Will taxpayers be forced to fund President Trump’s “revenge tour”? On this week’s Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance break down the legality of the Trump administration’s $1.776 billion DOJ settlement fund to compensate January 6 defendants and allies the administration claims were victims of “weaponization.” In the full episode, Preet and Joyce discuss: – Allegations that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche was asked to recuse from Trump matters at the Justice Department; – A DOJ l...
May 19, 2026•11 min
George Packer is a staff writer at The Atlantic , where he covers politics, foreign affairs, and culture. He joins Preet to discuss President Trump’s enduring effect on the American mind, the future of the Democratic Party, and why Congress has become more performance than politics. Then, Preet answers listener questions about malicious prosecution and the meaning of the phrase “eighty-six.” In the bonus for Insiders, Preet and Packer examine the prevailing personality trait among members of Con...
May 14, 2026•1 hr 2 min
Will the Supreme Court restrict access to abortion pills nationwide? On this week’s Insider podcast, UC Davis law professor and reproductive rights expert Mary Ziegler joins Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance to break down the case challenging telehealth access to Mifepristone, and what it means for the future of abortion care in the United States. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce discuss the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals’ recent ruling preventing ICE from detaining undocumented immigrants withou...
May 12, 2026•12 min
Jodi Kantor, the Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times investigative journalist, joins Preet to discuss her recent expose on the Supreme Court’s “shadow docket,” documenting its origin story, dynamics among the justices, and the implications of Court secrecy on democracy. They also discuss the legacy of her seminal reporting on the #MeToo Movement and the future of work. Then, Preet answers a listener question about “8647” products on Amazon and shares his thoughts on Aziz Ansari’s Kash Patel im...
May 07, 2026•1 hr 23 min
Is the Voting Rights Act dead? On this week’s Insider podcast, Joyce Vance speaks with President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund, Janai Nelson, while Preet is out. They break down the Supreme Court’s decision in a major voting rights case, Louisiana v. Callais , which Nelson argued before the Court, and what the ruling means for the future of the Voting Rights Act. This segment is available for free to listeners of Stay Tuned. To hear the full episode, become a member at c...
May 05, 2026•12 min
Ben Smith, the former editor-in-chief of BuzzFeed News and co-founder of Semafor, joins Preet to discuss today’s media industry, covering the news, and his latest venture. Then, Preet answers listener questions on preemptive pardons, paternity leave for the Vice President, and…his favorite potatoes. In the bonus for Insiders, Preet and Smith discuss the decline of thoughtfulness, parent-child competition, and the trouble with wanting to be liked. Join the Insider community for access to bonus co...
Apr 30, 2026•1 hr 6 min
Why is a civil rights organization being accused of funding white supremacist groups? On this week’s Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance break down the Justice Department’s 11-count indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center. This segment is available for free to listeners of Stay Tuned. To hear the full episode, become a member at cafe.com/insider or staytuned.substack.com/subscribe . You’ll also get access to other exclusive content. Topics covered in the full episode includ...
Apr 28, 2026•13 min
How has the threat landscape changed in recent years? On a new episode of Stay Tuned , Rebecca Weiner, the NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counterterrorism, joins Preet Bharara to discuss the evolving nature of terrorism and targeted violence—from ISIS and Iran-linked plotting to grievance-fueled attacks and online radicalization. They explore what Weiner calls an “everything, everywhere, all at once” threat environment and how law enforcement is adapting to increasingly fast-mov...
Apr 23, 2026•59 min
On this week’s Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance discuss a federal appeals court decision halting district court Judge James Boasberg’s criminal contempt probe over the Trump administration’s Alien Enemies Act deportations. This segment is available for free to listeners of Stay Tuned. To hear the full episode, become a member at cafe.com/insider or staytuned.substack.com/subscribe . You’ll also get access to other exclusive content. Topics covered in the full episode include: –...
Apr 22, 2026•13 min
Historian Timothy Snyder, author of On Tyranny and On Freedom , joins Preet Bharara to break down Viktor Orbán's election loss in Hungary and what it means for Trump, MAGA, and the future of American democracy. Snyder also explains what Hungarian politician Péter Magyar's victory reveals about beating authoritarians at the ballot box, why "democracy" alone doesn't rally voters, and why his most urgent lesson from On Tyranny — do not obey in advance — has never been more relevant. Then, Preet ans...
Apr 16, 2026•52 min
Can the Department of Justice declare a law unconstitutional? On this week’s Insider podcast, former Westchester County, New York, District Attorney Mimi Rocah joins Joyce Vance to discuss the Office of Legal Counsel opinion declaring the Presidential Records Act (PRA) unconstitutional. This segment is available for free to listeners of Stay Tuned. To hear the full episode, become a member at cafe.com/insider or staytuned.substack.com/subscribe . You’ll also get access to other exclusive content...
Apr 14, 2026•13 min
CNN’s chief national security analyst Jim Sciutto joins Preet to discuss the Iran war, Trump’s psychology of force, and the return of great power conflict. Then, Preet answers listener questions. He explains the relevance of birthright citizenship to Native American tribes and the special treatment congresspeople are receiving at airports. In the bonus for Insiders, Preet and Sciutto discuss the controversy surrounding press coverage at the Defense Department. Join the Insider community for acce...
Apr 09, 2026•59 min
On this week’s Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance are joined by Dahlia Lithwick, senior editor at Slate and host of the Amicus podcast. In a free excerpt from the episode, they break down the Supreme Court’s recent 8–1 decision in favor of a licensed therapist who challenged a Colorado law banning conversion therapy for minors. In the full episode, Preet, Joyce, and Dahlia make sense of: – President Trump’s firing of Attorney General Pam Bondi; and – Supreme Court oral arguments in a...
Apr 07, 2026•12 min
Author Michael Pollan joins Preet to discuss his new book, A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness , the “problem” of studying consciousness, psychedelics in therapy, and whether plants are sentient. They also break down whether artificial intelligence can be conscious and why we shouldn’t want it to be. Then, Preet answers listener questions on possible insider trading ahead of Trump’s Iran announcements. Also, a surprising influence on Brandi Carlile’s songwriting. Spoiler Alert: it’s Th...
Apr 02, 2026•1 hr 8 min
Did President Trump take classified documents to Mar-a-Lago in part to benefit his business interests? According to recent reports, Special Counsel prosecutors explored possible business-interest motives, a theory that was not part of Jack Smith’s eventual indictment. In an excerpt from this week’s Insider episode, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance break down the news and the significance of motive in criminal prosecutions. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce discuss: – The $1.2 million settlement ...
Mar 31, 2026•13 min
Are other countries “out-America-ing” us? Senator Cory Booker joins Preet to discuss his new book, Stand , immigration, and how Trump policies conflict with core American values and strengths. In the bonus for Insiders, Preet answers listener questions. He explains whether the FCC can legally strip TV broadcasters of their licenses for coverage it doesn’t like. Plus, Trump’s Florsheim shoe pressure campaign. Join the Insider community for access to bonus content from Stay Tuned and weekly episod...
Mar 26, 2026•1 hr 4 min
Do ballots need to be mailed and received by Election Day? In an excerpt from this week’s Insider episode, constitutional law professor and Supreme Court expert Steve Vladeck joins Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance to break down oral arguments in Watson v. RNC , an election case which has the potential to reshape the way ballots are counted. In the full episode, Preet, Joyce, and Steve preview next week’s oral arguments in the birthright citizenship case. Plus, Preet and Joyce pay tribute to former ...
Mar 24, 2026•17 min
What happens to Republicans who dare to disagree with Trump? This week on Stay Tuned , New York Times opinion columnist and co-host of the Advisory Opinions podcast David French joins Preet to discuss how the rise of Donald Trump reshaped the Republican Party and where French stands now on conservative politics. Plus, they dive into the war in Iran and whether the US’s military operations in the country are legal. Then, Preet answers your questions on whether federal prosecutors have to follow t...
Mar 19, 2026•1 hr 14 min
Why did a federal judge quash subpoenas in the criminal probe of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell? In an excerpt from this week’s Insider episode, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance break down Judge Boasberg’s decision. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce discuss President Trump’s efforts to reshape elections and voting through the SAVE Act. Plus, a proposal from Trump’s orbit urging him to declare a national emergency to federalize elections. CAFE Insiders click HERE to listen to the full analys...
Mar 17, 2026•15 min
Is the market due for a reckoning? This week on Stay Tuned , former Goldman Sachs Chairman and CEO Lloyd Blankfein joins Preet for a far-reaching conversation on the economic impacts of the war in Iran, lessons from the 2008 financial crisis, the current state of the markets (and why he thinks we’re due for another reckoning), and why he thinks CEOs should stay out of most political debates. Plus, they dive into Blankfein’s new memoir, Streetwise , in which he traces his unlikely journey to the ...
Mar 12, 2026•1 hr 10 min
Why did the Justice Department move forward with defending President Trump’s executive orders targeting law firms after abandoning its appeal just one day earlier? In an excerpt from this week’s Insider episode, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance break down the Justice Department’s reversal. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce discuss: – President Trump’s firing of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem; – The Justice Department’s reversal of a Biden-era policy restricting “no-knock” warrants; and – The Justice ...
Mar 10, 2026•13 min
The U.S. is at war with Iran. This week, Preet is joined by The Washington Post foreign affairs columnist David Ignatius. He breaks down the US-Israeli military operations in Iran, the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and what comes next. Then, Preet is joined by The Atlantic staff writer Mark Leibovich to discuss his recent article, “The Democrats Aren’t Built for This” and the Tuesday primary results. In the bonus for Insiders, Leibovich shares his thoughts on how the I...
Mar 05, 2026•1 hr 10 min
What did House Republicans hope to gain by calling Hillary Clinton to testify about Jeffrey Epstein? In an excerpt from this week’s Insider episode, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance break down Bill’s and Hillary Clinton’s contentious depositions. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce discuss: – New reporting that DOJ excluded allegations that President Trump sexually abused a minor from its released Epstein files; – Judge Aileen Cannon’s decision to permanently block the release of special counsel J...
Mar 03, 2026•10 min
President Trump just delivered the longest State of the Union address in recorded history. But did he say anything of substance? Preet is joined by Yale history professor Joanne Freeman, Vox editorial director Astead Herndon, and former Deputy National Security Adviser and co-host of The Long Game podcast Jon Finer to discuss the speech, its political significance, and where Trump—and Democrats—go from here. In the bonus for Insiders, the panel debates whether Trump himself believes his own BS. ...
Feb 26, 2026•1 hr
In a new episode of the Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance are joined by former Solicitor General of the United States Don Verrilli to break down the Supreme Court’s decision striking down President Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs. In an excerpt from the conversation, they discuss Justice Neil Gorsuch’s concurring opinion. In the full episode, Preet, Joyce, and Don dive deeper into the tariffs ruling, including the separation-of-powers...
Feb 24, 2026•12 min
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice joins Preet Bharara for a candid conversation about leadership, decision-making, and what most concerns her about the Trump administration. Rice warns of “the abrogation of the rule of law” and a drift toward “a lawless society,” pointing to the speed with which the administration has pursued its agenda and the limited resistance it has faced. Drawing on her experience serving three presidents, Rice offers an inside look at how White House ...
Feb 19, 2026•50 min
In an excerpt from this week’s Insider podcast episode, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance discuss Attorney General Pam Bondi’s testimony before the House Judiciary Committee about DOJ’s handling of the Epstein files. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce discuss: – The Justice Department’s failure to secure an indictment of a group of Democratic members of Congress over a video reminding military service members of their duty to refuse illegal orders; – The Trump administration’s announcement that it...
Feb 17, 2026•14 min
What does it mean that we're living in the era of "peak presidential power"—and did Minneapolis finally reveal its limits? This week, presidential historian, Rice University professor, and CNN contributor Douglas Brinkley joins Preet Bharara to discuss the long arc of executive authority from Washington to Trump, why Minneapolis may have been Trump's "Rubicon," and why Trump is, in Brinkley's words, "the only truly unthoughtful president we've had." Plus, Brinkley—who sits on the board of the Br...
Feb 12, 2026•1 hr 7 min
How might justice, public safety, and the rule of law suffer as the Justice Department struggles to retain and recruit prosecutors? In an excerpt from this week’s Insider episode, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance discuss the mounting strain on DOJ. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce discuss: – Ghislaine Maxwell’s request that President Trump grant her clemency in exchange for testimony that could clear him and Bill Clinton from any wrongdoing related to Jeffrey Epstein’s trafficking network; – Re...
Feb 10, 2026•16 min
What do the ICE operations in Minneapolis reveal about a broader shift in the exercise of state power? This week, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian, The Atlantic staff writer, and Autocracy in America podcast host Anne Applebaum joins Preet Bharara to discuss why Minneapolis has galvanized people in a way few events have in the Trump era, and why our closest allies now say the word for this moment is “rupture.” Plus, Applebaum explains why she believes the better comparison for the second Trump a...
Feb 05, 2026•1 hr 2 min
