Diplomacy & Dem Primaries (with Senator Elissa Slotkin and Fmr. Amb. Patrick Gaspard)
This week, the Hacks are pulling double duty—two big stories, two top-notch guests. First, Senator Elissa Slotkin—former CIA analyst and Pentagon official—joins to break down U.S. involvement in Iran, Trump’s handling of the strikes, and the rift this is opening inside the Republican Party. Then, the Hacks turn to the city that never sleeps with former U.S. Ambassador to South Africa and longtime New York political heavyweight Patrick Gaspard. They dig into the New York mayor’s race, the ins and outs of ranked choice voting, and how generational divides, political comebacks, and a post-MeToo reckoning are reshaping the city’s politics.
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1:14:35
Chain Reactionaries (with Maggie Haberman)
This week, the Hacks return amid a whirlwind of headlines and rising tensions. Axe and Murphy are joined by the incomparable Maggie Haberman—Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and one of the most trusted chroniclers of American politics. The Hacks dig into the escalating conflict in the Middle East, Trump’s abrupt departure from the G7, the drama unfolding in the New York races, and the latest on Ukraine. Plus: ICE operations in Los Angeles, the horrific assassinations in Minnesota, rising political polarization and violence, and what 2026, 2028—and yes, even tomorrow—might bring.
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If you want to honor Melissa and Mark Hortman, please read this note from their children on how to honor their parents:
Plant a tree.
Visit a local park and make use of their amenities, especially a bike trail.
Pet a dog. A golden retriever is ideal, but any will do.
Tell your loved ones a cheesy dad joke and laugh about it.
Bake something — bread for Mark or a cake for Melissa, and share it with someone.
Try a new hobby and enjoy learning something.
Stand up for what you believe in, especially if that thing is justice and peace.
Hope and resilience are the enemy of fear. Our parents lived their lives with immense dedication to their fellow humans. This tragedy must become a moment for us to come together. Hold your loved ones a little closer. Love your neighbors. Treat each other with kindness and respect. The best way to honor our parents’ memory is to do something, whether big or small, to make our community just a little better for someone else.
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1:07:42
Executive Disorder (with Marc Short)
This week, Axe and Heilemann are joined by Marc Short—former Chief of Staff to Vice President Mike Pence and Director of Legislative Affairs under President Trump—for a jam-packed conversation. From his front-row seat in the Trump administration, Short reflects on what feels like a political Groundhog Day: National Guard troops on the ground in California. He opens up about working with Stephen Miller, hints at what Mike Pence might have planned next, and weighs in on the future of the Republican brand in a post-Trump era. Plus, the Hacks take on the national debt, the GOP’s tug-of-war between cultural and economic messaging, Elon Musk’s latest pivots, and peek into the crystal ball for today’s primaries.
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1:07:42
X Marks the Feud (with Jonathan Martin)
This week, in honor of Mike Murphy’s 30th birthday (don’t fact-check that), we’re serving up a bonus mini-sode! Mike is joined by longtime pod pal JMart to unpack the latest fallout in the bromance no one asked for — Musk and Trump. The Hacks dissect where the relationship went sour, what comes next for the billionaire and the president, and what this high-profile spat means for the future of American politics.
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33:22
Musk, Mayors, and Moore (with Lis Smith)
This week Axe and Murphy were joined by Democratic strategist and political firecracker Lis Smith. The Hacks dive into Sen. Ernst’s weird apology, Elon’s pushback on the ‘big, beautiful bill’, Gov. Wes Moore’s future on the national stage, the New York mayoral race, and so much more. Buckle up!
When David Axelrod and Mike Murphy 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.
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