Talking Feds

Talking Feds closes out 2025 with a close look at the institutional damage and lawlessness Trump has imposed on an essential arm of the U.S. government: the Department of Defense. CNN's Natasha Bertrand, the Washington Post's Alex Horton, and retired Major General Steven J. Lepper take Harry inside a Pentagon transformed by cowboy-in-chief Pete Hegseth. Why is the U.S. blowing up boats near Latin America? Did Hegseth oversee a war crime in the Caribbean? And what are the potential domestic dangers of the legal reasoning powering Trump's new uses of the military?   Mentioned in this episode: Natasha's reporting:  https://www.cnn.com/profiles/natasha-bertrand-profile#about Alex's reporting:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/alex-horton/ General Lepper's analysis:  https://www.justsecurity.org/author/leppersteven/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harry talks to veteran reporter Chris Whipple to get the inside scoop on his bombshell account of the Trump White House's inner workings. The two discuss why Trump's Chief of Staff Susie Wiles was so unguarded in her interviews with Whipple. They cover Wiles's sharp criticisms of administration officials and her admissions of serious wrongdoing by the president, including misleading the public on the Epstein files. The two dig deep into the details—several as yet overlooked—from one of most important stories written about Trump. Mentioned in this episode:  Whipple's reporting:  https://www.vanityfair.com/contributor/chris-whipple Harry's interview with Marty Lederman: https://youtu.be/JhN8PZNic9Y Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Department of Justice slow-walks an over-redacted release of its files on Jeffrey Epstein, Harry convenes CNN's Aaron Blake, former Senator Heidi Heitkamp, and NOTUS White House correspondent Jasmine Wright to analyze the administration's ham-handed noncompliance. The trio also dig into Vanity Fair's explosive revelations about the White House and Trump's top aide Susie Wiles. They close by considering the administration's escalations in the Caribbean and the real motives behind them. And, late in the episode, Harry offers a reflection on Rob Reiner's passing. Mentioned in this episode: Aaron’s reporting: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.cnn.com/profiles/aaron-blake Jasmine's reporting: https://www.notus.org/jasmine-wright The Vanity Fair story on the Trump White House: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-susie-wiles-interview-exclusive-part-1 The New York Times story on Trump and Epstein's relationship: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/us/jeffrey-epstein-donald-trump.html The New York Times story on how Epstein built his wealth and power: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/16/magazine/jeffrey-epstein-money-scams-investigation.html The Talking Feds episode with Rob Reiner: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-witness-has-left-the-room/id1456045551?i=1000445365427 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a new mashup episode, Harry and Molly Jong-Fast swap questions about the White House's latest political embarrassments and legal embroilments. Molly wants to know: when—and how—will some of Trump's inner circle face criminal charges? Harry is curious: why did this press-hating White House let their guard down so spectacularly for Vanity Fair? Together, the pair make sense of the noisy headlines and lay out the real consequences behind the week's serving of scandals.  Molly's book:  https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738849/how-to-lose-your-mother-by-molly-jong-fast/Molly's podcast:  https://fastpoliticspod.com/Molly's Substack:  https://mollyjongfast.substack.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harry talks to Alisyn Camerota, David French, and Jonathan Lemire about whether President Donald Trump is finally losing his grip on the Republican Party. Why couldn’t Trump convince Indiana Republicans to back his gerrymander scheme for the state? Have his famed rallies have lost their political magic? And can the president overcome deepening scrutiny of his aggressive military moves in the Caribbean and far-fetched legal maneuvers in the courts? Mentioned in this episode: Alisyn's Substack: https://alisyncamerota.substack.com/ David's columns: https://www.nytimes.com/by/david-french Jonathan's reporting: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/jonathan-lemire/ Harry's interview with Senator Mark Kelly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kV3PdqjknhM Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why did an ad urging U.S. troops not to break the law make President Donald Trump so angry that he practically called for Senator Mark Kelly's head? The retired Navy captain can't answer that. Instead, the senator is focused on investigating the controversies that have gripped the military in the past month. Harry and the senator dig into what makes Pete Hegseth such an unfit Defense Secretary, the dangers the potentially illegal U.S. strikes in the Caribbean pose for American service members, and why the fallout looks like it might bring some genuine accountability for the administration. Mentioned in this episode: Harry's latest Substack on the boat strikes: ⁠ https://harrylitman.substack.com/p/the-investigation-not-the-dems-video⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harry turns to Mimi Rocah, Tara Setmayer, and Jacob Weisberg to delve into the DoJ’s latest humiliations, the furor over strikes in the Caribbean, and Trump’s racist outbursts. What will it take for Attorney General Pam Bondi to give up the case against Letitia James? Did Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth oversee a criminal missile attack, in addition to risking troops with his Signal messages? And why are Trump’s immigration crackdown and hate-filled outbursts prompting so little pushback? Mentioned in this episode:  Harry's latest column on the boat strikes: https://harrylitman.substack.com/p/the-investigation-not-the-dems-video  Tara's Tedx Talk:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DUzqIrpHR8 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harry talks with journalist Jerusalem Demsas about her case for a robust, combative liberalism capable of taking the fight to the current political power structure. Demsas has just launched a new publication—The Argument—dedicated to renewing and improving the kind of politics that helped fostered many of the country's best achievements. Harry asks Demsas about the shape of that revived liberalism, how she plans to persuade MAGA and other skeptics, and why she feels so optimistic in such a difficult time Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steven Levitsky, a Harvard scholar focused on democratization and authoritarianism, joins the discussion to analyze the current threats to American democracy. He highlights Trump's unusual grip on power, tempered by its fragility, and explores the role of universities as bastions of dissent amid a growing ideological purge. Levitsky also defines competitive authoritarianism and suggests ways for the public to defend democracy through elections, independent courts, and civic engagement. Tune in for a thought-provoking exploration of contemporary political dynamics!

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.