The Tara Palmeri Show

The Tara Palmeri Show

Tara Palmeri

Welcome to The Tara Palmeri Show!  Tara Palmeri is one of the most feared and fearless political journalists. As a deeply-sourced reporter, she brings her audience inside the machinations of the highest level of power. Her quick wit and unvarnished reporting goes beyond the headlines, offering a deeper understanding of the intrigues of the permanent political class. This show is not about platitudes. Rather it's about what’s really happening at the highest levels of power and the inside conversation. Tara has covered national politics and foreign affairs for fifteen years. She was formerly a White House Correspondent for ABC News, where she covered the first Trump administration. She was the Chief National Correspondent for POLITICO during the Biden administration. She has been a political analyst for CNBC, CBS and CNN. She’s also worked for the Washington Examiner, the New York Post, POLITICO Europe and Puck, and she hosted The Ringer's election podcast "Somebody's Gotta Win." Tara also hosted two acclaimed podcasts on Jeffrey Epstein called "Broken: Jeffrey Epstein" and "Power: The Maxwells." Subscribe to her weekly newsletter The Red Letter on Substack  Support her independent journalism on GoFundMe Visit her channel on YouTube Follow Tara on Social Media: Instagram X TikTok Got guest ideas or news tips? [email protected]

Recent Episodes

20 episodes

Inside the Allegations Surrounding Paolo Zampolli, Melania Trump, and Jeffrey Epstein

Tara calls in to break down the Amanda Ungaro story — the Brazilian-born model and mother of Paolo Zampolli's child who was deported by ICE, allegedly at Paolo's request, in the middle of a custody battle. Tara and her co-host, V Spehar of Under the Desk News - go deep on how Amanda's story connects directly to the Epstein-modeling pipeline: Paolo's rivalry and friendship with Epstein, the visa system that kept women trapped, the photographer Antoine Verglas who shot Melania's most iconic photos and stayed close to Epstein, and what Amanda says about Melania's role in that world. They also get into Swalwell's downfall, why Melania made her surprise Epstein statement, the 2012 RNC party stories, and why millennial politicians may be the first generation clean enough to actually pursue accountability. 1:18 – Paolo, Epstein, and rival modeling agencies: how they recruited women through visas 2:09 – Amanda targeted at 15 from Brazil — decades-long relationship with Paolo 2:59 – Paolo called ICE to win a custody battle — the New York Times report 3:49 – Paolo in the Epstein files: frenemies who almost bought a modeling agency together 5:44 – "Jeffrey's girls were everywhere" — Paolo's own words 7:30 – Paolo at Trump inaugurations: Melania's permanent plus-one 11:15 – Steve Hanson, Epstein, and the restaurant-modeling pipeline 18:24 – Amanda remembers meeting Melania at 18 on Trump's plane 19:09 – Melania told Amanda "tough luck" after her deportation 22:44 – Why Melania should testify on the Hill 23:28 – Amanda never got a green card — that's how she could be deported after all these years 32:00 – Tara in Italy: cab drivers saying "Israel, Epstein, war, Iran" — they see it the same way 41:10 – The Epstein-chef connection: Adam Perry Lang, the pilot's flight logs 42:08 – Until millennials get power, this won't change 47:43 – Reporting out Amanda's claims: "it's explosive, and it's enough for Melania's statement" 50:28 – Swalwell, the Democratic establishment, and why Pelosi should have stopped him Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript
3d ago57:37

Inflation Report Drops: Why Everything Still Feels So Expensive w/ Robert Wolf

Robert Wolf — former UBS Americas chairman and Obama economic adviser — is back for another weekly fireside chat with Tara, and the numbers are brutal. GDP collapsed to half a percent, the CPI came in at 3.3%, and gas prices spiked 21% in a single month — the largest increase since 1967. Robert breaks down why stagflation is no longer a hypothetical, how the Iran war is creating an energy shock that's driving every indicator in the wrong direction, why Buy Now Pay Later is becoming a trap for younger Americans, and what it would actually take for the economy to recover. Plus: Kevin Hassett gaslighting on Fox, Iran potentially making $57 billion a year off a Strait of Hormuz toll, and Tara's Gen Z producer says no one coming out of college has jobs. See the report: https://substack.com/home/post/p-193724546 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript
6d ago33:08

INSIDE THE DOJ: Why Bondi Isn’t Testifying — And Why It Matters

Investigative reporter Scott MacFarlane — fresh off leaving CBS News to go independent — joins Tara for his first appearance on The Red Letter. They cover the DOJ's credibility crisis under acting AG Todd Blanche (who said "I love you" to the president on national TV), the Epstein files stonewalling, Pam Bondi dodging her congressional deposition, RFK Jr.'s new podcast and the measles surge, Trump framing the Iran war as a holy war, and a 25-point Democratic swing in Marjorie Taylor Greene's former district that signals real trouble for Republicans heading into the midterms. Scott McFarlane is a veteran investigative journalist who spent 25 years covering the Justice Department and Capitol Hill, most recently at CBS News. He recently launched Scott McFarlane Reports as an independent outlet. 0:00 – Intro: Scott McFarlane goes independent after 25 years in network news 1:44 – Why indie media feels more authentic than legacy TV 2:32 – The DOJ has become the president's personal law firm 3:50 – Todd Blanche says "I love you" to Trump on national television 4:58 – The Epstein files: DOJ credibility crisis and survivor exposure 7:19 – Will a whistleblower ever release the full Epstein files? 10:45 – RFK Jr. launches a podcast — and Scott can only last six seconds of it 12:17 – Measles surging as vaccination rates drop 3% since 2020 14:34 – West Virginia's legislature gridlocked over vaccine requirements 17:15 – MAGA base is upset: Trump over-promised and under-delivered 19:53 – JD Vance and Kushner head to Islamabad — can anyone take this seriously? 20:52 – Invoking God to justify war: "you're begging for trouble" 23:04 – Georgia special election: 25-point Democratic swing in deep MAGA country 25:48 – The future of independent journalism and closing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript
7d ago29:44

Title: My MAGA Family Is Turning on Trump — Why It Should Terrify Him

Tara Palmeri Joins Abby Phillips to discuss why the Iran War is the last straw for some of core of Trumps base. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript
8d ago17:33

George Conway: Why impeaching Trump hasn’t worked

George Conway — once a Republican who cried tears of joy when Trump won in 2016, now a Democrat running for Congress in Manhattan — joins Tara to make his case for a third impeachment of Donald Trump. The former Federalist Society member and ex-husband of Kellyanne Conway argues this time is different: with a Democratic Senate setting the rules, a real trial with live witnesses could finally expose the corruption. They get into why he thinks impeachment can work now, how he'd pursue the Epstein files if elected, his evolution from Reagan Republican to registered Democrat, and Trump's accidental confession that the Iran conflict is a war he never got Congress to authorize. 0:00 – Cold open: "Does America have the appetite for a third impeachment?" 2:13 – Ad break 3:03 – Why Congress needs lawyers who can cross-examine, not give speeches 5:58 – Epstein: should they drag the lawyers back to testify on the Jane Doe settlement? 8:33 – The DOJ cover-up: Ghislaine Maxwell's transfer, withheld files, and malfeasance 12:54 – Impeach, remove, legislate safeguards — then document everything 13:07 – But impeachment hasn't worked before — why is this time different? 15:08 – A real Senate trial with live witnesses, not political speeches 16:47 – "Give them JD Vance" — Conway says Vance could be impeached too 18:09 – Won't impeachment talk activate Trump's base? 23:07 – The race: Conway vs. Jack Schlossberg in New York's 12th 24:49 – Political dynasties vs. fresh faces — the Democratic Party's best moments 27:09 – Substance vs. brand: Schlossberg is a TikTok star, Conway is a litigator 28:02 – The polls: Schlossberg 25%, Conway 16%, Undecided 33% 29:23 – "Why am I a Republican?" — Conway's ideological journey since 2018 35:14 – Roe v. Wade: Conway's position and the Women's Health Protection Act 39:36 – Trump calls the war a "military operation" — Conway says that's a confession 42:16 – Audience comment: a conservative looking for a label that fits his ethics 42:53 – Outro and thanks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript
9d ago46:54

Trump Says the War Is Ending. A Navy Commander Says It’s About to Escalate

Former Navy pilot Ken Harbaugh — who flew recon missions as a mission commander over the Strait of Hormuz — joins Tara to break down Trump's address to the nation and what it actually means on the ground. Ken calls the speech alarming, says the Pentagon has no plan, and explains why Iran doesn't need a navy or air force to win this war. Ken's final answer: we're closer to something much bigger. 0:53 – Trump's address: contradictions on "nearing completion" vs. "major escalation" 1:52 – Total lack of a plan — and no one around Trump will say so 4:04 – Mission accomplished vibes — and why Iraq's military collapsed in minutes but the war lasted years 6:22 – Mining the strait: fishing boats vs. the U.S. Navy 8:36 – Iran will come out of this with a better deal than Obama's JCPoA 10:47 – Russia is providing targeting intel to Iran 12:14 – Why the U.S. is losing the drone war — and Ukraine offered to help 14:02 – China is laughing — and learning every lesson we're missing 15:24 – Ad break: Noble Mobile 17:16 – "Bomb them back to the Stone Age" — why it doesn't work 18:30 – Ground troops: the 82nd Airborne and the Kharg Island problem 21:53 – What does victory even look like now? 25:46 – Was it Israel? Total lack of coordination either way 27:01 – Do the Iranians even want to negotiate? 30:33 – 100,000 hardened IRGC fighters with weapons we can't counter 30:57 – Outro: subscribe and support independent journalism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript
11d ago34:55

Inside Trump's Decision to Fire Bondi

Tara Palmeri is one of the most feared and fearless reporters covering power and politics. She has 15 years of experience covering national politics and foreign affairs. She was formerly a White House Correspondent for ABC News where she covered the first Trump administration. She was the chief National Correspondent for POLITICO during the Biden administration. She has been a political analyst for CNBC, CBS and CNN. She started her career as a columnist for the Washington Examiner and then went on to report for the New York Post. She was a foreign correspondent for POLITICO Europe, where she covered international affairs, including Brexit. She hosted the Ringer's political podcast "Somebody's Gotta Win" and wrote a column for Puck. Tara also hosted two acclaimed podcasts on Jeffrey Epstein, "Broken: Jeffrey Epstein" and "Power: The Maxwells." Tara currently hosts the Tara Palmeri Show. For more of her reporting, subscribe to her weekly newsletter, "The Red Letter." https://tarapalmeri.substack.com/ https://www.tarapalmeri.com/subscribe The latest from the 'Red Letter': https://www.tarapalmeri.com/p/is-it-time-to-take-the-oligarchy https://www.tarapalmeri.com/p/gen-z-guru-rachel-janfaza-on-whether https://www.tarapalmeri.com/p/is-big-gretch-cooked To support her mission of independent journalism, consider donating to her GoFundMe account: https://gofund.me/0c46f9a5 Listen to the 'Tara Palmeri Show': Apple https://apple.co/4lWeFuo iHeartRadio https://iheart.com/podcast/273622585/ Amazon Music https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/cdfe747e-54a2-47ae-9ec5-15957642e533/the-tara-palmeri-show Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3kgamV3lbZIGIHW2H0XUTR?si=1ffdbb566a964bc1 New videos from Tara are released 5PM EST on weekdays and Sunday https://www.youtube.com/@TaraPalmeri Follow Tara: https://www.instagram.com/tarapalmeri/ https://x.com/tarapalmeri https://www.tiktok.com/@tarapalmeri For inquiries, email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript
13d ago12:54

BREAKING: Trump FIRES AG Bondi, Gabbard next? — Inside his problem with Women

BREAKING: President Trump has informed Attorney General Pam Bondi that she's out. Tara goes live to break down the firing, what it means for the Epstein files, and the unmistakable pattern — it's the women in Trump's cabinet who keep getting axed. From Kristi Noem to Kari Lake to Linda McMahon to Tulsi Gabbard, the ladies are out. Tara runs through Bondi's disastrous tenure: the "case closed" announcement, the botched redactions that exposed victim names, the 2.5 million files still being withheld, the canceled meetings with survivors, and that brutal congressional hearing. Plus: could Bondi face prosecution now that she's out? Lee Zeldin is reportedly the top pick to replace her. 0:31 – The pattern: every woman in Trump's cabinet is getting fired 1:34 – Tulsi Gabbard contradicted Trump on Iran — now she's next 2:31 – Musical chairs: Trump got comfortable firing people after Kristi Noem 3:49 – The Epstein files disaster: "case closed" with 2.5 million files still hidden 7:55 – Bondi possibly violated the Epstein Files Transparency Act 10:26 – Lee Zeldin as AG — he went to Albany Law School 12:44 – Laura Loomer says she predicted this 13:32 – Survivors tried to meet with Bondi — she canceled on them 14:16 – Elise Stefanik furious about sexism in the GOP — the irony 15:48 – The binder stunt: public court documents passed off as classified 17:09 – Audience Q&A: will she still testify on the 14th? 18:28 – Tara heading to MSNBC to discuss — and checking in with survivors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript
14d ago22:37

The Iran War Is Already Hitting the Economy — Why the Worst Is Still Coming

The war in Iran isn't just America's problem — the rest of the world is already feeling it. Thailand's news anchors are ditching jackets on air to save energy. The Philippines moved to a four-day workweek. Japan is telling people to take shorter showers. Obama economic adviser and former UBS Americas chairman Robert Wolf returns to break down the global ripple effects of the Strait of Hormuz shutdown — from fertilizer shortages threatening grocery prices to the UK energy crisis to why Treasury rates may be the most important number no one is watching. He also weighs in on whether Trump's "two weeks" timeline is realistic, the real risk of stagflation if oil hits $150 a barrel, and why Iran is not Venezuela. 0:00 – The global energy crisis: Thailand, Philippines, Japan cutting back 0:41 – When does the U.S. feel the ripple? Trump says "just leave" 1:54 – It's not just oil — fertilizer and helium are choking off too 3:20 – How long before the U.S. hits recession? 5:50 – Treasury rates: the most powerful number in the market 6:53 – $30 trillion in debt and rising interest costs 7:35 – Trump's "two weeks" deadline: realistic or rolling fiction? 9:41 – Trump's exit strategy: declare victory and hand it to Europe and Asia 10:01 – Iran is not Venezuela — and that comparison doesn't hold water Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript
15d ago42:26

Inside the Social World That Kept Epstein Untouchable

Why did so many powerful, accomplished people keep showing up at Jeffrey Epstein's dinner table — even after he was a known sex offender? Journalist Holly Peterson grew up in this world. Her father was Secretary of Commerce, and she's spent decades observing the psychology of Manhattan's elite. In her latest Wall Street Journal piece, she argues the answer isn't as simple as black and white. Tara pushes back, and the two go deep on the "accomplisher class" — the ambition, the networking, the greed, and the culture of silence that helped launder Epstein's reputation for years. They also discuss Ghislaine Maxwell's grooming of high society, the Kathy Ruemmler emails, the Brad Karp–Leon Black revelations, why empathy drops as wealth rises, and whether Robert Maxwell's fortune was really behind Epstein's mysterious wealth all along. Plus: the raunchy birthday song Ghislaine had performed in front of Manhattan's elite. Get 15% off OneSkin with the code TARA at https://www.oneskin.co/TARA #oneskinpod #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript
16d ago53:13

John Bolton: The U.S. Can’t Stop This War Now

Tara Palmeri is one of the most feared and fearless reporters covering power and politics. She has 15 years of experience covering national politics and foreign affairs. She was formerly a White House Correspondent for ABC News where she covered the first Trump administration. She was the chief National Correspondent for POLITICO during the Biden administration. She has been a political analyst for CNBC, CBS and CNN. She started her career as a columnist for the Washington Examiner and then went on to report for the New York Post. She was a foreign correspondent for POLITICO Europe, where she covered international affairs, including Brexit. She hosted the Ringer's political podcast "Somebody's Gotta Win" and wrote a column for Puck. Tara also hosted two acclaimed podcasts on Jeffrey Epstein, "Broken: Jeffrey Epstein" and "Power: The Maxwells." Tara currently hosts the Tara Palmeri Show. For more of her reporting, subscribe to her weekly newsletter, "The Red Letter." https://tarapalmeri.substack.com/https://www.tarapalmeri.com/subscribe The latest from the 'Red Letter': https://www.tarapalmeri.com/p/is-it-t...https://www.tarapalmeri.com/p/gen-z-g...https://www.tarapalmeri.com/p/is-big-... To support her mission of independent journalism, consider donating to her GoFundMe account: https://gofund.me/0c46f9a5 Listen to the 'Tara Palmeri Show': Apple https://apple.co/4lWeFuo iHeartRadio https://iheart.com/podcast/273622585/ Amazon Music https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/cdf... Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3kgamV3... New videos from Tara are released 5PM EST on weekdays and Sunday    / @tarapalmeri   Follow Tara:   / tarapalmeri  https://x.com/tarapalmeri  / tarapalmeri   For inquiries, email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript
18d ago31:31

Epstein’s Lawyers Say They “Didn’t Know” — But Follow the Money

Tara Palmeri is one of the most feared and fearless reporters covering power and politics. She has 15 years of experience covering national politics and foreign affairs. She was formerly a White House Correspondent for ABC News where she covered the first Trump administration. She was the chief National Correspondent for POLITICO during the Biden administration. She has been a political analyst for CNBC, CBS and CNN. She started her career as a columnist for the Washington Examiner and then went on to report for the New York Post. She was a foreign correspondent for POLITICO Europe, where she covered international affairs, including Brexit. She hosted the Ringer's political podcast "Somebody's Gotta Win" and wrote a column for Puck. Tara also hosted two acclaimed podcasts on Jeffrey Epstein, "Broken: Jeffrey Epstein" and "Power: The Maxwells." Tara currently hosts the Tara Palmeri Show. For more of her reporting, subscribe to her weekly newsletter, "The Red Letter." https://tarapalmeri.substack.com/ https://www.tarapalmeri.com/subscribe The latest from the 'Red Letter': https://www.tarapalmeri.com/p/is-it-time-to-take-the-oligarchy https://www.tarapalmeri.com/p/gen-z-guru-rachel-janfaza-on-whether https://www.tarapalmeri.com/p/is-big-gretch-cooked To support her mission of independent journalism, consider donating to her GoFundMe account: https://gofund.me/0c46f9a5 Listen to the 'Tara Palmeri Show': Apple https://apple.co/4lWeFuo iHeartRadio https://iheart.com/podcast/273622585/ Amazon Music https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/cdfe747e-54a2-47ae-9ec5-15957642e533/the-tara-palmeri-show Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3kgamV3lbZIGIHW2H0XUTR?si=1ffdbb566a964bc1 New videos from Tara are released 5PM EST on weekdays and Sunday https://www.youtube.com/@TaraPalmeri Follow Tara: https://www.instagram.com/tarapalmeri/ https://x.com/tarapalmeri https://www.tiktok.com/@tarapalmeri For inquiries, email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript
21d ago12:17

What Epstein’s Lawyers Won’t Say About Trump Accuser Jane Doe

Tara is joined by V Spehar and Dr. Leslie Dobson for a chatty, wide-ranging live session breaking down the latest Epstein developments — including the House Oversight transcripts from Epstein's attorneys, the Jane Doe 4 settlement that may connect to Donald Trump, and why both Tara and the group have serious doubts Epstein killed himself. They also get into Pam Bondi's long list of connections, why men go silent whenever Epstein comes up, the fear factor around speaking out against Trump, Qatar's $260 million influence campaign, 2028 Democratic hopefuls, and much more. It's a lunch-vibe episode — lighter, chattier, and very real. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript
22d ago1:02:23

EXCLUSIVE: GOP Insiders Have “Zero Confidence” in Pete Hegseth

Tara shares her exclusive reporting from Capitol Hill: Republican senators have zero confidence in Pete Hegseth — and regret confirming him even more than RFK. She breaks down what her sources are really saying behind closed doors about the war in Iran, Trump's $200 billion supplemental ask, and the pressure on the GOP to get on board. Then Tara joins Jim Acosta to discuss her reporting and trade notes on the latest Epstein developments, including bombshell revelations about mass document shredding at the Manhattan jail where Epstein was held. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript
22d ago26:53

Inside the GOP Panic Over Pete Hegseth and Trump’s War with Steve Schmidt

Political strategist Steve Schmidt returns to The Red Letter for a live session with Tara to break down her exclusive reporting: Republican senators have "zero confidence" in Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary. One Senate source told Tara, "Everyone regrets voting for him. There's more regret than RFK." They dig into Hegseth's combative style, why the Pentagon is blocking embedded journalists from covering the war, the mysterious retreat of the USS Gerald Ford to a Greek port amid rumors of crew sabotage, the 82nd Airborne deployment signaling major escalation, Trump's fictional conversations with the Ayatollah, and why Saudi and Israeli interests are driving American troops into a war without a plan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript
23d ago28:18

This Democrat leads in Marjorie Taylor Greene’s backyard. Here’s Why I Shawn Harris Interview

Democratic Candidate Shawn Harris joins Tara to talk about how he ileading the race for Marjorie Taylor Greene's old seat in one of the reddest districts in Georgia. Harris topped all candidates, including Trump's endorsed pick Clay Fuller, in the jungle primary and is heading into an April 7th runoff. He explains how kitchen table issues, the war in Iran, and rising gas prices are pulling Republicans his way, and how Marjorie Taylor Greene has ironically become his best unofficial surrogate by publicly breaking with Trump over Epstein and the war. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

25d ago35:52

What Washington isn't telling you about why we're in Iran with Steve Schmidt

Political strategist and former John McCain campaign manager Steve Schmidt joins Tara for a live collaboration between The Warning and The Red Letter. Steve calls the Iran war Trump's single biggest broken promise and explains why the U.S. is losing — not on the battlefield, but in the war Iran is waging against the global economy. They dig into the Iraq war parallels, why air power alone can't topple the regime, how gas prices could force Trump to blink first, and why Democratic leaders like Schumer and Jeffries are too afraid to take a real position. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

28d ago41:48

How Trump Could Cost Republicans $250 Million in Texas

Axios White House reporter Alex Isenstadt joins Tara to break down the chaos in the Texas Senate race — and what it reveals about Trump's grip on the Republican Party. Trump refused to endorse John Cornyn before the deadline, Ken Paxton is staying in the race, and Democrats smell blood in a state they haven't won statewide in three decades. They dig into why Trump is holding his endorsement hostage over the Save America Act, what the race could cost Republicans ($200M+), and how intraparty fights from Texas to Kentucky to Georgia are testing Trump's political power heading into the midterms. Plus: how the war in Iran and rising gas prices are reshaping the 2026 landscape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

29d ago26:14

Most Americans Think Trump’s Iran War Is About Epstein—What They’re REALLY Saying w/ Mehdi Hasan

Mehdi Hasan of Zeteo joins Tara to break down his explosive new polling that shows that a majority of Americans believe the war in Iran is at least partly tied to the release of the Epstein files. The numbers are stunning: the country is split nearly 50/50 on whether Trump went to war for American interests or Israeli interests. They discuss the school bombing that killed over 170 people on day one — and why a third of Americans haven’t even heard about it. Plus: why the White House press corps won’t ask Trump about Epstein, how our European allies are refusing to join the fight, and why independent journalism matters more than ever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

30d ago28:49

How Algorithms Manipulate What We See — And Who Really Controls the Truth

Tara sits down with Imran Ahmed, founder of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, for a live panel at South by Southwest on who owns the truth in an algorithmic world. They discuss how algorithms have become outrage machines, why independent journalism is both empowered and threatened by platforms, and how bad actors — from neo-Nazis to algorithm candidates — have weaponized social media. Imran reveals how Mark Zuckerberg dialed down Facebook's negativity algorithm on January 6th and turned it back up the next day, why TikTok serves self-harm content to 13-year-old girls within minutes, and why he believes we may be witnessing the slow erosion of democracy itself. Plus: Tara shares her journey from Jersey girl to White House correspondent to independent media entrepreneur, and what it's really like to be beholden to the algorithm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

3/15/20261:10:03