THE DAILY BLAST with Greg Sargent

Ryan O'Donnell, executive director at Data for Progress and progressive pollster, breaks down shifting public opinion. He talks about Trump's furious Truth Social rants and pressure on Republicans. He highlights soaring disapproval, independent voters peeling away, the Iran war's impact on affordability, and why strong Democratic candidates matter this cycle.

Emily Horne, former NSC and State Department staffer who writes the Spin Class Substack. She discusses leaks about Trump’s Iran briefings being sanitized video montages. They critique Karoline Leavitt’s grand claims and the danger of truth being defined by spin. The conversation covers how hagiography and sycophancy harm decision making and constrain White House options.

G. Elliott Morris, data journalist and pollster behind Strength in Numbers, breaks down new polls showing Trump at 37% and crumbling support. He discusses troubling war rhetoric, how online subcultures amplify violent messages, and which voter groups are drifting away. Short, sharp takes on polling, public unease about the Iran conflict, and the electoral stakes.

Matt Duss, foreign policy expert and EVP at the Center for International Policy, offers sharp analysis of U.S.-Iran policy missteps. He discusses why Iran widening the conflict was predictable. He critiques lack of preparation, market and hawk pressures, Tehran’s deterrence tactics, and how military moves risk strengthening hardliners.

Matt Ford, New Republic staff writer and analyst of Trump-era accountability. He breaks down Brendan Carr’s license threats and why they mostly can’t legally strip networks. He explains how Trump praises coercive tactics and what that reveals about MAGA’s contempt for constitutional limits. The conversation flags risks from performative attacks on the press and outlines legal and political paths for holding officials to account.

Adam Smith, U.S. Congressman and ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, weighs in on looming escalations. He discusses leaked plans for large supplemental war funding and possible ground troop deployments. He warns about risks of impulsive military moves, questions the Pentagon’s priorities, and outlines how Congress could push back and demand oversight.

Emily Horne, former National Security Council and State Department official who writes the Spin Class Substack, breaks down why Joe Kent’s resignation undercuts the case for invading Iran. She explains how counterterrorism assessments shape war planning. The conversation also digs into the growing MAGA split and what it means for Trump’s foreign policy credibility.

Molly McKew, international relations expert and author on great-power politics, offers sharp analysis. She breaks down Trump’s Iran tirades, his fraught relations with allies, and the New York Times revelations about his misunderstandings. They also probe risks of pressure on the press and how foreign influence shaped decisions.

Tara McGowan, former Democratic strategist and founder of the progressive news site Courier, analyzes the GOP’s internal fight over voter suppression and strategy. She discusses why Trump’s push for making voting harder traps Republicans. The conversation covers rising state-level losses, concerns about turnout, and energized Democratic organizing ahead of the fall.

Nicholas Grossman, international relations professor and analyst of U.S. foreign policy, breaks down the Iran-Hormuz oil shock. He explains the scale of the Strait closure and its global economic fallout. He discusses White House alarm, limits of Trump’s brinkmanship, who benefits from higher oil prices, and possible paths forward.