Episodes

  • This Man Will Go To Jail To Protect Your Vote | Sec. Adrian Fontes

    This Man Will Go To Jail To Protect Your Vote | Sec. Adrian Fontes
    Jan 13 2026
    Arizona Sec. of State Adrian Fontes joins Marc Elias to discuss how election denial took root after 2020, how conspiracy theories like Sharpiegate spread, and why Arizona elections remain a top target for anti-democratic forces. They break down how elections actually work, why accurate results take time, and how denialists are now trying to weaponize certification, voter data, and election administration itself. Support independent journalism: https://newsletters.democracydocket.com/member-youtube Stay informed with the latest news and political analysis: https://newsletters.democracydocket.com/youtube Follow Democracy Docket: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/democracydocket.com Instagram⁠: https://instagram.com/democracydocket Facebook⁠: https://facebook.com/democracydocket X/Twitter⁠: https://twitter.com/DemocracyDocket TikTok⁠: https://tiktok.com/@democracydocket Threads: https://www.threads.net/@democracydocket
    Show More Show Less
    42 mins
  • J.D. Vance’s Dangerous Attack on Independent Media

    J.D. Vance’s Dangerous Attack on Independent Media
    Jan 10 2026
    Marc Elias exposes how the Trump administration and Vice President J.D. Vance are exploiting a tragic ICE killing in Minnesota to spread lies, smear a victim, and justify an alarming crackdown on independent media and free speech. He breaks down why targeting journalists and lawful speech is a direct threat to the First Amendment—and a key step in normalizing authoritarian power. Support independent journalism: https://newsletters.democracydocket.com/member-youtube Stay informed with the latest news and political analysis: https://newsletters.democracydocket.com/youtube Follow Democracy Docket: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/democracydocket.com Instagram⁠: https://instagram.com/democracydocket Facebook⁠: https://facebook.com/democracydocket X/Twitter⁠: https://twitter.com/DemocracyDocket TikTok⁠: https://tiktok.com/@democracydocket Threads: https://www.threads.net/@democracydocket
    Show More Show Less
    35 mins
  • The Crisis Is Worse Than You Think | Molly Jong-Fast

    The Crisis Is Worse Than You Think | Molly Jong-Fast
    Jan 8 2026
    Journalist and political commentator Molly Jong-Fast joins Marc Elias to discuss Trump’s declining political power, the myth of a governing mandate, and the growing backlash heading into the 2026 midterm elections. They examine corporate and billionaire collaboration with Trumpism, the retreat of Big Law, escalating voter suppression and election subversion, DOJ efforts to access voter files, and the legal fight to protect voting rights and democracy. The discussion also dives into the collapse of U.S. media, disinformation, Section 230, the erosion of expertise, billionaire influence on social media, AI misinformation, and why journalism has been undermined by policy choices. Support independent journalism: https://newsletters.democracydocket.com/member-youtube Stay informed with the latest news and political analysis: https://newsletters.democracydocket.com/youtube Follow Democracy Docket: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/democracydocket.com Instagram⁠: https://instagram.com/democracydocket Facebook⁠: https://facebook.com/democracydocket X/Twitter⁠: https://twitter.com/DemocracyDocket TikTok⁠: https://tiktok.com/@democracydocket Threads: https://www.threads.net/@democracydocket
    Show More Show Less
    50 mins
  • The Shadow Docket: Democracy's Silent Killer | Dahlia Lithwick

    The Shadow Docket: Democracy's Silent Killer | Dahlia Lithwick
    Jan 6 2026
    Supreme Court expert and Amicus podcast host Dahlia Lithwick joins Marc Elias to unpack one of the most dangerous and least understood forces shaping American law today: the Supreme Court’s shadow docket. Lithwick explains how the Court increasingly uses late-night, unsigned emergency orders to upend lower-court rulings, reverse longstanding precedent, and reshape democracy—without transparency, reasoning, or accountability. Together, they explore how the shadow docket amplifies minority rule, expands executive power, undermines voting rights, and allows the Court to exercise enormous authority while evading public scrutiny. Support independent journalism: https://newsletters.democracydocket.com/member-youtube Stay informed with the latest news and political analysis: https://newsletters.democracydocket.com/youtube Follow Democracy Docket: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/democracydocket.com Instagram⁠: https://instagram.com/democracydocket Facebook⁠: https://facebook.com/democracydocket X/Twitter⁠: https://twitter.com/DemocracyDocket TikTok⁠: https://tiktok.com/@democracydocket Threads: https://www.threads.net/@democracydocket
    Show More Show Less
    52 mins
  • WARNING: Trump’s 2026 Plan to Weaponize Your Voter Data

    WARNING: Trump’s 2026 Plan to Weaponize Your Voter Data
    Jan 3 2026
    Voting rights attorney Marc Elias warns that the Trump Department of Justice is aggressively seeking access to Americans’ most sensitive voter data—including Social Security numbers, party affiliation, voting history, and signatures—by suing more than 20 states. Elias explains why this unprecedented data grab is central to a broader strategy of voter suppression, election subversion, and litigation designed to undermine free and fair elections in 2026 and beyond. Drawing on decades of experience and current court battles, he breaks down how voter files work, how they can be weaponized, and why DOJ control of this data could fundamentally reshape elections, from voter challenges to targeted suppression laws and post-election challenges. Support independent journalism: https://newsletters.democracydocket.com/member-youtube Stay informed with the latest news and political analysis: https://newsletters.democracydocket.com/youtube Follow Democracy Docket: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/democracydocket.com Instagram⁠: https://instagram.com/democracydocket Facebook⁠: https://facebook.com/democracydocket X/Twitter⁠: https://twitter.com/DemocracyDocket TikTok⁠: https://tiktok.com/@democracydocket Threads: https://www.threads.net/@democracydocket
    Show More Show Less
    38 mins
  • Exposing the DOJ's Dangerous Corruption | Mary McCord

    Exposing the DOJ's Dangerous Corruption | Mary McCord
    Dec 31 2025
    Former Acting Assistant Attorney General Mary McCord joins Marc Elias to deliver a sobering, inside-the-Justice-Department assessment of how political pressure is corroding DOJ norms, judicial trust, and prosecutorial ethics. Drawing on decades as a federal prosecutor and current work at Georgetown Law, McCord explains the collapse of the presumption of regularity, the rise of misrepresentations to courts, and the dangers of politicized prosecutions—from immigration cases to protest arrests and grand jury shopping. She also discusses the devastating impact on U.S. Attorney’s Offices, why juries are increasingly rejecting overreach, how law students are rethinking careers in government, and why lawyers must now speak publicly to defend the rule of law and constitutional democracy. Support independent journalism: https://newsletters.democracydocket.com/member-youtube Stay informed with the latest news and political analysis: https://newsletters.democracydocket.com/youtube Follow Democracy Docket: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/democracydocket.com Instagram⁠: https://instagram.com/democracydocket Facebook⁠: https://facebook.com/democracydocket X/Twitter⁠: https://twitter.com/DemocracyDocket TikTok⁠: https://tiktok.com/@democracydocket Threads: https://www.threads.net/@democracydocket
    Show More Show Less
    46 mins
  • Why Republicans Are Finally Abandoning Trump | David Pakman

    Why Republicans Are Finally Abandoning Trump | David Pakman
    Dec 29 2025
    David Pakman joins Marc Elias to break down the most dangerous and overlooked trends of Donald Trump’s second term, from public desensitization and media failure to economic backlash, immigration cruelty, and rising threats to democratic norms. Pakman explains why economic pain—not attacks on democracy—is driving voter shifts, how Latino voters moved right in 2024 and may already be swinging back, and why legacy media has struggled while independent creators fill the gap. Support independent journalism: https://newsletters.democracydocket.com/member-youtube Stay informed with the latest news and political analysis: https://newsletters.democracydocket.com/youtube Follow Democracy Docket: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/democracydocket.com Instagram⁠: https://instagram.com/democracydocket Facebook⁠: https://facebook.com/democracydocket X/Twitter⁠: https://twitter.com/DemocracyDocket TikTok⁠: https://tiktok.com/@democracydocket Threads: https://www.threads.net/@democracydocket
    Show More Show Less
    40 mins
  • The Silent Threat To Democracy (And How We Stop It) | Sen. Cory Booker

    The Silent Threat To Democracy (And How We Stop It) | Sen. Cory Booker
    Dec 27 2025
    Senator Cory Booker sits down with Marc Elias to discuss the real and growing threats to American democracy. Booker explains why economic insecurity, extreme inequality, and normalized corruption are not just policy failures but existential dangers to democratic stability. He warns that rising costs, collapsing trust in institutions, authoritarian abuses of power, and the politics of cruelty are driving cynicism and disengagement—and creating fertile ground for democratic backsliding. Rather than focusing only on stopping Donald Trump, Booker argues that democracy can only be saved by restoring trust, redeeming the American promise, and offering a bold, forward-looking moral vision that gives people something worth fighting for, not just something to fight against. Support independent journalism: https://newsletters.democracydocket.com/member-youtube Stay informed with the latest news and political analysis: https://newsletters.democracydocket.com/youtube Follow Democracy Docket: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/democracydocket.com Instagram⁠: https://instagram.com/democracydocket Facebook⁠: https://facebook.com/democracydocket X/Twitter⁠: https://twitter.com/DemocracyDocket TikTok⁠: https://tiktok.com/@democracydocket Threads: https://www.threads.net/@democracydocket
    Show More Show Less
    38 mins