Against the Grain

Is the Trump era the golden age of opposition research? Has the #MeToo movement changed the work? What do "trackers" do? Shripal Shah, Vice President of the pro-Democrat opposition research PAC American Bridge, breaks it all down on this week's episode of Against the Grain.

Republican consultant Brad Todd literally wrote the book on the reshaping of American politics. As he works on some of the most-competitive Senate races in the country, including Republican Josh Hawley’s big fight against Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill in Missouri, Todd shares race rundowns, Trump's two worst moments as president, and the issues voters actually care about.

Republican strategist and CNN contributor Doug Heye joins National Journal's Politics Editor Josh Kraushaar to weigh in on the "Never Trump" movement, how the party has evolved since its inception, and what the party is doing to prepare for the midterms.

Ben Domenech, publisher of The Federalist, joins National Journal's Politics Editor Josh Kraushaar for a candid conversation on the cultural phenomenon of Donald Trump, and his surprising assessment of Paul Ryan and Mike Pence. Domenech, who is married to Meghan McCain, also shares his thoughts about the late Sen. John McCain's legacy and inside details on McCain's conflict with the president.

To know what the progressive movement is thinking, look to Neera Tanden, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress. Sitting down with Politics Editor Josh Kraushaar, she shares her thoughts on Brett Kavanaugh, what it means for the midterms and beyond, and whether Joe Biden will run.

Matt Miller, a longtime advisor to former Attorney General Eric Holder and a top political aide to Sen. Chuck Schumer, weighs in on Trump's legal predicament, Judge Kavanaugh's Supreme Court prospects, and whether Holder will run for president in 2020.

There are few staffers that have been as close to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) as Josh Holmes, the senator's former chief of staff and campaign manager for his 2004 Senate race. Now the partner and founder of consulting firm Cavalry, Holmes sits down to share his thoughts on Harry Reid and Steve Bannon, the race in North Dakota, and how the RGA should've learned from McConnell.

Should Democrats veer left to excite their base or move to the middle to win over moderates? Lanae Erickson Hatalsky, vice president for social policy and politics at the centrist Democratic think tank Third Way, sits down with Josh Kraushaar to find the common cause across traditional ideological divides. 

Bipartisan duo Ali Lapp and Liesl Hickey join Josh Kraushaar to geek out on the battle for the House—in a year that's what everyone in Washington is focused on.

Veteran GOP pollster Glen Bolger joins the podcast and offers some sobering news to Republicans about their prospects in the 2018 elections. Bolger discusses the dramatic political shift of independent voters over the last year, the power of Trump's endorsements in GOP primaries, and the possibility Democrats retake both the House and Senate next year. 

Mark Putnam, one of the most talented political admakers in the business, sits down with Josh Kraushaar to talk that infamous Jason Kander ad, messaging in the Trump era, and how he's propelled some of his underdog Democratic clients out of obscurity.

Michael Wear, who engineered President Obama's outreach to faith communities, joins the podcast and offers some candid criticism about the Democratic party's unwillingness to support pro-life voices within the party. He also discusses whether there's room for religion in today's increasingly coarse political culture, identifies the most faith-friendly presidential prospects for 2020, and talks about his experiences working in the Obama White House.

Rep. Ryan Costello (R-PA 06) talks about the Trump-Putin summit, whether he believes there was collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, the challenge of being a Republican in suburbia and, of course, Philly sports.

National Journal Politics Editor Josh Kraushaar's weekly "Against the Grain" column challenges the conventional wisdom in Washington.  Now Kraushaar's no-BS approach to political reporting is becoming the newest addition to the podcast world.  Every week, Kraushaar will be interviewing some of the most interesting people in the world of politics to get their candid views of what's really happening in the White House and on the campaign trail.