently outperform theirs.
Email your questions to James and Al at politicswarroom@gmail.com or tweet them to @politicon. Make sure to include your city– we love to hear where you’re from!
More from James and Al:
Get text updates from Politics War Room and Politicon.
Watch Politics War Room & James Carville Explains on YouTube @PoliticsWarRoomOfficial
Get updates and some great behind-the-scenes content from the documentary CARVILLE: WINNING IS EVERYTHING, STUPID by following James on X @jamescarville and his new TikTok @realjamescarville
James Carville & Al Hunt have launched the Politics War Room Substack
Check Out Andrew Zucker’s New Politicon Podcast: The Golden Age
Check Out Kimberly Atkins Stohr’s New Politicon Podcast: Justice By Design
Get More From This Week’s Guest:
Congressman Ro Khanna:
Twitter | Website | House.gov
Please Support Our Sponsors:
Beam:
Sleep better with Beam’s best-selling Dream Powder and get up to 40% off for a limited time when you go to shopbeam.com/warroom and use code: WARROOM
Magic Spoon:
Get $5 off your next order of delicious protein-packed Magic Spoon at magicspoon.com/warroom
DeleteMe:
Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you text WARROOM to 64000. Message and data rates apply.

May 1, 2025 • 1h 20min
307: 100 Days Of Trump with Ryan Lizza
Watch Politics War Room & James Carville Explains on YouTube @PoliticsWarRoomOfficial
James and Al unmask the disastrous impact of Trump’s first 100 days on our economy and democratic principles, call for a revitalization of America’s global leadership, and lay out the need for our media to push back against Executive Branch excesses before welcoming the founder of Telos.news, veteran D.C. journalist, Ryan Lizza. They discuss the legacy media’s struggle to cover Trump, the pernicious influence of the corporations dominating the media economy, how independent journalism can move our politics forward, and call out the censorship of the new media voice rising to challenge the status quo.
Email your questions to James and Al at politicswarroom@gmail.com or tweet them to @politicon. Make sure to include your city– we love to hear where you’re from!
More from James and Al:
Get text updates from Politics War Room and Politicon.
Watch Politics War Room & James Carville Explains on YouTube @PoliticsWarRoomOfficial
Get updates and some great behind-the-scenes content from the documentary CARVILLE: WINNING IS EVERYTHING, STUPID by following James on X @jamescarville and his new TikTok @realjamescarville
James Carville & Al Hunt have launched the Politics War Room Substack
Check Out Andrew Zucker’s New Politicon Podcast: The Golden Age
Check Out Kimberly Atkins Stohr’s New Politicon Podcast: Justice By Design
Get More From This Week’s Guest:
Ryan Lizza:
X | Telos.News | Instagram
Please Support Our Sponsors:
Naked Wines:
To get 6 bottles of wine for $39.99, head to nakedwines.com/warroom and use code WARROOM for both the code and password.
NPR:
Tune in and listen now to the NPR Politics Podcast, only from NPR – wherever you get podcasts.

Apr 24, 2025 • 1h 4min
306: Nip It In The Bud with Governor Andy Beshear
Governor Andy Beshear, the Democratic leader of Kentucky, shares insights into his state's economic growth amid Trump’s tariffs. He highlights the impact of these tariffs on local industries and the pressing issues surrounding proposed Medicaid cuts, which threaten rural healthcare access. Beshear also discusses strategies for Democrats to succeed in red states while prioritizing community engagement. The conversation emphasizes the importance of balancing political messaging with genuine concern for Kentucky families as they navigate challenges in healthcare, jobs, and safety.

Apr 17, 2025 • 1h 12min
305: Tariff Turmoil with Roger Altman
Roger Altman, founder and senior chairman of Evercore, dives deep into the intricacies of tariffs and their impact on the global economy. He reveals how U.S.-China trade relations are shifting and why this matters for businesses and consumers. The conversation highlights the economic uncertainty driven by current policies, alongside the influence of rising interest rates. Altman also discusses the broader implications of trade tensions with the EU and the role of rare earth elements in technological advancement, urging for better trade negotiations and economic stability.

Apr 10, 2025 • 1h 3min
304: Are We Still The Leader Of The Free World? with Admiral James Stavridis
Admiral James Stavridis, a retired United States Navy admiral and former Supreme Allied Commander at NATO, discusses crucial global issues. He delves into China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the shift towards robotic warfare, and the timeless necessity of aircraft carriers. Stavridis also draws leadership lessons from history, illustrating insights with examples from 'The Godfather' to Civil War experiences. The conversation weaves through current political landscapes, exposing the implications of recent U.S. foreign policy choices and the evolving nature of naval strategies.

Apr 3, 2025 • 1h 5min
303: The Comeback Begins with MI State Senator Mallory McMorrow
Mallory McMorrow, a Michigan State Senator and U.S. Senate candidate, gains attention for her bold stance against far-right politics. She dives into the longing of voters for a reconnection with the American dream, emphasizing the pivotal role of women in the Democratic coalition. Discussing the urgent issues that can sway future elections, from gun violence prevention to reproductive rights, McMorrow envisions a party ready to tackle both current challenges and a post-Trump political landscape.