
Justice Matters with Glenn Kirschner
Glenn Kirschner - he’s an NBC News and MSNBC legal analyst and former Assistant U.S. Attorney at the D.C. U.S Attorney's Office. Now you can join him for Justice Matters. Glenn brings analysis and insight to current legal issues, drawing from his 30 years as a federal prosecutor, homicide prosecutor, and Army JAG. For three decades, Glenn argued to juries and judges, breaking down complex legal issues in clear and relatable ways. Every weekday his podcast brings that same approach to his analysis of today's troubled legal landscape.
Latest episodes

Jan 29, 2025 • 7min
Lindsey Graham says Donald Trump "Technically" Violated the Law in Firing of Inspectors General
Senator Lindsey Graham plainly stated that Donald Trump "technically" violated the federal law by failing to give the Senate the required 30-days advanced notice before firing an Inspector GeneraL.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jan 28, 2025 • 8min
Trump Tries to Fire 15 Inspectors General - Who Work to Detect Fraud, Waste, & Abuse in Government
Inspectors General - or "IGs" as they often are called - work in the public interest to prevent, detect, and investigate fraud, waste, and abuse by those in government who would abuse their power, their position, and their office. In a very real sense, IGs are shepherds of good government, honest government, and ethical government. So, of course, Donald Trump just tried to fire 15 federal inspectors general. And it looks like Trump may have violated the federal law in the way he went about the terminations. Importantly, it looks like the IGs are not giving in to Trump's lawlessness. As The Washington Post reported, "The chairman of the Council of Inspectors general on Integrity and Efficiecy challenged the White House's action in a letter (to the White House, saying) . . . "I recommend that you reach out to the White House counsel to discuss your intended course of action. At this point, we do not believe the actions taken are legally sufficient to dismiss Presidentially Appointed, Senate Confirmed Inspectors General, . . . "Push back by the inspectors general is a point of light amidst the current Trump-induced darkness.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jan 27, 2025 • 8min
Judge Rules That Trump's Birthright Citizenship Executive Order is "Blatantly Unconstitutional"
Donald Trump apparently believed he could change the Constitution with a stroke of his pen, signing an executive order that revoked the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship. A federal judge who has been on the bench for more than 40 years - and who was appointed by President Ronald Reagan - just ruled that Trump's executive order is "blatantly unconstitutional." The judge also said it "boggled" his mind that any attorney would claim the executive order was constitutional. Yet a Trump DOJ attorney did just that. And Judge John Coughenour issued a preliminary injunction blocking implementation of Trump's order, pending further litigation. This ruling by a Reagan appointee is a point of light amidst the Trump-induced darkness. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jan 24, 2025 • 12min
Trump Pardons January 6th Defendants Who Attacked the US Capitol and Assaulted Police Officers
The discussion delves into Donald Trump's controversial pardons for over 1,500 defendants involved in the January 6th Capitol attack. It highlights the implications for justice and democracy, questioning the motivations behind these decisions. The violent events of that day are revisited, alongside critiques from various political figures regarding accountability. Personal reflections shed light on the trauma faced by law enforcement officers, emphasizing the importance of justice for victims of these actions.

Jan 23, 2025 • 22min
President Joe Biden Pardons the Innocent to Prevent Trump from Revenge Prosecutions
In the final hours of his presidency, Joe Biden issued pardons to people who committed no crimes: the members of the January 6 House select committee like Bennie Thompson and Liz Cheney; police officers who testified at the J6 congressional hearings, Harry Dunn, Mike Fanone, and Aquilino Gonell; plus, Dr. Anthony Fauci, General Mark Millie, several of Biden's family members and others. Glenn does a deep dive into questions like - how much protection against Trump's revenge do these pardons provide? And are there any presidential downsides to pardoning the innocent?If you're interested in supporting our all-volunteer efforts, you can become a Team Justice patron at: / glennkirschner If you'd like to support us and buy Team Justice and Justice Matters merchandise visit:https://shop.spreadshirt.com/glennkir...Check out Glenn's website at https://glennkirschner.com/Follow Glenn on:Threads: https://www.threads.net/glennkirschner2X aka Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/glennkirschner2Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glennkirschner2Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glennkirsch...Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/glennkirschn...TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/glennkirschner2See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jan 22, 2025 • 16min
Judge Cannon Stops the Release of Jack Smith's Report on Trump's Classified Documents Crimes
Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon has done Trump yet another favor by prohibiting the Department of Justice from releasing to the leadership of the House and Senate Judicial Committees Volume 2 of Special Counsel Jack Smith's report regarding Trump's unlawful retention of classified documents, obstruction of justice, and violations of our nation's espionage laws. In a piece Glenn authored for MSNBC, he explains why he was so worried about the decision of federal prosecutors to not fight the jurisdictional battle, given that Judge Cannon has no authority to continue to issue orders in a case she dismissed - a case that is currently on appeal to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.Link to Glenn's MSNBC article:https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-o...If you're interested in supporting our all-volunteer efforts, you can become a Team Justice patron at: / glennkirschner If you'd like to support us and buy Team Justice and Justice Matters merchandise visit:https://shop.spreadshirt.com/glennkir...Check out Glenn's website at https://glennkirschner.com/Follow Glenn on:Threads: https://www.threads.net/glennkirschner2X aka Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/glennkirschner2Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glennkirschner2Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glennkirsch...Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/glennkirschn...TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/glennkirschner2See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jan 21, 2025 • 10min
Rudy Giuliani Settles the $148 Million Defamation Judgment He Owes to Georgia State Election Workers
In a surprise move, Georgia state election workers Shaye Moss and Ruby Freeman have agreed to a confidential settlement to conclude their efforts to collect the $148 million jury award from Rudy Giuliani. Glenn reviews the case and wonders how this could happen and why they would choose to settle.If you're interested in supporting our all-volunteer efforts, you can become a Team Justice patron at: / glennkirschner If you'd like to support us and buy Team Justice and Justice Matters merchandise visit:https://shop.spreadshirt.com/glennkir...Check out Glenn's website at https://glennkirschner.com/Follow Glenn on:Threads: https://www.threads.net/glennkirschner2X aka Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/glennkirschner2Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glennkirschner2Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glennkirsch...Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/glennkirschn...TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/glennkirschner2See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jan 20, 2025 • 11min
Trump's Next Attorney General Says She Hasn't Heard the "Find Me 11,780 Votes" Recording... Really?
Donald Trump's nominee for Attorney General, Pam Bondi, has testified in her Senate confirmation hearing. Glenn reviews her testimony and explores the question of whether she will have the resolve and the determination to stand up to Trump's inevitable lawlessness during his second term.If you're interested in supporting our all-volunteer efforts, you can become a Team Justice patron at: / glennkirschner If you'd like to support us and buy Team Justice and Justice Matters merchandise visit:https://shop.spreadshirt.com/glennkir...Check out Glenn's website at https://glennkirschner.com/Follow Glenn on:Threads: https://www.threads.net/glennkirschner2X aka Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/glennkirschner2Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glennkirschner2Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glennkirsch...Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/glennkirschn...TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/glennkirschner2See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jan 17, 2025 • 15min
Jack Smith's Releases His Report on Trump's 2020 Election Crimes
Special Counsel Jack Smith's report about Donald Trump's criminal attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election is now public. Of course, Trump immediately posted a bunch of lies about Jack Smith's work and his report, attempting to undermine the public's confidence in Smith's work specifically and our institutions of government more generally. Glenn focuses on just five paragraphs contained in Jack Smith's letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland that accompanied the report, and why it's important to focus on accurate, truthful, and credible information rather that the name-calling and lies of someone who tried to steal a presidential election.If you're interested in supporting our all-volunteer efforts, you can become a Team Justice patron at: / glennkirschner If you'd like to support us and buy Team Justice and Justice Matters merchandise visit:https://shop.spreadshirt.com/glennkir...Check out Glenn's website at https://glennkirschner.com/Follow Glenn on:Threads: https://www.threads.net/glennkirschner2X aka Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/glennkirschner2Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glennkirschner2Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glennkirsch...Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/glennkirschn...TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/glennkirschner2See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jan 16, 2025 • 9min
Arizona AG Wants Jack Smith's Case File on Donald Trump's 2020 Election Subversion Crimes
In two related legal developments, Judge Cannon finally relents and paves the way for the public release of Volume 1 of Special Counsel Jack Smith's report, documenting Donald Trump's 2020 election subversion crimes. In a second development, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mays formally requested that the Department of Justice provide Special Counsel Jack Smith's entire file on Trump's election crimes so that evidence can be used in the Arizona state prosecution of Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani and the other defendants indicted for trying to undermine the 2020 election results in Arizona. Notably, in the Arizona prosecution, Trump is designated "unindicted co-conspirator 1". Given that the evidence against one co-conspirator is admissible against all co-conspirators, courtesy of the doctrine of co-conspirator liability, when the Arizona case goes to trial in January of 2026, Americans should get to see the evidence of Trump's 2020 election subversion crimes as they pertain to the Arizona charges.If you're interested in supporting our all-volunteer efforts, you can become a Team Justice patron at: / glennkirschner If you'd like to support us and buy Team Justice and Justice Matters merchandise visit:https://shop.spreadshirt.com/glennkir...Check out Glenn's website at https://glennkirschner.com/Follow Glenn on:Threads: https://www.threads.net/glennkirschner2X aka Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/glennkirschner2Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glennkirschner2Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glennkirsch...Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/glennkirschn...TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/glennkirschner2See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.