It's One Ballroom, Donald, How Much Could It Cost?

About this episode

The episode discusses Republican spending on Trump's ballroom, gas prices, and features an interview with Tom Steyer about his gubernatorial campaign in California.

Congressional Republicans plan to spend $1 billion in taxpayer money on Trump's ballroom, claiming the money is necessary for "security" — and creating a huge political problem for themselves. The president and his cabinet make a show of ignoring the pain Americans are feeling at the gas pump, as the US and Iran circle around an underwhelming peace deal. JD Vance's 2028 stock slides as Republican voters turn their attention to Marco Rubio. Dan and Jon discuss the latest, including how Democrats should respond to a new wave of Republican gerrymandering in the South and a new report from The Atlantic that Kash Patel has been handing out personalized bottles of bourbon while on the job. Then, Tom Steyer stops by the studio to talk to Lovett about his race for California governor.

People in this episode

Host: Lovett

Guest: Tom Steyer

Topics covered

• political spending
• Republican gerrymandering
• California governor race
• US-Iran relations
• gas prices
• Trump administration

Keywords

• Trump
• Republicans
• gerrymandering
• California
• Tom Steyer
• gas prices
• JD Vance
• Marco Rubio
• Kash Patel

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Congressional Republicans, The Atlantic, Kash Patel

Places: California, US, Iran

More episodes of Pod Save America

• Cage Match Inside the White House · June 12, 2026 · 1h 41m
• TRUMP CURSES KNICKS · June 9, 2026 · 1h 38m
• The Splintering MAGA Media Rage Machine · June 7, 2026 · 1h 3m
• Trump's Versailles on the Potomac · June 5, 2026 · 1h 20m
• Trump and Pod Save America Agree: JD Is Lame · June 2, 2026 · 1h 36m
• What Does it Mean to Be an American? · May 31, 2026 · 1h 20m