Episodios

  • S6 Ep20: Playing Stupid Games, Winning Stupid Prizes (with Bill Kristol)

    S6 Ep20: Playing Stupid Games, Winning Stupid Prizes (with Bill Kristol)
    Jan 17 2026

    There's a lot of bad news right now—so much that none of it is breaking through that much to the voters we talked to. From the ICE killing of Renee Good to the Epstein files to the criminal investigation into Jerome Powell, Bulwark editor-at-large Bill Kristol joins Sarah for a reflective conversation on the tough times we live in and how voters are processing them.

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    Previous shows discussing the Epstein Files:
    With Will Sommer (November 2025)
    With Ashley Parker (September 2025)
    With Will Sommer (July 2025)
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    53 m
  • S6 Ep19: What a Difference a Year Makes (with Jonathan Chait)

    S6 Ep19: What a Difference a Year Makes (with Jonathan Chait)
    Jan 10 2026

    The United States just captured Venezuela's dictator, and we needed to get some quick voter reactions. Is this REALLY what the newest members of Trump's coalition voted for? We're also sensing growing discontent from them with the state of the country, and with the Trump administration governing more for its friends than for them. Atlantic staff writer Jonathan Chait joins the show to break down voter sentiment nearly a year into Trump's term.

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    54 m
  • S6 Ep18: Sarah’s First Focus Groups

    S6 Ep18: Sarah’s First Focus Groups
    Jan 3 2026
    Sarah started doing focus groups in 2018 and 2019 hoping to save the Republican Party from Trump—by finding a primary challenger who wouldn’t embarrass themselves. Instead, she discovered voters who were fine with Trump, and she picked up a years-long addiction that turned into this show. We listen to audio from Sarah’s earliest focus groups with reluctant Ohio Trump voters, and not-so-reluctant New Hampshire Trump voters. Then, Sarah and producer Conor Kilgore take some listener questions and look ahead to 2026 races.

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    47 m
  • S6 Ep17: America on Tape: A Brutal (and Hopeful) Year

    S6 Ep17: America on Tape: A Brutal (and Hopeful) Year
    Dec 27 2025
    A year in review from The Focus Group Podcast: the revealing moments, toughest conversations, and warnings that hit a little harder with hindsight—from swing voters to Democrats to cracks inside MAGA.

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    Original episodes:

    Nothing is True, Everything is Possible (with Anne Applebaum):
    https://audioboom.com/posts/8711563-nothing-is-true-everything-is-possible-with-anne-applebaum

    Do the Next Right Thing, Change the World (with Heather Cox Richardson):
    https://audioboom.com/posts/8741588-do-the-next-right-thing-change-the-world-with-heather-cox-richardson

    The GOP's Life After Trump (with Robert Draper):
    https://audioboom.com/posts/8806639-the-gop-s-life-after-trump-with-robert-draper
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    3 h y 3 m
  • S6 Ep16: MAGA's 'Crunchy' Surprise (with Jonathan Cohn)

    S6 Ep16: MAGA's 'Crunchy' Surprise (with Jonathan Cohn)
    Dec 20 2025
    Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s 'Make America Healthy Again' movement and its adherents have done some of the most harm of anyone in Donald Trump's second term. The voters who are motivated by 'MAHA' are also some of the most interesting. The Bulwark's resident healthcare expert, Jonathan Cohn joins the show to break down the policy consequences of RFK's healthcare regime, and what motivates the everyday 'MAHA' voter.

    By Jonathan Cohn:
    This Is What It Looks Like When RFK Jr. Wins
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    49 m
  • S6 Ep15: The Civilian-Military Relationship (with Mark Hertling)

    S6 Ep15: The Civilian-Military Relationship (with Mark Hertling)
    Dec 13 2025
    The American military used to be one of the more trusted institutions in America. In 2025, it's a major political football. But how much do voters know about the military and its proper use? Bulwark military expert, Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) joins the show.

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    59 m
  • S6 Ep14: (Focus) Group Therapy (with Astead Herndon)

    S6 Ep14: (Focus) Group Therapy (with Astead Herndon)
    Dec 6 2025
    Swing voters are pretty fed up with politics in general. They’re often “swingy” because they can’t really stand either party. And in our most recent focus group, they all let political leaders HAVE IT. We also check in with Maine Democratic primary voters on their U.S. Senate race, which is shaping up to be one of the biggest proxy wars in the Democratic Party in 2026 and is telling us a lot about what Democrats are more willing to tolerate from candidates, as long as they fight. New York Times-turned-Vox host Astead Herndon makes his return to the show.

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    By Astead Herndon:
    Inside the Improbable, Audacious and (So Far) Unstoppable Rise of Zohran Mamdani
    How Zohran Mamdani won over Donald Trump — for now
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    57 m
  • S6 Ep13: Just Press The Deflation Button! (with Catherine Rampell)

    S6 Ep13: Just Press The Deflation Button! (with Catherine Rampell)
    Nov 29 2025
    Donald Trump got elected in 2024 because voters felt prices were too high. But, as our guest says, that's not really a great thing for a politician to promise. So, as we head into the holiday season of Trump's first year back in office, how are his voters feeling about the state of the economy? New Bulwark economics editor Catherine Rampell joins the show to discuss the state of the economy and what politicians can and cannot do to fix it. We also hear from voters about how their holiday spending habits have changed since last year.

    By Catherine Rampell:
    Trump Is Falling Into the Same Trap That Ensnared Biden
    Trump’s One Weird Trick for Eliminating Bad News: Delete It
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    52 m