Podcast / Fighting Fascism / Nov 2, 2026

The Story of Justice Democrats—With Usamah Andrabi

Usamah Andrabi of Justice Democrats joins Fighting Fascism to reflect on the 2026 elections, progressive victories, and the resurgence of the American left.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

The Story of Justice Democrats w/ Usamah Andrabi / Fighting Fascism
byThe Nation Magazine

We are officially almost at the end of the 2026 election. To reflect back on the crazy twists and turns and the major progressive successes of this cycle, we spoke with Usamah Andrabi, the communications director for Justice Democrats. Justice Democrats is best known as the org that recruited AOC in 2018, but they’re a lot more than that, and their story is, in a lot of ways, the story of the left’s resurgence over the last few years. 

(Note: We recorded this episode a few weeks ago. At first we were concerned about whether a conversation focused largely on how progressives have used primaries to make the Democratic Party better was appropriate for the day before the general election. But then corporate Dem Haley Stevens endorsed MAGA freak Mike Rogers in an attempt to ratfuck Democrats’ U.S. senate nominee in Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed. And we remembered that yes, beating the far right absolutely requires us to defeat the corporate Dems who are far more interested in protecting their billionaire donors than defeating fascism. Let’s beat these MAGA freaks on Tuesday and then let’s clear out the rot in our party starting Wednesday.)

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US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks during a “Defend the Vote” rally at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, on August 28, 2026.

(Ken Cedeno / AFP via Getty Images)

We are officially almost at the end of the 2026 election. To reflect back on the crazy twists and turns and the major progressive successes of this cycle, we spoke with Usamah Andrabi, the communications director for Justice Democrats. Justice Democrats is best known as the organization that recruited AOC in 2018, but it’s a lot more than that, and its story is, in a lot of ways, the story of the left’s resurgence over the last few years. 

(Note: We recorded this episode a few weeks ago. At first we were concerned about whether a conversation focused largely on how progressives have used primaries to make the Democratic Party better was appropriate for the day before the general election. But then corporate Dem Haley Stevens endorsed MAGA freak Mike Rogers in an attempt to ratfuck Democrats’ US Senate nominee in Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed. And we remembered that yes, beating the far right absolutely requires us to defeat the corporate Dems who are far more interested in protecting their billionaire donors than defeating fascism. Let’s beat these MAGA freaks on Tuesday, and then let’s clear out the rot in our party starting Wednesday.)

Subscribe to The Nation to support all of our podcasts: thenation.com/subscribe.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

The Story of Justice Democrats w/ Usamah Andrabi / Fighting Fascism
byThe Nation Magazine

We are officially almost at the end of the 2026 election. To reflect back on the crazy twists and turns and the major progressive successes of this cycle, we spoke with Usamah Andrabi, the communications director for Justice Democrats. Justice Democrats is best known as the org that recruited AOC in 2018, but they’re a lot more than that, and their story is, in a lot of ways, the story of the left’s resurgence over the last few years. 

(Note: We recorded this episode a few weeks ago. At first we were concerned about whether a conversation focused largely on how progressives have used primaries to make the Democratic Party better was appropriate for the day before the general election. But then corporate Dem Haley Stevens endorsed MAGA freak Mike Rogers in an attempt to ratfuck Democrats’ U.S. senate nominee in Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed. And we remembered that yes, beating the far right absolutely requires us to defeat the corporate Dems who are far more interested in protecting their billionaire donors than defeating fascism. Let’s beat these MAGA freaks on Tuesday and then let’s clear out the rot in our party starting Wednesday.)

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Subscribe to The Nation to Support all of our podcasts

Aaron Regunberg

Aaron Regunberg is a climate lawyer, a contributing editor at The New Republic, and a former Rhode Island state representative.

Matt DaSilva

Matt DaSilva is a co-host of the Fighting Fascism podcast.

Jonathan Smucker

Jonathan Smucker is cofounder and executive director of Popular Comms, a cofounder of Pennsylvania Stands Up, and the author of Hegemony How-To: A Roadmap for Radicals. He has worked for over 25 years as a political organizer, campaigner, and strategist, and has trained thousands of organizers and social movement participants.

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