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Right Now With Perry Bacon

Right Now With Perry Bacon is a twice-weekly show about national politics with a focus on the radicalism of the Trump administration and tactics to combat it. The program, hosted by New Republic staff writer Perry Bacon on Substack, features in-depth discussions with experts and politicians. It goes beyond the daily headlines to explain why things are happening and put them in a broader context.

All Episodes
October 31, 2025
Right Now With Perry Bacon
Mamdani Is Winning Because Democrats Hate Their Party’s Leaders
Former Obama adviser Patrick Gaspard is aiding Zohran Mamdani’s campaign and sees many similarities in their political rises.
Video is available for this article
October 31, 2025
Right Now With Perry Bacon
Transcript: Senator Tina Smith Says Dems Need Big Ideas Like Mamdani’s
Minnesota Senator Tina Smith says Democrats can’t just be anti-Trump and instead need to offer a compelling alternative agenda.
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October 30, 2025
Right Now With Perry Bacon
Senator Tina Smith: Democrats Need to Propose Big Ideas Like Mamdani’s
Minnesota Senator Tina Smith says Democrats can’t just be anti-Trump and instead need to offer a compelling alternative agenda.
Video is available for this article
October 29, 2025
Right Now With Perry Bacon
Transcript: The GOP May Lose Next Week’s Elections—Thanks to Trump
Decision Desk HQ’s Geoffrey Skelley explains why Trump’s unpopularity makes Democrats heavy favorites to win next week’s gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia.
Video is available for this article
October 28, 2025
Right Now With Perry Bacon
Republicans May Lose Badly In Next Week’s Elections—Thanks to Trump
Decision Desk HQ’s Geoffrey Skelley explains why Trump’s unpopularity makes Democrats heavy favorites to win next week’s gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia.
Video is available for this article
October 24, 2025
Right Now With Perry Bacon
Transcript: Elite Colleges Reject Trump’s Authoritarian “Compact”
Harvard’s Ryan Enos explains the importance of colleges working together to combat Trump’s attempts to shake down universities.
Video is available for this article
October 23, 2025
Right Now With Perry Bacon
Elite Colleges Grow a Spine and Reject Trump’s Authoritarian “Compact”
Harvard’s Ryan Enos argues that Trump’s demolition of the East Wing is the latest step in making America a “competitive authoritarian” nation as opposed to a full-fledged democracy.
Video is available for this article
October 20, 2025
Right Now With Perry Bacon
Transcript: No Kings—How Mass Protests Weaken Autocrats Like Trump
Indivisible’s Leah Greenberg explains why mass protests like No Kings are a critical tool in opposing Trump and his authoritarianism.
Video is available for this article
October 19, 2025
Right Now With Perry Bacon
No Kings: How Mass Protests Weaken Unhinged Autocrats Like Trump
Indivisible’s Leah Greenberg explains why mass protests like No Kings are a critical tool in opposing Trump and his authoritarianism.
Video is available for this article
October 17, 2025
Right Now With Perry Bacon
Transcript: How Chicago Is Fighting Trump’s Outrageous ICE Policies
Representative Delia Ramirez says that Americans across the country should care about what the administration is doing in Chicago because their city could be next.
Video is available for this article
October 17, 2025
Right Now With Perry Bacon
How Chicago Is Standing Tough Against Trump’s Outrageous ICE Policies
Representative Delia Ramirez says that Americans across the country should care about what the administration is doing in Chicago because their city could be next.
Video is available for this article
October 15, 2025
Right Now With Perry Bacon
From Total Unknown to Supernova Overnight: Graham Platner Takes Maine
One thousand people at a pizza place? It’s not the pepperoni—it’s Platner.
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October 14, 2025
Right Now With Perry Bacon
Transcript: Maine’s Mills-Platner Senate Race Is A Huge Dem Battle
Governor Janet Mills U.S. Senate run against Graham Platner will pit the Democrats’ establishment wing against the insurgent bloc, says Maine journalist Alex Seitz-Wald.
Video is available for this article
October 14, 2025
Right Now With Perry Bacon
Maine Senate: Platner-Mills Is a Huge Clash Over the Dems’ Vision
Governor Janet Mills’s U.S. Senate run against Graham Platner will pit the Democrats’ establishment wing against the insurgent bloc, says Maine journalist Alex Seitz-Wald.
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October 10, 2025
Right Now With Perry Bacon
The Undiscussed Reason the Democratic Party Might Wither and Die
Five million people have fled blue states for red in recent years. The reason? The high cost of living.
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October 10, 2025
Right Now With Perry Bacon
The Dems Will Stay Weak Until They Stop Obsessing Over Polls
Political strategist Anat Shenker-Osorio says that polling alone won’t find the messages and ideas that will galvanize voters and help Democrats win elections.
Video is available for this article
October 10, 2025
Right Now With Perry Bacon
Transcript: Dems Will Stay Weak Until They Stop Obsessing Over Polls
Political strategist Anat Shenker-Osorio says that polling alone won’t find the messages and ideas that will galvanize voters and help Democrats win elections.
Video is available for this article
October 8, 2025
Right Now With Perry Bacon
Transcript: Newsom and Pritzker Show How To Attack An Authoritarian
Arkadi Gerney, a Democratic strategist, says that the officials with the greatest ability to stop Trump are Democratic governors and attorneys general. And he argues they are often blunting the president in ways that are under-appreciated.
Video is available for this article
October 8, 2025
Right Now With Perry Bacon
Newsom and Pritzker Are Showing How to Attack an Authoritarian Crook
Arkadi Gerney, a Democratic strategist, says Democratic governors and attorneys general have the greatest ability to stop Trump—and they’re doing it in ways that are underappreciated.
Video is available for this article
October 6, 2025
Right Now With Perry Bacon
Transcript: Democrats Got Something Really Big Done in New Mexico
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham explains how New Mexico became the first state with universal childcare and why Democrats should look to states and governors for leadership.
Video is available for this article

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Politics & Ideas
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