During the course of Donald Trump’s first year in office, the Intercepted podcast team has produced 39 episodes. We are proud of the diverse array of voices that have provided analysis, insight, reporting, humor, music, and cultural expression on the show. We have extensively covered the Trump White House and its disastrous policies on everything from immigration to the economy to LGBTQ rights to covert and overt wars and the ongoing mass killing of civilians across the globe.
On Intercepted, we have dissected the investigation into allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia and have dedicated ourselves to reporting the facts and evidence wherever they lead us. We have been relentless in our scrutiny of Trump, but also of his political foes. We never pull punches when confronting the CIA, FBI, the military, and the broader national security state. We also believe in holding powerful media outlets accountable.
We have been honored to host so many talented musical artists on the show. Among the artists to perform on Intercepted this year: Kimya Dawson, Alynda Segarra of Hurray for the Riff Raff, Immortal Technique, Patterson Hood of Drive by Truckers, Tom Morello, Boots Riley, Amanda Palmer, and Steve Earle.
As we gear up for another year of Intercepted, we wanted to share with our listeners five of our favorite interviews. These are not ranked in any order, rather they represent to us the wide range of guests and views that we believe ultimately make this show what it is.
Veni, Vidi, Tweeti
The famed rebel academic Alfred McCoy, whose book on narcotrafficking the CIA tried to stop from being published, lays out his meticulously argued theory that the U.S. empire will fall by the year 2030.
The White Stuff
Acclaimed author and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates talks about Trump, Obama, Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, the NFL, and much more.
There’s Something About Jared
Organizer and scholar Mariame Kaba offers a people’s history of prisons in the U.S. and the politicians — both Democrats and Republicans — who have made them what they are today.
The Undisciplined Authoritarian
Transgender Americans are being targeted in record numbers as Attorney General Jeff Sessions moves to quash LGBTQ rights. ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio and former New England Patriots star Donté Stallworth talk about the war on the transgender community and the rising resistance of pro athletes.
Mike Pence Is the Koch Brothers’ Manchurian Candidate
Investigative journalist Jane Mayer exposes the Koch-brother puppet masters behind Vice President Mike Pence’s rise to power and lays out how the merging of radical extremist Christian ideology and the ruthless pursuit of corporate profits put Pence a heartbeat from the presidency.
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IT’S EVEN WORSE THAN WE THOUGHT.
What we’re seeing right now from Donald Trump is a full-on authoritarian takeover of the U.S. government.
This is not hyperbole.
Court orders are being ignored. MAGA loyalists have been put in charge of the military and federal law enforcement agencies. The Department of Government Efficiency has stripped Congress of its power of the purse. News outlets that challenge Trump have been banished or put under investigation.
Yet far too many are still covering Trump’s assault on democracy like politics as usual, with flattering headlines describing Trump as “unconventional,” “testing the boundaries,” and “aggressively flexing power.”
The Intercept has long covered authoritarian governments, billionaire oligarchs, and backsliding democracies around the world. We understand the challenge we face in Trump and the vital importance of press freedom in defending democracy.
We’re independent of corporate interests. Will you help us?
IT’S BEEN A DEVASTATING year for journalism — the worst in modern U.S. history.
We have a president with utter contempt for truth aggressively using the government’s full powers to dismantle the free press. Corporate news outlets have cowered, becoming accessories in Trump’s project to create a post-truth America. Right-wing billionaires have pounced, buying up media organizations and rebuilding the information environment to their liking.
In this most perilous moment for democracy, The Intercept is fighting back. But to do so effectively, we need to grow.
That’s where you come in. Will you help us expand our reporting capacity in time to hit the ground running in 2026?
We’re independent of corporate interests. Will you help us?
I’M BEN MUESSIG, The Intercept’s editor-in-chief. It’s been a devastating year for journalism — the worst in modern U.S. history.
We have a president with utter contempt for truth aggressively using the government’s full powers to dismantle the free press. Corporate news outlets have cowered, becoming accessories in Trump’s project to create a post-truth America. Right-wing billionaires have pounced, buying up media organizations and rebuilding the information environment to their liking.
In this most perilous moment for democracy, The Intercept is fighting back. But to do so effectively, we need to grow.
That’s where you come in. Will you help us expand our reporting capacity in time to hit the ground running in 2026?
We’re independent of corporate interests. Will you help us?
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