The Briefing with Jen Psaki

With Donald Trump saying the quiet part out loud about who should be allowed to speak in the United States, Jen Psaki follows the money through the corporate powers that are helping the Trump regime reshape American media in order to protect their financial interests.Meanwhile, Congressoinal Democrats intend to investigate potential conflicts of interest by media conglomerates looking to appease Donald Trump for business reasons.Stacey Abrams joins to dicuss what people can do to push back on Trump's power grab."The moment you hear 'public interest,' it should ring the bell." Russian dissident Garry Kasparov, founder and chairman of the Renew Democracy Initiative, talks with Jen Psaki about what it looked like as Russia's democracy gave way to autocracy under Putin, and parallels he sees with the Trump regime now. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker reacts to breaking news that Disney's ABC television network has capitulated to strong-arming by the Trump administration to remove Jimmy Kimmel from the air, and encourages Americans to not only push back on Disney, but to remain steadfast in standing up to Donald Trump's intimidation tactics. Former federal prosecutor Preet Bharara weighs in on the legal perspective, and Rep. Dan Goldman joins to discuss Donald Trump's power overreach.Jen Psaki reports on a Senate health committee hearing in which Republicans were trapped trying to maintain the Trump administration's anti-vaccine attitude in the face of well-informed testimony from former CDC officials, including Republican-confirmed former CDC Director Susan Monarez, pushed out by Trump's HSS secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Dr. Debra Houry, the CDC's former chief medical officer, who also testified at today's hearing, joins to discuss the lack of scientific rigor and transparency from Trump's new health officials. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz talks with Jen Psaki on the day that he had declared his candidacy for reelection. Walz offers harsh words on Donald Trump for his response to shootings in Minnesota, including the fatal shooting of Democratic politician Melissa Hortman, as well as the deployment of the National Guard to American cities, and Trump's handling of the economic challenges Americans are facing.Jen Psaki reports on FBI Director Kash Patel's credulity-straining Senate testimony today and shares new MSNBC reporting that FBI agents are being diverted from human trafficking and child predator cases to work on Trump's immigration agenda.Jen Psaki looks at how the Trump administration is taking an active opposition to free speech in the United States in the wake of the murder of Charlie Kirk, with Donald Trump going so far as to suggest to a reporter that treating Trump "unfairly" is "hate." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jen Psaki looks back at past examples of political violence in the United States and how political leaders addressed the country with calls for unity and cooler heads, with examples from John Boehner to Utah Governor Spender Cox, who spoke this morning at a press conference announcing that the suspect in the shooting of Charlie Kirk is in custody. Senator Tina Smith discusses the dire state of politics in the U.S.While the suspect in the Kirk shooting is in custody, Kash Patel's poor performance leading the FBI did not go unnoticed. Andrew Weissmann joins to explain how the FBI is supposed to work in normal times under normal leadership.Donald Trump has named Memphis as the next target of his military policing plan. Tennessee State Rep. Justin J. Pearson expresses his vehement opposition to what Trump intends to do.NATO suffered significant alarm when Russia sent drones into Poland in what is widely seen as a test of NATO readiness. Donald Trump seemed more inclined to excuse Vladimir Putin than to rally with allies, Jen Psaki explains.And a CDC panel assembled by Trump HHS secretary and vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy will decide whether they endorse the new booster, which will determine whether residents of as many as 16 states are able to access the vaccine this season.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As the manhunt continues for the person who shot and killed conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Alicia Menendez talks with Vaughn Hillyard, MSNBC senior White House correspondent, Ken Dilanian, MSNBC justice and intelligence correspondent, and Marc Santia, MSNBC investigative correspondent, about progress in the investigation so far.Senator Amy Klobuchar talks with Alicia Menendez about how the increase in political violence and threats toward political figures has legislators not only looking for increased security but also for a way to alter the tone of political discourse in the United States.Utah officials hold a press conference in which they release new video and enhanced photos in an appeal to the public for help finding the person who shot adn killed Charlie Kirk. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Senior White House Correspondent Vaughn Hillyard, who has covered Charlie Kirk's ascent in conservative politics, joins Jen Psaki to provide insight into Charlie Kirk’s rise and influence within the MAGA ranks and young conservatives. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Donald Trump and his Republican acolytes defy credulity with their bizarre denial that Trump's page in Jeffrey Epstein's birthday book is somehow a 22-year-old forgery, but as Jen Psaki points out, that isn't the only unbelievable story Trump is trying to push to escape a reality that makes him look really bad. In the latest edition of "Jen's Version," Jen Psaki addresses questions asked at the White House press briefing, including what Donald Trump meant by "if a man has a little fight with the wife they say this is crime," as he complained about the crime getting in the way of his claim that Washington D.C. doesn't have any more crime.Texas State Rep. James Talarico, fresh from declaring his candidacy to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate, talks with Jen Psaki about the role of "love thy neighbor" religion in his politics, and the fight he wants to help bring to bear against Donald Trump's Republicans. Senator Adam Schiff joins to talk about Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, and Wes Moore discusses his decision to run for reelection as Maryland's governor. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In an exclusive, extended interview, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker talks with Jen Psaki about Donald Trump's threat to blitz Chicago with ICE agents, supported by the deployment of National Guard troops. Pritzker discusses what tools he has to push back, what Chicago residents can do, and what else he thinks Donald Trump has in mind while he normalizes military on the streets of U.S. cities.Rep. Jamie Raskin alerts viewers that the House Judiciary Committee will be releasing an "explosive" report early next week about the extent to which the Trump administration has undermined federal anti-human trafficking efforts.Jen points out the shocking degree to which Donald Trump is not living up to his economic promises, and to make matters worse he is actively dismantling consumer protections established during the Biden administration. And Martin Sheen will be Nicolle Wallace's guest at this year's MSNBC Live event. Tickets are still available.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Senate Finance Committee was not gentle with Donald Trump's HHS secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., grilling him on his perspectives on vaccines and often catching him in contradictions. Jen Psaki shares highlights of some of Kennedy's more frustrating lies, and the efforts of senators to call him out.As Bill Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, levels accusations of mortgage fraud against Donald Trump's political enemies, a new report from ProPublica shows that three members of Trump's own Cabinet have the same kind of mortgages that are the basis for Pulte's fraud accusations against Democrats. Jen Psaki explains how the facts contradict Pulte's claims of non-partisanship.States that value science and data and good health are not waiting around for the Trump administration to come to its senses as long as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the Health and Human Services secretary, so they're taking the responsibility on themselves. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey talks with Jen Psaki about how she is securing vaccine access for her state, and why states will have to do more on their own in the absence of federal leadership. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The role of Jeffrey Epstein abuse survivor Virginia Roberts Giuffre in demanding accountability for Epstein and his accomplices, and keeping the case in the spotlight even as powerful forces attempted to make the case disappear, cannot be overstated. Sky and Amanda Roberts, brother and sister-in-law of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, talk with Jen Psaki about the challenges Giuffre faced, and her legacy as other survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse are speaking out and demanding the release of the files related to Epstein's criminal investigation.Despite every poll showing support, all but a few Republican members of Congress are resisting releasing the files from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Rep. Ayanna Pressley discusses her frustration with Republicans who won't put action to their words of support for Epstein's victims.While Donald Trump's HHS secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismantles the CDC, states are taking it upon themselves to continue to support a robust vaccine regime to keep preventable diseases at bay. Not all states, however. Florida today announced it is ending mandates for all vaccines. Senator Jon Ossoff discusses with Jen Psaki, and for the first time calls for the resignation of Secretary Kennedy. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jen Psaki shares Donald Trump's seemingly self-contradicting answer to a question about internet rumors that he had been out of the public eye for several days because he had died. But Trump has plenty of other reasons to want to hide from the American public.Jen Psaki shows how Donald Trump's unpopular and illegal agenda is suffering one legal loss after another in court challenges, and talks with Norm Eisen, executive chair of the Democracy Defenders Fund, and Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, about the effectiveness of keeping Trump's feet to the legal fire.And Jacob Soboroff delivers a powerful report about an 18-year-old honors student deported to Guatemala where she is threatened by the exact type of gangs that Donald Trump claims to be fighting with his indiscriminate deportation policy.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ian Bassin, co-founder and executive director of Protect Democracy, and former federal prosecutor Kristy Greenberg, talk with Jen Psaki about a federal appeals court finding that Donald Trump's tariffs are illegal, and other legal problems the administration is having with overreach, like Jeanine Pirro humiliating herself with her failure to match an indictment to her tough talk on the sandwich-throwing activist.Donald Trump has made clear his intention to dismantle FEMA and shift responsibility for disaster preparedness and response to states. As he makes progress toward that goal, FEMA staffers are raising the alarm that the plan is flawed and the U.S. is not ready to meet the demands of a major disaster. James Stroud, a FEMA statistician, joined his colleagues in signing a letter to Congress, alerting them to urgency of the situation, and was subsequently suspended by petty Trump for speaking out.The parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine cite responses from ChatGPT among the reasons for his suicide after they discovered messages from the A.I. bot offering advice instead of triggering alerts that are meant to discourage these kinds of ideas. Jay Edelson, attorney for the Raine family, talks with Jen Psaki about the responsibility they believe OpenAI, the parent company of ChatGPT, has for their son's death.Congressional Democrats and some Republican allies are already planning press events and subpoenas to put the Jeffrey Epstein case back into the spotlight when Congress returns from summer recess. Rep. Jared Moskowitz discusses with Jen Psaki.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, who resigned in protest from his position as director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, talks with Jen Psaki about the valuable work being done by the people at the CDC, and how the Trump administration, through HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is corrupting the CDC with unscientific attitudes and agendas.Jen's Version: Jen Psaki answers questions posed in today's White House press briefing, without the Trump administration's spin, and doubles down on her criticism of the Trump White House for taking no action to prevent gun violence and instead wasting time on "bad faith back-and-forth."Plus, Philadelphia D.A. Larry Krasner on Donald Trump's use of the military as domestic police, and Graham Platner on challenging Susan Collins for Maine's Senate seat. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jen Psaki addresses the horrific shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis and the shocking gun statistics in the United States that "should make everyone angry." Psaki points to new gun legislation that passed under the Biden administration after a mass shooting at a supermarket, and reminds viewers that anger can turn into activism, activism can turn into pressure, and pressure can change laws.Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey talks with Jen Psaki about the horrific shooting at Annunciation Catholic School that has left his community in shock and grief. Frey calls for Americans to recognize the victims of today's shooting not as somebody else's kids, "think about them as your own," and encourages a loving perspective but also real action to address America's gun problem. The Trump administration is attempting to remove CDC Director Susan Monarez from her position after only two weeks in the Trump-appointed, Republican Senate-confirmed job. The conflict over Monarez's resistance to Trump HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s anti-science whims and conspiracy theories has apparently set of a series of other high-profile departures, leaving a vacuum at the top of the CDC and the Trump administration looking foolish. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jen Psaki shares samples of the gross, sycophantic fawning of Donald Trump's Cabinet members at a group meeting that leaves little wonder why Trump thinks "a lot of people say" he should be a dictator. His own Cabinet already treats him like one.Jen Psaki reports on Donald Trump's director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, who is using his access to federal housing data to accuse Trump's political enemies of mortgage fraud, perhaps ignoring the irony that Trump is a notorious fraudster, or perhaps because of it. Senator Elizabeth Warren joins to discuss what the FHFA is meant to do, and what is really going on with Pulte's obeisance to Trump.Jen Psaki reports on the devastating poll results that have Donald Trump rightly concerned about Republican control of Congress after 2026, and which are likely why he is appointing wild election conspiracy theorist Heather Honey to be deputy assistant secretary for election integrity, and is begging states with Republican-controlled legislatures to help him rig voting districts.Iowa Democrat Catelin Drey breaks the state's Republican supermajority with a Senate special election win. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

With Texas poised to pass a redistricting bill to help Donald Trump rig the midterm elections in his favor to retain control of Congress, Democrats are taking the fight to Trump. Trump's renewed engagement with Vladimir Putin on the war in Ukraine has made a new priority of the return of Ukrainian children stolen by Putin. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Despite his deep delusions to the contrary, Donald Trump turning Washington, D.C. into a police state is making life and business in the District worse, thanks in large part to the team of bad faith bunglers Trump has assembled to carry out his will. While Trump's acolytes appear eager to help him weaponize the DOJ and law enforcement against his political enemies, their incompetence mostly yields embarrassment. The best possibility for a consistent ceasefire in Ukraine is if a coalition of outside countries deploy a NATO-like force to enforce it, argues former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor. Texas State Rep. Nicole Collier is essentially imprisoned in the State Capitol because she won't agree to being monitored by police, so they won't unlock the doors to allow her to leave. Oklahoma's MAGA superintendent of public schools is working hard to make his state the most poorly educated in the nation by prioritizing right-wing ideological standards instead of fact-based scholastics. And Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is probably wishing her spokesperson didn't invoke the church when offering a retort about Noem mooching a free apartment from the Coast Guard. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Expectations for the outcome of Donald Trump's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin were low, but few people anticipated that in addition to producing no agreement, the meeting would be followed by a low-energy 12 minute press presentation with no details given and no questions taken. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Despite efforts to lower expectations for his big meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump still managed to underperform with nothing to show for the meeting, which was followed by a "press conference" with no details and no questions taken. Jen Psaki is joined by her MSNBC colleague Nicolle Wallace, former U.S. ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, and former deputy national security advisor, Ben Rhodes discuss what happened and what it all means. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Donald Trump's use of federal forces to crack down on residents of Washington, D.C. is not well received. Neither is the crackdown by federal immigration authorities on immigrant school children. Gavin Newsom has presented his counter to Donald Trump's gerrymandering scheme by offering to voters a new district map that would only be triggered if Texas changes their map first. Jen Psaki takes a closer look at the Christian nationalist extremists who have a concerning amount of influence on members of the Trump administration. Michael McFaul offers a preview of Trump's Friday meeting in Alaska with Vladimir Putin. And Alex Jones has lost another court case and it another stop closer to losing all of his business assets to pay for the Sandy Hook Elementary judgment against him. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.