As the FBI continues to investigate the second apparent Trump assassination attempt, MSNBC legal analysts Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord describe the charges brought and the reasoning behind them. Then, they move to the latest out of Georgia after Judge McAfee dismissed three counts from the 41-count indictment, while allowing the rest to go forward. And lastly, Mary and Andrew welcome Adav Noti, Executive Director of the Campaign Legal Center , to calm some concerns about certain jurisdiction...
Sep 18, 2024•48 min•Ep 103•Transcript available on Metacast We’re thrilled to share a mashup of our MSNBC Live: Democracy 2024 event that we recently held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The whole day was a celebration of you, our viewers and listeners. It was the first of its kind in-person, interactive experience. We so enjoyed meeting so many of you. But if you couldn’t join us in person, you’re in luck – we’re sharing key conversations in this episode. For more, be sure to check out our TV special airing Saturday, September 14th at 9 p.m. ET. For y...
Sep 11, 2024•2 hr 47 min•Transcript available on Metacast There was a lot of movement late last week in Donald Trump’s ongoing criminal cases in DC and New York, but with very different results. Veteran prosecutors Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord review last Thursday’s status hearing in Trump’s DC election interference case and break down the new deadlines set in Judge Chutkan’s scheduling order. Then, they dig into the nuance of Judge Merchan’s decision to push back the date of Trump’s sentencing, as well as delaying his ruling on how immunity applie...
Sep 10, 2024•45 min•Ep 102•Transcript available on Metacast Last Friday’s joint filing in the DC election interference case before Judge Chutkan highlighted the deep chasm between Special Counsel Jack Smith and Trump’s legal team when it comes to how to proceed after the immunity decision. MSNBC legal analysts Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord give their unique perspective on what both sides offered up and which arguments hold merit. Then, they head to New York to detail the second effort by Trump’s legal team to remove the hush money case to federal cour...
Sep 03, 2024•50 min•Ep 101•Transcript available on Metacast Sooner than expected, it’s our 100th episode! In the latest event triggered by SCOTUS’ ruling on presidential immunity, special counsel Jack Smith has filed a superseding indictment in the election interference case against former President Donald Trump. So in an extra episode for you this week, former prosecutors Mary McCord and Andrew Weissmann weigh in on what’s been added and struck from the prosecution’s allegations, Jack Smith’s strategy, and what this means for the case moving forward. Re...
Aug 28, 2024•23 min•Ep 100•Transcript available on Metacast In an attempt to revive the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case thrown out by Judge Aileen Cannon last month, Special Counsel Jack Smith has now filed a brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals, a day early no less. MSNBC legal analysts Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord discuss Jack Smith’s arguments in the brief asserting that Judge Cannon had wrongfully ruled the special counsel had been appointed illegally. Then, looking ahead at proposals in the January 6 case expected to be filed later this wee...
Aug 27, 2024•48 min•Ep 99•Transcript available on Metacast As Donald Trump’s sentencing date approaches, he and his lawyers are throwing all the spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. MSNBC legal analysts Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord break down the former president’s request to adjourn his sentencing until after the election, and the Manhattan DA’s response. Then, ProPublica reporter Joshua Kaplan joins for a deep dive into his reporting on unlawful American militia groups. Andrew and Mary talk with him about the threat these paramilitary groups ...
Aug 20, 2024•49 min•Ep 98•Transcript available on Metacast After Judge Tanya Chutkan raced back to the starting line in former President Trump’s DC election interference case, Special Counsel Jack Smith asked for a reporting extension to ensure the government can make its case within the new immunity parameters. Veteran prosecutors Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord analyze the reasons behind this delay, then offer some scheduling updates in Trump’s other criminal cases in Florida, Georgia and New York. Plus: a look at why Vice President Harris is choosin...
Aug 13, 2024•54 min•Ep 97•Transcript available on Metacast Judge Chutkan is not allowing any grass grow under her feet after Trump’s DC election interference case was sent back to her courtroom. MSNBC legal analysts Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord review her hearing schedule set to begin next week, and offer some detail on her denial of Trump’s motion to dismiss the case on selective and vindictive grounds. Then, the fallout from the Supreme Court’s immunity decision continues to echo, as Trump era DOJ official Jeffrey Clark is the latest to try for pr...
Aug 06, 2024•45 min•Ep 96•Transcript available on Metacast What aspects of a president’s conduct are considered ‘official acts’? This is a live issue in several of Donald Trump’s criminal cases. Veteran prosecutors Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord detail Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s response brief to Donald Trump’s argument that the immunity ruling should impact his New York verdict. Then, they remind us of Mark Meadows’ indictment in Georgia as part of the RICO conspiracy case. Citing the immunity decision, Meadows has now petitioned the Supreme Court to...
Jul 30, 2024•44 min•Ep 95•Transcript available on Metacast On Monday, July 22nd, MSNBC legal analysts Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord spoke at a live event at the Center for Life Enrichment in Highlands, North Carolina. They touched on President Biden’s historic decision to exit the race, and the legal ramifications it could hold for Trump’s continuing criminal cases. Mary and Andrew also address the question of whether a president can pardon himself, and to what extent. And they detail the reasoning laid out in Trump’s motion to vacate his New York co...
Jul 23, 2024•50 min•Ep 94•Transcript available on Metacast After a traumatic weekend for the nation, MSNBC legal analysts Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord use their law enforcement expertise to take stock of the alarming assassination attempt of former President Trump. Then, they turn to Monday’s stunning dismissal of Trump’s classified documents case, after Judge Aileen Cannon took a page from Justice Clarence Thomas’ concurrence to view Jack Smith’s appointment as illegal. Andrew and Mary explain what options are available to the Special Counsel in ap...
Jul 16, 2024•44 min•Ep 93•Transcript available on Metacast As last week’s historic Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity continues to be absorbed in the public sphere, the majority’s expansive view of what is considered exempt from prosecution comes into stark relief. Given their unique perspectives, veteran prosecutors Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord explore the knock-on effects the ruling will have on Donald Trump’s ongoing cases in Florida, New York and D.C. Note : Listeners can send questions to: ProsecutingTrumpQuestions@nbcuni.com...
Jul 09, 2024•54 min•Ep 92•Transcript available on Metacast As the fallout from the momentous Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity continues to reverberate, MSNBC legal analysts Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord offer some updates, then turn to another significant ruling from the High Court out on Friday: Fisher v. U.S. At issue was whether the charge of obstruction of an official proceeding could be applied to Capitol rioters in the wake of their actions on January 6th. Despite the ruling in favor of the defendant, their guest Ryan Goodman of ...
Jul 02, 2024•45 min•Ep 91•Transcript available on Metacast The consequential question before the Supreme Court on the limit and scope of presidential immunity has been decided, in three essential buckets. Veteran prosecutors Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord decipher the ramifications for the former president, for the January 6th case brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith, and for the broad constitutional authority of the presidency itself. And they are joined by Trevor Morrison, NYU law professor and Dean Emeritus, to discern the finer points of the dec...
Jul 02, 2024•53 min•Ep 90•Transcript available on Metacast There has been a slew of hearings before Judge Aileen Cannon in the Florida documents case over the past few days, and veteran prosecutors Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord examine why some of these seem like unnecessary delays. Then, why Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg is asking for the limited gag order to continue in New York as Donald Trump awaits sentencing. And lastly, Mary and Andrew game out some scenarios as we hurry up and wait for the Supreme Court to decide on presidential immunity. Also, ...
Jun 25, 2024•52 min•Ep 89•Transcript available on Metacast This week, MSNBC legal analysts Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord dive deep into several pending motions, including Jack Smith’s pre-trial motion to modify Trump's conditions of release in the Florida documents case, which would effectively impose a gag order, just under a different legal principle. Plus: Trump’s push to end the post-trial gag order in New York. And what's at issue in the suppression motion also filed in Florida that Judge Cannon will hear next Tuesday. Last up: a preview of Fisc...
Jun 18, 2024•46 min•Ep 88•Transcript available on Metacast Former President Trump awaits his sentencing in New York, but he wants the gag order lifted in the meantime. Is that typical? Veteran prosecutors Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord break down that motion, and the mechanics of sentencing in the lead up to July 11th. They also highlight Attorney General Merrick Garland’s recent op-ed calling for an end to escalated assaults on our judicial system in the wake of Trump’s verdict in Manhattan. Last up, Andrew and Mary scrutinize Judge Cannon’s schedule...
Jun 11, 2024•45 min•Ep 87•Transcript available on Metacast It’s been less than a week since the jury reached a verdict in Donald Trump’s criminal trial and the political spin on the result is dizzying. MSNBC legal analysts Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord seek to debunk several claims entered into the public discourse, especially around the Department of Justice being involved in a state case and that the trial was somehow ‘rigged’. They also address some breaking news out of Wisconsin, where Kenneth Chesebro, Jim Troupis and Michael Roman were criminal...
Jun 04, 2024•50 min•Ep 86•Transcript available on Metacast In a new special, Andrew Weissmann, Rachel Maddow and our team give an intimate and personal look inside the Trump courtroom. They tell some never-before-heard stories about what it was like to witness, firsthand, some of the most explosive moments of the trial. In addition to Rachel and Andrew, you'll hear from Joy Reid, Lawrence O’Donnell, Chris Hayes, Katie Phang, Lisa Rubin, Yasmin Vossoughian, and Laura Jarrett. Together, they share what it was like to witness history from the Manhattan Cri...
Jun 03, 2024•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast Donald J. Trump, the former president and presumptive 2024 Republican nominee, was found guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Veteran prosecutors Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord reflect on the gravity of the verdict and offer insights into what comes next in terms of sentencing and the appeals process.
May 31, 2024•48 min•Ep 85•Transcript available on Metacast It’s a historic moment, as the country awaits the jury’s verdict in the first ever criminal trial of a former president. To assess the gravity of what each side needed to convey in summations, MSNBC legal analysts Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord scrutinize the approach to closing arguments by both the defense and the prosecution. Then, they turn to the latest from the Florida documents case, where Judge Cannon and Special Counsel Jack Smith are at odds. The issue: Donald Trump’s ‘lies’ posted a...
May 29, 2024•57 min•Ep 84•Transcript available on Metacast Ahead of Tuesday’s closing arguments in the first ever criminal trial of a former president, MSNBC legal analysts Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord detail Tuesday’s crushing cross examination of Robert Costello by Susan Hoffinger, and what it means for the defense’s attempt to undermine Michael Cohen’s credibility. Then, what listeners should infer from the charging conference- as this determines what the jury can deliberate on. And big picture: what each side needs to accomplish in their respect...
May 24, 2024•48 min•Ep 83•Transcript available on Metacast Donald Trump’s defense team rested on Tuesday without calling the former President to the stand. But some crucial points were made before the conclusion of Michael Cohen’s cross examination that veteran prosecutors Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord explain in depth. They also weigh in on some courtroom tactics that worked and others that didn’t go over well from both the prosecution and the defense. Plus, Andrew and Mary detail some of the gambits used by defense witness Robert Costello that were...
May 21, 2024•50 min•Ep 82•Transcript available on Metacast A recurring theme in Michael Cohen’s testimony this week was his evolving moral compass. Analyzing the last day of direct examination, veteran prosecutors Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord draw out some distinctions to be mindful of, and what the intense cross examination from defense attorney Todd Blanche was alluding to. In their estimation, the state will need to address Cohen’s inconsistencies in redirect and closing arguments. Lastly, Andrew and Mary sum up what to expect next week as the tr...
May 17, 2024•51 min•Ep 81•Transcript available on Metacast With Michael Cohen testifying in the New York criminal trial this week, MSNBC legal analysts Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord take stock of the style and the substance of the assertions made by Trump’s former lawyer and ‘fixer’. Andrew was in the courtroom for the first day of Michael Cohen’s testimony and shares some first-person impressions as the prosecution continues to lay out the case. And he and Mary answer some listener questions on absent witnesses and the Speedy Trial Act.
May 15, 2024•52 min•Ep 80•Transcript available on Metacast We head into the “eye of the storm” as MSNBC legal analysts Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord explore the nature of Stormy Daniel’s testimony in depth, and why her credibility is less at issue than that of others who facilitated the hush payments to her. Then, they turn their prosecutorial expertise to understanding why the defense’s mistrial motion was denied by Judge Merchan. And lastly, Andrew and Mary detail what to glean from Judge Cannon’s indefinite postponement of the classified documents...
May 10, 2024•49 min•Ep 79•Transcript available on Metacast As witness testimony continues today with Stormy Daniels in Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial, jurors also recently heard from former Trump advisor Hope Hicks and longtime Trump Organization controller Jeff McConney. After trading some testimony takeaways, veteran prosecutors Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord get nerdy on the significance of exhibits 35 and 36. Plus, Judge Merchan gives a sober warning to Mr. Trump as he rules on another gag order violation. And an update on the Florida clas...
May 07, 2024•48 min•Ep 78•Transcript available on Metacast 
