Defending Democracy with Marc Elias

Latest Episodes:

Are Republican Voters Finally Turning Against Trump? | Sen. Chris Van Hollen Apr 11, 2026

Show notes

Sen. Chris Van Hollen joins Marc Elias to discuss Donald Trump's unauthorized war with Iran, the politicization of the Department of Justice, and Republican efforts to restrict voting access through the SAVE Act. Van Hollen breaks down how Congress is fighting back — from war powers resolutions to the 2026 elections — and explains why the pressure from voters is finally starting to matter.

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00:00 Today's Guest: Sen. Chris Van Hollen

00:42 What Can Be Done to Stop Trump’s War Powers?

03:14 How Is This Different From the Iraq War?

05:37 What Can We Learn From Standing Up to Trump?

10:40 Can Individual Action Still Make a Difference?

13:08 Is There Real Hope for Political Change?

18:25 Should Democrats Focus on Democracy or the Economy?

20:23 How Serious Are Threats to Elections?

27:34 Why Are Republicans Pursuing Unpopular Policies?

30:44 Is the DOJ Being Weaponized—and What Comes Next?

SCARY: Trump's Criminal Defense Lawyer Is Running The DOJ Apr 09, 2026

Show notes

Donald Trump has installed his former criminal defense attorney Todd Blanche as the new acting Attorney General. In this episode, Marc Elias breaks down who Todd Blanche is, why he's so dangerous, and what this means for the midterm elections.

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00:00 Criminal Defense vs. Prosecutors Explained

01:13 What Justice Should Look Like in America

02:55 How Trump Reshaped the Department of Justice

04:08 Pam Bondi vs. Todd Blanche: Key Differences

06:00 Who Is Todd Blanche? Trump’s Top Lawyer

08:09 Inside Trump’s DOJ “Fraud Unit” Strategy

11:12 Todd Blanche Press Conference Breakdown

14:41 Are Political Prosecutions Already Happening?

20:04 Mass Firings at DOJ and FBI Explained

26:07 White House Control, Elections, and What’s Coming

I'm Suing Donald Trump to STOP His National Voter Database Apr 07, 2026

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Marc Elias is suing Donald Trump to stop his unconstitutional executive order creating a national citizen list. In this video, Marc breaks down this dangerous overreach of executive power, and reviews his history of fighting for free and fair elections.

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00:00 Trump & Threats to Elections

02:10 My History Fighting Trump in Court

04:00 The Ongoing Battle Over Voting Rights

06:05 DOJ Lawsuits & Push for Voter Data

09:08 The “No National Database” Claim

10:21 What Trump Is Building Behind the Scenes

12:32 Executive Order Strategy Explained

14:10 Lawsuits to Stop the Executive Order

19:29 How the Plan Impacts Voting & Mail Ballots

23:07 Criminalization, Enforcement & Federal Pressure

29:20 Bigger Risks, Future Escalation & Final Thoughts

Trump Is Building a National Voter List — And It's Worse Than You Think | Sen. Alex Padilla Apr 04, 2026

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Senator Alex Padilla joins Marc Elias to discuss Trump's "flat out unconstitutional" executive order demanding that the Department of Homeland Security make a list of citizens. It gets worse: Only those on that list will receive mail-in ballots.

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00:00 Welcome Today’s Guest: Alex Padilla

00:37 State of the SAVE Act & Senate Standoff

01:58 How Democrats Are Blocking the Bill Daily

03:12 Can Republicans Bypass the Filibuster?

05:08 Lawsuits, Media Coverage & Florida’s Version of the Bill

06:30 Why Republicans Target California

10:01 Breaking Down Donald Trump’s Executive Order on Elections

12:28 Where Are Congressional Republicans?

15:00 Padilla Reflects on Being Physically Confronted by Federal Forces

18:22 ICE Expansion, Detention Conditions & Oversight Battles

21:27 California Ballot Seizure Controversy & Election Threats

Bondi Is Out — And Her Replacement Could Be Far Worse for Voting Rights Apr 03, 2026

Show notes

Donald Trump has fired Pam Bondi as Attorney General, and her replacement could be someone even more hostile to voting rights. Marc Elias is joined by Democracy Docket Legal Content Editor Ashley Cleaves to analyze Bondi's legacy and discuss the implications of this move for the 2026 elections.

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00:00 Trump Fires Pam Bondi

00:38 Today's Guest: Ashley Cleaves

01:13 Bondi’s Rise & Loyalty to Trump

04:22 Weaponizing the DOJ: Bondi’s Legacy

08:48 DOJ Turns Against Voting Rights

11:04 Lawsuits, Ballot Seizures & Voter Data Fights

15:36 Key Legal Battles Shaping the 2026 Elections

17:13 Who Replaces Bondi? Top Contenders

20:06 DOJ Incompetence vs. Political Agenda

25:11 Supreme Court Cases & What Comes Next

Trump is DECIMATING the Constitution | Rep. Jamie Raskin Apr 02, 2026

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Rep. Jamie Raskin joins Marc Elias to discuss Donald Trump violating the Constitution, the president’s efforts to seize control of elections, and the Department of Justice acting as the Department of Donald Trump’s Vendettas.

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00:00 Today's Guest: Jamie Raskin

01:09 Congressional Power vs Donald Trump Executive Overreach

02:18 Is Congress Failing to Check the Presidency?

05:49 Epstein Files, War Powers & Rule of Law Concerns

08:22 Would the Founders Recognize Today’s Government?

12:12 Clash with Pam Bondi & DOJ Transparency Battle

16:35 Supreme Court Case on Mail-In Voting & Election Rules

20:12 Election Fears, Voter Access & Final Constitutional Warning

Trump's Epstein Cover-Up Is Getting Worse Mar 31, 2026

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Marc Elias breaks down the timeline of the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files, exposing a massive cover-up by the Department of Justice to protect President Donald Trump.

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00:00 The Epstein Files

00:47 Who Was Jeffrey Epstein?

01:40 Trump, MAGA & The Promise to Release the Files

03:17 DOJ’s First “Release” Falls Apart

04:29 Pam Bondi’s Letter & Demand for Full Files

10:49 Silence, Deflection & the July FBI Memo

18:06 “No Evidence” — The Cover-Up Question

22:07 Congress Forces Action on Epstein Files

26:24 DOJ Misses Deadline & Delays Release

32:35 Millions Missing: Where Are the Files?

Trump Is SEIZING Your Ballots | Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse Mar 28, 2026

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Senator Sheldon Whitehouse joins Marc Elias to expose the SAVE America Act — a Republican voter suppression bill that would hand disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of American citizens. This is not a policy debate. This is a blueprint for stealing elections.

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00:00 Today’s Guest: Sheldon Whitehouse

00:41 Inside the Save America Act: What Republicans Are Trying to Pass

03:49 The Real Goal: Control of Voter Data & Registration

07:31 Federal vs State Elections — Why This Shift Matters

10:06 Will This Bill Actually Pass the Senate?

12:56 Supreme Court Clash Over Voting Laws

15:21 What to Watch From the Supreme Court Next

19:00 DOJ Ballot Seizures & the Fulton County Raid

24:17 Why This Search Warrant Raises Red Flags

28:17 Is This a Test Run for Future Elections?

31:05 How Ballot Data Could Be Used to Influence Votes

35:39 Epstein Files: What’s Still Being Hidden?

40:19 Is the Government Acting in Trump’s Interest?

41:52 What Voters Should Do Right Now

Steve Bannon: Trump Is Using ICE as a "Test Run" for Voter Suppression Mar 26, 2026

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Steve Bannon just admitted it: Trump's ICE airport deployments are a test run — and the target is YOUR vote.

From Fulton County to Minneapolis, Marc Elias breaks down Trump's test runs ahead of the 2026 midterms, and explains what we can do to prepare.

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00:00 Steve Bannon Reveals Secret Plan

01:13 Who is Steve Bannon?

02:03 The ICE "Test Case": From Airports to Polling Places

02:51 Logistical Suppression: Creating Manufactured Long Lines

04:13 Case Study: Disparate Wait Times and Georgia's Voting Barriers

07:40 The Threat of ICE Agents Checking Voter IDs

10:23 The Mission of Democracy Docket in Defending Rights

12:31 Neighborhood Disruptions and the Non-Citizen Voting Myth

16:04 Learning from the Past: Ballot Seizures and Office Raids

19:59 Expanding Tactics: Recent Ballot Seizures in California

22:17 Trump’s "Optionality": Multiple Paths for Subversion

29:56 Looking Ahead: Responding to Suppression and Calls to Action

Trump Accountability Must Go SCORCHED EARTH | Glenn Kirschner Mar 24, 2026

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Former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner joins Marc Elias to break down why the rule of law is hanging by a thread. They also discuss the Epstein files cover-up, DOJ ethics violations, and why we need a scorched-earth accountability effort.

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00:00 Today's Guest: Glenn Kirschner

00:41 One Year In: How is the Nation and the Rule of Law Doing?

02:47 What Does the New "Accountability Project" Look Like?

05:43 Where Will the Next Generation of Non-Political Prosecutors Come From?

07:40 Context: Glenn's History with Eric Holder and Bob Mueller

09:42 Unpacking Legal Standards: Probable Cause vs. Likelihood of Conviction

11:06 Case Study: The Sean Dunn "Sandwich Throwing" Prosecution

17:58 Accountability After Jan 6th: What Was Done Right and Wrong?

23:56 Avoiding the "Normalizing" of Political Crimes in 2029

26:19 Current Events: The Seizure of Ballots in Fulton County