How to Fix It with John Avlon

Gavin Newsom, California governor known for big-policy initiatives on housing, climate and progressive taxation. He weighs in on the Iran conflict and risks of escalation. He discusses California’s growth-and-inclusion approach, rebuilding delays after LA fires, homelessness accountability, TikTok and media consolidation, and why 2026 matters for American democracy.

Dan Cantor, founder of the Working Families Party and leader at the Center for Ballot Freedom, explains fusion voting and ballot-access reform. He walks through fusion’s history, how it can reduce polarization by encouraging coalitions, legal efforts to restore it in several states, and practical strategies for building new fusion parties. He even recommends a TV show for inspiration.

Kenneth Rogoff, Harvard economist and former IMF chief economist, discusses risks to the U.S. dollar from rising debt, attacks on Fed independence, and geopolitical shocks. He explores what losing reserve status could mean, how energy and global competition play in, and which policy moves might shore up credibility. The conversation centers on systemic threats and long-term fiscal strategy.

Annabelle Gurwitch, author, actress, and humorist turned lung‑cancer advocate, shares her five‑year survival story. She talks about rising lung cancer in nonsmokers, pollution and climate links, the targeted therapies keeping her alive, insurance and PBM abuses, the spread of medical misinformation, and policy fixes like Medicaid portability and wider screening.

Chris Swanson, a Michigan sheriff and Democratic gubernatorial hopeful known for 33 years in law enforcement and data-driven jail reform. He discusses why Democrats are stuck in the mid-20s and how the party lost working-class trust. He makes a law-and-order case for Democrats, outlines a program that cut jail violence 97%, and proposes practical affordability and labor-focused reforms to rebuild support.

Rahm Emanuel joins John Avlon to argue that Washington needs a full reset—age limits across all three branches, bans on congressional stock trading, strict Supreme Court ethics rules, and an end to “investor days” in the Oval Office.

David Frum joins John Avlon to discuss the unprecedented scale of corruption in the Trump era—from petty self-dealing to billion-dollar enrichment—and what real accountability would look like. They talk about the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity ruling, the risk of elections that are “free but not fair,” and whether the next administration should forgive, prosecute, or fundamentally reform the system.

Last year, Principles First was hit with bomb threats serious enough to bring in law enforcement, simply for standing up on principle. It was a sign of how dangerous American politics has become when dissent is treated as a threat.John Avlon and Heath Mayo of Principles First examine the erosion of democratic norms on the right, from political intimidation and executive overreach to the collapse of congressional courage. They also focus on solutions: protecting elections and judges, restoring checks and balances, and rebuilding a politics rooted in constitutional limits, character, and courage.

John Avlon talks with Michael Waldman of the Brennan Center about the fallout from ICE violence in Minnesota, the administration smearing a victim as a “domestic terrorist,” and why legal accountability may still be possible. They discuss how defamation, civil suits, and court challenges could constrain federal officials acting above the law. They also address Trump’s threats around the Insurrection Act, DOJ pressure on Minnesota for voter data, and a broader pattern of corruption and abuse of power — along with concrete ideas for how institutions, courts, and citizens can still push back.Nine Solutions for Political Corruption | Brennan Center for Justicehttps://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/nine-solutions-political-corruptionThe Damage to America Is Permanent (w/ Michael Luttig & Jeh Johnson) | How to Fix Ithttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQhzznW2KB0

Christiane Amanpour, renowned international journalist and CNN chief international anchor, brings decades of reporting on Iran and the Middle East. She discusses what made recent protests unusually brutal. She examines regime surveillance and repression. She weighs the risks of outside military action and lessons from past interventions. She considers whether a credible transition path exists amid competing opposition forces.