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.
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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.
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Fresh Blood vs. Fossilized Fools with James Talarico
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.
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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.
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The Death of Debate
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.
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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.
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Trump: The Fifth Crime Family
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.
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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
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Orange Is the New Red: Trump’s Intel Inquisition
The free market just flatlined—and Donald Trump pulled the plug. While pretending to be the defender of capitalism, Trump has become its greatest enemy. His new 10% stake in Intel, combined with a push for Soviet-style business control, exposes the breathtaking hypocrisy of MAGA’s so-called “free enterprise” movement. Just like his idol Vladimir Putin—who used the exact same strategy to crush rivals and consolidate power—Trump is turning America into his own oligarch’s playground. In this episode, Rick Wilson digs into Trump’s Silicon Valley power grab, how this MAGA Marxism echoes Putin’s authoritarian economics, and why Republicans are terrified to admit their Dear Leader has turned into a communist in a red hat. If Trump is going to "socialize" private businesses, then why doesn't he focus on getting American equity in healthcare and insurance companies? In Trump's orbit, NOTHING is ever free, and more often than not, cruelty is the point.
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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.
The creators of the most watched and talked-about ad content in the political/cultural sphere, THE LINCOLN PROJECT, and co-founder/host Rick Wilson, have a reputation for saying the things others are afraid to say.
Headed up by LP's notorious creative team, THE LINCOLN PROJECT podcast features a range of special guests, from leading political minds to the hottest pop-culture icons. Broadening the subject matter beyond politics and making the conversation more relatable to everyone, The Lincoln Project podcast’s mission is to reignite the political flame in every American and break down the biggest topics of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
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