The Rise of Conspiracy Politics in Trump’s America (ft. Astead Herndon)

After Trump imposed sweeping tariffs, tried to prevent the release of the Epstein files, and led the U.S. into another potential “forever” war, are the bonds that keep the MAGA coalition together starting to fall apart?

Jessica Tarlov sits down with Vox’s Astead Herndon — political journalist and host of the new podcast “America, Actually” — to discuss these and other big-picture trends on both sides of the aisle. They also break down Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s testimony on Capitol Hill, as the 60-day clock on the Iran conflict winds down. Facing tough questions on strategy, civilian casualties, and rapidly depleting weapons stockpiles, one key question looms: is there any real clarity on how this ends?

They also talk about the major ruling delivered by the Supreme Court on Louisiana’s congressional map, which many say further narrows the Voting Rights Act, intensifying the fight over redistricting. With Florida Republicans pushing an aggressive new map, which party is really winning the map wars?

Plus: conspiracy theories explode online in the aftermath of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. But it’s not just Republicans who are holding conspiratorial beliefs. Jessica and Astead dig into the state of the electorate ahead of the midterms: which voters are being misunderstood, what storylines are overhyped, and what a post-Trump political landscape might actually look like.

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