Talking Feds

It was a tumultuous week on the streets and in the courts, with panelists Kristen Holmes, Juliette Kayyem, and Josh Marshall joining Harry to break it all down. ICE's reign of terror in Minnesota continues, even as top Trump officials sing a softer tune after nationwide outrage over the death of Alex Pretti. The panel marches through the latest fallout from Pretti's killing, as well as the newest attempts by the DOJ to advance Trump's agenda elsewhere, from the arrest of Don Lemon to the shocking raid on a Georgia election office.  Mentioned in this episode: Kristen’s reporting:  https://www.cnn.com/profiles/kristen-holmes-bio Juliette’s writing in the Atlantic:  https://www.theatlantic.com/author/juliette-kayyem/ Josh’s analysis:  https://talkingpointsmemo.com/author/josh_m Also, check out some big changes coming to the Talking Feds Substack: https://harrylitman.substack.com/p/big-changes-for-the-talking-feds Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Talking Feds stalwart Elliot Williams joins Harry to discuss his new book, Five Bullets. The pair turn to the blighted and crime-stricken New York of the 1980s to get at some of the unanswered questions from the case of Bernhard Goetz and why the five shots he fired at Black teenagers which made him—to so many Americans—a folk hero. What made it so hard for prosecutors to convict Goetz? What did his trial expose about the limits of what our justice system can offer? And why the lasting American fascination with the idea of a gunman taking the law into his own hands?Mentioned in this episode: Williams' book:  https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/768052/five-bullets-by-elliot-williams/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis roils the country, Harry breaks down the fallout with Susan Glasser. Then, turning to the week's main discussion, three stellar journalists—Susan, Emily Bazelon, and Ruth Marcus—join Harry to break down Trump's assaults on the rule of law that made Pretti's death possible. From the corruption of the FBI and the carnage in Minnesota to Trump's escape from the prosecutions brought by Jack Smith, the trio engage in a wide-ranging discussion anchored in their in-depth reporting. Can the FBI withstand another year of Kash Patel's leadership? Is Jack Smith next on Trump's list of targets for reprisal? Finally, are the tragic events in Minnesota, as Susan says, Trump's most Trumpian accomplishment? Mentioned in this episode:  Harry's Substack on the aftermath of Alex Pretti's death:  https://harrylitman.substack.com/p/congress-must-act-now Susan's piece on Trump's actions in Minnesota: ⁠ https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-trumps-washington/the-minnesota-war-zone-is-trumps-most-trumpian-accomplishment Emily's report on the FBI:  https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/01/22/magazine/trump-kash-patel-fbi-agents.html Ruth's piece on Jack Smith: ⁠ https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/jack-smiths-closing-argument Ruth's profile of Pam Bondi: ⁠ https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/08/25/pam-bondi-profile Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Keith Ellison, Minnesota's Attorney General and civil rights advocate, discusses the state's battle against what he describes as a "federal invasion" impacting local communities. He highlights the chaos caused by increased federal enforcement and critiques the lack of communication from Washington. The conversation delves into the complex prosecution of Renee Good's killer, where Ellison reveals the challenges posed by federal interference, and outlines Minnesota's commitment to a thorough investigation into the case.

Norm Eisen, a retired ambassador and democracy advocate, Katie Phang, a former prosecutor and legal analyst, and Jen Rubin, editor-in-chief of The Contrarian, dive into ICE's controversial actions in Minnesota. The discussion centers on whether congressional Democrats can rein in ICE and the implications of Minnesota's 10th Amendment lawsuit. They also explore the political fallout from federal investigations into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and the potential for a grassroots political shift in response to recent events.

Chief Justice John Roberts famously told the country that, if confirmed to the Supreme Court, he would act like an umpire—just there to call balls and strikes. To help answer the question of how Umpire Roberts Court has fared, Harry spoke with Lisa Graves about her new book, Without Precedent: How Chief Justice Roberts and His Accomplices Rewrote the Constitution and Dismantled Our Rights, in which Graves makes the case that Roberts has acted less as an umpire than a political loyalist. In the conversation, Harry and Lisa discuss Roberts’s background as a movement conservative at DOJ, his nomination and ascension as Chief Justice, and his tenure now entering its third decade. They also delve into the modern Federalist Society, unpacking how Roberts and his fellow conservative justices align—or don’t—with its ideology. With the Supreme Court wielding unprecedented influence over American policy, this discussion provides a clear look at how we arrived at the Court we have today. Read Lisa's book: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/lisa-graves/without-precedent/9781645030676/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest host Jonathan Alter brings together former Senator Barbara Boxer, Norm Ornstein, and Stuart Stevens to break down the Trump administration's mounting aggression, at home and abroad. The four talk through the shocking killing of Renee Good in Minnesota and the fallout from the toppling of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Then, they dig into a deeper story: how congressional Republicans became the devoted, crucial enablers of Trump's worst impulses. Mentioned in this episode: Jonathan’s Substack:  https://oldgoats.substack.com/ Norm's podcast:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dsrs-words-matter/id1420216970  Stuart's Substack:  https://stuartstevens.substack.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harry sits down with Georgetown law professor Steve Vladeck to dissect the seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. From the UN Charter and head-of-state immunity to the infamous 1989 Barr memo, they unpack the administration’s legal gymnastics, multiple legal illegalities, and tenuous positions.  In particular, they zero in on the interplay between U.S. criminal law and the international law that we appear to have knowingly violated. They then turn to the long-term practical moral consequences of the operation, including the possible severe damage to U.S. credibility and strategic interests going forward. Mentioned in this episode: Steve's Substack post about Maduro's arrest: https://www.stevevladeck.com/p/200-five-questions-about-the-maduro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While the Talking Feds team is on holiday break, we are re-airing a roundtable conversation with Steve Adler, then-mayor of Austin; Jenny Durkan, then-mayor of Seattle; and Bill Peduto, the former long-time mayor of Pittsburgh. This special topical episode focuses on municipal government and the mayors who run it. The first year of Trump 2.0 has brought to the forefront the clash between federal and state authority. But it’s at the municipal level that the potholes and garbage pickups hit the road, and an American ideal of representative democracy is most in play. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harry talks to Anne Applebaum about the Trump administration's chaotic and slanted approach to ending the war in Ukraine. Applebaum exposes the perverse heavily pro-Russian underpinnings of the U.S. plan that kicked off the latest round of talks. After contrasting Ukraine's repudiation of corruption with Trump's embrace of it, the pair zoom out to discuss the global battle for democracy and what's still at stake on the frontlines in Eastern Europe. Plus, a bonus: a discussion with Ruth Ben-Ghiat, on the rise of authoritarians around the world, and their shared tactics. Mentioned in this episode: Applebaum's Substack: https://anneapplebaum.substack.com/ Applebaum's writing for the Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/anne-applebaum/ Ruth Ben-Ghiat's Substack: https://lucid.substack.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices