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The Lincoln Project

The creators of the most watched and talked-about ad content in the political/cultural sphere, THE LINCOLN PROJECT, and co-founder/host Rick Wilson, have a reputation for saying the things others are afraid to say.

Headed up by LP's notorious creative team, THE LINCOLN PROJECT podcast features a range of special guests, from leading political minds to the hottest pop-culture icons. Broadening the subject matter beyond politics and making the conversation more relatable to everyone, The Lincoln Project podcast’s mission is to reignite the political flame in every American and break down the biggest topics of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

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Friday · 29 min
TRUMP IS BURNING $300 MILLION ON HIMSELF WHILE HIS OWN PARTY DROWNS — AND THE GOP IS TERRIFIED💸🔥🚨
This week's EITR is not surprising. It’s that Trump is going to make the 2026 elections all about him, and it’s not going to work. Rick breaks down Trump's plan to spend MAGA Inc.'s war chest on a national ad campaign centered on himself rather than the vulnerable Republicans who need the help most. Rick talks about how this strategy only worked when Trump's numbers were sky-high — now that strong support has collapsed, claims of a booming economy land flat against real pain at the pump and in farm country. He also tells the story of MAGA Inc. as less a normal PAC than a Trump family fund that's helped cover his own legal bills, leaving candidates like Ken Paxton and Jon Husted to fend for themselves. Rick calls for voters to see through what's coming next: a grievance narrative building toward a "stolen election" excuse, set against a backdrop of real failures in Iran, a drained strategic oil reserve, and instability abroad, in 2026 and beyond. • • • • • Rick Wilson is on X @TheRickWilson, Bluesky @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. More from LP at www.lincolnproject.us and on X @ProjectLincoln. #EITR #ETTD #RickWilson #LincolnProject #MAGAInc #TrumpApproval #Midterms2026 #SusanCollins #JonHusted #KenPaxton #StrategicPetroleumReserve #GOP #OperationEpicFailure Head to Superpower.com and use code LINCOLN at checkout for $20 off your membership. Get 100+ biomarkers tested every year, plus a personalized health plan and on-demand care team. Detect early signs of 1,000+ conditions. #superpowerpod #AD
Tuesday · 50 min
HUNTER BIDEN BRINGS THE RECEIPTS: THE CORRUPTION, THE RUMORS, AND THE WEAPON NOBODY'S USING
In this very special episode of the Lincoln Project Podcast, Rick sits down with HUNTER BIDEN for a conversation that pulls NO punches. Hunter makes the case that Americans are far less divided than the media wants you to believe, that AUTHENTICITY beats Trump's audacity every time, and that Democrats need to stop torching their own — from Abdul El-Sayed to Zohran Mamdani's early wins in New York. Then it gets HEAVY: Hunter lays out corruption as the sharpest weapon Democrats have, from Jared Kushner's Gulf-funded fortune, to alleged insider trading timed to Trump's Iran announcements, to crypto schemes hammering retail investors. He even wades into the RUMORS swirling around Trump's health. Hunter also opens up about his father's cancer — and what it means to extend grace to people who've finally seen the light. • • • • • Hunter Biden: @HunterBiden on X, Instagram, Threads and YouTube @hunterbiden on Substack and TikTok. hunterbiden.com | hunterbiden.substack.com |hunterbiden.com/press Rick Wilson is on X @TheRickWilson, Bluesky @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. More from LP at www.lincolnproject.us and on X @ProjectLincoln. #HunterBiden #RickWilson #LincolnProject #ZohranMamdani #AbdulElSayed #JaredKushner #Democrats2026 #Corruption #Politics2026 #JoeBiden
August 21 · 37 min
NATALIE HARP, TRUMP'S "HUMAN PRINTER," HAS BECOME TRUMP'S EMOTIONAL CRUTCH AS HIS NUMBERS COLLAPSE 🖨️😳🔥
Rick Wilson is breaking down the strangest power dynamic in Washington: NATALIE HARP, the 35-year-old former OAN host turned Trump aide who prints him flattering headlines and reportedly rode in an SUV TRUNK just to stay near him. Rick digs into the reporting — she was one of a handful of aides on the Turkey trip, she's operated for over a year WITHOUT a normal security clearance, and insiders are reportedly maneuvering behind the scenes to curb her influence. Rick lays out why this isn't about romance, it's about DEPENDENCY — and why MAGA's outrage over Jon Ossoff's comments reeks of hypocrisy given the GOP's own history. Then Rick pivots to the numbers that matter: a nail-biter in Florida, a surging Mary Peltola in Alaska, and a Texas Senate race where the money is NOT on Paxton's side. Check your registration. Vote early. • • • • • Rick Wilson is on X @TheRickWilson, Bluesky @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. Upgrade your everyday. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to https://quince.com/lincoln. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too. #ad Right now, podcast listeners can save up to 48% off their first order at https://pendulumlife.com/LINCOLNPROJECT. #ad More from LP at www.lincolnproject.us and on X @ProjectLincoln. #EITR #RickWilson #LincolnProject #NatalieHarp #HumanPrinter #TrumpWhiteHouse #TheTrunk #JonOssoff #FloridaGovernor #MaryPeltola #TexasSenate #VoteEarly #Politics2026
August 18 · 53 min
Two Americans, Two Brits, One (Count) Binface, Zero Filter 🗑️😂
This week is special: recorded live in front of our audience at the Leicester Square Theatre in London and hosted by Byline Times @BylineTimes -- we're delivering part II of Rick's UK adventures across the pond. The Lincoln Project's Rick Wilson and Maya May sit down with The Bunker's Alex Andreou and Naomi Smith @bunkerpod.bsky.social — with a surprise appearance from Count Binface @CountBinface — for a transatlantic reckoning on US and UK politics. Together they compare what each democracy is getting right and wrong, make the case that the UK has to correct course before it's too late, and dig into what America can still learn from Britain. It's sharp, funny, and a little bit ominous — exactly the conversation both countries need right now. Follow Rick Wilson ⁨@therickwilson⁩ , Maya May ⁨@mayaonstage⁩ , and the Lincoln Project ⁨@TheLincolnProject⁩ .
August 14 · 1 hr 10 min
LIVE FROM LONDON: RICK WILSON TELLS BRITAIN THE UGLY TRUTH ABOUT AMERICA'S COLLAPSE 🇬🇧🇺🇸💣
Rick Wilson and Maya May took The Lincoln Project LIVE to the Leicester Square Theatre in London, joining forces with the UK's Quiet Riot podcast (Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou @quietriotpod.bsky.social) for a no-holds-barred night hosted by Byline Times @bylinesnetwork. The question on the table: WHAT CAN BRITAIN LEARN FROM AMERICA'S AUTHORITARIAN SLIDE — before it's too late? Rick and Maya push back HARD on American exceptionalism, tracing the GOP's radicalization from the Tea Party to today, while the panel goes deep on Trump's visible decline, Elon Musk's outsized grip on the online world, and how algorithms are radicalizing everyone from your uncle on Facebook to teenage boys chasing the next Andrew Tate. This is the special relationship getting a reality check, live and unfiltered. PRESS PLAY — Part 2 is coming on Tuesday. Follow Rick at @TheRickWilson and on Substack at therickwilson.substack.com, and Maya May at @mayaonstage. More from LP at www.lincolnproject.us and on X @ProjectLincoln.
August 12 · 50 min
RICK TAKES THE STAGE TO WARN THE WORLD: AUTHORITARIANISM IS COMING FOR EVERYONE 🚨🌍🔥
Rick Wilson just took America's authoritarian meltdown on the road, and this time the stage isn't a cable news set, it's PETER GABRIEL'S WOMAD FESTIVAL in the UK. This week Rick tells the story of his OWN journey through GOP politics — from party operative to outspoken critic — as a CAUTIONARY TALE for a world watching democracy erode in real time. He's not just talking about America anymore. He's connecting the dots on how authoritarianism creeps in EVERYWHERE, from Washington to Westminster and beyond, and why the warning signs look the same no matter what flag is flying. Expect the same no-BS Rick Wilson energy, now aimed at a global audience that needs to hear it. This is history, strategy, and a warning label all rolled into one. • • • • • Rick Wilson is on X @TheRickWilson, Bluesky @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. More from LP at www.lincolnproject.us and on X @ProjectLincoln. #RickWilson #LincolnProject #WOMAD #WOMADFestival #PeterGabriel #Authoritarianism #Democracy #EITR #SaveDemocracy #GOP #Politics2026 #UKpolitics #PoliticalPodcast #WakeUpAmerica 👉 Grab your free seat to the 2-Day AI Claude-athon: https://links.outskill.com/THLIAUG3 🔐 100% Discount for the first 1000 people 💥 Dive deep into claude, its models and Learn Automations, Build AI Agents, Make videos & images – all for free! #ad Visit https://bollandbranch.com/lincoln and use code 'LINCOLN' to unlock 15% off. #ad
August 8 · 30 min
NO SPINE, NO SHAME: THE GOP'S MEN OF (DIS)HONOR HIT A NEW LOW 🔥
This week's EITR is "Men of (Dis)honor." Republicans would rather keep an alleged domestic abuser in Congress than lose a seat — no shock when the man leading the party is a convicted felon found liable for sexual abuse. Then there's Thom Tillis and John Cornyn: on their way out the door, already torched by Trump, handed the easiest chance at honor of their careers — and they folded, voting to confirm Todd Blanche as Attorney General and handing the DOJ to the man at the center of the Epstein cover-up. Rick names the cowards and asks what honor even means in today's GOP. • • • • • Rick Wilson is on X @TheRickWilson, Bluesky @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. More from LP at www.lincolnproject.us and on X @ProjectLincoln. Visit https://babbel.com/lincolnproject for up to 60% off. #ad
August 5 · 32 min
THE DAY AFTER: BRIAN TYLER COHEN HANDS DEMS THE PLAYBOOK TO CRUSH MAGA IN 2026 💥📘🔥
STOP DOOMSCROLLING AND PRESS PLAY. This week we get our hands on THE PLAYBOOK. Brian Tyler Cohen — the #1 New York Times bestselling menace behind Shameless — is back with a brand-new battle plan, THE DAY AFTER: HOW TO WIELD POWER IN A POST-TRUMP WORLD, and it is exactly the kick in the pants the left has been begging for. We’re talking about the morning-after question nobody wants to answer: once the smoke clears, WHAT DO DEMOCRATS ACTUALLY DO WITH POWER?? No more clutching pearls. No more bringing a strongly-worded tweet to a knife fight. Brian lays out why Democrats have to go on OFFENSE, stop apologizing, and use every lever they’ve got — because MAGA isn’t waiting around and neither should we. Rick and Brian get into the guts of it: the fumbles, the fixes, and the ruthless, proactive strategy it’ll take to WIN in 2026 and beyond. It’s loud, it’s urgent, it’s a masterclass in spine. Grab the book, grab your headphones, and let’s GO. 🎙️⚡🇺🇸 • • • • • Brian Tyler Cohen is everywhere @BrianTylerCohen, and on his website https://briantylercohen.com. His new book, ‘THE DAY AFTER: HOW TO WIELD POWER IN A POST-TRUMP WORLD,’ is out now, wherever fine books are sold. Rick Wilson is on X @TheRickWilson, Bluesky @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. More from LP at www.lincolnproject.us and on X @ProjectLincoln.
August 1 · 32 min
They Tried To Stay Polite. I Wouldn’t Let Them.
This week’s EITR comes to you from LP’s trip across the pond. Rick reports back from a week of speaking in the UK — on America’s declining standing abroad, the rise of authoritarian populism, and the growing pull of social media, foreign actors, and political figures on Western democracy. He shares stories from the road, compares British and American society, and calls for real political accountability and democratic reform in 2026 and beyond. • • • • • Rick Wilson is on X @TheRickWilson, Bluesky @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. More from LP at www.lincolnproject.us and on X @ProjectLincoln.
July 29 · 50 min
How Democrats Actually Win It All Back by 2028
Everybody's got a hot take on how American democracy is dying. Almost nobody has an actual plan to save it. This week, Rick Wilson sits down with Ben Wikler — the former Wisconsin Democratic Party chair who turned a purple-state battleground into a national model, and author of This Is the Plan: How to End America's Meltdown and Save Democracy — to skip the hand-wringing and get straight to the blueprint. Because the authoritarian playbook Trump is running isn't magic. It's a system. And systems can be beaten by people who understand how they actually work. Rick and Ben get into the real fight: the systemic threats hollowing out the guardrails, why Supreme Court reform has to be on the table, and the unglamorous grassroots work — local elections, state parties, showing up between the presidential years — that actually moves power. They map the road to a federal trifecta in 2028 and what it would take to finally rip out the rot that's rigged the whole system. It's not a doomscroll and it's not a fairy tale. It's a strategy — and a reminder that the people who built this mess are counting on you believing it can't be fixed. This is the conversation that proves them wrong. • • • • • Ben Wikler is the former chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and author of This Is the Plan: How to End America's Meltdown and Save Democracy. Find his work at https://www.benwikler.com/, and follow him @benwikler. Rick Wilson is on X @TheRickWilson, Bluesky @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. More from LP at www.lincolnproject.us and on X @ProjectLincoln. #BenWikler #ThisIsThePlan #SaveDemocracy #RickWilson #LincolnProject #SupremeCourt #Grassroots #2028 #Democracy #Politics #PoliticalPodcast #Podcast
July 21 · 53 min
Somebody's Losing Their Seat + He Doesn't Know It Yet
While Washington burns, there are people out there actually doing the unglamorous work of winning elections — and this week Rick Wilson brings you two of them. First up: Josh Turek, running for Senate in Iowa, where tariffs have gutted family farms, rural hospitals keep going dark, and corporate consolidation has squeezed working families until there's nothing left. Turek's pitch is what he calls a "prairie populist" agenda — lower costs, real support for family farms, healthcare people can actually reach, and a hard shove back against the corporate money that's been running the table. It's the kind of message that used to win the Midwest, and might again. Then Rick heads to Colorado for Manny Rutinel, currently in the state House and gunning for CO-8 — one of the most competitive districts in the entire country and the most Latino district in the state. The incumbent, Gabe Evans, has voted with Trump an estimated 97% of the time, which is less a voting record than a signature stamp. Rutinel's betting that a working-class background and a genuine grassroots operation beat a rubber stamp with a war chest. Two races, two very different maps, one shared question: can Democrats stop talking past the people they need and start winning them back? These are the fights that decide whether the next Congress is a check on the chaos or a co-signer. • • • • • Josh Turek is a candidate for U.S. Senate in Iowa: https://turek4iowa.com Manny Rutinel is a Colorado State Representative and candidate for Congress in CO-8: https://mannyforcolorado.com Rick Wilson is @THERICKWILSON on socials and on Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. More from LP at www.lincolnproject.us and on X @ProjectLincoln. #JoshTurek #MannyRutinel #Iowa #Colorado #CO8 #Midterms2026 #RickWilson #LincolnProject #Democrats #Politics #PoliticalPodcast #Podcast
July 17 · 37 min
Trump Could Not Stand Up. Blanche Could Not Shut Up.
Two acts, one circus. Part one: Trump shuffled out last night, grabbed the podium like it was the only thing keeping him upright, and delivered a low-energy, incoherent rerun of his greatest 2020 grievances. And here's the thing — it doesn't matter what he said or how badly he said it. The speech had exactly one job: to poison the well before the 2026 election, to get millions of Americans primed to distrust the results months before a single vote is cast. It wasn't a rant. It was a pre-game. Rick Wilson breaks down why the incoherence is the point, and why the "rigged" groundwork being laid right now should have every one of us paying attention. Part two: enter Todd Blanche, stumbling through an AG confirmation hearing that played like an audition for a job he'd already promised to somebody else. He dodged and dissembled on the Epstein files, made a spectacle of himself under basic questioning, and then — in a Freudian slip for the ages — referred to himself as "Trump's lawyer." Which, let's be honest, is the truest thing anyone said all day. Rick digs into what it means when the person up for the nation's top law enforcement job can't stop admitting who he actually works for. Grab a drink. You'll need it. • • • • • Rick Wilson is @TheRickWilson on socials and on Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. More from LP at www.lincolnproject.us and on X @ProjectLincoln. #Trump #ToddBlanche #Epstein #Election2026 #ElectionIntegrity #RickWilson #LincolnProject #ElephantInTheRoom #Politics #PoliticalPodcast #CurrentEvents #Podcast
July 14 · 31 min
Dominion Conspiracies, Jared Polis’ Capitulating, & My Pillow Guy’s Endorsement: The Tina Peters’ Commutation Starter Package
Here's a sentence that should stop you cold: a Democratic governor just cut loose one of the most notorious election criminals in the country — because Donald Trump told him to. Tina Peters, the Colorado clerk convicted for helping breach her own county's voting system and handing the guts of it to Mike Lindell's crew, was doing nine years. Then Trump started posting "FREE TINA," and Governor Jared Polis obliged — slashing her sentence and springing her on parole, dressing it up as a "free speech" stand. His own party censured him. All six Colorado Democrats in Congress lit him up. And it still happened. This week Rick Wilson is joined by Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold — the election-integrity watchdog who fought Peters from the start — to break down what this commutation really signals: that the pressure campaign works, that the people who attacked our elections are being rehabilitated in real time, and that it's a dress rehearsal for what's coming this fall. Rick and Jena get into how the machinery of election sabotage actually operates, why the midterms are the next target, and — most importantly — what we can do right now to lock the doors before November. The last election deniers got prosecuted. This time they're getting pardoned. Time to pay attention. • • • • • Jena Griswold is the Colorado Secretary of State. Check out her campaign for Colorado Attorney General at https://jenaforcolorado.com and follow her @JenaGriswold. Rick Wilson is @TheRickWilson and on Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. More from LP at www.lincolnproject.us and on X @ProjectLincoln. #TinaPeters #JenaGriswold #JaredPolis #ElectionIntegrity #Trump #Colorado #RickWilson #LincolnProject #Midterms #Democracy #Politics #Podcast
July 10 · 27 min
Send in the Clown: Trump Does NATO
Trump flew to Ankara for the NATO summit and turned it into an open-mic disaster. In two days he threatened to bomb Iran again, screamed at Europe for blocking his Greenland obsession, called Spain "a terrible partner," and trashed half the alliance for skipping his war — then spread his arms and declared it all a lovefest of "tremendous love." This week's Elephant in the Room, Rick Wilson breaks down the clown show. Here's what the spin can't hide: our allies aren't laughing with him — they're backing away. Rick gets into what it actually costs when a president treats the most powerful alliance on earth like his personal roast: the credibility bleeding out, the adversaries taking notes, the friends who've quietly stopped counting on us. Greenland grabs, Iran threats, insulted partners, and a standing ovation he gave himself. It'd be hilarious if it weren't our national security. • • • • • Rick Wilson is @TheRickWilson and Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. More from LP at www.lincolnproject.us and @ProjectLincoln. Go to https://shopify.com/lincolnproject to start your free trial today. #Trump #NATO #Ankara #Greenland #Iran #RickWilson #LincolnProject #ElephantInTheRoom #ForeignPolicy #Politics #CurrentEvents #Podcast
July 7 · 39 min
Erin Brockovich: Big Tech Is Draining Your Town Dry for AI
Somewhere near you, Big Tech is quietly bolting together a windowless box the size of a stadium — and it's thirsty as hell. The AI gold rush has unleashed a wave of massive data centers that swallow staggering amounts of water and electricity, spike local utility bills, and buckle small-town grids that were never built to feed a machine that never sleeps. The trillion-dollar companies get the profits and the press releases. The town next door gets the drained reservoir, the power crunch, and the bill. If that racket sounds familiar, it should. This week, Rick Wilson sits down with the one and only Erin Brockovich — the legendary crusader who's spent her whole life dragging corporate giants into the light and making them pay — to break down the fight communities are waking up to across the country. They get into who's really footing the cost of the AI boom, why local families keep getting steamrolled by companies with unlimited lawyers, how ordinary people are actually beating these projects when they organize early and loud, and exactly what to do if a data center shows up on your doorstep. It's a David-and-Goliath story with a very 2026 twist — and Erin's entire career is proof that Goliath bleeds. • • • • • Erin Brockovich is a legendary environmental activist and consumer advocate. Find her work at Brockovichdatacenter.com, thebrockovichreport.com, and follow her at @ErinBrockovich. Rick Wilson is on X @TheRickWilson and on Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. More from LP at www.lincolnproject.us and on X @ProjectLincoln. #ErinBrockovich #DataCenters #BigTech #AI #WaterCrisis #RickWilson #LincolnProject #Environment #Grassroots #Politics #Podcast
July 4 · 24 min
America at 250: This Is Our Moment
Let's be honest about the moment we're in: it's dark. The institutions are strained, the norms are cracking, and it's easy to look around and wonder if the whole American experiment is finally running out of road. But here's the thing the doomscrollers keep forgetting — we have been here before. We've faced worse, stared down bigger, and clawed our way out of holes that made this one look shallow. A civil war. A depression. World wars. Movements that had to bleed for the rights the Constitution only promised on paper. Every single time, the smart money bet against us. Every single time, they were wrong. This week's Elephant in the Room is Rick Wilson's case for exactly that: Americans don't fold in the dark — we do our best work there. Across 250 years of tragedies and triumphs, failures and moonshots, this country has been at its most inventive, most stubborn, and most extraordinary when the odds looked impossible. That's not a fairy tale; it's the pattern. The fear is real, the opposition is real, the darkness is real — and so is the thing Americans have always done when the lights get low. This isn't the end of the story. It's the part where we decide how it goes. This is our moment. Let's go earn it. • • • • • Rick Wilson is @TheRickWilson on socials and therickwilson.substack.com on Substack. More from LP at www.lincolnproject.us and on X @ProjectLincoln. #America250 #ThisIsOurMoment #RickWilson #LincolnProject #ElephantInTheRoom #July4th #Democracy #History #Hope #Politics #Podcast
July 4 · 1 hr 4 min
America at 250: We Ran It Into a Ditch. Now We Dig Out
America is 250 years old, and the fix is in — the DOJ bent to serve whoever's holding the whip, the rule of law treated like a suggestion, the guardrails quietly sawed through while everyone's distracted by the fireworks. This week Rick Wilson sits down with two people who've seen the rot up close and refuse to shut up about it: Congressman Jamie Raskin, the constitutional scholar who's spent his career defending democracy on the House floor, and Liz Oyer, the DOJ pardon attorney who got fired for one unforgivable sin — saying no. What she saw inside the building should scare the hell out of you, and what Raskin knows about how this ends should light a fire under you. Here's what they won't tell you at the birthday party: the republic doesn't save itself, and nobody's riding in to do it for us. Rick, Jamie, and Liz get into what's already broken, what we can do right now before the next crisis lands, and the longer fight to reclaim, rebuild, and reinforce a country worth keeping. At 250, the tools are still in our hands and the door's still open — but not for long. They stole it in broad daylight. This is the conversation about taking it back. • • • • • Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08), constitutional scholar and author, is at @RepRaskin. Liz Oyer, former U.S. Pardon Attorney at the Department of Justice, is at @lawyeroyer. Rick Wilson is on X @TheRickWilson and on Substack at therickwilson.substack.com or https://www.againstallenemies.net/. More from LP at www.lincolnproject.us and @ProjectLincoln. #America250 #JamieRaskin #LizOyer #RickWilson #LincolnProject #TakeItBack #RuleOfLaw #DOJ #Democracy #Politics #July4th #podcast
July 3 · 1 hr 6 min
America at 250: This Is the Part of History They'll Ask You About
America is 250 years old and the guardrails are cracking in real time — the courts, the rule of law, the FBI, the DOJ — and the people doing the cracking are counting on you not to notice. This week Rick Wilson pulls up two of the sharpest legal minds in the country: Jeffrey Toobin, who's spent a career dissecting the Supreme Court, and Asha Rangappa, a former FBI special agent who knows exactly how democracies get gutted from the inside. No hand-wringing, no doomscrolling — just a straight, unsparing conversation about what's already broken, what's still worth saving, and how we reclaim, revise, and reinforce the whole rickety machine before the next crisis finishes the job. Here's what the fireworks won't tell you: the republic doesn't defend itself. Every generation either fights for it or hands it to whoever's willing to burn it down — and at 250, that generation is us. This is the last clean shot we get to take it back. Sit down, buckle up, and let's talk about saving the country. • • • • • Jeffrey Toobin — lawyer, legal analyst, and bestselling author @JeffreyToobin Asha Rangappa — former FBI special agent, attorney, and Yale lecturer @AshaRangappa_ or asharangappa.substack.com Rick Wilson is on X @TheRickWilson, Bluesky @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. More from LP at www.lincolnproject.us and @ProjectLincoln. #America250 #JeffreyToobin #AshaRangappa #RickWilson #LincolnProject #TakeItBack #RuleOfLaw #SupremeCourt #Democracy #FBI #Politics #July4th #Podcast
July 2 · 31 min
America at 250: The Most Important Founder You've Never Heard Of
Six men signed both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. You can probably name Franklin. You've almost certainly never heard of James Wilson — the man who did more than almost anyone to put "We the People" at the heart of American government, sat on the first Supreme Court… and then died broke, on the run from creditors, and was quietly erased from the story of the founding. As part of our special 250th podcast rollout celebrating this amazing country of ours, Rick Wilson sits down with Jesse Wegman — New York Times editorial board member and author of the new book on James Wilson — to resurrect the most important founder nobody remembers. They get into how Wilson shaped the Constitution, why his radical idea of popular sovereignty still defines (and haunts) American democracy, how a founding genius ended up in a debtor's ruin, and what his erasure tells us about the myths we build around 1776. It's the perfect 250th-birthday story: not the founders on the money, but the one history decided to forget — and why remembering him matters now more than ever. • • • • • Jesse Wegman is a member of the New York Times editorial board and the author of the new book, The Lost Founder: James Wilson and the Forgotten Fight for a People's Constitution. Find more of Jesse's work at the Brennan Center for Justice, the Kohlberg Center on the U.S. Supreme Court, and the Future of the Constitution Advisory Committee. Rick Wilson is on X at @TheRickWilson, on Bluesky at @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and you can check out Rick's Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. You can check out more of LP's work at www.lincolnproject.us and on X at @ProjectLincoln. #JesseWegman #JamesWilson #LostFounder #America250 #RickWilson #LincolnProject #FoundingFathers #Constitution #PresidentialHistory #July4th #History #Politics #Podcast
June 30 · 36 min
James Carville on America at 250: How the Hell Did We Get Here?
Two hundred and fifty years ago, a handful of revolutionaries bet everything on an idea no one thought would survive a decade — a country that governs itself, with no king and no crown. So how the hell did we get here? This week, Rick Wilson sits down with legendary Democratic strategist James Carville — the Ragin' Cajun himself — for a no-holds-barred conversation about America's 250th birthday and the long, strange road that led to this moment. A Democrat and a Never-Trump Republican walk through how the country actually got to the brink: the slow erosion of norms, the parties that lost the plot, the voters nobody listened to, and the economic anxiety that keeps getting ignored while Washington fights culture wars. Carville and Wilson don't agree on everything — but they agree the experiment is closer to the edge than it's been in a long time. Equal parts history lesson, gut check, and two old bulls telling it exactly like it is. America has survived worse than this. The question is whether we still remember how. • • • • • Follow James at https://www.youtube.com/@Politicon and on social at @JamesCarville. Rick Wilson is on X at @TheRickWilson, on Bluesky at @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and you can check out Rick's Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. You can check out more of LP's work at www.lincolnproject.us and on X at @ProjectLincoln. #JamesCarville #RickWilson #America250 #LincolnProject #PresidentialHistory #July4th #Democracy #Politics #PoliticalPodcast #Elections #CurrentEvents #Podcast 👉 Hydrate your liver at the cellular level with LTV If you’re tired, bloated, or feel like water isn’t working anymore, this could be the fix. 🔥 Get up to 64% OFF for a limited time and visit http://drinkltv.com/Lincoln#ad Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/lincolnproject. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Trustpilot rating as of 6/1/2025. #ad

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