Episode

Friday Football: The collision of sports and politics with Joshua Robinson, Wall Street Journal Sports editor.

Podcast: Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff
Published: Sep 25, 2026
Duration seconds: 2342
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Summary

Sports may be the last thing left in American life that everyone watches at the same time. Eight of the top 10 live broadcasts last year were the NFL. That kind of reach is why politicians, presidents, luxury conglomerates, and the MAGA machine have all decided the field is the new front line — and why what happens there increasingly refuses to stay there. Wall Street Journal sports editor Joshua Robinson joins Paul from Montreal, where he's covering the World Road Cycling Championships, to unpack a moment when the White House is reaching down into games, rosters, and referee decisions in ways that used to be unthinkable.