The Takeout records each podcast episode during a meal at a Washington, DC, restaurant. This setup allows the host to create a casual show about critical topics. Major Garrett interviews people from the political and cultural realms. He promises to respect and honor his audience with these conversations. He seeks to provide many perspectives and accurate facts about the issues. Garrett also pledges not to be too serious. The discussions may be about decision-makers and important events, but the podcast is a platform to entertain.

The host of The Takeout podcast has had a long career reporting about politics. Garrett began his journey in the 1990s as a congressional correspondent. He held that role at The Washington Times and US News & World Report. Later, the journalist joined CNN and Fox News to report on White House topics. His career progressed as he wrote for several publications and covered multiple elections.

In 2012, Garrett joined CBS. He was the Chief White House Correspondent and then became Chief Washington Correspondent. On CBS, he discusses essential subjects such as talks with Iran about nuclear issues. The host's vast political knowledge is evident in the podcast. He often challenges his guests and asks thought-provoking questions.

On The Takeout, Garrett spends 45 minutes interviewing various notable figures. Sometimes, the interviews are topical and discuss news from the passing week. Congressman Mike Lawler is a guest right after the removal of Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House. He shares his opinions on the decision and suggests what should come next.

On other occasions, the discussion is about something other than a specific event. In a The Takeout episode with Matthew Dallek, he and Garrett examine the origins of the current political moment. There are also guests not from the political sphere, such as Sean Penn and Wayne Federman. They usually relate to the state of the world today and make suggestions for moving forward.