CNN Politics

First: "What did you do at work last week?" The seemingly almighty, albeit unelected Elon Musk says millions of federal employees have just hours left to answer that question or lose their jobs. But even some of the most MAGA cabinet members are telling Musk to back off. Plus: Ukraine marks a grim milestone as Donald Trump seems to side with the man responsible for brutally invading a sovereign democracy. And: The president names a right-wing podcaster known for pushing wild conspiracies as second in command at the FBI.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On CNN’s State of the Union, Jake Tapper speaks with President Trump’s point person leading negotiations to end the wars in the Mideast and Ukraine, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. Witkoff says he’s optimistic that negotiations over phase two of the Gaza ceasefire will move forward. Jake also presses him over Trump’s attacks on Ukrainian President Zelensky and Witkoff’s suggestion that Russia’s invasion was “provoked.” Then, Jake talks with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries about his party’s struggle to counter President Trump and Elon Musk. Next, Republican strategist Kirstin Davison and CNN political commentators Xochitl Hinojosa, Adam Kinzinger and Shermichael Singleton join Jake to discuss the latest federal workforce cuts and Donald Trump's first month in office. Finally, Jake takes a look at President Trump’s effort to remove officials responsible for oversight in the federal government and questions what he’s trying to hide from the American people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First: Under fire. Trump orders a Pentagon purge and directs Elon Musk to get more aggressive as his cuts spark blowback. Then: Trump's calling himself a king. But is he bleeding support?Plus: Sea change. Trump pivots to Putin as Ukraine scrambles.And: Making his mark. Does the V.P. have eyes on 2028? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Turmoil hit the Justice Department last week when prosecutors were directed to dismiss the corruption case against New York Mayor Eric Adams. The move sparked a flurry of resignations and accusations of a quid pro quo between Adams and the Trump administration. CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig joins Washington Bureau Chief and Political Director David Chalian to explain this shakeup at the DOJ and why this case is about much more than Eric Adams. Plus, they take a look at the broader legal landscape under Trump 2.0 and why this could be a “pivotal moment” for the country’s legal history.Have a question or a guest you'd like to hear from? Let us know. Email us at CNNPoliticalBriefing@Gmail.com or give us a call at (202) 430-5460. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First: Some Republicans are getting an earful from their constituents as thousands of federal workers are laid of all over the country. There are signs the White House may be rethinking some of its planned cuts. Plus: Members of the Trump Administration are telling America's European allies that the official US stance on the war in Ukraine is to not blame it on "Russian aggression." And: We explore the battle of the billionaires, as Elon Musk and George Soros invest millions of dollars in a state supreme court race in Wisconsin. Why do they care?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First: It's been one month since Donald Trump's inauguration, and since then we've seen a firehose of executive orders and mass firings, not to mention what could be the start of a reordering of global alliances. We have a brand new CNN poll of what voters think so far. Plus: Mitch McConnell, one of the Senate's most historic figures, says he will not run for reelection. And: Israeli President Isaac Herzog joins the show.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First: President Trump ramps up his criticism of his Ukrainian counterpart, falsely blaming Volodymyr Zelensky for starting the war, one in which Russia invaded his country three years ago. Plus: Trump and Elon Musk sit down for a fawning interview on Fox. What did we learn from that lovefest And: Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove is in New York today to ask a court to let him drop corruption charges against Mayor Eric Adams.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First: Details about the just-concluded, high-level talks between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterparts. Can they end the war against Ukraine without giving Vladimir Putin everything he wants?Plus: We are standing by for a news conference in Toronto about yesterday's plane crash where a jet flipped over. Will President Trump and Elon Musk think twice about the cuts they've already ordered at the FAA? And: It's yet another day of upheaval for the Justice Department as a top prosecutor is out. CNN has brand new reporting on how she resigned after being told to investigate the Biden administration.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First: The Trump administration wants the Supreme Court to weigh in on the president's efforts to expand executive power in unprecedented ways, as he takes new steps to dismantle key parts of the government he now runs. Plus: What do voters who flipped from Biden in 2020 to Trump in 2024 think of the president's first weeks in office? Hear the results of a fascinating focus group.  And: A defiant Eric Adams says he will not resign as New York City mayor despite calls from his fellow Democrats to do exactly that.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First: President Trump and top administration officials are blaming the war in Ukraine on Joe Biden and NATO, rather than the country that actually launched an unprovoked invasion of its neighbor. It's causing fear across the western world that the US is on the brink of abandoning Ukraine.  Plus: We're following the breaking news on the upheaval at the Department of Justice and the mind-boggling accusations about prioritizing politics over the rule of law. And: Broadway and Hollywood star Josh Gad joins us for a much-needed palate cleanser.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices