The Weekend

July 18, 2026; 7am: President Trump packed his Thursday primetime address with false and misleading claims about U.S. election security. Trump unveiled documents he claimed provided definitive proof of widespread voter fraud, but many of those are directly undercut by the documents the White House released. Chief Washington Correspondent for MeidasTouch, Scott MacFarlane, and Jackie Lopez, partner...

July 12, 2026; 9am: On Wednesday, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is expected to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee in his hearing to become Trump’s next confirmed Attorney General. Founder and Executive Director of Justice Connection, Stacey Young, and MS NOW legal analyst and former U.S. attorney Joyce Vance join “The Weekend” to preview how it’s likely to go. For more, follow us...

July 12, 2026; 8am: It has been a little more than three months since Blanche took the reigns at the Department of Justice after Trump’s last AG Pam Bondi was fired, reportedly in part due to Trump’s growing frustration with the pace of prosecutions against his perceived political rivals. In just that short time Blanche has shown his willingness to allow his former client to assert himself, as Tru...

July 12, 2026; 7am: His office confirmed the senator "passed away from a brief and sudden illness." Senator Graham served in the House of Representatives for eight years before winning his senate seat in 2002. He briefly ran for the 2016 Republican nomination for president where he was very critical of Donald Trump, saying that the GOP would "get destroyed" if they made Trump the nominee. Senator...

July 11, 2026; 9am: He submitted paperwork to remove his name from the ballot yesterday, clearing the way for Maine's Democratic party to replace him. On Wednesday, Platner announced that he was suspending his campaign after a woman he dated accused him of sexually assaulting her in 2021 - an allegation he denied as "false." As Democrats race to select a new nominee by the July 27th state deadline...

July 11, 2026; 8am: Gas prices are poised to climb again as the conflict with Iran escalates. Moody's chief economist estimates the average household has already spent roughly $1,000 more because of the war. And Trump refused to sign a bi-partisan housing bill that became law anyway at midnight. It's one of the few measures that would actually help with the affordability crisis. But Trump refused...

July 5, 2026; 9am: With Republicans drawing more favorable congressional maps ahead of the midterms, Democrats will likely need a strong turnout advantage to win back the House. Early signs show the redistricting fight may be energizing voters more than Republicans expected. In South Carolina's recent runoff elections, early voting reached levels typically seen only in presidential years. In South...

July 5, 2026; 8am: He and his family could find themselves under intense scrutiny if Democrats win big in November's midterms. As Axios reports, Democrats are planning a serious of subpoenas intent on exposing what has become the most lucrative presidency in American history. Democrats may also investigate people in Trump's orbit over a myriad of corruption allegations involving Trump's crypto emp...

July 5, 2026; 7am: After being delayed by severe weather, President Trump delivers a patriotic and yet partisan speech to mark America's 250th birthday hours after masked white supremacists march in the nation's Capitol. MS NOW’s Eddie Glaude Jr. and Michele Norris join “The Weekend” to discuss. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow...

July 4, 2026; 9am: Burns examines the idea of democracy and its role during the revolution. He also discusess his next project and what, if anything, he considers off limits. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Pod...

July 4, 2026, 8 AM; An intelligence official tells MS NOW that the individuals fired by the Trump Administration are officials “who they believe are deep state” and who leadership alleges have not provided complete pictures of available intelligence. The latest move comes just two weeks after Pulte's takeover of the agency and his decision to cut six political appointees put in place by former Dir...

July 4, 2026; 7am: On the eve of the 250th anniversary of the United States, President Trump delivered a political speech at Mount Rushmore. Instead of delivering a unifying message about the country's future, the president devoted much of his remarks to warning against a renewed communist threat in the United States, calling for political opponents to be "sent into exile," and pushing his SAVE Am...

June 28, 2026; 9am: Meanwhile, he has fixated on his own pet projects like his reflecting pool makeover and his White House ballroom, which the Washington Post reports will cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars despite the president insisting that it would come at no cost to the American taxpayer. Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA) joins The Weekend to discuss the current economic concerns and the...

June 28, 2026; 8am: In one case dealing with the Epstein files, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche was ordered to comply with the Epstein files transparency act and release unredacted versions of several files by next Thursday or explain why so many documents are still heavily redacted. In another case regarding the DOJ's so called “anti-weaponization” fund, a federal judge said a lawsuit challe...

June 28, 2026; 7am: Trump is becoming his own worst enemy, hurting his agenda and his party with his fixation on things like vanity projects and non-existent voter fraud, while ignoring real concerns like inflation. Plus, Trump scrapped a planned signing of a bipartisan housing bill and demanded Congress pass the Save America Act, which would target federal elections. MS NOW political analyst Euge...

June 27, 2026; 9:00 am: The ruling could cause the hundreds of thousands of children born in the U.S. each year to undocumented parents or those with temporary status to not receive automatic U.S. citizenship. If the Justices side with the administration it would mark one of the biggest victories yet for Trump's mass deportation agenda. Paola Ramos joins The Weekend to discuss how this will affect...

June 27, 2026; 8am: After four Senate Republicans sided with Democrats on a War Powers Resolution to limit the President's authority in Iran, Trump reportedly berated those Senators during a closed-door lunch on Wednesday. The next day Senate Republicans rejected a similar measure. former Rep. Susan Wild (D-PA) and former Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) join The Weekend to discuss Trump's standoff with the...

June 27, 2026; 7am: This week, President Trump cancelled a big bipartisan signing event on Capitol Hill for a bill that would make housing more affordable in this country. As lawmakers were gathering for the event, Trump said he would not sign it unless Congress passed his big voter suppression bill, the Save America Act. This comes after two federal judges blocked Trump’s executive orders trying...

June 21, 2026; 9am: President Trump’s $14 million reflecting pool has turned into a green, peeling mess, and he continues to blame everyone but himself for the downfall of his renovations. In a Saturday Truth Social post, Trump writes in part, "many additional people have been arrested having to do with the disgraceful vandalism of our beautiful reflecting pool." Meanwhile, cyclist and former Olym...

June 21, 2026; 8am: Vice President J.D. Vance addressed the press and thanked delegates from both Pakistan and Qatar. It’s the latest attempt by the U.S. and Iran to get last week’s agreement back on track after strikes between Israel and Lebanon, which led Iranian officials to announce plans to close the Strait of Hormuz. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social...

June 21, 2026; 7am: Negotiating teams from the United States and Iran are in Switzerland for a new round of talks. Vice President JD Vance is leading the U.S. delegation. This comes after a day of confusion on whether the Strait of Hormuz is open or closed and President Trump threatening to charge American tolls there. MS NOW Contributor Inzamam Rashid joins “The Weekend” from the U.S.-Iran talks...

June 20, 2026; 9am: Bill Pulte, who is a Trump loyalist and Director of Federal Housing, took over the position Friday. Pulte has no experience in the intelligence world, but he does have a history of doing the president's bidding by launching probes into Trump's perceived enemies. As acting DNI , he's in a position where he can further peddle the president's conspiracy theories on election fraud....

June 20, 2026; 8am: The fund, which was designed to benefit Trump's allies, and possibly include compensation for January 6th rioters, was previously scrapped after fierce bipartisan backlash last month. The Trump Administration declined to submit a court-requested sworn declaration to a federal judge that the program is officially dead.  Liz Oyer and Eddie Glaude Jr. join The Weekend to discuss t...

June 20, 2026; 7am: This morning, Israeli air strikes in southern Lebanon killed at least five people, according to Lebanese state media, just hours after a ceasefire took effect between Israel and Hezbollah. It comes a day after that conflict delayed an expected first day of talks to reach a final peace deal between the United States and Iran. MS NOW Contributor Inzamam Rashid joins “The Weekend”...

June 14, 2026, 9 AM; Much of the hype and money that is surrounding the event has spurred controversy, with critics saying it reeks of corruption. President Trump and some of his allies could personally benefit from the fight. The Trump Organization has also promoted a line of "Freedom 250" themed silver and gold medallions, priced from $250 to $12K, tied to the event. The "No Kings" movement will...