In their 150th episode of The Break Down with Brodkorb and Becky, hosts Becky Scherr and Michael Brodkorb celebrate the podcast’s growth, highlight past guests and panels, and thank their families.
Next, they interview Minnesota native and independent journalist Aaron Rupar. Rupar recounts his path from local media to ThinkProgress and Vox, and to his Substack Public Notice, explaining how he pioneered real-time political video clipping, his daily workflow, platform engagement, and how he decides what to amplify while managing competitiveness and mental health.
Afterward, Becky and Michael break down the dispute between President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV over the war in Iran, Trump’s attacks, and Trump’s posting an AI image of himself as Jesus Christ.
They discuss recent fundraising totals for major statewide races in Minnesota and criticize a Star Tribune column that claims Republicans are “ducking” the press, arguing that fundraisers are typically private and that the piece lacked context.
* 00:00 Introduction & Episode Highlights: Overview of the 150th episode milestone, highlights, and podcast reflections.
* 10:39 Meet Aaron Rupar: Introduction to Aaron Rupar, his Minnesota roots, move to DC, and how his viral clipping career began.
* 19:55 Inside the Viral Clipping Workflow: Deep dive into his day-to-day process, long hours, platform strategy, and audience reach.
* 27:50 Covering Trump Unfiltered: How Rupar decides what to amplify, the challenge of covering Trump, and staying sane on the beat.
* 42:52 2024 & The Post-Truth Era: Reflections on the 2024 inflection point, lessons unlearned from Trumpism, and post-truth politics.
* 49:47 Interview Recap & Trump vs. The Pope: Reactions to Rupar interview, followed by discussion of the Trump-versus-Pope controversy and Catholic voter fallout.
* 01:08:48 Minnesota Money & Politics: Minnesota fundraising numbers, the Senate race money map, and the Star Tribune press fight.
* 01:30:55 Final Thoughts & Closing: Wrap-up and closing remarks.
The Break Down with Brodkorb and Becky will return with a new episode next week!
Get full access to On The Record with Michael Brodkorb at michaelbrodkorb.substack.com/subscribe