Tara is joined by political strategist and Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign manager, Bill Stepien, to dissect Trump’s mindset as he gets his cabinet ready for his upcoming presidency. They examine his current level of power in D.C., break down the paths forward for his legislative agenda, and examine his mercurial relationship with pollsters.

For more of Tara’s reporting, please sign up for her newsletter, 'The Best and the Brightest,' at puck.news/tarapalmeri and use the discount code TARA20.

Host: Tara Palmeri

Guest: Bill Stepien

Producer: Chris Sutton

Production Supervision: Conor Nevins

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Tara is joined by writer, Iraq War veteran, and host of the ‘Independent Americans’ podcast Paul Rieckhoff to discuss Pete Hegseth’s bid to be secretary of defense in Donald Trump’s upcoming administration. They break down the tactics MAGA devotees are employing to pressure senators into accepting Pete’s nomination, examine the culture wars developing within the U.S. military, and talk about why Trump’s DNI nominee, Tulsi Gabbard, is an equally controversial choice for her prospective role.

For more of Tara’s reporting, please sign up for her newsletter, 'The Best and the Brightest,' at puck.news/tarapalmeri and use the discount code TARA20.

Host: Tara Palmeri

Guest: Paul Rieckhoff

Producer: Chris Sutton

Production Supervision: Conor Nevins

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Tara is joined by Puck’s own Dylan Byers to talk about Donald Trump’s relationship with the media and investigative journalism. They discuss how Trump’s previous administration altered modern political discourse, speculate on the future of big cable news after the last election cycle, and shine a light on how the media has to change the way it covers his upcoming presidency.

For more of Tara’s reporting, please sign up for her newsletter, 'The Best and the Brightest,' at puck.news/tarapalmeri and use the discount code TARA20.

Host: Tara Palmeri

Guest: Dylan Byers

Producer: Chris Sutton

Production Supervision: Conor Nevins

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Tara is joined by political commentator Chris Cillizza and former press secretary for Jill Biden Michael LaRosa to analyze Joe Biden’s presidential résumé as we head toward the end of his administration. They speculate on the effect Hunter Biden’s controversial pardon will have on Joe’s legacy, shine a light on Jill Biden’s influence on the president’s career, and talk about how Biden’s legislative accomplishments will be viewed in the future.

For more of Tara’s reporting, please sign up for her newsletter, 'The Best and the Brightest,' at puck.news/tarapalmeri and use the discount code TARA20.

Host: Tara Palmeri

Guests: Michael LaRosa and Chris Cillizza

Producer: Chris Sutton

Production Supervision: Conor Nevins

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Tara is joined by adviser and lobbyist Joe Hack to discuss the most recent developments within President-Elect Donald Trump’s increasingly controversial cabinet selection process. They profile the parade of nominees, break down the systematic nomination process, and take a look at some of the GOP members of the Senate who could stand in the way of confirmations.

For more of Tara’s reporting, please sign up for her newsletter, 'The Best and the Brightest,' at puck.news/tarapalmeri and use the discount code TARA20.

Host: Tara Palmeri

Guest: Joe Hack

Producer: Chris Sutton

Production Supervision: Conor Nevins

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In a special Black Friday edition of the program, Tara Palmeri is joined by former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley, who recently announced his decision to run for chair of the Democratic National Committee. First, O’Malley discuses what went wrong in the presidential election for the Democrats and how the Democrats plan to learn from their mistakes. Then, the two discuss the political future for Kamala Harris, how to change the perception of the Democratic Party, and why O’Malley thinks he’s the right man to steer the ship for the DNC moving forward.

For more of Tara’s reporting, please sign up for her newsletter, 'The Best and the Brightest,' at puck.news/tarapalmeri and use the discount code TARA20.

Host: Tara Palmeri

Guest: Martin O’Malley

Producer: Troy Farkas

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Tara starts the pod with some new reporting on Donald Trump’s tumultuous transition team. She’s then joined by Max Rose, the former Democratic representative for New York City’s 11th Congressional District, to discuss how his party should move forward after a disastrous 2024 election. They talk about how the Kamala Harris team failed in delivering its messaging to voters, shine a light on the success of the Ruben Gallego and Elissa Slotkin campaigns, and speculate on the DNC’s next internal moves.

For more of Tara’s reporting, please sign up for her newsletter, 'The Best and the Brightest,' at puck.news/tarapalmeri and use the discount code TARA20.

Host: Tara Palmeri

Guest: Max Rose

Producer: Chris Sutton

Production Supervision: Conor Nevins

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Tara is joined by Marc Caputo from The Bulwark and Politico’s Meridith McGraw to discuss Donald Trump’s increasingly controversial cabinet selections. They shine a light on Trump’s new chief of staff, Susie Wiles; debate the viability of Matt Gaetz as his selection for attorney general; and speculate on what Trump's first days in office will look like.

For more of Tara’s reporting, please sign up for her newsletter, 'The Best and the Brightest,' at puck.news/tarapalmeri and use the discount code TARA20.

Host: Tara Palmeri

Guests: Marc Caputo and Meridith McGraw

Producer: Chris Sutton

Production Supervision: Conor Nevins

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Tara starts things off with some reporting on the growing number of appointments in Donald Trump’s increasingly controversial Cabinet. She's then joined by Republican Party pollster and strategist Patrick Ruffini to talk about how Trump won both the electoral and popular vote in spectacular fashion. They shine a light on the GOP’s ongoing efforts to court minority voters, discuss the Democrats' failed attempts at campaigning on identity politics, and speculate on how each political party will move forward from here.

For more of Tara’s reporting, please sign up for her newsletter, 'The Best and the Brightest,' at puck.news/tarapalmeri and use the discount code TARA20.

Host: Tara Palmeri

Guest: Patrick Ruffini

Producer: Chris Sutton

Production Supervision: Conor Nevins

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Tara begins the pod with an update on Donald Trump’s cabinet selections as his transition team prepares for Inauguration Day. She’s then joined by pollster and founding partner of Slingshot Strategies, Evan Roth Smith, to go through the numbers and break down how Kamala Harris lost the presidential election. They examine which of the gettable voter bases leaned to the right on election day, shine a light on some of Kamala’s political missteps during her campaign, and Evan offers some sobering advice to his Democratic colleagues on how to move forward as a party after this historic loss.

For more of Tara’s reporting, please sign up for her newsletter, 'The Best and the Brightest,' at puck.news/tarapalmeri and use the discount code TARA20.

Host: Tara Palmeri

Guest: Evan Roth Smith

Producer: Chris Sutton

Production Supervision: Conor Nevins

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Tara and her Puck colleague Peter Hamby join Mosheh Oinounou on his podcast, ‘Mo News,’ to discuss the fallout of the 2024 presidential election. They break down the strategies of both parties throughout their campaigns, debate Kamala Harris’s missteps, and speculate on what’s next for Team Trump.

For more of Tara’s reporting, please sign up for her newsletter, 'The Best and the Brightest,' at puck.news/tarapalmeri and use the discount code TARA20.

Hosts: Tara Palmeri, Peter Hamby, and Mosheh Oinounou

Producers: Chris Sutton and Mosheh Oinounou

Production Supervision: Conor Nevins

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