The Axe Files with David Axelrod
A weekly News podcast featuring David Axelrod
The Axe Files with David Axelrod
Episodes
Episodes of The Axe Files
Mark All
This week marks a significant moment for The Axe Files: our final episode. We hope you have found these conversations to be as eye-opening and inspiring as we have, and we’ll miss sharing stories with you each week. For the final episode, David
Scott Jennings is well known as a conservative firebrand on CNN. From working for George W. Bush to being mentioned as a possible press secretary for Donald Trump, Scott has a deep background in Republican politics, yet he considers himself a j
Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez has made waves—and won elections—by questioning who gets to be an expert on the needs of everyday Americans. She grew up in Texas and attended Reed College before settling in rural Washington and opening
This Thanksgiving, we’re revisiting a conversation with historian and writer Jon Meacham on his book, “And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle.” The book dives deep into Lincoln and the why behind the actions of America’s
Chris LaCivita, GOP campaign pro and mastermind behind some of the party’s most ruthless yet effective political ads, says he focuses on a simple mandate—getting his boss elected. In the weeks following his successful stint as co-manager of Don
Democratic pollster John Anzalone wants voters to know that pollsters are not prognosticators. Instead, they use their findings to help craft strategy and messaging, and John has some advice for the Democratic Party after the 2024 election. He
This week, The Axe Files reaches a milestone: 600 episodes. For this anniversary show, CNN’s Anderson Cooper sat down with David to talk about the origins of The Axe Files, some of the most memorable moments from the podcast, what David has lea
Charlamagne tha God—born Lenard McKelvey—got his start in radio by chance, but once he started, he was hooked. He now co-hosts The Breakfast Club, a nationally syndicated morning show reaching millions of listeners each month. He talked to Davi
CNN’s John King loves being an anchor, but looking back on the past few presidential elections, he felt he was missing something from inside his Washington, D.C. bubble. So, he decided to get back on the road, traveling from state to state and
Ilana Dayan, a prominent Israeli journalist, spoke with David last fall, just days after the October 7 massacre in Israel perpetrated by Hamas. One year later, David checked in with Ilana to talk about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has been thinking about the economy since she was a young girl in the working-class neighborhood of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, keenly attuned to how broader economic trends impacted the employment of her neighbors. Onc
As a child, journalist Kasie Hunt eagerly awaited the arrival of “Time” magazine each week. She loved current events, which eventually piqued her interest in national security and journalism. She joined David to talk about growing up in a post-
At 11 years old, Roger Carstens, already an avid news consumer, was struck by stories of genocide in Cambodia. He resolved that when he grew up, he would work to alleviate human suffering. That mission took him to the Army and jobs in the non-p
DeMar DeRozan is a six-time NBA All Star and an Olympic gold medalist. But perhaps the defining legacy of his career will be his decision to speak out about his struggles with depression and mental health. He joined David to talk about growing
Kamala Harris has “Freedom.” Donald Trump has “God Bless the USA” (and a lot of cease-and-desist letters). What makes for a good campaign song? And why do we respond so viscerally to the ones that work? Audie talks with DJ Cassidy, who DJ'd the
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi has joined David on The Axe Files many times to talk about her life, policy, and politics. With the recent release of her book, “The Art of Power,” the two again met to talk at the University Club of Chicago during
As Vice President Kamala Harris prepares to take the stage for the final night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention as the Democratic presidential nominee, we are re-airing a conversation David had with Harris back in 2017. At the time, s
Journalist Ezra Klein has been covering politics for two decades, first as a blogger from his undergrad dorm room and now as an Opinion columnist for The New York Times. He joined David to talk about the current political moment, the role of po
Much has been said about perceived parallels between this year’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago and the 1968 convention, hallmarked by a violent response to anti-Vietnam War protestors and an incumbent who announced he would not seek
As a longtime reporter and observer of American politics and culture, Audie Cornish spends her days chronicling and analyzing history as it’s happening. This week, Audie joined David to talk about her own history: growing up in the “messy follo
After reading about the Navy SEALs in middle school, Rep. Dan Crenshaw was determined to one day join their ranks. After 10 years as a Navy SEAL—including sustaining injuries in an IED explosion that left him with one eye—he was medically retir
Ohio Sen. JD Vance made news this week when GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump selected Sen. Vance as his running mate. But Sen. Vance didn’t start out a Trump fan. Once a harsh Trump critic, he slowly transitioned to all-out supporter. Se
Political commentator and former Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau watched the first 2024 presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden with great concern. Now, he’s questioning whether Biden should stay in the race. He joined David to ta
Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin is known for chronicling the lives and leadership styles of some of America’s most prominent presidents. But for her latest book she focused on a different sort of subject: her husband, the late political adviser
Dr. Anthony Fauci became a household name during the Covid-19 pandemic. While Dr. Fauci stepped down as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in 2022, he still has stories to share. His new book, “On Call
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