Episodios

  • S6 Ep5: I'd Do Anything To Win (But I Won't Do That) (with Dan Pfeiffer)

    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
    Más Menos
    1 h
  • S6 Ep4: The Right's 'Turning Point'? (with Will Sommer)

    S6 Ep4: The Right's 'Turning Point'? (with Will Sommer)
    Sep 27 2025
    Charlie Kirk was one of the most important figures in conservative media for over a decade, especially for Gen Z. We asked a couple of focus groups of young conservatives what Kirk meant to them, how they're grappling with his passing, and who else they think will take up his mantle on the right. Will Sommer, author of The Bulwark's False Flag newsletter, joins Sarah to discuss the state of young conservatives and his reporting on Kirk's legacy.

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

    Get 30% off your first order with Soul at https://GetSoul.com with promo code THEFOCUSGROUP.
    Más Menos
    50 m
  • S6 Ep3: 'Secure Borders...At What Cost?' (with Adrian Carrasquillo)

    S6 Ep3: 'Secure Borders...At What Cost?' (with Adrian Carrasquillo)
    Sep 20 2025
    Donald Trump is bleeding support from Hispanic voters, including from some who voted for him. So, we found some former Trump voters who are souring on him, and asked them why. Adrian Carrasquillo, author of The Bulwark's Huddled Masses newsletter, joins the show to discuss voter sentiments on immigration, the future of the immigration debate (especially among Democrats), and his on-the-ground reporting in cities around the country.

    By Adrian Carrasquillo:
    Trump Hasn’t Invaded Chicago, But the City Is Still Rattled

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

    For our friends in Canada, we added a second live show with Sarah, Tim and Sam to the schedule. Tickets are on sale now for our bonus Bulwark Live Q&A Matinee show on Saturday, September 27, here.
    Más Menos
    55 m
  • S6 Ep2: You Can Ramp It Up or Ramp It Down (with Rachel Kleinfeld)

    S6 Ep2: You Can Ramp It Up or Ramp It Down (with Rachel Kleinfeld)
    Sep 13 2025
    The murder of Charlie Kirk was the culmination of Americans' long-brewing fear of political violence. First, political violence expert Rachel Kleinfeld joins Sarah to discuss the ramifications of Kirk's death on the American body politic, and then Sarah discusses voters' fears of political violence that we've heard through the years.
    Más Menos
    42 m
  • S6 Ep1: Swing Voters Say Trump is "Meh" (with Ashley Parker)

    S6 Ep1: Swing Voters Say Trump is "Meh" (with Ashley Parker)
    Sep 6 2025
    Donald Trump has run into some summer doldrums...from the uncertainty in the economy, to his Big Beautiful Bill, to his refusal to come clean about Jeffrey Epstein. We're wondering how voters are processing the last couple of months. Atlantic staff writer Ashley Parker, who's covered Trump for over a decade, joins Sarah for our season premiere.

    By Ashley Parker:

    'I Run the Country and the World'
    Flattery, Firmness, and Flourishes
    Why Is the National Guard in D.C.? Even They Don’t Know.
    Inside the White House’s Epstein Strategy
    Más Menos
    1 h
  • S5 Ep26: What Are Focus Groups For Anyway?

    S5 Ep26: What Are Focus Groups For Anyway?
    Aug 16 2025
    The Focus Group Podcast will be back for real in a couple of weeks, but by popular demand, Sarah and her producer, Conor Kilgore, take on some of our listeners' frequently asked questions about how and why they do all these focus groups.
    Más Menos
    34 m
  • S5 Ep25: 2024 Trump Voters on the "Epstein Files"

    S5 Ep25: 2024 Trump Voters on the "Epstein Files"
    Jul 12 2025
    The Focus Group Podcast is still on hiatus, but the Trump administration's walkback of the promised "Epstein Files" this week got us curious about how voters were thinking.

    The Bulwark's own Will Sommer sat down with Sarah to break down a focus group we convened with 2024 Trump voters who disapprove of Trump's job performance, and discuss how Democrats can talk about this Epstein news.
    Más Menos
    25 m
  • S5 Ep24: Do the Next Right Thing, Change the World (with Heather Cox Richardson)

    S5 Ep24: Do the Next Right Thing, Change the World (with Heather Cox Richardson)
    Jun 28 2025
    Our season finale is a bit of a pep talk. America is in a precarious place, but Americans everywhere are speaking up against the authoritarian threat. Historian extraordinaire Heather Cox Richardson joins Sarah to discuss the lessons history leaves for this moment, and Americans' role in fighting back.

    By Heather Cox Richardson:
    Letters from an American
    Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America
    Más Menos
    1 h y 1 m