What A Day

A lot has happened so far since President Donald Trump took office for a second term, but one thing is certain- he's indisputably unpopular. According to Gallup, Trump's six-month approval rating was around 37-percent, which is lower than that of any other president at that point in their presidency. That's, of course, with the exception of Trump in his first term. But polling can be confusing. Because while Trump's approval ratings have taken a dive, so has the Democratic Party's favorability. According to The Wall Street Journal, 63-percent of voters have a negative view of the Democratic Party. So where does that leave us? Can we trust the polls to tell us how Americans really feel? To find out more, we spoke with Crooked's resident polling expert, Dan Pfeiffer. And in headlines: President Trump hosts South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at the White House, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says a strike on a hospital in Gaza was a "tragic mishap", and Trump signs an executive order to crack down on anyone who burns or desecrates the American flag. Show Notes: crookedmedia.substack.com/s/exclusive-content202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

Third Way, a center-left think tank, released a list of words it thinks Democrats should stop using on Friday. The list included words like “intersectionality,” “body shaming,” “cisgender,” and “LGBTQIA+.” It sparked an online debate around the terms, which has caused many people to ask “what do Democrats and liberals actually believe?” Jerusalem Demsas is CEO and founder of a new media outlet called “The Argument,” and she joins the show to answer the question: What is a liberal? And in headlines, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov defends the Russian war in Ukraine on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Kilmar Abrego Garcia – a Salvadoran immigrant who was deported despite a court order allowing him to stay in the country – returns home to Maryland only to be immediately threatened with deportation to Uganda, Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticizes President Trump over threats to deploy the National guard to Chicago, and the Department of Justice releases hundreds of pages of interviews with Ghislaine Maxwell, a collaborator of Jeffrey Epstein. Show Notes: www.theargumentmag.com/202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

On Thursday, California lawmakers passed a redistricting plan aimed at winning Democrats up to five more U.S. House seats in the 2026 elections. It was the latest escalation in a gerrymandering battle between red and blue states, after the GOP-controlled Texas House approved redrawn congressional maps Wednesday. Other states, like New York and Indiana, may soon follow. Former U.S. Representative and current Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, Colin Allred of Texas, breaks down what this means for the Lone Star State and the 2026 midterms. And in headlines, Russia strikes an American-owned electronics plant in Ukraine, the Department of Justice goes after gender-affirming care for young people, and President Donald Trump thanks troops patrolling Washington, D.C. Show Notes: 202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

The White House announced it's leading a "comprehensive internal review of selected Smithsonian museums and exhibitions" to ensure that the museums "celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions."Why? One reason is that White House special assistant Lindsey Halligan got in Trump's ear and complained that there was too much focus on slavery across the Smithsonian Institution. Halligan even told Fox News that in museums, there should QUOTE: "be more of an overemphasis on how far we've come since slavery." To discuss who's behind the changes in our cultural institutions, we spoke with Zachary Small. He's a New York Times reporter with a focus on the art world. And in headlines, the Israeli army says it's calling up 60,000 reservists ahead of its expanded assault on Gaza City, the Trump administration announces cuts to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the new price of the PS-5 Pro is making gamers angry. Show Notes: https://tinyurl.com/rt222e7t202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

On Tuesday, the Department of Justice announced it's launching a much-needed and super important investigation into Washington D.C.'s crime statistics. The DOJ said it's looking into whether the stats have been QUOTE: "manipulated" to make the crime rate seem lower. Why, might you ask, is the DOJ using time, money, and resources to look into this? Probably because it's searching for a way to justify President Donald Trump's takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department and deployment of National Guard troops to the district. However, it has been roughly two weeks since Trump's takeover, and we have some questions. Is DC's crime problem really that bad? And is it better now after federal intervention? We spoke with journalist Josh Barro. He's also co-host of the podcast "Serious Trouble". And in headlines, the Trump administration decides it doesn't want feedback from its federal employees, the White House says arrangements for a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Putin are underway, and Oklahoma is making sure teachers from California and New York aren't "woke". Show Notes: https://tinyurl.com/2rrxxrsf202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

The conversation surrounding artificial intelligence in the US is hard to avoid right now. Powerful companies like Nvidia are making AI chips, doctors are using AI to revolutionize and enhance healthcare, and companies like Waymo have implemented the technology in self-driving cars. But even with all these advances, concerns continue to grow over how children are using AI. Reports about chatbots engaging children in "sensual" conversations have led to amplified concerns. However, others have found that students and teachers alike are using AI to complete schoolwork and create class assignments. For more information about the intersection of AI and America's children, we spoke with Lila Shroff, Assistant Editor at The Atlantic. And in headlines, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spruces up for his White House visit, President Donald Trump rants about the evil that is mail-in ballots, and MSNBC is changing its name to MS NOW. Show Notes: theatlantic.com/author/lila-shroff/202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

The Trump administration’s crackdown on universities across the country for alleged antisemitism has made its way from the East Coast to the West Coast. Earlier this month, the administration demanded the University of California Los Angeles pay $1-billion to the federal government to resolve what it’s calling civil rights violations. That was on top of more than half a billion dollars in cuts to federal research funding from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and other federal sources. But, a federal judge on Friday said the cuts to UCLA’s funding violated a previous order and ruled some of the funding must be restored. To talk more about the impact the funding cuts have had, we spoke with Dr. Aradhna Tripati, a professor of climate science and geochemistry at UCLA. Joining her in the conversation is Monique Trinh, a program Manager in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine. And in the headlines: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House, Secretary of State Marco Rubio defends the department's decision to halt visitor visas for people from Gaza, and more National Guard troops are headed to DC at the behest of Trump. Show Notes: 202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

Nvidia, a U.S.-based chip manufacturer that's now the richest company on earth, has agreed to pay the federal government 15 percent of its profits from selling its chips to China, in a deal that became public this week. Basically, the United States government is now a partner in not one, but two private companies that are selling AI technology to the country that is supposed to be our biggest competitor. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the model could "expand in the future to other companies." But for critics, the deal is giving serious mob vibes, while also posing a national security risk. Ashley Gold, senior tech and policy reporter at Axios, explains what the deal does and why so many people — including some Republicans — are concerned about it. And in headlines: President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet in Alaska today, California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a redistricting plan to go head-to-head against Texas Republicans, and the Trump Administration got more bad news from the Labor Department. Show Notes: www.axios.com/authors/agold202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday in Anchorage, Alaska, to discuss the future of the war in Ukraine (which Putin started). While Trump insisted Wednesday there would be “very severe consequences” if Putin doesn’t agree to some kind of ceasefire, the Russian president has given no indication he plans to give up his goal of eventually taking over all of Ukraine. And Ukraine continues to insist it will not cede any of its territory to Russia. In short: The war is still at a stalemate, and the president of the United States wants to move the needle by hosting the aggressor — an international pariah who faces an arrest warrant on war crimes from the Hague – right here on American soil. Julia Ioffe, a founding member of Puck News and a long-time Russian politics expert, joins us to talk about the Alaska summit and what could come out of it. And in headlines: Trump suggested he may extend federal control of the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department beyond the 30-day limit, a panel of appeals court judges opened the door for the White House to suspend or terminate billions in foreign aid funding, and fewer Americans say they’re drinking alcohol. Show Notes: https://tinyurl.com/2btnv3pk202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

National Guard troops began showing up on the streets of the nation's capital overnight, a little more than a day after President Donald Trump announced plans to deploy hundreds of them to Washington, D.C., and federalize the city's police department. But during his press conference Monday, the president suggested more cities could be next. He specifically called out Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Baltimore and Oakland. All of these cities have declining crime rates – as does the United States as a whole. All of them also happen to be majority-minority cities run by Black Democratic mayors in Democratic-run states. Baltimore Democratic Mayor Brandon Scott joins us to talk about the president's ' racist talking points' and how Democratic mayors like him can't let Trump distract them from running their cities. And in headlines: Trump announced his new pick to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White said UFC will host a first-ever White House fight next year to celebrate the country's 250th birthday, and YouTube will test a new AI feature to determine the age of its users. Show Notes: 202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing massive backlash — both domestic and international — over his government's decision late last week to take over Gaza City. Thousands marched in Tel Aviv Saturday to protest the decision, while the families of some of the remaining hostages called for a nationwide strike. On Monday, Australia became the latest country to announce plans to recognize a Palestinian state, while French President Emmanuel Macron called the Israeli plan 'a disaster of unprecedented gravity.' Already Palestinian health officials say 61,000 people in Gaza have died since the start of the war. Matthew Chance, chief global affairs correspondent for CNN, joins us from Jerusalem to talk about the latest in the war, the Israeli killing of five Al Jazeera journalists Sunday, and the risks that come with yet another escalation in the conflict. And in headlines: President Donald Trump ordered a federal takeover of Washington D.C.'s police, a federal judge blocked the release of Jeffrey Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell's grand jury transcripts, and AOL said it's ending its dial-up internet service. Show Notes: www.cnn.com/profiles/matthew-chance202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

President Donald Trump is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska this week to discuss a potential end to the war in Ukraine (which Russia started.) To call the meeting ‘high stakes’ would be an understatement — already critics are warning of the potential for a ‘1938 Munich Moment,’ when Britain and France allowed Nazi Germany to take control over a swath then-Czechoslovakia in a bid to preserve peace on the continent. But the parallels to WWII don’t end there. Earlier this month, Trump said nuclear submarines were ‘in the region’ ahead of special envoy Steve Witkoff’s meeting with Putin in Moscow. As we mark 80 years this month since the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, historian Garrett Graff, author of the new book ‘The Devil Reached Toward the Sky,’ joins us to talk about what we learned — and we didn’t learn — in the decades since the U.S. dropped those bombs. And in headlines: Thousands of people in Israel demonstrated against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to take control of Gaza City, Trump ramped up threats to take federal control of Washington D.C., and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued to remove 13 Democratic state lawmakers from office amid an ongoing fight over redistricting. Show Notes: https://tinyurl.com/y28cfex3202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

If you got a COVID-19 vaccine made by Moderna or Pfizer, congratulations, you got a vaccine that uses mRNA to teach your cells how to fight the disease. But Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is doing his best to undermine their future use. On Tuesday, he announced the cancellation of $500 million in grants and contracts aimed at developing more mRNA vaccines. The decision has received near-universal condemnation from public health experts — even President Donald Trump’s first-term Surgeon General said it will 'cost lives.' Dr. Fiona Havers, an infectious-disease specialist at the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center and a former senior advisor on vaccine policy for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, joins us to talk about Kennedy’s dangerous decision and the risk it poses to public health. And in headlines: President Donald Trump says he wants a new Census, The U.S. Air Force said it’s denying the option to retire early to all trans service members who have served between 15 and 18 years, and tariff day is (unfortunately) finally here. Show Notes: 202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

We’re starting to hear the horror stories from some of the Venezuelan men who the Trump Administration deported to the Salvadoran super-max prison known as CECOT. Many of the migrants, who were abruptly released and sent back to Venezuela last month as part of a prisoner exchange with the U.S., allege they suffered physical, psychological and sexual abuse during their detention. At least one man is trying to sue the U.S. government over his time in CECOT. And then there’s Andry José Hernández Romero, the gay makeup artist whose story garnered national attention after his arrest. He says he faced constant harassment in the prison because of his sexual orientation. Melissa Shepard, director of legal services at the Immigrant Defenders Law Center and one of Romero’s legal representatives, joins us to talk his story and others who were detained at CECOT. And in headlines: President Donald Trump suggested he may soon meet in person with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Texas Democrats were forced to evacuate their Illinois hotel because of a fake bomb threat, and the Department of Homeland Security lifted age limits on Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. Show Notes: www.immdef.org/202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

The Voting Rights Act turns 60 today. It was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson during the peak of the Civil Rights Movement, with the goal of ensuring that Black Americans could actually exercise their constitutional right to vote. But the landmark legislation — or at least what’s left of it — is facing new challenges. Roughly a decade ago, the Supreme Court gutted one of its key provisions. And late last week, the justices signaled they could be ready to strike a second major blow to the law. It all comes amid an increasingly ugly redistricting fight that’s pitting red states against blue states ahead of next year’s midterms. Rick Hasen, an election law expert at the University of California, Los Angeles, joins us to talk about the latest threats to the Voting Rights Act, and why decades later we’re still talking about decades after its passage. And in headlines: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly weighing a full occupation of Gaza, President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing a task force on the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and Rwanda became the third African nation to agree to take in U.S. deportees. Show Notes: https://electionlawblog.org/202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

The fallout from President Donald Trump’s decision last week to fire the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics over what he called a ‘rigged’ jobs report continued Monday, as White House officials rushed to defend his actions. Amid growing bipartisan outcry, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett put the blame on a familiar culprit in the Trump Cinematic Universe: The Deep State. He told CNBC, “All over the U.S. government, there have been people who have been resisting Trump everywhere they can.” Trump is expected to announce his new pick to run the BLS this week, but already he’s made that person’s job – and the bureau’s job – harder by making Americans even less likely to trust their data. Heidi Shierholz, who served as the chief economist at the Department of Labor under President Barack Obama and now runs the nonpartisan labor think tank the Economic Policy Institute, joins us to talk about the BLS, the important data it compiles, and what the hell a revision is. And in headlines: Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott escalated the redistricting fight with state Democrats, Republican Rep. Nancy Mace announced her campaign for South Carolina governor, and the Trump administration has reportedly backtracked on the president’s campaign promise to make health insurers cover IVF. Show notes: 202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff traveled to Gaza Friday to tour an Israeli-backed aid site, amid growing global outcry over the country’s handling of its war with Hamas. New polling from Gallup shows barely a third of Americans support Israel’s actions in Gaza, a new low. And two Israeli human rights organizations last week concluded Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, a first since the start of the war almost two years ago. But as of now, there’s no indication Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing government have any plans to wind down the war. Yair Rosenberg, a staff writer at The Atlantic, talks about the ‘corrupt bargain’ that went into the making of Netanyahu’s coalition. And in headlines: White House officials defended President Donald Trump’s decision to fire the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics after a bad jobs report, Texas House Democrats fled the state to block Republicans from redrawing the state’s congressional map, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting said it would shut down. Show notes: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/yair-rosenberg/https://tinyurl.com/4x9f9ee8202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

Republicans in the Texas State House released their plans to redraw the state’s congressional map this week. It’s a nakedly partisan gambit to maximize GOP wins in next year’s midterm elections, all at the behest of President Donald Trump. In response, some Democrats want the party to fight fire with fire. California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday he wants a special election in a bid to offset Texas’s shenanigans. Justin Levitt, a constitutional law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles and a former White House senior advisor to the Biden Administration, lays out the stakes for this mid-cycle redistricting war and why all of us should care. And in headlines: Trump slaps a 35 percent tariff on Canada after complaining about the country’s plans to recognize a Palestinian state, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and Special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff are headed to Gaza, and Trump signs an executive order to bring back the Presidential Fitness Test to schools. Show Notes: 202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Emil Bove as a federal appeals court judge, a lifetime appointment to a perch one rung below the U.S. Supreme Court. Bove, who served as President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, ascended to the top ranks of the Justice Department when Trump returned to office in January. Ahead of his Senate confirmation, he became the subject of multiple whistleblower complaints, with some alleging Bove told DOJ subordinates they may need to ignore court orders to enact Trump’s agenda (Bove denies the allegations). Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe joins us to talk about what Bove’s confirmation signals to the rank and file at the DOJ. He also weighs in on what’s happening at his former agency right now and — maybe more importantly — what’s not happening. And in headlines: President Donald Trump announced a new 25 percent tariff on India ahead of his Aug. 1 deals deadline, former Vice President President Kamala Harris announced she won’t run for governor of California next year, and the Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged for a fifth time this year. Show Notes: 202-224-3121https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

Friday is President Donald Trump’s alleged tariff deadline, the day when dozens of countries either have to reach a new trade deal with the U.S. or face the possibility of sky-high duties on their imported goods. Even an island mostly inhabited by penguins won’t be spared from the president’s economic demands. And while Trump has announced deals with major trading partners like the European Union and Japan, there are still a ton of unanswered questions about what comes next — hell, even what’s happening now! To help us understand what’s going on, and what we can expect come August 1st, we spoke with Alex Jacquez, chief of policy and advocacy at the progressive think tank Groundwork Collaborative. He also served as an economic policy advisor for former President Joe Biden and Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. And in headlines, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom would recognize a Palestinian state in September if Israel doesn’t reach a ceasefire agreement with Hamas, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency announced plans to gut the agency’s own ability to regulate greenhouse gases, and a group of states sued the Trump administration over it’s demands for state data on food stamp recipients. Show Notes: 202-224-3121https://crooked.com/podcast/new-epa-argues-greenhouse-gases-are-totally-fine/https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday