Rachel Maddow Q&A: MSNBC star dishes on the rise of authoritarianism and her worries about becoming a Trump target
CNN
Maddow discusses the new season of “Ultra,” the 2024 campaign, and Donald Trump’s possible wrath should he win a second term.
Editor’s Note: A version of this article first appeared in the “Reliable Sources” newsletter. Sign up for the daily digest chronicling the evolving media landscape here. Rachel Maddow is back with another podcast. The MSNBC star on Monday debuted the second season of her acclaimed audio series, “Ultra.” Over six episodes, the program is set to explore “an all-but-forgotten” true story from America’s post-World War II history that mirrors the frightening politics of our current moment. In fact, the show’s synopsis — which makes mention of a foreign influence operation, a “Hail Mary scheme to stop the counting of the Electoral College votes,” and the “fraying” line between “the violent ultra-right and mainstream American politics” — reads like a description of the 2024 political state of play. We spoke with Maddow via email about the new season of “Ultra,” the 2024 campaign, and whether she fears she might be a target of Donald Trump’s wrath should he win a second term. Her answers are presented below, unedited. You’re one of the highest rated hosts on television. What is unique about the audio format that makes it attractive to you as a storyteller? I started in radio long before I ever somehow finagled my way onto TV, so when I’m working out how to explain things or express myself or tell stories, I still think first about the spoken word. Audio also requires a little more precision in the writing and the delivery than TV does — in a visual medium, you can round off the edges a little bit with on-screen elements and body language, neither of which is available when all you have is a microphone. For projects that have a longer dramatic arc, like ‘Ultra’ and ‘Bag Man,’ I think the precision and rigor that audio production demands can build out the story in a way that hopefully makes it worthy of four or five hours of attention from listeners over the course of the season.
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