On Tuesday, Judge Aileen Cannon temporarily denied special counsel Jack Smith’s latest request for a gag order on Donald Trump’s lie that the FBI was set to use lethal force on Trump at Mar-a-Lago. In keeping with a shady pattern of favoritism to Trump, Cannon said No, but she may feel pressure to grant the gag order later, lest Smith seek her removal. We talked to legal scholar Matthew Seligman, who has done great work road-mapping Trump’s legal travails, about why Cannon’s move may not help Trump in the long run—and why it’s premature to assume he won’t face a federal criminal trial before the election. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brian Stelter joins to discuss how Fox News fabricated a false narrative about the FBI planning to use lethal force at Mar-a-Lago under Biden. They explore the dangerous consequences of pro-Trump propaganda in a hypothetical second term, media vulnerabilities to government pressure, and the risk of disengagement from critical news coverage.

Nicholas Grossman, an expert in international relations, discusses Trump's Putinist tendencies and how he may be compromising US foreign policy for personal gain. The podcast delves into Trump's relationships with autocratic leaders, his transactional behavior in foreign relations, and his undisclosed connections with Saudi Arabia, highlighting concerns over conflicts of interest and weak congressional oversight.

Federico Finchelstein, an expert on fascist movements, discusses how Trump's unfounded claims about the FBI targeting him reveal his 'wannabe fascism.' The podcast explores the manipulation of FBI guidance by Trump and Republicans, the concept of 'wannabe fascism' in modern politics, and the dangers of personalized leadership in a democracy.

On Monday, the prosecution rested its case in Donald Trump’s hush money trial in Manhattan. This comes after Trump’s defense team concluded their efforts to destroy former Trump fixer Michael Cohen’s credibility as one of the chief witnesses against Trump. So has the prosecution proven its case? We talked to New York Law School professor Rebecca Roiphe, who has prosecuted cases like these in New York, about why she thinks a conviction is now likely—even as it still remains very possible that Trump could beat the rap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The GOP’s embrace of Donald Trump’s authoritarianism is growing more blatant. Republicans have joined him in attacking his criminal trials as illegitimate. Those angling to be his running mate say they wouldn’t have certified his 2020 loss. And many Republicans are echoing his refusal to say he’ll respect the 2024 outcome. We talked to Tom Nichols, a leading Never Trump conservative and staff writer at The Atlantic about why he is now arguing that his former party’s support for Trump has driven it into the abyss. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

RFK Jr.'s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, surprises with an $8 million donation to his campaign, raising concerns about spoiler threats in swing states. Discussion with strategist Stephanie Schriock on the challenges of countering right-wing influence, educating voters, and safeguarding democracy against potential spoiler candidates.

Matt Gertz discusses how right-wing media is laying groundwork to contest election results, portraying Democrats as election stealers. They explore GOP support for Trump's challenges to the rule of law and analyze potential running mates for Trump. The podcast delves into media responses to Trump's threats and the importance of comprehensive coverage to prevent future incidents like the Capitol siege.

Ankush Khardori, former federal prosecutor, discusses how Trump's lawyers' mistakes stem from his demand for absolute loyalty, explaining Cohen's shift from devotion to betrayal. They delve into the dynamics of Trump's 'cult-like' loyalty, his lawyers' strategic flaws, and the implications of Cohen's testimony on the Trump defense.

This week, The New York Times released new polls that sent shock waves through the Democratic establishment, finding Donald Trump leading in all six key swing states, in some cases by startling margins. While President Biden has fared better in other recent polls, the bottom line is that he is trailing in all the swing-state polling averages. So we talked to Jefrey Pollack, a top pollster for the Biden campaign, who laid out why he thinks it’s premature to read too much into these polls, and why the current data set, in his view, actually shows a hidden path to reelection for the president. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices