Political podcasts have become a go-to source for commentary. According to a 2023 survey, 54% of Democratic-leaning individuals report listening to political podcasts, slightly higher than the 46% of Republican-leaning individuals.
But many liberal shows lean so heavily into progressive talking points that they’re more about reinforcing biases than offering meaningful debate. If you're looking to outrun liberals in their own game or just want to entertain yourself listening to out-of-touch leftists babble, you’ll want to check out some liberal podcasts and stay ahead of the curve. So if you're ready to engage with them or simply enjoy the spectacle, this breakdown of popular liberal podcasts will give you a head start.
Pod Save America
Hosted by former Obama staffers Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Dan Pfeiffer, and Tommy Vietor, Pod Save America doubles as the Democratic Party's PR machine. You’ll listen to tired progressive narratives under the guise of sharp political analysis. This liberal podcast is a small group of like-minded elites repeating the same narratives with predictable reactions.
The Ezra Klein Show
Ezra Klein is mostly an interesting journalist who runs the liberal podcast The Ezra Klein Show. But he puts up policy discussions drenched in elitist liberal self-importance. His love for technocracy and central planning is obvious, as he carefully curates guests who reinforce the idea that the government should run your life. Some of his points are quite intriguing, like his discussions about ending poverty in the United States, but you can never tell: Is he actually being truthful here or making the whole storyline up?
The David Pakman Show
David Pakman used to make more intriguing, in depth exposes on several subjects. But in the last couple of years his liberal podcast, The David Pakman Show, became clickbaity and all about Trump hysteria.
Lovett or Leave It
Jon Lovett’s liberal podcast Lovett or Leave it tries to blend comedy with political commentary. But humor is just another defense mechanism when you realize Lovett, a co-host in the Pod Save America podcast, seems to mock conservatives substitutes for actual discourse.
Behind the Bastards
Hosted by Robert Evans, Behind the Bastards tells quite intriguing episodes of infamous figures. He simplifies complex histories into neat little narratives about villains. Although, when you glance at the most popular episodes, you’ll realize something’s off. The most streamed episodes are about bona-fide bastards like Saddam Hussein, Stalin—and Henry Kissinger! So, yes, it seems like the right is as villainous as those guys. If you want a liberal podcast that tells you exactly what leftists think about history—minus the historical accuracy—this is for you.
Chapo Trap House
Chapo Trap House is radical leftist nihilism in podcast form, which means it has a complete lack of real-world solutions. The show is hosted by Will Menaker, Felix Biederman, Matt Christman, and Amber A'Lee Frost. It's a liberal podcast not even left-wingers like, and they have been called out by their own people for their bad takes many times.
Club Random with Bill Maher
Bill Maher, the longtime HBO comedian and political commentator, launched Club Random in 2022—a liberal podcast where he trades his usual scripted monologues for meandering, booze-fueled chats with celebrities and political figures. To his credit, he occasionally invites conservative guests.
Democracy Now!
Democracy Now! is an independent liberal podcast hosted by Amy Goodman that focuses on global issues. You can expect endless climate alarmism, anti-police rhetoric, and a steady diet of anti-capitalist doom and gloom.
The Majority Report with Sam Seder
Sam Seder runs liberal podcast The Majority Report that discusses political analysis from a left-wing viewpoint. The discussions tend to be surface-level, and they seem to affirm progressive viewpoints without much debate or explanation. It’s one of those shows that tries too hard to justify its audience’s existing beliefs.
The Kyle Kluinski Show
Hosted by the progressive populist commentator for Secular Talk, The Kyle Kluinski Show is a liberal podcast that even confuses left-wingers. His extreme left views don’t even align with the Democrats. Liberals often rail against him for being repetitive and not fact-checking or owning up to his mistakes.
