Rephonic
Artwork for The Breakdown

The Breakdown

Alberto fo sho
Donald Trump
Jeffrey Epstein
Trump Administration
Democratic Party
Epstein Files
Venezuela
Republican Party
ICE
Greenland
Ghislaine Maxwell
Iran
NATO
Midterm Elections
China
Government Shutdown
Pete Hegseth
Malignant Narcissism
Dementia
Minnesota
Economy

The Lincoln Project's "The Breakdown" is a weekly political commentary show hosted by Rick Wilson and Maya May. The show features analysis of current events, interviews with political figures, and commentary on the 2020 presidential election and the Trump administration.The show's hosts are both experienced political operatives and commentators. Wilson is a Republican strategist who has worked for... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes1000Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
PoliticsNews

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for The Breakdown

Latest Episodes

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
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

John Brennan
Former CIA Director and White House counterterrorism assistant
Former CIA; Former White House Counterterrorism Advisor
Episode: Former CIA Director John Brennan on Standing Firm When Faced with Trump's Retaliation
Jamar Tisby
Historian, author, founder of Tisby Media
Tisby Media
Episode: Diluting the Black Vote Is Absolutely Not OK
Angelo Carrison
President of Media Matters for America
Media Matters for America
Episode: How Media Matters Beat the Trump Regime
Anthony Scaramucci
Guest (political figure analyst)
SkyBridge Capital (as a contextual reference in discourse)
Episode: Scaramucci
Sawyer Hackett
Democratic strategist, former advisor to Secretary Castro; Obama appointee; political commentator
Democratic party/press commentary
Episode: Six Months Out from the Midterms
David Roberts
Climate-politics commentator, media critic
Independent commentator, Vox alumnus mentioned for future interview
Episode: Blame Biden! Trump's Favorite Excuse
Mary Frances Berry
Former head of the US Commission on Civil Rights
University/Smithsonian context referenced, civil rights leader
Episode: Katie Phang 2
Reverend William Barber
Civil rights leader and pastor
NAACP North Carolina; Moral Mondays ally
Episode: Katie Phang 2
Ezra Levin
Co-founder of Indivisible
Indivisible
Episode: Katie Phang 2

Hosts

Zev Shalev
Host of narrative live show; long-time political commentator and media figure; affiliated with The Lincoln Project network.
Rick Wilson
Co-host with Maya May; Republican strategist and political commentator known for election and policy analysis.
Maya May
Co-host and political commentator; frequently engages in policy critique and interview segments.

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 110 ratings
  • Please adjust your volume

    3/3/26 Malcolm Nance’s volume was normal, medium high, while Rick’s was soft. Very difficult and annoying since I don’t want to miss one word.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    xxxfor_Petes_sake
    United States3 months ago
  • So Insightful

    Katie!!! I love you and your show!! You tell it like it is and always look forward to your shows. You keep me engaged in politics and the law.

    Keep up the great work. You have a FOREVER fan!!!!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Dennyr65
    United States3 months ago
  • Stop it

    For god's sake, these commercials are DEAFENING. They break in not just mid-speech, or mid-thought, mid-phrase or even mid-word, but mid-SYLLable. What is the point of that? Why are you abusing your listeners this way? I have heard that unbearably obnoxious, supercilious guy (wwwhat would you do/imagine) FOUR TIMES already in the latest Michael Wolff & it's only partway through! Why would you want to assure your audience feels harassed, & absolutely hostile toward your sponsors? Worse, the orig... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    susheg
    United States5 months ago
  • INFURIATING Mid-Sentence Commercial Interruptions

    Good to hear an (uncredited) Joy Reid. But this is the last time I tune in because of the INFURIATING practice of interrupting a speaker in MID-SENTENCE for a shrieky commercial. “Break[s]down” your whole pretentious critique of the capitalist habitus. (look that word up)

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Clancularius1
    United States6 months ago
  • Powerful

    I look forward to listening to what Rick Wilson has to say about our parties /politics as he knows. The Lincoln project are the good guys, and it is beyond me why the Democrats do not listen to and do what they suggest. I recommend this podcast -- it's authentically patriotic, compassionate & politically savvy. As someone who never took a civics class & ignored politics prior to Trump, I'm grateful for the insight and explanations re: this nightmare

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    justeatthedamcake
    United States6 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Audience appreciates guest diversity and ability to dissect complex geopolitical topics.
Sound quality and occasional audio glitches are mentioned as a downside by some listeners.
Praise for host chemistry and candid, unapologetic critique of leadership and policy.
Several reviews call out mid-sentence ad interruptions as disruptive to the listening experience.
Listeners frequently note strong, insightful political analysis and insider perspectives.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#243
United States/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#229
Canada/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#216
Australia/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#250
Israel/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

How Media Matters Beat the Trump Regime
Q: What sparked Media Matters' fight against the FTC and related investigations?
The battle began over reporting about advertiser adjacency to pro-Nazi content and escalated as coordinated pressures from the administration and allies emerged, leading to a broader strategy beyond conventional litigation.
Diluting the Black Vote Is Absolutely Not OK
Q: Can you give us the 101 of what is happening and where this is coming from?
The top line is that this is the civil rights movement of our day, driven by a combination of Supreme Court rulings dismantling sections of the Voting Rights Act and aggressive redistricting moves by several states that dilute Black voting power, with an emphasis on proving intent rather than impact.
Six Months Out from the Midterms
Q: What does this mean for Democratic strategy moving into 2028?
The guest and hosts discuss embracing a proactive reform agenda, highlighting court reforms, ethics rules, and clear policy proposals that can be defended to voters, while also considering bold redistricting countermeasures in the short term.
After Virginia: What's Next in the Redistricting Wars?
Q: What role could the Supreme Court play in shaping the next decade of redistricting, and what are the risks if the Calais decision goes against voters?
A ruling striking down race-conscious districting could trigger a cascade of new maps nationwide, especially in states like Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana. It could erode minority representation in the short term but may spur a push for systemic reforms to electoral rules and representation that endure beyond one court decision.
After Virginia: What's Next in the Redistricting Wars?
Q: Do you think Democrats should pursue a more aggressive, 'constitutional hardball' approach to redistricting reform, and what would that look like?
Yes, but it must be coupled with a clear democracy agenda—advocating for proportional representation, court-backed reforms, and systemic changes to how districts are drawn and counted. It isn't enough to win a few seats; there needs to be a principled, comprehensive reform that broadens representation and reduces the leverage of partisan mapmaking.

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 The Breakdown

What is The Breakdown about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A weekly political commentary show delivering sharp analysis of current events, with interviews from politicians, journalists, and activists. The conversations mix hostile-to-establishment critique with insider perspectives on campaigns, foreign policy, and media coverage, often centering on Trump-era dynamics, accountability, and democratic norms. Noteworthy are the candid insider takes, rapid-fire banter between hosts, and a willingness to challenge conventional narratives, making it a likely fit for listeners who want combative, informed political discourse and behind-the-scenes political insight.

Where can I find podcast stats for The Breakdown?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Breakdown. 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 The Breakdown and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Breakdown get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Breakdown, 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 The Breakdown?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Breakdown, 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 The Breakdown have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Breakdown 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 The Breakdown?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Breakdown:

1. The Lincoln Project
2. Fast Politics with Molly Jong-Fast
3. The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
4. The Jim Acosta Show
5. The Daily Beast Podcast

How many episodes of The Breakdown are there?

The Breakdown launched 2 years ago and published 1000 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 The Breakdown?

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 The Breakdown?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Breakdown 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 The Breakdown?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Breakdown. 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 The Breakdown?

Recent guests on The Breakdown include:

1. John Brennan
2. Jamar Tisby
3. Angelo Carrison
4. Anthony Scaramucci
5. Sawyer Hackett
6. David Roberts
7. Mary Frances Berry
8. Reverend William Barber

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