Eugene Robinson on the Fall of the Washington Post, Race in America & His New Book Freedom Lost, Freedom Won

DISCLAIMER: This episode was recorded on February 10th, 2026. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and MSNBC analyst Eugene Robinson joins Donny for a candid, wide-ranging conversation that pulls no punches. Eugene opens up about the painful decline of the Washington Post — the paper where he spent 45 years of his career — and what Jeff Bezos's leadership decisions mean for the future of American journalism. He and Donny break down the politics behind the massive layoffs, the closure of international bureaus, and why cozying up to power is a losing game for a free press. Then, the conversation shifts to the cultural moment: the surprising backlash to Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show performance and what the uproar over a Spanish-speaking performer says about where America stands today. Eugene also dives deep into his powerful new book, Freedom Lost, Freedom Won: A Personal History of America — a sweeping, intimate look at 200 years of American racial history told through the lens of his own family. From his great-grandfather's rise and fall under Jim Crow, to his own personal memories of segregation in South Carolina, to his father's final message about progress — this is a conversation about how far we've come and how much further we still need to go. Don't miss this essential conversation with one of America's most respected journalists and thinkers. 📖 Freedom Lost, Freedom Won — available now wherever books are sold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices