The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell

Andrew Weissmann joins Sarah Longwell to discuss a big week in legal news: DOJ's stunning concession in a reporter's lawsuit over the Epstein files, the questions senators must make Todd Blanche answer at his confirmation hearing, and the Trump-appointed judge who torched DOJ's demand for the names of every 2020 election worker in Fulton County. Plus: the DOJ letter that signals a plan to challeng...

Sarah Longwell and Georgetown University Law Center's Steve Vladek discuss the Supreme Court's final day of the term—a narrow 5-4 ruling upholding birthright citizenship, the court gutting independent agency protections (while carving out a suspicious exception for the Fed), and a rapid-fire tour through rulings on mail-in ballots, trans athletes, campaign finance, TPS for Haitians, and asylum see...

Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann talk about the Iran nuclear deal—why the "win" Trump is selling actually leaves America with less leverage, fewer allies, and zero nuclear resolution than where we started. Plus: what Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman's book reveals about JD Vance's behind-the-scenes opposition to the war, Trump's habit of comparing himself to history's worst tyrants, and the ne...

Sarah Longwell is joined by law professor and Strict Scrutiny co-host Leah Litman to discuss the White House’s plan to suspend habeas corpus, JD Vance’s push to invoke the Insurrection Act, the Gavin Newsom investigation, and the 19 Supreme Court decisions that could reshape American democracy before the midterms. Make laundry day the best day of the week! Get 20% off your entire order @LaundrySau...

Trump's AG nominee Todd Blanche lost Trump's own criminal trial, built an illegal slush fund, and lied on Fox News—and Republicans are confirming him anyway. Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann discuss what Democrats can actually do at the hearing, why Trump is screaming election fraud while gutting the unit that investigates it, and why his DOJ now holding the only copy of the Fulton County ballo...

Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann return to disuss Todd Blanche’s growing Senate confirmation problems, Trump’s $1.7 billion “weaponization fund” scheme, why the judge isn’t letting the case die, the DOJ’s targeting of Congress members and critics, potential Ghislaine Maxwell fallout, and the reason Weissmann thinks the case against John Bolton is different than other "revenge" prosecutions. Sig...

Sarah Longwell welcomes Mary McCord—former DOJ prosecutor and co-host of the Main Justice podcast—to discuss a series of jaw-dropping legal scandals surrounding Trump’s Justice Department. They include the secretive $1.776 billion “slush fund” for January 6 defendants, a federal judge exposing shocking grand jury misconduct in the Broadview Six case, the collapse of the Kilmar Abrego Garcia prosec...

Andrew Weissmann joins Sarah Longwell on launch day for his book 'Liar's Kingdom'—but first they discuss why Weissmann calls Trump's $1.776 billion "anti-weaponization fund" an outright fraud on taxpayers. Then: why election lies are distinct even among Trump's 30,000 lies, what Brazil and the UK do to stop them, and the publisher that vanished the day after a Trump executive order. Plus mob bosse...

Sarah Longwell and Ben Wittes discuss the Supreme Court mifepristone fight and why it could reshape abortion politics for years to come, then dig into Trump’s proposed $1.7 billion “weaponization” fund for Jan. 6 allies, the DOJ’s effort to protect Jeffrey Clark, and Kash Patel’s increasingly bizarre behavior as FBI director. Get 15% off OneSkin with the code ILLEGALNEWS at https://www.oneskin.co/...

Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann discuss the Supreme Court’s voting rights decision, the rush to redraw congressional maps before the midterms, Trump allies pushing criminal investigations against political enemies, the escalating fight over Jerome Powell and the Federal Reserve, and the growing fears around abuse of FISA surveillance powers. Plus, Weissmann explains why the SPLC case is alread...

Kate Shaw—ABC News contributor and co-host of the podcast 'Strict Scrutiny'—joins Sarah Longwell to explain a major Supreme Court ruling that American elections. Then they discuss a string of notable legal news: a DOJ filing that reads like Trump wrote it himself, Trump suing his own government for $10 billion, and the indefensible Comey “seashell” indictment. Start your new morning ritual & g...

Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann discuss a series of major legal developments—from a questionable DOJ indictment targeting the Southern Poverty Law Center, to Kash Patel’s high-risk lawsuit against The Atlantic, to a wave of firings inside the Justice Department that’s raising alarms. They explain what’s actually in these cases (and what’s missing), why some of the legal theories fall apart und...

Sarah Longwell and Elliot Williams explain why courts keep rejecting Trump's defamation claims, what “actual malice” really means, and how his wave of lawsuits is really meant to pressure the media. Plus: the bizarre Trump-as-Jesus post, the growing use of the justice system for retribution, and why targeting witnesses like Cassidy Hutchinson should set off alarms. Get 15% off OneSkin with the cod...

Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann explain the legality of Trump’s unhinged Iran threats, the legal reality behind “war crimes” warnings, and the global fallout of a strategy with no clear objective. They also discuss Trump’s push to control elections, why it’s likely unconstitutional—and why losing in court may actually be part of the plan. Plus, the Steve Bannon case and what it says about a sy...

Sarah Longwell and Elliot Williams explain a series of legal fights that go to the core of how the country operates—from whether birthright citizenship could actually be undone, to a new immigration detention policy that could keep people locked up for years. They also discuss the Pentagon’s escalating clash with the press and what it means for the First Amendment and the surreal push to rewrite t...

JVL (filling in for Sarah Longwell) joins Andrew Weissmann for a wide-ranging breakdown of a system under strain. They discuss the DOJ’s $1.25M payout to Michael Flynn, a surprising leak tied to the Trump investigations, and the backlash that followed—including a top official calling prosecutor Jack Smith a “proven liar.” Buy "Liar's Kingdom”: https://linktr.ee/BulwarkLiarsKingdom Make this the ye...

Andrew Weissmann joins Sarah Longwell to explain Trump’s failed attempt to target Fed Chair Jerome Powell—and why a judge shut it down as harassment. They also discuss the Trump admin's bizarre border strategy that’s collapsing in court, as DOJ lawyers admit they’re being forced to bring cases they can’t prove. Plus: a major Supreme Court fight over immigrant protections, and new warning signs aro...

Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann discuss a chaotic week for the rule of law, from the DOJ bizarrely flip-flopping on defending Trump’s executive orders targeting law firms, to a Trump-appointed judge finding evidence of racial profiling in ICE stops in Minnesota, and a new DOJ proposal that could shield government lawyers from ethics investigations. Get OneSkin with 15% off using code ILLEGALNE...

Sarah Longwell talks with former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann about his new book: "Liar’s Kingdom" They discuss how Donald Trump exposed weaknesses in American institutions, why misinformation has become so central to modern politics, and what that means for the future of democracy. Weissmann explains why simply winning elections won’t fix the problem, explores how other democracies handle...

Sarah Longwell talks with Just Security’s Tess Bridgeman about whether the Iran war is legal under the Constitution, the War Powers Resolution, and international law. They discuss how presidents have stretched their authority for decades, why Congress keeps failing to act, and what it means when one man can take the country to war on his own. Read more from Tess: https://www.justsecurity.org/autho...

Sarah Longwell is joined by CNN legal analyst Elliot Williams to break down Trump’s latest legal battles—from the Supreme Court limiting his tariff plan to a judge holding ICE in contempt for ignoring court orders. They also discuss the FCC targeting late-night shows, questions about DOJ independence after Trump put his face on the building, and new reporting on the Epstein files. Get 15% off OneS...

The Supreme Court struck down Trump’s sweeping tariffs in a 6–3 decision—including votes from two of his own appointees. Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann explain why the Court said Congress, not the president, controls the power to tax, what the “major questions” fight was really about, and why Chief Justice Roberts appeared to take direct aim at Kavanaugh’s dissent. Make laundry day the best d...

Andrew Weissmann explains to Sarah Longwell the new filing from officials in Georgia’s Fulton County election office attacking the FBI's search of the county's election records last month. They also discuss the latest around ICE cases in Minnesota and get to Sarah's rapid fire questions. Make laundry day the best day of the week! Get 20% off your entire order @LaundrySauce with code ILLEGALNEWS at...

Andrew Weissmann explains to Sarah Longwell why Pam Bondi’s bizarre hearing indicates deep problems at the Justice Department. From the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein files to the FBI’s raid on Georgia’s Fulton County election office, they discuss what’s happening behind the scenes—and whether core legal standards are being ignored. Get 15% off OneSkin with the code ILLEGALNEWS at https://www.onesk...

Sarah Longwell and CNN legal analyst Elliott Williams walk through a stunning week of norm-breaking: the arrest of journalists after a Minnesota protest, Trump hovering over federal law enforcement, an FBI raid on a Georgia election office, and open talk of "nationalizing" U.S. elections. They also discuss Trump’s jaw-dropping $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS and his move to take over—and poten...