Talking Feds

The first of a very special trio of episodes recorded live at the Texas Tribune Festival. Each episode explores the state of an institution of existential value to our democracy after eight years of Trump influence and assesses what needs to be done going forward to return to full health. This episode focuses on the journalism industry, with three of the most prominent and experienced members of the 4th estate: Katie Benner, Jacob Weisberg, and Columbia School of Journalism Dean Jelani Cobb. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It was a week of continuing hot action in the Trump prosecutions, combined major lawsuits not involving the former President. An awesome set of guests–Peter Baker, Erin Burnett, and Josh Marshall–join Harry to break it all down, starting with the odiferous indictment of Hunter Biden on rarely brought charges following a political outcry from House R’s. They then take up impeachment, McCarthy’s feckless week, Romney’s parting broadsides against the GOP, and the landmark antitrust case v Google. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

At the end of another explosive news week, another great group of thoughtful guests—Julia Ainsley, David Jolly, & Lisa Rubin—join Harry to talk through the biggest stories: removal efforts in Fulton County & what comes next; publication of Special Grand Jury Report—who dodged bullets & why; Hunter Biden’s sudden new jeopardy and whether it’s driven by improper considerations; and a potpourri of important political questions bearing on the election re Trump, Biden, DeSantis, McCarthy, and more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It was a week of intricate legal maneuvers with potential huge political consequences. A great group of legal & political commentators - George Conway, Al Franken, and Melissa Murray - join Harry to break it all down, including Mark Meadows' high-risk testimony in support of moving his state charges to federal court & Judge Tanya Chutkan’s selection of a trial date in March 2024. The group goes on to discuss Rudy Giuliani’s continued self-destruction & the latest grotesque episodes of rampage shootings. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We pause our coverage of Trump’s burgeoning legal minefield and the related political landscape for a periodic close look at the current status & future prospects of the Russia-Ukraine War. A phenomenal set of experts–former Ambassador Mike McFaul, columnist and CFR senior fellow Max Boot, & CFR fellow for Europe Liana Fix–join Harry for a clear-eyed look at whether full victory for Ukraine remains possible, the state of support in the West, the contours of an end game, and many related issues. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this week’s @talkingfedspod, a stellar set of expert commentators—Carol Leonnig, Alexi McCammond, and Norm Ornstein—dives in to the law and the politics of Trump’s long list of legal calamaties. We take up Trump’s pugnacity in the 1/6 trial, the circumstances setting up cooperators against him in Fulton County, his political strategy for beating the raps, the grotesque encouragement of violence against judges & grand jurors, and a whole lot more, before moving on the mifepristone decision. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In one of our signature series of first-cut nuts-and-bolts analyses of the indictments against Trump, two guests with in-depth knowledge of Georgia law and practice - Norm Eisen & Gwen Keyes Fleming - break down Fani Willis’ omnibus indictment against Donald Trump and 18 other defendants. They begin with a simplification of the basic RICO charge and then undertake a broad survey of the charges, the prospect for cooperators, how the case will be presented to a jury, the likely schedule, and more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It was a week when Trump, through his lawyers, became acquainted with Judge Tanya Chutkan, who will preside over the most important of the criminal cases against him. The judge left little doubt of her resolve to keep Trump from polluting the jury pool and threatening witnesses. A great group of guests—Peter Baker, Sadie Gurman, & Jason Kander–join Harry to discuss that hearing & other developments in the case and then take up of the appointment of a Special Counsel in the Hunter Biden case. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week’s episode is a clear-eyed, sober exposition of the legal & factual claims Trump can be expected to bring in the 1/6 case. 3 great guests combining on-their-feet trial experience with renowned criminal law expertise - Dahlia Lithwick, Danny Cevallos, and David Sklansky - join Harry to analyze Trump’s strategy and likely maneuvers. The four dismiss out of hand two of the arguments that Team Trump has been putting front and center; but conclude that at least one Trump defense holds promise. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The indictment of Donald Trump on charges growing out of multiple schemes to steal the election is the most important case in the history of the Department of Justice and probably the country. We’ve had some quick reactions on cable TV. But in this special live tape episode, 3 of the country’s most knowledgeable commentators – Norm Eisen, Renato Mariotti, and Jen Rubin – join Harry for the most in-depth discussion out there of the most important legal and strategic issues the indictment presents. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

While all eyes were focused on the courthouse in Washington DC, the DOJ and Jack Smith took us by surprise Friday afternoon with a superseding indictment against Trump + 2 defendants. In “Any Day Now,” Laura Coates, Greg Sargent and Rick Wilson join Harry to discuss the pros and cons of the superseding indictment, and its social and political importance in comparison with the coming 1/6 indictment before ending w/important new polling info and general observations about the coming election. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our quarterly DOJ Report Card arrives in a very propitious week that began with the receipt by Donald Trump of a second target letter from DOJ, moved through a hearing and subsequent order in the Mar-A-Lago documents case, and ended with significant charges out of Michigan that underscore the need for Jack Smith to begin to share information. The well-known trio of regular DOJ alumni and experts join Harry for a lively and sophisticated discussion of what’s happening at 9th & Pennsylvania. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The news that the Grand Jury recently heard testimony from Jared Kushner & Hope Hicks suggests that the feds are approaching an end-game for a new set of charges against Trump focused on the Big Lie and the series of post-election frauds, though their shape & timing remains opaque. The Mar-A-Lago case heads for the 1st important showdown and reveal of Judge Cannon’s bonafides. And the Republican clown car in Congress rolls on with a blockade of the defense bill & a grilling of the FBI director. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Harry is joined by a fantastic panel of experts on law and politics–Laura Jarrett, Lisa Rubin, and Sadie Gurman–to decode new clues from Jack Smith on the trajectory of the federal investigation surrounding Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election, size up Trump and Nauta’s chances of a delaying the pending Mar-a-Lago trial, and take stock of the fallout from the Supreme Court’s bombshell term that came to a close just last week. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our annual Supreme Court term review, which comes in the immediate wake of a series of monumental decisions by the 6-member conservative supermajority that overturned or ignored generations of precedent and sharply undermined legal protections for vulnerable groups. Three of the nation’s most respected Supreme Court commentators – Emily Bazelon, Dahlia Lithwick, and Melissa Murray – join Harry to analyze the landmark rulings in affirmative action, anti-discrimination law, and administrative law. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Mar-a-Lago documents case against Donald Trump picked up speed as Jack Smith delivered the first round of discovery. The hard-right House GOP flexed its muscles with a series of political stunts. Meanwhile, the nation was gripped by the search for missing exploratory submarine. It was a week of high drama from the federal courthouse to the House floor, and Harry is joined by three top national commentators–Tim Miller, Charlie Savage, and Erin Burnett–to break it all down. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On a week that saw the first arrest of a former president by the government he ran, a stellar group of experts – Robert Costa, Norm Ornstein, and Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon – join Harry to break down the charges & Trump’s likely defenses before exploring the political fallout for the party & the voting public. They then transition to an in-depth analysis of the state of play for 2024, including whether the growing field helps Trump and whether he could wrap up the race before it even starts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Convening immediately after the federal indictment of Donald Trump was unsealed, 3 of the country’s best-known authorities on Trump’s rule–Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, Hugo Powell, and Ali Vitali—join Harry to analyze the DOJ charges and assess their likely political consequences. They react to the apparently random selection of Judge Aileen Cannon, who displayed lawless favoritism for Trump in a previous case, and end with discussion of the latest tantrum from the Freedom Caucus in Congress. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We’re in the midst of one of the weirdest political and legal seasons in U.S. history, and a great group of guests—Luke Broadwater, Jason Kander, & Jen Rubin, talks it through & breaks it down. A former president & frontrunner for 2024 under indictment from NY state and soon to be charged by the U.S. government he recently led. The most serious flirtation with a debt default in our history. A group of R presidential candidates in thrall to the candidate they most must beat. Strange days indeed! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A no-holds barred critique of what ails the Supreme Court and what if anything can be done about it. Kate Shaw, Steve Vladeck, and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse join Harry to discuss the Court’s current record-low standing and how it came about. The Court has amassed power at the expense of the political branches and is using it unabashedly to push through a pattern of controversial – indeed unpopular – results that touch the lives of all Americans. Can anyone or anything constrain this Court? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.