Episodios

  • S6 Ep12: Epstein Files & Illegal Orders (w/ Will Sommer and Sen. Elissa Slotkin)
    Nov 22 2025
    Donald Trump had to make an about-face on the Epstein Files because some Trump voters were getting…mildly annoyed. Will Sommer joins Sarah to hear them out. Then, Sen. Elissa Slotkin joins the show to discuss her PSA with her colleagues to the military and intelligence community, reminding them they can refuse illegal orders. They also discuss the recent government shutdown fight, and what Sen. Slotkin learned from winning several tough races in Michigan.

    NOTE: This episode discusses Sen. Slotkin and her colleagues’ message to the military and intelligence community that President Trump called “seditious behavior, punishable by death.” This conversation was taped before that Trump post.

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    50 m
  • S6 Ep11: The GOP's Life After Trump (with Robert Draper)
    Nov 15 2025
    There's always a possibility that Donald Trump will try to run for a third term. But plenty of Republicans don't even want that...for now. We asked some of Trump's base how they're feeling about a third term for him (their answers may surprise you!) and talk about Marjorie Taylor Greene's about-face, and the rise of antisemitism on the right. Robert Draper of The New York Times Magazine joins Sarah to walk through some of the key forces bubbling up on the right.

    show notes
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    By Robert Draper:
    • Weapons of Mass Delusion
    • Nick Fuentes: A White Nationalist Problem for the Right

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    55 m
  • S6 Ep10: Gen Z: They're Zooming Apart (with Rachel Janfaza)
    Nov 8 2025
    We've heard a lot about how young men have shifted to the right...but this week's election showed young women moving to the left as well. Gen Z expert Rachel Janfaza, founder of The Up and Up, joins Sarah to discuss why young women have shifted to the left, why their male peers have shifted to the right, and why their life priorities are so different. They also discuss Gen Z's relationship with technology like AI, why Gen Z is a lonely generation, and the differences between Gen Z-ers who came of age before the pandemic, and after.

    show notes:

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    JOB ALERT: Sarah is looking for a qualitative researcher to join her team! Apply here.

    By Rachel Janfaza in The Up and Up:
    More on the two gen zs
    Young women are the story (And here's how to piss them off...)
    Nearly half of high schoolers have had a relationship with AI or know someone who has
    Twice as many young people say religion is gaining influence in American life
    Trad Husbands > Trad Wives

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    1 h y 4 m
  • S6 Ep9: Virginia: National Politics is Local (with Jeff Schapiro)
    Nov 1 2025
    No election in 2025 has been more impacted by the Trump presidency than the elections in Virginia. This state doesn't vote for MAGA candidates anymore, but their nominee for governor, Winsome Earle-Sears, isn't really campaigning like that. So one of Sarah's favorite Democrats, Abigail Spanberger, looks poised for a solid win on Election Day. Meanwhile in the Attorney General race, the Republican incumbent, Jason Miyares could pull off an unexpected comeback, so we talked to voters who are splitting their tickets between Spanberger and Miyares. Former Richmond Times-Dispatch columnist and University of Virginia Center for Politics scholar Jeff Schapiro joins the show to put this year's election in the context of Virginia's broad political evolution.

    Show notes:

    Jeff Schapiro in Crystal Ball: The Virginia Elections: Plenty of Late Drama, Although Not at the Top of the Ticket

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    59 m
  • S6 Ep8: New Jersey: The 'No Narc' State (with Jonathan V. Last)
    Oct 25 2025
    The New Jersey governor's race is a little too close for comfort, after New Jersey had one of the largest swings toward Donald Trump of any state in the country, and the Democratic candidate, Mikie Sherrill is on track for a sub-optimal performance on Election Day against a sometimes-MAGA Republican, Jack Ciattarelli. Sarah doesn't let JVL on The Focus Group very often, but made an exception because he's one of The Bulwark's resident New Jerseyans. You don't want to miss this one.
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    1 h y 2 m
  • S6 Ep7: New Yorkers Brace for Mamdani (with Harry Siegel)
    Oct 18 2025
    Zohran Mamdani, the young, telegenic, democratic socialist state assemblyman, looks set to be New York City's next mayor. So how are New Yorkers feeling about turning the keys over to him? We asked some of his supporters and detractors. Harry Siegel, senior editor at The City, returns to the show to give his two cents on one of the wilder New York City races in recent memory.

    show notes:

    Get free shipping and 365 day returns from Quince at https://Quince.com/THEFOCUSGROUP.

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    By Harry Siegel:
    FAQ NYC Podcast


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    1 h
  • S6 Ep6: They're 'Opening the Door' (with Andrew Egger)
    Oct 11 2025
    For the last few weeks, the Trump administration has escalated its authoritarian impulses, from pressuring ABC to cancel a late night host, to deploying the Texas National Guard to Chicago. You might call it "authoritarian," but the voters are just getting mildly queasy. The Bulwark's Andrew Egger joins the show to talk about the news, the voters, and how we're even supposed to cover it these days.

    By Andrew Egger:
    Morning Shots: The Insidious Effort to Rationalize Trump’s Lawfare

    Get your first three months with Mint Mobile for $15/month at https://MintMobile.com/THEFOCUSGROUP.

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    48 m
  • S6 Ep5: I'd Do Anything To Win (But I Won't Do That) (with Dan Pfeiffer)
    Oct 4 2025
    We haven't caught up with Democratic voters since the summer. So, who do they see in the Democratic Party who is distinguishing themselves? And, do Democratic voters really want to shut down the government? It turns out some of them are really wrestling with how to wield power. Dan Pfeiffer, co-host of Pod Save America and author of the Substack newsletter The Message Box joins Sarah to download on how the base of the party is feeling.

    Get free shipping and 365 day returns from Quince at https://Quince.com/THEFOCUSGROUP.

    By Dan Pfeiffer:
    Why Everyone Should Stop Freaking Out About Gavin Newsom's Social Media
    The Democratic Divide That Could Decide 2026 (and 2028)
    New NYT Poll Shows How Dems Can Win the Shutdown - and the Majority
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    58 m