Mark Leibovich on Hegseth, Trump, & More!

For the final episode of The Al Franken Podcast, we're joined one last time by our good friend Dahlia Lithwick, Senior Editor at Slate and host of the Amicus podcast! As we await the Supreme Court’s remaining decisions, we turn to Dahlia to recap a bleak judicial term, including the decisions to gut the Voting Rights Act, strip immigrants of their Temporary Protected Status, and expel transgender servicemembers from the military. Dahlia and Al look past the mainstream media's narrative of a "moderate" bench to reveal an institution deeply aligned with MAGA's political playbook that continues to make way for an imperial presidency. On a more hopeful note, Dahlia offers a blueprint for how regular citizens can find their lane and fight back from the ground up. Dahlia issues a call for Americans to move past "learned helplessness" to dismantle the cult of the Court and return constitutional power to the people. LISTEN to Dahlia's podcast, Amicus: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/amicus-with-dahlia-lithwick-law-justice-and-the-courts/id928790786 READ Dahlia in Slate Magazine: https://slate.com/author/dahlia-lithwick

We’re joined by our longtime friend, Franklin Foer of The Atlantic! We have a deal in Iran or at least an agreement to have an agreement. Even some Republicans are calling this an unconditional surrender. Al and Frank break down the massive concessions, which include a staggering $300 billion to reconstruct Iran, lifted blockades, and Iranian tolls in the Strait of Hormuz. And what does all of this mean for Trump and Netanyahu’s plummeting relationship ahead of the Israeli elections this fall? Frank also breaks down the war in Ukraine, the situation in Venezuela, and ongoing tensions with Cuba. Plus, we discuss Frank’s bestselling book, “How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization.” It was recently reissued to coincide with the U.S. hosting the World Cup. Frank explains how his views of world soccer have changed since the original publishing and why globalization never brought us the "kumbaya political liberalism" we were promised. READ Franklin Foer in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/franklin-foer/ READ Frank’s book, “How Soccer Explains the World:” https://www.harpercollins.com/products/how-soccer-explains-the-world-franklin-foer

We're joined by our friend Mark Leibovich of The Atlantic to break down Trump's sinking approval ratings, the approaching midterms, and whether Democrats are overconfident. We begin by looking at Trump and whether or not his party is feeling demoralized. Al thinks they certainly should be. We then discuss the shape of the Senate, where Democrats need to win a net of 4 seats to take control, and the House, where Democrats seem to be on track. Given the close races and election tampering from Trump and the GOP, how worried should Democrats be? And IF they take back Congress, what should their priorities be? Al and Mark agree that the House should leave impeachment alone. READ Mark in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/mark-leibovich/ SUPPORT THE SHOW BY VISITING OUR SPONSORS: Save money on your wireless bill with Mint Mobile. Visit https://www.mintmobile.com/franken. Make sure you tell them you heard about this deal from The Al Franken Podcast! Get up to 15% off your skincare subscription needs with OneSkin. Visit https://www.oneskin.co/franken

What's actually driving the Trump administration? Our good friend and emeritus scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, Norm Ornstein, joins Al to follow the blueprint laid out by Project 2025. The chief architect of Project 2025, Russell Vought, now runs the Office of Management and Budget, the perfect position to carry out The Project’s agenda. Norm and Al cover the human cost of gutting USAID, DOGE’s chaotic assault on the federal workforce, an immigration crackdown that's begun alienating the Hispanic voters who swung to Trump in 2024, and a cabinet culture so consumed with flattery that Ornstein calls it the "Lickspittle Olympics." Plus, Trump promised to keep us out of wars, but with the ongoing conflict with Iran, the Venezuela invasion, preparations around Cuba, and a growing rift with NATO, it seems like he might not have been fully honest with the American people. Norm discusses how this administration's corruption dwarfs every previous White House scandal combined. And what should Democrats actually do if they retake Congress? Is impeachment smart politics or a distraction? And what does a credible "Project 2029" look like? LISTEN to Norm's podcast "Words Matter" with fellow friend of the show David Rothkopf: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dsrs-words-matter/id1420216970 SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY VISITING OUR SPONSORS: Refresh your wardrobe with Quince! Get free shipping and 365-Day returns at https://www.quince.com/franken Save money on your insurance bills with SelectQuote! Visit https://www.selectquote.com/franken

In this Best Of episode, we revisit our July 2025 conversation with an old friend from Al’s SNL days, comedian Kevin Nealon! Kevin and Al trade stories from working together on Saturday Night Live and discuss how the show has changed over the years. Kevin shares how he created several trademark bits, including Mr. Subliminal and Hans and Franz. Plus, we get backstories on some sketches that Al and Kevin worked on together. We also get into Kevin's post-SNL life, including his role on the hit TV show “Weeds,” his standup, and his hiking podcast! WATCH Kevin's latest standup special, Loose in the Crotch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LamkJ2iq2s Go see Kevin on tour! https://kevinnealon.com/