On October 7th, Attorney General Pam Bondi testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee at a hearing entitled “Oversight of the Department of Justice.” The committee questioned Bondi about politicized personnel decisions at the Justice Department, the deployment of the National Guard to states, anti-corruption enforcement, border czar Tom Homan’s alleged acceptance of $50,000 during an FBI sting, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 10, 2025•1 hr 59 min
On September 17, FBI Director Kash Patel testified before the House Judiciary Committee in an annual hearing entitled “Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.” The committee questioned Patel about the firing of FBI agents involved in investigating President Trump, the Jeffrey Epstein case, the investigation into the murder of Charlie Kirk, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 23, 2025•2 hr 35 min
On September 16, FBI Director Kash Patel testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in an annual hearing entitled “Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.” The committee questioned Patel about the firing of FBI agents involved in investigating President Trump, the Jeffrey Epstein case, the investigation into the murder of Charlie Kirk, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 18, 2025•2 hr 21 min
Today on Lawfare No Bull: On June 10, the House Appropriations Subcommittee held an oversight hearing for the Department of Defense. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, and Bryn MacDonnell, Special Assistant Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)/Chief Financial Officer, testified before the committee. Members of the committee questioned the witnesses about the delay in receiving the Department’s FY2026 budget, i...
Jun 12, 2025•1 hr 17 min
Today on Lawfare No Bull: On March 26, the House Intelligence Committee held the annual Worldwide Threats hearing based on the Annual Threat Assessment of the United States Intelligence Community. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel, National Security Agency and Central Security Service Director Timothy Haugh, and Defense Intelligence Agency Director Jeffrey Kruse testified befor...
Mar 27, 2025•2 hr 18 min
Today on Lawfare No Bull: On March 25, the Senate Intelligence Committee held the annual Worldwide Threats hearing based on the Annual Threat Assessment of the United States Intelligence Community. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel, National Security Agency and Central Security Service Director Timothy Haugh, and Defense Intelligence Agency Director Jeffrey Kruse testified befo...
Mar 27, 2025•1 hr 50 min
Today on Lawfare No Bull: On March 24, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit heard arguments on whether to stay a temporary restraining order issued on March 15—which bars summary removals of alleged members of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan criminal gang—under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. The panel, composed of Judge Patricia Millet, Judge Justin Miller, and Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson, asked attorneys about the lack of notice and process given to migrants, w...
Mar 26, 2025•1 hr 50 min
Today on Lawfare No Bull: On Feb. 12, the Senate Judiciary Committee held the confirmation hearing of deputy attorney general nominee Todd Blanche. The Committee questioned Blanche about his representation of President Donald Trump in multiple criminal cases, whether he would recuse himself from future Department of Justice investigations into cases against Trump, the firings at the department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and more. To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Materi...
Feb 13, 2025•1 hr 7 min
Today on Lawfare No Bull : On Jan. 30, the Senate Judiciary Committee held the confirmation hearing of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director nominee Kash Patel. The Committee questioned Patel about his role in the Jan. 6 choir, his “enemies list” and views on political retribution, his testimony before the grand jury in the classified documents case, plans for the FBI if confirmed, and more. To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare . Yo...
Feb 03, 2025•2 hr 11 min
Today on Lawfare No Bull: On Jan. 30, the Senate Intelligence Committee held a confirmation hearing for Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard. The Committee questioned Gabbard about her views on Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, her opinion of Edward Snowden, her 2017 meeting with Syria’s then-president Bashar Assad, her reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and more. To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com...
Jan 31, 2025•1 hr 23 min
Today on Lawfare No Bull: On Jan. 29 and 30, Secretary of Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. appeared for confirmation hearings before the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions respectively. The Committees questioned Kennedy about topics that may be of interest to Lawfare listeners, including his views on vaccines–particularly COVID and measles—health institutions such as the NIH and CDC, and more. To receive ad-free podc...
Jan 31, 2025•1 hr 1 min
Today on Lawfare No Bull: On Jan. 17, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs held the confirmation hearing of Secretary of Homeland Security nominee Kristi Noem. The Committee questioned Noem about immigration, domestic terrorism, disaster relief assistance, the Secret Service, and more. To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare . You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawf...
Jan 23, 2025•1 hr 27 min
Today on Lawfare No Bull: On Jan. 15, the Senate Judiciary Committee held the confirmation hearing of presumptive attorney general nominee Pam Bondi. The Committee questioned Bondi about how she will approach issues such as violent crime and immigration, her view of presumptive FBI director nominee Kash Patel, and how she will maintain the independence of the Department of Justice if the president makes unlawful or normatively improper demands of the department. To receive ad-free podcasts, beco...
Jan 16, 2025•2 hr 41 min
Today on Lawfare No Bull : On Jan. 15, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held the confirmation hearing of presumptive secretary of state nominee Marco Rubio. The Committee questioned Sen. Rubio about his views on U.S. relations with China, his support for Taiwan and Ukraine, humanitarian crises in Haiti and Sudan, the Israel-Gaza War, and more. To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare . You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time dona...
Jan 16, 2025•2 hr 52 min
Today on Lawfare No Bull : On Jan. 15, the Senate Intelligence Committee held the confirmation hearing for presumptive CIA Director nominee John Ratcliffe. The Committee questioned Ratcliffe about his commitment to nonpartisanship, how the CIA can keep pace with U.S. adversaries’ technological advances, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and more. To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare . You can also support Lawfare by making a one-tim...
Jan 16, 2025•1 hr 14 min
Today on Lawfare No Bull: On Jan. 14, the Senate Armed Services Committee held the confirmation hearing of presumptive Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth. The Committee questioned Hegseth about his past comments on women in the military, qualifications for the role, “wokeness” and DEI, plans to reform the Navy, allegations of sexual assault, and more. To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare . You can also support Lawfare by making a one-...
Jan 15, 2025•2 hr 3 min
On January 10, New York State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan sentenced President-elect Donald Trump to an “unconditional discharge” in the New York hush money case , in which Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts. Trump will face no jail time, financial penalties, or probation. The sentencing marked an end to the only case against Trump that reached trial and makes Trump the first president to take office as a convicted felon. To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporte...
Jan 10, 2025•29 min
On May 8, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown testified during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing on President Joe Biden’s 2025 Defense Budget Request. Several senators inquired about the Biden administration and Defense Department’s decision to pause the shipment of aid and weapons to Israel amidst the ongoing war in Gaza. Secretary Austin confirmed that one shipment of “ high-payload munitions ” was paused as the departmen...
May 09, 2024•1 hr 9 min
On April 25, 2024 the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments in Trump v. United States , former President Trump's appeal of the D.C. Circuit's rejection of his claim that presidential immunity shields him from being prosecuted by special counsel Jack Smith for alleged attempts to subvert the outcomes of the 2020 presidential election. D. John Sauer represented Trump. Michael Dreeben represented the Justice Department. Oral argument began at 10am. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...
Apr 26, 2024•2 hr 41 min
On February 12th, 2024, Judge Scott McAfee held a motions hearing in Fulton County Superior Court. The hearing centered on several motions to quash filed by individuals who received subpoenas to testify or produce documents ahead of an evidentiary hearing on whether district attorney Fani Willis should be disqualified from prosecuting Donald Trump and others. Judge McAfee did not immediately rule on the motions to quash. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Feb 14, 2024•1 hr 28 min
On Jan. 12, Israel delivered oral arguments rejecting South Africa’s claims of Israeli genocide in Gaza in the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In South Africa v. Israel , South Africa alleges that Israel’s conduct in the war in Gaza has violated the 1948 Convention Against Genocide . At this stage of the proceedings, South Africa seeks a directive, or “provisional measure,” from the ICJ that would order Israel to stop operations in Gaza on the basis that South Africa’s claims are plausible...
Jan 17, 2024•2 hr 50 min
On Jan. 11, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) held a public hearing in the case of South Africa v. Israel, on whether Israel is committing acts of genocide in Gaza. In its first public hearing of the case, the ICJ heard the South African legal delegation’s oral arguments, in which they alleged that Israel’s actions in Gaza have violated its obligations under the Genocide Convention of 1948. South Africa also argued that the court should grant the nine provisional measures requested in its...
Jan 12, 2024•2 hr 55 min
On Dec. 6, the Colorado Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the appeal of the Denver District Court decision that found that former President Donald Trump “engaged in insurrection” but could not be disqualified from primary and general election ballots in Colorado because of the language of Section 3. The arguments in front of the state supreme court centered on whether the presidency is an “office…under the United States,” whether the president is “an officer of the United States,” whether Tr...
Dec 08, 2023•2 hr 7 min
On Dec. 5, FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary in a hearing entitled “Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.” The committee questioned Wray about FISA Section 702 reauthorization, sextortion and child sexual exploitation, the rise in hate crimes across America, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 06, 2023•2 hr 23 min
On Dec. 1 in Fulton County, Judge Scott McAfee heard arguments from the State and several of the 15 defendants on a number of motions related to First Amendment concerns, the scheduling of an eventual trial, discovery matters, and general and special demurrers. Judge McAfee did not immediately rule on any of the motions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 05, 2023•5 hr 9 min
On Nov. 21, in a hearing in Fulton County, Judge Scott McAfee heard arguments on whether Harrison Floyd, the former leader of a group called Black Voices for Trump, should have his bail revoked for using X, formerly known as Twitter, to indirectly communicate with witnesses. Judge McAfee determined that the most appropriate solution is to amend Floyd’s conditions of release, not remand him to custody. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Nov 30, 2023•2 hr 44 min
On Nov. 20, the three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments on the gag order imposed on former President Donald J. Trump by Judge Tanya S. Chutkan in the Jan. 6 case. The three judge panel pressed Trump’s lawyer, D. John Sauer, on whether any limit can be imposed on political speech related to a court proceeding and whether a gag order could be imposed on Trump to proactively protect the people involved in proceedings. The judges questioned Justice Department atto...
Nov 22, 2023•2 hr 18 min
On Nov. 15, Judge Scott McAfee heard arguments from defendants in the Fulton County election interference case on the State’s emergency motion for a protective order and defendant David Shafer’s response in opposition and proposed protective order. The State had proposed a blanket protective order for all discovery, while Shafer proposed a protective order that would only apply to discovery deemed sensitive. The State agreed to Shafer’s proposed order, as did most other co-defendants. The media ...
Nov 17, 2023•48 min
On Nov. 3, in a hearing in Fulton County, Judge Scott McAfee heard arguments on motions from the Georgia Secretary of State, the Fulton County Superior Court Clerk, and the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections to quash defendant Harrison Floyd’s subpoenas for access to elections data from the 2020 election. During the hearing, Floyd’s counsel withdrew its subpoena of the Board of Elections and Judge McAfee asked the Secretary of State and Superior Court Clerk for more details on the...
Nov 04, 2023•57 min
On Oct. 31, NCTC Director Christine Abizaid, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs in a hearing entitled “Threats to the Homeland.” The committee questioned the witnesses about terrorism threats facing the country, issues related to the southern border, antisemitic and faith-related violence and threats, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informat...
Nov 01, 2023•2 hr 52 min
