Rephonic
Artwork for Political Gabfest

Political Gabfest

Slate Podcasts
Donald Trump
Trump Administration
Supreme Court
Kamala Harris
Democratic Party
Iran
Republican Party
Joe Biden
Trump
Israel
2024 Presidential Election
Gaza
Elon Musk
Political Violence
Tariffs
Congress
RFK Jr.
Democratic National Convention
Ukraine
Government Shutdown

Voted “Favorite Political Podcast” by Apple Podcasts listeners. Stephen Colbert says "Everybody should listen to the Slate Political Gabfest." The Gabfest, featuring Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz, is the kind of informal and irreverent discussion Washington journalists have after hours over drinks.

Get more Political Gabfest with Slate Plus. Join to unlock weekly bonus episodes—pl... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes1241Founded20 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
NewsGovernmentPolitics

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Political Gabfest

Latest Episodes

This week, Emily Bazelon, David Plotz, and guest host Ruth Marcus discuss this week's momentous Supreme Court rulings. The FTC/Slaughter case overturns nearly a century of precedent protecting independent agencies from presidential power while Cook m... more

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Tuesday's NY congressional primaries won by three Mamdani-backed democratic socialists and what they could mean for the Democratic Party, two new Supreme Court immigration rulings sidi... more

Emily Bazelon interviews Senator Chris Murphy about his new book Crisis of the Common Good: The Fight for Meaning and Connection in a Broken America. Murphy argues that Trump is not the root cause of America's political crisis—he's a symptom. The rea... more

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss what the U.S. is getting and what it is giving up with the deal to end Trump's Iran war, how Trump's UFC fight at the White House intentionally used the symbols of the presidency to di... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Chris Murphy
Senator from Connecticut
U.S. Senate - Connecticut
Episode: Gabfest Reads | Why America Is Spiritually Broken and How to Fix It
Mike Schaffer
City Cast DC executive editor and host of City Cast DC
City Cast DC
Episode: California Is an Embarrassment
Alex Bores
New York state legislator and Democratic candidate in the 12th district
New York State Legislature / Democratic candidate for U.S. House
Episode: They Messed with Texas
Mary Moriarty
Hennepin County Attorney, guest discussing ICE case
Hennepin County Attorney's Office
Episode: Corruption Never Stops
Adrian Wooldridge
Author of The Revolutionary Center
Bloomberg, The Economist
Episode: Gabfest Reads | Why Liberalism Needs to Reclaim the Center
Jane Perlez
Host of Face-Off, US vs. China (produced by Nina Porzucki)
New York Times
Episode: Nevertheless, Xi Persisted
Beverly Gage
Yale historian, Gabfest regular
Yale University
Episode: Trump and the Iranians Deserve Each Other
Mark Oppenheimer
Author of Judy Blume, A Life
John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at WashU
Episode: Gabfest Reads | The Unlikely Rise of Judy Blume
Anne Applebaum
Atlantic contributor and commentator on Viktor Orbán's Hungary
The Atlantic
Episode: How Many Divisions Has the Pope?

Hosts

David Plotz
Host with Slate Political Gabfest, often driving discussion with sharp, contrarian takes; affiliated with Slate.
Emily Bazelon
Co-host/guest analyst with deep background in law, education, and politics; known for legal analysis and policy context.
John Dickerson
Co-host/analyst with a background in political commentary and reporting; provides historical and strategic perspective.

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 10.6k ratings
  • Tip for Slate Plus Listening

    Speaking from experience, subscribing to the Slate Plus podcasts through Apple Podcasts is more pleasant and satisfying than through the Slate App. And cheaper too! The Slate App is a disaster! Avoid!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    bobsaun
    United States23 days ago
  • My favorite

    This is my absolute favorite political podcast— smart, interesting, clear, and it makes me think . My only suggestion is that it happen more often!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ToledoGirl
    United Statesa month ago
  • Constructive Criticism

    Please, I beg you, stop feeding ad filled versions to slate + feeds. Ongoing issue with PG

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Jimmy Dinks
    United Statesa month ago
  • Former Subscriber

    David Plotz is an insufferable jerk. I’ve given commenting a pass until now. I’ve unsubscribed and will never become a member as long as this man is employed by Slate.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Erin_Powell
    United Statesa month ago
  • How

    Come no one ever discusses the fact that Trump only won the two elections was because each time he was running against a woman? That’s why he won. But no one’s discussing that.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Laurakkd
    United Statesa month ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Balanced, thoughtful political analysis with sharp humor.
Long-running and has a loyal listener base that values depth over sugar-coated takes.
Episodes mix serious policy with light, cocktail-chat segments.
Hosts sometimes talk over each other, which some listeners find distracting.
Guests bring strong expertise, especially on foreign policy and constitutional topics.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#65
United States/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#212
United States/News
Apple Podcasts
#118
Canada/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#127
United Kingdom/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#90
Australia/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#153
Italy/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Gabfest Reads | Why America Is Spiritually Broken and How to Fix It
Q: What concrete steps would you take if you gained full control of Congress?
Pass disclosure and public financing reforms, ban stock trading by members of Congress, scrutinize dark money, and promote broad civic engagement such as universal national service to strengthen social bonds.
Gabfest Reads | Why America Is Spiritually Broken and How to Fix It
Q: What is the core message of Crisis of the Common Good beyond the politics of the moment?
The core message is that the country is experiencing a spiritual crisis driven by economic and cultural forces, and that meaningful reform requires changing the rules that govern money in politics as well as rebuilding local community ties.
Trump and the Iranians Deserve Each Other
Q: Why is Trump framing this as a victory, and what does that mean for domestic politics?
Trump frames victories to bolster political support, but the panel notes a gap between rhetorical claims and public perception, suggesting that this theatrics-first approach may undermine credibility and complicate both foreign and domestic policy.
Trump and the Iranians Deserve Each Other
Q: What does a 'better' Iran deal actually look like compared to JCPOA?
The panel debates zero enrichment versus limited enrichment with strong verification, and questions who would enforce any agreement if the U.S. steps back from a broad coalition, concluding that while some terms may look better on paper, real-world enforcement and consequences are complex and potentially destabilizing.
TACO Tuesday
Q: What is a Groyper, and how is it different from MAGA or other factions within the Republican spectrum?
Antonia explains that Groypers position themselves as a youth-driven, transgressive force within MAGA, using provocative rhetoric and antisemitic conspiracy theories to push the party toward more extreme stances, while still trying to influence the broader coalition.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Political Gabfest

What is Political Gabfest about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A sharp, policy-forward discussion with a trio of Washington journalists that blends rigorous analysis of current political events with lighter, cocktail-chat segments. Common threads include how power is exercised in real-time, the dynamics of Congress and the judiciary, and the practical implications of foreign policy and domestic reforms. Guests range from senior scholars to journalists and government officials, enriching episodes with diverse perspectives while maintaining an irreverent, accessible tone. The show often features deep dives into constitutional questions, elections, and major policy debates, plus timely book recommendations and live commentary that make complex topics approachable for a broad, engaged audience.

Where can I find podcast stats for Political Gabfest?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Political Gabfest. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Political Gabfest and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Political Gabfest get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Political Gabfest, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Political Gabfest?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Political Gabfest, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Political Gabfest have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Political Gabfest has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Political Gabfest?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Political Gabfest:

1. Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts
2. The Political Scene | The New Yorker
3. Pod Save America
4. The Ezra Klein Show
5. KCRW's Left, Right & Center

How many episodes of Political Gabfest are there?

Political Gabfest launched 20 years ago and published 1241 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Political Gabfest?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Political Gabfest?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Political Gabfest from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Political Gabfest?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Political Gabfest. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Political Gabfest?

Recent guests on Political Gabfest include:

1. Chris Murphy
2. Mike Schaffer
3. Alex Bores
4. Mary Moriarty
5. Adrian Wooldridge
6. Jane Perlez
7. Beverly Gage
8. Mark Oppenheimer

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days