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, […]
BigTentUSA wrapped up its final virtual event of the year with an energizing conversation featuring Gretchen Barton of Worthy Strategy Group and Michael Frias of Catalist. They broke down what the 2025 results and new exit polling are telling us about the road ahead and shared the key shifts that will shape the fight to […]
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 Thursday, March 19, BigTentUSA convened a TentTalk discussion highlighting the political stakes in Nebraska ahead of the 2026 midterms. With Aaron Parnas as moderator, independent candidate for U.S. Senate Dan Osborn pointed to rising living costs and a worsening economic outlook for farmers—driven by flawed economic policies and tariffs—as the defining pressures shaping voter […]
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 April 9, BigTentUSA convened a timely conversation featuring Randy Freeman and Michael Asbury of Braver Angels, the nation’s largest cross-partisan volunteer movement working to bridge America’s political divide. Moderated by Jess Piper, Executive Director of Blue Missouri, the trio explored how Americans can better navigate political differences. Drawing on lived experiences, Jess noted a […]
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 […]
Democracy works best when everyone can participate—and that starts with making sure every eligible voter can cast a ballot. At this BigTentUSA TentTalk held on June 9, VoteRiders’ Sylvester Johnson III joined activist and organizer Jessica Craven for a practical conversation about one of the biggest barriers to voting: voter ID requirements. Johnson explained that […]
On Thursday, June 11, our Spotlight Speaker event centered on COURIER Newsroom’s ongoing reporting into Jeffrey Epstein’s network and the launch of an AI-powered database designed to make thousands of pages of public records more accessible to journalists, researchers, advocates, and the public. COURIER Journalist Cameron Stevenson and CEO of Thorian AI, Josh Levine, demonstrated […]
How much inequality can a democracy withstand before citizens push back? That was the central question explored in BigTentUSA’s conversation on June 17 with New Yorker staff writer and author Evan Osnos, moderated by Ed Luce, Financial Times US National Editor. Drawing from his latest reporting and book The Haves and the Have-Yachts, Osnos examined […]
What happens when leaders put problem-solving ahead of partisanship? Join BigTentUSA on Thursday, June 25 at 7 PM ET / 3 PM AKST for a timely conversation with Alaska congressional candidate Bill Hill, an independent, and Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, a Democratic candidate for governor. In a political era defined by division, Alaska has often charted its […]
Join BigTentUSA on Monday, June 29 at 1 pm ET for a virtual conversation with Michael Waldman, the president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School […]
