Of all the ways President Trump has pushed the bounds of executive power one stands out to lawyers and watchdogs.

He wants the government he leads to pay him billions of dollars.

Trump has filed multiple claims arguing he’s been hurt by Justice Department investigations and the leak of his tax returns years ago.

What does that mean to be on both sides of these legal claims? For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at [email protected].

This episode was produced by Erika Ryan with audio engineering by Damian Herring.

It was edited by Courtney Dorning.

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.


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The Rev. Jesse Jackson died this week at the age of 84. The civil rights leader, minister, and protege of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. helped shape the modern Democratic Party.

Abby Phillip is an anchor at CNN and the author of A Dream Deferred: Jesse Jackson and the Fight for Black Political Power. She says Jackson’s impact on politics can be traced back to his 1984 and 1988 failed presidential bids.

The top of this episode features additional reporting from NPR's Cheryl Corley.

This episode was produced by Erika Ryan and Connor Donevan with audio engineering by Hannah Gluvna and Ted Mebane. It was edited by John Ketchum. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.


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President Trump banned transgender people from the military during his first term.

But at the time, service members could continue with their service if they had received an official diagnosis of gender dysphoria.

Citing military excellence and readiness, the second Trump administration is now forcibly removing nearly all remaining openly transgender troops – identifying them by their previous diagnoses of gender dysphoria.

In their parting messages, they and their allies say it’s only hurting, not helping military readiness.

NPR’s Lauren Hodges reports.

For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. 

Email us at [email protected].This episode was produced by Lauren Hodges and Mia Venkat, with audio engineering by Neisha Heinis. It was edited by Andrew Sussman and Patrick Jarenwattananon. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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As lawmakers, and people around the country, grapple with what federal immigration enforcement should look like, Janet Napolitano, former DHS Secretary under President Obama, talks about the future - and the past - of ICE.

For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at [email protected]. 

This episode was produced by Henry Larson and Kai McNamee. It was edited by Sarah Robbins. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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In 1963, President John F. Kennedy kicked off a decades-long effort to reduce the risk of nuclear war, when he signed the Limited Test Ban Treaty. Subsequent presidents forged new agreements, but now that global order to safeguard and reduce nuclear arms is deteriorating.

This month the last bilateral nuclear treaty between Russia and the United States expired. Meanwhile, President Trump is pushing the international order to a breaking point, and European leaders are speculating about a new path forward for their collective nuclear defense. 

NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly talks with Christine Wormuth, former Secretary of the Army and now President and C.E.O. of The Nuclear Threat Initiative, about the possibility of a new nuclear arms race.

For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.  Email us at [email protected].

This episode was produced by Karen Zamora and Connor Donevan, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane. It was edited by Christopher Intagliata, Brett Neely and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Congress is approaching yet another Friday funding deadline. So how can the parties find any common ground before DHS runs out of money?

NPR's Scott Detrow speaks with Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Democratic Congressman Tom Suozzi of New York about a path forward.

For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. 

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This episode was produced by Jason Fuller and Elena Burnett and was edited by Christopher Intagliata, Sami Yenigun, Kelsey Snell and Nadia Lancy. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. 

Email us at [email protected].

This episode was produced by Jordan-Marie Smith and Elena Burnett. It was edited by Michael Levitt, Patrick Jarenwattananon and Nadia Lancy. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi is set to testify before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, where she’s likely to face questions about the Epstein Files, the Minnesota immigration crackdown and the attempt to prosecute several of President Trump’s perceived political enemies. 

NPR’s Ailsa Chang talks with Pulitzer-Prize-winning investigative journalist Carol Leonnig about how Bondi has reshaped the Department of Justice, and what she’s expecting to hear in Wednesday’s testimony.

For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.  Email us at [email protected].

This episode was produced by Jeffrey Pierre and Connor Donevan, with audio engineering by Tiffany Vera Castro. It was edited by Christopher Intagliata and Courtney Dorning.

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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The latest disclosure from the U.S. Department of Justice’s investigation of Jeffrey Epstein is threatening the U.K. ruling government.

New documents have led Peter Mandelson, a former ambassador to the U.S., to resign from Britain’s House of Lords and from the Labour Party.

The fallout has already claimed two key staff members close to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and some in his own party are calling for him to step down too.

Edward Luce, chief U.S. commentator for the Financial Times, helps explain the scandal – and why the reaction in the U.K. differs from the U.S.

For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. 

Email us at [email protected].

This episode was produced by Jordan-Marie Smith and Connor Donevan, with audio engineering by Hannah Gluvna. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon and Michael Levitt. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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The power to regulate federal elections rests with states and Congress, according to the Constitution. Yet President Trump repeatedly questioned the integrity of election systems, despite no evidence of widespread voter fraud, and in recent days has urged Republicans to take over voting operations in a number of states. Wendy Weiser, the vice president for democracy at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law School, a think tank and voting rights advocacy group, examines the administration’s actions ahead of the midterm elections. 

This episode was produced by Henry Larson and Kai McNamee, with audio engineering by Damian Herring. 

It was edited by Sarah Robbins and Ahmad Damen. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. 

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