The Aaron Rupar Show

In this week’s PN Pod, co-host Paul Waldman and I discussed the outlines of the emerging Iran deal, which looks like something close to a complete Trump cave, and unpacked whether the president can sell his humiliating loss as a win to the American people.But before that, we got into this weekend’s UFC fight at the White House, how the whole thing seems like a deleted scene from Idiocracy, and why Trump prefers bloodsport to sleeping through NBA games. We also talked about war crimes becoming official US policy and what it says about the direction of the military (spoiler alert: nothing good).If you’d like to support the podcast and ask us questions during future episodes, please consider becoming a paid subscriber to Public Notice if you aren’t one already.The PN Pod goes live every Friday at 2pm eastern. We’ll be back at the same time and same place next week. Until then, we hope you enjoy the show! Get full access to Public Notice at www.publicnotice.co/subscribe

The first episode of the newly rebranded PN Pod features the tremendous Juliet Jeske of Decoding Fox News. We had lots of laughs while discussing topics like the increasingly debased state of Fox News during Trump 2.0, the moments of Fox programming that have made Juliet want to throw her computer into a dumpster and walk into the ocean, why people find Trump’s voice and visage so triggering — and I even got Juliet to do her legendary Judge Jeanine impersonation.We also reacted to comments and questions from viewers. If you’d like to partake in the discussion during next week’s episode, which will feature the debut of co-host Paul Waldman, please sign up for a paid subscription to support Public Notice and have full access to our live broadcasts. Thanks to everyone who tuned in today and to Juliet. We hope you enjoy the show. Get full access to Public Notice at www.publicnotice.co/subscribe

On the latest episode of Nir & Rupar, our live weekly video show, David Nir of The Downballot and Aaron Rupar of Public Notice discuss the fallout from the Virginia Supreme Court’s decision to invalidate the state’s new congressional map.If you haven’t yet subscribed to The Downballot, which provides unparalleled coverage of the thousands of critical elections below the presidency, sign up below:David and Aaron discuss:* Why the court’s ruling was based on very questionable procedural grounds — and overturns the will of a majority of Virginia voters.* How Republicans throughout the South are racing to dismantle Black districts following the demise of the Voting Rights Act, including an extreme assault that carved Memphis into three parts.* Why Democrats can still take back the House despite the GOP’s turbocharged gerrymandering.And much more. We also took several excellent questions from viewers.Folks who are paid subscribers to either of our publications can participate in our Q&A!Nir & Rupar goes live every Friday at 2 PM ET. The easiest way to participate is by downloading the free Substack app.You can also subscribe on your favorite podcast app to make sure you never miss an episode.If you missed Friday’s livestream, you can watch it by clicking above! Get full access to Public Notice at www.publicnotice.co/subscribe

This week’s Nir & Rupar features a very special guest — Matt Gertz, senior fellow at Media Matters and one of the foremost experts on right-wing media.Gertz and I discussed the ways in which Fox News is even worse now than it was during Trump’s first term, the Ellison family’s ill-conceived takeover of CBS, why Trump hosting the White House Correspondents dinner is an affront to the Constitution, and much more.Matt has been covering conservative media for nearly two decades now, and there’s nobody more knowledgeable about Fox-world and the role it plays propping up the administration. I enjoyed our conversation and hope you will too.Nir & Rupar goes live every Friday at 2pm eastern. David was out this week but will be back next Friday. If you’d like to ask us live questions during the show, please sign up for a paid subscription to Public Notice if you haven’t already.That’s it for this week. I’ll be back with a new newsletter Monday morning. Until then, thanks for your support, and have a great weekend. Get full access to Public Notice at www.publicnotice.co/subscribe

On the latest episode of Nir & Rupar, our live weekly video show, David Nir of The Downballot and Joe Sudbay, the host of “State of the States” on SiriusXM Progress, dive deep into Tuesday’s massive wins for Wisconsin progressives with Dan Shafer, publisher of The Recombobulation Area, a must-read newsletter for all things Wisconsin.You can subscribe to Dan’s Substack right here:The three discuss:* How liberal Judge Chris Taylor ran up the score with an astounding 20-point victory in the marquee race for the state Supreme Court.* How Democrats made major inroads into the once-impregnable GOP bastion of Waukesha County.* What the results mean for Democrats’ chances of flipping the state legislature this November.And much more. Folks who are paid subscribers to either of our publications can participate in our Q&A!Nir & Rupar goes live every Friday at 2 PM ET. The easiest way to participate is by downloading the free Substack app.You can also subscribe on your favorite podcast app to make sure you never miss an episode.If you missed Friday’s livestream, you can watch it by clicking above! Get full access to Public Notice at www.publicnotice.co/subscribe

On the latest episode of Nir & Rupar, our live weekly video show, David Nir of The Downballot and Aaron Rupar of Public Notice discuss why the GOP is in a shambles — whether it comes to funding the TSA or special elections down in Florida.If you haven’t yet subscribed to The Downballot, which provides unparalleled coverage of the thousands of critical elections below the presidency, sign up below:David and Aaron discuss:* Why the TSA funding deal that the Senate passed unanimously was a real win for Democrats.* Why the House GOP’s instant rejection of that deal puts all the blame for the mess at our airports on Republicans.* How Democrats were able to flip not one but two districts in special elections in Florida — including the seat where Mar-a-Lago is based.And much more. Folks who are paid subscribers to either of our publications can participate in our Q&A!Nir & Rupar goes live every Friday at 2 PM ET. The easiest way to participate is by downloading the free Substack app.You can also subscribe on your favorite podcast app to make sure you never miss an episode.If you missed Friday’s livestream, you can watch it by clicking above! Get full access to Public Notice at www.publicnotice.co/subscribe

The latest Nir & Rupar features Aaron and special guest Paul Waldman going deep on how Trump bungled his way into a way of choice that’s becoming more and more of a political albatross as it becomes clear he has no idea what he’s doing.Waldman — who does fantastic work as a Public Notice contributor, including a piece from last month that has already aged extremely well about Trump’s failure to sell the public on his Iran misadventure — explains Trump’s failures in the context of George W. Bush’s propaganda efforts surrounding the Iraq War (which look sophisticated by comparison). We also discussed what Waldman thinks about how low Trump’s approval numbers could go this year, the political media landscape in light of Pete Hegseth’s disconcerting comments about CNN’s ownership situation, Democratic strategy heading into the midterms, and much more.I hope you enjoy the conversation, and if you’d like to ask us questions live during next Friday’s Nir & Rupar — we took a number of them this week — please become a paid subscriber. Get full access to Public Notice at www.publicnotice.co/subscribe

On the latest episode of Nir & Rupar, our live weekly video show, David Nir of The Downballot and guest-host Joe Sudbay, the host of “State of The States” on SiriusXM Progress, count off the many ways in which Donald Trump is crashing — and crashing out.If you haven’t yet subscribed to The Downballot, which provides unparalleled coverage of the thousands of critical elections below the presidency, sign up below:David and Joe discuss:* Why Trump’s State of the Union address got so little traction, despite a desperate GOP attempt to make it go “viral.”* How Trump’s polls on his signature issue of immigration keep getting worse — and what Democrats must do to reverse public perceptions that they’re weak.* A pair of primaries next week in Texas that vividly showcase the GOP’s bitter divide between MAGA and whatever remains of the establishment.And much more!Nir & Rupar goes live every Friday at 2 PM ET. The easiest way to participate is by downloading the free Substack app.You can also subscribe on your favorite podcast app to make sure you never miss an episode.If you missed Friday’s livestream, you can watch it by clicking above! Get full access to Public Notice at www.publicnotice.co/subscribe

On the latest episode of Nir & Rupar, our live weekly video show, David Nir of The Downballot and Aaron Rupar of Public Notice examine why some top Republicans are now embracing Trump’s most disgusting conspiracy theories after years of stiff-arming him.If you haven’t yet subscribed to The Downballot, which provides unparalleled coverage of the thousands of critical elections below the presidency, sign up below:David and Aaron discuss:* Why House Speaker Mike Johnson recently echoed Trump’s stolen election claims— even as some other Republicans hammered Trump for his racist social media post about the Obamas.* Why Democrats have the upper hand in negotiations over ICE funding, and it’s not just because of the polling.* Why Republicans are freaking out after a stunning special election upset in Texas last weekend — and why they’re right to do so.And much more! We also took several questions from viewers, which we love to do. Folks who are paid subscribers to either of our publications can participate in our Q&A!Nir & Rupar goes live every Friday at 2 PM ET. The easiest way to participate is by downloading the free Substack app.You can also subscribe on your favorite podcast app to make sure you never miss an episode.If you missed Friday’s livestream, you can watch it by clicking above! Get full access to Public Notice at www.publicnotice.co/subscribe

On the latest episode of Nir & Rupar, our live weekly video show, Aaron Rupar of Public Notice tells David Nir of The Downballot what life is like in Minneapolis, a city besieged by its own federal government.If you haven’t yet subscribed to The Downballot, which provides unparalleled coverage of the thousands of critical elections below the presidency, sign up below:Aaron explains:* All the ways, big and small, in which ICE’s terror campaign is generating permanent anxiety for everyone who lives in Minneapolis and the entire Twin Cities region.* How Minnesotans are fighting back in spite of the grave risks, bird-dogging ICE thugs and protecting vulnerable residents.* How Donald Trump’s polling on immigration has tanked, and why Democrats should not be afraid to take him on over the issue.And much more.If you missed our livestream, you can watch it by clicking above.Nir & Rupar goes live every Friday at 2 PM ET. The easiest way to participate is by downloading the free Substack app.You can also subscribe on your favorite podcast app to make sure you never miss an episode.Folks who are paid subscribers to either of our publications can participate in our Q&A. Get full access to Public Notice at www.publicnotice.co/subscribe

On the year’s final episode of Nir & Rupar, our live weekly video show, David Nir of The Downballot and Aaron Rupar of Public Notice take stock of 2025’s bizarre dual nature, which saw Donald Trump consolidate power at the same time as the GOP got shellacked at the ballot box.If you haven’t yet subscribed to The Downballot, which provides unparalleled coverage of the thousands of critical elections below the presidency, sign up below:David and Aaron discuss:* How Trump’s prime-time rant-fest denying the affordability crisis is only likely to hurt him with voters, especially those who aren’t as tuned into politics.* Why America’s bifurcated economy, with the rich doing very well and everyone else struggling, makes a GOP course correction even less likely.* How the incredible streak of Democratic victories and overperformances in elections shows just how hard it is for Trump to subvert democracy, no matter how much he’d like to.And much more!If you missed our livestream, you can watch it by clicking above.Nir & Rupar goes live every Friday at 2 PM ET. The easiest way to participate is by downloading the free Substack app.You can also subscribe on your favorite podcast app to make sure you never miss an episode.Folks who are paid subscribers to either of our publications can participate in our Q&A!This was our last episode of the year. We’re extremely grateful to all of our viewers for tuning in and asking great questions each week, and we look forward to talking with you again in 2026. Happy holidays! Get full access to Public Notice at www.publicnotice.co/subscribe

On the latest episode of Nir & Rupar, our live weekly video show, David Nir of The Downballot and Aaron Rupar of Public Notice unpack Donald Trump’s wildly out-of-touch — and self-defeating — message on the all-important issue of affordability.If you haven’t yet subscribed to The Downballot, which provides unparalleled coverage of the thousands of critical elections below the presidency, sign up below:David and Aaron discuss:* Why Trump is obsessed with calling affordability a “hoax” — even as his cluelessness makes fellow Republicans blanch.* How the Supreme Court’s latest ruling upholding a GOP gerrymander exposes the court’s extreme corruption.* Why Republicans are right to be spooked by the recent special election in Tennessee, even though they won.And much more!If you missed our livestream, you can watch it by clicking above.Nir & Rupar goes live every Friday at 2 PM ET. The easiest way to participate is by downloading the free Substack app.You can also subscribe on your favorite podcast app to make sure you never miss an episode.Folks who are paid subscribers to either of our publications can participate in our Q&A! Get full access to Public Notice at www.publicnotice.co/subscribe

On the latest episode of Nir & Rupar, our live weekly video show, David Nir of The Downballot and Aaron Rupar of Public Notice recap an extraordinary election night that saw voters hand Republicans a well-earned butt-whoopin.If you haven’t yet subscribed to The Downballot, which provides unparalleled coverage of the thousands of critical elections below the presidency, sign up below:David and Aaron discuss:* Just how thoroughly Democrats whipped the GOP, from coast to coast and up and down the ballot.* Why Republicans are fooling themselves when they dismiss the results as nothing more than Democrats winning in blue states and cities.* How democracy stood strong — and millions of people freely expressed their views — despite Donald Trump’s best (or worst) efforts.And much more! We also took some great questions from viewers.If you missed our livestream, you can watch it by clicking above.Nir & Rupar goes live every Friday at 2 PM ET (we are off next week, however). The easiest way to participate is by downloading the free Substack app.You can also subscribe on your favorite podcast app to make sure you never miss an episode.Folks who are paid subscribers to either of our publications can participate in our Q&A! Get full access to Public Notice at www.publicnotice.co/subscribe