Sane(ish) with Jo Carducci

Since Donald Trump launched the United States into an illegal war with Iran, MAGA has found itself in an impossible position, having to contort themselves into a pretzel in order to perform a 180 degree flip from anti-war isolationists to Bush/Cheney 2.0. On this episode of The Siren Podcast, I spoke with former U.S. representative Denver Riggleman about the latest updates to the Iran War. MAGA mouthpiece and right-wing propagandist Karoline Leavitt recently said Trump had a “feeling” that Iran was going to strike the US. Imagine, for a second, the Republican reaction to a Democratic president saying they went to war because of a “feeling.” It would be non-stop 24/7 news. It would be plastered all over Fox News incessantly. Your MAGA uncle and Trump sympathetic neighbors would tell you about it. But for Donald Trump, it’s just another Wednesday. This comes after Pete Hegseth stated the Iran War could potentially last up to 8 weeks or more, saying the U.S. and Israel would unleash “death and destruction from the sky all day long.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Monday, I caught up with former Transportation Secretary, mayor, and presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg while on the campaign trail in Pennsylvania, on this episode of The Siren Podcast. Secretary Buttigieg spoke openly about Trump’s new war in Iran, and the dangers that American troops in the region now face. Buttigieg himself served in the U.S. military and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2014, where he worked in a secure unit in Kabul, conducting over 90 “outside the wire” convoy trips. As Buttigieg told me, “The president hasn’t even tried to explain to the American people, or to the troops, or to the Congress, real reasons why [the Iran war] couldn’t be avoided.” Buttigieg continued: “Six families and counting have gotten that knock on the door. If you can ask families to go through that and service members to put their lives on the line, the very minimum the Congress should be ready to do is to sit in Washington to take a vote and put their names against an up or down vote on whether they’re gonna allow this.” As we have observed, Donald Trump and his allies have released a series of garbled, awkward statements combining just about every justification under the sun as to their reasoning for beginning the war. One of the more concerning things thus far, is Donald Trump’s avoidance to deliver a presidential address to the nation explaining why the country is involved in yet another Middle Eastern conflict, demonstrating a sincere disinterest in governing for the American people. Coming from the “most transparent administration in history,” there is a huge lack of transparency, whether we’re discussing the Iran War or the Epstein files. Thank you all so much for watching today’s episode. It’s because of your support that I’m able to have these incredible conversations. I love you guys!! 💙 Jo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of The Siren Podcast, Jo is joined by former Washington Governor Jay Inslee to discuss his recent piece titled, “Don’t Let ICE Freeze Voting,” where he urges Congress to ban ICE agents from the polls and protect democracy. Donald Trump has doubled down on saying that Republicans should “nationalize” elections and take control of voting centers. At the same time, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon has been making the rounds saying ICE agents will surround polling stations this November. It is certainly not difficult to imagine a scenario in which the president directs ICE to do just that, as Trump has spent his entire second term relitigating the outcome of the 2020 election, directing the FBI to raid the Fulton County elections center, and has never actually conceded the 2020 election after launching a two month-long attempt at couping the United States. Governor Inslee offers strategies and methods at containing Trump and ICE on this episode, including inserting “absolute binding limitation” within appropriations bills, a power that Democrats actually have, while providing some much needed hope: “We have agency here. We are not powerless. We have shown the ability to beat him in court and on the streets in peaceful resistance. Let me point out that we had 60 judges that stood up when Donald Trump lost the election in 2020 and he was unable to succeed in his coup attempt. And we’ve now had multiple wins where we have had judicial decrees against him that by and large actually have been enforced.” Make sure to tune into this important information-filled episode, right here on The Siren Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before January 6th, Harry thought his entire adult life would go down a fairly regular route, spent as public servant in the role of a police officer, and one day retiring. But everything changed that fateful day on January 6th, 2021, when Harry came face to face with the worst of the worst white supremacists and insurrectionists, waving MAGA and Confederate flags in the halls of the Capitol building. These rioters hurled racial slurs at Harry as he fought to keep them away from members of Congress. In an interview with the New York Times, Harry said, “A lot of us Black officers fought a different battle than everybody else fought. I said to my buddy, ‘I got called [slur] a couple dozen times today.’ I’m looking at him. He’s got blood on him. I’ve got bloody knuckles. We’re hurting. That’s when I said, ‘Is this America?’ and I started crying. Tears are coming down my face. ‘Is this America?’” As Harry describes, his experience on January 6th showed him a “new path.” He knew he had to join the fight in defending democracy against Trump full-time. According to Harry, this fight has “evolved from just what happened that day to what’s happening now across the whole country.” Harry said it best: “This authoritarian regime is hammering people. And this isn’t politics as usual.” We can’t agree more. Visit Harry’s campaign website to learn how you can support him. This is an episode you definitely don’t want to miss. 💙 Jo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(This episode was recorded before the tragic murder of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by ICE in Minneapolis yesterday). On this episode of The Siren Podcast, Jo is joined by Siren contributor Kaivan Shroff to discuss his latest piece for MS NOW, titled: “Cell phone videos are protecting Americans — and eroding our privacy.” There is no doubt that the thousands of videos from citizens documenting ICE are protecting Americans, and in some cases, have even saved lives. In the face of a brutal regime that lies to its citizens with every breath they take, the videos are playing a crucial role in spreading rapid-response information and organizing strategies to on the ground ICE protestors. The videos are also shining a light on the atrocities ICE is committing everyday for Americans who either once supported Trump, or never took the time to deeply examine the immigration issue. In other words, the video documentation is rapidly turning Americans against Trump, and radicalizing them against ICE and the regime. A reported 73% of Americans saw the video of Renee Good’s murder by ICE, and 45% say they support abolishing ICE. That number will only grow with yesterday’s execution-style killing of ICU nurse Alex Pretti. But as Kaivan tells us, this firmly accelerates our march towards a surveillance state. He writes in his piece: “Every viral video, live-streamed arrest or crowdsourced map expands the mass-surveillance landscape in the United States. Our phones become both a shield and a monitor. Protection merges with data production, and resistance begins to resemble a corollary tech-driven surveillance infrastructure: crafted by humans, often with good intentions, but also accessible to courts, law enforcement and the Big Tech oligarchy to boot.” Make sure to follow Kaivan Shroff on Substack, and check out his new podcast here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(This episode was recorded before the tragic murder of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by ICE in Minneapolis today). On Tuesday, ICE detained a 5 year old boy in Minneapolis. They grabbed him in the driveway of his home after he came home from pre-school, and used him as bait to capture his father. He has now been kidnapped by ICE, and is being held with his father inside an ICE facility in Texas, likely inside the notorious cages we’ve seen so many pictures of. On this episode of The Siren Podcast, Jo is joined by Miles Taylor, founder of DEFIANCE.org. Miles told us some shocking details about Stephen Miller’s role in ICE’s kidnapping of children, and how their cruelty here is intentional: “You what was Stephen Miller trying to do? And what I was told, and this is again, early days of the Trump administration, what I was told is there were plans at the White House to implement a deliberate policy of child separation at the border to rip a kid away from a parent as a means of deterrence, so that if you were thinking about coming to this country, you would think twice because the US government would rip your child from you. So it was intentional.” Liam Ramos is just one of at least four children, all from the same school district, who have been detained this month by ICE, according to school officials. The knee-jerk reaction of MAGA and the Trump regime was to call this five year old child an “illegal alien.” Yes, a five year old. According to Marc Prokosch, the family’s lawyer, “They came properly. They came legally, and are pursuing a legal pathway.” But honestly, talking about their legal status isn’t important anymore. Because ICE doesn’t care who is and isn’t a U.S. citizen. Last Sunday, ICE broke down the door of an elderly Hmong immigrant and naturalized U.S. citizen with no criminal record. They brought him outside in the freezing cold with no clothes on, and proceeded to drive him around before realizing he was a U.S. citizen. All in front of his now traumatized grandson. We’ve also seen ICE tackling and pepper spraying journalists and pregnant mothers, all of whom are citizens. And of course, ICE shot Renee Nicole Good in broad daylight, and then proceeded to deny her medical care for eight minutes while she died. And now, an ICE whistleblower has leaked a secret memo written by ICE leadership, meant to be hidden from the public, detailing how ICE agents were verbally given the ability to violate the fourth amendment, saying agents can “forcibly enter into certain people’s homes without a judicial warrant.” And get this: Even DHS’s own training materials say this is directly unconstitutional. But it’s not all bad news. On this episode, Miles tells us his bright, inspiring plans for the future, and how we can all collectively resist against this authoritarian regime. You’ll want to stick around to hear about Miles’ new org, and the massive event they have planned during Trump’s State of the Union. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Like many of you, I am constantly thinking about what’s going to happen in the 2026 midterms, which if you can believe it, are less than 10 months away. Unfortunately, we don’t have a crystal ball. And if there’s one thing we learned from 2024, it’s that polls can be wrong. What we do have is data, which can predict which candidates have the best chance of winning and which districts are going to be the closest. That’s why on this episode of The Siren Podcast, I had the honor of being joined by Brian Derrick, co-founder and CEO of Oath Vote. Brian and his team have created a brilliant new way to forecast which races across the nation donations can have the maximum impact in. Brian believes that political fundraising as it stands today is broken, with good-intentioned donors wasting millions on long-shot races or safe seats, when instead, that money would be better spent on a candidate running in a closer district who might not enjoy the same national stardom as other candidates. With more strategic donations leading up to the midterms, Democrats will be gearing up for a historic blue wave in 2026. All the most encouraging are the 18 House districts that recently shifted towards Democrats, according to the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, which projected that Democrats have “more than enough opportunities” to win 218 seats, a majority in the House this November. On this episode, we discuss which of these races are the closest as they stand, which exciting new candidates need support the most, and the status of the electoral battleground for the House and the Senate in 2026: Are Republicans in for a generational electoral loss in November? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of The Siren Podcast, hosted on The Siren Network, I had the honor of being joined by Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy and Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley to discuss the murder of Renee Good in Minneapolis by ICE, why the Trump regime is really starting a conflict with Venezuela, and how Americans should be demanding more of their elected officials during this moment. Trump and his minions in the White House have made it their mission to place violence at the center of everything they do. Their goal is to normalize it. We see this play out in many forms, but especially in the regime’s response to the tragic shooting of Renee Good. When ICE shoots an American citizen three times in the face, Kristi Noem’s very first instinct was to demonize her and call her a domestic terrorist. JD Vance’s initial response branded Good as a “deranged leftist.” The official federal response from the White House did not include calls for investigations, or pledges to ensure this never happens again- but support for the actions of the ICE agent who pulled the trigger. Hours after the shooting, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted an image reading “I STAND WITH ICE.” She then pinned that message to the top of her Twitter profile, seemingly supporting the murder that the entire country saw happen on video. When the U.S. military captured Nicolas Maduro, Pete Hegseth said Maduro had “F’d around and found out.” Donald Trump routinely threatens our allies with violence, and pledges to take control of Greenland. The official Twitter accounts of the U.S. Government publish daily propaganda videos of supposed migrants in chains and handcuffs and call for “remigration”- the once fringe, far-right term for the mass deportation of non-whites (a.k.a., ethnic cleansing). All of this has a purpose. It’s meant to make you feel overwhelmed and hopeless. And honestly? It’s perfectly natural to feel that way. But it’s also important to shine a light on our wins- Simply put, Trump is losing the support of Congressional Republicans. As Senator Murphy says during today’s episode, “The Senate just passed a resolution saying that the president does not have the power to take this action in Venezuela. I think four or five Republicans actually crossed over, voted with Democrats. A war powers resolution that is now passed the United States Senate that is heading to the House of Representatives that says the president cannot use any funds in order to carry out operations in Venezuela without the consent of Congress.” Make sure to watch this information-packed double feature of The Siren Podcast, and stay tuned for some light-hearted sports talk! 💙 Jo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of The Siren Podcast, I was joined by New Jersey Senator Andy Kim to discuss the ramifications and lasting effects of January 6th, his personal experience in the Capitol that day, and the horrific shooting by ICE in Minneapolis. On Wednesday, we learned of the tragic murder of an American citizen in broad daylight by an ICE agent in Minneapolis- less than a mile from where George Floyd was killed by police officers in 2020. The victim, who leaves behind a wife and child, had stuffed animals in the glovebox for her six year old. Immediately after the shooting, Trump and his acolytes in the media and within the federal government called the victim a domestic terrorist and professional agitator. They then tried to spin the video, claiming that in actuality, the life of the ICE agent who shot her was at risk. The video of the incident clearly shows the opposite. The Trump regime is telling Americans not to believe what they can see with their own eyes. “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” -George Orwell, 1984 ICE agents on scene denied the victim medical assistance from a doctor who witnessed the incident. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem then spoke at a press conference and called the incident a “domestic act of terrorism.” Later, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted an image reading “I STAND WITH ICE.” She then pinned that message to the top of her Twitter profile, seemingly supporting the murder that the entire country saw happen on video. All of this, because the Trump regime has made it its primary mission and goal to wage an endless, merciless war on the people in this country who don’t look like they do. Everyday, ICE tears apart more and more families to please the insatiable, evil appetite of Stephen Miller, who according to recent reporting from The Atlantic openly admits that if he had it his way, everyone would look like he does. Under Trump, ICE has become what its harshest critics warned that it would- a political, loyalist, secret police force that serves at the sole direction of one man, with zero accountability or oversight from a Republican-led Congress that has entirely given up. While the Trump regime calls the innocent mother they murdered a “domestic terrorist,” remember that Donald Trump pardoned 1,600 actual domestic terrorists who stormed the Capitol on January 6th on day 1 of his second term. You won’t want to miss this incredibly heartfelt and informative episode. 💙 Jo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jo welcomes back Meidas Touch’s Ron Filipkowski for a brutally honest year-end reality check on American politics. They unpack the newest Epstein documents, what they reveal about power, money, and the protection of the ultra-rich, and why Trump’s promises to his base keep collapsing under the weight of his actual record.Ron explains why dozens of Republicans are bailing on the House, how student loan wage garnishments and health-care cuts could scramble 2026, and what Democrats need to do to win back seats in 2026. Plus, Jo and Ron look for slivers of hope in a year that has been darker, messier, and more exhausting than the first season of this political shitshow. SANE(ish) Partners: OneSkin - get 15% off OneSkin with the code JOJO at https://www.oneskin.co/jojo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tom Malinowski isn’t just running for Congress again, he’s running straight into the flamethrower Trump has aimed at democracy, foreign policy, and the rule of law. If you’ve been doomscrolling FBI hearings about “Antifa terrorists,” boat strikes in the Caribbean, and Republicans suddenly remembering they have spines, this episode has you covered. Topics include: • How Trump’s team is using drug-war theater on the high seas to test-drive a terrifying theory of power: if anyone can be labeled a “terrorist,” anyone can be stripped of rights, due process, or worse.• Why a dry-sounding “National Security Strategy” document is actually a seismic attempt to cozy up to far-right, fascist-adjacent movements in Europe—and what that means for democracy here and abroad.• The quiet rebellion inside the GOP: discharge petitions, surprise votes in places like Indiana, and why the spell around Trump might finally be cracking, just a little. - Why Tom’s race matters: Former congressman Tom Malinowski joins Jo to connect all of it: foreign policy, Trump’s grift, Republican cowardice, and the first big House race for Mikie Sherrill’s old New Jersey seat. He lays out what real accountability could look like if Democrats claw back power. SANE(ish) Partners - ⁠AuraFrames⁠: Exclusive $35-off Carver Mat at ⁠https://on.auraframes.com/JOJO⁠. Use Promo Code JOJO - ⁠REMI⁠: Go to ⁠https://www.shopremi.com/JOJO⁠ and use code JOJO at checkout for 55% off a new night guard plus a FREE foam gift that whitens your teeth and cleans your nightguard. - ⁠Veracity⁠: For up to 45% off your order, head to ⁠⁠https://www.VeracitySelfCare.com⁠⁠ and use promo code JOJO. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jo sits down with Mehdi Hasan to talk about ICE acting like Trump’s personal secret police, the open, gleeful racism coming out of this White House, and what it does to your brain when the people with the microphones keep pretending this is all normal.We get into why calling fascism “fascism” isn’t hyperbole, it’s homework; how Democrats keep flinching from real accountability; and why the press corps lets Trump bully female reporters on live TV while their colleagues stare at their shoes. SANE(ish) Partners - ⁠AuraFrames⁠: Exclusive $35-off Carver Mat at ⁠https://on.auraframes.com/JOJO⁠. Use Promo Code JOJO - ⁠REMI⁠: Go to ⁠https://www.shopremi.com/JOJO⁠ and use code JOJO at checkout for 55% off a new night guard plus a FREE foam gift that whitens your teeth and cleans your nightguard. - ⁠Veracity⁠: For up to 45% off your order, head to ⁠https://www.VeracitySelfCare.com⁠ and use promo code JOJO. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jo sits down with Heather Cox Richardson to connect the chaos in your house to the chaos in American democracy—and spoiler: the mess didn’t start with you, but it sure as hell can end with us.Heather walks us through how we got from “basic civic competence” to “strongman with a merch store,” why Indiana gerrymanders and minority rule are not just boring process stories but actual democracy murder weapons, and what this moment looks like in the long, ugly pattern of American backsliding. SANE(Ish) partners: Mint Mobile: - Get unlimited Talk & Text for just $15 a month today at https://www.mintmobile.com/jojo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The president can’t recall which body part got scanned; but Harry Dunn can recite a coup attempt beat‑by‑beat and still show up tomorrow. Today we’re joined by Harry Dunn, who remembers every second of January 6. Together they talk about goldfish, why “everything will be fine” is a lie, parenting through democratic decay, and what showing up looks like when winning isn’t guaranteed. SANE(ish) Partners: - Aura Frames - Save now on the perfect gift - Exclusive $35-off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/JOJO. Promo Code JOJO - Veracity - For up to 45% off your order, head to https://www.VeracitySelfCare.com and use Promo code JOJO. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephanie Miller joins Jo for a wild, uncensored after-dark happy hour: sex scandals, MAGA meltdown, and Fox News takedowns with a side of raucous banter. From RFK Jr.’s bizarre sexts to Trump’s Fox-loving antics, Hannity face-plants, Marjorie Taylor Greene’s latest drama, and the imploding right getting roasted in real time, it’s all on the table. SANE(ish) Partners: - ⁠Aura Frames⁠: Exclusive $45-off Carver Mat at ⁠https://on.auraframes.com/JOJO⁠. Use Promo Code JOJO - One Skin: Get 15% off OneSkin with the code JOJO at https://www.oneskin.co/JOJO Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it actually takes to force accountability in Washington—especially when it comes to the long-shielded Epstein files? Jo sits down with Congressman Ro Khanna in the aftermath of Congress’s seismic vote to crack open the Epstein files—a moment that didn’t just force transparency but shattered the protective wall hiding MAGA’s ugliest secrets. This episode gets into the high-stakes fight that put Trump’s allies on blast, exposed institutional rot, and dared the GOP to choose: protect the cult or face the truth alongside the rest of us. Khanna reveals how survivor pressure, public outrage, and a no-bullshit demand for receipts finally cornered the power structure built on denial, distraction, and impunity. SANE(ish) Partners - Aura Frames: Exclusive $45-off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/JOJO. Use Promo Code JOJO - REMI: Go to https://www.shopremi.com/JOJO and use code JOJO at checkout for 55% off a new night guard plus a FREE foam gift that whitens your teeth and cleans your nightguard. - Veracity: Head to https://www.VeracitySelfCare.com and use promo code JOJO during their Black Friday Sale for up to 45% off your order Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jess Piper joins to torch the week’s biggest outrages: the fresh dump of Epstein files implicating Trump and power brokers; Megyn Kelly’s jaw-dropping defense of “degrees” of child abuse; performative Democrats and predatory Republicans both hiding behind “protect the kids” slogans; and the everyday struggles faced by rural families lost in the national noise. SANE(ish) Partners: ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ - Don’t get them socks this year. Get them premium wireless for $15/mo. Shop Mint Unlimited Plans at ⁠https://www.MINTMOBILE.com/JOJO⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jo is joined by George Conway for a post-shutdown, post-midterm emotional autopsy: Democrats had the voter energy, the polling, and the moral high ground BUT then folded like a bad hand in Vegas, caving to the GOP less than a week after a stinging Trump/MAGA rejection at the ballot box. Together, Jo and George roast the “Gang of Eight,” eviscerate Chuck Schumer’s white-flag routine, and break down how the party managed to hand victory back to Trumpees and call it progress. SANE(ish) Partners: Mint Mobile - Don’t get them socks this year. Get them premium wireless for $15/mo. Shop Mint Unlimited Plans at https://www.MINTMOBILE.com/JOJO. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fresh off the blue wave and before the MAGA tears had even dried, Tom Malinowski joins Jo and makes it official—he’s running for Congress in New Jersey. Jo’s got Tom in the studio (and the fire’s on full blast) for a brutally honest debrief on election chaos, why the right’s grift machine is collapsing, and what it’s going to take to defend democracy in 2026 and beyond. They rip into everything: GOP meltdown, organizing lessons, and how regular people can keep the wins coming while the right wails into their gold-plated pillows. Sane(ish) Partners: - ⁠Fast Growing Trees⁠: Sane(ish) listeners also get 15% OFF their first purchase by visiting⁠ ⁠https://www.FastGrowingTrees.com/SANEISH⁠ ⁠– and using the code SANEISH at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jo sits down with Jack Hopkins—a former Republican, Navy vet, and host of The Jack Hopkins Show podcast—to rip off the polite tape and get right to what’s freaking everyone out: Trump playing toy soldier with the National Guard and threatening to turn the military against regular Americans, all for the sake of television optics and a bigger slice of power. We’re not here for the spin or the “let’s hear both sides” nonsense. We’re cutting straight to the ugly truth: what happens when public safety becomes just another prop for politics, and negotiating isn’t about meeting in the middle.Jack talks about surviving relentless chaos, dealing with trauma and fear, and why the only way out of this mess is by refusing to let go of your humanity…even when those in charge want nothing more than to wear everyone down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices