In our latest Contrarian episode, Norm Eisen, Norm Ornstein, and Jen Rubin join Harry to assess new flashpoints in Trump's nonstop quest to escape accountability and his hasty efforts to claw free of his war in the Middle East. The group takes stock of Trump's stumbling attempts to find a deal with Iran, which seem likely to leave the U.S. weakened and isolated. The panel also weighs the bombshell state charges against an ICE agent and the odds that Trump could name two new Supreme Court justices before year's end. 

Mentioned in this episode:

The Contrarian:  https://contrarian.substack.com/

Norm Ornstein's podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dsrs-words-matter/id1420216970

The Robert Kagan article about America's changing place in the world: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/03/trump-national-security-greenland-spheres-of-interest/685673/ 

The profile of Justice Alito: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/04/samuel-alito-supreme-court-conservative/686756/ 

Norm Ornstein's kakistocracy article: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/10/american-kakistocracy/542391/

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Harry talks with Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin, the principal force behind the massive and wildly successful No Kings protests. They fill Harry in on the politics and mechanics of building one of the biggest popular mobilizations in American history, and how to harness the popular forces in a concrete way to defeat Trump.

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With Trump's two-week ceasefire hanging in the balance, Harry turns to Kristy Greenberg, Jason Kander, and Jasmine Wright to make sense of a week of reversals and u-turns for Donald Trump. What are the new revelations about how Trump decided to strike Iran? And if the status quo stands, will the U.S. have lost its war of choice? Can new Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche do any better than Pam Bondi at sating Trump's appetite for retribution? And what do another pair of Democratic overperformances in off-cycle elections augur for November? 

Mentioned in this episode:

Courtside with Kristy Greenberg: https://www.youtube.com/@CourtsidewithKG 

Jason's podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/majority-54/id1309354521 

Jasmine's reporting: https://www.notus.org/jasmine-wright

New York Times reporting on Trump's decision to go to war with Iran: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/us/politics/trump-iran-war.html

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Mimi Rocah, a veteran federal prosecutor and former colleague of Acting AG Todd Blanche, joins Harry to assess Pam Bondi's legacy at the Department of Justice and what lies ahead for the department now that she's gone. Rocah fills Harry in on Todd Blanche's total transformation into a pro-Trump ideologue—one as devoted, but more canny and probably more dangerous than his predecessor. And Mimi gives Harry some insights from her forthcoming book—Justice Under Siege—about Trump's complete takeover of the DOJ. 

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Attorney General Pam Bondi is out. Harry talks with all-star journalists Aaron Blake, Liz Landers, and Scott MacFarlane to break down why Trump rewarded Bondi's obsessive loyalty with an abrupt and humiliating firing. Next, the panel tries to make sense of Trump's primetime address about his increasingly opaque goals in the month-old war with Iran. Finally, the group analyzes the arguments in the birthright citizenship case and considers whether Trump has already notched a partial victory, regardless of the final verdict.

Mentioned in this episode:

Harry's Substack about Bondi's firing: https://harrylitman.substack.com/p/out-of-touch-out-of-trust-out-of

Harry's Substack about the birthright citizenship case: https://harrylitman.substack.com/p/the-birthright-citizenship-order

Aaron's analysis:  https://www.cnn.com/profiles/aaron-blake

Liz's reporting: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/author/liz-landers

Scott's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ScottMacFarlaneNews

Scott's Substack: https://macfarlanenews.substack.com/

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Harry mines Marc Elias's unrivaled expertise in election law to dig into the alarming contents of the SAVE Act, the Supreme Court's possible lurch to ban mail-in voting, and the progress of the DOJ's efforts to seize personal information about as many voters as possible.

Mentioned in this episode:

Democracy Docket: democracydocket.com

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In his latest effort to trace the Department of Justice’s downward spiral, Harry talks with DOJ veterans Paul Fishman and Stacey Young, along with reporter Evan Perez. The panel assesses the DOJ’s obstructive tactics on the Minnesota investigations, the retribution prosecutions that keep coming despite loss after humiliating loss, and the new revelations about Trump’s misuse of classified documents. Finally, the panel closes with some reflections on the life and work of former FBI Director Robert Mueller.

Mentioned in this episode:

Evan’s reporting: https://www.cnn.com/profiles/evan-perez-profile

Justice Connection: https://www.thejusticeconnection.org/

Sara Bloom’s organization: https://massdeportationdefense.org/

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Even before Trump started raining bombs down on Iran, harassing allies to clean up his mess, and yanking sanctions off Russia, the global order that kept Americans safe for generations was in shambles. Historian and foreign policy expert Robert Kagan discusses his landmark article explaining how Trump broke the “Grand Bargain” that promoted peace and prosperity after World War II. The crucial question now—according to Kagan—is not whether that order is coming back, but what will replace it.

Mentioned in this episode:

Kagan’s article: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/03/trump-national-security-greenland-spheres-of-interest/685673/

Kagan’s latest book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/714679/rebellion-by-robert-kagan/

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Three superb journalists—Natasha Korecki, Ali Vitali, and Jacob Weisberg—join Harry to break down another grinding week of war with Iran. Ali explains why a major Trumpworld resignation offered another sign that MAGA will soon be an “utter mess.” Back in D.C., Democrats stormed out over Pam Bondi’s prevarications; Jacob lays out a strategy for them to hold Bondi to her subpoena. Finally, Natasha gives the panel a tour of the Illinois primaries and what the results signal for the shape of a resurgent Democratic party.

Mentioned in this episode:

Natasha’s reporting: https://www.nbcnews.com/author/natasha-korecki-ncpn1286792 

Ali’s Way Too Early: https://www.ms.now/way-too-early 

Juliana Stratton’s campaign ad: https://www.facebook.com/JulianaForIL/videos/they-said-it-were-all-thinking-it/967001489339870/ 

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For the latest Talking San Diego conversation, Harry sits down with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro in front of a packed-house in San Diego.  They discuss the experiences that have shaped the governor, from his long-shot bid to rescue Soviet Jews, to his fight for abuse victims, to the arson attack on his family, and more telling stories from his new best-selling memoir “Where We Keep the Light.”
But Governor Shapiro also speaks to this “dangerous moment" for a U.S. at war with Iran, facing a rising tide of division and hatred domestically, all worsened by what the governor calls President Trump’s “corrosive, cruel politics.” Against that grim backdrop, Governor Shapiro lays out his vision for repairing the country and makes his case that our challenges calls for a new brand of leadership.
This Talking San Diego event was made possible by our venue partner Congregation Beth Israel and bookselling partner Warwicks. You can find a video version of this episode (and all 1-on-1 conversations) on the Talking Feds YouTube channel.

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As a second week of war slips by without Iran’s promised collapse, David French, David A. Graham, and Juliette Kayyem join Harry to assess the administration’s apparent unpreparedness and growing tally of grave mistakes. The group discusses the dangers that could come with a prolonged conflict and the cold comfort provided by Pete Hegseth’s rant-filled briefings. Finally, they turn to the vital news being overlooked amid the war: Trump’s relentless push to overhaul voter requirements and collect states’ voter data ahead of the midterms.

Mentioned in this episode:

David French’s analysis: https://www.nytimes.com/by/david-french#latest

David A. Graham’s reporting: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/david-a-graham/

Juliette’s analysis: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/juliette-kayyem/

ProPublica’s report about the Pentagon’s moves around civil casualties: https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-defense-department-iran-hegseth-civilian-casualties

The Atlantic’s report about a potential overhaul of the JAG Corps: https://www.theatlantic.com/national-security/2026/03/hegseth-comes-lawyers/686351/

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