The Worst Country You Know Just Made A Great Point

The Worst Country You Know Just Made A Great Point

Author: CLNS Media Network August 11, 2026 Duration: 56:33
Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman open on the Iran war officially entering quagmire territory, with refineries and tankers getting hit at will while the US has essentially run out of missiles to respond with. They then tear apart Scott Bessent's solution to the Strait of Hormuz crisis, which is to just build underground pipelines and make it irrelevant, a fantasy on par with nuking hurricanes. Todd Blanch gets confirmed as attorney general on the deciding vote of Bill Cassidy, the same man who voted to convict Trump and now can't swallow shit fast enough for him, while Susan Collins pulls her signature move of discovering her conscience only after the votes are already locked. They bid a fond farewell to Ross Douthat, whose 17 years at the New York Times were spent giving conservatives permission to drift further right under the guise of just asking questions. Now he's leaving one of the most influential posts in American media for a cratering 60 Minutes because Bari Weiss told him he'd be a star. The episode closes on Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White declaring themselves eligible for the WNBA, a bad-faith stunt that reveals less about trans athletes than about the right-wing compulsion to hijack anything women build and make it about themselves. Support the show by signing up to our Patreon to hear the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast

Hosted by political analysts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman, The Muckrake Political Podcast operates on a simple premise: the daily headlines are just the surface layer. Produced by the CLNS Media Network, this podcast actively resists the repetitive spin cycle that defines so much political coverage. Instead, each episode is an exercise in excavation, where Sexton and Hauselman pick apart a current event to uncover its roots and ramifications. They consistently reach for historical parallels and viewpoints often sidelined by mainstream discourse, arguing that understanding the past is crucial for navigating the present. The goal isn't just to inform, but to impose a framework for thinking critically about power, rhetoric, and policy as they unfold in real time. For listeners fatigued by shallow takes, this show offers a substantive alternative, replacing noise with nuance. The conversation you'll hear is analytical yet accessible, designed for anyone who feels the news moves too fast to comprehend. It’s a deliberate attempt to find signal in the noise, providing context that makes chaotic political developments feel more intelligible. Tune in for a discussion that treats politics as the complex, consequential force it is, beyond the day's predictable talking points.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

The Muckrake Political Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Manifesto Destiny [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:42
This is a preview of The Weekender. Sign up for our Patreon and get access to the full episode, our Tuesday show, and our Discord. Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman open on Abdul El-Sayed's razor-thin win ov…
The Innovation of Corruption [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:16
Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman open on Trump Media's new Truth API, the subscription that lets trading firms pay up to $100,000 a month for early access to Trump's market-moving posts. The scandal isn't t…
A Fifth Of Fauci [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:46
This is a preview of The Weekender. Sign up for our Patreon and get access to the full episode every Friday, plus special Live Shows and our community discord: ⁠http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast⁠ Jared Yates Sexton and…
PAC It In [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:58
Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman start with the Democratic Party's implosion: the DNC is $2 million in debt, sitting on a fraction of the Republicans' $128 million surplus, and chair Ken Martin is about to be scapeg…
Saudi's Enrich Quick Scheme [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:22
This is a preview of The Weekender. Sign up for our Patreon and get access to the full episode every Friday, plus live shows and our community Discord: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hause…
Diarrhea Straits [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:59
Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman open with the Iran war, where every incentive now runs against the United States: bases getting hit, stockpiles that were never replenished, the Houthis moving to choke off…
Made In China Syndrome [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:21
This is only a preview of The Weekender. Want the rest? Sign up for our Patreon to hear the full episode every Friday, plus special Live Shows and access to our community discord: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast Co-ho…
A Grave Situation In The Senate [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:06
Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman open on the death of South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who came back from Ukraine feeling unwell, skipped medical treatment to go do Meet the Press, and then died at 71. They ar…
Mitch Ado About Nothing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:07
This is a preview of The Weekender. Sign up for our Patreon and get access to the full episode, plus special Live Shows and the community discord: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman…
Plattner Of Least Resistance [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:09
Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman break down the Graham Plattner Senate campaign finally hitting the wall it was always speeding toward, and neither of them pretends to be surprised. They walk through the accusation…