Next Up with Mark Halperin Podcast

Mark Halperin breaks down why JD Vance is the runaway favorite to be the GOP nominee and president in 2028 right now, why the current slate of potential Democratic 2028 nominees are so weak, the way to build a "Frankenstein" candidate featuring all the Dems' best traits, and more. Then Newt Gingrich, author of "Trump's Triumph," joins to talk about Trump's unique brand of intelligence, his ability to act in the moment but also show patience, the way his "alpha male" energy helps him politically, the decline of the woke movement, what elites don't get about Trump and his appeal, a coming Democratic civil war between the AOC and Schumer wings, and more.

Mark Halperin begins the show by describing the culture of Donald Trump's Washington in the second term based on a series of conversations he's had with lobbyists on both sides of the aisle. He lays out the keys to get on Trump's good side, his complicated relationship with billionaires, why he'll forgive but never forget, and more. Then Batya Ungar-Sargon and Bridget Phetasy, who also host shows on 2Way, to talk about why Trump is going to war with Harvard and other symbols of the elites, whether average people care about the fight, and more. Then Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres joins to talk about the state of his party today, how it can reposition itself for the future, and more. And Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve, joins to talk about where Trump stands on the issues of medicinal and recreational marijuana, the state of the industries today and what might happen next, whether a federal law to reclassify cannabis could be coming, and more.

Megyn Kelly joins Mark to discuss her explosive interview with Jake Tapper, how she thinks Tapper fell short, and what he still needs to admit about his role in the Biden acuity decline cover-up. Mark lays out a plan for the media to fix its credibility problem, starting with the need for newsrooms to clean house. Plus, Sen. Tom Cotton joins to discuss the D.C. Israeli Embassy staffer shooting, why the U.S. can’t allow Iran to develop a dangerous nuclear capability, and how the influence of the woke left has declined but could come back if Democrats retake power.

Mark Halperin breaks down Biden’s cancer diagnosis announcement and why the timing of it raises serious red flags. Mark explains the reasons why the Bidens can’t be trusted and warns that the media coverage since the announcement shows signs the press is already slipping back into the bad habit that cost them their credibility: the media’s mistaken belief that the Bidens don’t lie – even now. Plus, Joe Scarborough and Mark Halperin take their years-long private debate public for the first time on "Next Up." Scarborough details what led him to making the “best Biden ever” viral comment, and why he still believes Biden’s “bad days” didn’t mean he was incapable of governing.

Mark Halperin dives into the latest twists in the "Original Sin" Biden book rollout, Jake Tapper's changing PR strategy, how the media keeps failing as it misses more opportunities to win back trust with the audience, the "journalistic corruption" at CNN as Brian Stelter misses the real story in his coverage, and more. Then Meghan McCain, host of "Citizen McCain" on 2WAY, joins to talk about how Jake Tapper writing this Biden cognitive decline book is like O.J. Simpson writing "If I Did It," the McCain family relationship with the Bidens, how to fix the media, and more. Then Turning Point USA's Charlie Kirk joins to talk about how the MAGA grassroots movement works, what MAGA thinks of the "big beautiful bill" coming up for a vote soon, their priorities and what they don't care about, the Bannon wing of the party vs. the GOP establishment, what he'd say to a meeting with Kamala Harris, the future of media, and more.