Sidebar

On the final episode of Sidebar, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin, James Hohmann and JM Rieger breakdown the shaky ceasefire between Iran and Israel – and whether it will hold. And having decided to enter the conflict , President Trump is now trying to play peacemaker. Then, the crew breaks down Trump's stunning turn of fortune since Sidebar began – from being found guilty in his N...

On this episode, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann break down the evolving news on Iran – from trading strikes with Israel to President Trump's increasing involvement. The crew breaks down what Trump says he might do, what his endgame is – and whether Israel is luring the United States into a war of its choosing. Then, Trump's 2024 financial disclosures have been r...

On this episode, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann break down just how much President Trump wants to remind you that he's Commander-in-Chief – from deploying the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles, to Saturday's military parade in D.C. Plus, Democrats accuse Trump of intentionally provoking protests in an attempt to justify escalating use of military force ....

On this episode, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann break down the Republican drama surrounding President Trump's signature "Big, beautiful bill" – starting with the dramatic social media breakup occurring between Trump and Elon Musk. And are GOP senators on board with Trump's plan? Then, Trump seems to be reacting to that drama by creating distractions – from a new...

On this episode, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann break down some of the most controversial provisions in Republicans' giant spending and immigration bill : Provisions that would affect Medicare and the Affordable Care Act. While the bill has already passed the GOP-controlled House, it might have a tougher time getting through the Senate, where some Republican sen...

On this episode, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann are joined by Pentagon reporter Dan Lamothe to delve inside the ongoing drama in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's inner circle: Who is at odds with whom, and what does it mean for Hegseth's job security. Then, President Trump has been on a spree of issuing pardons and commutations for convicted felons – many of who...

On this episode, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann dive into the ways institutions are fighting back against President Trump – both culturally and legally – starting with Harvard University and NPR, which are both embroiled in lawsuits with the administration. Plus, how are those two institutions bellweathers for the rest of America, from other universities to medi...

On this episode, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann break down a busy week in Washington, starting with the shocking shooting of two Israeli embassy employees . Then, the crew dives into the GOP's "big, beautiful" budget bill : What's in it, what the sticking points were, and what had to be negotiated. Later, the crew breaks down the chaotic meeting in the Oval Offi...

On this episode, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann break down President Trump's "big, beautiful bill" – the 1,100-page proposal for a measure that includes a whole of of the GOP's priorities, all in one package .  But does Trump have the support of his own caucus , or does he need to convince Republicans in both the House and the Senate to vote for it? The cre...

On this episode, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin, James Hohmann and JM Rieger break down how President Trump is trying to remake Washington in a MAGA image – from hanging huge photos of himself from federal buildings to taking over cultural institutions and firing people, in some cases, seemingly simple for their gender or skin color. Then, the crew breaks down Trump's long histor...

On this episode, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann are joined by national security reporter Abigail Hauslohner to discuss President Trump's trip to the Middle East .  The crew breaks down Trump's sit-down with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and his plan to attract Saudi investment in the U.S. Then, the release of the last American hostage in Gaza, Eda...

On this episode, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann are joined by religion reporter Michelle Boorstein and Rome bureau chief Anthony Faiola to discuss the papal conclave and the election of the first American pope, Leo XIV . The crew breaks down the process the cardinals followed, then dives into the politics of the conclave : How cardinals make themselves candidate...

On this episode, The Washington Post's Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann are joined by senior national political correspondent Naftali Bendavid to break down whether President Trump is setting up his second term to make him a chief executive associated with prosperity, or with austerity . Having run on a platform of economic populism, Trump now says the country will have to endure "pain" – but is th...

On this episode, The Washington Post's Libby Casey and Rhonda Colvin are joined by national political reporter Maeve Reston to break down what's going on with Democrats – from the big stars like Kamala Harris, who have recently run for office, to the up-and-coming names who are already positioning themselves for potential 2028 presidential runs. Plus, what are Democrats in Congress, and former Bid...

On this episode, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann are joined by White House reporter Emily Davies to discuss President Trump's first 100 days back in office – from his campaign-trail promises to his shock-and-awe campaign to change the federal workforce, immigration the economy . What has Trump delivered on? And where has he gone farther than voters expected or wa...

On this week’s episode, The Washington Post’s Libby Casey, James Hohmann and JM Rieger discuss the ongoing fallout between Elon Musk and President Donald Trump’s top Cabinet and administration officials, as well as the CEO's announcement Tuesday that he will step away from his U.S. DOGE Service responsibilities as a "special government employee." Musk, a GOP megadonor and close adviser to Trump, h...

On this episode, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, James Hohmann and JM Rieger discuss the latest allegations that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared information about military plans on a group chat – this time, one that reportedly included his wife, brother and personal lawyer . The crew breaks down Hegseth's attempts at damage control, and why he's still in the job . Then, we go inside the r...

On this episode, The Washington Post's Rhonda Colvin, James Hohmann and JM Rieger break down President Trump's broadside at Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell on Thursday , saying he looks forward to Powell's "termination." The crew explains why Trump wants Powell out as Fed chair – and his long history of targeting the country's central banking system for criticism. Then, a federal judge said he...

On this episode, The Washington Post's Rhonda Colvin, James Hohmann and JM Rieger break down whether President Trump has a plan to enact his biggest policy priorities – or if major changes to government and policy are being undertaken without detailed objectives. And is there anyone in the White House who Trump truly listens to? Plus, Trump has targeted another University – this time going after H...

On this episode, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann break down President Trump's apparent strategy of pushing norms and testing the U.S. court system to see how far he can push his policies. The crew looks at how Trump has approached firing federal workers and immigration, and how the court system has handled legal challenges on both policy fronts.  Plus, has t...

On this episode, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann discuss the latest on the economy and Trump's tariffs – starting with the short-lived morning rally in the U.S. stock markets. The crew breaks down whether President Trump and his administration might be willing to negotiate with countries on the import duties Trump has put in place. Plus, will a proposed Senate bi...

On this episode, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann are joined by White House reporter Cat Zakrzewski to discuss the latest on the massive set of tariffs President Trump is putting into place. Plus, how will tariffs affect consumers – and is Congress finally preparing to take some of its own power back ? Then: The deadline for a TikTok sale is coming up soon. The cr...

On this episode, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann are joined by White House economic reporter Jeff Stein to discuss President Trump's proposed sweeping tariffs – and the day he and his team have referred to as "Liberation Day." What effect will those tariffs have, how will the costs be passed on to American citizens, and why is Trump so set on remaking the United...

On this episode, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin, James Hohmann and JM Rieger discuss the Signal leak by Trump administration officials, whether there could be investigations , and why some of the officials involved are denying classified information was sent in the group chat that included a magazine editor. Plus, President Trump and his administration seem to be creating a clima...

On this episode, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann break down the Trump administration's leak of national security information to a magazine editor – and how Congress reacted to it in a fiery hearing on Tuesday. Plus, is the Trump administration transparent – or just claiming to be?