The Weekend

November 8, 2025 8am: They're responding to the Democratic blowout with a mixture of anger, denial, and deflection. President Donald Trump is also playing the blame game. It comes as Republican lawmakers find themselves in a potentially unwinnable scenario. Basil Smikle and Susan Del Percio join The Weekend to discuss the fallout from Tuesday's election. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesk...

November 8, 2025; 7am: More than 1,000 flights have been canceled due to the government shutdown. The reductions began after the Trump administration announced plans to cut 10 percent of air traffic at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports. Brian Kelly, founder of The Points Guy, joins “The Weekend” to discuss. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnbc.bsky.social Instagram: @th...

November 2, 2025 9am: The White House confirmed it conducted yet another strike against an alleged Venezuelan drug vessel - at least the 15th since early September. Earlier this week, a string of reports said that the administration had identified Venezuelan military sites as potential targets to disrupt drug-smuggling networks and pressure the Maduro regime. Rep. Adam Smith joins The Weekend to d...

November 2, 2025; 8am: Tuesday’s state races will offer a sense of how voters feel about the president and his administration. In Virginia, polling shows the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in the lead while the race remains competitive in New Jersey. Meanwhile, Democrats are spending millions to protect three state Supreme Court justices as Republicans push to unseat them. DNC Chair Ken Martin...

November 2, 2025 7am: The two off-year races for governor in New Jersey and Virginia mark the first major electoral tests of Donald Trump’s agenda, and could offer an early glimpse of what’s ahead in next year’s midterms. In Virginia, Democrat and former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger holds a commanding lead in the latest polls. In New Jersey, on the other hand, Democratic Congresswoman Mikie Sh...

November 1, 2025; 9am: A federal judge is set to rule on the constitutionality of Trump’s troop deployment by tomorrow night. Plus, new reports say the Pentagon has ordered thousands of National Guard personnel to complete “civil unrest” mission training. Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield joins “The Weekend” to discuss. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnbc.bsky.social...

November 1, 2025 8am: Former Gov. Cuomo will run as an independent against New York State Assembly Member and Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani, and Republican and Guardian Angels Founder Curtis Sliwa in one of the most closely watched mayoral races in the country and in  New York City's history. While recent polling shows the race tightening slightly, Mamdani still maintains a lead against Cuom...

November 1, 2025; 7am: 42 million Americans face new uncertainty over SNAP food aid benefits. A federal judge in Rhode Island ruled the Trump administration must continue to fund SNAP food aid during the government shutdown. Another judge in Boston gave the administration until Monday to tell her if it would authorize at least reduced benefits. Mychael Schnell and Michele Norris join “The Weekend”...

October 26, 2025; 9am: This week, President Trump called for more of his political rivals to be prosecuted, issued a controversial pardon, and said that the Department of Justice owes him $230 million in damages, which House Democrats have now launched a probe into. Ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee Representative Jamie Raskin joins “The Weekend” to discuss House Speaker Mike Johnson...

October 26 2025; 8am: President Trump’s on and off again fight with Canada continues after he called off trade talks over an anti-tariff ad early this week. Days later, he posted on Truth Social that he planned to hike tariffs on imports of Canadian goods by an extra 10% because the ad wasn't pulled off the air immediately. Plus, as inflation is on the rise, SNAP benefits are about to expire Novem...

October 26, 2025 7am: The New York Times reports that while plans are not finalized, the ICE proposal stems from frustration from Donald Trump and within the Department of Homeland Security over the pace of deportations, which are lagging behind the President's goal of more than a million at the end of his first year back in office. Meanwhile Democrats are speaking out about the Trump administrati...

October 25, 2025; 9am: As the government shutdown continues, the latest layoffs in the Department of Education targeted nearly everyone in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. This office oversees the rights of students with disabilities and provides $15 billion a year in funding. Former Education Secretary Miguel Cardona joins “The Weekend” to break down what this could me...

October 25 2025; 8am: There is no movement in sight on Capitol Hill as Republicans continue their strategy to stay home to avoid ending the standoff. Meanwhile, Americans at multiple agencies experienced their first missed paycheck and millions are about to lose access to food aid. Sandy Swett, Executive Director of Harrison Food Bank in Harrison, Maine, April Goggans, a furloughed federal worker...

October 25, 2025; 7am: The indictment is one of several brought on by the Department of Justice, which seemingly is targeting perceived political opponents of President Donald Trump. The case against James, specifically, is being sought by interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan, a former member of President Trump’s legal team with no prosecutorial experience, who accused James of misleading a bank...

After organizers say nearly seven million people across the nation participated in the "No Kings" protests, opponents of President Trump's agenda are looking to build on that momentum. The rallies come as President Trump continues to expand his authoritarian reach, attempting to militarize American cities and target people and institutions that go against him. Actor Robert Deniro joins The Weekend...

October 19 2025; 8am: Trump’s former National Security Adviser John Bolton is speaking out after he became the third critic indicted by the DOJ. And Trump has made it clear that his retribution campaign is far from over. He’s directing his DOJ to expand their target list. Tim O'Brien, Bloomberg Opinion Senior Executive Editor and an MSNBC political analyst, and Jason Stanley, professor of Philosop...

October 19 2025; 7am: Almost seven million people across the nation  attended events to protest what they call President Trump's authoritarian power grabs, according to organizers. Some of the biggest crowds were seen in Chicago, New York, LA, DC, and Boston -- but crowds also turned out in smaller cities and towns. Protesters even showed up in Republican-led states that voted for Trump in 2024. T...

October 18 2025; 9am: The “No Kings” protests are happening in all 50 states and Washington DC today, and organizers expect millions of people to turn out. The movement comes in response to President Trump’s agenda, including his National Guard deployments, immigration enforcement, and redistricting efforts. Hunter Dunn, who is helping organize the Downtown Los Angeles demonstration, and former GO...

October 18, 2025; 8am: The provision was meant to protect voters from racial gerrymandering that weakens minority voting power. Many of the seats that could be affected are in the Deep South. — the very region the Voting Rights Act was written to protect. The outcome could shift as many as 19 House seats toward Republicans. Janai Nelson and Jelani Cobb join The Weekend to discuss the potential eff...

October 18 2025; 7am: President Donald Trump is asking the Supreme Court to allow for the deployment of National Guard troops in Illinois, claiming they are needed to protect ICE agents. This comes as immigration enforcement tactics in Chicago have escalated. Plus, ICE agents have repeatedly clashed with protestors despite a judge’s restraining order banning the agents from using riot control tech...

October 12, 2025; 9am: Former Vice President Kamala Harris joins The Weekend to discuss a number of topics including President Donald Trump's continued push to deploy the National Guard in U.S. cities, and the first phase of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnbc.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnbc TikTok: @thew...

October 12, 2025; 8am: A new decision from a federal appeals court said it will not allow Trump to deploy the National Guard to Illinois. However, the court did say the president could federalize the Guard for now – meaning the troops remain under federal authority but cannot be used on the ground in Chicago or elsewhere in the state. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul joins “The Weekend” to di...

October 12 2025; 7am: Trump’s retribution campaign against his perceived enemies is at full force after the DOJ issued indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Plus, criminal charges are expected to come down soon against Trump’s former National Security Adviser John Bolton. George Conway, conservative Lawyer and President of the Society for...

October 11, 2025; 9am: New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted by a grand jury on one count of bank fraud and one count of false statements to a financial institution just a week after President Trump publicly directed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to indict James. The president is also broadening his military takeover across the nation as the National Guard began patrolling the cit...

October 11, 2025; 8am: Federal employees are feeling the full weight of the government shutdown as it heads towards its third week. The Trump administration began laying off more than 4,000 federal workers, and an administration official warns that more are imminent. Employees who remain continue to work without pay. Lashanda Palmer, a TSA employee and leader of the local American Federation of Go...