The Common Good Podcast

What happens when a presidential administration treats law as optional and accountability as a threat? In this episode, we take a clear-eyed, fact-based look at the cascading legal, moral, and political crises emerging from the Trump Administration in 2025. Doug Pagitt and Robb Ryerse break down the three arenas where these dangers are most urgent: 🔹 State Crime – The misuse of government power, the erosion of checks and balances,...

In this episode of The Common Good Podcast, we dig into the documented scandals and alleged corruption that defined the Trump administration and why so many Americans see this moment as unprecedented in modern political history. We reflect on what these past years have revealed about our democracy, the stakes of integrity in public office, and why the coming election represents a critical opportunity for renewal, accountability, an...

In today’s episode of the Common Good Podcast, Doug Pagitt and Robb Ryerse dig into the growing rift inside MAGA world — the public break between Marjorie Taylor Greene and Donald Trump.

What does this split really mean? Why is it happening now? And how does it fit into the larger pattern of Republicans, conservatives, and former loyalists quietly (and not-so-quietly) backing away from Trump as his influence weakens?

Doug and Robb ...

This is The Common Good Podcast — where faith, politics, and the fight for the soul of our country come together. With Doug Pagitt and Robb Ryerse talking about the rising resistance to the MAGA movement — a resistance that’s growing stronger in every corner of society. Now that the shutdown is finally over and we’re less than a year from the midterm elections, the opposition to Donald Trump and his enablers isn’t just speaking out...

Voters sent a clear message in yesterday’s elections: Trumpism is losing its grip, and Democrats have the wind at their backs. In this episode of Good Politics, Doug Pagitt and Robb Ryerse break down the results, the trends, and the growing movement of voters choosing hope, compassion, and democracy over fear, lies, and extremism.

From local races to national momentum, we’re seeing a turning tide — one powered by people of faith an...

Author and scholar Holly Berkley Fletcher joins Doug Pagitt to discuss her new book The Missionary Kids: Unmasking the Myths of White Evangelicalism. Together, they explore how the experiences of missionary kids reveal deeper truths about faith, power, race, and identity within the evangelical movement. A thoughtful conversation about the cost of calling, the myth of multiculturalism, and what honest faith can look like beyond the ...

In this episode, we talk about what’s happening right now in America — prices for everyday essentials like gas, groceries, and housing have gone up since last year, and Donald Trump is doing nothing to help everyday Americans. Instead, he’s busy tearing down not only the East Wing of the White House in his bizarre plans, but also the foundations of democracy itself. But there’s hope. A growing number of evangelicals are turning awa...

Donald Trump isn’t just the president — he’s trolling the American people. In this episode, the Common Good Podcast team unpacks how Trump uses mockery, memes, and AI-generated videos to dehumanize and divide. From calling fellow citizens “enemies” to posting disturbing digital fantasies of violence, Trump turns cruelty into spectacle — and spectacle into power. We explore what this means for our national character, for people of f...

What does it mean to live in Donald Trump’s delusions about what America is and should be—especially as people of faith?

He calls our cities “hellholes,” treats political opponents as enemies, and talks about Gaza with no regard for human life. These aren’t just political statements—they reveal a worldview of fear, resentment, and revenge.

Join Vote Common Good's Doug Pagitt and Robb Ryerse for a candid conversation about how faith...

Donald Trump recently said people should “prove to God you are good enough to go to that next step.” His childish and immature understanding of goodness and morality shows that being 79 years old doesn’t necessarily mean having the maturity of an adult — sometimes it’s closer to that of a 7-year-old boy. This kind of moral immaturity puts our nation at risk in profound ways. In this episode of the Common Good Podcast, Doug Pagitt a...

On this episode of The Common Good Podcast, Doug Pagitt talks with Brian Recker, author of the new book Hellbent: How the Fear of Hell Holds Christians Back from a Spirituality of Love. Brian, a former evangelical pastor, takes us inside his journey of questioning one of Christianity’s most entrenched doctrines — the idea of eternal damnation. He argues that the fear of hell has distorted Christian faith, fostering shame, exclusion...

Welcome to the Common Good Podcast. In this episode, Doug Pagitt sits down with Father Pete Nunnally, an Episcopal priest, writer, and visionary leader behind the new Water and Wilderness Church. Together they dive into Pete’s forthcoming book, Catching Hope, which offers a fresh vision of faith rooted in renewal, resilience, and community. Their conversation explores not only Pete’s personal journey and the inspiration behind his ...

In this episode of Common Good Candidates, I talk with Mark Pinsley, a Democrat running for Congress in Pennsylvania. Mark’s district is one of the very few actually competitive Congressional districts in the country. It’s a critical race for Democrats to flip the House. Mark shares his journey from business leader to public servant, and why he believes government should work for people—not the wealthy and powerful. We dig into his...

In this episode of the Common Good Podcast, Doug Pagitt and Robb Ryerse confront the rising tide of political violence in America. In the wake of the tragic murders of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and  Charlie Kirk, Donald Trump has excused right-wing violence as “stopping crime” while casting the political left as “people who hate America.” Doug and Robb take on this dangerous rhetoric and the way it distorts our public...

Rev. Dr. DeWayne Davis is a dynamic community leader, ordained minister, policy strategist, and now a candidate for mayor of Minneapolis. A Mississippi Delta native, he began his career in Washington, D.C., serving as a legislative aide on Capitol Hill and later as Domestic Policy Advisor for The Episcopal Church, where he helped lead the fight for marriage equality before the U.S. Supreme Court. Known for his persistence—what he c...

In this episode of Common Good Candidates, Robb Ryerse sits down with Jordan Wood, a Democrat running for the U.S. Senate in Maine. We talk about what it will take to rebuild trust in government and put people—not special interests—at the center of our politics.

We dig into affordable housing and the broader kitchen-table economics affecting Mainers and families across the country: rising rents, wages, and jobs, small-business vita...

It may look like the MAGA movement is marching in lockstep, but cracks are showing. Right-wing media voices and everyday supporters are quietly stepping back, embarrassed and humiliated by Trump’s harmful actions. On the Common Good Podcast, we dig into these shifts, exploring what they mean for faith, politics, and the future of our democracy. With wit, candor, and hope, Doug and Robb pull back the curtain on the stories shaping o...

In is episode of Common Good Candidates, Robb Ryerse, political director of Vote Common Good, sits down with Sanjyot Dunung, candidate for Congress in Illinois’s 8th District. Sanjyot shares her story as a business leader, author, and advocate for democracy, and talks about why she’s stepping up to serve at a pivotal moment for our country.

We discuss her vision for bringing common sense, integrity, and compassion back to Washingto...