Talking Feds

Latest Episodes:

Molly Mashup: “Who’s Not Mad at Trump Right Now?” Jun 18, 2026

Show notes

In their newest mashup, Harry and Molly Jong-Fast trade questions about the president's weak deal with Iran and latest failures in federal courts. Molly wants to know where the slush fund stands and whether the Kennedy Center fiasco is the beginning of the end for Trump’s makeover of D.C. Harry asks about the political price the president will pay for the Iran deal, and if Trump can get away with a self-styled “bit of intrigue” aimed at installing ultra-loyalist Bill Pulte at the nexus of the U.S. intelligence services.

Mentioned in this episode:
Molly's podcast.
Molly's Substack.

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Trump's Birthday Bummer Jun 15, 2026

Show notes

Talking Feds stalwarts Norm Ornstein, Tara Setmayer, and Jacob Weisberg join Harry to break down a week where Congress and the courts put Trump on his heels. The group explains the growing legal headwinds for the president’s slush fund and tax amnesty. Next, they dig into how an apparent classic Trump u-turn was a sneakier maneuver than it seemed. Finally, they turn to the new revelations about how the Epstein scandal rocked the administration, and why the DOJ’s handling of the files—among other issues—should sink Todd Blanche’s AG nomination.

Mentioned in this episode:
Norm's podcast.
Tara's Substack.
The New York Times' new reporting about Epstein.

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Inside the DOJ’s Downward Spiral Jun 11, 2026

Show notes

Veteran reporter Devlin Barrett takes Harry inside the secret negotiations that created the $1.8 billion slush fund and the transformation within the Department of Justice that made Donald Trump's self-dealing possible. Drawing from his new book—The Department of Revenge: How Trump Took Control of American Justice—Devlin tells the inside story of how the president’s cronies remade the DOJ.

Mentioned in this episode:
Devlin's book.
Devlin's reporting.

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The Start of Trump’s Long Slide? Jun 08, 2026

Show notes

Harry talks with former Senator Barbara Boxer, Charlie Sykes, and Glenn Thrush to make sense of the sudden Republican restiveness, Graham Platner's latest scandal, and Trump's "scariest” appointment yet. Is California’s slow vote counting giving the DOJ an opening to claim election abuses? Will Platner doom Democrats’ hopes of what Charlie says should’ve been a “layup” win over Susan Collins? Can Congress finish off Trump’s slush fund? And why is everyone ignoring Trump’s audit-free guarantee—the most obviously self-enriching part of his corrupt settlement?

Mentioned in this episode:
Glenn’s reporting.
Charlie’s Substack.
Glenn’s inside look at how the Trump v. IRS settlement deal came together.
The New York Times’ Graham Platner story.

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David Frum’s Unified Thesis of Trump’s Failings Jun 04, 2026

Show notes

The U.S. war with Iran is not—despite promises from the White House—over. Nonetheless, premier national commentator David Frum is ready to declare a loser: Donald Trump. Together Harry and David piece through the interlocking personal failings of the president that foretold a winnable war against a far weaker enemy would become a debacle. And the two tackle how those traits shape Trump’s more successful pursuits: self-enrichment, going around the Constitution, and Mar-a-Lago-ifying the nation’s capital.

Mentioned in this episode:
David's columns.
David's piece on "Why Trump Lost."
David's podcast.

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Purges, Payoffs, and Paxton Jun 01, 2026

Show notes

As Trump puts a blue Texas in reach, Harry talks with Jonathan Alter, David A. Graham, and Senator Heidi Heitkamp to discuss the fall’s premier Senate race and the latest outrages from the DOJ. Should Democrats go all out to beat scandal-plagued Ken Paxton? Or does an obsession with Texas distract from other, less flashy pickup chances elsewhere? Can Trump’s “self-deal steal” survive sudden gusts of political and legal headwinds? And why is the DOJ now reportedly targeting E. Jean Carroll, a private citizen?

Mentioned in this episode:
Jonathan’s Substack.
David’s reporting.
Harry’s latest column.
Harry’s conversation with Congressman Jamie Raskin.

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Patrick Radden Keefe’s “London Falling” and Death in the Time of Oligarchs May 28, 2026

Show notes

A teenager hurtles from the balcony of a luxury apartment complex into the Thames. That unexplained death animates the newest book from one of America’s great nonfiction writers, Patrick Radden Keefe. Patrick joins Harry to unspool the story's web of shady characters, complacent police, and desperate parents. The two delve into the transformation of London into a playground for the extremely and unscrupulously wealthy—like Russian oligarchs—that made the fatal fall possible and draw out the way Trump is overseeing a similar shift in the United States. And Harry digs into Patrick’s approach to writing, including how his law degree informs his precise, almost prosecutorial reporting.

Mentioned in this episode:
Patrick's book.
Patrick's reporting.
Patrick's story about Trump, Mark Burnett, and the Apprentice.

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Orange Slush May 25, 2026

Show notes

For Talking Feds' latest special episode on the Department of Justice, Harry bears down on the DOJ's sinister creation of $1.8 billion slush fund for Trump's nastiest allies. Expert observers of the Department—Ken Dilanian, Glenn Kirschner, and Mimi Rocah—join Harry to dive into the nefarious details and the avenues for pushing back. The panel then surveys the sorry state of field offices, including a disturbing pattern of grand jury misconduct by DOJ lawyers. The group ends with a look at DOJ's ongoing battles with James and Maurene Comey.

Mentioned in this episode:
Ken's reporting.
Glenn's Substack.
Glenn's YouTube.
Mimi's piece about the slush fund.
Harry's latest column about the slush fund.

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Why is John Roberts Suddenly Rushing? May 21, 2026

Show notes

Harry talks with Rick Hasen, one of the country’s leading experts in election law and a prophet of Chief Justice John Roberts’s decades-long project to tear down voting rights. Hasen explains why Roberts—after taking a slow and steady approach for so long—is suddenly masterminding an aggressive “two minute offense.” Hasen lays out the damage dealt to American democracy by the decision, the prospects for court reform, and the signals that Roberts knows time is running out for him and the conservative dominance of the Supreme Court.

Mentioned in this episode:
Hasen’s analysis.
Hasen’s 2013 New York Times piece.
Harry’s column about the history behind the Callais decision.

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Trump's "Systematic" Undermining of the Economy May 18, 2026

Show notes

With gas prices surging and inflation on the rise once more, Harry turns to economist Justin Wolfers to get a handle on what Trump is doing to the U.S. economy. Wolfers explains why the real cost of the war with Iran is vastly higher than the figures quoted so far by the Pentagon, how long exorbitant fuel costs could last, and the deeper, unremarked ways that Trump is challenging the foundations of American prosperity.

Mentioned in this episode:
Platypus Economics on YouTube.
Platypus Economics on Substack.

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