We just talked with political strategist Anat Shenker-Osorio about the two big upheavals in American politics this week: the end of the shutdown and the long-awaited dump of Jeffrey Epstein’s emails, and what they mean for Democratic Party leadership, Donald Trump’s future, and more. And as usual, we came to Anat with some of our toughest questions — and didn’t always agree on the way forward.
Did Democrats steal failure from the jaws of victory, or was the “deal” actually a canny strategic move?
Does treating Donald Trump as an everyday political threat get more people into the fight for the 2026 midterms — or does it let a fascist regime grab so much power that the next election will be meaningless?
Do Democrats need to focus on broadly appealing ideas to speak to the majority — or is galvanizing a minority with more forceful ideas the way?
Has the left replaced organizing with mere get-out-the-vote efforts — and has that kept people from realizing the power they have to change things?
Is the revelation of the Epstein emails the biggest challenge Trump has faced so far, and — because it’s a story with conflict and characters, and one about Trump breaking his promise to his base — could it actually be the beginning of the end?
You won’t want to miss any of it. Just click on the video player above to watch the entire conversation.
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Join us tomorrow, Friday, November 14, at 1:15 p.m. Eastern, when we talk to author Vanessa Williamson about her new book on taxation, The Price of Democracy..
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