Podcast
The Lincoln Project
Hosted by The Lincoln Project · EN
The creators of the most watched and talked-about ad content in the political/cultural sphere, THE LINCOLN PROJECT, and co-founder/host Rick Wilson, have a reputation for saying the things others are afraid to say.
Headed up by LP's notorious creative team, THE LINCOLN PROJECT podcast features a range of special guests, from leading political minds to the hottest pop-culture icons. Broadening the subject matter beyond politics and making the conversation more relatable to everyone, The Lincoln Project podcast’s mission is to reignite the political flame in every American and break down the biggest topics of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
85episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The DOJ Is Now Just Trump’s Anger Management Program
3d ago00:35:34Tap to summarizeTrump promised to restore law and order. Instead, critics argue he’s turned the Department of Justice into a weapon of political revenge, selective accountability, and loyalty tests. This week, Rick Wilson is joined by Brendan Ballou, founder of the Public Integrity Project and author of When Companies Run the Courts, to unpack the growing concerns surrounding Trump’s DOJ—from politically motivated prosecutions and controversial pardons to the lingering questions around the Epstein files and the effort to rewrite the history of January 6th. Rick and Brendan also expose how forced arbitration has quietly tilted the legal system in favor of powerful corporations, creating a parallel justice system where the rich and connected play by different rules. If Americans can be convinced to forget an insurrection, what else can they be convinced to overlook? It’s a conversation about power, corruption, accountability, and the dangerous idea that justice is only for the people on the right side of power.•••••You can find Brendan Ballou on X, @brendanballou, or at his website https://plunderthebook.com. His newest book, ‘When Companies Run the Courts: Forced Arbitration and America’s Secret Justice System,’ is available now, wherever fine books are sold. Visit https://publicintegrityproject.org to find more information about the Public Integrity Project.
Transcribe →Versailles: The L Heard Round the World
1w ago00:37:45Tap to summarizeThis week’s Elephant in the Room is Trump’s humiliation at Versailles. After months of threats, chest-thumping, and promises of strength against Iran, Trump arrived claiming leverage and left defending a deal that has critics asking whether America gained anything at all. Rick Wilson breaks down the symbolism of Versailles, the political fallout of Trump’s Iran reversal, the growing cracks inside MAGA, and why this moment may be remembered as one of the defining foreign policy embarrassments of his presidency. History may not repeat itself, but it rhymes—and this week, the rhyme scheme sounded a lot like surrender.•••••Rick Wilson is on X at @TheRickWilson, on Bluesky at @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and you can check out Rick's Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. You can check out more of LP's work at www.lincolnproject.us and on X at @ProjectLincoln.Visit https://quince.com/lincoln for free shipping + 365-day returns. #ad
Transcribe →RFK Jr.'s Marry, F*ck, Kill List
1w ago00:51:11Tap to summarizeRFK Jr. let a worm crawl into his brain and eat part of it, dumped a dead bear cub in Central Park, sawed the head off a whale and bungeed it to his car — and somehow still talked his way into running America's health agencies. This week, Rick Wilson and investigative journalist Isabel Vincent -- who has a new book out called RFK Jr.: The Rise and Fall -- trace the full deranged arc, from Camelot golden boy to anti-vax crusader to MAHA messiah and the strange circumstances surrounding the death of his late second wife, Mary Richardson-Kennedy, digging into the brain worm, the roadkill résumé, the war on science, and what it means to hand the nation's health to a man whose own brain came with a parasite. And in a twist no writer would dare invent, the flesh-eating New World screwworm is creeping back toward the U.S. on his watch — proof that the man with a worm in his brain now can't keep the worms out of the country either. It's the Kennedy curse — except this time it's just him.•••••Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and @therickwilson.bsky.social on Bluesky, and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. Purchase Isabel Vincent's fabulous new book, RFK Jr.: The Rise and Fall anywhere fine books are sold, and follow her @byisabelvincent on her socials. Join the fight with the Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us and follow LP on X at @ProjectLincoln. If you'd like to help us continue our critical work, visit https://action.lincolnproject.us/helplp to make a difference.
Transcribe →Everything Is Going Great. Please Stop Looking.
2w ago00:27:22Tap to summarizeTrump promised we'd all be “sick of winning.” Well, congratulations America—we finally made it. Inflation is climbing, the economy is wobbling, tensions with Iran are escalating, Congress is spending like there's no tomorrow, and the phrase "totally not a war" is doing a lot of heavy lifting. Meanwhile, we're told the border is secure, corruption is nonexistent, the DOJ is completely independent, and there are definitely no awkward questions involving Jeffrey Epstein hanging over the White House. In this week's Elephant in the Room, Rick Wilson takes a sarcastic victory lap through America's latest "wins"—from the Trumpression to foreign policy chaos, political scandals, redistricting games, and the honor of landing on the White House enemies list. If this is what winning looks like, imagine what losing would do.•••••Rick Wilson is on X at @TheRickWilson, on Bluesky at @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and you can check out Rick's Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. You can check out more of LP's work at www.lincolnproject.us and on X at @ProjectLincoln.Go to https://ethos.com/lincolnproject for your free quote. #ad
Transcribe →Noem’s Dominatrix Spills the Tea
2w ago00:36:03Tap to summarizeFor years, MAGA Inc. has sold America a fantasy: faith, family, values, and a steady stream of lectures about how everyone else is ruining the country. Then reality shows up with a crowbar. In this explosive episode, Shy Sotomayor tells the story of her alleged nine-year, on-again, off-again relationship with a man she says she eventually realized was Bryon Noem, husband of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and half of one of the Republican Party’s most aggressively marketed family-values power couples. Shy explains why she chose to come forward following the controversies surrounding Noem’s leadership at DHS and the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, the breadcrumbs she says led her to connect the dots, and the moment the entire picture snapped into focus. Rick Wilson digs into the allegations, the timeline, the hypocrisy, and the breathtaking gap between the moral sermons MAGA delivers to everyone else and the chaos that so often seems to be unfolding behind the curtain. Because in modern Republican politics, the loudest people preaching virtue always seem to end up starring in the messiest episodes. Grab some popcorn—this one has enough irony to power the electrical grid.•••••You can find Shy Sotomayor on social media: X: @raelynnrileyxxInstagram: xxtinyrainestormxxTikTok:TinyRaineStorm Facebook: Shy Raine SotomayorRick Wilson is on X at @TheRickWilson, on Bluesky at @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and you can check out Rick's Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. You can check out more of LP's work at www.lincolnproject.us and on X at @ProjectLincoln.
Transcribe →The Ass-Kissing Olympics Are Underway
3w ago00:32:35Tap to summarizeThe 2026 midterms are already coming into focus, and Republicans should be nervous. This week, Rick Wilson looks at what California and Iowa are telling us about November: voters care about the economy, affordability, and real-life issues—not the culture-war nonsense that dominates cable news. If Democrats can stay focused and resist the urge to wander off-message, they have a genuine opportunity to reshape the political map. Meanwhile, the MAGA movement is entering its succession-war phase. Trump's elevation of Bill Pulte is a flashing warning sign that the loyalist bench is running thin, while JD Vance and Marco Rubio battle to become heir to the MAGA throne. What follows when an authoritarian movement runs out of talent? Infighting, chaos, and a race to see who can flatter Dear Leader the hardest. The 2028 campaign has already begun—and the clown car is leaking oil.•••••Rick Wilson is on X at @TheRickWilson, on Bluesky at @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and you can check out Rick's Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. You can check out more of LP's work at www.lincolnproject.us and on X at @ProjectLincoln.
Transcribe →MAGA Exit Interview: Former Troll Speaks Out
3w ago00:40:05Tap to summarizeRich Logis once defended Trump. Now he's helping people leave MAGA behind. On this episode of The Lincoln Project Podcast, Rick Wilson sits down with the founder of Leaving MAGA to discuss the growing number of former Trump supporters who have simply had enough. From the Epstein scandal to the fallout from Trump's tariffs and the chaos surrounding Iran, the excuses are getting harder to make and the consequences are getting harder to ignore. Rich explains what finally broke the spell for him, why more Republicans are questioning Trump than ever before, and whether we're witnessing the beginning of a real MAGA crackup. When reality starts showing up with receipts, even the most loyal believers have to make a choice.•••••You can find Rich Logis on X @PerfectOurUnion, and Leaving MAGA on X @LeavingMAGA, on X. Go to https://LeavingMAGA.org for more information about the Leaving MAGA movement. Rick Wilson is on X at @TheRickWilson, on Bluesky at @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and you can check out Rick's Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. You can check out more of LP's work at www.lincolnproject.us and on X at @ProjectLincoln.#Trump #MAGA #LeavingMAGA #RichLogis #RickWilson #LincolnProject #DonaldTrump #Epstein #Tariffs #Iran #Politics #PoliticalPodcast #Republicans #TrumpVoters #Election2026 #NeverTrump #PoliticalNews #CurrentEvents #Democracy #Podcast
Transcribe →Weekend at Donnie’s: Trump Is Dying Politically, Economically, and…Literally
4w ago00:21:42Tap to summarizeTrump wanted a golden age. Instead, he delivered a golden vanity project. This week’s Elephant in the Room is the accelerating collapse of the Trump presidency—politically, economically, and culturally. As Americans grapple with a struggling economy, rising corruption, and growing incompetence at the highest levels of government, Trump seems more focused on building monuments to himself, expanding his ballroom, and feeding his endless need for attention than solving the problems facing the country. Meanwhile, his much-hyped foreign policy swagger has run headfirst into reality, exposing weakness on the world stage and leaving allies and adversaries alike questioning America’s leadership. Rick breaks down how Trump’s obsession with self-glorification, personal enrichment, and grievance politics is colliding with voter fatigue, economic anxiety, and a growing sense that the emperor isn’t just naked—he’s out of ideas. The cracks are widening, the excuses are running thin, and more Americans are asking a simple question: is this all there is?•••••Rick Wilson is on X at @TheRickWilson, on Bluesky at @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and you can check out Rick's Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. You can check out more of LP's work at www.lincolnproject.us and on X at @ProjectLincoln.
Transcribe →Tejano, Talarico & The Democratic Resurrection in Texas
May 2601:00:53Tap to summarizeWhile Washington melts down in a fog of billionaire grifters, culture-war addicts, and broken-brain politics, the real fight for America is happening at backyard parties, dance halls, and quinceañeras across South Texas. In this episode, Rick sits down with legendary Tejano musician and Texas congressional candidate Bobby Pulido to talk about the Rio Grande Valley, working-class families, quinceañera campaign stops, and why authenticity still matters in politics. Then we revisit Rick’s conversation with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, whose ability to connect with voters feels almost extinct in modern American politics. From economic anxiety and cultural identity to the chaos consuming the country, this episode is about the people still fighting to meet voters where they actually live — not where consultants think they live. Texas politics, Latino voters, Tejano culture, the Rio Grande Valley, working-class America, and the battle for the future of the country — all in one explosive conversation.•••••Support Bobby Pulido’s campaign for Congress at https://bobbypulidofortexas.com, and keep up with his campaign on socials @PulidoForTexas.You can find information about James Talarico’s campaign for Senate at https://jamestalarico.com, and follow him on social media @jamestalarico. Rick Wilson is on X at @TheRickWilson, on Bluesky at @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and you can check out Rick's Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. You can check out more of LP's work at www.lincolnproject.us and on X at @ProjectLincoln.
Transcribe →The DNC Autopsy: Sit Down, STFU, and Listen to Rick Wilson
May 2200:29:42Tap to summarizeThe DNC autopsy is finally here—and it’s a brutal admission that Democrats spent 2024 fighting online culture wars while voters were worried about inflation, paychecks, rent, and the future of the country. Rick Wilson breaks down the Democrats’ redacted internal report, the consultant class cashing $40K checks to lose elections, the identity politics obsession that alienated working-class voters, and why normal Americans tuned out the party’s messaging. This is the Democratic Party’s postmortem on how they lost the economy argument, lost swing voters, and lost touch with reality.•••••Rick Wilson is on X at @TheRickWilson, on Bluesky at @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and you can check out Rick's Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. You can check out more of LP's work at www.lincolnproject.us and on X at @ProjectLincoln.Go to https://bollandbranch.com/lincoln, and use the code ‘LINCOLN,’ for 20% off + free shipping. #adGo to https://ethos.com/lincolnproject to get your free quote. #ad
Transcribe →