The Back Room with Andy Ostroy

Ameshia Cross is a democratic strategist for national, state, and local campaigns, a regular political commentator and contributor on MSN, NBC, BBC, SiriusXM, iHeart Radio, and more. She is also a former campaign and communications adviser for President Barack Obama and a policy adviser for the National Urban League. Join us for this insightful chat as we discuss Kamala Harris, Donald Trump and the ever-changing campaign; Trumpism and MAGA; the media's role in normalizing Trump and the double-standard in media coverage; immigration and more. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

Chris Matthews is an award-winning journalist, columnist, author, political commentator, television host and professor. His 15 years in politics and government includes serving as speechwriter for president Jimmy Carter and administrative assistant to House Speaker Tip O’Neil. He was a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle; syndicated columnist and Washington Bureau Chief for the San Francisco Examiner; and host of MSNBC’s Hardball. His books include Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero and his 2021 memoir This Country: My Life in Politics and History. Few people understand politics as well as Chris does. He joins me for an in-depth conversation about the ever-changing presidential campaign as we barrel towards the November election. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

Philip Bump is a national columnist for The Washington Post. Prior to that he led politics coverage for The Atlantic Wire. In the past, he worked as a designer at Adobe Systems. As one of the paper's most read writers, he focuses on the data behind polls and political rhetoric. He also writes a weekly newsletter, "How To Read This Chart." He has appeared or been heard on most major media outlets, from MSNBC to Fox News to PBS to NPR. His first book, The Aftermath, looks at the overlap of the end of the baby boom and the upheaval in American politics and the U.S. economy. Philip and I get into Democrats' 'euphoria' over the newly energized campaign; the key distinctions between VP Kamala Harris and Donald Trump; Harris's veepstakes; the Trump 'unity pivot' that never came; Q-Anon and conspiracy theories; Boomers and voting patterns; the November election and more. And, he reveals his top 5 musical artists of all time! Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

Hugo Lowell is an award-winning Senior Political Correspondent at The Guardian, covering the intersection of Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and the US Department of Justice. He regularly appears on MSNBC as a political and legal affairs analyst. His reporting has been recognized through appearances on NBC, MSNBC, CNN, CBS, the PBS NewsHour and BBC News. He is a recipient of the National Press Club's Sandy Hume Memorial Award for Excellence in Political Journalism and was a Paul Miller Fellow with the National Press Foundation. Hugo joins me for an in-depth discussion on the release this past week of US hostages Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan and others held captive in Russia; the campaign transition from President Joe Biden to VP Kamala Harris; Harris's veepstakes; the erratic, incendiary and dangerous campaign of Donald Trump and his on-going legal troubles; and Hugo shares what's on his Summer play list! Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

Jamal Simmons has been at the nexus of politics and media for three decades. He is currently a Political Commentator on CNN and immediately before that Deputy Assistant to the President and Communications Director to Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House. Before the White House, he was a political contributor for CBS News and NPR and hosted digital interviews for HillTV. He is a veteran of the Clinton Administration, Congress and several political campaigns. He’s also been a communications consultant, digital entrepreneur, appeared on every major television network and written opinion pieces for many newspapers. Jamal helps unpack all the latest campaign news including Kamala Harris's flawless launch and her imminent VP announcement; Donald Trump's racist train-wreck at the National Association of Black Journalists convention; and the outlook for these next three months as we head towards the November election. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

Rep. Dan Goldman serves New York’s 10th Congressional District, which encompasses Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn. In 2019, he served as lead counsel for the impeachment investigation of President Donald J. Trump for abusing his office for his personal interest regarding Ukraine. Prior to that, Goldman served for a decade as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York. He serves on the Oversight Committee, the Homeland Security Committee, and the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government and is a member of the Dads Caucus, the Pro-Choice Caucus, the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, the Stop Project 2025 Task Force, and is a founder of the Court Reform Now Task Force. The Congressman shares his thoughts on the campaign transition from President Joe Biden to Vice President Kamala Harris; Harris's imminent VP selection; Donald Trump's worsening dangerous behavior, including his off-the-rails performance Tuesday at the National Association of Black Journalists' convention; Project 2025; Dobbs, Roe, reproductive rights, the November election and winning back the House; the need for Supreme Court accountability and reform; and the widening regional conflict between Israel, Hezbollah/Lebanon and Iran. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

Mike Madrid has been a nationally recognized political consultant and authoritative voice on Latino voters for three decades. A pioneer in Latino communications and outreach strategies in state, local, and national political campaigns, and has worked for major campaigns on both sides of the aisle. In 2020, he co-founded the Lincoln Project, a Republican anti-Trump organization. Mike was an adjunct lecturer on Race, Class and Partisanship at the University of Southern California in Spring 2021 and is currently a Senior Fellow at UC Irvine School of Social Ecology. Madrid is the author of the book titled “The Latino Century”, published by Simon and Schuster. Mike shares his keen insights into President Joe Biden's campaign exit; VP Kamala Harris's flawless transition to presumptive nominee; the sudden shift in momentum from right to left; Trump fatigue; the Latino vote; and more. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

John Heilemann is a partner, chief political columnist, and host of the twice-weekly podcast Impolitic with John Heilemann at Puck, as well as national affairs analyst at NBC News and MSNBC. John also co-created and co-hosted Showtime's The Circus, and is the author of the NY Times best-selling books Pride Before the Fall, Double Down, and Game Change, which was adapted into an HBO feature film that won five Emmy Awards, three Golden Globes, and a Peabody Award. He’s previously been co-founder and executive editor of The Recount, co-host of MSNBC and Bloomberg TV’s With All Due Respect, managing editor of Bloomberg Politics, and was a staff writer for New York, The New Yorker, Wired, and The Economist. John shares his thoughts on the latest news involving Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, the ever-changing campaign and what it all means for the November election. We also chat about dogs, streamers, and John's eclectic music tastes! He's a truly fascinating dude and we've got him for an hour for a fun, insightful in-depth convo! Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

The inimitable Rick Wilson is a renowned political strategist, infamous ad-maker, writer, speaker, political commentator, podcaster, co-founder of the political action committee The Lincoln Project and media company Resolute Square, and a two-time New York Times best-selling author. Rick's back in The Back Room discussing the latest with Kamala Harris, Donald Trump and the presidential campaign Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

Kimberly Atkins Stohr is a senior opinion writer and columnist for The Boston Globe with over 20 years of experience covering politics, policy and law. She is an on-air political analyst for MSNBC, a frequent panelist on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” and co-host of the popular Politicon legal news podcast #SistersInLaw. She has appeared as a political and legal commentator on a host of national and international television and radio networks, including CNN, Fox News, NBC News, PBS, NPR, Sky News, and CBC News. Before launching her journalism career, she was a civil trial and appellate litigation attorney in Boston, where she argued in a number of courts, including the Massachusetts Appeals Court and the federal 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals. Kimberly helps unpack the latest news involving President Joe Biden's exit from the race; VP Kamala Harris's quick and impressive start; Donald Trump's mounting weaknesses; and what lies ahead for the campaign and the November election. And, she reveals her awesome Top 5 musical artists of all time! Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel