The Daily

'The Interview': 3 Senators Who Quit on Why Congress Won’t Stand Up to Trump

December 13, 2025·40 min·6-min readinterviewpolitics
Podzilla Summary (6 min)
TLDR
Three former or soon-to-be former U.S. Senators — Jeff Flake, Joe Manchin, and Tina Smith — reflect on the erosion of the Senate’s institutional power, the collapse of bipartisan norms, and the growing dominance of the presidency, particularly under Trump. They diagnose a Senate that has

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Guest

J

Jeff Flake, Joe Manchin, Tina Smith

interview on The Daily

Mentions

Books, people, and resources mentioned in this episode.

People

Jeff FlakeJoe ManchinTina SmithLulu Garcia-NavarroLisa MurkowskiJohn ThuneChuck SchumerJames CarvilleMelissa HortmanPete Hegseth

Books

The Great Migration Has Begunby Joe Manchin

Topics

CongressCriminal Justice ReformDemocracyForeign PolicyInequalitySupreme CourtUs Politics

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