The Lincoln Project

Rick Wilson sits down with former Congressman Adam Kinzinger, star of The Last Republican and founder of Country First, for a blistering look at what may be Donald Trump’s worst week yet. From the Supreme Court’s tariff showdown and GOP election losses to Trump’s tone-deaf Great Gatsby party at Mar-a-Lago, Kinzinger and Wilson rip into the chaos with trademark dark humor and political fire. They break down Trump’s economic disaster, his narcissism, and how he’s turned the Republican Party into a cult of fear—run by Tucker Carlson, Laura Loomer, and Nick Fuentes. Kinzinger explains why he thinks Trump won’t run in 2028, how neo-Nazis and conspiracy theorists hijacked the movement, and what it will take for Democrats to win in 2026 by focusing on affordability, corruption, and the economy instead of endless culture wars. With hits on Jack Smith’s investigation, AI chips to China, and the collapse of the conservative establishment, this episode is a sharp, darkly funny autopsy of a party—and a democracy—on the brink. • • • • • You can find Adam Kinzinger on X @AdamKinzinger, on his Substack at adamkinzinger.substack.com, & in the documentary ‘The Last Republican,’ streaming now. Also, check out his organization Country First, at country1st.com. Rick Wilson is on X at @TheRickWilson, on Bluesky at @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and you can check out Rick's Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. You can check out more of LP's work at www.lincolnproject.us and on X at @ProjectLincoln.  Go to bollandbranch.com/lincoln and use code ‘LINCOLN’ for 25% off + free shipping. #ad

For Trump, empathy is like one of his contractors — it never gets paid. Rick explores how Trump’s austerity policies, SNAP cuts, and Medicare rollbacks crushed millions while he partied with billionaires. The 2025 Democratic election surge wasn’t luck — it was justice. • • • • • Rick Wilson is on X at @TheRickWilson, on Bluesky at @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and you can check out Rick's Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. You can check out more of LP's work at www.lincolnproject.us and on X at @ProjectLincoln. 

The 2025 elections aren’t just mid-cycle noise — they’re the dress rehearsal for 2026. In a very special election episode, Rick Wilson walks you through the field with his trademark mix of snark and strategic clarity: from the knife-fight in New York, the gubernatorial brawl in New Jersey, and Virginia’s bellwether races, to the California Prop-50 slugfest and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court showdown that could tilt national law for a generation. Every one of these contests is a test run for what the GOP and MAGA movement plan to unleash next year — and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Inside the movement, the fractures are widening. Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, and Nick Fuentes are spinning off from Trump’s orbit, building rival cults of personality and turning MAGA into a circular firing squad. The “unified” right is now a live grenade rolling around its own tent. And out in the field? Keep your eyes open. Masked thugs and fake “poll watchers” are already showing up at polling places — a trial balloon for voter intimidation and a warning of what 2026 may look like if the guardrails come off. Finally, Rick reflects on the death of Dick Cheney, the last grand strategist of the Republican old guard — a man who built the machine that Trump’s chaos now threatens to burn to the ground. His passing isn’t just news; it’s the symbolic end of an era. It's a special day today, and whatever happens, the lessons we learn today will ready us for 2026. • • • • • Rick Wilson is on X at @TheRickWilson, on Bluesky at @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and you can check out Rick's Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. You can check out more of LP's work at www.lincolnproject.us and on X at @ProjectLincoln

Rick Wilson sits down with Nate Soares — executive director of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute and co-author (with Eliezer Yudkowsky) of the New York Times bestseller IF ANYONE BUILDS IT, EVERYONE DIES — for a brutally funny, deeply unnerving tour of how humanity might code itself into extinction. Together, they shred the techno-utopian hype and lay bare the reality of Artificial General Intelligence: machines that learn faster than their makers, billionaires racing to build digital gods, and governments regulating it like it’s a new brand of toaster. Rick brings his trademark fire, skewering the Silicon Valley messiahs who think “alignment” is just a yoga pose, while Nate breaks down how emergent behavior, greed, and hubris could make “innovation” our final act. Buckle up — it’s the smartest, darkest conversation you’ll ever laugh through. • • • • • You can find Nate Soares @So8res on X, and check out ifanyonebuildsit.com for information on his new book.  Rick Wilson is on X at @TheRickWilson, on Bluesky at @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and you can check out Rick's Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. You can check out more of LP's work at www.lincolnproject.us and on X at @ProjectLincoln.  To get simple, online access to personalized, affordable care for ED, Hair Loss, Weight Loss, and more, visit Hims.com/LincolnProject for your free online visit.

He’s covered revolutions, disasters, and political meltdowns. Now, former Fox News host turned News Nation anchor Leland Vittert covers something even bigger—himself. In his new book, he shares how understanding life on the spectrum helped him finally find peace in a world that never stops talking. Bullied mercilessly as a child and delayed in his learning, Leland mastered his ability to observe, listen, and unpack the real news story. Rick Wilson joins him for a candid, often funny, always human look at neurodiversity, purpose, and what happens when a journalist turns the camera inward. • • • • • You can follow Leland Vittert on X @LelandVittert and you can find Born Lucky: A Dedicated Father, A Grateful Son, and My Journey with Autism, wherever fine books are sold. Rick Wilson is on X at @TheRickWilson, on Bluesky at @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and you can check out Rick's Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. You can check out more of LP's work at www.lincolnproject.us and on X at @ProjectLincoln. 

Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s memoir NOBODY’S GIRL: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice -- is more than a book — it’s a final act of truth-telling from a woman who refused to be silenced. In this episode, Rick Wilson honors her story by sitting down with co-author Amy Wallace and Virginia's brother, Sky Roberts, and his wife, Amanda, to examine how Virginia's courage blew the lid off of Epstein’s network of abuse, power, and complicity. Through her own words, Virginia's voice continues to demand accountability, advocate for survivors, and expose the rot behind the façade of wealth and privilege. Justice for victims only happens when someone refuses to stay silent, and that someone was Virginia. This special episode breaks down what Virginia's story teaches us about resilience, systemic failure, and the ongoing fight for a world where no one else becomes yet another survivor.  #RELEASETHEFILES • • • • • NOBODY’S GIRL: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice has officially hit bookstores everywhere. To support Virginia's family's efforts to continue to carry Virginia's torch and advocate for sex abuse survivors, please follow @virginias_voice on all social media platforms.  Rick Wilson is on X at @TheRickWilson, on Bluesky at @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and you can check out Rick's Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. You can check out more of LP's work at www.lincolnproject.us and on X at @ProjectLincoln. 

The White House East Wing didn’t fall—it got vibed out of existence. Trump’s building a ballroom fit for his ego, bulldozing history for a disco ball. In this week’s Elephant in the Room, Rick drags the Trump ballroom demolition 2025 mess like it’s an HGTV fever dream gone fascist. We’re talking $300 million in private “donations,” government accountability in shambles, and a former president who treats democracy like a side hustle. It’s giving Marie Antoinette-core, dripping in gold, and built on pure delusion. Tune in for a darkly hilarious breakdown of how Trump’s corruption and power trip just turned America’s most iconic building into his personal event space—because of course he did. • • • • Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and @therickwilson.bsky.social on Bluesky, and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com.  Join the fight with the Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us and follow LP on X at @ProjectLincoln. If you'd like to help us continue our critical work, visit https://action.lincolnproject.us/helplp to make a difference.

Arizona’s Adelita Grijalva won her election fair and square, but Speaker Mike Johnson’s government shutdown has become a hostage crisis. Grijalva would have been the 218th vote to release the Epstein Files. Instead of being sworn in, Grijalva’s locked out while Johnson clings to power and uses the House swearing-in delay to feed his MAGA base. Rick Wilson tears into this clown show—how GOP power politics turned a duly elected congresswoman into a political pawn, how the shutdown in Congress hurts Arizona's families, and why Johnson’s behavior reeks of tiny "D" energy.  • • • • You can find Adelita Grijalva @AdelitaForAZ on X and @adelitaforcongress.bsky.social on Bluesky.  Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and @therickwilson.bsky.social on Bluesky, and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com.  Join the fight with the Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us and follow LP on X at @ProjectLincoln. If you'd like to help us continue our critical work, visit https://action.lincolnproject.us/helplp to make a difference.

Trump’s newest fiction comes with a price tag: $40 billion to Argentina. It’s not aid, it’s a favor — a payoff to Wall Street insiders and political loyalists who bankrolled his second term. While American farmers drown under tariffs and export bans, Trump’s cronies are cashing foreign checks. And right on cue, he approves a Qatari airbase in Idaho, conveniently following his Doha golf course deal. Rick Wilson calls it what it is: a presidential pay-to-play scheme on a global scale. But Trump’s authoritarian impulses don’t stop at the border. At home, armed agents act as his private militia, silencing dissent and intimidating journalists under vague “national security” orders. This isn’t leadership — it’s monarchy cosplay with taxpayer funding. Rick reminds listeners that this country was founded in rebellion against one man’s unchecked power. Two hundred and fifty years later, the warning still stands: We are a nation of No Kings. • • • • Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and @therickwilson.bsky.social on Bluesky, and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com.  Join the fight with the Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us and follow LP on X at @ProjectLincoln. If you'd like to help us continue our critical work, visit https://action.lincolnproject.us/helplp to make a difference. Go to www.quince.com/lincoln for 365-day returns + free shipping.

Imagine the Roaring Twenties, but with cable news, Bitcoin, and orange hair. Andrew Ross Sorkin joins Rick to discuss his new book '1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History--and How It Shattered a Nation' (out 10/14/25), which shows the collision course between Wall Street excess and regulatory failure that sparked the Great Depression. Today, Trump’s tariff tantrums are gutting supply chains, midwestern farmers are losing land, inflation is gobbling up paychecks, and the rich are floating above it all. If the economic pressure cooker looks familiar, that’s because history is being regurgitated on fast forward — and MAGA’s version is dumber, uglier, and louder. • • • • You can find Andrew Ross Sorkin @andrewrsorkin on X, and pick up his new book “1929: The Inside Story of the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History,” wherever fine books are sold. Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and @therickwilson.bsky.social on Bluesky, and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com.  Join the fight with the Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us and follow LP on X at @ProjectLincoln. If you'd like to help us continue our critical work, visit https://action.lincolnproject.us/helplp to make a difference. Go to www.quince.com/lincoln for 365-day returns + free shipping.

Trump is flirting with invoking the Insurrection Act, and when he says he “can do something,” he usually means he's GOING to do it. This week, Stephen Miller encouraged the fantasy of Trump’s so-called “plenary authority” to deploy the National Guard in Chicago and Portland. At the same time, Kristi Noem floated an ICE expansion to “restore order.” Rick Wilson breaks down how Trump’s martial law threats, Miller’s authoritarian fetish, and MAGA’s open calls for arrests are all part of the same anti-democracy fever dream that's becoming more and more of a reality.  • • • • Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and @therickwilson.bsky.social on Bluesky, and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com.  Join the fight with the Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us and follow LP on X at @ProjectLincoln. If you'd like to help us continue our critical work, visit https://action.lincolnproject.us/helplp to make a difference. Go to www.bollandbranch.com/lincoln to receive up to 20% off and free shipping. Exclusions apply.

He said she was “not his type.” The jury said he was lying. In this can’t-miss episode, Rick Wilson talks with E. Jean Carroll about her jaw-dropping victory in the Trump defamation and sexual assault civil case. They discuss the courtroom madness, the appeals court ruling that upheld her $83.3 million judgment, and the surreal moment she realized Trump’s mouth had finally cost him real money. Her new book, Not My Type: One Woman vs. a President, is equal parts courtroom thriller, survivor’s manifesto, and roast of America’s worst date. • • • • You can find E. Jean Carroll @ejeancarroll on X, and pick up her new book “Not My Type: One Woman vs. a President,” wherever fine books are sold. Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and @therickwilson.bsky.social on Bluesky, and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com.  Join the fight with the Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us and follow LP on X at @ProjectLincoln. If you'd like to help us continue our critical work, visit https://action.lincolnproject.us/helplp to make a difference. Go to www.bollandbranch.com/lincoln to receive up to 20% off and free shipping. Exclusions apply.

In Trump’s America, the enemy isn’t abroad—it’s you. His latest military speech made it clear: he sees the U.S. Army as his domestic police force, his red hat shock troops, his tool for shutting down dissent. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court keeps handing him authoritarian cheat codes, the government shutdown grinds on, tariffs crush farmers, and Democrats keep pretending they’ll “find their message” someday. • • • • Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and @therickwilson.bsky.social on Bluesky, and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com.  Join the fight with the Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us and follow LP on X at @ProjectLincoln. If you'd like to help us continue our critical work, visit https://action.lincolnproject.us/helplp to make a difference.

Welcome back to America’s Groundhog Day: where Reconstruction never really ended, Jim Crow 2.0 is trending, and Trump authoritarianism feels like a bad sequel. Antonia Hylton (MSNBC) walks us through how the post-Reconstruction era is colliding with today’s civil rights crisis. Then Charlie Sykes breaks down how the Trump crackdown on the media, the DOJ's weaponization, and a supine Supreme Court that keeps empowering the executive branch make Nixon look like a community theater tyrant. Spoiler: the First Amendment is now “pending review” under Trump’s authoritarian playbook. And while America teeters on a government shutdown, Democrats are delusional enough to think “bipartisanship” is a strategy instead of a suicide pact — even as tariffs smash farmers’ margins and rural America feels the squeeze of policy and propaganda alike. • • • • You can find Antonia Hylton @ahylton26 on social media, or on her website antoniahylton.com. You can also pickup her incredible book “Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum,” wherever fine books are sold. You can find Charlie Sykes on X @SykesCharlie, and on his Substack “To the Contrary” at www.charliesykes.substack.com Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and @therickwilson.bsky.social on Bluesky, and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com.  Join the fight with the Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us and follow LP on X at @ProjectLincoln. If you'd like to help us continue our critical work, visit https://action.lincolnproject.us/helplp to make a difference.

Ukraine is hitting back harder than ever, as its military pushes Russia out of key regions and puts Moscow’s most significant targets in range—all while Russian gas prices skyrocket to a staggering $25 a gallon, deepening Putin’s crisis.  At the same time in the U.S., late-night TV is on fire: ABC’s controversial decision to reorder Jimmy Kimmel Live! sparked massive backlash, wiping $4 billion off Disney’s market cap before Kimmel triumphantly returned to air. From Ukraine’s fight for freedom to Disney’s Wall Street disaster and Kimmel’s comeback, this episode dives into the global headlines shaking both the Kremlin and Hollywood. • • • • • Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and @therickwilson.bsky.social on Bluesky, and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com.  Join the fight with the Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us and follow LP on X at @ProjectLincoln. If you'd like to help us continue our critical work, visit https://action.lincolnproject.us/helplp to make a difference.

Elie Honig joins Rick Wilson to discuss When You Come at the King, exploring the intersection of presidential power and the law. Nixon's Watergate scandal, Reagan's Iran-Contra affair, and Clinton's Monica Lewinsky scandal all tested the limits of executive power in their own ways. However, Trump has altered the game when it comes to executive power and has zero shame about it. Trump's presidential immunity ruling was the most significant expansion of presidential power in the last 100 years. Wilson and Honig delve into how this shift has not only challenged legal norms but also deepened partisan divides, raising questions about the future of presidential accountability. • • • • • You can follow Elie Honig @eliehonig on X, and pick up his new book “When You Come at the King: Inside DOJ's Pursuit of the President, from Nixon to Trump” wherever fine books are sold. Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and @therickwilson.bsky.social on Bluesky, and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com.  Join the fight with the Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us and follow LP on X at @ProjectLincoln. If you'd like to help us continue our critical work, visit https://action.lincolnproject.us/helplp to make a difference.

Donald Trump and his handpicked FCC chair, Brendan Carr, just made satire a crime. After punishing ABC and Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show getting pulled off-air, America is staring down the barrel of state-run media where free speech is no longer protected, jokes are illegal, and satire is treated as sedition. This episode dives into Trump’s FCC censorship crackdown, the chilling rise of state-controlled news, and what it means when a president can silence critics with the stroke of a pen. From the death of late-night comedy to the birth of authoritarian propaganda, Rick Wilson unpacks how Trump’s fragile ego and lust for power are reshaping American media into his own personal megaphone. • • • • • Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and @therickwilson.bsky.social on Bluesky, and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com.  Join the fight with the Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us and follow LP on X at @ProjectLincoln. If you'd like to help us continue our critical work, visit https://action.lincolnproject.us/helplp to make a difference. Visit expressvpn.com/lincolnproject for an exclusive offer for our listeners. 

Texas is breaking at the seams—divided, bitter, and locked in a political cage match that’s left ordinary Texans stuck in the middle. For decades, the state has been painted bright red, but now the cracks are showing, and a fresh wave of underdog organizers and voters is daring to repaint the map purple. From the San Antonio Spurs to street culture, from BBQ pits to the Capitol floor, Texas' fresh politics is colliding with an old guard terrified of losing power—on fights over voting rights, gerrymandering, abortion bans, gun violence, border and immigration, book bans, school vouchers, property taxes, and the ERCOT power grid. In this episode, James Talarico joins Rick Wilson for a hard look at a changing Purple Texas—how Gen Z, Latino voters, suburban women, and independents are shifting the map; why MAGA extremism and corrupt politicians (like Ken Paxton) keep stoking culture wars; and how fresh leadership can take power back for the people and revive democracy in the Lone Star State. • • • • • You can find James Talarico @jamestalarico on social media, and keep up with his campaign at jamestalarico.com. Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and @therickwilson.bsky.social on Bluesky, and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com.  Join the fight with the Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us and follow LP on X at @ProjectLincoln. If you'd like to help us continue our critical work, visit https://action.lincolnproject.us/helplp to make a difference. Visit expressvpn.com/lincolnproject to find out how you can get up to 4 months free of charge. 

America is bleeding out from within. In just the past few years, the U.S. has been rocked by political violence, extremist attacks, and assassinations that have pushed democracy to the brink. From right-wing radicals to left-wing extremists, the rhetoric of hate has turned deadly, fueling a surge in domestic terrorism and political assassinations. The killing of Charlie Kirk in Utah and the shocking assassination of Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband are the latest wake-up calls, and no side has clean hands. Hate has become a political strategy, amplified by social media algorithms, AI echo chambers, and corrupt politicians who profit from division and literal blood money. While the powerful get richer, ordinary Americans are left living in a democracy under threat—where both sides have stopped listening—and it has to stop. • • • • • Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and @therickwilson.bsky.social on Bluesky, and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com.  Join the fight with the Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us and follow LP on X at @ProjectLincoln. If you'd like to help us continue our critical work, visit https://action.lincolnproject.us/helplp to make a difference. Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at BollandBranch.com/LINCOLN.

Donald Trump’s New York story isn’t just about gold-plated towers—it’s about shady deals, mob ties, bankruptcies, and the grift that built his so-called empire. In this episode, host Rick Wilson sits down with Jonathan Mahler of The New York Times Magazine to dig into Trump’s corruption in New York real estate, his mob connections, and how those dirty deals shaped the man who would later seize the presidency. Together, they expose the Trump Tower backstory, the bankruptcy bailouts, and the pattern of fraud and scandal that defined Trump long before MAGA. This deep-dive connects the dots between Trump’s shady New York origins and the current chaos of his political empire, revealing how the same real estate scams, mafia ties, and financial fraud that fueled his rise are still driving his downfall today. • • • • • You can purchase Jonathan Mahler’s newest book ‘THE GODS OF NEW YORK: Egotists, Idealists, Opportunists, and the Birth of the Modern City: 1986-1990’ wherever fine books are sold, and you can follow him on X @jonathanmahler. Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and @therickwilson.bsky.social on Bluesky, and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com.  Join the fight with the Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us and follow LP on X at @ProjectLincoln. If you'd like to help us continue our critical work, visit https://action.lincolnproject.us/helplp to make a difference. Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at BollandBranch.com/LINCOLN. #ad