Our conversations with Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia, always go by way too quickly with pages of unasked questions. We still fit a lot in, including the state of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. We discuss mistakes made in the Cold War, the difference in threats between Russia and China, and why he says his long-term strategy is for all American interests, not just members of a single political party. Plus, the topic that worries him most about our security.


These are heavy (and complicated) subjects, but McFaul manages to dissect them in easy to understand language and even leaves us with glimmers of hope for our future. We don’t miss the chance to talk a little Montana football ahead of a big game this weekend.

Former ambassador and national security adviser Susan Rice joins Grounded to discuss why America’s current foreign policy strategy amounts to “superpower suicide.”

On the Russian invasion into Ukraine, Rice says not enough was done to stop Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2014 during the invasion of Crimea. When will it end? “He doesn’t stop until he is stopped,” Rice said about Putin.

Rice provides a history lesson on what led to this moment and doesn’t hold back on the Trump administration’s strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean. We discuss the impact of dismantling USAID and what it all means for our national security. Plus, Sen. Tester weighs in on the $12 billion bailout for farmers and Maritsa’s viral moment with Gene Simmons.

We tried and (mostly) succeeded in our first live recording with a live in-person audience! The audio isn’t perfect, but we thank you for your patience!

Former Montana Gov. Steve Bullock joined us for some headlines before we dove into this week’s topic: A Montana effort to make the effects of the Citizens United decision a moot point—with hopes the effort will spread to other states. That’s where Jeff Mangan and the Transparent Election Initiative (aka the Montana Plan) comes in. We broke it all down with Mangan, including the legal hurdles still facing the initiative, what opponents are saying, and how to get an effort like this started in other states.

It’s hard to predict when news will break, but today’s episode is quite timely. We invited Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) to join us on Grounded after being one of the subjects of a video that prompted the President of the United States to amplify posts calling for six members of Congress to be hanged. We talked about the video, if he expected this response from the White House, and if he thinks he’s being investigated or surveilled. That’s when the Dept. of War announced it’s investigating Kelly for alleged misconduct. In addition to the video, we discuss the potential Ukraine peace plan being floated by the Trump administration, the economy, and his favorite space movie. Don’t worry—we also asked about his astronaut Labubu.

Former DOJ pardon attorney Liz Oyer joins Grounded to discuss a whole lot of chaos happening inside her former office. Hours before our interview, Congress moved to force the DOJ to release its Epstein files, raising major questions about what comes next. Oyer breaks down the complications ahead. With nearly 2,000 pardons already granted in Trump’s second term, Oyer talks to us about why the pardon process looks wholly different in a Trump 2.0 term and the negative impacts on the American people. Plus, a chat with American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten about the latest moves to dismantle the Dept. of Education.

The last time Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) appeared on Grounded was Oct. 1, 2025—the very first day of what became the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history. When an event with Crow and JT lined up in Arizona, we decided it was a good chance to check in on what was accomplished during the shutdown, the renewed focus on the Epstein files and his efforts to recruit Democratic candidates in flippable House districts. Plus, we bring Tiffany Muller of End Citizens United back into the fold to again discuss money in politics.

It’s not every day we’re live on Substack when a U.S. senator calls Jon Tester’s landline and agrees to be put on speaker phone. But that’s exactly what happened today when Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) called the farm.

On this Veterans Day, we also welcome Paul Rieckhoff, a veteran himself in addition to being the president of Righteous Media and founder of a group called Independent Veterans of America. He discusses what he calls a cultural war the Trump administration is waging on our government institutions, low morale at the VA and his frustration with both the Republican and Democratic parties. Plus, learn more about what he describes as the “patriotic purge,” and what Rieckhoff thinks is the most important group of people to push back on the president.

Author and journalist Michael Wolff joins Grounded to discuss the new lawsuit he filed in response to First Lady Melania Trump’s lawyers threatening him with a $1 billion defamation suit. Wolff brings a unique perspective, as he’s not only spent time with President Donald Trump, but also Jeffrey Epstein. He’s written four books about Trump and has more than 100 hours of interviews with Epstein. What does he hope will come out of the lawsuit? What does it even mean when we talk about the Epstein files? Plus, a long discussion about the Democratic senators who voted to end the government shutdown.