Is the rule of law still standing—or slipping away? Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang unpack the week’s biggest threats: ICE’s rogue Chicago raid, Trump’s plan to deploy the National Guard for political ends, and the myth of the “deep state”. Then, CNN’s Jake Tapper joins to discuss his new book Race Against Terror—and how an Obama-era case to try an accused terrorist in U.S. court - showed the rule of law at its best. Can that precedent survive today’s assaults on truth and justice? Smart...
Oct 09, 2025•1 hr 10 min
On this episode of The Oath and The Office, Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang examine two urgent threats to American democracy before welcoming New York Times bestselling author Malcolm Nance. The Comey indictment — moving forward without evidence, it shows Trump’s effort to weaponize the law and shut down democracy. The shutdown — more than a budget standoff. Trump and Pete Hegseth’s rhetoric, plus threats of military crackdowns, reveal a “hard coup” strategy. Malcolm Nance — MSNBC analys...
Oct 02, 2025•1 hr 2 min
Trump’s politics of division—friends vs. enemies—has now turned on the First Amendment itself. Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang expose how Pam Bondi distorts the law on “hate speech,” why Jimmy Kimmel 's forced silence under political pressure is a textbook abuse of power, and how Stephen Miller’s authoritarian funeral speech reveals the danger of Trump’s movement. Satire, dissent, and free expression are on the line....
Sep 25, 2025•55 min
Corey Brettschneider and his cohost John Fugelsang examine how Donald Trump is exploiting the tragedy of Charlie Kirk’s killing—turning grief into a retribution narrative—and the danger that poses to American democracy. Corey places this moment in historical perspective, tracing how Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, and Lyndon B. Johnson responded to political violence and constitutional crisis, and what their choices teach us today. From there, the hosts turn to the present: the real-world conse...
Sep 18, 2025•1 hr
The Supreme Court just gave Trump a dangerous win—greenlighting ICE racial profiling raids. Justice Kavanaugh claims it’s about “geography,” but Justice Sotomayor warns the Constitution is being shredded. At the same time, Chief Justice Roberts clears the path for Trump to purge Biden appointees and dismantle independent agencies. And Trump is openly threatening to send troops into Chicago—an authoritarian power grab Judge Breyer’s ruling may block. PLUS: Corey Brettschneider sits down with John...
Sep 11, 2025•1 hr 12 min
Judge Breyer rules Trump’s military deployment is unconstitutional under the Posse Comitatus Act. We unpack the history, the structural reasoning, and what it means for presidential power. Plus: tariffs struck down, asylum fights, CDC chaos, Giuliani’s medal from Trump, and a tease of John’s new book: Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person's Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Separation-of-Church-a...
Sep 04, 2025•50 min
Donald Trump just issued an unconstitutional order against flag burning. He’s trying to oust a Federal Reserve governor—and he declared, “A lot of people are saying maybe we’d like a dictator.” Professor Corey Brettschneider and comedian John Fugelsang show what's at stake in these attacks—free speech, checks and balances, and the survival of our democracy. They also examine California’s redistricting plan, which—despite controversy—may be one of the few defenses of democracy left in today’s pol...
Aug 28, 2025•52 min
Donald Trump is attacking the Smithsonian and trying to whitewash the story of slavery. On The Oath and The Office, Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang explain why this is more than politics—it’s a constitutional fight over truth in American history. We also break down Trump’s unconstitutional order to abolish mail-in ballots, Congress’s role in election law, and Newsom v. Trump, where Judge Charles Breyer is weighing the Posse Comitatus Act and the Tenth Amendment.
Aug 21, 2025•58 min
Corey and John open with a personal note: The Presidents and The People has just won the American Bar Association’s Silver Gavel Award for its defense of the rule of law—a mission now more urgent than ever. Trump’s tactics are shifting from a “soft coup” to a “hard coup,” with hallmarks of a violent takeover: using the military to control local police, deploying the FBI for political ends, and undermining judicial independence. In California, Governor Newsom is fighting back in federal court, st...
Aug 14, 2025•55 min
Donald Trump didn’t like the latest economic data, so he fired the nation’s top labor statistician. It’s not just about one job: it’s a dangerous move toward rigging reality itself. When a leader punishes truth-tellers, democracy hangs by a thread. At the same time, Texas Republicans are threatening an extreme new wave of gerrymandering designed to silence Democratic voters and entrench Republican power. But blue states aren’t taking it lying down—California and New York are pushing back, drawin...
Aug 07, 2025•46 min
South Park just aired one of its sharpest episodes ever—a brutal, brilliant, and hilarious take-down of Trump and Paramount, its own parent company This after Paramount bowed to Trump's groundless lawsuit over a 60 Minutes story and then refused to renew Stephen Colbert’s contract. Coincidence? Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang break it down: – Why satire matters now more than ever – The fight between corporate media and political dissent – The terrifying implications of a possible Maxwell...
Jul 30, 2025•57 min
Veteran legal journalist Mike Sacks has reported from countless courtrooms, from Fox 5 to the National Law Journal. Now he’s seeking the Democratic nomination in New York’s 17th congressional district, aiming to unseat MAGA aligned Mike Lawler. Mike joins Corey and John to share why he’s entering politics, his vision for a sweeping omnibus recovery bill to repair American democracy, and his nuanced strategy for approaching impeachment with media savvy. He emphasizes his run as part of a larger e...
Jul 23, 2025•1 hr 1 min
In this urgent episode of The Oath and The Office, hosts Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang unpack the high-stakes constitutional battle over birthright citizenship. With the Supreme Court limiting lower courts' power, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez joins the show to reveal how state attorneys general nationwide are leading the charge to protect the 14th Amendment from Trump's unprecedented attempt to strip citizenship rights. Before their in-depth interview with Attorney General T...
Jul 16, 2025•1 hr 7 min
In this explosive episode of The Oath and The Office, Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang reveal how Trump's latest moves amount to a dangerous "self-coup"—an internal attack on American democracy. They dive into the troubling case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia and Trump's blatant defiance of due process, followed by the AAUP lawsuit challenging the administration's unprecedented crackdown on free speech. Next, they analyze the Supreme Court's shocking greenlight for mass firings of federal worker...
Jul 09, 2025•53 min
In this episode of The Oath and The Office, Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang unpack the Supreme Court's dramatic ruling that weakens nationwide injunctions—a critical blow to civil rights groups fighting executive overreach. They highlight Justice Jackson’s powerful dissent and the broader implications for birthright citizenship and civil liberties. Then, they explore Trump's controversial legislative initiative—the “Big Bill”—which deeply slashes welfare programs while dramatically expan...
Jul 02, 2025•46 min
In this wide-ranging episode of The Oath and The Office, John and Corey dive into four major legal controversies shaking the nation: Iran Attack & War Powers: Was President Trump’s recent bombing of Iranian nuclear sites without Congress’s approval an illegal act of war? The hosts examine whether the strike amounts to an undeclared war and discuss the War Powers Resolution of 1973. They break down why House Speaker Mike Johnson has called the War Powers Act unconstitutional, noting that pres...
Jun 25, 2025•58 min
Join Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang on this timely episode of The Oath and the Office, featuring Mike Zamore, National Policy Director of the ACLU. In the first half, Corey and John dive deep into the weekend's nationwide protests, Trump's escalating impeachable offenses—including his controversial actions involving due process violations and ongoing threats to democratic institutions—and the deployment of the National Guard. In the second half, Mike Zamore offers an inside look into th...
Jun 18, 2025•1 hr 2 min
In this episode of The Oath and the Office, Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang unpack Donald Trump’s unprecedented move to take operational control of the California National Guard. Currently, the official mission is to protect federal buildings and personnel. But Trump has hinted that he may invoke the Insurrection Act to quell protests. That raises serious constitutional red flags—especially as peaceful protesters remain protected under the First Amendment. The episode distinguishes betwe...
Jun 11, 2025•53 min
Trump’s battles are spreading everywhere: from the Ivy League halls of Harvard to the Supreme Court’s shifting stance on religious liberty. Brettschneider and Fugelsang dive into Trump’s controversial attack on the Harvard Law Review—twisting the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to target student editors—and his shocking showdown with his one-time allies in the Federalist Society. Plus, the Supreme Court might soon allow religious opt-outs from school lessons about LGBTQ+ rights and could even greenligh...
Jun 04, 2025•55 min
This week on The Oath and The Office, co-hosts Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang welcome renowned historian and Lincoln scholar Michael Vorenberg. Best known for his groundbreaking book Final Freedom, which was part of the inspiration for Steven Spielberg’s acclaimed film Lincoln, Vorenberg now challenges the conventional wisdom about when the Civil War truly ended. His latest book, Lincoln’s Peace, argues compellingly that the war didn't conclude neatly at Appomattox in April 1865, but pe...
May 28, 2025•1 hr 15 min
NYU Law Professor and renowned constitutional expert Melissa Murray joins Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang on The Oath and The Office for a vital discussion on abortion rights, the Supreme Court, and the health of democracy. Melissa exposes the dangerous myths behind the Supreme Court’s claim that the Dobbs decision simply returns abortion to the states. She warns about the potential for a nationwide abortion ban. Offering powerful insight, she argues persuasively why democracy and the 14...
May 21, 2025•1 hr 10 min
Co-host Corey Brettschneider celebrates winning the American Bar Association Silver Gavel Award—but there's no time to rest. He and John Fugelsang tackle the urgent threats facing American democracy. Judge Hannah Dugan’s Bombshell Indictment: An unprecedented indictment of a sitting judge sparks a crisis of judicial integrity. Roberts’ Hollow Warning: Chief Justice Roberts warns the rule of law is "endangered," but Corey and John expose why Roberts’ criticism of Trump is too little, too late, gi...
May 14, 2025•47 min
Law professor Leah Litman (University of Michigan) – co-host of Strict Scrutiny – joins co-hosts Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang on The Oath and The Office for an urgent, witty deep-dive into the chaos at the heart of American law and democracy. Litman discusses her new book Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes, shredding the myth of a neutral Court. Litman compares today’s conservative-dominated Supreme Court to Patrick Bateman in...
May 07, 2025•58 min
In this essential episode of The Oath and The Office, hosts Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang dissect Trump’s first 100 days, highlighting dangerous executive orders that threaten constitutional democracy. They examine two alarming categories: orders so clearly unconstitutional that courts may swiftly block them, and subtler actions rooted in the “unitary executive theory” paving the road toward autocracy. Despite this grim landscape, Trump’s poll numbers reveal a weakening presidency—are ...
Apr 30, 2025•50 min
Legal journalist Dahlia Lithwick joins The Oath and The Office to explore why Trump’s second presidency is even more dangerous than the first—and how courageous lawyers, many of them women, are once again stepping up to defend the rule of law. Drawing on her bestselling book Lady Justice, Lithwick shares powerful stories of resistance, from the travel ban to Charlottesville to the fight for reproductive rights.But first, Corey and John break down this week’s legal flashpoints: SCOTUS Shadow Dock...
Apr 23, 2025•56 min
This week on The Oath and The Office, Trump openly defies a Supreme Court order to return a non-citizen to El Salvador—then calls it a “win.” Stephen Miller gloats. El Salvador’s president joins in mocking the rule of law. Is this the tipping point of a slow-motion coup? Then we turn to Harvard, where the Trump movement’s push for “viewpoint diversity” is really a cover for ideological quotas—and Chris Rufo admits it’s all about destroying elite institutions. We unpack how this connects to attem...
Apr 16, 2025•44 min
Professor Corey Brettschneider and political comedian John Fugelsang this week discuss the Supreme Court's recent ruling on immigration and the capitulation of law firms to Trump's bullying. They also chat about Trump's illegal freeze of university funding and the roller coaster ride of his tariff trade war.
Apr 10, 2025•52 min
John Fugelsang and Professor Corey Brettschneider talk about the deliberate attempt by Trump to curtail free speech at universities by denying them funds. They also discuss the Trump Administration's admission that it mistakenly deported a Maryland resident to El Salvador. Then they welcome former prosecutor and former Army JAG officer Glenn Kirschner to share his insight on the Republican-appointed judges saying "NO" to Trump in multiple cases; the Supreme Court ruling against Trump in his ques...
Apr 03, 2025•1 hr
John Fugelsang and Professor Corey Brettschneider this time hightlight the many judges that are ruling against Trump's illegal orders and policies. They also talk about the president of Columbia University and the law firm Paul, Weiss capitulatng to Trump's extortion and failing the people who depend on them. Plus, they chat about the finger pointing blame-game by the GOP over the leaked Yemeni attack plan on their Signal group chat. Then, they welcome the National Director of Policy and Governm...
Mar 27, 2025•1 hr 1 min
This time - John and Corey take a deep dive into Trump's escalating defiance of court orders, attacks on judges, and controversial deportations. They also discuss the injustice of the nearly 250 Venezuelans alleged by the White House to be gang members that have been deported to a supermax prison in El Salvador, even as a US judge blocked the removals. Plus, Justice John Robert's rebuking Trump's call to impeach federal judges who rule against him and the illegal arrest and detention of activist...
Mar 20, 2025•43 min
