On this episode of HIT SHOW Frankly, NBC MSNBC Analyst John Heilmann joins hosts Chip Franklin and Frank Figliuzzi to find out just how close the presidential race is, and talk about the reliability of polls. We’ll also be exploring the very real threat to democracy posed by a Trump win.

“The playbook is there,” Frank said. “No one should ever feign surprise if Trump gets reelected and starts doing things that are clearly antithetical to democracy and the rule of law.”

Subscribe to our Patreon here, where paid members will get access to exclusive portions of this show. patreon.com/reallyamericanmedia

Be sure to pick up a copy of Frank’s hot new bestselling book, Long Haul: Hunting the Highway Serial Killers

Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/frankly-a-hard-look-at-americas-soft-spots/id1744249347

Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Cuks1KvlFPI0356Tczkfs

Subscribe on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b0b8aab0-1730-4ec3-a058-3033e2cd31c4/frankly-a-hard-look-at-america's-soft-spots

Subscribe on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-frankly-a-hard-look-at-ame-172629671/

Our website: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frankly-podcast

Our guest is author and top national affairs analyst John Heilemann. In this gripping interview, John explains where he thinks the MAGA movement originated and takes our listeners on a journey through what he calls “The genesis of Trump, and the populist grievance based on nationalist, xenophobic racism.”

John gives us the inside scoop on what the presidential poll numbers look like today, and cautions our listeners against reading too heavily into them. “Stop clinging. Don't cling anymore. The election is going to be really close,” he said. “It's a margin of error election.”

We’ll break down the very real national security threat posed today by Christian nationalists and white supremacists who support MAGA, as well as the looming dangers that a second Trump administration poses to our democracy.

“You'd be looking at a very volatile circumstance in the country,” John said. “A very volatile, threatening, and vulnerable one, particularly for people who are perceived as enemies of the administration. Trump knows how to do things now with the government that he didn't in the four years that he was in office. And he will be unconstrained, in a more, not just ruthless, but more effective way.”

In this episode, John shares stories of a few great experiences from his time on the frontline of journalism. He also gives a crystal clear breakdown of the behemoth that is the American media today and explains why mainstream outlets don’t do more to address rising threats like Christian nationalism. As Chip summarized, the media is “trying to find an audience that likes what we have to say, as opposed to challenging people with new ideas and new approaches to policy and philosophy.”