Raging Moderates with Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarlov

Raging Moderates with Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarlov

Raging against the extremes. Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarlov are in the middle — and they’re mad, because being a moderate in America these days does NOT mean staying silent. New episodes every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evening. Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
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Episode's summary

Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarlov talk through the latest polls, numbers, and close races 12 days before Election Day. Trump’s approval rating has hit a new low — just 36% among likely voters in the latest NYT/Siena poll. And in South Carolina, a new poll has Republican incumbent Darline Graham with only a 3-point lead over Democratic challenger Dr. Annie Andrews — a state that hasn’t elected a Democratic senator since 1998. Trump was on the campaign trail there yesterday. Is this panic — or smart politics? Scott and Jess also dig into the controversy over Republican Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign ad featuring Amy Acton’s estranged mother, and what it means for the Ohio governor’s race. JD Vance also weighed in, saying he is “disgusted” by Republicans who pushed back on the ad. The first Russian diesel tanker under Trump’s deal is said to be leaving for the U.S. on Thursday, after Russia freed a 74-year-old American that had been held imprisoned for four years. And Reuters reports that peace talks between…

Episodes

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Trump Defends Vivek Ramaswamy as Disgusting Ad Sparks GOP Backlash

Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarlov talk through the latest polls, numbers, and close races 12 days before Election Day. Trump’s approval rating has hit a new low — just 36% among likely voters in the latest NYT/Siena poll. And in South Carolina, a new poll has Republican incumbent Darline Graham with only a 3-point lead over Democratic challenger Dr. Annie Andrews — a state that hasn’t elected a Democratic senator since 1998. Trump was on the campaign trail there yesterday. Is this panic — or smart politics? Scott and Jess also dig into the controversy over Republican Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign ad featuring Amy Acton’s estranged mother, and what it means for the Ohio governor’s race. JD Vance also weighed in, saying he is “disgusted” by Republicans who pushed back on the ad. The first Russian diesel tanker under Trump’s deal is said to be leaving for the U.S. on Thursday, after Russia freed a 74-year-old American that had been held imprisoned for four years. And Reuters reports that peace talks between…

22 Oct 2026
252-

Trump Envoy Calls Putin a “Humanitarian” as Ukraine Is Left Out To Dry

Jessica Tarlov and Aaron Parnas open with Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, who is facing backlash after praising Vladimir Putin during talks in Moscow, even as Russian forces continue to bombard Ukrainian cities and kill civilians. Russia also released a 74-year-old American citizen from a Russian prison after seven years. Is that a sign of good faith or a negotiating chip? Mike Bloomberg is pouring $80 million into the midterms, including at least $50 million for House races, as Democrats look to expand their majority. A new New York Times/Siena poll shows Democrats leading the national House vote by 11 points and leading Republicans on every major issue, including immigration. Republicans still hold a significant fundraising advantage, with the RNC moving more than $50 million to its campaign committees. A Wedgewood poll that helped push Mallory McMorrow out of the Michigan Senate primary has been exposed as fraudulent, after major aggregators had already included it. Is it time to regulate the polling…

21 Oct 2026
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Elon Musk Dumps Millions on Republicans as He Tries to Buy the Midterms

Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarlov open the final two weeks before Election Day with the latest on some of the midterms’ most closely-watched races. They talk about some of the latest numbers — including the stat that Kalshi gives Democrats a 64% chance of retaking the Senate. Trump was in Kansas last night rallying for Republican incumbent Sen. Roger Marshall, who is facing an unexpectedly close race against Democrat challenger Rev. Adam Hamilton. Kansas hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate in 94 years. How strong is the Democratic momentum — and what does competitive Kansas tell us about the whole map? Violent protests continue to shake France, where a curfew was in effect last night in parts of Paris and other cities. What began as students mobilizing against teacher shortages and run-down classrooms has expanded into a broader movement against the rising cost of living. Around 550,000 people joined protests over the weekend and police arrested approximately 2,400 people. How bad is the situation — and…

20 Oct 2026
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Trump Caves to Putin as Democrats Surge Before Midterms

Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarlov open the final two weeks before Election Day — with early voting starting today in Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, South Carolina, and Texas. Democrats are up 8 points on the congressional ballot in a new Ipsos poll, Trump’s disapproval rating sits at 66%, and a new Wall Street Journal poll finds Democratic voters aren’t sold on a leftward shift. Kalshi gives Sherrod Brown a 66% chance of winning back his Senate seat in Ohio, and Abdul El-Sayed has got a 68% chance of winning in Michigan. Trump has waived new sanctions and tariffs on Russia required under a law he previously signed — two days before they were set to take effect, claiming he needs to keep Moscow at the negotiating table. Putin has proposed a three-way meeting with Trump and Xi Jinping next month to discuss Ukraine on terms favorable to Moscow. Meanwhile Trump is blaming Ukrainian President Zelenskyy for high diesel prices after Ukraine struck a Russian oil export terminal in St. Petersburg as part of…

19 Oct 2026
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Trump’s Putin Deal BACKFIRES as Ukraine Fights Back

Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarlov open with a striking headline just 19 days before the midterms: House Republicans are privately bracing for the possibility of losing the chamber. Polls are showing competitive races in Kentucky, North Carolina, and Nevada — in some districts Trump carried by 10 points or more in 2024. Trump is out giving rallies in Texas, Ohio, and Alaska — states Republicans wouldn’t normally have to fight for. Ukraine has defied Trump’s energy ceasefire. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that his military will resume striking Russian oil refineries — a direct rebuke of Trump’s deal with Putin. A Zelenskyy advisor says Elon Musk’s SpaceX recently imposed restrictions on Ukraine’s drone-mounted Starlink terminals, diminishing their air defenses. Musk responded by avoiding accountability — saying that any limits are set by the military or the president. Scott and Jess ask the bigger question: what is the actual plan for Ukraine right now? Kamala Harris is hitting the campaign trail…

15 Oct 2026