Hasan Minhaj Doesn't Know Season 2, Episode 48: Senator Alex Padilla: How Democrats Can Win in 2026

Dean of Columbia Journalism School: Jelani Cobb

Hasan sits down with New Yorker writer and Dean of the Columbia School of Journalism, Jelani Cobb, to talk about the TikTokification of news, the Hot Take Industrial Complex, and maybe the biggest threat to our youth today: Sesame Street.

32 min

Why Didn’t Pod Save America? with Jon Favreau

Hasan sits down with Pod Save America co-founder Jon Favreau to talk about podcasting’s influence on politics, The Resistance on life-support, and the question on everyone’s mind who owns a Crooked Media™ “Mother Earth is a MILF” bucket hat… Why didn’t Pod Save America?

38 min

What's Wrong With The Democrats? with Senator Chris Murphy

Hasan sits down with his home state’s senator, Chris Murphy, to talk about why Democrats keep fumbling the ball, whether America is becoming an oligarchy (or already was one), and how broad Democrats should make their tent: All Lives Matter broad? Or like… R.Kelly broad?

30 min

Halle Berry is Your New Sex Ed Teacher

Hasan sits down with screen legend Halle Berry to learn more about why she’s making menopause her passion, and to fill in some of his own knowledge gaps on it. There were a lot of gaps. It was pretty much all gaps.

31 min

Accountability is Sexy with Michelle Buteau

Hasan sits down with his work/screen wife, Michelle Buteau, to talk about her journey, the difference between being bitter and being petty, and to take her down a subreddit rabbit hole that went to a very, very dark place (someone’s butthole).

31 min

Am I a Bad Dad? with Dr. Becky

Hasan sits down with parenting expert Dr. Becky to talk about the challenges of modern parenting, how to be “sturdy,” and the biggest question we’re all wondering: Is Hasan a sh*tty dad?

33 min

John Leguizamo Killed a lot of Acting Teachers

Hasan sits down with one of his creative heroes, John Leguizamo, to talk about his amazing career, what a psycho Christopher Columbus was, and his new film, Bob Trevino Likes It.

38 min

Dumbasses for the Culture with the cast of Deli Boys

Hasan sits down with 3 friends - Poorna Jagannathan, Asif Ali, and Saagar Shaikh - to talk about their new Hulu show Deli Boys, iconic moments in Brown Cinema, and what it was like to face off against one of the most intimidating villains in television history: Tan France.

39 min

Rainn Wilson Announces His New Cult

Hasan talks to legendary TV weirdo Rainn Wilson about spirituality, ambition, and atheists. Featuring the WORLD PREMIERE of his lyrics to The Office theme song.

42 min

How to Cook an Egg and / or Save the World with Chef Jose Andres

Hasan sits down with Chef Jose Andres to talk about World Central Kitchen, his new book Changing The Recipe, and a question he’s struggled with as a husband, a father, and just as a human being: How do you cook an egg?

53 min

Is Making Kids Famous Child Abuse? with Avan Jogia

Hasan sits down with Avan Jogia to talk about fame, nostalgia, and the pitfalls of kids TV, all part of his new book: “Autopsy of an Ex-Teen Heartthrob.”

48 min

A Very Watchable, Very Viral Interview with Medhi Hasan

Hasan goes head to head with Mehdi Hasan and asks HIM the tough questions for once, like: Why did he really leave MSNBC? Why is he so addicted to clout? And most importantly… did he order the code red?

45 min

The Republican Road to Hell with Tim Miller

Hasan sits down with former Republican political consultant and current Never Trumper Tim Miller to talk about MAGA’s origin story, Sarah Palin, and why Republican politicians have such a humiliation kink.

53 min

Why Ezra Klein is So F***ing Angry (with Democrats)

Hasan sits down with superstar political podcaster Ezra Klein to talk about why he’s so angry, what Democrats need to change, and his new book “Abundance.”

44 min

How The Trump admin Could Spy on You with Ronan Farrow

Hasan sits down with Pulitzer-winning journalist Ronan Farrow to talk about his HBO documentary on spyware tech, his new podcast “Not a Very Good Murderer,” and to exchange hair care tips with a fellow hair bro.

49 min

Why Roy Wood Jr. Always Says Yes

Hasan sits down with his friend and old Daily Show co-correspondent Roy Wood Jr. to talk about his latest Hulu special "Lonely Flowers," his early days as a prank caller, and why he says yes to everything. Roy's new book “The Man of Many Fathers" is now available for presale: https://roywoodjrbook.com/

46 min

Dads, Death & Popes with Mike Birbiglia

Hasan sits down with his friend and fellow standup Mike Birbiglia to talk about dads, death and popes.

54 min

Cynthia Nixon Hasn’t Forgiven Andrew Cuomo

Hasan sits down with legendary actor and former candidate for New York governor Cynthia Nixon to talk about her old nemesis Andrew Cuomo, and her two hit HBO shows: And Just Like That and The Gilded Age.

47 min

Why are Women Obsessed with Murder? with Crime Junkie Ashley Flowers

Hasan sits down with true crime media mogul Ashley Flowers to discuss why women are so obsessed with true crime, whether she’d prefer to be stuck in a forest with a bear or a man, and her new novel, “The Missing Half.”

42 min

Rahm Emanuel on How to Divide Republicans

Hasan sits down with Ambassador Rahm Emanuel to talk about where the Democrats need to go, whether he’s the guy to take them there, and to ask if he actually helped created AOC.

45 min

Financial Literacy for Dummies (Like Me)

Hasan sits down with personal finance guru JL Collins to talk about his book “The Simple Path To Wealth,” why so many people are bad with money, and how to ignore all those overconfident posers in your Instagram reels (other than Hasan).

59 min

Why War Doesn’t Work - with General Stanley McChrystal

Hasan sits down with 4-star General Stanley McChrystal to discuss how close we are to WW3, his new book “On Character,” and whether The Onion got it more right than the U.S. military.

37 min

Why We Can’t Focus - with MSNBC’s Chris Hayes

Hasan sits down with MSNBC's Chris Hayes to talk about his new book - "The Siren's Call: How Attention Became The World's Most Endangered Resource" - and why our rectangles of sadness are so irresistible while making us feel so shitty.

54 min

Is New Jersey Going MAGA? - with Governor Phil Murphy

Hasan sits down with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy to talk about his state’s red shift, his fight against congestion pricing, and something a little less controversial… immigration.

44 min

When Will Democrats Get Mad? - with Rep. Jasmine Crockett

Hasan sits down with Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett to talk about why her message is resonating with so many Americans, to discuss some practical advice for protestors, and to ask her about the Trump administration's legal strategy, which amounts to "F--k you, make me."

48 min

How Trump is Abusing the Military - with Senator Tammy Duckworth

Hasan sits down with U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth to talk about her least favorite draft dodger, how she maintains her respect for the military even when it's run by complete dumbasses, and whether soldiers should follow orders to shoot protestors. Spoiler alert: no.

43 min

Is Political Violence Becoming Normal? With Arizona AG Kris Mayes

Hasan sits down with Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes to learn more about why she changed teams from the Republicans to the Democrats, what she thinks about the growing threats of violence towards politicians, and what her answer is to the central question behind every immigration debate: how many do we let in?

40 min

Why AI is Overrated - with Neil Degrasse Tyson

Hasan sits down with Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson to talk about the power of scientific literacy, the Trump administration’s attack on scientific institutions, and the future of AI.

57 min

Wu Tang Clan: The Avengers of Hip Hop - with Method Man

Hasan sits down with hip hop legend Method Man to talk about getting older in a youth-focused genre, what really happened at the 1995 Source Awards, and his new career as an actor.

44 min

How to Get a 6pm Checkout with Mo Amer

Hasan sits down with Palestinian-American comic and close friend Mo Amer to talk about his incredible life story.

52 min

I Got Diagnosed with ADD by Psychologist Gabor Maté

Hasan sits down for a one-hour therapy session with best-selling author and renowned expert on trauma and addiction Dr. Gabor Maté.

63 min

Is Texas Still a Democracy? with Beto O’Rourke

Hasan sits down with former senate/gubernatorial/presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke to talk about the southern border, voting rights, guns, and to sing BOTH of Texas’ state anthems.

52 min

The Hasan Summit with Hasan Piker

Two of the internet’s favorite Hasans finally sit down to dive deep on progressive politics, the NYC mayoral election and what it’s like to be in constant conversation with the internet. Let's cut through the noise together.

66 min

Fine, We'll Talk About Epstein - with Rep. Ro Khanna

Hasan sits down with the unofficial ambassador of Silicon Valley, Congressman Ro Khanna, to talk about what it means to be a “progressive capitalist,” his text chains with Elon Musk and Steve Bannon, and yes (sigh), we will talk about Epstein.

45 min

Inside the Destruction of USAID with Dr. Atul Gawande

Hasan sits down with the former USAID Head of Global Health to talk about the destruction of USAID, the misinformation that helped fuel it, and how it became a template for a wider war on academia and science. Let's cut through the noise together.

58 min

Will AI Take My Job? with Karen Hao

Hasan sits down with reporter Karen Hao on her new book Empire of AI on how AI companies are taking over the world, what can be done about it, and when they might start bombing brown countries

55 min

How India’s Biggest Comic Reps His Home Country

Hasan sits down with India’s biggest comic, Vir Das, to talk about nazar (“the evil eye”), Shah Rukh Khan, and his new special, Vir Das: Fool Volume, now streaming on Netflix: https://netflix.com/watch/81788399. Let's cut through the noise together.

50 min

Is America Heading Towards Civil War? with Ilhan Omar

Hasan sits down with Congresswoman Ilhan Omar to talk about her scraps - both physical and political - and the time she literally crawled through barbed wire to watch a Bollywood movie (such a Bollywood move). Let's cut through the noise together.

55 min

Is Hasan Smarter than a 13-Year-Old Math Genius？ (No)

Hasan sits down with 13-year-old NYU sophomore Suborno Isaac Bari to talk about math, science, his internet fame, and maybe the greatest scientific mystery of Hasan’s generation - Najme’s tendency to purchase WAY too many pomegranates. Let's cut through the noise together.

60 min

My Life Coach Session with Mel Robbins

Hasan sits down with Oprah-coronated self-help guru Mel Robbins to talk about her #1 New York Times Bestseller “Let Them,” how he supposedly can’t change his parents, and Mel’s supposed love of EVERYONE. Does that include Satan? You’re about to find out.

71 min

Is The Constitution Cooked? with Jill Lepore

Hasan sits down with Harvard history and law professor Jill Lepore to discuss her new book “We The People: A History of the U.S. Constitution” to talk about technocracy, A.I. president and the 1939 Madison Square Garden Nazi Rally. Let's cut through the noise together.

51 min

Prince Harry Wants Big Tech to Stop Hacking Our Kids’ Brains

Hasan talks to Prince Harry about how he’s settling into life in America, the danger of repeating the same mistakes with A.I. that we made with social media, and what a guy has to do around here to get knighted.

58 min

How to Cover a Sh*tposting White House with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins

Hasan sits down with CNN’s Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlin Collins to talk about sharing a workspace with OAN, whether Zoom is destroying journalism, and to ask her when CNN will be hiring George Santos as an analyst.

59 min

Why the Stock Market Hasn’t Crashed Yet - with Paul Krugman

Hasan sits down with Nobel-winning economist, former New York Times columnist and current Substacker Paul Krugman to talk about of the economic chaos Trump is unleashing, why the stock market doesn’t seem to hate it, and to get his thoughts on crypto (he’s not a fan).

49 min

The ACLU's War Against Trump - with Anthony Romero

Hasan sits down with ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero to chat through why it’s important to represent the NRA, what it’s like going toe to toe with the Supreme Court, and whether or not he misses George W. Bush.

52 min

Ken Burns on America’s Shocking History

Hasan sits down with docu-legend Ken Burns to discuss his new film on the American Revolution, why all of our dads love him so much, and to try his best to get a word in.

60 min

Malala and Hasan Squash Their Beef

Hasan sits down with Nobel Peace Prize winner, Malala Yousafzai, to discuss her new memoir FINDING MY WAY, the importance of astrology within female friendships, and to finally squash their beef.

61 min

Malcolm Gladwell Doesn’t Mind Being Wrong

Malcolm Gladwell is one of the most famous non-fiction authors in the world, with bestsellers including “Blink,” “The Tipping Point,” and “Outliers.” More recently, he’s become a podcasting mogul, co-founding Pushkin Industries and hosting Revisionist History. In our interview we talk about: -That cameo of one of his books in The White Lotus -Why his books have had such a wide appeal -His hot take on working from home -The latest season of his podcast, titled “The Alabama Murders” -The history, mechanics, and morality of lethal injection

A Deeply Unserious India-Pakistan Summit with Kumail Nanjiani

Hasan sits down with actor and comedian, Kumail Nanjiani, to talk about his new special, NIGHT THOUGHTS, speaking Urdu, and their different takes on pets and therapy. Let's cut through the noise together.

64 min

Best of Season 2: Hasan's Most Unhinged Moments

From quizzing Neil DeGrasse Tyson to interrupting Ken Burns—and even getting Dr. Becky to wrestle Hasan’s iPad away from him—we’re revisiting the wildest, cringiest, and most unhinged moments of Hasan Minhaj Doesn’t Know Season 2.

29 min