Sidebar - podcast cover

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.
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Episodes

Will President Trump end the opioid crisis?

How much power does the president have to solve a crisis that kills so many Americans? Reporter Scott Higham takes us on a deep dive into The Post-60 Minutes investigation of the pharmaceutical industry's influence on America’s opioid epidemic.

Oct 20, 201728 min

Is it within a president's power to strip broadcast licenses?

We revisit the president-press relationship with media columnist Margaret Sullivan and talk to reporter Aaron Blake about President Nixon. Plus, Georgetown's Andrew Jay Schwartzman explains limitations of the Federal Communications Commission.

Oct 13, 201728 min

What does Trump really want for the 'dreamers'?

What does Trump hope will happen in Congress? With white house reporter David Nakamura, we talk to John Sandweg, former Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting director about policy. Plus, a dreamer in the DACA program shares her story.

Sep 08, 201735 min

Will Trump get emergency response funding for Texas, as promised?

How does Trump’s response to this natural disaster compare to that of past presidents? We talk to former FEMA administrator R. David Paulison. Plus, congressional reporter Mike DeBonis is back on the show to break down how relief funding works.

Sep 01, 201725 min

What's lost when a president opts out of ceremonial duties?

With chief correspondent Dan Balz, we answer: Can a president fail to participate in tradition? Plus, we learn how President Reagan handled similar events and we talk to a former White House Social Secretary about planning these moments.

Aug 25, 201727 min

Does a president need to unify the country to govern effectively?

In the aftermath of violence in Charlottesville, Va., we examine the history of political appeals to white fear and how past presidents have responded to crises. The award-winning Wesley Lowery weighs in on the state of race relations in America.

Aug 18, 201734 min

How much power does a president have to lead us to nuclear war?

With insight from White House reporter Jenna Johnson, we learn the answers to this critical question from an expert in North Korean history and a professor who’s worked in past White Houses on counter proliferation and nuclear arms control.

Aug 11, 201736 min

Will Trump's new chief of staff fix a White House in chaos?

Can Kelly bring order to the White House? We talk to Kristine Simmons from the Bush White House, Chris Whipple, author of "Gatekeepers: How The White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency," and Greg Jaffe who has reported on Kelly for years.

Aug 04, 201724 min

Trump promised to bring back American jobs, can he do that?

What can a president do to revive an industry in decline? Amy Goldstein, author of “Janesville: An American Story,” tells us what happens to people when factories close. Plus, Scott Paul of Alliance for American Manufacturing on how to help the industry.

Jul 21, 201727 min

Will Trump deliver on his health-care promises? (Part II)

Health policy reporter Paige Cunningham breaks down the Senate bill and explains what’s at stake. Plus, we talk to Republican Mayor John Giles of Mesa, Ariz., about how health care legislation directly affects his constituents.

Jun 30, 201730 min

How much of Obama's Cuba policies could Trump rollback?

Will Trump's policy toward Cuba undo the Obama administration's efforts to normalize relations? What's at stake? Karen DeYoung answers those questions. Plus, the history of U.S-Cuba relations and Obama's special assistant on U.S-Cuba negotiations.

Jun 16, 201733 min

Will Trump accomplish his infrastructure promises?

The Post's Damian Paletta on how much Trump can achieve. Plus, former Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak on facing tragedy in his city in 2007. And Henry Petroski, author of "The Road Taken" on the history of America's infrastructure and how we got here.

Jun 09, 201731 min

Special episode: What we learned from Comey's testimony

The Post's national security reporter Matt Zapotosky explains what Comey's words at Thursday's Senate Intelligence Committee hearing mean for the multiple investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, and what happens next.

Jun 08, 201726 min

Special episode: Can a president reveal classified information?

Greg Jaffe, one of The Post reporters who broke news of Trump revealing classified information to Russian diplomats, is on the show to explain presidential power when it comes to classified information and what happens next in this developing story.

May 16, 201716 min

How much power does a president have to affect an investigation?

As the fallout from Trump's decision to fire FBI Director James Comey continues, we take a look at the limitations of presidential power when it comes to investigations. Plus, we assess how history measures up, with Bob Woodward and Marc Fisher.

May 12, 201722 min

Special episode: Can Trump fire the FBI director?

The timing of FBI Director James B. Comey’s termination raises a lot of questions. The Post's national security reporter Matt Zapotosky discusses what we know now and what more there is to learn as this critical story unfolds.

May 10, 201721 min

Would Trump be able to break up the 9th Circuit Court?

Can President Trump break up a federal circuit court because he disagrees with their decisions? Are there consequences for suggesting he'd do so? With political reporter Amber Phillips, we talk to historians and legal experts to answer these questions.

May 05, 201728 min
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