Making the Case

Todd Blanche lacks the impartiality and integrity to be US Attorney General. In this episode, Senators Whitehouse and Blumenthal discuss the nomination of Todd Blanche to the role of our nation’s top prosecutor. From his botched handling of the Epstein files, to his weaponization of the Justice Department as Acting AG, Blanche has a pattern of placing his loyalty to President Trump above his duty...

From both a prosecutorial and intelligence standpoint, the FBI’s raid of a Fulton County election office doesn’t pass the smell test.    In this episode, Senator Whitehouse talks with Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, about the numerous red flags raised by the FBI’s search and seizure this past January. The two discuss DNI Tulsi Gabbard’s presence at the s...

The reckless behavior of masked ICE agents on the streets of Minneapolis has been appalling to witness, and widely condemned by real law enforcement officers. Their misconduct must not be beyond the reach of law for people they have injured. Reforms and accountability are due. On this episode of Making the Case, Senator Whitehouse welcomes back Representative Hank Johnson, his House counterpart in...

If you’re looking for a high-profile job in the Trump Administration, loyalty to MAGA is the only requirement.  In this episode, Senator Whitehouse welcomes Lisa Graves of True North Research back to the podcast to discuss how President Trump’s DOJ has gone after his political enemies, and the legal setbacks the Department has faced at the hands of unqualified loyalists who have been wrongly appoi...

The Trump Administration moves with reckless greed for its big donors — but state Attorneys General won’t back down from the fight.  This episode of Making the Case lays bare how the Trump administration’s reckless legal maneuvers sidelined workers, threatened huge cost increases, and sparked an exodus from the Justice Department. Attorneys General Peter Neronha of Rhode Island and William Tong of...

This episode of Making the Case pulls back the curtain on the chaos, corruption, and cover-ups threatening the rule of law. How much damage can one administration do to the credibility of our courts and the Department of Justice? Former Attorney General Eric Holder weighs in.   Follow ⁠⁠⁠Senator Whitehouse⁠⁠⁠ ⁠on  ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ ,  ⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠ ,  ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ,  ⁠TikTok⁠ , and  ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠  for all...

Donald Trump REALLY doesn’t want you to listen to this episode of Making the Case.  Trump’s name is in the Epstein files, and despite his best efforts to distract the general public, Republicans and Democrats alike aren’t willing to let this go. Why was Maxwell transferred to a cushier prison mere days after her interview with the Deputy Attorney General? Why hasn’t the DOJ investigated the financ...

Trump’s name is in the Epstein files. KBJ’s dissents arebecoming more pointed. Emil Bove’s shady nomination process appears highly coordinated. The House of Representatives is headed home early for August recess. Gerrymandering and voter suppression efforts are gaining steam. And we’re only six months into Trump’s second term.    In this episode of Making the Case, Senator Whitehouse is joined by...

After years of finger-pointing and false claims of weaponization of the Department of Justice, the Trump Administration turned around and did just about everything they absurdly accused the Biden White House of doing. In this episode, Senator Whitehouse is joined by Senator Adam Schiff to discuss a handful of this administration’s many misdeeds.   Follow ⁠⁠⁠Senator Whitehouse⁠⁠⁠ ⁠on  ⁠Twitter⁠ , ...

Welcome back to Making the Case! After a brief hiatus, Senator Whitehouse is back for a second season of his podcast, which uncovers the decades-long effort to capture and control our Supreme Court. During Trump 2.0, it’s more important than ever to shine a light on the nation’s highest court.    In this episode, Senator Whitehouse is joined by Professor Allison Orr Larsen and Professor Paul Colli...

Welcome to the new ‘wild, wild west’ of Supreme Court false fact-finding! (WANTED: A Supreme Court that doesn’t abuse the fact-finding process to reach the results it wants.) In this episode of Making the Case, Senator Whitehouse is joined by Professor Allison Orr Larsen, an expert on judicial fact-finding at the William and Mary Law School. Some of the Supreme Court’s worst decisions, like  Citiz...

The Supreme Court justices seem to think so. The Court recently adopted a so-called “code of conduct,” but with no enforcement mechanism in place, it stands no chance of cleaning up bad behavior. Lisa Graves of True North Research joins Senator Whitehouse on this episode to unpack the new code and its shortfalls. Also on this episode, Senator Whitehouse breaks down what happened in the Senate Judi...

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a great example of government that works. So it’s no wonder corporate powers are rooting for its downfall. In this episode of Making the Case, Senator Elizabeth Warren joins Senator Whitehouse and Representative Johnson to discuss her role in creating the CFPB and the threat it now faces at the Supreme Court. This case,  Consumer Financial Protection Bur...

Step 1: Select the right justices for your cause.  Step 2: Select the right cases for those justices.    This podcast has unpacked the right-wing scheme to capture and control our nation’s highest court, but the justices sitting on the bench aren’t the only ones who have been carefully selected — the cases have been too.  In this episode of Making the Case, Senator Whitehouse is joined by retired...

The Roberts Court is an unelected body, but its recent decisions have led to more restrictions on Americans’ right to vote.     In this episode of Making the Case, Senator Whitehouse is joined again by Rep. Hank Johnson, and former Attorney General Eric Holder. They walk through the Court’s decision in Shelby County vs. Holder (yes, the same Holder on this episode), the ripple effect that decision...

Most people agree that the highest court in the land shouldn’t have the lowest ethical standards. But you may be wondering: if the Court refuses to police itself, can Congress step in?  Yes — and they’ve done it before.  In this episode of Making the Case, Senator Whitehouse is joined by Rep. Hank Johnson, Fix the Court Executive Director Gabe Roth, and Campaign Legal Center Senior Director of Eth...

The Captured Court has delivered big for special interests at the expense of the American people. From campaign finance to gun safety to environmental protection, the Supreme Court is increasingly out of step with the American people on the key issues of our day. In this episode of Making the Case, Senator Whitehouse is joined by End Citizens United/Let America Vote President Tiffany Muller, Brady...

Overturning Roe didn’t happen overnight. It didn’t happen on accident. It was the result of a decades-long effort to capture and control the Supreme Court. In this episode, Senator Whitehouse is joined by NARAL President Mini Timmaraju, University of Michigan Law Professor and Strict Scrutiny host Leah Litman, and Rep. Hank Johnson. When the Supreme Court released the Dobbs decision last year, the...

When most people think about the current Supreme Court, one of the first names that comes to mind is Donald Trump, who appointed three of its Justices. But there's another name that's arguably more important. And that is the right-wing billionaires’ fixer, Leonard Leo. In this episode, Senator Whitehouse is once again joined by Rep. Hank Johnson, Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick, and Lisa Graves of...

Welcome to Making the Case. In this episode, Senator Whitehouse is joined by Rep. Hank Johnson, Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick, and Lisa Graves of True North Research. These experts begin peeling back the layers of the far-right effort to capture and control the Supreme Court.   Who was involved? When did this scheme begin? And how did it gain momentum?   Follow @SenWhitehouse on Twitter, Instagram, and...

The Court is not in order. Episode by episode, experts will join to expose the effort to capture and control our Supreme Court. Whether you’re an avid Court watcher, or just tuning in to the ongoing crises at the Court, we hope you’ll join as we make the case.