Overview

• The Oct. 13 release closed the 16-year run with episode No. 1,686, recorded at Obama’s Washington office after Maron kept the guest’s identity under wraps.
• Obama advised Maron not to rush into a next act and to take stock of a body of work that has defined a career.
• The discussion examined threats to democratic guardrails, with Obama cautioning about recent norm-breaking and the use of federal power to reward allies and punish opponents.
• Maron said he ended the show due to burnout after more than 1,600 interviews since 2009, with the series surpassing one billion downloads.
• In separate comments, Maron criticized conservative podcasting figures for tribalizing audiences and serving pro-Trump propaganda, reflecting his concerns about the medium’s political sway.