Former United States Senator and gubernatorial candidate Doug Jones joins me for a long-anticipated conversation about the future of Alabama politics. Last summer, Mallory Hagan and I talked about what it would take for Democrats to truly compete statewide, and a few months later, Doug Jones entered the governor’s race.

In our 30-minute conversation, we cover a lot of ground, from healthcare affordability and Medicaid expansion to education, accountability, and the importance of building a strong top of the ticket so Democrats down the ballot can compete. Doug reflects on his upbringing in the Jim Crow South, his time as U.S. Attorney, and why unity and participation are essential if Alabama is going to move forward.

I also share why this moment reminds me of 2018, the last time Democrats had real energy and real options on the ballot, and why Doug Jones believes that same momentum is possible again. His message is clear: change only happens when we show up, work together, and give voters a real choice.

Got a hot take? Think you’re not wrong about something? I want to hear it. Call me and leave a voicemail at (205)538-3202 and follow along on Instagram @HesNotWrongPodcast, and let’s keep the conversation going.

Make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and join me every Sunday morning - grab your coffee, and let’s talk.

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Corbin Trent joins the show to examine why millions of Americans feel abandoned by an economy leaders insist is working. Growing up in Northeast Tennessee and later working at the highest levels of progressive politics with Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Corbin brings a rare inside-and-outside perspective on how communities were hollowed out and why political promises keep falling short. We talk healthcare affordability, industrial policy, Trump’s appeal in forgotten towns, and what Democrats must get right in the 2026 midterms to rebuild trust and deliver real, material change.

Got a hot take? Think you’re not wrong about something? I want to hear it. Call me and leave a voicemail at (205)538-3202 and follow along on Instagram @HesNotWrongPodcast, and let’s keep the conversation going.

Make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and join me every Sunday morning - grab your coffee, and let’s talk.

Follow on YouTube, Instagram, & TikTok: @HesNotWrongPodcast Subscribe on Subtack: https://substack.com/@hesnotwrong Contact: chad@hesnotwrongpodcast.com www.HesNotWrongPodcast.Com

Dr. Benjamin Arnberg joins us once again for an extended conversation reflecting on 2025 and looking ahead to what 2026 may bring.

In this wide-ranging episode, we dig into the evolving situation in Venezuela, revisit insights from past guests, and discuss where listeners can find reliable polling, data, and research as we head into a critical midterm election year (and more!).

Got a hot take? Think you’re not wrong about something? I want to hear it. Call me and leave a voicemail at (205)538-3202 and follow along on Instagram @HesNotWrongPodcast, and let’s keep the conversation going.

Make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and join me every Sunday morning - grab your coffee, and let’s talk.

Follow on YouTube, Instagram, & TikTok: @HesNotWrongPodcast Subscribe on Subtack: https://substack.com/@hesnotwrong Contact: chad@hesnotwrongpodcast.com www.HesNotWrongPodcast.Com

In this episode, I sit down with Insha Rahman, Vice President of Advocacy at the Vera Institute of Justice and Director of Vera Action, for a conversation about public safety, immigration, and the growing disconnect between political rhetoric and reality.

We unpack how crime and immigration have been deliberately weaponized in national politics, despite data showing declining crime rates and the fact that most people targeted by immigration enforcement do not have criminal convictions. We talk about the lack of accountability within ICE, the real human impact of immigration enforcement, and why fear-driven narratives continue to dominate the public conversation.

The episode also explores federal power and recent Supreme Court decisions, including a ruling that limits a president’s ability to deploy the National Guard under the current justification. We discuss why that decision matters, what it signals about executive overreach, and why vigilance is still necessary moving forward.

We focus on why local action matters, how states like Alabama are central to the future of criminal justice reform, and what evidence-based, community-driven public safety actually looks like in practice.

Finally, we talk about what comes next. Insha shares concrete ways people can get involved locally to support immigrants and resist federal overreach, and we discuss how Democrats have an opportunity to reclaim the public safety conversation heading into the 2026 elections.

Got a hot take? Think you’re not wrong about something? I want to hear it. Call me and leave a voicemail at (205)538-3202 and follow along on Instagram @HesNotWrongPodcast, and let’s keep the conversation going.

Make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and join me every Sunday morning - grab your coffee, and let’s talk.

Follow on YouTube, Instagram, & TikTok: @HesNotWrongPodcast Contact: chad@hesnotwrongpodcast.com www.HesNotWrongPodcast.Com

I’m so happy to be able to bring you a very special bonus episode. We’ve talked a lot on the podcast in recent episodes about the momentum Democrats are building nationally, and that momentum is being felt right here in Alabama. As we get closer to the midterms, new and exciting voices are entering races across the state. While his voice is not new, he has just entered the race to become Alabama’s next lieutenant governor.

Alabama State Representative Phil Ensler is joining us after announcing his campaign for lieutenant governor. I’ve known Phil for the better part of a decade, and when I tell you there is no one I know who is more focused on and committed to bettering their community than Phil Ensler, I mean that wholeheartedly.

We cover a lot in the half hour we had together, from his decision to run and his approach to speaking to all voters, to fixing health care in Alabama and the legislative accomplishments he is most proud of from his time in the Alabama State House of Representatives.

Got a hot take? Think you’re not wrong about something? I want to hear it. Call me and leave a voicemail at (205)538-3202 and follow along on Instagram @HesNotWrongPodcast, and let’s keep the conversation going.

Make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and join me every Sunday morning - grab your coffee, and let’s talk.

Follow on YouTube, Instagram, & TikTok: @HesNotWrongPodcast Contact: chad@hesnotwrongpodcast.com www.HesNotWrongPodcast.Com

In this episode, I sit down with John Sullivan, a former FBI Intelligence Analyst with nearly two decades of experience protecting the United States and a candidate running for Congress because he believes our democracy and national security are being put at risk.

John spent 17 years inside the FBI, serving presidents of both parties and working on surveillance, intelligence analysis, and leadership teams focused on counterterrorism, foreign adversaries, drug cartels, and human trafficking. He took an oath to defend the Constitution, and unlike many in Washington, he never walked away from it.

We talk candidly about the politicization of federal institutions under Donald Trump, the fallout from January 6th, and the dangerous consequences of replacing experienced public servants with political loyalists. John shares what it was like working inside the FBI during this period, the impact on morale and safety, and why he ultimately chose to leave rather than be complicit in actions he believed were immoral or unconstitutional.

The conversation also dives into healthcare, shaped by John’s experience as a cancer survivor who understands firsthand how access, affordability, and insurance coverage can determine life or death outcomes. We discuss Congress’s failure to act on healthcare costs, the real-world consequences for families, and why John believes representatives like Mike Lawler are failing their constituents.

We also cover campaign finance reform, extremism, community-based political engagement, and why John is committed to serving with integrity rather than ambition. This episode is about public service, accountability, and what it means to step up when the stakes are high.

If you care about democracy, national security, and leadership that puts people over politics, this is a conversation you do not want to miss.

Got a hot take? Think you’re not wrong about something? I want to hear it. Call me and leave a voicemail at (205)538-3202 and follow along on Instagram @HesNotWrongPodcast, and let’s keep the conversation going.

Make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and join me every Sunday morning - grab your coffee, and let’s talk.

Follow on YouTube, Instagram, & TikTok: @HesNotWrongPodcast Contact: chad@hesnotwrongpodcast.com www.HesNotWrongPodcast.Com

In this episode, I sit down with Aftyn Behn to break down the real lessons from her recent congressional campaign in Tennessee’s 7th District. We talk about how her background in social work and community organizing shaped a morally clear, people-first campaign, and why that clarity resonated far beyond what national pundits expected. Aftyn walks through the realities of running in a heavily scrutinized race, from grassroots organizing and media attention to the emotional toll campaigns take on candidates and their families.

We also dig into what comes next: how Democrats can better support candidates in red and purple districts, why long-term infrastructure and year-round organizing matter, and how to onboard new volunteers into meaningful legislative advocacy. This conversation isn’t just about one race—it’s about building durable power, investing in local communities, and refusing to let momentum die after Election Day.

Got a hot take? Think you’re not wrong about something? I want to hear it. Call me and leave a voicemail at (205)538-3202 and follow along on Instagram @HesNotWrongPodcast, and let’s keep the conversation going.

Make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and join me every Sunday morning - grab your coffee, and let’s talk.

Follow on YouTube, Instagram, & TikTok: @HesNotWrongPodcast Contact: chad@hesnotwrongpodcast.com www.HesNotWrongPodcast.Com

This week, I sit down with scholar Sara Moslener for a deep conversation about her new book After Purity and the hidden legacy of purity culture inside white evangelical Christianity. Sara’s work traces how purity teachings shaped an entire generation’s understanding of gender, sexuality, race, and national identity and how those teachings continue to influence our politics today. We talk about the stories behind the After Purity Project, the political power of white evangelicalism, and the lasting consequences of a movement that replaced real education with shame, repression, and control.

I share my own experience growing up in Catholic purity culture, and Sara explains how these systems overlap across faiths. We walk through her journey from teen purity advocate to researcher and advocate for people harmed by these teachings. Together, we dig into the rise of Christian nationalism, the True Love Waits movement, the Religious Right, and how groups like the Heritage Foundation and Project 2025 are still shaping morality politics today. We connect those historical roots to the modern fights over sex education, censorship, reproductive rights, and the political use of fear.

Sara breaks down the racial component of purity culture, how it constructs idealized “biblical” identities tied to whiteness, and how those beliefs inform gender roles, authoritarian politics, and the ongoing erasure of sexual and religious diversity. We also examine the abusive cultures inside evangelical institutions, the lack of accountability, and the ways churches weaponize narratives of sin and redemption to protect their power.

This episode looks at how purity culture shaped who we were taught to be, how it still influences American politics, and why dismantling these systems is essential for a healthy democracy.

Got a hot take? Think you’re not wrong about something? I want to hear it. Call me and leave a voicemail at (205)538-3202 and follow along on Instagram @HesNotWrongPodcast, and let’s keep the conversation going. Make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and join me every Sunday morning - grab your coffee, and let’s talk. Follow on YouTube, Instagram, & TikTok: @HesNotWrongPodcast Contact: chad@hesnotwrongpodcast.com www.HesNotWrongPodcast.Com