Crooked Media’s two‑day Crooked Con in Washington opened with a surprise appearance by Barack Obama at a live Pod Save America taping, where he urged Democrats not to impose litmus tests and pointed to wins by Abigail Spanberger and Zohran Mamdani as evidence the party can house different currents.
Crooked Con brought the Pod Save America universe and a rotating cast of political figures to Washington, D.C., on November 6–7. The conference kicked off November 6 with a live Pod Save America show at the Warner Theatre and continued November 7 with panels at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. Crooked Media—founded by former Obama aides Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor—organized the event; their co‑host Dan Pfeiffer also appeared throughout the program. (livenation.com)
Obama’s unannounced appearance set the weekend’s theme. “Your task is going to be not to impose litmus tests,” he told the audience at the taping, adding, “We had Abigail Spanberger win, and we had Zohran Mamdani win, and they are all part of a vision for the future.” He also said voters are “rejecting cruelty” and leaders who try to “entrench themselves in power.” The remarks came days after Democrats notched marquee wins in Virginia and New Jersey and New York City. (transcripts.cnn.com)
The Friday schedule mixed strategy and sparring. Former FTC Chair Lina Khan sat down with Tommy Vietor; journalist Jane Coaston moderated “Make America What Again?” with policy voices Matthew Yglesias, Neera Tanden, and Waleed Shahid; and Jon Lovett hosted a panel billed as “Are We Having Fun Yet?” featuring streamer Hasan Piker, MSNBC’s Symone Sanders‑Townsend, The Bulwark’s Tim Miller, and Fox News’ Jessica Tarlov. (crookedcon.com)
Tensions surfaced on the “Are We Having Fun Yet?” stage as guests debated how Democrats should talk about social issues, Israel and Gaza, and the party’s broader brand. According to The Atlantic’s account, Tarlov at one point observed, “the last 10 minutes were the opposite of fun,” before steering the conversation back to the pocketbook themes that dominated the week’s victories. (yahoo.com)
Programming also reflected the week’s results. A post‑election debrief brought campaign staffers from the Mamdani, Spanberger, and Mikie Sherrill races together to parse what worked and what it might mean heading into 2026. (crookedcon.com)
Crooked Con adopted the tongue‑in‑cheek slogan “Freedom & Content for All.” Beyond the live shows, Crooked’s podcasts have featured sharp criticism of Israel’s conduct in Gaza and debates over U.S. policy, underscoring the range of views Crooked puts on stage and on air even as speakers called for a bigger tent. (crooked.com)
If Obama’s message was unity without purity tests, the weekend’s panels modeled the friction that can accompany that approach—an energetic, sometimes messy airing of differences about how Democrats should present themselves after a strong off‑year showing. (puck.news)
