Who Is the Real Base of the Democratic Party?

The David Frum Show

The Atlantic

Politics, News, News Commentary

4.6 • 2.4K Ratings

🗓️ 29 April 2026

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode of “The David Frum Show,” The Atlantic’s David Frum opens with his thoughts about the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. David examines the role of the dinner in an administration that rejects the basic concepts of honesty with and respect toward independent media. During previous administrations, there was some norm of good faith between the White House and the press. But now, as the president systematically misleads the media and is openly hostile to the press, David asks what the point of this night of pretended common purpose is. Then, David is joined by Jamal Simmons, a host of the “Trailblaze” podcast and a former communications director for Kamala Harris, for a wide-ranging conversation about the state of the Democratic Party. David and Simmons discuss Harris’s profile among her party’s constituents, how much the online left should dictate Democratic policy, what happened in 2024, and what Democrats should do in 2028. Finally, David ends the episode with a discussion of “The Magician,” by Colm Tóibín. Sign up for David Frum’s newsletter alert. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Atlantic subscribers also get access to exclusive subscriber audio in Apple Podcasts. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/Listener. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	The Atlantic has debuted a first of its kind collaboration with the Seaborne cruise line to bring great minds on board their luxury ships.
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0:15.8	This episode is brought to you by Expedia and Visit Scotland.
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0:29.0	Discover castles steeped in legend.
0:32.0	And feel the genuine warmth from locals you meet in a place that will stay with you long after you leave. Start
0:38.9	planning your own Scottish holiday. Today at Expedia.com.uk slash visit Scotland.
0:59.0	Hello and welcome to the David Fromm Show. I'm David Frum, a staff writer at the Atlantic.
1:02.5	My guest this week will be Jamal Simmons, a former communications director for
1:06.6	Vice President Kamala Harris and co-host of the Trailblaze podcast.
1:10.8	The book I will discuss this week is The Magician by Com Toyman, a reconstructed Vice President Kamala Harris and co-host of the Trailbase podcast.
1:14.1	The book I will discuss this week is The Magician by Com Toyman,
1:17.3	a reconstruction of the life of the German writer Thomas Mon.
1:20.5	But before either the dialogue or the book,
1:26.0	some thoughts on the shocking attack on the White House Correspondent Center this past weekend.
1:28.6	The facts of this attack are still coming to light. There is an apprehended suspect. We will know more about this, and I won't comment
1:33.6	directly on what happened or on why it might have happened. I want to think more deeply instead
1:38.5	about the dinner itself, the event that was interrupted and shadowed by this attack.
1:43.1	As long as the White House correspondent dinner has been going on, or at least as long
1:46.7	as I've been conscious of it, it's been a much criticized event.
	...

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