What A Day

Two members of Congress stepped down over allegations of sexual misconduct from former staffers on Tuesday —Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales and California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell. (Swalwell is also accused of sexual assault, and other women have come forward. He has denied the allegations.) Over and over, we see powerful people in politics — typically men — use their power to take advantage of others in dangerous and abusive ways. So, why does this keep happening? And what about Congress might be making it more difficult for survivors to come forward? To find out, we spoke to Moira Donegan. She’s a columnist covering gender and politics at The Guardian. And in headlines, a new report says the global economic outlook is not looking great, American conservatives take a blow on the international stage, and President Trump responds to a Federal Emergency Management Agency official who claims that he teleported to a Waffle House. Show Notes: theguardian.com/profile/moira-donegan202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jyhttps://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

Trump’s war in Iran is now 45 days old with no end in sight — which is a problem for Republicans. Because while midterms are always tough for the party in power, an unpopular war with no exit strategy isn’t helping. So how should Democrats running for office this year – and in coming years – respond? And what should they be running for? Because recently “we aren’t Trump” hasn’t been good enough. To find out, we spoke with Mehdi Hasan. He’s the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the media company Zeteo. And in headlines, the U.S. conducts more lethal strikes against supposed drug smuggling boats in the Pacific, President Trump receives the White House’s first DoorDash delivery, and Jane and Matt unpack the showdown no one asked for: POTUS v Pope. God help us. Show Notes: zeteo.com/s/mehdi-unfiltered202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jyhttps://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

A very tired-looking Vice President JD Vance emerged from 21 hours of high-stakes peace talks on Sunday to say no deal has been made to end the Iran war — a failure that comes with serious economic and political consequences. It’s an election year, and Congressional Republicans are getting jumpy with their majorities on the line. So, to help unpack what all of this means for the midterms, we spoke with Daniella Diaz. She’s a reporter covering politics and Congress for NOTUS. And in headlines, JD Vance strikes out in Hungary, Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell suspends his campaign for Governor of California, and the Artemis II crew returns safely to Earth. Show Notes: www.notus.org/daniella-diaz202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jyhttps://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

From the moment the U.S. and Israel launched strikes in Iran at the end of February, several people have been profiting from them because of extremely well-timed bets they made on the prediction market website Polymarket. In March, Polymarket barred trades based on, “stolen confidential information.” And yet people appear to still be making trades using insider information. Just this week, a group of newly created accounts bet correctly on the U.S. and Iran reaching a ceasefire on April 7th. Saahil Desai, senior editor at The Atlantic, joins the show to discuss how prediction markets are capitalizing on war. And in headlines, the White House denies reports of a schism between the Trump administration and the Vatican, humanitarian groups say the ceasefire in Gaza is failing, and a new analysis finds out just how much Democrats are saying the f-word on social media. Show Notes: https://tinyurl.com/4up5v7ha202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jyhttps://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

In the brief period since President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States, Iran has claimed that the United States and Israel have violated its terms. As a result, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz — again. According to Iranian state media, the 10-point framework Trump agreed to includes an end to Israeli attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon, an end to all sanctions, and permission for Iran to enrich as much nuclear material as it wants. But the White House told the New York Times that's not the plan the U.S. is working from. So what, exactly, did Trump achieve by threatening to destroy Iran's civilization on Tuesday? Tommy Vietor, co-host of Crooked Media's Pod Save the World, joins the show to discuss. And in headlines, Immigration and Customs Enforcement continues its chaotic operations, the Trump administration's unpopularity hurts the GOP in local elections, and the U.K. tosses Ye's, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, rehabilitation tour in the bin. Show Notes: https://tinyurl.com/4n6y99mu202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jyhttps://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

President Donald Trump posted a disturbing threat on Truth Social on Tuesday morning. If Iran did not meet his demands by 8 PM Eastern, "​​A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again." But then, an hour and a half before his deadline, Trump said he’d agree to a two-week ceasefire — if Iran agreed to the “COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz.” And the Iranian regime agreed… sort of. But there’s still a lot we don’t know. We spoke with Arizona Democratic Representative Yassamin Ansari shortly after the news broke that U.S. and Iranian officials had agreed to a ceasefire. Show Notes: 202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jyhttps://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

The Iran War has a second front in Lebanon, where Israel has been fighting Hezbollah, a militia that launched missiles into northern Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader. Israel believes the group threatens its security and it is striking targets across Lebanon to stop it. Tarek Abou Jaoude, a research fellow specializing in Lebanese politics at Queen’s University Belfast, unpacks the complex situation. And in headlines, President Donald Trump subjects toddlers to his boasts about the Iran War during the White House Easter Egg Roll, Trump gives Republicans a headache by endorsing a California gubernatorial candidate, and the Artemis II astronauts boldly travel farther than any humans have traveled before. Show Notes: https://tinyurl.com/57jeb5wd202-224-3121 https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/ crooked.com/whataday

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is inserting Christian nationalism into the culture and policy of the armed forces, and that’s drawing concern both inside and outside the military. The Pentagon had spent years making non-Christians feel more welcome, but as Washington Post religion reporter Michelle Boorstein explains, Hegseth has rolled back that work in favor of a particular brand of evangelical Christianity. And in headlines, President Donald Trump shares an expletive-laden Easter message for Iran, U.S. Special Operations forces rescue Air Force members who were shot down, and the administration argues that construction of a $400 million ballroom is a matter of national security. Show Notes: https://tinyurl.com/3rr9fwxvcrookedideas.org/empirecity202-224-3121 https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/ crooked.com/whataday

Attorney General Pam Bondi is out of a job. After multiple media reports stating she was headed to the green pastures of… somewhere else, President Trump officially announced her departure Thursday on Truth Social. So why is Bondi getting pushed out of her position? Was it the Epstein files debacle? Or her inability to successfully prosecute Trump’s enemies? To find out, we spoke with Ryan Barber. He’s a reporter covering the Justice Department for The Wall Street Journal. And in headlines, the world scrambles to figure out how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Trump promises to pay all DHS employees without outlining how, and a poll finds people glued to social media are less likely to think democracy is the best form of government. Show Notes: https://tinyurl.com/zm6evaxb202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jyhttps://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

The Supreme Court tackled a question Wednesday that most Americans probably thought was settled: are the American-born children of immigrants American citizens? The Constitution seems pretty clear -- Section 1 of the 14th Amendment reads in part, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.” But an executive order issued on President Donald Trump’s first day back in the White House argued, “The Fourteenth Amendment has never been interpreted to extend citizenship universally to everyone born within the United States.” That order was quickly met by a number of lawsuits. During oral arguments on Wednesday, most of the Supreme Court justices seemed skeptical that the 14th Amendment means something other than what it says. Melissa Murray, professor at the New York University School of Law and co-host of Crooked Media’s Strict Scrutiny, joins the show to break down the birthright citizenship question. And in headlines, Trump threatens to withdraw the U.S. from NATO even though he'd need Congressional approval to do so, Republicans say they finally have a plan to fund DHS, and statues mocking the president keep popping up across the nation’s capital. Show Notes: https://tinyurl.com/5ay6txmw202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jyhttps://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

Last month, Postmaster General David Steiner told Congress that the U.S. Postal Service is in danger of running out of money by the end of the year. One big reason for this: there’s just less mail being sent. Between 2008 and 2025, first-class mail volume declined by more than 50 percent. And the Postal Service reported losing roughly $9 billion dollars in each of the past two fiscal years. So what needs to happen to keep the agency running, especially with the midterm elections coming up and the issue of mail-in voting sitting before the Supreme Court? Hansi Lo Wang, an NPR correspondent covering the U.S. Postal Service, joins the show to talk about the state of the Postal Service and what Congress needs to do to save the popular federal institution. And in headlines, President Donald Trump scrambles for a solution to the war he started in Iran, the Supreme Court strikes down a ban on conversion therapy in Colorado, and a federal judge orders the Trump administration to pause construction of its $400 million White House ballroom. Show Notes: www.npr.org/people/177498291/hansi-lo-wang202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jyhttps://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/

Over the past decade or so, the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, has become a massive gathering of right-wing power brokers — but this year, President Trump didn’t go. Neither did Vice President JD Vance nor Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The lackluster convention seemed to mirror a MAGA movement that’s looking increasingly unmoored. Ben Jacobs is a Washington-based political reporter who has been going to CPAC for years. We talked about his trip to the 2026 convention and what made this year so different from the others. And in headlines, Trump makes yet another threat against Iran, Transportation Security Administration workers start receiving some backpay, and TMZ is giving members of Congress the tabloid treatment. Show Notes: slate.com/author/ben-jacobs202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jyhttps://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

It’s been nearly four years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and sent the issue back to the states. Since then, more than a dozen states have essentially banned abortion, while others have severely limited access. Back in February, two Tennessee Republican legislators tried passing a law making it so that women who had abortions could be charged with homicide, which would make them eligible for the death penalty under the state’s criminal law statutes. The bill failed in a House committee – but lawmakers in several other states have tried putting forth similar bills over the last two years. Shefali Luthra, reproductive health reporter at The 19th, joins the show to talk about the state of abortion in America right now. And in headlines, Transportation Security Administration agents are finally set to be paid, but federal immigration officers are staying in airports for the time being, the Trump administration is reportedly planning a ground invasion of Iran, and millions turned out over the weekend for the latest No Kings protests. Show Notes: 19thnews.org/author/shefali-luthra/202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jyhttps://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

Young voters are one of many groups that pushed Trump back into the White House in 2024. Some researchers saw this as a potentially massive realignment with game-changing implications for our politics — but one year into Trump's second term, it doesn't seem like it. Trump is 34 points underwater according to the Cook Political Report's poll aggregator. And those polls were taken before Trump launched a war with Iran, a decision most young people oppose. So what should Democrats do to reach young voters where they're at? To find out, we spoke to Florida Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost. He's the first Gen Z member elected to Congress. And in headlines, Trump reveals Iran's so-called gift to the U.S, Cuba is struggling amidst the U.S. oil blockade, and you can make your voice heard at a No Kings event this weekend. Show Notes: 202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jyhttps://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

On Wednesday, a California jury found Meta and YouTube each liable for harming the well-being of a young user who had sued the two companies. The plaintiff argued that the products had negatively impacted her mental health. This verdict follows a similar decision made by a jury in New Mexico earlier this week. Both decisions are part of a massive shift in how Americans are thinking about social media. New polling from Edison Research at SSRS – a major data and research firm – found that 57% of Americans ages 18 and older would support a social media ban for anyone under 16. But civil liberties groups, like the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, are crying foul, arguing that curtailing speech and content on social media is curtailing speech, period. Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist at New York University’s Stern School of Business and author of "The Anxious Generation," joins the show to discuss what stronger regulations on young people could mean for all social media users. And in headlines, a Democrat flips the Florida state legislative seat in the district that contains Mar-a-Lago, new polling shows that a majority of Americans think that the U.S. military has gone too far in attacking Iran, and a report says the White House turned down Elon Musk's offer to pay TSA agents. Show Notes: www.anxiousgeneration.com/book202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jyhttps://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

Ahead of the midterms, several Democrats are trying to seize on the affordability messaging that has been connecting with voters across the country by talking about lowering taxes. New Jersey Senator Cory Booker and Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen have introduced separate measures aimed at easing the tax burden on middle- and lower-income people. And Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders and California Democratic Representative Ro Khanna released a plan to raise taxes on billionaires. But critics are raising concerns about what these proposals would mean for government funding moving forward. Maryland Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen joins the show to discuss his plan. And in headlines, President Donald Trump sends more mixed messages about the war in Iran, new polling shows the president's approval rating is on the decline, and The Wall Street Journal's March Madness bracket tests whether AI is better than humans at predicting the winning teams. Show Notes: 202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jyhttps://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

It’s been more than a month since the Department of Homeland Security shut down, and American airports are definitely feeling it. Now, President Donald Trump has sent ICE agents to at least 14 airports across the country. A Truth Social post over the weekend from Trump, said in part that ICE in airports will, “do Security like no one has ever seen before, including the immediate arrest of all Illegal Immigrants who have come into our Country, with heavy emphasis on those from Somalia.” In other words, ICE isn’t really there to help decrease the long wait times on security lines. Andrea Flores, a former Homeland Security official and founder of the pro-immigration initiative, Securing America’s Promise, joined the show to talk more about what ICE agents are doing at American airports. And in headlines, Trump walks back his threats to escalate the war on Iran, the Supreme Court looks ready to limit mail-in voting, and closing arguments were heard Monday in a trial over whether Meta has been misleading users about the potential impact of social media on children. Show Notes: 202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jyhttps://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

The MAGA Right is at war over the role that Israel has in American foreign policy and the war with Iran. If you listen to Tucker Carlson or former counterterrorism chief Joe Kent, you would think that President Donald Trump was bamboozled into this conflict, lured by the evil "Israel lobby." The way some on the American Right (and the American Left) are talking about Israel has edged into outright antisemitism. And with multiple violent attacks on synagogues around the world over the last few weeks, the lack of distinction between "Israel the country" and "Jewish people" is having a very dangerous impact. Zack Beauchamp, senior correspondent at Vox, joins the show to talk about the rise of anti-war antisemitism. And in headlines, President Trump threatens to escalate the already high-stakes war with Iran, the Trump administration plans to make airport security lines even more unpleasant by sending in ICE officers, and the White House grounds welcome a statue of Christopher Columbus. Show Notes: https://tinyurl.com/49e2hezu202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jyhttps://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

The Trump Administration’s crackdown on undocumented and documented immigrants hasn’t stopped — even for recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. Since Trump returned to the White House last year, his administration has made life harder and harder for the estimated half a million DACA recipients living in the US. The Trump Administration has said it’s deported nearly 100 DACA recipients — and that’s not including everyone who has been detained. To talk more about what Dreamers are having to endure under Trump, we spoke with Laura Barrón-López. She’s a White House reporter for MSNOW. And in headlines, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly plans to ask Congress for $200 billion to fund the war with Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a press conference just to prove he’s still kickin’, and rapper Afroman is — legally — serving up Lemon Pound Cake. Show Notes: https://tinyurl.com/4ujxrtxu202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jyhttps://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

The Iran War is not very popular with Americans – and the Trump Administration seems to think it knows why: the media is being too mean about the President’s war of choice. On Saturday, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr reposted a Trump Truth Social screed against The New York Times and Wall Street Journal on Twitter — adding, “The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not.” Carr has real power in his role as FCC Chairman – power he wants to use on behalf of President Trump. So to talk more about the FCC under Brendan Carr, we spoke with Matt Gertz. He’s a senior fellow at the progressive media watchdog, Media Matters. And in headlines, the gloves came off during Oklahoma Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin’s confirmation hearing, the government’s top intelligence officials testify about worldwide threats before the Senate, and The New York Times publishes a multiyear investigation revealing labor activist Cesar Chavez’s sexual abuse of women and girls. Show Notes: www.mediamatters.org/author/matt-gertz202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jyhttps://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday