logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2024
27m 25s

Team America

Vox
About this episode

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated some unconventional people to his Cabinet, including Fox News host Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense. Washington Post Pentagon reporter Dan Lamothe and military researcher Katherine Kuzminski explain what the picks say about Trump's national security agenda.

This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlin and Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Rob Byers, and hosted by Noel King.

Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast

Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members

Pete Hegseth during an Independence Day celebration on Fox & Friends Weekend in 2021. Photo by James Devaney/GC Images.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Yesterday
Trump deploys the National Guard
The president is attempting to send the National Guard into two American cities for two (seemingly) different reasons with two (for now) different results. This episode was produced by Denise Guerra and Danielle Hewitt, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard and K ... Show More
25m 55s
Oct 7
We're in our AI slop era
Meta just dropped Vibes and OpenAI just dropped Sora 2. Both social media platforms are filled with AI videos that warp our sense of reality. This episode was made in collaboration with Vox's Future Perfect. It was produced by Ariana Aspuru, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by ... Show More
26m 23s
Oct 6
TrumpRx
President Trump wants to put his stamp on health care. But TrumpRx is no Obamacare. This episode was produced by Kelli Wessinger, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Adriene Lilly, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. President Trump aft ... Show More
25m 58s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2
The US military’s MAGA makeover
Pete Hegseth, a Fox News anchor turned Secretary of Defense, summoned US military leaders from around the world to present a new, “anti-woke” vision for the military – one without transgender troops, “fat” generals, or beards. Then, he closed with a prayer. It’s all part of a lon ... Show More
22m 12s
Sep 18
The Trump vs Jimmy Kimmel fallout + Alan Jones' charges downgraded
Donald Trump’s war on the media has just escalated, with the Jimmy Kimmel Show cancelled after the late-night night host made comments about the US President’s reaction to the assassination of Charlie Kirk. President Trump today also banned Australia’s ABC from attending a news c ... Show More
16m 32s
Sep 19
Trump Cancels Kimmel
Caving to a pressure campaign from Donald Trump's FCC, Disney pulls Jimmy Kimmel's show off the air. Jon and Dan are joined by newly minted Crooked contributor Alex Wagner to discuss Trump's attacks on Kimmel and his new lawsuit against The New York Times, the impending takeover ... Show More
1h 15m
Feb 2025
Trump’s Gaza Fantasyland
Trump has reimagined Gaza in an AI video as a gold embossed beach resort. He’s fired the head of the army for being 'woke'. He’s banned the Associated Press from his press room. And his mate Elon Musk is calling on all federal employees to report each other if they don’t get with ... Show More
34m 52s
Sep 5
Trump's Very Convincing Body Double
The internet enjoys a brief freakout about the possibility that Trump might be dead. (He isn't.) Senators from both parties press RFK Jr. on his dismantling of the CDC and his accelerating war on vaccines. Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein hold a press conference on Capitol Hill to an ... Show More
1h 20m
Sep 18
Jimmy Kimmel, Trump’s royal welcome, Fed and smart glasses
ABC pulls Jimmy Kimmel off air after comments by the late-night show host about the assassination of Charlie Kirk. President Donald Trump’s new Fed appointee calls, in vain, for a half-point rate cut. U.S. President Donald Trump pays tribute to King Charles during his historic se ... Show More
12m 14s
Jul 25
Trump’s Epstein Furor Grows As MAGA Karens MTG and Boebert Demand Answers | Christopher McDonald
Josh Johnson covers the aftermath of revelations that Trump knew he was on the Epstein list: Pam Bondi bails on her CPAC appearance, videos connecting Epstein to Trump surface, and everyone in the MAGA-verse, from GOP lawmakers to the QAnon Shaman, want answers. Jordan Klepper ta ... Show More
38m 15s
Apr 2025
Hegseth in turmoil, Trump’s sinking polls
Senior politics reporter Aaron Blake talks with The Washington Post’s chief correspondent covering national politics, Dan Balz, and national security reporter Abigail Hauslohner about new reporting this week about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Hegseth’s continued use of Signal, ... Show More
32m 52s
Apr 2025
Why is Trump at War With Harvard University?
In today’s episode, we cover Trump’s freeze on Harvard University funding, JD Vance’s comments on a UK-US trade deal, Ecuador’s election, and Sudan’s civil war updates.Watch TLDR’s latest videos here:https://youtu.be/aV388-Ik4wI?si=ApYB5IU-Q5vHcCPuhttps://youtu.be/RmH-R19AsIU?si= ... Show More
6m 34s
Mar 2025
Trump puts the ball in Putin’s court
The origins of a peace deal have emerged in Saudi Arabia. There’s just one problem: whilst Zelensky is offering to sign up, there’s no word from Putin. How does a 30 day ceasefire work if the aggressor isn’t on board? And why is Trump convinced he will be? Later, presidency or sh ... Show More
36m 18s