BigTentUSA was excited to host an urgent and insightful conversation with David Graham, staff writer at The Atlantic and author of the new book The Project: How Project 2025 Is Reshaping […]
BigTentUSA hosted a conversation with Attorney General William Tong (D-CT) and Attorney General Rob Bonta (D-CA), moderated by Michael Waldman, president and CEO, The Brennan Center for Justice. In the […]
BigTentUSA hosted legendary journalist Judy Woodruff and founder/publisher of Courier News, Tara McGowan. The conversation will be moderated by Gen Z journalist Rachel Janfaza. At a time of historic distrust […]
BigTentUSA was honored to host former Congressman Adam Kinzinger - a leading voice in the fight to protect democracy, and co-founder of The Lincoln Project and President of The Union, Reed Galen. As Trump and his allies push forward with Project 2025—threatening to dismantle democratic norms, purge civil servants, and consolidate power—the urgency for collective action has never […]
On Tuesday, August 12th at 5:00PM ET, BigTentUSA was thrilled to welcome back civic strategist and former Georgia State Representative, Stacey Abrams, and renowned historian, Heather Cox Richardson for a discussion moderated by Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Their discussion focused on how the Trump administration & MAGA are using America’s education system to entrench authoritarian power. […]
Join us on Thursday, August 21 at 7:00 PM ET for an intimate conversation with Jane Fonda — legendary actor, activist, and two‑time Academy Award winner—moderated by Rachel Janfaza, founder of The Up and Up newsletter. Fonda will reflect on her extraordinary journey as a change maker and her unwavering commitment to the fight against the climate crisis. […]
On Tuesday, September 16th at 6:00PM ET, BigTentUSA welcomed Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Janessa Goldbeck, Vet Voice Foundation CEO, for a crucial virtual conversation on the urgent threats facing our national security, democratic institutions, and the veteran community. They discussed Trump’s harmful government cuts that threaten employment for veterans and access to critical VA […]
BigTentUSA brought together an incredible audience for a powerful conversation about how media paywalls, profit models, and political pressures are shaping what Americans see—and don’t see—in the news. Our panelists, Daniella Ballou-Aares of Leadership Now Project and Heidi Przybyla of Get Real News, unpacked the growing tensions between political power, corporate media, and democracy itself. […]
On October 22, BigTentUSA hosted a thought-provoking conversation with Kerry Kennedy, President of RFK Human Rights and Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), moderated by The Bulwark’s Sam Stein. Rather than focusing solely on policy reform, the speakers explored how decades of broken promises from both Democrats and Republicans — coupled with the lack of a shared […]
On November 11, BigTent hosted an urgent and inspiring virtual conversation with Joyce Vance — former U.S. Attorney, MSNBC legal analyst, and author of the new book Giving Up Is Unforgivable — moderated by Vanita Gupta, NYU Law Scholar and Director of the Center for Law and Public Trust at NYU Law School. Framed around […]
BigTentUSA hosted a lively post-election conversation on November 19 with Sarah Longwell of The Bulwark, journalist and founder of The Up and Up Rachel Janfaza, and political strategist Lis Smith. The group dug into what actually drove voters in 2025, the surprises that even longtime experts didn’t see coming, and what all of it might mean […]
BigTentUSA and COURIER Texas recently hosted a thoughtful conversation featuring Texas State Representative James Talarico, COURIER Texas Organizing Director Dawn Jones, and independent journalist Aaron Parnas. The panel reflected on the rapidly evolving political environment in Texas and how upcoming statewide battles could shape the years ahead. The discussion highlighted the essential role of reliable, […]
On January 15, leaders from across Utah’s civic and political landscape came together for a virtual discussion on how the state’s shifting population is influencing organizing and electoral strategy. Katie Wright, Executive Director of the Utah Donor Collaborative, Emma Petty Addams, Co-Executive Director for Mormon Women for Ethical Government, and Matt Lyon, Utah Lead for […]
On January 20, BigTentUSA hosted a discussion featuring public policy analyst and creator of the The Existentialist Republic newsletter Christopher Armitage, and political strategist and co-founder of The Lincoln Project Reed Galen. The two examined recent developments in ICE enforcement, including the fatal shooting in Minneapolis and the national reaction it sparked. The speakers explored […]
On January 29, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, journalist, and author of Autocracy, Inc. Anne Applebaum and journalist, lawyer, and founder of the Popular Information newsletter Judd Legum joined moderator Charlie Sykes, author of the To the Contrary newsletter and podcast, for a timely discussion on how political power is being reshaped in the U.S. and globally—and […]
On Monday, February 9, BigTentUSA convened Lauren Groh-Wargo, Founder and CEO of Fair Fight Action, and Wendy Weiser, VP for Democracy at the Brennan Center for Justice, to sound the alarm on escalating threats to the 2026 election. From the unprecedented seizure of Fulton County voting records to pushes for proof-of-citizenship laws and federal overreach, […]
On Thursday, February 19, speakers dug into the latest revelations in the Epstein saga, including high-profile arrests abroad, and asked the pressing question: why is accountability happening overseas while America stalls? In this urgent Big Tent conversation, Camaron Stevenson and Nina Burleigh of COURIER Newsroom, moderated by Kimberly Atkins Stohr of The Boston Globe, explored what […]
Democracy doesn’t defend itself—and the road to the 2026 midterms is already a battlefield. In this BigTentUSA spotlight event, legal experts Joyce Vance and Marc Elias, moderated by Reed Galen, broke down the growing threats to free and fair elections and what citizens can do right now to push back. The speakers warned that MAGA-aligned […]
On Tuesday, March 31, Congressman and Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee Rep. Jim Himes (CT-4) and national security expert Miles Taylor unpacked the Iran conflict, explaining how geopolitical tensions, media narratives, and domestic politics are intersecting in ways that could increase the risk of escalation. Moderated by Charlie Sykes, author of the To […]
On Tuesday, April 21, Congressional candidates, Shannon Bird (CO-8), Paige Cognetti (PA-8), and Nancy Lacore (SC-1), shared relatable stories in a powerful discussion moderated by Alli Peters of Majority Democrats. From voters struggling with rising costs and deepening distrust in government to a growing sense that leaders have lost touch, no issue was off the […]
On Thursday, April 30 BigTentUSA hosted Amb. Rahm Emanuel in a candid discussion moderated by Rachel Janfaza of The Up and Up. In the discussion, Amb. Emanuel argued that corruption and dysfunction have become normalized in American politics, eroding trust at home and credibility abroad. His core message: the country doesn’t need more partisan reruns—it needs […]
Democracy isn’t defending itself—and this conversation made clear that the frontlines run straight through the states. On May 6, BigTentUSA hosted a powerful discussion moderated by Joanna Lydgate of States United Action. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and New Mexico’s Doña Ana County Clerk Amanda López Askin laid out the growing threats to free […]
Democracy is under attack—and this conversation made clear that the fight for voting rights is entering a dangerous new phase. On Thursday May 14, Lauren Groh-Wargo, CEO of Fair Fight, and Tennessee State Rep. Justin Pearson joined BigTentUSA’s urgent discussion on the fallout from Louisiana v. Callais. Groh-Wargo and Pearson sounded the alarm on escalating […]
On May 26, BigTentUSA hosted a virtual conversation with North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton and North Carolina Supreme Court Justices Anita Earls and Allison Riggs on the political and legal battles shaping North Carolina’s future. The speakers discussed ongoing challenges facing election officials and voting rights advocates as court fights over redistricting, election […]
On Tuesday, June 2, truth, accountability, and the future of American democracy took center stage in BigTentUSA’s conversation with Andrew Weissmann–MS NOW legal analyst and veteran federal prosecutor. Moderated by Reed Galen of The Union, Weissmann discussed themes from his new book Liar’s Kingdom: How to Stop Trump’s Deceit and Save America, arguing that the […]
