Podcast
Hacks On Tap
Hosted by Vox Media · EN
When David Axelrod, Mike Murphy, and John Heilemann get together to talk politics, it’s not academic. They speak from the perspective gained through hundreds of campaigns for offices from City Hall to the White House. So if you want to know what’s really going on behind the scenes, where strategic decisions are being made, pull up a stool for Hacks on Tap. Incisive, sometimes uproarious and always entertaining, these political warhorses and their guests will give you insights you’ll only get from folks who have spent a lifetime in the political trenches of both parties.
From the Vox Media Podcast Network
80episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Race to the Bottom (with Addisu Demissie)
3d ago01:05:58Tap to summarizeThis week Axe and Murphy were joined by ace political wizard and veteran Democratic campaign manager Addisu Demissie. The Hacks dive into Trump’s new inflation numbers, Rubio and Vance vying for the chance to run in 2028, the escalating redistricting arms race, and AOC’s future. And of course, with Addisu in the room, we check in on his home state of California and the key races shaping the political landscape there. Photo by Justin Sullivan via Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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The Cost of Not Listening (with Dave Wasserman)
1w ago01:09:56Tap to summarizeThis week Axe and Murphy are joined by the man who has seen it all—and has seen enough—Dave Wasserman of the Cook Political Report. The Hacks dive into Donald Trump’s frustrations with voters, the latest polls and money advantages shaping the map, and—of course with Wasserman in the mix—a deep dive into key races, redistricting battles, and what it all means for the midterms. Photo by Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Tired of Being Tired (with John King)
2w ago01:09:22Tap to summarizeThis week, Axe and Murphy were joined by one of the all-time greats, John King of CNN. The Hacks dive into the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting and the broader conversation around political rhetoric and violence, Trump’s ballroom ambitions, exhausted voters, redistricting battles, the California governor’s primary—and much more as we head into the midterms just six months out. Photo by Al Drago via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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The Liquor Cabinet (with Jonathan Martin)
3w ago01:10:51Tap to summarizeThis week, Murphy and Heilemann were joined by frequent Hacks flyer and host of On the Road, Politico’s Jonathan Martin! The Hacks dive into U.S./Iran negotiations, Vance’s foreign policy woes, chaos and turnover in the Trump cabinet, and check in on the Virginia, California, and Kentucky races. And so much more! Photo by Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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It’s the Theology, Stupid (with Doug Sosnik)
Apr 1401:01:17Tap to summarizeThis week, Murphy and Heilemann welcome policy Hackeroo and Clintonworld veteran Doug Sosnik. The Hacks dive into Trump’s Twitter feud with Chicago’s Pope, high-stakes negotiations to end the war with Iran, the JD Vance problem, shifting voting trends and Trump’s job approval—and check in on California’s governor’s race. Photo by Xinhua via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Gravity of the Situation (with Rahm Emanuel)
Apr 701:04:34Tap to summarizeThis week, Axe and Murphy are joined live and in person by Hack regular, former U.S. Ambassador, and former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel. The Hacks break down the escalating war with Iran and Trump’s increasingly heated rhetoric, as strikes intensify and diplomacy teeters on the brink. They dig into JD Vance’s trip abroad—and what his chances are for 2028—before turning to the midterms and the wide-open Democratic race for the White House. All that and much more! Photo by Roger Simmons/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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TACO Tuesday (with Morris Katz)
Apr 101:06:58Tap to summarizeThis week, Axe and Heilemann dive into Trump’s Oval Office presser on the state of the war with Iran—and, of course, his ballroom. The Hacks also break down kitchen table issues, potential watershed moments, Republican influencers turning on Trump, redistricting, the midterms, and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Mad King Politics (with David Plouffe)
Mar 2501:04:30Tap to summarizeThis week Axe and Murphy are joined by Campaign Manager Hackeroo David Plouffe — who ran Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign, later served as a senior White House advisor.The Hacks dive into another week of war with Iran, unpack Trump’s motivations (and re-motivations), break down how negotiations on the Hill are going, dig into the politics of the SAVE Act, check in on Illinois primary results, and review some spicy Texas ads — and, as always, so much more. Photo by Heather Diehl via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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The Luck of the Midterms (with Amy Walter)
Mar 1701:07:33Tap to summarizeHappy St. Patrick’s Day, Hackeroos! This week, Axe and Heilemann are joined by one of the greatest Hacks in all the land, Amy Walter—publisher and editor-in-chief of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter. The Hacks dive into Joe Kent’s resignation, unpack the Iran war and its costs at home and abroad, check in on midterm kitchen table issues, take a look at today’s Illinois primary, and so much more! Photo by Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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On the Road (with Jonathan Martin)
Mar 1001:01:10Tap to summarizeThis week, Axe and Murphy are joined by frequent flier in the Hackeroo Lounge, Jonathan Martin. JMart gives the Hacks a preview of his new Politico show, On the Road with Jonathan Martin, including his conversation with Sarah Huckabee Sanders. The Hacks also discuss the war with Iran — how it’s affecting Americans at home, the administration’s shifting rationales, and the U.S. Tomahawk strike that hit a school. Plus: Donald Trump firing Kristi Noem, the first cabinet dismissal of his administration, the Texas runoff, and the Hacks close with a tribute to Jesse Jackson. Photo by Philippe LOPEZ / AFP via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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