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The Focus Group Podcast
30 episodes
S6 Ep54: MAGA's Future is in Florida (with Will Sommer)
Ep 54 · Aug 15, 2026 · 43 min
The battle lines of the next Republican primary are being drawn in Florida's Republican primary for governor. There's a 'MAGA Establishment' frontrunner running with Donald Trump's endorsement (but who a lot of Republicans aren't that excited about), there's a flamboyantly racist groyper with a wild personal life, and a more Ron DeSantis-aligned candidate struggling to catch on. False Flag author Will Sommer joins Sarah to talk about: The Florida governor's race The future of the 'America First'…
S6 Ep53: South Carolina’s Surprise Election (with Meg Kinnard)
Ep 53 · Aug 8, 2026 · 42 min
After Sen. Lindsey Graham’s passing in July, South Carolina is holding a special Republican primary to replace him as the nominee for U.S. Senate. His sister, Sen. Darline Graham, has President Trump’s endorsement. But the polls (and our focus group) suggests that that may not be enough to fend off a cadre of other challengers. Associated Press national politics reporter Meg Kinnard joins Sarah to discuss Lindsey Graham’s legacy among South Carolina Republicans, and the state’s unexpected (and f…
S6 Ep52: Jonathan Cohn: Pure Michigan Chaos
Ep 52 · Aug 1, 2026 · 1 hr 3 min
At the end of one of the most expensive Democratic primaries for Senate in American history, Abdul El-Sayed appears to be pulling away. We've been talking to Democratic primary voters in Michigan about El-Sayed and Rep. Haley Stevens, and what they like (and don't like) about each candidate. Jonathan Cohn, author of the newsletter The Breakdown and The Bulwark's resident Michigander, joins the show to discuss a primary that Sarah thinks has gone on for way too long. episode links: How Old-School…
S6 Ep51: Amy Walter: Pennsylvania's Trump-Shapiro Voters
Ep 51 · Jul 25, 2026 · 57 min
In Pennsylvania, Gov. Josh Shapiro is on track for a pretty big win in November. And he can't do that without winning over a lot of former Trump voters, including the ones in our focus group. Cook Political Report editor in chief Amy Walter returns to the show to discuss how our Pennsylvania focus group felt about Shapiro, AND Sen. John Fetterman, and about the Trump administration. They also break down whether Democrats should be concerned about the generic ballot polling we're seeing right now…
S6 Ep50: David French: Character Counts For Less
Ep 50 · Jul 18, 2026 · 53 min
American politics and politicians are decidedly lower-character than they used to be. So, how did we get here? And why have voters seemingly lowered their expectations? The New York Times’ David French joins the show to discuss Americans’ relationship with low-character politicians like Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump, and how our major political parties have handled candidates like Ken Paxton and Graham Platner in 2026. Show notes: David French: The Platner Trap
S6 Ep49: Tommy Vietor: Democrats’ Way Forward on Israel
Ep 49 · Jul 11, 2026 · 46 min
Many Democratic primaries in 2026 have been hashing out America’s relationship with Israel, because Democratic voters' opinions of Israel have taken a nosedive the last three years. Pod Save America and Pod Save the World co-host Tommy Vietor joins Sarah to discuss the role Israel-related politics has played in the 2026 midterms, and the role it may play in the next presidential primaries. There are more tickets to see Sarah and JVL on September 8 in NYC! We are about to sell out the orchestra s…
S6 Ep48: Heather Cox Richardson: America's 250 Great (and Awful) Years
Ep 48 · Jul 4, 2026 · 1 hr 8 min
If you're wondering how (and whether) America is worth celebrating on this particular July 4th, this show will be a bit of a pep talk for you. Heather Cox Richardson joins Sarah to discuss voters' complicated relationship with patriotism this year, and the lessons of history for rebuilding from the Trump years. Through July 6: Join The Bulwark for $86 a year—14 percent off. Follow Heather Cox Richardson's 250 to 250 project, which marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by…
S6 Ep47: Kyle Clark: Colorado's Mad Libs
Ep 47 · Jun 27, 2026 · 56 min
Colorado isn't much of a swing state anymore, but we're covering its primaries anyway. Both of its senators and one longtime member of Congress are facing bigger headwinds than you might expect. Our focus groups of Colorado Democrats will tell you why. Kyle Clark, host of Next with Kyle Clark, joins Sarah to discuss Colorado's upcoming primaries. Plus: Kyle's crazy run-in with the Republican frontrunner for governor, whether Rep. Lauren Boebert has gotten less crazy, and how Democrats feel about…
S6 Ep46: Patrick Svitek: Texas & Maine Swing Voters Sound Off
Ep 46 · Jun 20, 2026 · 50 min
Barrels of ink have been spilled about James Talarico, Ken Paxton, Graham Platner, and Susan Collins. For the first time, we're listening to how swing voters in Texas and Maine are assessing these two races. We hear from 2024 Trump voters in Texas who disapprove of the president, and Mainers who voted for Joe Biden for President in 2020 and for Susan Collins down-ballot. CNN political reporter Patrick Svitek joins to break these groups down, and to preview some upcoming congressional primaries.
S6 Ep45: Rachel Janfaza: You Kids, Get Off My Lawn!
Ep 45 · Jun 13, 2026 · 41 min
Gen Z swung hard for Trump in 2024. Now his approval with them is under 30%. What happened, and what does this generation’s mix of political views (especially on the war in the Middle East) mean for 2026? Bulwark contributor Rachel Janfaza is back on the pod to discuss. Plus: Sarah has some opinions about Gen Z’s new social habits, and we get into how AI is quietly destroying the entry-level job market — including, yes, applications to scoop ice cream. show links: Rachel Janfaza: Are lines the n…
S6 Ep44: Amy Walter: Everyone Is on the Take
Ep 44 · Jun 6, 2026 · 41 min
Summer’s here, and Sarah’s taking a break from primary election coverage to take stock of the national political landscape. We haven’t talked to swing voters in a little while about the overall state of the country, and it’s becoming clear that the war in Iran is overshadowing, well, everything. Plus: The post-redistricting U.S. House math for Democrats, and a local issue bubbling up all over the country that has some lessons about why Americans are so disillusioned. Sarah all kicks this around…
S6 Ep43: Peter Hamby: California Is The Progressive Id
Ep 43 · May 30, 2026 · 1 hr 8 min
Everyone loves to complain about how California is governed...even some of the Democrats in our focus groups. So, how is the Democratic primary to replace Gavin Newsom shaping up? Plus, a proto-Trump is running for Los Angeles mayor, and Republicans are noticing beyond California. Puck News's Peter Hamby returns to the show to download on how California politics is shaping the rest of America in 2026. By Peter Hamby: California Love Is Xavier Becerra the Best California Can Do? Get 50% off of a…
S6 Ep42: Adam Jentleson: More Heterodoxy, Please
Ep 42 · May 23, 2026 · 1 hr 12 min
Sarah is sick and tired of the arguments about whether Democrats should move to the left or the center, because Democratic voters’ answers to this question overlap a lot more than the online turf wars suggest. Adam Jentleson, founder of the Searchlight Institute and author of the forthcoming book Supermajority returns to the show to dig into why voters don’t think in partisan boxes, how some surprising Democratic figures are breaking ideological molds, and what a genuinely big-tent coalition act…
S6 Ep41: Greg Bluestein: Georgia's Root Canal Primary
Ep 41 · May 16, 2026 · 54 min
Georgia's primaries for Governor and U.S. Senate have LOTS of things for political nerds (like you, dear listener) to chew on. But the Republican and Democratic voters we talked to felt pretty sick of politics. Some of what we learned: How Republicans feel about their chances against Jon Ossoff in the fall (not good) Why a Trump-like billionaire is overshadowing Trump's endorsed candidate for governor Whether Democratic voters will tolerate a former Republican Lieutenant Governor running as a De…
S6 Ep40: Tim Miller: Good Riddance, Bill Cassidy?
Ep 40 · May 9, 2026 · 54 min
This week's show has a rare note of agreement with our MAGA focus group participants. In Louisiana, Bill Cassidy is running for re-election to the Senate, and trying to pass himself as a MAGA true believer, even though after January 6 he voted to bar Donald Trump from office forever. Our Republican focus groups know he's full of it, and so does Tim Miller who joins the show this week. Tim and Sarah also discuss Republican voters' recent Strange New Respect for Marco Rubio, JD Vance's falling sto…
S6 Ep39: Chuck Schumer’s Candidate Got Humiliated in Maine
Ep 39 · May 6, 2026 · 13 min
In this bite-sized bonus Focus Group episode, Sarah Longwell breaks down the political earthquake in Maine after Janet Mills dropped out of the Senate race. Why are Democratic voters rejecting establishment candidates, forgiving scandals that once would’ve been disqualifying, and demanding fighters over polished politicians? Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in May: https://thebulwark.com/events
S6 Ep38: America's 'House of Cards' Mentality (with David Frum)
Ep 38 · May 2, 2026 · 48 min
Usually, an assassination attempt outside a dinner with the president would be a HUGE news event. Instead, the voters in our focus groups weren't talking much about it, and when we brought it up, we heard a LOT of conspiracy theories. We also talked to some Republican voters about whether '86' is really a violent threat, as this week's indictment against James Comey alleges. Atlantic staff writer David Frum joins Sarah for a wide-ranging conversation on the week's events, voters' reactions, and…
S6 Ep37: Trump Promised Lower Prices. Everything Got Worse! (w/ Rotimi Adeoye)
Ep 37 · Apr 30, 2026 · 45 min
Enjoy a bonus episode of The Focus Group Podcast—Rachel Janfaza talks with Rotimi Adeoye about why moderate Gen Z focus group participants feel locked out of the economy. They discuss Rotimi’s “House by 30” idea, why vague promises aren’t cutting it, and how both parties—especially after Trump’s failed affordability pledges—are losing trust with young voters who feel like they did everything right and still can’t get ahead. Read Rotimi Adeoye in the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/0…
S6 Ep36: America's Divisions: Getting on Our Nerves (with Jessica Tarlov)
Ep 36 · Apr 25, 2026 · 1 hr 12 min
Everyone agrees that America is too divided. But ALMOST everyone is also contributing to that division in one way or another. So, how do we rebuild a country where Americans can live with each other a little easier? Sarah and our guest both have some ideas. Professional disagreer Jessica Tarlov of the Raging Moderates podcast and Fox News’s The Five, joins Sarah to discuss America’s political divisions and how voters across the political spectrum are feeling about them. Pre-order Jessica’s upcom…
S6 Ep35: Trump Voters Say 'Nope' to the Pope (with Jonathan V. Last)
Ep 35 · Apr 18, 2026 · 1 hr 12 min
Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV are probably the two most prominent Americans in the world right now, and they're fighting. So we asked American Catholics (including those who voted for Trump) what they thought of their feud, and about Trump's Truth Social Post depicting himself as Jesus. JVL returns to the show with some choice words for some of his fellow Catholics, and discusses the role the Catholic Church has played in American politics more broadly. Get tickets to The Bulwark's May live show…
S6 Ep34: Why Women Don’t Need Men Anymore—In Their Own Words (w/ Sami Sage)
Ep 34 · Apr 17, 2026 · 46 min
On this bonus episode of The Focus Group, Rachel and guest Sami Sage of Betches Media wonder whether millennials are truly still ‘cringe.’ They also discuss the Gen Z gender gap, and how some politically moderate young women are navigating that political divide in their personal lives. By Sami Sage: In Paperback on April 28: Democracy in Retrograde: How to Make Changes Big and Small in Our Country and in Our Lives (https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Democracy-in-Retrograde/Sami-Sage/97816680…
S6 Ep33: The Sad, Mad GOP Base (with Amy Walter)
Ep 33 · Apr 11, 2026 · 52 min
EDITOR'S NOTE: This episode has been updated to remove comments made by or about a focus group participant who we believe misrepresented his political viewpoints to gain access to the group. We are reviewing our participant screening processes accordingly. If there's a blue wave in the 2026 elections, it'll be either because new people start voting for Democrats, or the current Republican base gets sad and stays home. So we convened a focus group of 2020 and 2024 Trump voters who are unhappy wit…
S6 Ep32: It's "Messing With Me Mentally" (with Ashley Parker)
Ep 32 · Apr 4, 2026 · 52 min
The Iran War has been going on for a month, and it’s deeply, DEEPLY unpopular. Plus, we get reactions from swing voters on the characters inside the Trump administration who they like (like Marco Rubio), or REALLY dislike (listen to find out). Atlantic staff writer Ashley Parker returns to the show. By Ashley Parker: The Wrath of Stephen Miller Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!
S6 Ep31: PSA: AI is NOT Your Boyfriend!! (with Megan McArdle)
Ep 31 · Mar 28, 2026 · 1 hr
Artificial intelligence is such a big change to human civilization that our political class is struggling to keep up. The voters in our focus groups are struggling, too. The Washington Post's Megan McArdle joins the show to discuss how everyday Americans are using (and misusing!) AI, its impact on the political process and information environment, and how public policy can adapt to this brave new world. Megan McArdle's Washington Post Podcast, Reasonably Optimistic Make laundry day the best day…
S6 Ep30: ‘All of You Could Be Democrats’ (with Anderson Clayton)
Ep 30 · Mar 21, 2026 · 45 min
A lot of the young people we’ve been talking to recently in our focus groups are relatively apolitical, and many of them don’t vote. But what DO these young people care about? And what could mobilize them in the future? Rachel Janfaza discusses with Anderson Clayton, the youngest state party chair in the U.S. and chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party.
S6 Ep29: Illinois Senate Race: Daaaa Dems (with David Axelrod)
Ep 29 · Mar 14, 2026 · 52 min
The Democratic primary for US Senate in Illinois is a bit quiet, according to our guest. But underneath the surface, one candidate has a VERY interesting way of getting attention...and voters are starting to notice. David Axelrod, former adviser to President Obama, joins the show to discuss this Chicago-style Senate race. Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!
S6 Ep28: BONUS POD: Iran Fears &...Focus Groups Love The Bulwark?
Ep 28 · Mar 12, 2026 · 58 min
Sarah was out last week, and felt she had to bring you some timely focus group reactions to the War in Iran. We also check in on their feelings about the Trump administration (especially their handling of the Epstein Files), and talk about a growing strain of conspiracy theorizing tied to Israel (Jeffrey Epstein and Charlie Kirk are BOTH involved!) Finally, we’ve recently seen members of the Bulwark community pop up in the wild in our focus groups. Hear what drew THEM to The Bulwark. Sarah and B…
S6 Ep27: What's a "Rug Pull"? (with Ed Elson)
Ep 27 · Mar 7, 2026 · 59 min
Rachel Janfaza sits in for Sarah on this week’s Focus Group to take a look at Gen Z’s personal finances, from their long-term outlooks to their day-to-day habits…especially their investments in crypto and how they’re engaging with sports betting and prediction markets. Ed Elson, co-host of Prof G Markets, joins Rachel. Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September! Show notes: Rachel in The Up and Up: How Gen Z spends, saves, and invests Rachel in The Up and Up: The Kalshi…
S6 Ep26: Twitter vs. Texans (with Elaine Godfrey)
Ep 26 · Feb 28, 2026 · 51 min
The Texas Senate primary on March 3 between James Talarico and Rep. Jasmine Crockett is a toxic cesspool on Twitter. But Texas Democrats are practically giddy over how much they like both candidates. Atlantic staff writer Elaine Godfrey, who's profiled both candidates, joins the show to chat about the race and discuss why she was kicked out of a Jasmine Crockett campaign event. By Elaine Godfrey: Why I Got Thrown Out of a Jasmine Crockett Rally Audio of Elaine being kicked out: ‘Elaine From Atla…
S6 Ep25: Texas-Sized Scandal (with Eric Benson)
Ep 25 · Feb 21, 2026 · 52 min
Sen. John Cornyn has been a consistent ally of President Trump. Even Trump likes him just fine...but that may not be enough to save him in Texas, because he may have just been too mild-mannered for too long. He's running against a scandal-plagued (but combative) Attorney General, and a less scandal-plagued (but also less known) newcomer. Texas Monthly writer Eric Benson joins Sarah to break down the Republican brawl in the Lone Star State. Get 60% off your first box with Tempo Meals at https://T…
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