The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell S2 Ep141: Jack Smith Says He Had Trump Dead to Rights (w/ Asha Rangappa)
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Jan 14, 2026 
Asha Rangappa, a Yale Law lecturer and co-host of the 'It's Complicated' podcast, joins to discuss pivotal legal issues. They dive into Jack Smith’s testimony on Trump's alleged involvement in the January 6th insurrection and the Mar-a-Lago document retention case. Asha provides insights into the complexities of war powers regarding U.S. actions in Venezuela and the implications of judicial processes in high-profile lawsuits. She also critiques the handling of the Minnesota ICE shooting and examines the motivations behind recent congressional actions.
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Law Enforcement Rationale Masks Military Action
- The administration framed the Venezuela operation as law enforcement, citing a 1989 OLC memo to justify international arrests.
- The reality of troop deployments, bombings, and casualties undermines that rationale and suggests executive overreach.
War Powers Have Drifted Toward The Executive
- Constitutional war powers split between Congress and the President leave fuzzy boundaries that have drifted toward the executive.
- Even expansive Article II claims likely cannot plausibly justify invasions of Cuba, Greenland, or similar actions.
Use Congress's Tools To Check The Executive
- Congress can reassert control by using its power of the purse, passing War Powers resolutions, or pursuing impeachment.
- Citizens should pressure Congress to act and create a paper trail for potential future accountability.