The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell

Latest Episodes:

S2 Ep150: Trump's DOJ Just Proposed a Stunning Ethics Loophole (w/ Andrew Weissmann) Mar 14, 2026

Show notes

Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann discuss a chaotic week for the rule of law, from the DOJ bizarrely flip-flopping on defending Trump’s executive orders targeting law firms, to a Trump-appointed judge finding evidence of racial profiling in ICE stops in Minnesota, and a new DOJ proposal that could shield government lawyers from ethics investigations.

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S2 Ep149: Andrew Weissmann: This is Why America’s Institutions Are Failing Mar 11, 2026

Show notes

Sarah Longwell talks with former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann about his new book: "Liar’s Kingdom"

They discuss how Donald Trump exposed weaknesses in American institutions, why misinformation has become so central to modern politics, and what that means for the future of democracy.

Weissmann explains why simply winning elections won’t fix the problem, explores how other democracies handle threats to the rule of law, and lays out reforms that could strengthen guardrails without rewriting the Constitution.

Buy "Liar's Kingdom":

- Chatham Bookstore signed copies: https://bit.ly/4aXHu4R
- Politics & Prose signed copies: https://bit.ly/4aALp8Q
- Amazon: https://amzn.to/3MHQ8MR
- Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/402H2xc
- Bookshop.org: Bookshop.org: https://bit.ly/3N5hVa3

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S2 Ep148: Is This War Legal? (w/ Tess Bridgeman) Mar 07, 2026

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Sarah Longwell talks with Just Security’s Tess Bridgeman about whether the Iran war is legal under the Constitution, the War Powers Resolution, and international law. They discuss how presidents have stretched their authority for decades, why Congress keeps failing to act, and what it means when one man can take the country to war on his own.

Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-to-eat-an-elephant-sarah-longwell/1149619381?ean=9781250464170

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S2 Ep147: Trump’s Face on DOJ Is a Big Deal—Here’s Why (w/ Elliot Williams) Feb 25, 2026

Show notes

Sarah Longwell is joined by CNN legal analyst Elliot Williams to break down Trump’s latest legal battles—from the Supreme Court limiting his tariff plan to a judge holding ICE in contempt for ignoring court orders.

They also discuss the FCC targeting late-night shows, questions about DOJ independence after Trump put his face on the building, and new reporting on the Epstein files.

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S2 Ep146: Supreme Court Slams Door on Trump’s Tariff Power Grab (w/ Andrew Weissmann) | Illegal News Feb 21, 2026

Show notes

The Supreme Court struck down Trump’s sweeping tariffs in a 6–3 decision—including votes from two of his own appointees. Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann explain why the Court said Congress, not the president, controls the power to tax, what the “major questions” fight was really about, and why Chief Justice Roberts appeared to take direct aim at Kavanaugh’s dissent.

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They Don’t Want Borders. They Want Your Ballot (w/ Andrew Weissmann) Feb 18, 2026

Show notes

Andrew Weissmann explains to Sarah Longwell the new filing from officials in Georgia’s Fulton County election office attacking the FBI's search of the county's election records last month. They also discuss the latest around ICE cases in Minnesota and get to Sarah's rapid fire questions.

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S2 Ep145: In the Epstein Releases, Victims Came LAST (w/ Andrew Weissmann) Feb 13, 2026

Show notes

Andrew Weissmann explains to Sarah Longwell why Pam Bondi’s bizarre hearing indicates deep problems at the Justice Department. From the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein files to the FBI’s raid on Georgia’s Fulton County election office, they discuss what’s happening behind the scenes—and whether core legal standards are being ignored.

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S2 Ep144: Trump Is Treating Elections Like Crimes (w/ Elliot Williams) Feb 06, 2026

Show notes

Sarah Longwell and CNN legal analyst Elliott Williams walk through a stunning week of norm-breaking: the arrest of journalists after a Minnesota protest, Trump hovering over federal law enforcement, an FBI raid on a Georgia election office, and open talk of "nationalizing" U.S. elections. They also discuss Trump’s jaw-dropping $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS and his move to take over—and potentially shut down—the Kennedy Center.

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Links:

Read the Don Lemon indictment: https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mnd.231106/gov.uscourts.mnd.231106.39.0_7.pdf

Read Trump's $10 billion lawsuit: https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.706172/gov.uscourts.flsd.706172.1.0_3.pdf

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S2 Ep143: Secret ICE Memo Says They Can Enter Homes Without Warrants (w/ Elliot Williams) Jan 28, 2026

Show notes

Sarah Longwell is joined by former ICE attorney and CNN legal analyst Elliot Williams to discuss the growing clash between ICE, the Justice Department, and the courts. Williams explains why a federal judge in Minnesota is threatening contempt after ICE ignored a court order, and why DOJ’s response—appealing denied arrest warrants tied to a church protest—stunned the court. They talk about a secret DHS memo claiming ICE can enter private homes without judicial warrants, what that means for the Fourth Amendment, and why these tactics are triggering growing legal and public backlash.

Letters from Judge Schiltz calling out DOJ's abuse of the court system:

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ca8.113669/gov.uscourts.ca8.113669.00805439055.0.pdf

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ca8.113669/gov.uscourts.ca8.113669.00805439054.0.pdf

Secret DHS memo on warrantless entry by ICE: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26499371-dhs-ice-memo-1-21-26/

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S2 Ep142: The Epstein Files Are Being Buried by DOJ (w/ Asha Rangappa) Jan 21, 2026

Show notes

Asha Rangappa joins Sarah to discuss the ICE raids in Minnesota, a federal court injunction limiting certain actions against protesters, DOJ retaliation, the stalled Epstein files release, and the growing use of law enforcement as a political weapon.

Read the Ruling Restricting Federal Agents’ Actions in Minnesota: https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mnd.229758/gov.uscourts.mnd.229758.85.0_1.pdf

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