This week, the Hacks welcome their old friend Rahm Emanuel —- former Chicago mayor, White House chief of staff, U.S. ambassador to Japan, and now CNN political commentator. They taxi down the runway on jet diplomacy, manufacturing strategy, and the challenge of crafting economic messages that actually land. Plus, a deep dive into the old bait-and-switch (and occasional political backstab), Biden’s comms blitz, and the surprisingly spiritual side of the Windy City.
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1:10:59
Dolls, Tariffs & Polls
This week, Axe and Heilemann are joined by their old pal—the former senator and current director of the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics—for a freewheeling conversation on the philosophy (or lack thereof) of Donald Trump. The Hacks break down the so-called “doll economy,” dig into Trump’s polling, immigration rhetoric, populist messaging, and yes… the cake eaters.
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1:10:07
The 100th Day Special
This week all three Hacks reunited to cover the first 100 days of the Trump presidency. They dig into the “feral animal cunning” behind Trump’s political instincts, the human toll of his immigration and trade policies, and the raw nerves hit by the latest of tariff uncertainty. And so much more — the Hacks are back!
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1:03:42
Maximum Don (with Alex Isenstadt & Doug Heye)
This week, Murphy is still flying solo—but he's not alone. He's joined by veteran GOP strategist and communications pro Doug Heye, along with Axios senior political reporter Alex Isenstadt, author of the new book Revenge: The Inside Story of Trump's Return to Power. The Hacks dig into Senator Chris Van Hollen’s visit with Kilmar Ábrego García, dissect the evolution from Trump 1.0 to Trump 2.0, and unpack all the political mayhem in between.
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1:06:12
Veritas v. Vendetta (with Jonathan Martin and Robert Costa)
This week, Mike Murphy is flying solo — but fear not, he’s joined by two heavyweight Hacks: Jonathan Martin, veteran political reporter and senior political columnist for Politico, and Robert Costa, CBS News chief election and campaign correspondent and co-author of Peril with Bob Woodward. Together, they dive into POTUS v. SCOTUS, wrongful deportations, China’s tariff triumphs, Harvard fighting back, deficits, stagflation, strongman stuff, and — naturally — a slew of other uplifting developments in American democracy.
When David Axelrod and Mike Murphy 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.
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