The Lincoln Project

Host Reed Galen is joined by writer and academic Yascha Mounk for a wide-ranging and nuanced discussion on American identity and how it informs our society, our political discourse, and ultimately our small-d democratic future. Plus, what to expect in the upcoming Polish election. For more on this topic be sure to pick up Yascha Mounk’s latest book, The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time, check out his newsletter (Persuasion), his podcast (The Good Fight), and his writings for The Atlantic. If you’d like to ask a question or share a comment with The Lincoln Project, send an email to podcast@lincolnproject.us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Former Lt. Governor of Maryland and Former Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Michael Steele. They discuss the field of 2024 GOP presidential candidates, the normative force of MAGA/right-wing media, and what to make of the impending government shutdown (and Kevin McCarthy’s catch-22). Plus, why our nation as a whole needs to re-embrace “E Pluribus Unum”. To hear more from Michael Steele, tune in to The Michael Steele Podcast and check out MichaelSteeleNetwork.com. If you’d like to ask a question or share a comment with The Lincoln Project, send an email to podcast@lincolnproject.us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by fellow Lincoln Project Co-Founder Rick Wilson and Lincoln Project Senior Advisors Stuart Stevens and Joe Trippi to discuss why it's so important for Americans to understand what a good job President Joe Biden is doing, the real reason behind the GOP wanting to shut down the government, and what a recent poll out of New Hampshire could reveal about 2024. If you’d like to ask a question or share a comment with The Lincoln Project, send an email to podcast@lincolnproject.us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by the television star turned crypto-critic…Ben McKenzie. They discuss the rise of cryptocurrency, who’s drawn to it, and why no one can seem to explain exactly what it is. Plus, a look at the fraud of Sam Bankman-Fried/FTX and other major players in the crypto-space…and how Donald Trump’s presidency/MAGA set the stage for cryptocurrency to take off in the way that it did. For more on this topic, be sure to check out Ben McKenzie’s new book, Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud. If you’d like to ask a question or share a comment with The Lincoln Project, send an email to podcast@lincolnproject.us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen shares why The Lincoln Project is dedicating the month of September to ensuring that Americans across the country know just how good of a job that President Joe Biden is doing. For this moment in time, he’s exactly who is needed to lead the pro-democracy coalition. Plus, Donald Trump has nothing to offer the American people except for ugliness, division, and destruction. If you’d like to ask a question or share a comment with The Lincoln Project, send an email to podcast@lincolnproject.us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Heidi Przybyla, an award-winning National Investigative Correspondent for Politico. They get into her latest reporting on how the likes of Ginni Thomas and Leonard Leo gamed Citizens’ United and what dark money means for the MAGA movement as 2024 approaches…but first, what’s going on with Kevin McCarthy, his caucus, and the latest series of events in the GOP clown show. Be sure to check out Heidi’s article for Politico that was discussed in the show and keep up with her latest reporting. If you’d like to ask a question or share a comment with The Lincoln Project, send an email to podcast@lincolnproject.us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Author and Professor of History and Italian Studies at New York University. They discuss the role extremist groups play in a nation’s evolution to authoritarianism, how every Trump rally since 2015 has been a radicalization site, and how the history of strongmen can inform our nation’s current political moment. If you’d like to hear more from Ruth, check out Lucid (her Substack newsletter) and pick up Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present. If you’d like to ask a question or share a comment with The Lincoln Project, send an email to podcast@lincolnproject.us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Simon Rosenberg, the Veteran Political Analyst, Strategist and Commentator. They discuss why it's so important for Democrats to continue spotlighting the accomplishments of President Joe Biden, why the current brand of the GOP is such a tough sell to the American people, and why Republicans continue to threaten a government shutdown when they’ve never ended well. Plus, we’re witnessing the GOP being infected with a new strain of MAGA. To keep up with all things Simon Rosenberg, be sure to subscribe to his Substack newsletter, Hopium Chronicles. If you’d like to ask a question or share a comment with The Lincoln Project, send an email to podcast@lincolnproject.us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Reed Galen is joined by Madison Horn, a cybersecurity expert and former 2022 Democratic candidate for U.S Senate from Oklahoma. They discuss how her cybersecurity background has informed her politics, the dangerous power of misinformation/disinformation online, and why modern campaigns cannot treat rural voters like they commonly have in the past. If you’d like to connect with The Lincoln Project, send an email to podcast@lincolnproject.us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode was originally released on April 12, 2023. In this encore presentation, host Reed Galen is joined by journalist and New York Times bestselling author, Jeff Sharlet. Jeff shares scenes from his travels across the United States which exemplify the convergence of MAGA, religion, militias, and fascism. The aftermath of Ashli Babbitt’s death, the “jokes'' from a men’s rights hotel room, a church’s Game of Thrones inspired altar, etc…this is what makes up the condition our nation now faces. Plus, America is now in a new era…the Trumpocene. Be sure to pick up Jeff Sharlet's new book, The Undertow: Scenes From a Slow Civil War, wherever fine books are sold. If you’d like to connect with The Lincoln Project, send an email to podcast@lincolnproject.us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices