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Rick Wilson calls it the biggest week in American politics in a century and says Tuesday proved his rule: EVERYTHING TRUMP TOUCHES DIES. Democrats flipped TEXAS, with James Talarico beating Ken Paxton and Gina Hinojosa unseating Greg Abbott, took OHIO, won in MICHIGAN, GEORGIA, IOWA, and SOUTH CAROLINA, and ended Susan Collins's career in MAINE. Rick explains why he thinks Trump's tariffs, the Iran war, corruption, and bought pardons turned voters against MAGA, why billionaire money like Elon Musk's couldn't save the party, and why Fox News and MAGA influencers are in shock. He also warns against smugness: Trump stays dangerous for two more years, and the money will try to revive MAGA for 2028.•••••Rick Wilson is on X @TheRickWilson, Bluesky @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and Substack at therickwilson.substack.com.  More from LP at www.lincolnproject.us and on X @ProjectLincoln. #Midterms2026 #BlueWave #ElectionResults #RickWilson #LincolnProject #ElephantInTheRoom #TrumpCurse #Texas #Talarico #VoteBlue

Introducing The Persuasion Trick That Took Sales From 15% to 55% | Robert Cialdini from The School of Greatness. Follow the show: The School of Greatness Two small words and one pause cut a restaurant’s no-shows by 67%, and the science of persuasion behind that will change how you ask for things. Dr. Robert Cialdini, a research psychologist who wrote Influence: The New and Expanded Psychology of Persuasion, sat down with Lewis to walk through the seven principles he found after secretly training in sales programs. Lewis credits the book with turning his broke, couch-surfing years into a business that took off within months. Kids handed a balloon at the door led their parents to buy 25% more food, and asking “Do you support the Boy Scouts?” lifted popcorn sales from 15% to 55%. Cialdini shares why you should ask for advice instead of feedback, and why “Congratulations on your commitment” beats praising progress. He also gets honest about his own struggle to say praise out loud, a habit he picked up from parents who held it back. Now he makes himself say it, which costs nothing and changes the mood of any room he walks into. Your next email or sales pitch will look different after this, and so might your next hard talk with someone you love. Start by giving first and pointing to what is already true. Influence, New and Expanded: The Essential Guide to the Psychology of Influence and Persuasion in Everyday Life Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade In this episode you will: Triple your yes rate by asking one pre-suasion question before your requestMaster the seven principles of influence Robert Cialdini uncovered training undercoverTurn cold outreach into replies using similarity and genuine praise in your first lineHarness reciprocity by giving something meaningful first, before you ever askDiscover how unity builds a “we” that makes compromise easierUse loss aversion ethically so people act now instead of drifting awayFor more information go to https://lewishowes.com/2003 More SOG episodes we think you’ll love! Get More From Lewis! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].

Rick Wilson sits down with country singer STELLA PARTON, who has been loudly speaking out against Trump since 2016. Despite years of online backlash and fears it could cost her a 56-year career, Stella explains why standing up for your beliefs is more important than ever. Stella makes the case that the political climate is finally shifting, talks about evangelical leaders and the gap between what churches preached and who they backed, Christian nationalism's damage to both the church and the country, and women denied life-saving care. One of twelve kids from Appalachia, she explains the lifelong instinct to stand up for the bullied that now has her calling out congressional "grifters," pushing for term limits, and defending Joe Biden's legacy. She's still writing, recording, and touring, and she calls it less show business than ministry. IT'S ELECTION DAY. If you haven't voted yet, go vote today, and check your state's official elections website for polling locations and hours.•••••Stella Parton is on X @StellaParton, and on her website: stellaparton.com.  Rick Wilson is on X @TheRickWilson, Bluesky @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and Substack at therickwilson.substack.com.  More from LP at www.lincolnproject.us and on X @ProjectLincoln.

With four days to Election Day, Rick Wilson reveals the "secret" of this midterm cycle: Trump never took it seriously, but the electorate cares intensely about him because of the economic, military, and corruption fallout. Rick runs through what early voting is telling him, why Republican candidates are begging Trump to stay away, and why he thinks the tariffs and the Iran war never got a course correction. Then a state-by-state tour: Florida, Texas, Ohio, Georgia, Alaska, Montana, Nebraska, Mississippi, and Alabama. He also has a message for anyone worried about intimidation near the polls: record it, report it, and stay in line. VOTE THIS WEEKEND or make your Election Day plan.••••Rick Wilson is on X @TheRickWilson, Bluesky @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. More from LP at www.lincolnproject.us and on X @ProjectLincoln.

It’s a doubleheader for the last episode of the Lincoln Project Podcast before the 2026 midterm election. Rick is joined by two Democrats running in deep-red territory: Stephanie Arne (D-SD) and Justin Pearson (D-TN). Stephanie Arne, a former host of “Wild Kingdom,” is running for the South Dakota House in Sioux Falls with a grassroots, door-knocking campaign that has reached thousands of her neighbors. Justin Pearson is the Democratic nominee in Tennessee’s 9th District, whom Trump called a “radical” and whose state legislature redrew the maps to try to beat him. Two candidates, two red states, one message: We are more alike than we think! One week until Election Day. GO VOTE!••••You can find more information about Stephanie Arne's campaign at stephanieforsd.com.  You can find more information about Justin J. Pearson's campaign at votejustinj.com. Rick Wilson is on X @TheRickWilson, Bluesky @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. More from LP at www.lincolnproject.us and on X @ProjectLincoln.

This week’s EITR is an ad from Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign that features the estranged birth mother of Democratic nominee Amy Acton. Rick has made hard-hitting negative ads for decades, and he explains why he sees a firm line between tough contrast ads and attacks on a family member who isn't a participant in the race, and why he believes this ad denies Acton's documented history of childhood abuse. He takes on JD Vance's response, the Republican leaders who offered only mild criticism, and the consultants behind political attacks like this one. His message to Ohio voters: turn your anger into a vote.••••Rick Wilson is on X @TheRickWilson, Bluesky @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and Substack at therickwilson.substack.com.  More from LP at www.lincolnproject.us and on X @ProjectLincoln.

This week, it’s a Florida DOUBLE-HEADER on the Lincoln Project Podcast. First up: retired Army Brigadier General Leela Gray, the Democratic nominee running against Rep. Anna Paulina Luna in Florida's 13th District. Gray breaks down the cost-of-living crisis squeezing Pinellas County, Luna's refusal to hold town halls or debate, and the anti-corruption agenda she wants to take to Congress, including a REAL ban on congressional stock trading. Then, Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried explains how the party rebuilt from a 19-point statewide loss into a year-round organizing machine called Pendulum, going toe-to-toe with a Republican money advantage fueled by billionaires and no-bid contracts like ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ. Fried digs into the Hope Florida scandal, the insurance industry's shell-game finances, Byron Donalds' campaign for governor, and the congressional seats Democrats are targeting in November.•••••You can find Leela Gray and all of her socials on her website, https://LeelaGray.com The Florida Democratic Party's website is https://FloridaDems.org.Nikki Fried is on X @NikkiFried & Blusky @NikkiFried.bsky.social. Rick Wilson is on X @TheRickWilson, Bluesky @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. More from LP at www.lincolnproject.us and on X @ProjectLincoln.

With 18 DAYS to Election Day, reality is finally setting in. Republicans are watching the House slip away. Trump's supporters are staring at a visibly declining leader. And MAGA voters are learning that $5-plus diesel, lost health insurance, and data centers in their backyard WERE the deal all along. Rick's warning: don't get complacent, VOTE EARLY. Then he looks past November to a long, patient accountability process, modeled on France's postwar purge rather than a tidy Nuremberg fantasy, led by state attorneys general. And his challenge to incoming Democrats: don't chase normalcy, stay on the economy and corruption, and on day one, TAKE THE TARIFF POWER AWAY. The real fight is just beginning.•••••Rick Wilson is on X @TheRickWilson, Bluesky @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and Substack at therickwilson.substack.com.  More from LP at www.lincolnproject.us and on X @ProjectLincoln.

Rick sits down with Oscar-winning documentarian Alex Gibney about MUSK, his four-hour film that started as a business profile and turned into something much bigger once Elon hitched his wagon to Trump. Gibney says Musk's fortune was built less on engineering genius than on MYTH-MAKING, a confidence-man playbook of gaslighting and bravado that let him buy his way into American politics. They trace the whole arc: the COVID-era fury, the move to Texas, the Twitter takeover, DOGE, the Epstein-files blowup, and the quick patch-up with Trump. Gibney even built an uncanny AI of  Elon Musk from his own recorded words to interrogate him in a way no real interview ever could. They close on the legal threats, the rejected ad buys, and just how dangerous Musk is now that he controls a megaphone AND the future of AI.•••••Alex Gibney is on X @alexgibneyfilm and on Bluesky @alexgibneyfilm.bsky.social. His new film ‘MUSK’ is out now in select theaters, and nationwide on October 16th.  Rick Wilson is on X @TheRickWilson, Bluesky @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and Substack at therickwilson.substack.com.  More from LP at www.lincolnproject.us and on X @ProjectLincoln.

Democrats are winning, and RICK WILSON says they have NO IDEA why. It isn't because the party's brand got better. It's because voters, including a LOT of Republicans, are done with TRUMP over tariffs, the Iran war, and corruption. Rick's warning: don't let the consultants talk you into a "big optimistic vision." Stay on affordability. Stay on corruption. Keep PUNCHING, the way Ossoff and El-Sayed are. Then he lays out the day-one agenda: unwind the tariffs, BAN congressional stock trading, and hold Trump officials accountable instead of repeating the "move on" mistake after January 6th. He also breaks down why data centers are the new symbol of voter anxiety about AI and jobs, and closes with a hard warning on election interference: VOTE EARLY, vote by mail, and show up in force.•••••Rick Wilson is on X @TheRickWilson, Bluesky @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and Substack at therickwilson.substack.com.  More from LP at www.lincolnproject.us and on X @ProjectLincoln. #EITR #RickWilson #LincolnProject #Midterms2026 #Ossoff #ElSayed #BanStockTrading #VoteEarly #DataCenters #Democrats

Rick sits down with TIMOTHY SNYDER, the historian who literally wrote the book on tyranny, two of them, in fact: ON TYRANNY and ON FREEDOM. Snyder says that Trump isn't a real strongman. Compared to actual dictators like Putin, he's WEAK — and  the right response isn't fear, it's MOCKERY, organizing, and showing up in overwhelming numbers this November. They dig into what Snyder calls a "crisis of dignity" inside the GOP — grown men abasing themselves in front of Trump — and trace that same rot straight to the posthuman, AI-worshipping ideology now sitting inside the White House, courtesy of thinkers like Curtis Yarvin and Steve Bannon pushing America toward a post-democratic future. This is a historian's warning AND a battle plan.•••••Timothy Snyder is on X @TimothyDSnyder & on YouTube @proftimothysnyder. Check out his Substack, at snyder.substack.com/ Rick Wilson is on X @TheRickWilson, Bluesky @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and Substack at therickwilson.substack.com.  More from LP at www.lincolnproject.us and on X @ProjectLincoln. #TimothySnyder #OnTyranny #OnFreedom #RickWilson #LincolnProject #CurtisYarvin #SteveBannon #Ukraine #Authoritarianism #VoteEarly

Rick is calling this the WORST WEEK the GOP has had in years, and the proof is in the polling. The map is getting uglier for Republicans by the day. Texas and Ohio are tightening, and David Jolly's got the edge on a flailing Byron Donalds in Florida. Meanwhile, Republicans just can’t stop making it worse for themselves. MAGA Senator Eric Schmitt tried to trap Jack Smith in a perjury gotcha and it BLEW UP in real time, live on camera. Trump sat down with TIME and came out swinging, unhinged as ever, while his own White House keeps running TAXPAYER-FUNDED campaign ads that are drawing serious legal scrutiny. Add in embarrassingly small crowds and a “superintelligence” summit that's turning AI into a symbol of everything voters are scared about economically. MAGA is in real trouble. Democrats, PLEASE stay on message, and everyone else… VOTE EARLY!••••Rick Wilson is on X @TheRickWilson, Bluesky @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and Substack at therickwilson.substack.com.  More from LP at www.lincolnproject.us and on X @ProjectLincoln. #EITR #RickWilson #LincolnProject #EricSchmitt #JackSmith #Talarico #DavidJolly #HatchAct #Midterms2026 #VoteEarly

Rick sits down with JACOB WEISBERG, author of PROFILES IN COWARDICE, the book that exposes the men whose lack of courage enabled Trump 2.0. Jacob and Rick go through the receipts: enfeebled Senator Mitch McConnell, who called out Trump on the Senate floor after January 6th and then folded right back into line. Blackstone CEO and billionaire Steve Schwarzman, who was SKEPTICAL of a second term and then caved anyway out of vanity. Chief Justice John Roberts, whose court just handed massive executive power to an authoritarian regime. And George W. Bush, who stayed silent while his family was attacked and his legacy was dismantled by DOGE and Elon Musk. This is a masterclass in how democracies actually die — not with a bang, but with a bunch of powerful men deciding it's easier to fall into line than to stand up for what is right. ••••Jacob Weisberg is on X @jacobwe. His new book, Profiles in Cowardice: A Study of Collaboration in the Trump Era, is out NOW, wherever fine books are sold. Rick Wilson is on X @TheRickWilson, Bluesky @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. More from LP at www.lincolnproject.us and on X @ProjectLincoln. #JacobWeisberg #ProfilesInCowardice #MitchMcConnell #JohnRoberts #SteveSchwarzman #GeorgeWBush #RickWilson #LincolnProject #Politics2026

The Elephant in the Room: Trump's Numbers Just Cratered The polls are in, and they're a bloodbath. Trump's approval just hit a historic low, and the GOP — the party that welded itself to him — is going down with the ship and calling it strategy. This week, Rick convenes the brain trust: Senior Advisor Matthew Dowd, Executive Director Tessa Gould, Political Director Andrew Wilson, and special guest pollster Cornell Belcher, who brings the receipts straight from the crosstabs. They dig into why Republicans can't distance themselves from a man dragging them underwater, why voters are finally, gloriously fed up, and why swing voters are breaking for Democrats and not looking back. The elephant in the room isn't hiding anymore — it's flatlining on live TV. Pull up a chair.

The Data Center Grift (with WIRED's Molly Taft)The richest companies in human history have a new hustle, and you're the mark. They're bulldozing warehouses the size of malls into towns too small to fight back, draining the reservoir dry, and torching the power grid — all to run an AI that still can't tell you how many R's are in "strawberry." The best part? They took the tax breaks, promised jobs that never showed, and mailed you the power bill. This week Rick sits down with WIRED senior reporter Molly Taft, who followed the water and the money and found the same thing at the end of both: a con. They get into who's cashing in, who's going dark, and why "the cloud" is the most expensive lie in America right now. Bring your own bottle of water — the robots are thirsty.