Political Gabfest DOJ is DOA
45 snips
Nov 20, 2025 
Jake Sullivan, former National Security Advisor, shares insights on the recent visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, discussing the implications for U.S.–Saudi relations. He highlights the strategic benefits for Saudi Arabia, including technology cooperation and investments, while weighing the moral dilemmas tied to Crown Prince MBS's past actions. Sullivan also critiques the risks of transactional diplomacy and underscores the importance of a credible path toward Israeli normalization involving a Palestinian state.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Conclusion-First Justice Culture
- The Trump DOJ shifted from fact-first investigations to conclusion-first directives, asking lawyers to find evidence to match predecided outcomes.
- Career attorneys felt their professional duty and licenses were jeopardized by supervisors who treated judges' warnings as "no big deal."
Judge Warned Of False Statement
- A federal programs branch lawyer described a judge highlighting a possibly false declaration and even mentioning Rule 11 sanctions.
- Supervisors replied "NBD, no big deal," which deeply offended career lawyers worried about their bar licenses.
Cascading Institutional Decay
- The DOJ's decay shows up across categories: targeting disfavored prosecutors, selective enforcement, pardons for allies, and shifting priorities.
- Breaking institutional norms and eroding career expertise produces cascading incompetence and strategic costs.
