The Al Franken Podcast

<div> <p>Guest Host Norm Ornstein welcomes Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) to cover all the news happening in Congress. We cover the war in Iran and how it’s driving prices up across the country and the world, consequently having a major impact on Americans' wallets. DeLauro calls this a "war of choice" and discusses what Congress can realistically do to invoke the War Powers Act and reclaim its constitutional authority.</p><p>DeLauro is the Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee and reveals how the Trump administration is taking the power of the purse away from Congress. </p><p>Plus, the midterms are rapidly approaching. Can Democrats make enough gains to slow down the Trump administration?</p><p>SUPPORT THE SHOW BY VISITING OUR SPONSORS:</p><p>Refresh your wardrobe with Quince! Get free shipping and 365-Day returns at <a href="https://www.quince.com/franken">https://www.quince.com/franken</a> </p></div>

<div> <p>One of Donald Trump's most successful initiatives in his second term has been making himself and his family richer than ever. In this Best Of episode, we revisit our November 2025 conversation with The New Yorker’s David Kirkpatrick, who wrote a piece outlining all the ways the legendary grifters have cashed in during Trump’s presidency. </p><p>The Trump family has long been associated with shameless cash grabs, but we have reached new levels of corruption by using his office for their money-making schemes: international real estate deals, Trump-branded merchandise, and cryptocurrency.</p><p>David lays out the long list of ethical implications involved and calculates the staggering amount of money Donald Trump and his family have made off his presidency.</p><p>READ David's piece “The Number” in The New Yorker: <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/08/18/the-number">https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/08/18/the-number</a> </p></div>

<div> <p>Guest Host Trae Crowder is joined by his friend and fellow standup comedian, Geoffrey Asmus! The two dig into the state of Trump's base, including Geoffrey's own MAGA dad showing signs of buyer's remorse, and why economic pain at the dinner table may finally be doing what years of political argument couldn't. They trade theories on why so many working-class voters remain Republican even when their actual policy views skew left and what it would take to build a real alternative.</p><p>They also get into the comedy culture wars: the rise of right-wing adjacent comics, the Riyadh comedy festival, and explain the term "clapter.” Geoffrey and Trae also address the threat of artificial intelligence to creative work, Joe Rogan's bizarre evolution, the Kill Tony phenomenon, and how the manosphere targets young men hungry for acceptance and direction.</p><p>LEARN more about Trae and see his standup! <a href="https://www.traecrowder.com/">https://www.traecrowder.com/</a></p><p>WATCH Geoffrey's standup special and see him on tour! <a href="https://www.whitecomedian.com/">https://www.whitecomedian.com/</a></p><p>SUPPORT THE SHOW BY VISITING OUR SPONSORS:<br>Save money on your insurance bills with SelectQuote! Visit <a href="https://www.selectquote.com/franken">https://www.selectquote.com/franken</a> today!</p></div>

<div> <p>A little over a year ago, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live! For this Best Of episode, we revisit our February 2025 conversation when we switched things up a bit as Executive Producer Peter Ogburn asked Al about his history with the show.</p><p>We pull the curtain back on what a typical week looks like building up to the live show on Saturday and learn about how Al and his writing partner, Tom Davis, found themselves writing on the first season of the show.</p><p>We also chat about some iconic sketches and the birth of Al's legendary Stuart Smalley character.</p><p>SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY VISITING OUR SPONSORS:</p><p>Save money on your wireless bill with Mint Mobile. Visit <a href="https://www.mintmobile.com/franken">https://www.mintmobile.com/franken</a>. Make sure you tell them you heard about this deal from The Al Franken Podcast!</p><p>Get up to 15% off your skincare subscription needs at <a href="https://www.oneskin.co/franken">https://www.oneskin.co/franken</a></p></div>

<div> <p> Guest Host Heather McGhee, author of the groundbreaking book “The Sum of Us” and expert in economic and social policy, is joined by The Atlantic's Adam Serwer! They discuss a number of issues facing the country, including the continued unrest in Minnesota and the No Kings protests happening nationwide. From the steps of the Supreme Court to the streets of Minneapolis, McGhee and Serwer explore how the struggle for Black freedom has historically paved the way for immigrant rights and why that "inheritance" is currently under its most aggressive attack in generations.</p><p>Heather and Adam also examine the recent SCOTUS arguments on birthright citizenship and how this could create a whole new class of undocumented immigrants in this country, particularly Chinese immigrants. </p><p>They also examine Adam's recent writing following the death of Rev. Jesse Jackson  about what Rev. Jackson’s message meant to the movement. They dissect his 1980's vision of cross-racial, cross-class solidarity and explain why his "Patchwork Quilt" philosophy is more relevant today than ever.</p><p>LEARN more about Heather McGhee: <a href="https://heathermcghee.com/">https://heathermcghee.com/</a></p><p>READ Adam Serwer's writing in The Atlantic: <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/author/adam-serwer/">https://www.theatlantic.com/author/adam-serwer/</a></p><p>SUPPORT THE SHOW BY VISITING OUR SPONSORS:</p><p>Visit American Giant to get their Classic Full Zip Hoodie and other cold weather staples. Get 20% off your first order by entering the code FRANKEN at checkout! <a href="https://www.american-giant.com/">https://www.american-giant.com</a></p><p>Refresh your wardrobe with Quince! Get free shipping and 365-Day returns at <a href="https://www.quince.com/franken">https://www.quince.com/franken</a> </p></div>