
The Michael Steele Podcast
The Michael Steele Podcast is a podcast hosted by former Republican National Committee Chairman and Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele. Each week, Michael moderates a barbershop style discussion about the key political and cultural issues of the day. Michael brings his experience as an MSNBC political analyst and from a lifetime in politics to a podcast which transcends traditional political boundaries in order to dig deep and find real solutions.
Latest episodes

Oct 4, 2023 • 1h 2min
Tyranny of the Minority: With Professors Daniel Ziblatt and Steven Levitsky
Michael is joined by Daniel Ziblatt and Steven Levitsky, professors of government at Harvard University and the authors of "Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point." They discuss what it means to be a party committed to democracy, how our constitution makes us vulnerable to minority rule, reforming the electoral college and the "semi-loyalists" who play a role in harming our democracy.
Check out the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Tyranny-Minority-American-Democracy-Breaking/dp/0593443071
If you enjoyed this podcast, be sure to leave a review or share it with a friend!
Follow Daniel Ziblatt: @dziblatt
Follow Michael @MichaelSteele
Follow the podcast @steele_podcast

Oct 4, 2023 • 11min
Make Mine a Double: Don't Blame Democrats for McCarthy's Ousting
Welcome to Make Mine a Double, a segment where Michael responds to today's news and political crazy.
Michael discusses Kevin McCarthy's ousting, what the Democrats should do with this moment and how damn good Republicans are at taking out their Republican Speakers.
Follow Michael on Twitter @MichaelSteele
Follow the podcast Twitter @steele_podcast

Sep 30, 2023 • 15min
Quick Take: Trump Delivers on His Promises
This is an excerpt from the full episode, "When Democracy Falls: With Tom Nichols"
Michael Steele is joined by Atlantic writer and national-security affairs professor emeritus, Tom Nichols to discuss what the fall of democracy will look like and how Trump delivers on his promises.
If you enjoyed this podcast, be sure to leave a review or tell a friend!
Follow Tom @RadioFreeTom
Follow Michael Steele @MichaelSteele
Follow the podcast @steele_podcast

Sep 28, 2023 • 47min
Inside the Voter's Mind: With Sarah Longwell
Michael Steele is joined by Sarah Longwell, President of Longwell Partners & Republican Accountability PAC, publisher of The Bulwark and host of The Focus Group Podcast. The pair discuss the mindset of the current voter, how third parties will hurt the next election, the cesspool that was the second GOP debate, who Trump would pick as VP and how the government shutdown will impact both Republicans and Democrats.
If you enjoyed this podcast, be sure to leave a review or share it with a friend!
Follow Sarah Lonwell @SarahLongwell25
Follow Michael Steele @MichaelSteele
Follow the podcast @steele_podcast

Sep 23, 2023 • 14min
Quick Take: Seeing the Human in One Another
This is an excerpt from the episode "Turning Toward Each Other, Not On Each Other: With Karen Hunter."
Karen Hunter speaks with Michael Steele about seeing the human in each other, how the word "woke" has evolved and Michael's time as Chairman of the Republican National Committee.
Karen Hunter is a best-selling author, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and the host of The Karen Hunter Show on Sirius XM Urban View Channel 126, which airs M-F from 3-6pmET.
If you liked this podcast, share it with a friend or write a review on Apple Podcasts!
Follow Karen @karenhunter
Follow Michael @MichaelSteele
Follow the podcast @steele_podcast

Sep 20, 2023 • 58min
Laughing at Politics: With Al Franken
Michael Steele is joined by bestselling author, comedian and former Minnesota Senator, Al Franken. The pair discuss how our current politics has brought out the worst in people, the various ways "fake news" permeates our culture, the current state of the Senate, the role of satire in politics, the WGA strikes and Lauren Boebert's infamous theatre date.
If you enjoyed this podcast, be sure to leave a review or tell a friend!
Follow Al Franken @alfranken, but more importantly, check out The Al Franken Podcast.
Follow Michael Steele @MichaelSteele
Follow the podcast @steele_podcast

Sep 18, 2023 • 1h 9min
When Democracy Falls: With Tom Nichols
Michael Steele is joined by Atlantic writer and national-security affairs professor emeritus, Tom Nichols. The pair discuss what the fall of democracy will look like, Kevin McCarthy's impeachment inquiry into Biden, what Mitt Romney's retirement means for the state of the GOP and the continued significance of Ukraine.
If you enjoyed this podcast, be sure to leave a review or tell a friend!
Follow Tom @RadioFreeTom
Follow Michael Steele @MichaelSteele
Follow the podcast @steele_podcast

Sep 17, 2023 • 18min
Quick Take: Appealing to the GOP's White Voters
This is an excerpt from the episode "The Pepperoni Pizza Of Politics: With Jen Psaki, Don Calloway, and Tim Miller" pod.fo/e/1e9c1e
The GOP Debate has left a lot of unsolved questions about the 2024 election, Trump's future, and what it all means for the Republican party. We're joined by Jen Psaki, political analyst and former government official, Don Calloway, attorney and politician, and Tim Miller, political consultant, for an insightful lineup.
If you enjoyed this podcast, be sure to leave a review or tell a friend!
Follow Jen Psaki @jrpsaki
Follow Don Calloway @dcstlagain
Follow Tim Miller @Timodc
Follow Michael Steele @MichaelSteele
Follow the podcast @steele_podcast

Sep 9, 2023 • 16min
Quick Take: Republicans Have Always Had the Blueprint
This is an excerpt from the full episode "The Loneliness of the Black Republican: With Leah Wright Rigueur."
Leah Wright Rigueur, Associate Professor of History at Johns Hopkins University and the author of the award-winning book, “The Loneliness of the Black Republican: Pragmatic Politics and the Pursuit of Power," discusses how efforts have (and haven't) been made to attract Black voters to the Republican party.
Check out Leah's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Loneliness-Black-Republican-Pragmatic-Politics/dp/0691173648
If you enjoyed this podcast, be sure to leave a review or tell a friend!
Follow Leah @LeahRigueur
Follow Michael Steele @MichaelSteele
Follow the podcast @steele_podcast

Sep 6, 2023 • 59min
The 25-Year Decline of the Republican Party: With Dana Milbank [Rebroadcast]
Note: This episode was originally published in September of 2022.
Dana Milbank joins The Michael Steele Podcast to discuss his new book, "The Destructionists: The Twenty-Five Year Crack-Up of the Republican Party." The pair discuss how the GOP has been deteriorating long before Trump, and the roles Republican members have played in it, from Newt Gingrich to Sarah Palin. They also discuss "the great replacement theory," and where the GOP is headed.
Check out the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Destructionists-Twenty-Five-Crack-Up-Republican-Party/dp/0385548133
If you enjoyed this podcast, give us a rating on Apple Podcasts!
Be sure to follow Dana on Twitter @Milbank, Michael @MichaelSteele and the podcast Twitter @steele_podcast.