Top Political Journalist Fernando Espuelas, Issue One Join Forces in a New Podcast to Expose How Power Works in Washington

A new podcast from Issue One, The X-Ray with Fernando Espuelas, launched today, to give listeners a fresh take on political power and insightful analysis of the biggest issues facing democracy at home and abroad.

Hosted by Fernando Espuelas, an experienced political journalist who has interviewed presidents, politicians, and other luminaries, the podcast is an editorially independent project of Issue One featuring compelling conversations with newsmakers, power players, and experts to dissect how power really works in Washington.

“We often talk about politics like a game: who is winning, who is losing, what the score is,” said Espuelas. “But in this podcast, we want to go beyond keeping score and look at the motivation driving politicians and political movements. At the end of the day, it’s all about power: Who wants it? Who wields it? And why?”

In the first episode, out now, Espuelas is joined by Sarah Longwell, a Republican strategist and founder of The Bulwark, for a wide-ranging conversation about the current state of the Republican party, the 2024 presidential election, and whether an alternative to former President Trump could clinch the party’s nomination.

In the second episode, also out today, Fernando is joined by Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a professor of history at New York University and author of the best-selling book “Strongmen: Mussolini To The Present,” for a conversation about authoritarianism and its threat to democracy in the U.S.

Nicole Lagace, Issue One’s communications director and executive producer of The X-Ray, said a podcast like this couldn’t come at a more critical time. “Democracy survived its greatest challenge in generations following the 2020 presidential election, but we still have work to do. Every American, regardless of political party, must unite to defend the Constitution, protect our elections, and hold our political leaders accountable. Listeners can expect The X-Ray to offer not only diverse perspectives and opinions about the real threats facing American democracy, but to also expose the forces behind them.”

For more information, check out thexray.org. Listen to The X-Ray with Fernando Espuelas wherever you get your podcasts.