Let’s celebrate political podcasts this Fourth of July. Great news is on the horizon. America’s justice system will save us from MAGA-destruction.
Witnesses are turning on Donald Trump left and right. You can’t tell all the players without a program, or in this digital age, without the proper podcast.
“Pod Save America,” with its aspirational title, features Obama administration veterans twice weekly exposing MAGA insanity via fresh information, intellectualism and wit. As an attorney, I slightly prefer its sister show, “Strict Scrutiny,” which offers superb legal analysis of current court controversies.
Hosted by three brilliant constitutional law professors, Leah Litman, Kate Shaw and Melissa Murray, Strict Scrutiny vilified Colorado’s own Justice Neil Gorsuch for his already infamous 303 Creative majority opinion. They describe the disaster that our highest court has become.
But American trial courts still work. Republican senators won’t be serving on Trump’s jury trials. Evidence matters in America’s trial courtrooms.
Without podcasts, how could anybody keep up? I crave each Sunday episode of “Jack,” a podcast dedicated to America’s Special Counsel but also covers the activities of prosecutors Bragg (NYC) and Willis (Atlanta) as well.
The Willard Hotel Trump-Insurrection-war-room is Jack Smith’s Holy Grail. Connect Trump to the January 6 violence and more voters peel away. “Fake elector” plots and other insurrectionist conspiracies are beginning to unravel. Eventually, Republicans will run and hide, pretending they never even liked Trump as he faces conviction after conviction after conviction.
Expect soon several more Jack Smith indictments. The major cases will all be titled, USA v. Trump, and I’m rooting for Team USA. I listen to podcasts that feel the same way. Is that confirmation bias? Probably. But if Jack Smith fails, we fail.
Even while deadly serious, podcast entertainment is provided by Trump, the same stable genius who decided to tape his own Bedminster, New Jersey, crimes during their commission. Jack Smith has put under oath Mark Meadows and Mike Pence. Even Rudy Giuliani is now begging to talk. A year ago, brave Cassidy Hutchinson gave Jack Smith and Team USA the road map.
The co-host on Jack, Andrew McCabe, was a bigwig in the FBI until hounded out of office by Trump. McCabe gets his revenge in low-key Efrem Zimbalist Jr. style week after week, including his regular appearances on CNN. The co-host of Jack is entertaining Allison Gill, a fascinating former federal worker fed up with the MAGA-mayhem threatening America.
Following her initial podcast titled “Mueller She Wrote,” Gill currently delivers “Clean-Up on Aisle 45” once a week with former FBI agent Pete Strzok, who has MAGA scars galore. Every day, Gill also teams with comic Dana Goldberg on the “Daily Beans,” for people like me who need a daily dose of devastating evidence against Trump. Mixing in the humor helps a lot in these trying times.
Speaking of humor, check out the daily podcast, “Countdown with Keith Olbermann.” Weaned on NYC radio, and then an originator of ESPN’s iconic SportsCenter show, Olbermann successfully made the Mike Littwin-like transition from sports to news long ago.
Every weekday evening, even with America’s best comedic writers on strike, Olbermann delivers hilarious beatdowns on the man he calls Delirium J. Trump. Colorado’s own Jenna Ellis is regularly dissed, and Olbermann has indicated she may be charged. Oh my.
Further, Olbermann rips Trump for his stochastic terrorism, including his disgusting threats on prosecutors and their families. He ends his show telling America to “arrest Trump, while we still can.” “Countdown” will make you laugh, and simultaneously realize that Trump’s serial criminality will be proved.
No podcast host knows Trump better than his former right-hand attorney, Michael Cohen, now star of his own popular podcast titled “Mea Culpa with Michael Cohen.” I like Cohen’s audacious humor and colorful language. Cohen went to prison for Trump and his payback is something to behold.
Well versed as I am in the rules of criminal procedure and evidence, I’ve not yet handled a federal RICO case or espionage matter. But other lawyers have, and they make great podcast guests and hosts. The “Meidas Touch” podcasts feature the Meiselas brothers, with brother Ben, the experienced federal court litigator, being the standout.
The “Meidas Touch” team compiles Trump’s near daily incriminations and plays the sound bites on its podcast. Truth Social postings get read and ridiculed, as do the outrageous contradictory defenses Trump tells his adoring MAGA-rallies.
For fun and optimism on Independence Day, listen to this “Meidas Touch” spinoff podcast, “Legal AF,” co-starring veteran litigator Michael Popok. Rejoice as you learn about all the witnesses Jack Smith has recently persuaded to testify.
For a slightly more sedate and sophisticated approach, check out “Talking Feds,” starring affable former U.S. Attorney Harry Litman, with his panel presentation. Every Monday, Litman and three smart guests provide new information, keen analysis and some smiles. Litman serves more as a moderator than a flamethrower, and maintains an upbeat attitude.
On America’s 247th birthday, we all need hope we can expose and overcome our current MAGA-problems. Evidence will win the day against Trump in courtrooms throughout our United States. How do I know? I heard it on my favorite podcasts.
Craig Silverman is a former Denver chief deputy DA. Craig is columnist at large for The Colorado Sun and an active Colorado trial lawyer with Craig Silverman Law, LLC. He also hosts The Craig Silverman Show podcast.
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