Why Should I Trust You? artwork

News Commentary · Brinda Adhikari, Tom Johnson, Maggie Bartlett, Dr. Mark Abdelmalek

Why Should I Trust You?

by Brinda Adhikari, Tom Johnson, Maggie Bartlett, Dr. Mark Abdelmalek

Bold, unfiltered, and uncompromisingly honest, Why Should I Trust You?  is a weekly podcast that looks at the breakdown in trust for science and public health. It drops every Thursday, with occasional additional special episodes sprinkled in. Hosted by Brinda Adhikari, the former executive producer of “The Problem with Jon Stewart” and a former TV news journalist; Tom Johnson, the former executive producer of “The Circus,” and also a former TV news journalist; Dr. Maggie Bartlett, a virologist and assistant research professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; and Dr. Mark Abdelmalek a skin cancer surgeon, a medical journalist and a dermatologist practicing in Philadelphia -  each week we try to figure out what is behind this staggering collapse in trust and see if we can rebuild towards trust again. 

Chart trend

Position in the News Commentary chart (US), last 90 days.

#18
all-time peak
52
days in the top 50 since Jan 2025

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

What Is MAHA Right Now -- Is It Working? A Conversation About the Future of MAHA w A Group of Its Supporters

It’s been two years since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. endorsed Donald Trump and forged an unlikely alliance between the Make America Healthy Again movement and MAGA. Now, as we

Sep 3
1 h 15 min

What Lindsay Clancy's Story Does & Doesn't Tell Us About How We Care For Patients: A Conversation w Drs. Julia Riddle, Anne Zink & Bryan Shapiro

Has the Lindsay Clancy trial quickly become a proxy for something larger? — arguments about psychiatry and medication, motherhood and mental illness, personal responsibil

Aug 27
1 h 16 min

"It's Time For a New Public Health Led By Radical Engagement": A Conversation w Dr. Sandro Galea, Dean of WashU Bursky School of Public Health

That’s the challenge facing Dr. Sandro Galea, dean of the brand-new Bursky School of Public Health at Washington University in St. Louis. It is the first major school of

Aug 20
58 min

Public Health, Docs, MAHA Mom React to Trump's Vaccine EO: We Speak w Drs. Deb Houry, Craig Spencer, Joel Warsh + Nancy Fuller

Dr. Debra Houry, the former CDC chief medical officer; emergency physician Dr. Craig Spencer; pediatrician and author Dr. Joel “Gator” Warsh; and MAHA supporter Nancy Ful

Aug 13
1 h 11 min

The Heat Is Killing Us. So Why Are We Beefing About Air Conditioning? We Chat w Noah Smith, Thomas Chatterton Williams & David Wallace-Wells

What if one of the biggest public health debates of the next decade isn't about vaccines, Ozempic, or chronic disease? What if it's about air conditioning? The

Aug 6
1 h 06 min

A Conversation w Katelyn Jetelina & David Wallace-Wells: On Anthony Fauci & the National Covid Reckoning That Never Happened

Few figures in America are as polarizing as Dr. Anthony Fauci. To some, he is the veteran scientist who helped steer the nation through the COVID-19 pandemic. To others,

Jul 30
1 h 01 min

"I Used to Trust Vaccines. In the Next Pandemic, I Wouldn't." Five Americans Explain What Changed

If a new pandemic struck tomorrow and scientists developed a vaccine in record time, would you take it? In this episode, we hear from a group of friends of the show and n

Jul 23
1 h 30 min

A Conversation w Dr Robert Malone and Dr Craig Spencer: On Ebola, On ACIP, On Malone's Break w MAHA and On Kennedy

Dr. Robert Malone and Dr. Craig Spencer are two influential voices on health in America today, reaching very different audiences. And it's no secret that on many cri

Jul 16
1 h 26 min

What Happened w USAID? Rhetoric, Reality & Real World Impact w Former USAID Leaders Andrew Natsios & Jeremy Konyndyk

One year ago, the Trump administration dismantled USAID, America's largest foreign aid agency. The administration argued the agency had become wasteful, ideological,

Jul 9
1 h 27 min

Two Farmers Walk Into The Oval Office. What Happens Next Surprises Them. A Conversation On the Future of Farming w Jonathan Lundgren and Will Harris

On the very day the Supreme Court handed a major legal victory to Bayer Monsanto, a ruling backed by the Trump administration but viewed by many in the MAHA movement as a

Jul 7
1 h 04 min

Can Understanding Libertarianism Help Explain Our Health Politics? A Conversation w Katherine Mangu-Ward, Editor in Chief of Reason Magazine

It’s almost Independence Day, and we’re exploring one of the most influential political philosophies in America: libertarianism. In the age of medical freedom and MAHA,

Jul 2
1 h 05 min

"We Will Fight Back": Leading MAHA & Dem Voices React To SCOTUS Ruling On Monsanto. Sen. Booker, Rep. Pingree, Zen Honeycutt, Rep. Tim Ryan & Kelly Ryerson Join Us

Democratic Senator Cory Booker, Representative Chellie Pingree of Maine, MAHA leaders Zen Honeycutt and Kelly Ryerson, and former Congressman Tim Ryan join us to react to

Jun 26
37 min

Don't Just Fact-Check Misinformation. First, Understand The Value It Holds. A Conversation w Researchers Michael Simeone & Kristy Roschke

Fighting misinformation is seen as one of the defining challenges of our time. The term itself can be polarizing. And what if we're thinking about it all wrong? In

Jun 25
1 h 06 min

A Conversation with Dr. Mehmet Oz: On the Erosion of Trust in Experts, Rethinking Safety Nets & Fraud

Dr. Mehmet Oz, the head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, is our guest today. He oversees the government programs that provide health coverage to nearly h

Jun 18
1 h 03 min

A Conversation w Sen. Cory Booker: On Our Health, Corrosive Money in Politics & America’s Urgent Moment. A Message to MAHA, RFK Jr & His Own Party.

Senator Cory Booker joins us for a conversation about our dire chronic health crisis, the corrosive effects of corporate money in our politics, the power of making health

Jun 11
55 min

A Conversation w Gen Z On AI: Promise, Populism, Anger & Hope. How Do They Wish Older Gens Spoke About AI?

Today, we're widening our lens to take on AI and trust because just like public health, science, and medicine, AI is becoming a trust minefield. As trust in institut

Jun 4
1 h 16 min

Is Parkinson’s A Preventable Disease? A Conversation w Dr. Ray Dorsey & Steve Brandenburg On Paraquat & Parkinson’s

Parkinson’s Disease is rising worldwide. It is the fastest-growing neurological disease in the world and is being called a “slow-motion epidemic.” And there is no cure. 

May 28
57 min

A Conversation w MAHA Supporters & Public Health Veterans: On Thomas Massie + Cuts To USAID Amid An Ebola Outbreak

We’ve got a major news-driven episode today, focused on two stories that hit home for two big parts of our audience: MAHA and public health. First, the political earthqu

May 21
1 h 13 min

Special Ep: A Conversation w Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Lead Reporter for the NYT Covering RFK Jr. & MAHA In An Era of Mistrust

We are joined today by Sheryl Gay Stolberg, one of the country’s leading health reporters and a correspondent for The New York Times, covering Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and t

May 15
1 h 09 min

Are MAHA & Public Health Going About Change All Wrong? A Conversation w Organizational Transformation Author Greg Satell

The one thing Americans seem to agree on these days is that our systems need to change.  But what actually creates meaningful change? For some, it means tearing broken

May 14
54 min

Chart positions

Where Why Should I Trust You? ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 7, 2026).

#138 ▼ 9 News Commentary US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

Groundbreaking discussion happens here! WSITY is a place to listen and learn. For the MAHA community, this podcast is a rare opportunity to hear nuanced conversation with Public Health leaders which actually address the reasons trust in Public Health institutions has plummeted.

Elynnfrost · May 2025

Unlike anything else out there, seriously. I’ve been working in public health for the better part of 20 years and this is the first of its kind, honest, deep dive discussion into what’s not going so well and how we might have a shot at fixing it before it’s too late.

cbc688 · May 2025

This podcast does an excellent job at meeting people where they are and trying to see actually where “both sides” are coming from and why. All in calm voices and with empathy. The episodes with discussion between public health leaders and MAHA leaders are fabulous. Thank you!

docteader · May 2025

Why Should I Trust You is an exceptionally timely and thought-provoking podcast that tackles one of the most pressing issues of our time: the public's growing mistrust in science, especially around vaccines. What sets this series apart is its commitment to exploring why that mistrust exists—without judgment, without preaching, and with a genuine desire to understand all sides. This podcast doesn’t shy away from tough conversations. It skillfully brings together voices from across the political spectrum—left, right, and everything in between—to dive into the role COVID played in fueling misinformation, the impact of social media, and how science communication has often fallen short. But it doesn't stop at analysis—it offers hope and practical insights on how we might come together to rebuild trust in science so we can move forward together, healthier and more informed. Each episode is packed with expert insights, thoughtful interviews, and a tone that is both respectful and refreshingly honest. If you're looking for a balanced, deeply informative series that goes beyond the headlines and truly listens to the concerns of everyday people, Why Should I Trust You is a must-listen. It’s not just a podcast—it’s a public service.

aimeemeade · Apr 2025

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