In Good Faith with Philip DeFranco – Tommy Vietor Tells All

Date: March 30, 2026
Host: Philip DeFranco
Guest: Tommy Vietor (Co-founder, Crooked Media; Former NSC Spokesman, Obama White House)

Episode Overview

In this rich, candid conversation, Philip DeFranco sits down with Tommy Vietor—longtime Democratic communicator, former Obama White House insider, and co-founder of Crooked Media—to dissect the state of Democratic politics, the evolution of party messaging, U.S. foreign policy in crisis, and the personal journey from the Obama press van to activist media. Vietor shares behind-the-scenes stories from critical moments in U.S. politics, critiques the current media landscape, and reflects on both public and private struggles. The conversation ranges from granular political takes (Israel, Iran, Harris’ campaign) to fast-paced personality Q&A, all woven with sharp wit and stark honesty.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Are Democrats Doing Wrong?

• Need for Clear Populist Message:

  • Vietor argues Dems’ biggest weakness is failing to present a compelling, positive vision for working people—not just opposing Trump.

    "People still don't know what Democrats stand for. They still don't trust that they fight for them. I think we have not done enough to get back to our roots as a party for working people and push more of a populist message." (Tommy, 01:49)

• Problem of Corporate Funding:

  • The party is seen as beholden to corporate interests—not just AIPAC, but crypto, AI, and big money.

    "If you look at the companies...with the most money, it's like the crypto guys. It's the AI folks. There’s billionaires and corporations that can pour basically unlimited amounts of money into these super PACs." (Tommy, 03:24)

2. Israel, Gaza, and the Democratic Policy Shift

• Personal Evolution on Israel:

  • Vietor explains shift from administrative spokesperson to vocal critic, citing both a change in position and frustration with the D.C. climate.

    "Unfortunately it is a well known thing in D.C. circles that if you are too critical of the Israeli government...you will not get hired again...it just breeds a lot of caution." (Tommy, 06:32)

• Netanyahu Critique:

  • Stresses that his opposition is to Netanyahu as a leader, not Israel or Judaism broadly.

    "I'm proud to say that I've hated that asshole since 2009. He's a terrible person. He's a corrupt, racist, right wing, authoritarian monster..." (Tommy, 06:02)

3. Historic Policy Decisions: Iran & the Obama Years

• Obama’s Approach:
  • Discussion of Obama White House’s refusal to aid Israeli strikes on Iran and focus on diplomatic agreements (JCPOA).

    "Obama was pushing back on Israel and saying he did not want to go to war with Iran, he would not bomb them on their behalf." (Tommy, 08:18)

4. Media Activism and Accountability

• Pod Save’s Role:

  • On offering platforms to Dem campaigns and the limits/risks of “friendly accountability.”

    "I think Dan’s perspective was these are people I know...my goal here is to just sort of like get information out of them about what they think happened." (Tommy, 11:01)

  • On calling for Biden to step aside post-debate:

    "Within five minutes into the debate everyone's like, this is a nightmare. And that night said as much..." (Tommy, 12:31)

• Impact of Progressive Media:

  • Vietor acknowledges uncertainty about changing minds but argues their real power is in activating supporters and raising money.

    "The real value of the company and the show...was overtly activist media, which not only told people, ‘here’s what you can do,’ but made it ongoing engagement." (Tommy, 18:20)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote/Story | |-----------|---------|-------------| | 01:49 | Tommy | "People still don't know what Democrats stand for...I think we have not done enough to get back to our roots..." | | 06:02 | Tommy | "I'm proud to say that I've hated that asshole [Netanyahu] since 2009. He's a terrible person..." | | 12:31 | Tommy | "Within five minutes into the debate everyone's like, this is a nightmare." (On Biden-Trump debate) | | 15:45 | Tommy | "[Our PSA criticism] was perceived as meaningful at the time because we were viewed as...Biden-connected people..." | | 17:36 | Tommy | "We wanted to do overtly activist media, which not only told people, okay, you’re upset about the election, here’s what you can do about it..." | | 21:29 | Philip + Tommy | On Trump’s personal charisma—stories about Trump’s personal attention to political opponents’ children. | | 25:24 | Tommy | Respects Rand Paul and Thomas Massie for sticking to principle: "These are people that take a lot of shit from their own party for taking principal positions..." | | 26:27 | Tommy | Scathing critique of Fetterman: "The fact that he's, like, found his niche kind of being antagonistic about wanting to kill more people in Gaza, in Iran, it's just...so gross and bizarre." | | 30:02 | Tommy | On Rogan and anti-vaccine rhetoric: "I've heard Rogan talk about the polio vaccine not working...that stuff, I think is...quite, quite dangerous." | | 32:56 | Tommy | Admits worst political take: "My worst political take by far was Hillary Clinton can't lose." | | 33:27 | Philip | On Crooked Media’s impact: "$70 million raised through Vote Save America...that's something to be proud of." | | 38:51 | Tommy | On making foreign policy relatable: “If you can figure out that individual story or anecdote...that is what’s so powerful and compelling.” | | 39:09 | Tommy | On Iran war, process in government: “There was a system and process in place that didn’t guarantee a good outcome, but a bad process and bad planning, I think, can guarantee a bad outcome.” | | 41:19 | Tommy | On Trump’s intelligence briefings: “It sounds like he gets like a two minute snuff film every morning...” | | 44:53 | Tommy | Press van skills: "All of us did every job, no matter how shitty. Like, our boss, Paul Tuz, was kind of a maniac...that was great preparation." | | 50:42 | Philip | On Vietor’s public writing about child loss. | | 54:54 | Tommy | On public grief: "It was really moving...thousands of people just sort of like throwing love at you, being kind, reaching out—it impacted me more than I would have expected." | | 55:57 | Tommy | On Obama’s possible critique: "If he heard me say that Stephen Miller looks like a sentient vampire penis, would that make him proud to have employed me? Probably not." | | 62:37 | Tommy | Right-wing media dominance: "The right, I think, just dominates when you look at where the audience is...Fox News blots out the sun..." | | 67:46 | Tommy | On intra-party infighting: "Both parties are full of people with differing opinions who fight like children because that's what happens. They jockey for power." | | 69:51 | Tommy | On Trump as unifier abroad: "Hopefully he'll be a problem for Viktor Orban in Hungary, so we'll see. Fingers are crossed." | | 74:52 | Tommy | Worst interview: "It turned out this guy was the worst on mic communicator I'd ever heard in my life..." |

Key Segments with Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|---------| | 00:00–01:49 | Opening, Vietor’s Obama years, main opening question on Dem messaging | | 02:17–04:18 | AIPAC, AI, and corporate money in Dem politics | | 05:30–07:33 | Obama, Israel, evolution of policy criticism | | 07:33–09:32 | Iran, Israel, inside White House policy resistance | | 10:45–13:12 | Harris 2024 campaign postmortem, Pod Save's “accountability” | | 15:07–17:36 | Progressive media impact and limits | | 18:20–19:25 | Who listens to Pod Save? Audience and activism | | 21:18–22:41 | Trump’s personal magnetism in politics | | 25:11–25:47 | Fast Q: Underappreciated Democratic and Republican politicians | | 30:02–31:16 | Joe Rogan’s impact and conspiratorial media | | 32:56–33:27 | Vietor’s biggest mistaken prediction (“Hillary can’t lose”) | | 33:27–34:18 | Vote Save America’s $70M+ fundraising impact | | 35:14–38:51 | Pod Save the World: Making foreign policy legible & relatable | | 39:09–44:18 | How D.C. used to plan for war vs. current U.S.-Iran policy chaos | | 50:42–54:54 | Personal tragedy: Public discussion of child loss and community | | 55:57–58:45 | Obama era vs. current combative political tone | | 62:37–64:53 | Right-wing media’s dominance vs. progressive diversity | | 68:05–70:25 | France, Germany, the end of an era, and far-right risk | | 70:53–74:37 | Future of the West—fractures, trust, global alliances | | 74:52–75:58 | Vietor’s worst podcast experience |

Flow & Tone

The episode is conversational, witty, fast-paced, and blends policy substance with sharp personal and political anecdotes. Vietor is candid—at times self-deprecating, occasionally profane (“self-important podcasters,” “sentient vampire penis”), and unsparing in criticism of both political opponents and his own party. DeFranco asks blunt questions, often using humor to disarm or segue (“I’ll get you right back to the pod in just a minute...”). The emphasis is on real talk, transparency, and a refusal to pull punches.

Useful Takeaways for Listeners

• Democrats’ Key Weakness: Chronic inability to articulate a positive, working-class message distinct from anti-Trumpism.
• Impact of Money: The influence of broad corporate cash (crypto, AI) is structurally damaging to Democratic messaging/roots.
• Evolving on Issues: Being "out" of government can unlock honest takes in a way government service cauterizes.
• Media & Activism: The primary value of platforms like Pod Save is activism over mind-changing—mobilizing the engaged, not just educating.
• Modern Infighting: Both parties suffer from infighting; it’s just algorithmically hidden.
• Foreign Policy: The loss of process and planning in D.C. is fueling more chaotic, risk-prone international crises.
• Personal Vulnerability: Sharing private grief publicly, while not instinctual, can engender surprising, overwhelming solidarity and support.

Final Thoughts

The episode is dense with inside-baseball political observation, sharp media critique, and moments of personal candor. Vietor offers both an insider’s and outsider’s vantage on how U.S. politics and foreign policy have morphed in the Trump and post-Obama years, while reflecting on the paradoxical benefits and perils of being a politically engaged media entrepreneur.

(Advertisements, intro, and promotional sections have been omitted for brevity and relevance.)