The Breakdown

Trump on trial!

TRUMP ON TRIAL IN NEW YORK, #DONSNORLEONE , ARIZONA DOUBLES DOWN ON ABORTION, NEW AD

Arizona's draconian 1864 abortion ruling, is MAGA Trump world turning on Marjorie Taylor Greene? Trump's NYC porn-star-pay-off trial preview. Plus, Rick and Tara take your questions!

This documentary discusses the emergence of Christian nationalism and its close relationship with far-right politics in the United States, exploring its perceived threat to democracy and the politicization of Christianity.

No Labels's Bid for 2024 is over, GOP War on Women, Abortion and IVF on the ballot in Florida and Arizona, Trump Truth Social propped up by Russian-American bailout, Q&A with Rick Wilson, and special guest Molly Jong-Fast.

"The Truth vs. Alex Jones" is a harrowing documentary that chronicles the legal battle between the families of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims and the notorious conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. For years, Jones used his platform, Infowars, to spread vile lies claiming the shooting was a hoax and that the grieving families were crisis actors. This documentary goes behind the scenes of...

The Circus explores the mounting legal threats facing Donald Trump. Guest host Andrew Weissmann, a former lead prosecutor on Robert Mueller’s team, joins Jennifer Palmieri, John Heilmann and Mark McKinnon amid news that several Trump allies have flipped and begun cooperating with prosecutors in cases against him. Meanwhile in New York City, the former president comes face-to-face in court with his...

The Circus returns amid an historic week in politics. Hosts Jennifer Palmieri, John Heilemann and Mark McKinnon are on Capitol Hill for the unprecedented vote to remove a House speaker by members of his own party, in New York City where former president Donald Trump is in court lashing out against the prosecution of his business empire and on the campaign trail in Iowa as the presidential primary...

This week The Circus examines significant developments in the myriad investigations into former President Donald Trump. John Heilemann and guest host Andrew Weissmann discuss the two special counsel probes with former U.S. Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal. Jennifer Palmieri looks at the investigation into Trump’s efforts to overturn the election results in Georgia. And Mark McKinnon speaks wit...

This week The Circus examines the multiple investigations facing Donald Trump that could lead to the first indictment of a U.S. president. Jennifer Palmieri speaks with former Justice Department prosecutor Andrew Weissmann about the hush-money probe. Mark McKinnon charts Michael Cohen’s journey from Trump fixer to star witness with Vanity Fair reporter Emily Jane Fox. John Heilemann talks with New...

The Circus examines the $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems against Fox News. John Heilemann speaks with legendary First Amendment attorney Floyd Abrams, Mark McKinnon with prominent journalists, and Jennifer Palmieri with Trump voters about the case.

The Circus is on the ground in Florida, South Carolina, Maryland and New Hampshire to mark the unofficial kick-off of the Republican Party's presidential nominating contest. The week begins as a leading potential candidate, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, launches his book tour and ends with CPAC, the annual conservative gathering that’s friendly territory for former President Donald Trump, who’s a...

Trump is unable to make the $464 million bond in his civil fraud case. New York Attorney General James prepares to seize Trump assets in Westchester. How broke is he? What happens next? Pulitzer Prize winning author David Cay Johnston joins Tara Setmayer and Rick Wilson to discuss. About David Cay Johnston: In 1989 David Cay Johnston wrote about Donald Trump becoming president someday. Since 2016...

The Circus concludes yet another turbulent election season with an extended one-hour episode tracking the final days leading up to an historic election night. Hosts John Heilemann, Jennifer Palmieri and Mark McKinnon, along with guest hosts Tim Miller and Errin Haines, are on the ground in the key battlegrounds tracking the stunning election results as a predicted red wave fizzles

The Circus examines the battle for the Senate through the prism of two key states: Georgia and Ohio, where former President Trump's hand-picked candidates find themselves in tight races. Jennifer Palmieri and Mark McKinnon go behind-the-scenes in the Ohio showdown between Democratic Representative Tim Ryan and Republican JD Vance. John Heilemann and guest host Errin Haines head to Georgia, where D...

The Circus travels to Arizona, a key battleground in the upcoming midterm elections and the epicenter of election denial. Jennifer Palmieri, John Heilemann, Mark McKinnon and guest host Tim Miller travel the state, where every top Republican candidate has echoed former President Donald Trump's false claim that the 2020 election was fraudulent, exploring what's at stake if election-denying candidat...

The Circus examines the myriad legal threats facing former President Donald Trump. Mark McKinnon speaks with journalists Susan Glasser and Peter Baker, authors of a new book detailing the Trump administration. Jennifer Palmieri sits down with Sarah Matthews, the former White House Deputy Press Secretary who testified before the January 6th Committee. John Heilemann speaks with legal experts Andrew...

The Circus travels to Florida as Governor Ron DeSantis signs controversial laws on education, gender, and abortion. John Heilemann, Alex Wagner, Mark McKinnon and Jennifer Palmieri explore how the Sunshine State has become the central battlefield of an American culture war that includes a conservative effort to strike math textbooks due to “prohibited topics,” the fallout from the so-called “Don’t...

The Circus tracks the dramatic developments out of the House committee investigating the forces behind the violent January 6 insurrection. Jennifer Palmieri and Mark McKinnon speak with members of the committee after voting to hold two of former President Donald Trump's aides in contempt; Alex Wagner talks with Bob Woodward and Robert Costa on their bombshell reporting about the White House call l...

The Circus examines the threat to American democracy posed by Trump's ‘Big Lie’ as it fuels election audits, changes to state voting laws and an attempted party purge of disloyal Republicans. John Heilemann interviews Rep. Adam Schiff, a member of the committee investigating the January 6 insurrection; Alex Wagner sits down with foreign affairs specialist Fiona Hill to discuss the threats to Ameri...

The Circus focuses on the historic second impeachment trial of Donald Trump as the Senate faces a decisive moment and questions the former President’s culpability in the January 6th Capitol siege. Still outraged by the violence, Sen. Michael Bennett joins John Heilemann for a look at preparation for the trial and Alex Wagner speaks with an attorney planning to use Trump’s incitement in defense of...

In a chaotic week, The Circus takes the pulse of a Republican Party at war with itself. Still dominated by the postures of its predecessor, the hosts speak with both ends of the GOP spectrum, zeroing in on a party in the post-Trump era facing incessantly erratic claims from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green. John Heilemann sits down with Rep. Adam Kinzinger, one of few Republicans backing the impeachment...

As a new administration takes center stage committed to national unity, The Circus captures the magnitude of an era that has until recently been engulfed in divisiveness. With Joe Biden officially sworn in as 46th President of the United States, the hosts break down the most prominent moments as the country undergoes a transition of power. While Trump departs the White House for the final time as...

At the brink of an historic second impeachment, The Circus delves into the last week in office of a furious, de-platformed President Trump. With last week’s Capitol violence ever relevant, the question remains: will this be a decisive moment for our nation? Alongside social media bans, the hosts explore efforts hindering the rhetoric of Trump and his supporters. John Heilemann speaks with Neil Kat...