Hacks On Tap
When David Axelrod, Mike Murphy, and John Heilemann get together to talk politics, it’s not academic. They speak from the perspective gained through hundreds of campaigns for offices from City Hall to the White House. So if you want to know what’s really going on behind the scenes, where strategic decisions are being made, pull up a stool for Hacks on Tap. Incisive, sometimes uproarious and always entertaining, these political warhorses and their guests will give you insights you’ll only get from folks who have spent a lifetime in the political trenches of both parties.
From the Vox Media Podcast Network
Series Episodes
Reading the Map (with Jonathan Martin)
explicitHappy Tuesday, Hackeroos! This week Axe and Murphy are joined by repeat guest and all-around savant Jonathan Martin of Politico. The Hacks dive into the latest news, including the FBI raid of a Georgia election center, Trump’s cryptocurrency exposé in The Wall Street Journal, Trump’s mixed messaging on the economy and inflation, what an increasingly abnormal election looks like, and a check-in on several key states as the midterms come into focus. Photo by Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1 hour 6 mins
3 February Finished
Intentional Mayhem (with John Avlon)
explicitThis week Axe and Heilemann are joined by former Chief Beast, current journalist, and author John Avlon. The Hacks dig into the aftermath of a tumultuous weekend in Minnesota — and across the Trump administration — following the killing of Alex Pretti. They unpack ICE and citizen accountability, the administration’s evolving claims versus video evidence that challenges them, and the tangled web the White House has woven around the Second Amendment, DHS funding, and the looming threat of another government shutdown. Plus, Greenland, Mamdani battling the storm (literally), and so much more. Photo by Arthur Maiorella/Anadolu via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1 hour 2 mins
27 January Finished
The Ugliest American
explicitThis week all three Hackeroos (or Quackeroos) convened to take on a full fire hose of breaking news. The Hacks dive into Trump’s Nobel Piece Prize acquisition, his Davos trip, ICE’s provocative tactics, pardon-palooza, NATO on the brink, Greenland becoming Orangeland, and so much more! Photo by Kevin Dietsch via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1 hour 2 mins
20 January Finished
Flood the Zone, Lose the Plot (with Mark McKinnon)
explicitIt’s only the second week of the year, and the news cycle is already moving fast. Luckily, Axe and Heilemann are joined by legendary political strategist — and The Circus alum — Mark McKinnon to help make sense of it all. The Hacks discuss ICE’s escalation in Minnesota, including the tragic killing of Renee Good, the influx of ICE officers to the state, and the ramping up of rhetoric around immigration enforcement. They also dig into Melania Trump’s new documentary, the politics of flooding the zone — and how it can both help and hurt Trump — affordability, Venezuela, and much more. Photo by Aaron Lavinsky/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1 hour 2 mins
13 January Finished
Iraqozuela (with Ron Brownstein)
explicitHappy New Year, Hackeroos — did we miss anything over the break? Luckily, Axe and Murphy reconvened bright and early with veteran journalist, columnist for Bloomberg Opinion, and senior political analyst for CNN, Ron Brownstein. The Hacks dig into Trump’s Venezuela takeover rhetoric and the politics of oil, Tim Walz bowing out of Minnesota’s gubernatorial race, rising health care costs and what they could mean for the midterms, and Pete Hegseth’s attacks on Mark Kelly’s military record — and so much more! Photo by Molly Riley/The White House via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1 hour 3 mins
6 January Finished
