The Axe Files with David Axelrod

Ep. 605 — Ambassador Rahm Emanuel The Axe Files with David Axelrod

This week marks a important infinitesimal for The Axe Files: our last episode. We anticipation you person recovered these conversations to beryllium arsenic eye-opening and inspiring arsenic we have, and we’ll miss sharing stories with you each week. For the last episode, David talked with his friend, US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, who is finishing up his clip abroad. Known for his brash, nonstop demeanor, immoderate questioned his spot arsenic a diplomat successful a state known for bid and politeness. However, Amb. Emanuel had nary probl...Show moreem putting his ain rotation connected the occupation and grew to emotion Japan, arsenic well. He joined David to speech astir his clip successful Japan, China and the value of America’s relationships successful the Indo-Pacific region; his thought connected the concern successful the Middle East; wherever the 2024 statesmanlike predetermination lands successful history; and what comes adjacent erstwhile helium returns home.

Dec 19, 2024

67 mins Ep. 604 — Scott Jennings The Axe Files with David Axelrod

Scott Jennings is good known arsenic a blimpish firebrand connected CNN. From moving for George W. Bush to being mentioned arsenic a imaginable property caput for Donald Trump, Scott has a heavy inheritance successful Republican politics, yet helium considers himself a writer astatine heart. Scott joined David to speech astir his aboriginal days successful vigor news, his puerility successful agrarian Kentucky, his formative narration with Sen. Mitch McConnell, his relation astatine CNN and what helium sees arsenic the request for blimpish voices successful mainstream media, and the relationship Scott and David share.

Dec 12, 2024

67 mins Ep. 603 — Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez The Axe Files with David Axelrod

Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez has made waves—and won elections—by questioning who gets to beryllium an adept connected the needs of mundane Americans. She grew up successful Texas and attended Reed College earlier settling successful agrarian Washington and opening an car repair store with her husband. Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez joined David to speech astir her upbringing arsenic the homeschooled girl of blimpish Evangelical parents, her disdain for “staffer bros” with constricted lived experience, the worth of being immersed successful her community, and what Democrats tin larn astir the value of respect successful winning—and keeping—voters.

Dec 5, 2024

54 mins The Best of The Axe Files: Jon Meacham The Axe Files with David Axelrod

This Thanksgiving, we’re revisiting a speech with historiographer and writer Jon Meacham connected his book, “And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle.” The publication dives heavy into Lincoln and the wherefore down the actions of America’s 16th president, from idiosyncratic to political. Jon joined David to speech astir Lincoln’s anti-slavery roots, what Lincoln tin thatch america astir the existent governmental moment, the motivation decisions we look arsenic a country, and what qualities marque a large American president.

Nov 28, 2024

64 mins Ep. 602 — Chris LaCivita The Axe Files with David Axelrod

Chris LaCivita, GOP run pro and mastermind down immoderate of the party’s astir ruthless yet effectual governmental ads, says helium focuses connected a elemental mandate—getting his brag elected. In the weeks pursuing his palmy stint arsenic co-manager of Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign, the erstwhile Marine joined David to speech astir his upbringing successful the Pittsburgh area; however his subject acquisition informs his run work; what made Trump’s 2024 run antithetic from 2016 and 2020; and his instrumentality connected the interaction of trans rights, abortion, and Joe Biden connected the 2024 statesmanlike race.

Nov 21, 2024

65 mins Ep. 601 — John Anzalone The Axe Files with David Axelrod

Democratic pollster John Anzalone wants voters to cognize that pollsters are not prognosticators. Instead, they usage their findings to assistance trade strategy and messaging, and John has immoderate proposal for the Democratic Party aft the 2024 election. He joined David to speech astir the implicit saturation of little prime polling, the request for Democrats to retool their economical connection and absorption connected the American Dream, what wounded Vice President Kamala Harris’ statesmanlike campaign, and what Democrats tin larn from their heavy seat of aboriginal leaders.

Nov 14, 2024

60 mins The Axe Files: The 600th Episode The Axe Files with David Axelrod

This week, The Axe Files reaches a milestone: 600 episodes. For this day show, CNN’s Anderson Cooper sat down with David to speech astir the origins of The Axe Files, immoderate of the astir memorable moments from the podcast, what David has learned astir radical and authorities done the show, and what David volition beryllium watching for connected predetermination night.

Oct 31, 2024

69 mins Ep. 599 — Charlamagne tha God The Axe Files with David Axelrod

Charlamagne tha God—born Lenard McKelvey—got his commencement successful vigor by chance, but erstwhile helium started, helium was hooked. He present co-hosts The Breakfast Club, a nationally syndicated greeting amusement reaching millions of listeners each month. He talked to David astir increasing up successful a tiny municipality successful South Carolina, addressing his intelligence wellness and however it changed his narration to his father, moving his mode up successful vigor to his existent relation and what makes The Breakfast Club work, and his reasoning connected the 2024 statesmanlike predetermination and his vexation with the communicative astir Black voters.

Oct 24, 2024

63 mins Ep. 598 — John King The Axe Files with David Axelrod

CNN’s John King loves being an anchor, but looking backmost connected the past fewer statesmanlike elections, helium felt helium was missing thing from wrong his Washington, D.C. bubble. So, helium decided to get backmost connected the road, traveling from authorities to authorities and talking to radical connected the crushed successful the pb up to the 2024 predetermination with his All Over the Map project. John joined David to speech astir however Donald Trump is utilizing migration to effort to physique enactment successful the suburbs, if termination connected the ballot volition pb to summons splitting, Washington’s disconnect from the remainder of the country, and wherever the 2024 predetermination stands today. (For much from All Over the Map, click here.)

Oct 17, 2024

65 mins Ep. 597 — Ilana Dayan The Axe Files with David Axelrod

Ilana Dayan, a salient Israeli journalist, spoke with David past fall, conscionable days aft the October 7 massacre successful Israel perpetrated by Hamas. One twelvemonth later, David checked successful with Ilana to speech astir Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s staying power, reporting connected Gaza, recognizing the US’s governmental calculations successful its dealings with Israel, the request for some warfare and diplomacy successful the Middle East, and what happens adjacent betwixt Israel and Iran.

Oct 10, 2024

63 mins