Living in the USA

Harold Meyerson traces parallels--and differences--between Nixon's efforts to stop the FBI from investigating him, and Trump's efforts to accomplish the same thing. Nixon's efforts led to impeachment; will Trump's? Also: Evangelicals and politics: Frances Fitzgerald comments.

Amy Wilentz follows Donald Trump on Twitter -- we ask her what that's like, and why she does it. Also, she has a modest proposal: somebody should stop him. Plus: Harold Meyerson on the Trump impeachment scenario: lessons from the Democrats' successful effort to remove Nixon, and the Republicans' failure to remove Bill Clinton.

John Nichols comments on the appointment of Robert Mueller as special prosecutor, and its significance for the impeachment scenario. and Ari Berman reports on the Supreme Court's ruling in the North Carolina voting rights case, and on Trump's "election integrity" commission.

(1) Harold Meyerson on the politics around Trump firing FBI Director James Comey -- and the 2018 elections (2) Laura Poitras on her film about Julian Assange, "Risk"

John Nichols on the House vote on Obamacare--and The Democrats' obligation to resist. Plus Margaret Atwood on the shocking relevance of “The Handmaid’s Tale” on Hulu; and Katha Pollitt says “It’s not McCarthyism to demand an investigation of Trump."

RICK PERLSTEIN says “I thought I understood the American right. Trump Proved Me Wrong.” And the great BILL McKIBBEN talks about the People’s Climate March, coming up in Washington this Saturday. We’ll have a rundown of all the sister marches in southern California – from Santa Barbara and Ventura to Riverside to Irvine-- and also the LA Sister March in Wilmington, in the LA Harbor area. Also, our...

(1) Tom Frank has been on the road in the Red States – we’ll ask him whether he thinks Bernie could have beaten Trump. (2) JOHN NICHOLS comments on Fox News firing the horrible Bill O’Reilly—and on Democratic candidates for the House in Georgia and Montana. (3) Steve Bannon, the fascist maniac, is out, and the calm bankers from Goldman Sachs are in--at the Trump White House: DAVID DAYEN will talk...

Trump seems to have changed his mind about a lot of things in the last day or two –it seems like Putin is no longer his number one friend, China is no longer his number one enemy, and Steve Bannon is no longer his number one “chief strategist.” Harold Meyerson will comment. Also: how we got from Ferguson to Trump’s election: Chris Hayes will explain—his new book is “A Colony in a Nation.” Plus: Is...

Katha Pollitt on how Trump is bringing back Feminism; Chris Hayes on Trump's defeats and disasters; and John Nichols on the Gorsuch filibuster and what comes next -- at the Court, and in the Senate.

The hedge-fund magnate Robert Mercer was probably the most important backer of Trump for president. Jane Mayer of The New Yorker has the first in-depth report on this little-known figure and former Breitbart News funder. Also: Is Trump like Nixon? Both won by exploiting the resentments of the white working class; both covered up crimes committed by their campaigns against the Democrats. But Rick P...

The House GOP postponed its vote to repeal Obamacare and replace it with TrumpCare, I mean RyanCare. On ”Trump Watch” we have comment from John Nichols of The Nation. Also: Why do many white workers who voted for Trump still support him? The Nation sent D.D. Guttenplan to the rust belt to find out— he’s returned now with his report. Plus: The City of LA has expanded its sanctuary policy – but the...

Sheila Kuehl talks about all the ways Los Angeles county has taken a stand against Trump. LA County is bigger than 44 states; Sheila is one of five elected members of the Board of Supervisors. Also: The endless war in Afghanistan: now it's Trump's. Andrew Bacevich comments. Plus: Harold Meyerson talks about Trump's bad week: a budget facing lots of opposition, a health care "plan" facing lots of o...

Congressman Ted Lieu of Los Angeles talks about TrumpCare, the new Muslim Travel Ban, and the call to investigate wiretapping of Trump Tower. Also: “High Noon” was the 1952 Western where Gary Cooper has to face the bad guys alone, because the local townspeople are all cowards. Glenn Frankel the Pulitzer-prize winning author says it’s an allegory about the Hollywood Blacklist – and he thinks there...

The Koch brothers, the GOP’s biggest donors, didn’t support Trump for president—but he’s supporting their pro-business and anti-environmental agenda now. Jane Mayer of The New Yorker explains; her book Dark Money is out now in paperback. plus: Who’s the political figure in our history most different from Donald Trump? The answer is easy: Eleanor Roosevelt. Blanche Wiesen Cook comments—the third an...

Amy Wilentz reviews recent reports that Ivanka has checked her father's worst impulses -- Amy's cover story about Ivanka appeared in The Nation last week. And John Nichols reviews Trump's first month -- and answers the question, 'What is Trump's biggest achievement thus far?'

Trump's 2/16 press conference: John Nichols of The Nation talks about the chaotic blizzard of news on Day 28. Trump was asked about the revelations that his National Security advisor Mike Flynn had talked with the Russian ambassador before Trump took office,He said “the leaks were real but the stories are fake.” John explains -- everything.

Matt Taibbi says “Trump made idiots of us all.” He covered the campaign for Rolling Stone—and his new book is "Insane Clown President." Also: suing the president: it’s not easy. But Erwin Chemerinsky has found a way to do it--under the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution. Erwin is Dean of the law school at UC Irvine.

Harold Meyerson on Trump's effort to recruit labor unions -- a "Faustian bargain" especially for the mostly-Latino Laborers Union. plus: "Dark Money and Donald Trump": Jane Mayer of The New Yorker comments on Trump's emerging ties to the Koch Brothers, despite their antagonism during the campaign. And Amy Wilentz talks about Ivanka, our de facto first lady -- what can she really do for working wom...

KATHA POLLITT talks about the Women’s March last Saturday, and why it was so great — starting with the Pussy Hats. And Harold Meyerson reviews the situation in Washington –Trump’s first week has been a lively one. Harold of course is Executive Editor of The American Prospect. Also, Alan Minsky explains what’s happening with Trump and Trade after the TPP and with NAFTA after the blow-up with the Me...