Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou

This is Mission

We got an early start Tuesday dissecting all things legal with former federal prosecutor and national treasure Glenn Kirschner, who holds online community chats every night to discuss the pressing legal developments of the day. “When you’re fighting for democracy, it’s not really a job. This is mission. You know, I got a lot of kids and grandkids and what are we going to leave them?” Kirschner said. “I just try to figure out like what is the most important legal development for people to understand? And that’s what I try to tackle.” And there are so many to choose from. We hit on the $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization fund,” the great seashell caper, and the U.S. military’s boat strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. “When we suspect somebody is in international waters with drugs on the boat heading toward the United States, that’s why we have a Coast Guard,” Kirschner said. “We interdict them. We seize the evidence. We bring them into a court of law in the United States and we try to hold them accountable for any crimes they may have committed. We don’t murder them.” We also discuss the war in Iran (which is deeply personal to Kirschner's family), the untapped power of contempt in the courts, and the accountability mission Kirschner calls a non-negotiable.

True (Stupid) Crime

“This is a film about cryptocurrency. It’s pretty stupid.” And as actor, author, and filmmaker Ben McKenzie will tell you, something that’s really stupid can also be really dangerous. McKenzie joined Grounded to talk about Everyone is Lying to You for Money [https://www.everyoneislying.com/], his film that dives into the deceitful world of cryptocurrency. It all started during the COVID-19 pandemic when a friend started telling Ben about investing in Bitcoin. McKenzie’s self-proclaimed obsession down the crypto rabbit hole ultimately led him to the U.S. Senate, where he testified before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs (and where McKenzie came face-to-face with another guy you might recognize). We discuss the dangers of the unregulated system, the overlap between crypto and MAGA, and the crypto industry’s grasp on our political system. “This is the poison fruit from Citizens United,” McKenzie said. “This is corporations and oligarchs having all the power and regular people not having much of any. And it’s really scary. I mean, they spent $240 million in 2024. It’s just a staggering amount of money. And they threatened to do that again in ‘26 and ‘28.”

A Vote is a Kind of Prayer

“I often say that a vote is a kind of prayer for the world we desire for ourselves and for our children. And our prayers are stronger when we pray together.” Wise words from Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock, who joined Grounded Wednesday to discuss Tuesday primary results, the redistricting fight in the South, and why turnout is going to matter so much in the general election in November. When it comes to the midterms, Warnock says he feels a lot better now than he did a year ago, but not quite as good as he did before the Supreme Court decision on Louisiana redistricting. “It’s hard really to overstate how devastating and massive this decision, the Calais decision, will be on our electoral program,” Warnock said. “They have literally turned the clock all the way back. And we could literally look up and see a Congress in terms of racial makeup that looks more like the Congress of the 1950s. That is where we are.” We touch on some policy, too—including private equity in housing and the warehouses the Dept. of Homeland Security bought up to turn into ICE detention centers. Plus, why Sen. Warnock says Jon Tester is the reason he’s in the Senate.

Mayor Pete in Montana!

Apologies to everyone who noticed the blurry video in our live stream this morning— it seems the Montana WiFi overlords are not playing well with us. We uploaded the clean version here so you can watch it without frustration! Former Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg (or Mayor Pete, as we lovingly call him) is in Big Sky Country this weekend stumping for the Montana Plan, an effort to make the effects of the Citizens United decision a moot point—with hopes the effort will spread to other states. Last week, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green signed a similar measure into law. Basically, Montana has the authority to remove corporations’ power to spend in politics through corporation laws which are controlled by the states—other states can follow suit. While Hawaii’s measure passed through the legislature, Montana organizers are putting it to the voters with a ballot initiative. We couldn’t let Mayor Pete come to town without having him join us for an in-person podcast episode. We touch on the Montana Plan, but also discuss 2026, how to restore trust in our institutions, and what the Democrats need to do moving forward. Plus, we talk about soaring costs and the redistricting wars. Plus, does he ever lose his cool? While Pete didn’t make any major headlines about what his future holds, he did discuss the new book he’s working on and what he would do if he happened to find himself in a famous office now decorated with gold accents. Thanks to the University of Montana School of Journalism for letting us use their studio! You can watch the live stream of Sec. Pete Buttigieg’s Butte town hall HERE! [https://open.substack.com/live-stream/204245]

Idiot Cubes

It's our 100th full episode! We love any chance to talk to our friend Katie Phang, especially when we get to talk about the historic lawsuit she filed against the U.S. Department of Justice over its botched handling of releasing the Epstein files. We talk about the complaint, the bipartisan support she’s getting from lawmakers, and the outcome she’s hoping to see. Plus, Katie’s take on the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey over a picture of seashells, the war with Iran, and the ballroom.