The Lincoln Project

The Elephant in the Room this week is a welcome one -- it's courage. Rick reflects on the positive events of this week, highlighting Cory Booker's strength, courage, and conviction as he rewrote history by beating Strom Thurmond's record while sharing stories about what America has become under the current Trump administration. In the absence of fear, courage would not exist. Cory beating out a racist's former filibuster record is risky, but it's the kind of courage Americans need right now. To shake things up and to find the courage to make "good trouble." John Lewis would be so proud. ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and @therickwilson.bsky.social on Bluesky, and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. Join the fight with the Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us and follow LP on X at @ProjectLincoln. If you'd like to help us continue our critical work, visit https://action.lincolnproject.us/helplp to make a difference. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Responsible for writing the hit bestselling book “Fire and Fury” and setting off Trump during his first term, journalist and bestselling author Michael Wolff joins Rick to share everything he’s been hearing about the White House. On a book tour for his new book, “All Or Nothing: How Trump Recaptured America,” Michael convenes with Rick to share their latest WH stories — and spill the tea — from how Trump ran his 2024 campaign to the discipline of political shark Susie Wiles to Elon Musk (enough said) to Trump's fear-inducing "call cycle" to the inevitable leakers in the White House to Trump treating AG Pam Bondi like his personal secretary to Boris Epshteyn to Signalgate to WH Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Steven Cheung...this episode sheds light on what's really happening inside the White House. ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Please pick up a copy of Michael's latest book, “All Or Nothing: How Trump Recaptured America” (2025) wherever fine books are sold. Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and @therickwilson.bsky.social on Bluesky, and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. Join the fight with the Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us and follow LP on X at @ProjectLincoln. If you'd like to help us continue our critical work, visit https://action.lincolnproject.us/helplp to make a difference. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's episode of The Elephant in the Room, Rick addresses Pete Hegseth's ignorant, cavalier, and callous actions by taking communications about military special operations to a F*CKING Signal group chat. ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. Join the fight with Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us and follow us on X at @ProjectLincoln. If you'd like to help us continue this critical work, visit https://action.lincolnproject.us/helplp to make a difference. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Cuban joins Rick to chat about his journey into politics, what it's like dunking on Big Pharma with transparency and his company, CostPlus Drugs, and how America must "get smart" and position itself at the forefront of the robotics frontier. ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Follow Mark Cuban at @mcuban on X and @mcuban.bsky.social ob Bluesky. Check out Mark's prescription medication company, CostPlus Drugs, at @costplusdrugs on X and  costplusdrugs.com.Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and @therickwilson.bsky.social on Bluesky, and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. Join the fight with Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us and follow us on X at @ProjectLincoln. If you'd like to help us continue this critical work, visit https://action.lincolnproject.us/helplp to make a difference. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dive into the challenges facing democracy as a former president defies judicial authority. The discussion highlights the pressures judges endure from powerful figures like Donald Trump. It also tackles the concerning trend of loyalty overshadowing the rule of law, warning of the implications for judicial independence. Personal anecdotes reveal escalating threats judges confront amid a divisive political climate. Finally, the podcast critiques the chaotic Republican rhetoric surrounding the courts and its impact on legal integrity.

Maryland’s All-Star Congressman Jamie Raskin joins Rick on the podcast this week. A constitutional law expert and key leader in the January 6th Investigation, Congressman Raskin shares his insights on how Trump & Elon are dismantling the government, Trump’s clear desire to be a King, and how Democrats need to stick together and get tough if they expect to beat back the crazy.・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Find Congressman Jamie Raskin on X @RepRaskin and at Raskin.house.govFollow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. Join the fight with Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us and follow us on X at @ProjectLincoln. If you'd like to help us continue this critical work, visit https://action.lincolnproject.us/helplp to make a difference. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seven weeks in, Trump has a laundry list of failures. ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. Join the fight with Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us and follow us on X at @ProjectLincoln. If you'd like to help us continue this critical work, visit https://action.lincolnproject.us/helplp to make a difference. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special double-header episode, Rick Wilson sits down with Alexander Vindman and Kenneth Harbaugh to discuss everything "Ukraine." Given Trump's unbelievable utter disrespect toward Zelensky and Ukraine during his recent Oval Office meeting and Trump's ongoing salivation over his man-crush and wannabe penpal Putin, this episode features THE experts who understand the lay of the land in Ukraine -- and, more importantly, where to go from here -- better than anyone else. RUN to go and purchase Alexander Vindman's new book, The Folly of Realism: How the West Deceived Itself About Russia and Betrayed Ukraine, here: https://www.amazon.com/Folly-Realism-Deceived-Betrayed-Ukraine/dp/1541705041 -- it is F*CKING brilliant and couldn't be more topical. ...Then drop everything and check out Kenneth Harbaugh's badass organization, VALOR MEDIA NETWORK, at https://valormedianetwork.com/. You can get a sense of WHO they are and what they're doing in their brand new trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/@valormedianetwork. Please like, follow, and subscribe to their YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@valormedianetwork for more manly, yet engaging, content. ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Follow Alexander Vindman at @AVindman on X and/or @avindman.bsky.social on Bluesky, and subscribe to his Substack at avindman.com. Follow Kenneth personally @Team_Harbaugh on X and/or @thekenharbaughshow.bsky.social on Bluesky, and please do watch his incredible film work in his award-winning documentary, Against All Enemies, here: https://againstallenemiesfilm.com/Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. Join the fight with Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us and follow us on X at @ProjectLincoln. If you'd like to help us continue this critical work, visit https://action.lincolnproject.us/helplp to make a difference. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Rick points out this week, we are operating in an Attention Economy. Let's stop being junkies and focus on what matters long-term for our nation. From Marco Rubio's small D moment on the couch to Trump's dinner theatre speech, we need to remain focused on what we CAN do while this sh*tshow continues...・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. Join the fight with Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us and follow us on X at @ProjectLincoln. If you'd like to help us continue this critical work, visit https://action.lincolnproject.us/helplp to make a difference. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Political scientist, author, and entrepreneur Ian Bremmer -- who's also the founder and president of Eurasia Group and the founder of GZERO Media -- stops by to chat with Rick about how we're fucked, and why we're fucked. There is nothing like sitting down with a good ole expert friend at the beginning of a potential World War to discuss the American economy, AI, global politics, and the growing dangers inside and outside the U.S. democratic government.  ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Follow Ian Bremmer at @ianbremmer on X & @ianbremmer.com on Bluesky Check out more of Ian's work at @eurasiagroup.net and @gzeromedia.comFollow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X & @therickwilson.bsky.social on Bluesky.Subscribe to Rick's weekly writings on his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. Join the fight with Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us & follow us @ProjectLincoln on X & @lincolnproject.us on Bluesky. If you'd like to help us continue this critical work, visit https://action.lincolnproject.us/helplp to make a difference. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices