Talking Feds

Latest Episodes:

Lame but Lethal Nov 24, 2025

Show notes

Three of the most insightful observers of American politics—Jason Kander, Mara Liasson, and Josh Marshall—join Harry to analyze a week in which President Donald Trump was knocked on his heels, and lashed out viciously in response. The panelists talk through the big questions: Will Republicans keep up the pressure for transparency about Jeffrey Epstein? Why have Trump's recent outbursts been so vile even by his standards? Were Democrats aiming to further provoke him when they warned troops against following illegal orders? And, is the weakened president already entering a lame duck period?

Mentioned in this episode:
Jason’s podcast.
Mara’s reporting.
Josh’s writing.

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Inside the DOJ’s Unravelling under Trump Nov 20, 2025

Show notes

Journalist and Talking Feds regular Emily Bazelon joins Harry to share her reporting on the stories of the rank-and-file Department of Justice staff who’ve weathered Trump’s takeover. Emily spoke with 60 different attorneys who served in the department, and she tells Harry their stories of a department in ruin. What have the key moments looked like from the inside? How have career attorneys handled the wrenching choice of whether to stay on, or quit and risk replacement by a Trump loyalist? And how hard will it be for any new future to pick up the pieces?

Mentioned in this episode:
Emily's article.

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The Dog That Hasn’t Barked Nov 17, 2025

Show notes

For Talking Feds’ latest Contrarian episode, Harry speaks with Norm Eisen, Jen Rubin, and Neera Tanden about the reopening, revelations, and reprisals that dominated the week’s news. They break down where the Democrats went wrong in the shutdown fight and whether the cases against James Comey and Letitia James are collapsing. But, of course, with newly released documents exposing some of Jeffrey Epstein’s connections to Donald Trump, the panel takes a hard look at what can be surmised from the cryptic messages. The question on everyone’s minds: what in the world did Epstein mean when he called Trump the dog that hasn’t barked?

Mentioned in this episode:
The Contrarian.

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The Phrase that Could End Trump's National Guard Power Grab Nov 13, 2025

Show notes

Harry talks to Marty Lederman, the former Deputy Assistant Attorney General who authored an amicus brief with a legal discovery that has shaken the Administration's attempt to deploy the National Guard to Chicago and other Democrat-led cities. Marty and Harry explain the critical oversight in the administration's reasoning, and they think through what a bruising legal defeat would mean for the effort to put boots on the ground in American cities. It's a possible game changer in a case Harry has called a "moment of truth for the High Court."

Mentioned in this episode:
Harry's column about the stakes of this case.
The Supreme Court's request for briefs on the phrase "the regular forces."
Marty Lederman's expanded brief on the phrase "the regular forces."
Illinois and Chicago's expanded brief on the phrase "the regular forces."
The administration's expanded brief on the phrase "the regular forces."

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Blue Blizzard Nov 10, 2025

Show notes

In the aftermath of Tuesday’s sweeping nationwide Democratic wins, Harry calls in a trio of some of the country’s sharpest political thinkers—Emily Bazelon, Dave Weigel, and Rick Wilson—to unpack the meaning of the results. Was the increasingly painful government shutdown a decisive factor? Why are the voters who swung to Trump last year deserting him? And, crucially, how might Democrats keep their momentum going?

Mentioned in this episode:

David’s reporting: https://www.semafor.com/author/david-weigel
Emily’s reporting: https://www.nytimes.com/by/emily-bazelon#latest
This week’s episode of Slate’s Political Gabfest: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spectacular-night-for-democrats/id158004641?i=1000735632723
Rick’s Substack: https://therickwilson.substack.com/
Rick’s Talking San Diego appearance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFN88EW3Znw

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Presenting The Alabama Murders from Revisionist History Nov 06, 2025

Show notes

After releasing Harry’s conversation with Carol Leonnig and Aaron C. Davis two days early to sync up with the publication of their new book—Injustice: How Politics and Fear Vanquished America's Justice Department—Talking Feds is hosting a special preview of another podcast that’s exploring the consequential issues that impact, and define, American culture: The Alabama Murders, a new series by bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell's Revisionist History podcast. Entangled in an affair with a parishioner, a Northwest Alabama minister makes a devastating choice. Rather than face the shame of divorce, he arranges for three men to kill his wife. One of the men convicted in her murder, Kenny Smith, spent decades on death row, only for his execution to go horribly wrong. Eventually, the consequences lead to the center of a hot national debate on who should be allowed to live, who should die, and how the state should kill them. On The Alabama Murders, Malcolm asks: why, in our efforts to alleviate suffering, do we so often make it worse? If you want to hear the full story, find Revisionist History wherever you get podcasts.

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How Trump Demolished the DOJ Nov 04, 2025

Show notes

The Department of Justice has been at the epicenter of both Trump's efforts to subvert the rule of law and the attempts to hold him accountable during his years out of the White House. Now two of the country's most prominent investigative journalists—Carol Leonnig and Aaron C. Davis—have authored an authoritative account of these tumultuous years at DOJ. Their book is Injustice: How Politics and Fear Vanquished America's Justice Department. Leonnig and Davis join Harry for an in-depth discussion: their first interview about their tour-de-force new volume, which is full of revelations about the existential battles within the Department, built on interviews with more than 250 people who witnessed them first hand.

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Democracy on ICE Nov 03, 2025

Show notes

Harry sits down with David A. Graham, Katie Phang, and Maya Wiley to discuss federal agents' on-the-ground escalations and the courts' efforts to rein them in. They then move to the early warnings that Trump may interfere in next year’s midterms before ending with a quick look at some of tomorrow's critical elections. The overlapping question that criss-crosses all 3 topics: how can Americans band together to protect the democracy, and especially to blunt the threat of a far more systematic attempt by Trump than the last time around to interfere in the elections.

Mentioned in this episode:

Amie Barrodale’s Supreme Court satire: https://www.theparisreview.org/fiction/8383/crystal-palace-amie-barrodale

David’s piece in the Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/12/2026-midterms-trump-threat/684615/

Maya’s MSNBC piece: https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/trump-election-monitors-california-new-jersey-legal-rcna240313

Katie’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@katiephangnews

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A Legendary Congressman's Advice for Today's Democrats Oct 30, 2025

Show notes

We are living through what feels like unprecedentedly dark days, which can cause us to lose sight of context, history, and all the hard moments that the nation has faced before. This week, Harry turns to legendary Congressman Barney Frank for his perspective of the Trump era through a more long-term lens. Rep. Frank, who won landmark achievements on issues from banking reform to civil rights, speaks to Harry about what Democrats need to do now, his forthcoming book, and whether Donald Trump's outrages have any parallel in American history.

The two spoke by phone, so this conversation will sound slightly different from most Talking Feds episodes.

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The Costs of Chaos Oct 27, 2025

Show notes

A trio of superb economic analysts—Paul Krugman, Stephanie Ruhle, and Justin Wolfers—join Harry to break down how Trump is reshaping the U.S. economy. They weigh in on how long the shutdown can go on without major economic consequences, where tariffs are beginning to bite, and the future shape of the AI spike. Then, the whole panel joins in a big picture analysis of how Trump’s trademark chaotic, self-serving approach—combined with his attacks on institutions, immigration, and the rule of law—risks tearing up the foundations of American prosperity.

Mentioned in this episode:

Paul’s Substack: https://paulkrugman.substack.com/

Stephanie’s show: https://www.msnbc.com/11th-hour

Justin’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JustinWolfers

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