In their newest mashup, Harry and Molly Jong-Fast trade questions about corruption, accountability, and Trump’s legal schemes. Molly asks how Trump officials and members of his family might ever face justice, even if Trump pardons them, and what the heck is going on with Trump’s Supreme Court fight over mail-in ballots. Harry wants to know what the Dems need to do to unite around a cohesive message heading into the midterms, and why celebrities and other famous figures have largely stayed out of the political fray in Trump 2.0

Mentioned in this episode:

Molly’s podcast. ⁠

Molly’s Substack.

Harry’s Substack on the ballroom ruling.

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Harry's special roundtable this week focuses on the fortunes of the Democratic Party. Three top political thinkers—Micah Lasher, Amanda Litman, and Michael Steele—assess Democrats' prospects in the midterms and 2028. They break down what the party needs to do—beyond opposing Trump—and how it can harness the energy and message of recent progressive successes without falling victim to intra-party division. Finally, they offer their ideas for the longer-term vision of the country that the Dems should stand for.

Mentioned in this episode:
The ⁠video version⁠ of this episode.
Micah's Substack.
Amanda's Substack.
Michael's analysis. 

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Harry talks with Judge Mark Wolf about what the abuses by President Trump and Todd Blanche look like through the eyes of a veteran judge. Judge Wolf—who left the federal bench last year after a decades long career that began with a stint in the post-Watergate Justice Department—explains the overlooked crime he believes Trump committed with the creation of the slush fund, why he feels judges need to more aggressively pursue contempt findings, and what it’ll take to restore the righteous Department he once knew.

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The start of the Todd Blanche era at the Department of Justice also marks the start of the video era at Talking Feds. Ken Dilanian, Frank Figliuzzi, and Katie Phang join Harry in technicolor (on YouTube, at least) to break down Blanche’s first moves as Attorney General, Katie’s lawsuit to force him to release Epstein material, Jeanine Pirro’s unsettling failures in a serious criminal case, and the looming trial of James Comey.

Mentioned in this episode:
The video version of this episode. 
Ken’s reporting.
Frank’s Substack.
Katie’s Substack.
Katie’s YouTube.
Harry’s column about the MS-13 case. 
Harry’s column about Comey’s vindictive prosecution motion.
Lawfare’s reporting about J6 reoffenders.

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David Graham, former Senator Heidi Heitkamp, and Norm Ornstein join Harry to break down another strange week in Trumpland. Alex Vindman’s shocking defeat in Florida’s Democratic Senate primary intensified debates about how much appetite the party has for the all-out “Resistance” tactics of Trump 1.0, including impeachment. Meanwhile, the story of the beleaguered USS Abraham Lincoln prompted new criticism of the administration’s wartime failings. And finally, what’s the deal with Trump’s emotional support aide and “human printer,” Natalie Harp?

Mentioned in this episode:
David's reporting.
Norm's podcast.
David Frum's article about the "Resistance."
Jonathan Chait's article about the "Resistance."

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The midterms are just around the corner and there's already a shadow war raging over their outcome. Election law guru Marc Elias spends his days battling the Trump administration’s attempts to stack the deck. With November looming, Harry asks Marc for a tour of worst-case scenarios of election theft or interference. For each, Marc lays out the dangers, the stakes, and the potential countermoves. Together, the two explain what listeners can rest easy about, and what threats aren’t getting enough attention.

Mentioned in this episode:
Democracy Docket.
Democracy Docket's YouTube.
Harry's column about grassroots protests again Citizens Bank's ties with ICE.

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Faced with a worsening midterm map and spiraling conflict with Iran, Donald Trump is focusing on what really matters: his crusade to reshape Washington. Kristen Holmes, Adam Klasfeld, and Tara Setmayer join Harry to break down the monument mania. The panel digs in to the new Kennedy Center scheme, the ballroom appeal, and Jeanine Pirro’s mysterious special grand jury. The group then turns to an ugly scandal for an Ohio Republican that seems to tarnish his whole party—plus Trump's flight switcheroo in Turkey and its unsettling consequences.

Mentioned in this episode:
Kristen's reporting.
Adam's reporting.
Tara's Substack.

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After an ICE agent shot Renee Good, observers looked to the elite squad of federal prosecutors tasked with investigating such shootings: the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. The Division did nothing. It marked a sad chapter for an institution that, as historian Kevin M. Kruse explains, spent decades fighting for justice against long odds. Together, Kruse and Harry discuss the Division’s proud past, its perversion under Trump, and—zooming out—Trump’s attack on American history itself.

Kruse's forthcoming book bears this working title: The Division: John Doar, the Justice Department, and the Civil Rights Movement.

Mentioned in this episode:
Kruse's newsletter.

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Liz Oyer, Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, and Charlie Sykes join Harry to break down a week of embarrassments for Donald Trump, offset partly by Todd Blanche’s confirmation as Attorney General. The panel weighs the iniquity of the Senate’s vote, then digs into a court’s forceful rejection of Trump’s ballroom and the fallout from the shambolic Reflecting Pool prosecution. Finally, the group focuses on the administration’s deportation push, which is speeding up even as it fades from the headlines.

Mentioned in this episode:
Liz's Substack.
Liz's podcast.
Charlie's Substack.
Penn Live's immigration coverage.
The D.C. Appeals Court's ballroom opinion.
Harry's column about the latest in the reflecting pool case. 

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“Sometimes the smaller power has advantages that you don't expect.” That’s the lesson Anne Applebaum says Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump are learning as their weaker foes keep handing them setbacks. Applebaum explains to Harry how Ukraine's drone campaign is bringing the war home to Russians and why Iran looks poised to gain unprecedented control over the Strait of Hormuz. And, as Trump amasses wealth despite his failures, Applebaum makes the case that the U.S. is becoming a place where “political decisions are taken not because they're good for the country, but because they're good for the president's son.”

Mentioned in this episode
Applebaum's writing for the Atlantic.
Applebaum's Substack.

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Donald Trump seems determined to make things hard for everyone: Americans, Republican senators, and even himself. Glenn Kirschner, Josh Marshall, and Ali Vitali join Harry to talk through a week packed with unforced errors by the administration that are derailing Trump's presidency in the run-up to the midterms. The panel discusses Trump’s no-holds-barred effort to save the slush fund, the embarrassing end to the prosecution of a former Olympian scapegoated for the disastrous Reflecting Pool flop, and Anthony Fauci’s unsettling return to the headlines.

Update: Late on Saturday night, Senator John Cornyn and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced a deal that seemed to finally kill off the so-called weaponization fund. Observers noted that the agreement could potentially be walked back in the future and that it did not fully foreclose Trump's tax amnesty. Nonetheless, it seemed to clear the way for Blanche's confirmation.

Mentioned in this episode:
Glenn's Substack
Glenn's YouTube
Josh's analysis
Ali's show Way Too Early

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