Greetings all. Excited to share with you an interview I just completed with prominent pro-democracy media pioneer and commentator Brian Tyler Cohen. Brian dropped by to talk to our community about his new book, “The Day After: How to Wield Power In a Post-Trump World,” which includes a foreword by the great Marc Elias.
Here’s what Brian wrote this morning about “The Day After”:
I’m beyond proud to announce that today is the official launch of my new book, The Day After: How to Wield Power in a Post-Trump World. I want to ask you to support my work and order a copy— but first, I’ll explain why.
Donald Trump has shown that our institutions are not sacrosanct. He barrels through them to get what he wants— the law, the Constitution, the courts, the other branches of government be damned. But he does it for self-enrichment. He does it to build vanity projects. He does it to consolidate power for himself. Democrats can - and, I argue, must - learn from the GOP’s refusal to abide by norms and traditions— but for virtuous reasons! To deliver healthcare for all Americans, to expand voting rights, to combat climate change, to expand the Supreme Court, to deliver a just economy, and so much more.
I think it is essential to have this debate now, so that when we get into power - and I believe we will get into power - we don’t waste that precious time talking about wielding power, but rather simply doing it. With so much disillusionment in politics (on the right and the left), if we don’t take advantage of whatever opportunities come our way, we risk losing a generation of Americans forever. And it is in that vacuum of trust and faith in government where autocracy thrives. The moment that we’re living through right now, today, is a testament to why we must do everything in our power to prevent that from happening.
This book, The Day After, is a blueprint for how Democrats must govern in the future. It doesn’t seek to entrench the status quo, but rather usher in a new kind of government that works for Americans. A government that doesn’t allow the smallest obstacle stand in its way. A government that isn’t in place to defend its own institutions, but rather one that focuses on outcomes for its people.
If you agree with this message, then I humbly ask you to support my work and order The Day After: How to Wield Power in a Post-Trump World at any of the retailers at this link. You can also come to my book tour. I’ll be in Washington DC tonight, July 14, with Jim Acosta (tickets here), in New York City on July 15 with Don Lemon (tickets here), and with Jon Lovett in Los Angeles on July 18 (tickets here).
Thank you so much.
Here’s what Harper Collins wrote in their press release announcing the release of “The Day After”:
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Shameless—one of the most influential progressive voices in digital media, Brian Tyler Cohen delivers a bracing and urgent call to action. A YouTuber with billions of views and host of the hit No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen podcast, Cohen has built a massive audience by cutting through disinformation and clarifying the stakes of this political era—comes the book this moment demands.
In The Day After: How to Wield Power in a Post-Trump World (Harper; July 14, 2026), Cohen examines how Republicans mastered the long game of power, how Democrats too often hesitated to fully exercise it, and how progressives must be prepared to wield it decisively to build something stronger than the fragile status quo.
…..
From the weaponization of the Justice Department to escalating attacks on voting rights and a Supreme Court that has expanded presidential immunity, Cohen shows how democratic norms were eroded—and why half-measures cannot fix what has been broken. Winning an election, he argues, is only the beginning. The real test is what comes next.
The Day After is the essential guide for anyone who understands that saving democracy requires more than winning—it requires the courage to govern boldly.
Here’s some of what Brian tells us in the interview. It’s very much in sync with what I wrote in this morning’s Hopium post:
“This idea of accountability… initially when I was thinking about how I wanted to do this, it felt like they were in conflict –– the idea of having a proactive agenda, and focusing on that, versus having an agenda where we seek accountability for corruption and criminality and feeling like, well, that's also just as important. You can't have a country of laws if you're not willing to enforce the laws that are already on the books. And frankly, the inability of someone like Merrick Garland to properly prosecute the corruption of Trump 1.0 is what set the stage for Trump 2.0. Like, this is a direct response. This moment is a direct response –– this feeling of impunity among people who were never held accountable for their crimes.”
Brian continues:
“The reality is you have to do both. There are going to be people in this country for whom their pocketbooks and their kitchen table is all they care about. And then there's going to be people in this country, also equally, who recognize that if we don't have a government that holds people to account for laws, and you create this dual system of justice where some people can get away with crimes, and there's just corruption and we basically sell this country out to the highest bidder, that's no way to run a government either. And that's what makes people lose faith in government. You have to be able to do both. We have to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time.
We need a proactive agenda, but we also need to seek accountability for people who are engaging in such gross corruption at this very moment. We see that these military defense contracts get heaped onto the Trump family. We see foreign countries investing in this president's personal company through cryptocurrency. We see Donald Trump currying favor with foreign countries who are allowing him to build real estate by giving them breaks on tariffs. I mean, the corruption is so egregious. It's no wonder that people lose faith in government, become disillusioned in government. And so if we don't hold these people to account for what they're engaging in right now, we can't be surprised when people don't want to engage in the political process, don't want to vote, don't want to cast their ballots. So I do make sure to cover both of these things in this book. I think they are of equal importance, and we need to have a belt and suspenders approach to this moving forward.”
Was an honor to host Brian on his book launch day! As I told him the success he’s had helped give me confidence that I could make this crazy Hopium project work. So enjoy this interview with one of our most influential and dynamic commentators, share it with others, hit like so more will see it, and buy Brian’s new book everyone! Simon
Brian Tyler Cohen Biography
Brian Tyler Cohen is one of the most viewed political commentators online, with more than 10 million subscribers across all platforms. He's spent the better part of a decade giving an honest, concise, and entertaining assessment of our politics to audiences around the world. His show has become a destination for political figures, journalists, and even presidents, amassing billions of views. Brian has dedicated his life to building up progressive media and making politics accessible to as many people as possible.
Brian hosts the No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen podcast. His first book, Shameless, was a #1 New York Times bestseller. Find Brian’s commentary on Substack, YouTube (now at 5.2M subscribers), and to order his new book or find a copy at your local bookstore, head here.
Learn more about Brian and his work here.
