The Hard Truth Democrats Must Face to Win in 2026

In the last episode of 2025, Assembly Required is focusing on our audience. Stacey reflects on the lessons learned this year and answers listener questions about everything from how to defeat authoritarianism to what her favorite books were. We also hear stories from listeners who took action in their communities this year. Joining the conversation is the show’s Associate Producer, Farrah Safari. CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS ACORNS: https://www.acorns.com/assembly BILT REWARDS: https://www.joinbilt.com/ASSEMBLY MOSH: https://www.moshlife.com/ASSEMBLY CHAPTERS 0:00 - Intro 00:26 - Your Questions Answered 1:51 - Democracy is More Fragile Than We Think 3:48 - We Have to Build What Comes Next 8:28 - How Can We Check Trump’s Power 12:58 - Democrat Leadership Needs to Be Louder 17:38 - Ad Break 1 21:05 - How Can Democrats Win in 2026 32:10 - What is Centrism? 35:16 - How Can We Ensure Fair Elections? 43:27 - How Can America Get Out of This Regime 48:46 - The Splintering of the MAGA Movement 56:42 - Ad Break 2 59:18 - Your Favorite Holiday Traditions 1:01:10 - Stacey’s Top Books of 2025 1:05:03 - Stacey’s Favorite Show of 2025 1:07:23 - What Can We Learn From Media? 1:20:45 - Stacey’s Toolkit Subscribe to our channel! Photos courtesy of AP Photo Archive Crooked believes that we need a better conversation about politics, culture, and the world around us—one that doesn’t just focus on what’s broken, but what we can do to fix it. At a time when it’s increasingly easy to feel cynical or hopeless, former Obama staffers Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor have created a place where people can have sane conversations that inform, entertain, and inspire action. In 2017 they started Crooked with Pod Save America—a no-bullshit conversation about politics. Since then, we continue to add shows, voices, and opportunities for activism, because it’s up to all of us to do our part to build a better world. That’s it. End of mission. Want some pep talks, the most important things to do/know, and the occasional dog pic? Shoot us a text at (323) 405-9944 Written content at http://www.crooked.com Follow Crooked on Twitter   / crookedmedia   Follow Crooked on Facebook   / crookedmedia   Follow Crooked on Instagram   / crookedmedia