Inside the Hive

The Republican Party has long been lacking in courage. But profiles in it can still be found among the scores of Trump administration staffers who have come out against their former boss, at potentially immense personal cost. One among them: Sarah Matthews, who served as Donald Trump’s deputy press secretary until January 6th. On the latest episode of Inside the Hive, Matthews opens up about the “cognitive dissonance” she experienced as a spokesperson for Trump, recalls how the Capitol riot became her breaking point, and unpacks why she has thrown her support behind Kamala Harris’s campaign, even if doing so puts a target on her back. “Donald Trump is so much bigger than just me,” she says. “The guilt that I would feel” from sitting on the sidelines,” Matthews adds, “would have been much greater than the fear that I might feel right now.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Ian Sams, senior spokesman for Kamala Harris's 2024 campaign, shares insights on the innovative media strategies being employed to engage undecided voters. He discusses the campaign's diverse outreach, from Howard Stern to 'Call Her Daddy.' Michael Calderone, editor at Vanity Fair’s The Hive, analyzes the contrasting approaches of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, especially Trump's focus on right-wing media to capture young male voters. The conversation highlights the challenges both candidates face in a rapidly evolving media landscape.

Stacey Abrams, an influential author and former Georgia representative, dives into the crucial topic of voter suppression. She discusses strategies to boost voter registration, especially among marginalized communities. Abrams reflects on her role in flipping Georgia from red to purple, emphasizing grassroots efforts to enhance democratic participation. The conversation also touches on historical insights and the need for civic accountability in the face of challenges, all while promoting her new children's book aimed at tackling social injustices.

James Carville, a legendary Democratic strategist known for his candid insights and work with Bill Clinton, dives into the political landscape. He discusses Kamala Harris's campaign, advocating for a bold presence to contrast freshness with Donald Trump's staleness. Carville critiques identity politics and emphasizes grassroots engagement, especially concerning abortion rights. He argues that understanding voter dynamics is key to overcoming Republican narratives and stresses the importance of winning elections to inspire political participation.

With less than six weeks until Election Day, host Brian Stelter discusses the historically close race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump with Nate Silver, the renowned polling expert, statistician, and author of the “Silver Bulletin” Substack newsletter. Silver breaks down the latest numbers in swing states, warns against rapidly shifting media narratives, expresses frustration with his former site, and details the community of risk-takers at the center of his new book, "On the Edge." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Host Brian Stelter is joined by Barbara F. Walter, an expert on violent extremism and domestic terror, to examine what exactly political violence is and why it’s becoming more common, including factors that may have been at play in the two recent assassination attempts. Walter, a professor at the University of California, San Diego and the author of How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them, tells Stelter there’s a cancer growing in America because a subset of the population doesn’t think democracy serves them anymore. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Podcasts are hardly a new medium in American politics. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t disrupting the dynamics of the 2024 presidential race. Consider hotshot hosts like Theo Von, Ezra Klein, and Adin Ross; all of them have been able to give listeners an intimate glimpse at politicians from Donald Trump to Tim Walz, says Atlantic staff writer Helen Lewis on the latest episode of Inside the Hive. Lewis, who is joined by Bloomberg reporter Ashley Carman, contends that podcasts can offer the pols an unique opportunity to get up close and personal with their voters. However, as we’ve seen in the case of JD Vance—whose past audio appearances have come back to haunt him—the medium can cut both ways. “They do kind of lure people into this much more kind of confessional chatty mode,” Lewis says. “And I think that's why maybe they could become quite dangerous…politicians might not realize how that might look in the cold light of day to other people.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Host Brian Stelter is joined by Amanda Becker, Washington correspondent for The 19th, to examine the battle over abortion rights in America, including the Florida ballot measure, former President Trump’s all-over-the-place messaging, and the Republican Party’s conflicting views about in vitro fertilization and fetal personhood. The two also discuss the origins of abortion politics and how it’s impossible to disentangle abortion bans from the history of patriarchy in this country. Becker is the author of the forthcoming book, You Must Stand Up: The Fight for Abortion Rights in Post-Dobbs America, and tells Stelter that it doesn’t matter if you aren't in Alabama–an abortion ban there or anywhere can impact you because of the legal pathway in which cases get decided. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this episode, host Brian Stelter wraps up the exuberant finale of the Democratic National Convention with Vanity Fair editor-in-chief Radhika Jones and author and contributing editor Ta-Nehisi Coates, who has been reporting this week from Chicago. They discuss how this historic, four-day spectacle, which concluded with Kamala Harris’s stirring acceptance speech, showcased the party’s next generation of political stars, while also showing its limitations, with no Palestinian American getting a slot on stage. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Is all the hype real? It’s the uncomfortable question hanging over all the good vibes of the 2024 Democratic National Convention this week. And it’s one that Vanity Fair’s Claire Howorth and James Pogue, who is reporting from the ground, are more than willing to tackle on the latest episode of Inside the Hive. Pogue argues that while Kamala Harris and Tim Walz have electrified the party with a fresh new ticket, the event’s pomp and circumstance still feels “very produced,” with every Democrat in lockstep about how to communicate their message, avoiding any topic that might touch a nerve. Still, argues Howorth, there is an undeniable feeling that the party is getting its “swagger” back—and a sense that the Harris-Walz ticket might help Democrats “reclaim the idea of patriotism” from the GOP. “The Republicans have no problem being ultra-confident and cocky and smug,” she says, “and, you know, that’s not the worst stage direction for Democrats right now.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices