

Sidebar
The Washington Post
The Washington Post’s Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann gather for a weekly in-depth conversation about politics and power. From presidential candidates to members of Congress to the judicial system, Sidebar dives deep on the topics and people at the forefront of the political conversation.
The crew sits down each Thursday (with the occasional breaking news episode) to discuss what has happened that week, and what’s coming up the next week – with guest appearances from Washington Post reporters.
The crew sits down each Thursday (with the occasional breaking news episode) to discuss what has happened that week, and what’s coming up the next week – with guest appearances from Washington Post reporters.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 28, 2025 • 36min
Trump's chaotic pause of federal grants
The Washington Post's Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann are joined by White House reporter Cat Zakrzewski to discuss President Trump's first week back in office – and what happened the night he decided to fire more than a dozen government inspectors general.Plus, Trump's pause on government grants and loans is throwing Washington – and government programs around the globe – into chaos. Who will be affected by it most?And three of Trump's most controversial cabinet nominees are set to undergo Senate confirmation hearings later this week. Will RFK Jr. be derailed by a letter to senators penned by his cousin, Caroline Kennedy, calling him a "predator"?

Jan 23, 2025 • 30min
A 'death blow' for DEI
The Washington Post's Rhonda Colvin, James Hohmann and JM Rieger are joined by immigration reporter Nick Miroff to break down the way President Trump is attempting to rapidly change the United States' immigration system – and create a culture of fear among undocumented immigrants.Plus, how is Trump quickly changing America's foreign policy – and what is he trying to accomplish by demolishing decades of affirmative action and diversity, equity and inclusion policies?

Jan 21, 2025 • 33min
Pardon?
Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin, James Hohmann and Aaron Blake break down President Trump's decision to pardon or commute the sentences of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol rioters, just hours after he was inaugurated for the second time.And Trump signed a whole lot of other executive orders; Which ones definitely matter, which ones might end up mattering, and which ones probably won't?Plus, the tech billionaires came to Washington – including Elon Musk.

Jan 16, 2025 • 37min
Trump's ongoing loyalty test
On this week's episode, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin, James Hohmann and JM Rieger break down the Trump cabinet nominees whose hearings have gotten underway on Capitol Hill – and whether Democrats are effectively rallying votes against any of them.
Plus, President Biden gave his farewell speech on Jan. 15 – and it wasn't the speech everyone expected.
Then, what is the crew looking out for on inauguration day on Monday?

Jan 10, 2025 • 33min
Unconditional discharge
In this special episode, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann are joined by JM Rieger in Washington and criminal justice reporter Shayna Jacobs in New York, to discuss the sentence handed down to president-elect Trump in his New York hush money case – and why he escaped punishment after being convicted on 34 felony counts.Plus, is this the end of Trump's legal troubles?

Jan 8, 2025 • 43min
The sore winner
This week, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann break down president-elect Trump's angry, grievance-filled news conference – and why Trump is so focused on those grievances despite winning the election, with Republicans winning both houses of Congress.Then, the crew recaps the latest on Trump's New York hush money case, and whether the Supreme Court might intervene before the sentencing hearing scheduled for Jan. 10.

Jan 2, 2025 • 31min
Speaking of Congress ...
This week, reporters Marianna Sotomayor and Marianne Levine join the show to discuss the House speaker drama that could unfold as GOP holdouts say they might not vote for current House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Plus, what are Republicans' early legislative priorities – and are there signs that after winning the White House and both houses of Congress in November that the Republican party is far from unified?

Dec 27, 2024 • 23min
The biggest political moments of 2024
Explore the chaotic political landscape of 2024, featuring a shocking assassination attempt on Trump that altered Republican dynamics. A pivotal debate between Trump and Biden raises questions about Biden's leadership, leading to a swift rallying around Kamala Harris. Discover how legal challenges against Trump shift campaign strategies and voter perceptions. The discussion wraps up with insights from election night in Clark County, Ohio, highlighting the impact of misinformation and security concerns on voter sentiment.

Dec 19, 2024 • 40min
Congress gets more Trumpy
This week, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann break down Elon Musk's successful effort to torpedo a government spending bill – and what that means about how president-elect Donald Trump's White House will function.
Plus, how are Democrats preparing for a Trump presidency in which they are the minority in both the House and Senate?
Later, the crew looks at longtime members of the Senate who won't be back in the next Congress – and their final messages as they prepare to leave Washington.
Finally, Trump's criminal racketeering case in Georgia may be on ice after prosecutor Fani T. Willis was disqualified by an appeals court.

Dec 12, 2024 • 48min
Who's left for the Democrats?
This week, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann discuss what's left of the Democratic party after its 2024 election losses – from who's left in Congress and who will have positions of authority, to the fading presence of the party's biggest voices in recent decades. The crew breaks down who could step up as Democrats' ideological leader – and who definitely won't be in the picture.
Then, what's the status of Trump's cabinet picks? Right now, it looks like the ones left standing will all make it to January confirmation hearings.