We talk about a lot of different kinds of power on this show.

But today, we're looking at one of my favorite kinds.

Basically, if you turn over rocks in American politics, particularly if you're watching the right

wing, you're going to come across the Mercer's because their money is absolutely everywhere.

Rebecca Mercer has increasingly become a major political figure by virtue of the amount of

money that her family has and is willing to pour into politics.

Rebecca Mercer, the daughter of a reclusive computer programmer genius billionaire, or almost billionaire,

is not only an heir to her father's fortune, but has become, in many ways, the face of Mercer political power.

She had a seat right at the table with Trump when he was elected to help pick who ran the government.

Why? Because she and her family put money into his campaign.

This is a story about money, power, and how things really work in American politics today.

But there's fun stuff, too.

Cookies, the world of finance, choo-choo trains, political intrigue, a giant stockpile of urine,

and of course, the White House.

So, who is Rebecca Mercer?

I'm Sean Morrow, and this is Who Is, the podcast from Now This, where we examine power through the stories of people who have it.

Today, Rebecca Mercer. But why Rebecca Mercer?

I think that sort of the interesting thing that's happened in the last couple of years, really since the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision in 2010, is that that decision freed up a class of the richest people in the country to really influence American politics in a way they hadn't before.

That is somebody who knows all about this stuff.

Jane Mayer, the author of one of my favorite books, Dark Money,

the hidden history of the billionaires behind the rise of the radical right.

So what you get is less influence of the two major political parties,

...