logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2025
40m 32s

Weaponizing the Justice Department

THE ATLANTIC
About this episode
President Donald Trump is using the Department of Justice to try to punish his political enemies. How much can the president bend the DOJ, an institution built on norms and ethics, to his will before it breaks? In this episode, we talk to the Atlantic staff writer Quinta Jurecic, who covers legal issues, and Benjamin Wittes, editor in chief of Lawfare, about ... Show More
Up next
Today
Min Jin Lee’s Underdog Morality
The world has waited almost a decade for a new novel by Min Jin Lee. In 2017, she published the best-selling historical epic “Pachinko,” which became a National Book Award finalist and was named one of The New York Times’ 100 best books of the 21st century. Her new book, “America ... Show More
38m 34s
Sep 28
Republicans Are Running From Trump. Will It Work?
As some Republicans back away from President Trump over Iran, diesel prices, and affordability, something unusual is happening: Trump is not getting mad at them. Is this what his lame-duck status will look like, or is Trump just a savvier political actor now? And will all the ele ... Show More
29m 9s
Sep 26
Egypt Warned Israel Before October 7
Less than two weeks before the October 7 attack, Egypt’s top spy flew to Israel with a warning about Gaza. In this special episode of Radio Atlantic, host Adam Harris talks to the Atlantic staff writer Vivian Salama about her reporting. - - - Get more from your favorite Atlantic ... Show More
11m 39s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2025
How Trump Is Scaring Big Law Firms Into Submission
<p>After engaging in a campaign of retribution against his enemies within the federal government, President Trump is turning to those outside of it.</p><p>Michael S. Schmidt, an investigative reporter for The New York Times, explains what that retribution has looked like for a si ... Show More
24m 59s
Aug 2025
Deep Sh!t State: Trump’s Retribution Campaign
As Trump targets the FBI and Justice Department for retribution, Jon is joined by former FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Feinberg and New York Times FBI and DOJ reporter Devlin Barrett. They explore how high-profile cases have damaged these agencies' credibility, di ... Show More
1h 41m
Sep 2023
Two Attorneys Rank the Severity of Trump’s Indictments
<p>With four ongoing criminal investigations, Donald Trump is the most indicted president in U.S. history. After years of defying unwritten norms, he will now be subject to a criminal justice system defined by norms and precedents. What does due process look like for a former pre ... Show More
55 m
Mar 2025
Trump's judge grudge
Judges, including one of his own Supreme Court appointees, are trying to rein President Trump in. In return, Trump is threatening to impeach judges. This episode was produced by Gabrielle Berbey and Devan Schwartz, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered ... Show More
25m 53s
Oct 2025
The targets of Trump's DOJ are already paying a price
At President Trump’s public urging, the Justice Department has brought criminal charges against some of his perceived political enemies. NPR Justice Correspondent Carrie Johnson explains that for those targeted, a prosecution can mean steep financial and emotional costs, even if ... Show More
7m 19s
Jan 2025
Swamp Notes: Donald Trump’s ‘vendetta agenda’
<p>Donald Trump has made a lot of enemies over the years. He spent his first week back in the White House going after them — and is reshaping the federal government in the process. The FT’s Washington bureau chief James Politi and US legal and enforcement correspondent Stefania P ... Show More
15m 2s
Oct 2024
Trump 2.0: A Presidency Driven by Revenge
<p>In a special series, “The Daily” examines what a second Trump presidency would look like, and how it would challenge democratic norms.</p><p>This episode focuses on former President Donald J. Trump’s growing plans for revenge, which his allies and supporters often dismiss as m ... Show More
37m 40s
Oct 2025
Trump Foe Letitia James Indicted After President’s Pressure
The retribution tour intensifies as the person who charged Donald Trump’s business gets charged by his Justice Department after his order. Plus, the President’s attempts to put troops on the streets of Chicago meets the court. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoice ... Show More
45m 27s
Mar 2025
Walking the Constitutional Line
First: The Trump administration escalates attacks on a federal judge and publicly questions the court's authority. But are they willing to actually defy a judicial order? There's a key deadline right now that may provide an answer.  Plus: Today, President Trump will sign an exec ... Show More
40m 53s
Nov 2023
Why gag orders against Trump haven't stopped his attacks
This week, Scott Detrow and NPR political editor/correspondent Domenico Montanaro discuss gag orders in multiple cases against President Donald Trump and his attempts to weaponize them politically. Plus an update in the New York Civil trial and a Colorado case you might've missed ... Show More
16m 48s