With five weeks to go before the election, Donald Trump seems content to double and redouble down on his appeal to the extreme elements of his base, including conspicuous racist and xenophobic undertones. Kamala Harris spent the week laying out detailed economic policy proposals, facing the press, wooing rural and blue-collar voters, and burnishing her credentials as a potential Commander in Chief. A stellar roundtable of Jen Rubin, Stuart Stevens, & Ali Vitali joins Harry to break it all do...
Sep 30, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 307
Harry sits down with Preet Bharara, former United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and an encyclopedic source about tradition, culture, and current state of play at the Department of Justice. The two have a wide-ranging conversation touching on the threat of Project 2025 to DOJ in particular; the current state of morale, which suffered in the Trump years; fine points of strategy in the DOJ prosecutions of Trump; the Supreme Court’s impact on DOJ practice; and a lot more. See...
Sep 26, 2024•29 min•Ep. 306
A superb panel of Jason Kander, Josh Marshall, and Tara Setmayer joins Harry to take stock of a wild & weird week and consider where it leaves us w/ 6 weeks to go. Harris logged two effective interviews, continued to headline boisterous rallies, and swamped Trump in fundraising. Trump continued to stir the pot about pet-eating in Springfield then at week’s end had to deal with fallout from news of ultra-gross online chatter by NC gov candidate Mark Robinson, whom Trump has praised extravagan...
Sep 23, 2024•57 min•Ep. 305
Harry sits down with Judge J. Michael Luttig, a leading conservative jurist and fierce critic of Donald Trump, the Republican Party, and the Supreme Court. Judge Luttig explains why Trump is the very menace to the Constitution that the Framers feared, and excoriates Republicans in Congress for enabling his authoritarian ambitions. The two move on to 3 pro-Trump Supreme Court decisions that Luttig disparages, singling out for special reproach the Court’s immunity decision, which Judge Luttig char...
Sep 19, 2024•43 min•Ep. 304
The debate behind us, we are in the official 50-day homestretch of the presidential campaign. And although Kamala Harris dominated the debate, it’s not clear that it translates into a political edge in the election. A fantastic roundtable of Susan Glasser, Molly Jong-Fast, and Jacob Weisberg join Harry to assess the debate and its aftermath; analyze each side’s subsequent moves and what they reveal, including Trump’s going full-out nasty; and discuss what each side needs to do going forward. See...
Sep 16, 2024•57 min•Ep. 303
Talking Feds is excited to introduce a new conversation series: 1-on-1s with Harry Litman. This series will drop in your feed every Thursday — in addition to our Monday roundtables — and feature conversations that go in-depth with one special guest. Host Harry Litman will be engaging with all sorts of topics, from law and politics to art and science to sports, history, movies, and more. With the Talking Feds calling card of great guests -- eg Judge Michael Luttig, Scott Galloway, Gina Raimondo, ...
Sep 13, 2024•5 min•Ep. 303
Recorded live at the Texas Tribune Festival Harry, Keith Ellison, Katie Phang, and Ellen Rosenblum examine Kamala Harris’s work as district attorney and attorney general, the potential points of attack it provides to Donald Trump, and what it tells us about what kind of president she'd be. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Sep 09, 2024•54 min•Ep. 302
An episode focusing entirely on the dynamic, exquisitely close presidential campaign in the wake of the DNC convention. Josh Marshall, Heather Cox Richardson, and Charlie Sykes join Harry to assess whether the convention gave Harris/Walz a lasting bump or just a temporary high; the ticket’s week on the campaign trail, including the CNN interview; more unwelcome headlines for the Trump team over Arlington cemetery & flip-flopping on abortion; plus some broader historical perspectives on the r...
Sep 02, 2024•54 min•Ep. 301
Welcome to the 300th episode of Talking Feds , coming to you live from the heart of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago! Today’s show celebrates this milestone with an incredible roster of guests who will help us dissect the electric atmosphere and pivotal moments of this historic week. We’ve lined up exclusive interviews with some of the foremost figures in law and politics, providing you with an insider’s perspective straight from the convention floor. See Privacy Policy at https://a...
Aug 26, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 300
Kamala Harris and Tim Walz breeze into the Windy City for the Democratic convention with a strong tailwind from 3-plus weeks of a pitch perfect campaign, abetted by a lackluster at best performance from Donald Trump and JD Vance. Bill Kristol, Bob Shrum, and Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill join Harry to analyze what the ticket and party need to accomplish this week. The roundtable then broadens focus to the current state of the race, Trump’s apparent loss of mojo, and Vance’s foot-in-mouth problems...
Aug 19, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 299
Things could be going better for Kamala Harris, but it is hard to see how; and a great roundtable of Jen Rubin, Tara Setmayer, and Charlie Sykes join Harry to analyze the week and what lies ahead. Harris’s VP choice of MN gov Tim Walz drew high marks, and the 2 embarked on a series of exuberant initial campaign stops. Trump, meanwhile, convened a largely incoherent press conference, and the R attack lines failed to connect. We end with discussion of AZ electors’ case and its dangers for Trump. p...
Aug 12, 2024•58 min•Ep. 298
Another week in which the fledgling Kamala Harris campaign seemed to click on all cylinders while Donald Trump and JD Vance had trouble finding their footing. The Trump campaign tried out different themes for attacking the Vice President, but none landed squarely and drew some broad rebuke. Mara Liasson, Zerlina Maxwell, and Jacob Weisberg join Harry to consider whether Harris is riding a false crest and whether, as recent polls suggest, she has indeed brought the election back to a genuine toss...
Aug 05, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 297
For a third successive week, we had a great and unanticipated shifting of the tides. In a juggernaut of adroit maneuvering in the immediate wake of Biden’s withdrawal, Kamala Harris all but secured the presidential nomination and launched a campaign against Donald Trump. A terrific bipartisan roundtable of Jonah Goldberg, Ali Vitali and Rick Wilson analyzes how Harris ascended so quickly and whether the excitement at her candidacy is a sugar high or a bonafide reconfiguration of the election. Se...
Jul 29, 2024•54 min•Ep. 296
We are in the midst of a political maelstrom as intense, consequential, and unpredictable as very few in the nation’s history. A terrific clear-eyed roundtable of Alisyn Camerota, David French, and Norm Ornstein joins Harry to discuss the shifting landscape in both major political parties. The national convention marked Republicans’ total emergence as the party of Trump; while the teeth-gnashing among Democrats since Biden’s disastrous debate seems to be building to a climax and a new nominee. A...
Jul 22, 2024•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 295
The tectonic shifts in the legal and political landscapes of the last 3 weeks have upended all prospect for legal accountability for Trump before the election, and the country is paying far less attention. But all of the 4 criminal cases remain in play in some fashion. In this special episode of Talking Feds, 3 of the country’s most prominent analysts–Norm Eisen, Kristy Greenberg, and Joyce Vance–join Harry to canvass where all of the cases stand and when and how they could spring back to life. ...
Jul 19, 2024•52 min•Ep. 295
Three weeks now into a political crisis of the highest stakes and volatility, as Biden attempts to bypass political elites & fundraisers, many of whom seem implacably set against him, and take his case directly to the American people. Susan Glasser, Jason Kander and Mike Podhorzer join Harry to bear down hard on Biden’s prospects for survival and the likely alternative if Biden steps aside. Adding to the extreme volatility: the late-breaking news of the shooting at a Trump rally over the wee...
Jul 15, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 294
Our annual end-of-term Supreme Court episode comes to grips with a momentous Court year that upended the national political and legal landscapes, in the process augmenting the Court’s own powers and giving a leg up to Donald Trump and the horrifying prospect of his return to power. A great roundtable of Emily Bazelon, Melissa Murray, & Steve Vladeck join Harry to come to grips with the cataclysmic series of final opinions in immunity, abortion, administrative law, and more. https://www.patre...
Jul 08, 2024•59 min•Ep. 293
The week had a tsunami like intensity that left abundant wreckage in its wake, both in the political and legal landscapes; and a fantastic roundtable of Andrea Mitchell, Charlie Sykes, and Jacob Weisberg bears down on what went awry and the unavoidable question—unthinkable one week ago—whether Biden needs to step aside. We then turn to the momentous week in the Supreme Court, which advanced the uber-conservative agenda especially in administrative law before previewing the immunity decision. See...
Jul 01, 2024•56 min•Ep. 292
The hot-button issues in US society are getting hotter as the political season commences in earnest. A long blueprint for operations in a 2nd Trump administration sets out volcanic changes in abortion, religion, the administrative state, immigration, & more. In this episode, a great roundtable of Gloria Borger, Dahlia Lithwick, and Jen Rubin joins Harry to stare down the barrel of the most contentious battleground issues, w/ particular focus on the new & coming decisions from the Supreme...
Jun 24, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 291
The world feels more upside down than ever, as Donald Trump staged a victory tour in the wake of his convictions and Republicans on the Hill fell completely and obsequiously in line. A great Talking Feds panel of Susan Glasser, Jacob Weisberg, & Rick Wilson analyze Trump’s total capture of the party & what it portends for November. We then move to the Hunter Biden conviction & why it ties Rs in knots, and close by discussing the sophomoric vote in the House to hold Merrick Garland in...
Jun 17, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 290
MAGA nation launched a coordinated campaign this week against Trump’s felony convictions followed by a literal call to arms and a dark promise of retribution. A great roundtable of Bill Kristol, Congressman Ted Lieu, and Tara Setmayer considers the danger of the MAGA rhetoric. We then move to analyze the Hunter Biden case and its relationship to the Trump convictions, closing with a discussion of whether the executive order on immigration allows Biden to reclaim the upper hand on the issue. See ...
Jun 10, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 289
With Trial’s convictions in NY state court behind us, it’s the perfect time for our quarterly close focus on the Department of Justice, by 3 stalwart friends of the podcast who know DOJ best – Katie Benner, Paul Fishman, & Amy Jeffress. After discussing the possible effect on DOJ of the NY case, we take up the state of play of the two Jack Smith investigations, inc the prospects for either to proceed to in 2024. We then move to the current high-profile trials against Hunter Biden & Sen. ...
Jun 06, 2024•46 min•Ep. 288
One last week of trial brings a final Talking Feds episode with a roundtable of great reporters who were among the few in the courtroom, Jon Alter, Maggie Haberman, and Hugo Lowell. We break down the dramatic differences b/t the trial as reported in the media and as it actually was, zeroing in on the chief reasons for the DA’s decisive victory and focusing in turn on the lawyers, the judge, and the jury. We then take up Trump’s crazed response and consider what it portends for the next 5 months....
Jun 03, 2024•53 min•Ep. 287
The hiatus in the Trump trial gives us the opportunity to dive into other legal and political news for the first time in several weeks. A stellar panel of Jason Kander, Carol Lee, and Congressman Eric Swalwell assesses the debates, Haley’s endorsement of Trump, & the swing-state polls. We then consider the Justice Alito’s display of pro-MAGA flags outside of his two homes after January 6. Finally, we turn to the political implications of the NY trial, inc the likely impact of a Trump convict...
May 27, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 286
Lots happening out there, but NY v. Trump remains the main event, and this week we again bring you a roundtable of all new prominent commentators–and all first time @talkingfedspod guests–who have been in and around the court the whole trial. Katie Phang, Yasmin Vossoughian, and Ben Wittes join Harry to carefully assess where the trial stands with nearly all the evidence in and on the verge of closing arguments, with special focus on Cohen’s testimony, inc whether the defense drew blood on cross...
May 20, 2024•53 min•Ep. 285
Another very special episode this week about the room where it’s happening with three commentators who were there — Jon Alter, Danny Cevallos, & Kristy Greenberg. We focus in depth on the dramatic highlight of the week for the jury and the country — Stormy Daniels’s testimony, esp the cross-examination. We next consider how much Madeline Westerhout helped Trump. After an in-depth preview of Michael Cohen’s testimony, we assess what persuasive arguments about reasonable doubt remain for the d...
May 13, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 284
A week of pitched battles in court, campuses, and Congress; and three of the country’s most wise and respected voices — Zoe Lofgren, Norm Ornstein, and Michael Steele — join Harry to analyze the action. The NY prosecutors continued to build a strong case against Trump, ending the week on a high note with Hope Hicks. The situation in many campuses boiled over, requiring administrations to enlist help from police. And 6 months out from the election, power plays abounded in Congress and around DC. ...
May 06, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 283
We add a special episode this week to tackle the Supreme Court argument on immunity. A great group of court experts – Emily Bazelon, Leah Litman, and Mark Stern – join Harry to add the feds voices to a robust debate in the wake of the argument about the sky is falling, the gang breaks down the questions and a parent fault lines in the court to weigh in on whether the argument augurs the end of any possible trial this year and a ruling that provides a measure of kingly immunity to the President. ...
May 02, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 282
A special and singular episode on Trump’s trial, including 3 experts who spent the week as one of the few dozen people permitted to be inside the courtroom where Trump’s trial is happening. Norm Eisen and Jon Alter, along with Harry, were all feet from Trump, the witnesses, and the jury. They are joined by Karen Friedman Agnifilo, who has extensive experience with the NY courts, including Judge Merchan, to break down the trial in its broad strokes & nuances; and to anticipate what’s coming n...
Apr 29, 2024•59 min•Ep. 281
Things finally got real this week--w/ a wealth of quick developments, inc the full jury chosen, punctuated by dramatic details: Trump’s meekly sitting down on the judge’s order, prospective jurors breaking out in tears from the pressure & anxiety of serving, the DA’s moving for criminal contempt v. Trump for 10 postings; & a lot more. A great roundtable of Aaron Blake, Peter Baker, & Jen Rubin breaks down the legal events & their political implications, before moving on to the we...
Apr 22, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 280
