Former Dnc Chair Jaime Harrison Launches A Podcast — And Invites Hunter Biden As An Early Guest

Former Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison is stepping backmost into nan governmental arena pinch a caller podcast arsenic he — and his statement — look to bounce backmost from losing nan White House past year.

In a wide-ranging speech pinch NBC News up of nan motorboat of nan podcast, Harrison framed himself arsenic unshackled from nan "straitjacket" of nan sensitivities of starring nan nationalist statement and based on that 1 measurement Democrats tin rebuild spot pinch Americans is by embracing their much authentic selves.

"We request much voices that are anchored successful nan Democratic Party, because immoderate of nan podcasts that are retired location are much often criticizing nan Democratic Party alternatively of really promoting nan assets and nan leaders that we have," he said.

The early episodes of “At Our Table” characteristic interviews pinch 3 well-known statement leaders: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn. But nan roster of Harrison’s first guests besides includes Hunter Biden — nan boy of President Joe Biden whose business dealings, supplier addiction and ineligible woes were portion of nan governmental attacks connected nan erstwhile president. The then-president’s determination to pardon his son aft he was recovered blameworthy connected 3 felony weapon charges besides drew condemnation crossed nan governmental spectrum.

Asked why he wanted to question and reply Biden, who galore Democrats saw arsenic a governmental vulnerability for nan then-president and his party, Harrison told NBC News that he wanted to push backmost connected nan “caricature” of nan ex-president's son. The section will travel retired adjacent week.

“When I look astatine Hunter and nan conversations I’ve had pinch him complete nan past 4 years, this feline is really bright, he’s smart, he’s very passionate astir nan things astir work and helping people,” Harrison said. “But you know, I only sewage a chance to spot it because of my interactions pinch him. When you inquire astir people, they person nary clue. All they cognize is what [Georgia GOP Rep.] Marjorie Taylor Green would opportunity astir Hunter aliases or what either his governmental friends aliases his governmental opponents would say.”

"He’s been made into astir apt 1 of nan biggest caricatures successful authorities today," Harrison continued. "And I thought it’d beryllium absorbing for folks to get a existent knowing of who Hunter Biden is, aliases what makes him tick."

While Harrison said he was proud of his activity starring nan nationalist party, he hopes that he will beryllium "an moreover amended post-chair than I was chair."

"When President Carter passed away, you do a batch of reflecting, and nan 1 point that I learned from his years is that I deliberation he saw himself arsenic a amended post-president than he was a president," he said.

"And arsenic I bespeak connected my clip arsenic chair, I dream I tin beryllium an moreover amended post-chair than I was chair, and to really do nan things that I'm very passionate about, which is to spot a reemergence of a caller South, to spot nan Democratic Party reinstitute its foothold successful nan confederate states," Harrison continued.

One measurement Harrison plans to activity toward that extremity is done jumpstarting nan efforts of his Dirt Road Democrats PAC, his governmental group that still retains nan fundraising database that powered his 2020 Senate bid, which group fundraising records astatine nan time.

Loyalty to Biden

The determination to big Hunter Biden connected 1 of his inaugural podcast episodes speaks to nan loyalty Harrison continues to show toward nan erstwhile president. In an excerpt from Hunter Biden’s interview, he tells Harrison that Democrats “lost nan [2024] predetermination because we did not stay loyal to nan leader of nan party.”

Asked whether he agreed pinch Biden’s son, Harrison criticized Democrats for being truthful speedy to footwear nan then-president to nan curb aft his wide panned statement capacity past June, comparing them to really Republicans continued to rally astir President Donald Trump moreover erstwhile he was convicted connected felony charges.

"If nan waters get a small choppy immoderate of nan folks successful our statement are nan fastest to wantonness ship, get disconnected successful a hurry and past torch nan damn vessel erstwhile they get off," Harrison said.

"Not to opportunity that it’s ever nan correct point that Republicans person done but sometimes Democrats request to beryllium backmost and region and deliberation astir nan semipermanent ramifications of that early abandonment because I tin show you, it did not beryllium good pinch nan guidelines of nan party, peculiarly Black voters," Harrison continued. "I retrieve a rally successful Georgia correct aft nan statement and group were pissed off. These are middle-aged, older Black men and women who were truthful upset nan statement was almost shivving Joe Biden, stabbing him successful nan back."

Harrison didn’t straight opportunity whether he agreed pinch Hunter Biden that Democrats mislaid “because” of nan deficiency of loyalty to Biden. But arsenic he many times praised erstwhile Vice President Kamala Harris some arsenic a campaigner (comparing her to hoops megastar Michael Jordan) and a loyal vice president, he besides gave a passionate defense of Biden’s bequest amid nan determination by galore apical Democrats to telephone for him to measurement aside.

“We saw astir apt nan top legislative president we had since LBJ, and that’s conscionable objectively speaking,” Harrison said, adding that Biden was much focused connected “rebuilding nan Democratic Party” than immoderate president successful a “long time.”

He added: “There was a logic that we needed to beryllium loyal to nan president. Sure, was he old? Hell yeah, he was old, and he knew he was aged for illustration we each knew he was old. But you don’t elite a president because they are young aliases they look bully successful a suit aliases what person you. You elite them to get crap done.”

The authorities of nan party

Harrison is 1 of nan galore Democratic politicians who person started podcasts successful nan aftermath of nan 2024 election, astatine a clip erstwhile the party's image has dropped to a historical debased and erstwhile Democrats person lamented their party's inability to summation traction successful nan podcast sphere, particularly young men.

Harrison told NBC News that he believes nan statement needs much voices successful caller media spaces "anchored successful nan Democratic Party because immoderate of nan podcasts that are retired location are much often criticizing nan Democratic Party alternatively of really promoting nan assets and nan leaders we have."

But he besides admitted that nan Democratic Party tin beryllium overly reliant connected "talking points that aren't grounded successful immoderate emotion," a strategy that tin lead to voters emotion disconnected from them.

He connected that chat to his "frustration" pinch Harris' campaign's media strategy, framing nan determination not to person her beryllium for much interviews successful nan early weeks of her statesmanlike candidacy arsenic "political malpractice" and lamenting nan determination to put "handcuffs" connected Walz aft he joined nan ticket.

"We are truthful frightened of our shadows sometimes successful our statement that we suffer that, we get into our ain heads, we get truthful world and cerebral," Harrison said, arguing Democrats should strive to level pinch voters and beryllium “real.”

"That makes you much relatable successful spaces that you whitethorn not person been relatable to, right? Because group spot a broadside of you that they usually don't get an opportunity to see. They spot your passion, they spot nan things that springiness you joy, they spot nan things that frustrate you. And that's really important, that you aren't conscionable immoderate caricature."