Talking Feds

Harry talks with a prophet of our moment of democratic decline: Steven Levitsky. The Harvard scholar explains why Trump’s grip on power is both unequaled in a century of American history and, at the same time, deeply fragile. The pair think through why Trump has targeted universities, how the president’s own incompetence has undermined his drive for power, and what role the American people can still play in defending their democracy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anna Bauer, a Lawfare senior editor and DOJ expert, joins Paul Fishman, former U.S. Attorney, and Amy Jeffress, ex-federal prosecutor, to discuss the turmoil within the Department of Justice. They delve into the fallout from the dismissal of high-profile prosecutions involving James Comey and Letitia James. The trio also examines Pam Bondi's potential role in protecting Trump's interests with the Epstein files, alongside the ethical complexities of grand jury practices and the ongoing cultural challenges facing the DOJ amid mass staff departures.

In this insightful discussion, Jason Kander, a veteran and political commentator, juxtaposes his experience with Mara Liasson's deep political reporting and Josh Marshall's analytical prowess. They delve into the chaos surrounding Trump, exploring his alarming reactions and the GOP's increasing detachment over issues like the Epstein case. They also question the motivations behind Democratic ads warning troops against unlawful orders and highlight the potential ramifications of a politically weakened Trump. The trio navigates the complexities of American politics with clarity and wit.

Journalist and Talking Feds regular Emily Bazelon joins Harry to share her reporting on the stories of the rank-and-file Department of Justice staff who’ve weathered Trump’s takeover. Emily spoke with 60 different attorneys who served in the department, and she tells Harry their stories of a department in ruin. What have the key moments looked like from the inside? How have career attorneys handled the wrenching choice of whether to stay on, or quit and risk replacement by a Trump loyalist? And how hard will it be for any new future to pick up the pieces? Mentioned in this episode: Emily's article: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/11/16/magazine/trump-justice-department-staff-attorneys.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For Talking Feds’ latest Contrarian episode, Harry speaks with Norm Eisen, Jen Rubin, and Neera Tanden about the reopening, revelations, and reprisals that dominated the week’s news. They break down where the Democrats went wrong in the shutdown fight and whether the cases against James Comey and Letitia James are collapsing. But, of course, with newly released documents exposing some of Jeffrey Epstein’s connections to Donald Trump, the panel takes a hard look at what can be surmised from the cryptic messages. The question on everyone’s minds: what in the world did Epstein mean when he called Trump the dog that hasn’t barked?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harry talks to Marty Lederman, the former Deputy Assistant Attorney General who authored an amicus brief with a legal discovery that has shaken the Administration's attempt to deploy the National Guard to Chicago and other Democrat-led cities. Marty and Harry explain the critical oversight in the administration's reasoning, and they think through what a bruising legal defeat would mean for the effort to put boots on the ground in American cities. It's a possible game changer in a case Harry has called a "moment of truth for the High Court." Mentioned in this episode:  Harry's Substack about the stakes of this case: https://harrylitman.substack.com/p/moment-of-truth-for-the-high-court The Supreme Court's request for briefs on the phrase "the regular forces": https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/102925zr_hgci.pdf Marty Lederman's expanded brief on the phrase "the regular forces": https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25/25A443/384148/20251110232925983_25A443.Lederman.Supplemental.Amicus.Brief.1110.pdf Illinois and Chicago's expanded brief on the phrase "the regular forces": https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25/25A443/384145/20251110210604383_Illinois%20Supplemental%20Letter%20Brief%20Master%20Final%20To%20File%20PDFA.pdf  The administration's expanded brief on the phrase "the regular forces": https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25/25A443/384115/20251110170907870_25a443%20Trump%20v.%20Illinois%20-%20Supp.%20Letter%20Br.pdf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the aftermath of Tuesday’s sweeping nationwide Democratic wins, Harry calls in a trio of some of the country’s sharpest political thinkers—Emily Bazelon, Dave Weigel, and Rick Wilson—to unpack the meaning of the results. Was the increasingly painful government shutdown a decisive factor? Why are the voters who swung to Trump last year deserting him? And, crucially, how might Democrats keep their momentum going?  Mentioned in this episode:  David’s reporting:  https://www.semafor.com/author/david-weigelEmily’s reporting:  https://www.nytimes.com/by/emily-bazelon#latestThis week’s episode of Slate’s Political Gabfest:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spectacular-night-for-democrats/id158004641?i=1000735632723Rick’s Substack:  https://therickwilson.substack.com/Rick’s Talking San Diego appearance:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFN88EW3Znw Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After releasing Harry’s conversation with Carol Leonnig and Aaron C. Davis two days early to sync up with the publication of their new book—Injustice: How Politics and Fear Vanquished America's Justice Department—Talking Feds is hosting a special preview of another podcast that’s exploring the consequential issues that impact, and define, American culture: The Alabama Murders, a new series by bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell's Revisionist History podcast. Entangled in an affair with a parishioner, a Northwest Alabama minister makes a devastating choice. Rather than face the shame of divorce, he arranges for three men to kill his wife. One of the men convicted in her murder, Kenny Smith, spent decades on death row, only for his execution to go horribly wrong. Eventually, the consequences lead to the center of a hot national debate on who should be allowed to live, who should die, and how the state should kill them. On The Alabama Murders, Malcolm asks: why, in our efforts to alleviate suffering, do we so often make it worse? If you want to hear the full story, find Revisionist History wherever you get podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Department of Justice has been at the epicenter of both Trump's efforts to subvert the rule of law and the attempts to hold him accountable during his years out of the White House. Now two of the country's most prominent investigative journalists—Carol Leonnig and Aaron C. Davis—have authored an authoritative account of these tumultuous years at DOJ. Their book is Injustice: How Politics and Fear Vanquished America's Justice Department. Leonnig and Davis join Harry for an in-depth discussion: their first interview about their tour-de-force new volume, which is full of revelations about the existential battles within the Department, built on interviews with more than 250 people who witnessed them first hand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harry sits down with David A. Graham, Katie Phang, and Maya Wiley to discuss federal agents' on-the-ground escalations and the courts' efforts to rein them in. They then move to the early warnings that Trump may interfere in next year’s midterms before ending with a quick look at some of tomorrow's critical elections. The overlapping question that criss-crosses all 3 topics: how can Americans band together to protect the democracy, and especially to blunt the threat of a far more systematic attempt by Trump than the last time around to interfere in the elections. Mentioned in this episode: Amie Barrodale’s Supreme Court satire:  https://www.theparisreview.org/fiction/8383/crystal-palace-amie-barrodale David’s piece in the Atlantic:  https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/12/2026-midterms-trump-threat/684615/ Maya’s MSNBC piece:   https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/trump-election-monitors-california-new-jersey-legal-rcna240313 Katie’s YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/@katiephangnews Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices