Claim OwnershipThe Focus Group Podcast
Subscribed: 1,827Played: 66,722
Subscribe
© Bulwark Media
Description
Unfiltered, uncompromising, unexpected—The Focus Group is a look into what the average voter thinks about politics, policy, and current events. Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark, has conducted hundreds of hours of focus groups all across the country. She and a series of special guests will take you behind the glass to hear what real focus group participants have to say.
https://www.thebulwark.com/podcast/focus-group/
https://www.thebulwark.com/podcast/focus-group/
154 Episodes
Reverse
Georgia's primaries for Governor and U.S. Senate have LOTS of things for political nerds (like you, dear listener) to chew on. But the Republican and Democratic voters we talked to felt pretty sick of politics.Some of what we learned:
How Republicans feel about their chances against Jon Ossoff in the fall (not good)
Why a Trump-like billionaire is overshadowing Trump's endorsed candidate for governor
Whether Democratic voters will tolerate a former Republican Lieutenant Governor running as a Democrat
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Greg Bluestein joins the show.By Greg Bluestein:
Politically Georgia Podcast
Flipped: How Georgia Turned Purple and Broke the Monopoly on Republican Power
1
This week's show has a rare note of agreement with our MAGA focus group participants. In Louisiana, Bill Cassidy is running for re-election to the Senate, and trying to pass himself as a MAGA true believer, even though after January 6 he voted to bar Donald Trump from office forever. Our Republican focus groups know he's full of it, and so does Tim Miller who joins the show this week.Tim and Sarah also discuss Republican voters' recent Strange New Respect for Marco Rubio, JD Vance's falling stock, and whether Republicans have an appetite for a future Donald Trump, Jr. candidacy.Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in May: https://thebulwark.com/events
In this bite-sized bonus Focus Group episode, Sarah Longwell breaks down the political earthquake in Maine after Janet Mills dropped out of the Senate race. Why are Democratic voters rejecting establishment candidates, forgiving scandals that once would’ve been disqualifying, and demanding fighters over polished politicians?Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in May: https://thebulwark.com/events
Usually, an assassination attempt outside a dinner with the president would be a HUGE news event. Instead, the voters in our focus groups weren't talking much about it, and when we brought it up, we heard a LOT of conspiracy theories. We also talked to some Republican voters about whether '86' is really a violent threat, as this week's indictment against James Comey alleges. Atlantic staff writer David Frum joins Sarah for a wide-ranging conversation on the week's events, voters' reactions, and keeping American democracy strong for the long haul.By David’s wife, Danielle Crittenden: Dispatches from Grief: A Mother’s Journey Through the UnthinkableBy David Frum:The David Frum ShowMAGA’s Strange Quiet After the ShootingGet tickets to The Bulwark's May live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles!
Enjoy a bonus episode of The Focus Group Podcast—Rachel Janfaza talks with Rotimi Adeoye about why moderate Gen Z focus group participants feel locked out of the economy. They discuss Rotimi’s “House by 30” idea, why vague promises aren’t cutting it, and how both parties—especially after Trump’s failed affordability pledges—are losing trust with young voters who feel like they did everything right and still can’t get ahead.Read Rotimi Adeoye in the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/30/opinion/democrats-homeownership-affordability.htmlTickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in May: https://thebulwark.com/events
Everyone agrees that America is too divided. But ALMOST everyone is also contributing to that division in one way or another. So, how do we rebuild a country where Americans can live with each other a little easier? Sarah and our guest both have some ideas. Professional disagreer Jessica Tarlov of the Raging Moderates podcast and Fox News’s The Five, joins Sarah to discuss America’s political divisions and how voters across the political spectrum are feeling about them.Pre-order Jessica’s upcoming book, I Disagree: Winning Arguments Without Losing Friends.Get tickets to The Bulwark's May live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles!
Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV are probably the two most prominent Americans in the world right now, and they're fighting. So we asked American Catholics (including those who voted for Trump) what they thought of their feud, and about Trump's Truth Social Post depicting himself as Jesus. JVL returns to the show with some choice words for some of his fellow Catholics, and discusses the role the Catholic Church has played in American politics more broadly.Get tickets to The Bulwark's May live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles!
On this bonus episode of The Focus Group, Rachel and guest Sami Sage of Betches Media wonder whether millennials are truly still ‘cringe.’ They also discuss the Gen Z gender gap, and how some politically moderate young women are navigating that political divide in their personal lives.By Sami Sage:In Paperback on April 28: Democracy in Retrograde: How to Make Changes Big and Small in Our Country and in Our Lives (https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Democracy-in-Retrograde/Sami-Sage/9781668053492)Check out 'The Context', from the Charles F. Kettering Foundation: https://kettering.org/thecontext/
EDITOR'S NOTE: This episode has been updated to remove comments made by or about a focus group participant who we believe misrepresented his political viewpoints to gain access to the group. We are reviewing our participant screening processes accordingly.If there's a blue wave in the 2026 elections, it'll be either because new people start voting for Democrats, or the current Republican base gets sad and stays home. So we convened a focus group of 2020 and 2024 Trump voters who are unhappy with his administration to give you a sample of the kind of despair that could keep Republicans home in November. Amy Walter, editor-in-chief of the Cook Political Report, returns to the show to break down the midterm landscape.
The Iran War has been going on for a month, and it’s deeply, DEEPLY unpopular. Plus, we get reactions from swing voters on the characters inside the Trump administration who they like (like Marco Rubio), or REALLY dislike (listen to find out). Atlantic staff writer Ashley Parker returns to the show. By Ashley Parker:The Wrath of Stephen MillerPre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!
Artificial intelligence is such a big change to human civilization that our political class is struggling to keep up. The voters in our focus groups are struggling, too. The Washington Post's Megan McArdle joins the show to discuss how everyday Americans are using (and misusing!) AI, its impact on the political process and information environment, and how public policy can adapt to this brave new world.Megan McArdle's Washington Post Podcast, Reasonably OptimisticMake laundry day the best day of the week! Get 20% off your entire order @LaundrySauce with code THEFOCUSGROUP at https://laundrysauce.com/THEFOCUSGROUP #laundrysaucepodGet 60% off your first box with Tempo Meals at https://TempoMeals.com/THEFOCUSGROUP.
A lot of the young people we’ve been talking to recently in our focus groups are relatively apolitical, and many of them don’t vote. But what DO these young people care about? And what could mobilize them in the future? Rachel Janfaza discusses with Anderson Clayton, the youngest state party chair in the U.S. and chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party.
The Democratic primary for US Senate in Illinois is a bit quiet, according to our guest. But underneath the surface, one candidate has a VERY interesting way of getting attention...and voters are starting to notice. David Axelrod, former adviser to President Obama, joins the show to discuss this Chicago-style Senate race. Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!
Sarah was out last week, and felt she had to bring you some timely focus group reactions to the War in Iran. We also check in on their feelings about the Trump administration (especially their handling of the Epstein Files), and talk about a growing strain of conspiracy theorizing tied to Israel (Jeffrey Epstein and Charlie Kirk are BOTH involved!)Finally, we’ve recently seen members of the Bulwark community pop up in the wild in our focus groups. Hear what drew THEM to The Bulwark. Sarah and Bill Kristol sift through it all.Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!
Rachel Janfaza sits in for Sarah on this week’s Focus Group to take a look at Gen Z’s personal finances, from their long-term outlooks to their day-to-day habits…especially their investments in crypto and how they’re engaging with sports betting and prediction markets. Ed Elson, co-host of Prof G Markets, joins Rachel.Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!Show notes:Rachel in The Up and Up: How Gen Z spends, saves, and investsRachel in The Up and Up: The Kalshi electionEd’s interview with Kalshi founder Tarek Mansour
The Texas Senate primary on March 3 between James Talarico and Rep. Jasmine Crockett is a toxic cesspool on Twitter. But Texas Democrats are practically giddy over how much they like both candidates. Atlantic staff writer Elaine Godfrey, who's profiled both candidates, joins the show to chat about the race and discuss why she was kicked out of a Jasmine Crockett campaign event.By Elaine Godfrey:Why I Got Thrown Out of a Jasmine Crockett RallyAudio of Elaine being kicked out: ‘Elaine From Atlantic … She Needs to Leave’Texas's PeteA Democrat for the Trump Era
Sen. John Cornyn has been a consistent ally of President Trump. Even Trump likes him just fine...but that may not be enough to save him in Texas, because he may have just been too mild-mannered for too long. He's running against a scandal-plagued (but combative) Attorney General, and a less scandal-plagued (but also less known) newcomer. Texas Monthly writer Eric Benson joins Sarah to break down the Republican brawl in the Lone Star State.Get 60% off your first box with Tempo Meals at https://TempoMeals.com/THEFOCUSGROUP.Show notes:Eric Benson's John Cornyn profile: The Last Ride of Big Bad John
More and more Trump voters are souring on his administration. But why? Inflation, immigration, and Epstein are all in the mix, but there's a giant mosaic of disappointments. We needed a second qualitative researcher to make sense of it all. Democratic pollster Margie Omero joins the show to discuss what she's heard in her own focus groups, listen to Trump voters who are down on his job performance, and check in with the Democratic base.Get free shipping and 365 day returns from Quince at https://Quince.com/THEFOCUSGROUP.Margie's focus groups:Trump’s Problems With Latinos Go Deeper Than the Economy14 Wellness Voters Talk Parenting, MAHA and Social Media
Why are Gen Z men drifting right while Gen Z women move left? And why do right-wing zoomers think the gender gap is so wide? Sarah Longwell talks with the newest Bulwark contributor Rachel Janfaza, founder of The Up and Up, to analyze new focus groups of Gen Z Trump voters. They also get into these voters' Trump fatigue on foreign policy, why a future JD Vance presidential run isn't appealing, and whether these voters could ever date someone across the political divide.The Bulwark is heading to Minneapolis, and then to Texas. Get your tickets at https://TheBulwark.com/Events.Show notes:Rachel in Vox: The quiet reason why Trump is losing Gen ZFrom November 2025: Rachel Janfaza on The Focus Group Podcast
We saw an ICE officer kill an American citizen for the second time in less than three weeks. This time, it was harder for some of the voters we talked to to make an excuse for it. Bulwark immigration correspondent Adrian Carrasquillo returns to the show to discuss his reporting and listen to voters' raw reactions to what they're seeing in the news.Show notes:The abhorrent power of the photograph of a 5-year-old held by ICEBy Adrian Carrasquillo:Why a Scared 5-Year-Old Boy Shook Our National ConsciencePortraits of the Minneapolis ResistanceLet Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. Join at https://RocketMoney.com/THEFOCUSGROUP
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States
My prediction/guess: the Epstein files will be released. With EVERY sentence in which Trump‘s (Pedo/Rapist-in-Chief‘s) name is mentioned - will be deleted or redacted….
Why not ask your group participants why they don't not go to sources like your guest rather than rely on partisans and media spin? Are they too dumb to think of that, too stupid to absorb the knowledge? It sounds as though a lot of them are too brainwashed to know Trump is a liar and has run many businesses into the ground or maybe too dumb to care. I think you insult them by not challenging them and not asking why they believe what they believe. I guess you're scared they'd not join the groups.
Anne noted: Not one person said we have the right to legal representation. Those whose security clearance or protection was ended by Trump had ethical problems. WHAT were they, according to your geniuses ? You know that the accusations are nonsense, but feel no compunction about letting them go. You dig up clips. Your panelists never think to look for the truth, huh? Why? You strike me as a self indulgent, and privileged dilettante. I wonder what your focus group fools think of you?
Anne takes your groups seriously. I do not. These are stupid* people. You choose not to challenge them or offer them the truth and ask them to consider it. Why? My guess is because they would not take part if they knew you would challenge them. 15 years ago, what were YOU saying about Obama's birth? Why not ask them who the Bill of Rights applies to, and if they believe POTUS can violate it at will? *BTW stupid just means lacking in knowledge or common sense, and it can be cured. Can they?
Oy. Jennifer. You reminded me, from the start, why it is so tough to listen to you... right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right? What did I learn? Nothing new. The same rationalizations for opting out by some, choosing apathy by others. If you could not identify the utter unsuitability of Trump to lead this country, even after seeing him at it for 4 years, you got what you created space for: the MuskTrump presidency. A government bought by and for the ultra wealthy. Thanks.
I must agree with Swisher. Not much knowledge is displayed in these groups, although she tempers her critiques, perhaps to be polite, as the tape rolls on.
This episode was so hard to listen to. These fellas clearly "did their research" in the MAGA echo chamber in addition to being too naive about life.
Sara, in your episode with Sam Stein you remarked that talking about transgenders (and gays?) to small kids is inappropriate. You are completely wrong: from knowing some transgenders and gays (one of my sons is gay) and talking to them I LEARNED that most already know that they are different than their friends, or that they are not really of the gender by which they are addressed already at a very young age - by as young as three years old!!!
I know this isn't the way focus groups work, but I just wanted to jump into the podcast to press these people to articulate just exactly how they would enumerate "Trump policies" and "Republican principles". All I heard was "this is your brain on Fox", aped talking point after aped talking point.
I'm curious - is there any kind of sociological study that shows the overlap between GOP voters and irrational/conspiratorial thought? just seems that when a Democrat loses an election, Democratic voters are not anywhere near as predestined to default to this argument of a rigged election.