Former Senator Ken Salazar joins Fighting Fascism to discuss immigration, the US-Mexico border, Democratic strategy, and the politics of Mexico under AMLO and Claudia Sheinbaum.
President of Mexico Claudia Sheinbaum speaks during the daily morning briefing at Palacio Nacional on July 15, 2026, in Mexico City, Mexico.(Manuel Velasquez / Getty Images)
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.
This one’s a little different. Aaron, Matt, and Jonathan talk with Ken Salazar—former US Senator from Colorado, Secretary of the Interior under Obama, and Ambassador to Mexico under Biden—about why Democrats need to rethink their approach to the US-Mexico border and start treating immigration not as a liability to be managed, but a genuine opportunity to be seized. We also discuss the politics of Mexico and Ken’s experiences with AMLO, Mexico’s former insanely popular populist president, and Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s current insanely popular populist president. Aaron even tries to get a little feisty with Ken about his climate record, but fails spectacularly due to Ken’s kind grandpa demeanor. Oh well.
Check out Ken Salazar’s new book, Borderlands.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
This one’s a little different. Aaron, Matt, and Jonathan talk with Ken Salazar—former US senator from Colorado, secretary of the interior under Obama, and ambassador to Mexico under Biden—about why Democrats need to rethink their approach to the US-Mexico border and start treating immigration not as a liability to be managed, but a genuine opportunity to be seized. We also discuss the politics of Mexico and Ken’s experiences with AMLO, Mexico’s former insanely popular populist president, and Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s current insanely popular populist president. Aaron even tries to get a little feisty with Ken about his climate record, but fails spectacularly due to Ken’s “kind grandpa” demeanor. Oh, well.
Check out Ken Salazar’s new book, Borderlands.
Subscribe to The Nation to support all of our podcasts: thenation.com/subscribe.
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.
Dr. Isabella Weber’s new book is called Anti-Fascist Economics. As a native of Nuremberg, where the Nazis staged their famous mass rallies, there’s another term she also uses: the economics of “never again.”
We think this book is such an important intervention in the world right now. So we were thrilled to have Isabella on the show to discuss why the rise of today's authoritarian movements is not an accident, but is rooted in an economic order that has treated regular people as expendable while elevating markets above democratic choice.
In the face of rising costs, what if we didn’t take the primacy of corporate profits and market fundamentalism as a given? What if, instead, we said, “Let’s do something about this! Let’s take on the corporate profiteering and stabilize the price of essential goods and actually use government to help people so they don’t elect a bunch of fucking fascists!”
If you care about democracy, you should read Isabella’s book. And you should definitely check out this episode.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Aaron RegunbergTwitterAaron Regunberg is a climate lawyer, a contributing editor at The New Republic, and a former Rhode Island state representative.
Matt DaSilvaMatt DaSilva is a co-host of the Fighting Fascism podcast.
Jonathan SmuckerTwitterJonathan 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.