357: Pound The Table With Catherine Rampell & Dr. Annie Andrews

357: Pound The Table With Catherine Rampell & Dr. Annie Andrews

Author: Politicon February 19, 2026 Duration: 1:22:55

James and Al expose the latest developments from the Epstein Files and game out their political ramifications before welcoming Catherine Rampell, The Bulwark’s economics editor, and MS NOW Anchor, to review the state of the economy,  looking at why the effects of tariffs have been muted, financial strategies the Republicans might pursue, the danger posed by the national debt, and the perils of AI.
Then SC Senate candidate Dr. Annie Andrews joins to plan her victory over Lindsey Graham.  They discuss her career in medicine, why she’s running, her policy positions, how to fix our healthcare system, and possible attack lines against her opponent. 

Email your questions to James and Al at politicswarroom@gmail.com or tweet them to @politicon.  Make sure to include your city– we love to hear where you’re from! 

More from James and Al:

Get text updates from Politics War Room and Politicon.

Watch Politics War Room & James Carville Explains on YouTube.

James Carville & Al Hunt have launched the Politics War Room Substack

Get updates and some great behind-the-scenes content from the documentary CARVILLE: WINNING IS EVERYTHING, STUPID by following James on X @jamescarville and his new TikTok @realjamescarville

Get More From This Week’s Guests: 

Catherine Rampell: Twitter | The Bulwark | Substack | Website

Dr. Annie Andrews: Twitter | Act Blue | Campaign Website

Please Support Our Sponsors:

Superpower:
Head to Superpower.com and use code WARROOM at checkout for $20 off your membership. Live up to your 100-Year potential. #superpowerpod

Smalls:
For a limited time, get 60% off your first order, plus free shipping, when you head to Smalls.com/warroom

Green Chef:
Get 50% off delicious, quick, and nutritious meal kits during your 1st month, then 20% off for 2 months, all with free shipping when you go to greenchef.com/50warroom and use code 50WARROOM

Ultra Pouches:
Don’t sleep on @ultrapouches. New customers get 15% Off with code WARROOM at takeultra.com! #UltraPouches #ad


Tune in for the kind of unfiltered, insider political conversation that usually happens behind closed doors. Politics War Room with James Carville & Al Hunt brings together two legendary figures from opposite sides of the aisle for a weekly dissection of the American political landscape. James Carville, the fiery Democratic strategist, and Al Hunt, the respected veteran journalist and former Republican, don’t just rehash the headlines. They break down the strategy, the blunders, and the human drama driving the news with a depth of experience few can match. Each episode feels like you’re eavesdropping on a candid, often humorous, and always insightful debate between friends who have seen it all. This podcast, produced by Politicon, cuts through the noise of cable news punditry, offering analysis rooted in decades of firsthand knowledge of campaigns, government, and media. You’ll hear them predict consequences, call out hypocrisy, and unpack the real stakes of policy and elections. It’s a masterclass in political thinking, delivered with sharp wit and genuine camaraderie. For anyone trying to understand not just what’s happening, but why it matters and what might happen next, this is an essential listen.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Politics War Room with James Carville & Al Hunt
Podcast Episodes
315: How To be An Opposition with Senator Chris Murphy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:57
VOTE FOR THE WORST OF THE TRUMP ADMINJames and Al welcome Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy to lay out the implications of our attack on Iran’s nuclear sites, explore the risk of blowback in the face of regime change, and…
314: Middle East Redux with Professor Vali Nasr [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:47
Watch Politics War Room & James Carville Explains on YouTube @PoliticsWarRoomOfficial James and Al castigate Trump’s narcissistic military parade and contrast his authoritarian impulses with the protestors standing up fo…
313:  Z-Big with Ed Luce [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:31
Watch Politics War Room & James Carville Explains on YouTube @PoliticsWarRoomOfficial James and Al dissect the political forces engaged in the battle for L.A. being waged between California and the Trump Administration,…
312: The Haves & The Have-Yachts with Evan Osnos [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:06
Watch Politics War Room & James Carville Explains on YouTube @PoliticsWarRoomOfficialJames and Al celebrate the daring attack by Ukrainian forces against the Russian Air Force and put Trump through the wringer for his tr…
311: Deadly, Dangerous, Decline with Larry Summers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:50
Watch Politics War Room & James Carville Explains on YouTube @PoliticsWarRoomOfficialJames and Al welcome former Harvard University President and U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers to defend the university system agai…
310: It’s The Keystone State For A Reason with Rep. Brendan Boyle [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:45
Watch Politics War Room & James Carville Explains on YouTube @PoliticsWarRoomOfficialJames and Al give their take on the growing news surrounding Biden’s health problems in the final days of his presidency and reemphasiz…
309: Politics NOT As Usual with Senator Angus King [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:04
Watch Politics War Room & James Carville Explains on YouTube @PoliticsWarRoomOfficialJames and Al call out how Trump continues catering to authoritarians around the world and stand up for diversity-focused policies in th…
308: Time For A Democratic Schism with Rep. Ro Khanna [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:03
Watch Politics War Room & James Carville Explains on YouTube @PoliticsWarRoomOfficialJames and Al rip the Trump family’s use of crypto for personal enrichment, chastise the Democrat elites, and call for bottom-up activis…
307: 100 Days Of Trump with Ryan Lizza [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:19:43
Watch Politics War Room & James Carville Explains on YouTube @PoliticsWarRoomOfficial James and Al unmask the disastrous impact of Trump’s first 100 days on our economy and democratic principles, call for a revitalizatio…
306: Nip It In The Bud with Governor Andy Beshear [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:38
Watch Politics War Room & James Carville Explains on YouTube @PoliticsWarRoomOfficialJames and Al welcome Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear to discuss the impact of Trump’s tariffs on his state, whether there are any merits…