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Hacks On Tap

Vox Media

When David Axelrod, Mike Murphy, and John Heilemann get together to talk politics, it’s not academic. They speak from the perspective gained through hundreds of campaigns for offices from City Hall to the White House. So if you want to know what’s really going on behind the scenes, where strategic decisions are being made, pull up a stool for Hacks on Tap. Incisive, sometimes uproarious and always entertaining, these political warhorses and their guests will give you insights you’ll only get from folks who have spent a lifetime in the political trenches of both parties. 

From the Vox Media Podcast Network

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  • 36 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 1 hr 6 min
  • English

Episodes 36

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  • June 30 · 1 hr 4 min

    250 and Counting (with Jonathan Martin)

    This week Axe and Murphy were joined by Hacks frequent flier and POLITICO’s own JMart. The Hacks break down negotiations between the White House and the Hill, take stock of the midterm landscape, and reflect on the great pageant of American democracy as the nation marks its 250th birthday. Photo by Al Drago via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • June 23 · 1 hr 6 min

    From the Garden to the Polls (with Lis Smith)

    This week Axe and Murphy were joined by veteran Democratic strategist, political advisor, and proud Knicks fan Lis Smith. The Hacks break down the races in today’s New York primary, along with several other key races across the country. They also discuss AI companies influencing campaign races, the latest twists with JD’s Iran deal, the White House reflecting pool ecosystem, and so much more! Photo by Gary Hershorn via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • June 16 · 54 min

    West Wing, Right Hook (with Jen Psaki)

    This week Axe and Heilemann were joined by political heavyweight and MS NOW’s Jen Psaki. The Hacks step into the octagon to break down Trump's 80th birthday UFC spectacle at the White House and the controversy that followed, the administration's shadowboxing over Iran, and whether the economy is headed for a knockout victory or headed to the mat. Okay, that's enough puns. They also discuss possible contenders for the next presidential ticket, whether sports can still bring Americans together, examine how Israel has become a growing point of tension for Democrats, and much more. Photo by Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • June 9 · 57 min

    Too Big To Deny (with Adam Kinzinger)

    This week Axe and Murphy were joined by Air National Guard veteran, former Illinois Congressman, and January 6th Committee member Adam Kinzinger. The Hacks dive into Trump’s claims of election meddling in the Los Angeles mayoral race, his growing paranoia and sleepiness, the state of the Maine race, the ongoing war with Iran, the Chicago Bears leaving their beloved Chicago voter fans, and so much more! Photo by Al Bello via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • June 2 · 1 hr 9 min

    The Golden State of Play (with Ron Brownstein)

    This week Axe and Murphy were joined by the great Ron Brownstein—veteran journalist, Bloomberg Opinion columnist, and CNN senior political analyst. The Hacks dive into Trump's preparations for America250, the affordability crisis and the impact of tariffs in key swing states, today's California primary, and the latest developments in races in Maine and Texas—and so much more. Photo by Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • May 27 · 1 hr 16 min

    Fool’s Cubic Zirconia (with Sarah Longwell)

    This week Axe and Heilemann were joined by were joined by focus group guru and Bulwark legend, Sarah Longwell. The Hacks dive into the Texas primary results, California’s governors and LA’s mayoral race, the release of the DNC 2024 autopsy report, and so much more! Photo by Brandon Bell via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • May 19 · 1 hr 13 min

    Strait to the Point (with Jonathan Martin)

    This week Murphy and Heilemann are joined by Hacks regular and budding food influencer Jonathan Martin to dig into Trump’s latest polling, the un-bullsh!table issues actually shaping the race, and preview key upcoming primaries. Photo by Majid Saeedi via Getty Images "Sad Trio" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • May 12 · 1 hr 5 min

    Race to the Bottom (with Addisu Demissie)

    This week Axe and Murphy were joined by ace political wizard and veteran Democratic campaign manager Addisu Demissie. The Hacks dive into Trump’s new inflation numbers, Rubio and Vance vying for the chance to run in 2028, the escalating redistricting arms race, and AOC’s future. And of course, with Addisu in the room, we check in on his home state of California and the key races shaping the political landscape there. Photo by Justin Sullivan via Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • May 5 · 1 hr 9 min

    The Cost of Not Listening (with Dave Wasserman)

    This week Axe and Murphy are joined by the man who has seen it all—and has seen enough—Dave Wasserman of the Cook Political Report. The Hacks dive into Donald Trump’s frustrations with voters, the latest polls and money advantages shaping the map, and—of course with Wasserman in the mix—a deep dive into key races, redistricting battles, and what it all means for the midterms. Photo by Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • April 28 · 1 hr 9 min

    Tired of Being Tired (with John King)

    This week, Axe and Murphy were joined by one of the all-time greats, John King of CNN. The Hacks dive into the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting and the broader conversation around political rhetoric and violence, Trump’s ballroom ambitions, exhausted voters, redistricting battles, the California governor’s primary—and much more as we head into the midterms just six months out. Photo by Al Drago via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • April 21 · 1 hr 10 min

    The Liquor Cabinet (with Jonathan Martin)

    This week, Murphy and Heilemann were joined by frequent Hacks flyer and host of On the Road, Politico’s Jonathan Martin! The Hacks dive into U.S./Iran negotiations, Vance’s foreign policy woes, chaos and turnover in the Trump cabinet, and check in on the Virginia, California, and Kentucky races. And so much more! Photo by Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • April 14 · 1 hr 1 min

    It’s the Theology, Stupid (with Doug Sosnik)

    This week, Murphy and Heilemann welcome policy Hackeroo and Clintonworld veteran Doug Sosnik. The Hacks dive into Trump’s Twitter feud with Chicago’s Pope, high-stakes negotiations to end the war with Iran, the JD Vance problem, shifting voting trends and Trump’s job approval—and check in on California’s governor’s race. Photo by Xinhua via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • April 7 · 1 hr 4 min

    Gravity of the Situation (with Rahm Emanuel)

    This week, Axe and Murphy are joined live and in person by Hack regular, former U.S. Ambassador, and former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel. The Hacks break down the escalating war with Iran and Trump’s increasingly heated rhetoric, as strikes intensify and diplomacy teeters on the brink. They dig into JD Vance’s trip abroad—and what his chances are for 2028—before turning to the midterms and the wide-open Democratic race for the White House. All that and much more! Photo by Roger Simmons/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • April 1 · 1 hr 6 min

    TACO Tuesday (with Morris Katz)

    This week, Axe and Heilemann dive into Trump’s Oval Office presser on the state of the war with Iran—and, of course, his ballroom. The Hacks also break down kitchen table issues, potential watershed moments, Republican influencers turning on Trump, redistricting, the midterms, and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • March 25 · 1 hr 4 min

    Mad King Politics (with David Plouffe)

    This week Axe and Murphy are joined by Campaign Manager Hackeroo David Plouffe — who ran Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign, later served as a senior White House advisor.The Hacks dive into another week of war with Iran, unpack Trump’s motivations (and re-motivations), break down how negotiations on the Hill are going, dig into the politics of the SAVE Act, check in on Illinois primary results, and review some spicy Texas ads — and, as always, so much more. Photo by Heather Diehl via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • March 17 · 1 hr 7 min

    The Luck of the Midterms (with Amy Walter)

    Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Hackeroos! This week, Axe and Heilemann are joined by one of the greatest Hacks in all the land, Amy Walter—publisher and editor-in-chief of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter. The Hacks dive into Joe Kent’s resignation, unpack the Iran war and its costs at home and abroad, check in on midterm kitchen table issues, take a look at today’s Illinois primary, and so much more! Photo by Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Showing 21–36 of 36 episodes