How to Win 2024

There is no sugar-coating it, Democrats got walloped across the board. On "How to Win 2024", Senator Claire McCaskill is joined by hosts of MSNBC’s “The Weekend” to analyze the surprising margins of Trump’s win and what they mean for our democracy and our values.  Michael Steele, Alicia Menendez  and Symone Sanders Townsend team up with Claire to give some context to how this result unfolded, what to prepare for in a second Trump administration and ways big and small to keep up the fight to move progressive values forward.And a note to our listeners: Thank you for your ear and your tireless interest in our democracy. This will be our final episode of "How to Win" for now. We may be back here with updates here and there as news warrants, but we’re taking a beat to figure out what this moment calls for and the best way to serve you. And if there are any updates in the future, you’ll be the first to know. So stay tuned to this feed!

Former President Donald Trump is now the projected winner in the 2024 race for the White House, defeating Vice President Kamala Harris with an unprecedented and polarizing campaign. Following Harris’ concession speech on Wednesday afternoon, MSNBC journalists gathered to discuss what’s next for the Democratic party and what to expect in a second Trump term.Listen to the full MSNBC special here, led by Rachel Maddow along with Chris Hayes, Joy Reid, Jen Psaki, Lawrence O’Donnell, Ari Melber, and Stephanie Ruhle.And for the latest updates on Decision 2024, visit msnbc.com.

Vice President Kamala Harris addressed a crowd of supporters at Howard University, her alma mater, in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, where she formally conceded the presidential race to President-Elect Donald Trump. She reassured the crowd that her fight was not over, saying “I know many people feel we are entering a dark time. [...] Let us fill the sky with the light of billions and billions of stars, the light of truth, optimism and service.” Listen to the full speech here. And for the latest updates on Decision 2024, visit msnbc.com.

Listen to key moments from MSNBC’s live analysis of Election Night. Before NBC made a call in the overall race, former President Donald Trump was already appearing victorious at a speech in Palm Beach, FL. He delivered remarks after projected wins in Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, with the results in remaining battleground states still unknown.Rachel Maddow leads our discussion, along with Ari Melber, Joy Reid, Chris Hayes, Alex Wagner, Lawrence O’Donnell, and Stephanie Ruhle. Plus: Steve Kornacki on the Big Board. For the latest updates on Decision 2024, visit msnbc.com.

One candidate called for unity and promised to be a leader for all Americans on the Ellipse. The other continued a grievance tour and promised mass deportations amid a “love fest” at MSG. On this last episode before the election, Senator Claire McCaskill is joined again by Symone Sanders Townsend, former senior advisor to Vice President Harris, and co-host of MSNBC’s The Weekend. They tally the closing arguments of both candidates and the incredible volume of dark money in this election. Then, NBC’s own data whiz and numbers guru Steve Kornacki stops by to frame up what to expect on election night and the day(s) after, how to think about the polling and what to take away from shifting early voting trends. And the last segment of this episode is for you- the voters. Claire and Symone urge you be patient, keep calm and carry on. And even if you’re not in a swing state, do not sit this one out.Further Reading: As Claire and Symone mentioned, here is the Open Secrets tally of 2024’s biggest campaign contributors: Who are the Biggest Donors?Want to listen to this show without ads? Sign up for MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts. As a subscriber you’ll also be able to get occasional bonus content from this and other shows. 

This week,  Senator Claire McCaskill is joined by Michael Steele, former RNC Chair and co-host of MSNBC’s "The Weekend", to analyze both candidates' final stretch strategies, as millions of Americans on both sides of the aisle cast their votes early. Then, Illinois Congresswoman and registered nurse Lauren Underwood explains why-- beyond the Dobbs decision-- senior care, prescription drug prices, maternal care and healthcare affordability are all on the ballot. And before they wrap up, Claire and Michael spotlight the Republican voters who can’t stomach Trump but may be tepid on supporting Harris. Where are they? And will they show up?Want to listen to this show without ads? Sign up for MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts. As a subscriber you’ll also be able to get occasional bonus content from this and other shows.

With three weeks to go and early voting reaching record numbers, the campaigns are circling around their drastically disparate final pitches to voters. This week, MSNBC political analyst Elise Jordan joins former Senator Claire McCaskill to highlightTrump’s stark vision of the “enemies from within”, while Harris speaks to the center- and a combative Bret Baier on Fox News. Then, Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii lays out the vice president's framework to ease the housing crisis, what it means to go from NIMBY to YIMBY, and the importance of creating generational wealth for the next era of homebuyers. And lastly, Claire and Elise get to the heart of who to trust in the era of foreign interference, deepfakes and Trumpery.Further Reading: Here is the Washington Post piece Claire and Elise spoke about that shares how to spot deepfakes as the election nears: AI is spawning a flood of fake Trump and Harris voices. Here’s how to tell what’s real.Want to listen to this show without ads? Sign up for MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts. As a subscriber you’ll also be able to get occasional bonus content from this and other shows.

While both candidates continue to crisscross the nation’s battlegrounds, Vice President Harris is also doing something former President Trump is not: interviews in traditional and new media. This week, Republican communications veteran Brendan Buck joins former Senator Claire McCaskill to look at the media strategies of both campaigns, and why Trump continues to derail GOP efforts to embrace early voting. Then, former Border Czar, Alan Bersin, speaks to an 80% reduction in border crossings since the peak last December, why the failed bipartisan border bill was smart legislation and what a second Trump term would look like in practice for immigration reform. And Claire and Brendan end by batting around whether Coach Tim Walz is flipping the script on decades of Republicans decrying that Democrats are Ivy League elites, forming a new voting coalition in the process.Further Reading: Here is the POLITICO Magazine piece Claire and Brendan were talking about:The Overlooked Demographic That Is a Huge Opportunity for DemocratsWant to listen to this show without ads? Sign up for MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts. As a subscriber you’ll also be able to get occasional bonus content from this and other shows.

Election Day is around the corner and Vice President Kamala Harris could become the first woman, first Black woman, and first South-Asian to sit in the Oval Office. In light of this moment, we’re resharing our 2020 series “Kamala: Next in Line,” from MSNBC and Wondery. Hosted by Joy Reid, "Next In Line" is an intimate and immersive look into what drives Harris, what her critics say about her, and how she arrived at this historic moment.This is a special program for our MSNBC Premium subscribers. Listen to an excerpt from the first episode here. And to download the full series, sign up for MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts. You’ll find the series in the How to Win feed. Plus, as a subscriber, you’ll get all MSNBC original podcasts ad-free, along with bonus exciting content from Prosecuting Donald Trump, Rachel Maddow, and more. Thanks for listening and subscribing!

After Tuesday’s Vice-presidential debate, viewers were left feeling some nostalgia from debates past: heavy on policy, politeness, and comity. This week, Claire McCaskill is joined once again by her friend and former Senate colleague Heidi Heitkamp. They tick through the particulars from a relatively genial debate, and while it won’t likely move the needle much, it exposed the two distinct faces of JD Vance. Then, former Obama chief strategist David Axelrod stops in to shed some light on what the Harris-Walz team should be laser-focused on in the final month of the campaign. And lastly, Heidi and Claire sift through three important stories emerging that could influence November, and how to navigate the impact of the stuff you can’t control in any campaign.Want to listen to this show without ads? Sign up for MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts. As a subscriber you’ll also be able to get occasional bonus content from this and other shows.

Senator JD Vance and Governor Tim Walz made the cases for their respective running mates in a vice-presidential debate hosted by CBS Tuesday night. Listen to the full debate here, along with analysis by Rachel Maddow, Nicolle Wallace, Joy Reid, Ari Melber, Chris Hayes, Lawrence O’Donnell, Stephanie Ruhle, and Jen Psaki, plus Alex Wagner’s live coverage from the spin room. And visit msnbc.com for more coverage in the lead up to the election.

With 40 days to go and voters paying attention, Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump are vying for the upper hand when it comes to their plans for the economy and border security. Former Senator Claire McCaskill distills who has the winning arguments with her co-host this week, former chair of the RNC and co-host of MSNBC’s The Weekend, Michael Steele. The duo then get some insights into the integrity of our election process and why we should all feel good about the safety and security of the vote, with Benjamin Hovland, Chairman of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. And before wrapping up, Claire and Michael explain why late September is the season for opposition research dumps, with some notable examples in North Carolina, Maryland and Ohio.  Further reading: As Claire mentioned, here is a Harris-Walz campaign fact sheet on their economic plan.  Want to listen to this show without ads? Sign up for MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts. As a subscriber you’ll also be able to get occasional bonus content from this and other shows.

MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle sat down with Vice President Kamala Harris in Pittsburgh Wednesday night for an exclusive interview. It’s the VP’s first solo network interview since she became the Democratic nominee for president and comes just six weeks before election day. Listen to the full interview here and visit msnbc.com for more coverage in the lead up to the election.

After Sunday’s second apparent assassination attempt, former Senator Claire McCaskill and former Harris senior advisor Symone Sanders Townsend reflect on the volatility of the moment, and the importance of taking down the temperature, while not shying away from calling out incendiary comments intended to stoke the flames. Then, the co-founder of Men4Choice, Oren Jacobson, joins the dynamic duo to break down his mission to reframe reproductive choice from being a ‘women's issue’ to one that men fiercely advocate for as well. And lastly, as November inches closer and polls are dropping daily, a natural anxiety is ramping up among both campaigns. Claire and Symone dispense some wisdom on how to think about these snapshots that represent a moment in time.

On the fourth and final episode of our “The Threat of Project 2025” series, Chris Hayes speaks with Grist climate reporter Zoya Teirstein for her take on Project 2025’s impact on climate and the environment, especially in communities already suffering from climate-related catastrophes. Then, Dr. Vernon Morris, a professor of chemistry and atmospheric sciences at Arizona State University, shares his experience working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the important work at stake should NOAA be dismantled by this conservative agenda. Want to listen to this show without ads? Sign up for MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts. As a subscriber you’ll also be able to get occasional bonus content from this and other shows.

On the third episode of “The Threat of Project 2025,” Jen Psaki speaks with the ACLU’s Deputy Director for Transgender Justice, Chase Strangio, to discuss Project 2025’s specific language against LGBTQ+ people and how its policies aim to criminalize trans existence. Then, a look at the real-life consequences for trans people and their families who have been displaced due to restrictive bans on gender-affirming care as Jen speaks to Debi Jackson, a mom who’s been fighting for the safety of her child.Want to listen to this show without ads? Sign up for MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts. As a subscriber you’ll also be able to get occasional bonus content from this and other shows.

67.1 million people tuned in Tuesday night to see how Vice President Kamala Harris’ vision for America would contrast with former President Donald Trump’s. And, by all accounts, she met the moment. This week, former Senator Claire McCaskill is joined by MSNBC political analyst Elise Jordan to talk about what the Cheney's and Taylor Swift have in common, and Harris’ need to get specific on her economic message to sway those still undecided voters. Then: Harris campaign senior advisor and spokesperson Adrienne Elrod shares the inside scoop on how the campaign team viewed the vice president’s debate performance and what they are focused on in this final sprint to November. Want to listen to this show without ads? Sign up for MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts. As a subscriber you’ll also be able to get occasional bonus content from this and other shows.

We’re thrilled to share a mashup of our MSNBC Live: Democracy 2024 event that we recently held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The whole day was a celebration of you, our viewers and listeners. It was the first of its kind in-person, interactive experience. We so enjoyed meeting so many of you. But if you couldn’t join us in person, you’re in luck – we’re sharing key conversations in this episode. For more, be sure to check out our TV special airing Saturday, September 14th at 9 p.m. ET. For your reference, here are timecodes for the sessions included here:Claire McCaskill, Jen Psaki, and Andrea Mitchell 0:01:30-0:31:23Chris Hayes & Kate Shaw 0:31:36-0:51:20Andrew Weissmann & Ari Melber 0:51:25-1:12:53Rachel Maddow & Lawrence O’Donnell 1:13:13-1:45:45

It’s been a mere three months since President Joe Biden went up against former President Donald Trump in what would be his last presidential debate. Now, Vice President Kamala Harris faces off in a heated debate against the former president as each make their case to voters ahead of the 2024 election. The debate was hosted by ABC and held in Philadelphia. Listen to the full debate here, along with post-game coverage by Rachel Maddow, Joy Reid, Chris Hayes, Lawrence O’Donnell, and Nicolle Wallace.Plus, Governor Tim Walz calls in to reflect on Harris’ performance, and he reacts to the Taylor Swift endorsement that came on the heels of the debate. Visit msnbc.com for more coverage in the lead up to the election.

On this second episode of “The Threat of Project 2025,” Joy Reid speaks with theGrio’s Michael Harriot on how the history of segregation in education has echoes today, and how Project 2025 is part of that legacy. Then, a look at how educators, like Dr. Marvin Dunn at Florida International University, are making sure students are properly educated in the face of restrictive policies. And Texas Representative Hugh D. Shine fights against members of his own party in the debate on vouchers and funding for public schools. Want to listen to this show without ads? Sign up for MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts. As a subscriber you’ll also be able to get occasional bonus content from this and other shows.