Impolitic with John Heilemann
Audacy | Puck
Join Puck’s chief political columnist, MSNBC/NBC News national affairs analyst, and best-selling author John Heilemann as he roams the corridors of power and influence in America on this twice-weekly interview show, taking you behind the scenes and beyond the headlines with the people who shape and shift our culture: icons and up-and-comers, incumbents and insurgents, moguls and machers in the overlapping worlds of politics, entertainment, tech, business, sports, media, and beyond. The conversations are rich and revealing, unrehearsed and unexpected … and reliably impolitic. A Puck-Audacy joint, new episodes drop every Wednesday and Friday.
Episodes
Mentioned books
16 snips
Mar 2, 2026 • 1h 15min
Scott Galloway: Resist & Unsubscribe, Boys & Men, Sam Altman & Agent Smith
Scott Galloway, author and entrepreneur behind The Prof G Pod and Resist & Unsubscribe, explains his economic strike against companies enabling Trump. He discusses Sam Altman and AI founders’ warnings after cashing out. He also tackles critiques of his book Notes on Being a Man and why focusing on young men matters.
18 snips
Feb 25, 2026 • 58min
Amanda Carpenter: Trump’s Stale, Ceaseless, Clout-Chasing SOTU
Amanda Carpenter, former Republican Senate staffer and Protect Democracy writer, dissects Trump’s marathon State of the Union. She critiques the speech’s length, spectacle, and crowd choreography. They explore how rhetoric, applause lines, and targeted attacks may set the stage for future election interference. The conversation also covers media fact-checking, institutional responses, and the use of absurdity as a political tactic.
Feb 23, 2026 • 1h 22min
Josh Steiner: The F*ckup Diaries
Josh Steiner, former Treasury chief of staff and current SSW Partners partner, and coauthor of From Mistakes to Meaning. He revisits a career-making Whitewater diary scandal and explains why confronting errors felt like exposure therapy. They map mistakes into three acts, explore how suppression deepens regret, and connect personal accountability to broader civic repair.
Feb 20, 2026 • 1h 2min
Al Sharpton: How Jesse Jackson Kept Hope Alive
Al Sharpton, civil rights activist and founder of the National Action Network, shares memories of Jesse Jackson as mentor and movement leader. He recalls early organizing with Operation Breadbasket and Jackson’s media savvy. They discuss Jackson’s political campaigns, the Rainbow Coalition rhetoric, and how his discipline and message broadened American politics.
17 snips
Feb 16, 2026 • 1h 11min
Marc Elias: Start the Steal
Marc Elias, a leading Democratic election lawyer who founded Elias Law Group and Democracy Docket, breaks down threats to U.S. voting. Healyzes Trump’s talk of taking over elections and tactics like local intimidation, ICE near polls, and voter ID laws. Discusses Pam Bondi’s conduct and legal strategies to defend voter access.
Feb 13, 2026 • 1h 17min
Sally Jenkins: The Bad Bunny Bowl, Quad God Olympics, & WaPo Sports Section (R.I.P.)
Sally Jenkins, acclaimed sportswriter and bestselling author who spent three decades at The Washington Post and now writes for The Atlantic. She dissects Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime splash and what made it work. She breaks down Ilia Malinin’s quad axle and its crowd-pulling genius. She mourns the dismantling of the Post’s sports desk and argues how it might be rebuilt.
8 snips
Feb 9, 2026 • 1h 12min
Catherine Rampell: Trump is Making China Greater & America Dumber
Catherine Rampell, economics journalist and commentator known for data-driven analysis, tackles how current policies strengthen China and weaken US economic foundations. She discusses risks to Fed independence, tariffs and hiring slowdowns, crypto and regulation failures, brain drain and cuts to R&D, and why markets may be misreading political shifts.
13 snips
Feb 6, 2026 • 1h 13min
Alex Wagner: Minneapolis Mayhem & Epstein Files Fallout
Alex Wagner, journalist, podcaster, and author who reported from Minneapolis, offers on-the-ground accounts and analysis. She recounts chaotic ICE raids and community organizing to protect immigrant neighborhoods. She discusses the DOJ release of Epstein documents and the surprising names that surfaced. She analyzes Trump’s push to nationalize elections and the risks to election administration.
7 snips
Feb 2, 2026 • 1h 18min
Laurence Tribe: Immunity, Impunity & Why the Constitution Ain’t Dead Yet
Laurence Tribe, renowned Harvard constitutional scholar and litigator, returns to dissect constitutional chaos and rule-of-law threats. He explores how power grabs turned violent, the courts’ shifting role, the fallout from immunity rulings, and a slate of pivotal Supreme Court cases. He also explains why he critiqued a recent constitutional history and urges defense of constitutional norms.
22 snips
Jan 30, 2026 • 1h 14min
Claire McCaskill: Trump, Bovino, Noem, The Boss & The Streets of Minneapolis
Claire McCaskill, former Missouri senator and prosecutor, brings sharp political and legal perspective. She reacts to the Minneapolis shooting and federal tactics. She critiques Republican leadership and debates DHS, ICE and accountability. They discuss reaching disaffected Trump voters and which Democrats might rise in 2026.
