Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
“The environment may be even better for Democrats than it was in 2006, just because Trump is even more unpopular. And the other big thing is the economic situation wasn't quite as dire as it is today, and particularly around the cost of living.”
Twenty years ago, an unpopular Republican president was fighting an unpopular war in the Middle East — and Democrats were handed a major political opening. Sound familiar?
That moment helped Democrats retake Congress and ultimately set the stage for Barack Obama’s rise. Now, former chief Obama speechwriter and Crooked Media co-founder Jon Favreau thinks Donald Trump’s deep unpopularity — combined with the war in Iran — could give Democrats an even bigger opportunity.
Jon Favreau, co-host of Pod Save America, joins Zeteo’s John Harwood in this Substack Live to break down Democrats’ chances in the midterms, Hakeem Jeffries, Hasan Piker and much more.
In the wide-ranging conversation, Favreau and Harwood explore what Trump’s war could mean for Democrats in 2026 and beyond, including Hakeem Jeffries’ private meeting with Jared Kushner and whether Abdul El-Sayed can overcome rising Islamophobia. They also discuss whether of not ‘defund the police’ is still an effective political slogan, how Democrat’s can take back power and much more.
This live conversation published on August 26, 2026 at zeteo.com. If you want early, exclusive access to this kind of independent, unfiltered journalism — subscribe to our Substack here: zeteo.com/subscribe
If you want to increase your financial support for our work and help us grow, donate to Zeteo! zeteo.com/p/donate-to-zeteo
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
00:43 2006 vs 2026 as Democrats
06:45 Evolving Politics
13:11 Hasan Piker
15:42 Democrats and Israel
18:25 Hakeem Jeffries and Jared Kushner
21:50 Midterm Elections and the DNC
25:48 Abdul El-Sayed
29:46 Are elections even fair?
35:30 Jewish U.S. President
Subscribe to Zeteo to support independent and unfiltered journalism: zeteo.com/subscribe
Find Zeteo:
Twitter: twitter.com/zeteo_news
Instagram: instagram.com/zeteonews
TikTok: tiktok.com/@zeteonews
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Find Mehdi:
Substack: substack.com/@mehdirhasan
Twitter: twitter.com/@mehdirhasan
Instagram: instagram.com/@mehdirhasan
Tik Tok: tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit
advertising.libsyn.com/network/Zeteo
“The environment may be even better for Democrats than it was in 2006, just because Trump is even more unpopular. And the other big thing is the economic situation wasn't quite as dire as it is today, and particularly around the cost of living.”
Twenty years ago, an unpopular Republican president was fighting an unpopular war in the Middle East — and Democrats were handed a major political opening. Sound familiar?
That moment helped Democrats retake Congress and ultimately set the stage for Barack Obama’s rise. Now, former chief Obama speechwriter and Crooked Media co-founder Jon Favreau thinks Donald Trump’s deep unpopularity — combined with the war in Iran — could give Democrats an even bigger opportunity.
Jon Favreau, co-host of Pod Save America, joins Zeteo’s John Harwood in this Substack Live to break down Democrats’ chances in the midterms, Hakeem Jeffries, Hasan Piker and much more.
In the wide-ranging conversation, Favreau and Harwood explore what Trump’s war could mean for Democrats in 2026 and beyond, including Hakeem Jeffries’ private meeting with Jared Kushner and whether Abdul El-Sayed can overcome rising Islamophobia. They also discuss whether of not ‘defund the police’ is still an effective political slogan, how Democrat’s can take back power and much more.
This live conversation published on August 26, 2026 at zeteo.com. If you want early, exclusive access to this kind of independent, unfiltered journalism — subscribe to our Substack here: zeteo.com/subscribe
If you want to increase your financial support for our work and help us grow, donate to Zeteo! zeteo.com/p/donate-to-zeteo
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
00:43 2006 vs 2026 as Democrats
06:45 Evolving Politics
13:11 Hasan Piker
15:42 Democrats and Israel
18:25 Hakeem Jeffries and Jared Kushner
21:50 Midterm Elections and the DNC
25:48 Abdul El-Sayed
29:46 Are elections even fair?
35:30 Jewish U.S. President
Subscribe to Zeteo to support independent and unfiltered journalism: zeteo.com/subscribe
Find Zeteo:
Twitter: twitter.com/zeteo_news
Instagram: instagram.com/zeteonews
TikTok: tiktok.com/@zeteonews
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/zeteo.com
Find Mehdi:
Substack: substack.com/@mehdirhasan
Twitter: twitter.com/@mehdirhasan
Instagram: instagram.com/@mehdirhasan
Tik Tok: tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit
advertising.libsyn.com/network/Zeteo
