The Trump Trials: Sidebar

In our first episode, the crew discusses the first day of former president Donald Trump's criminal trial in the hush money case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and how jury selection could play out. Plus - why the trial won't be televised, and how much trouble Trump could be in. Michael Cadenhead joins to discuss his recent trip to New York to ask Manhattanites if they could serve as impartial jurors in the trial.

The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann will host a weekly conversation as former president Donald Trump faces legal challenges in New York, Florida, Georgia and Washington, D.C. On the new show, "The Trump Trials: Sidebar," the hosts will break down the latest twists and turns as Trump contends with court appearances and seeks a second presidential term.

Listen to The Washington Post's new weekly politics roundtable and then go follow "The Campaign Moment" wherever you listen.

“Impromptu” from Washington Post Opinions invites listeners to eavesdrop on our columnists as they have frank, thoughtful conversations on the news and cultural debates they can’t stop thinking about.

“Try This” from The Washington Post is a series of audio courses designed to jump-start the parts of life where we can all use a few pointers — with pithy, snackable solutions you can easily use.

Forty years ago, the body of a prime minister went missing. The Post’s Martine Powers asks: Who’s responsible?

Grenada’s revolutionary leader was executed in a coup in 1983, with seven others. The whereabouts of their remains are unknown. Now, The Washington Post’s Martine Powers uncovers new answers about how the U.S. fits into this 40-year-old Caribbean mystery.

Journey through the messy past and uncertain future of America’s national parks. The Washington Post’s Lillian Cunningham ventures off the marked trail to better understand the most urgent stories playing out in five iconic landscapes today.

Former president Donald Trump has been indicted. We couldn't leave you hanging without an update from Post journalists. Here's today's 'Post Reports' episode that explains how the case could test the limits of our political and legal systems.

On The Post’s new podcast, "The 7," host Jeff Pierre takes you through the seven most important and interesting stories of the day. It's a way to get caught up in just a few minutes. It comes out every weekday at 7 a.m. Check it out today, then find and follow "The 7" so you're set for the new week!

More than five years later, what’s the answer to: “Can he do that?” What major lessons have we learned about the stability of our democracy and the limitations on presidential power? How have our systems been tested and how have they endured those tests?

Allison shares some news about the future of the show. Plus, a request to hear from listeners.

An unusual warrant. A pattern of questionable no-knock raids. A reporting thread that just kept going. “Broken Doors” is a new investigative podcast series from The Washington Post. Hosted by Jenn Abelson and Nicole Dungca.

Can Democrats clarify messaging on police reform? With states and cities taking police reform matters into their own hands, does the president run the risk of losing the support of the communities that played a huge part in getting him elected?

How has President Biden's experience with Afghanistan informed his choices in Ukraine? We’ve explored Biden’s history with global leadership, war and American intervention. What can his foreign policy history tell us about Biden’s response in Europe now?

An unusual warrant. A pattern of questionable no-knock raids. A reporting thread that just kept going. “Broken Doors” is a new investigative podcast series from the Washington Post. Hosted by Jenn Abelson and Nicole Dungca.

President Biden and former President Obama have seen little of each other recently, despite an ostensibly close relationship. What does Obama's appearance at the White House say about the relationship? And will it yield the results Democrats hope for?

A federal judge ruled this week that then-President Donald Trump “more likely than not” committed federal crimes in trying to block President Biden’s election win on Jan. 6, 2021. What are the likely implications for Trump and the Justice Department?

President Biden is in Europe this week, making stops in Belgium and in Poland in hopes of keeping the Western alliance united and showcasing American leadership. How much further will the allies go in support of Ukraine?

Some lawmakers hope to set up an independent probe into the country’s pandemic response, after months of contentious and partisan oversight efforts in Congress. Would this probe avoid politics and help us understand how to fight future pandemics?

President Biden pledged to move America’s climate reforms forward. How can he ensure that the U.S. has enough oil supply to keep prices from surging, while also ensuring that efforts to obtain that oil don’t infringe on his climate promises?

President Biden is trying to refocus messaging around Democrats' accomplishments. Is it too late for a political course correction with such little time before the midterms? Biden’s made his priorities clear, but will the Democratic party follow suit?

President Biden’s choice of Judge Jackson fulfills his campaign promise to nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court. She spent years overcoming obstacles by finding the middle ground.

Russia launched a full-scale attack against Ukraine in what U.S. officials say is an attempt to topple the democratically-elected, pro-Western government. The U.S. and its allies responded with massive sanctions. Will they work to deter Russia?

With the midterm elections on the horizon, both parties are searching for ways to connect with voters. But what if the thing voters want most is for politics to stop feeling like an existential death match? A reporter looks for answers in Virginia.

The White House is in a tough spot as Democratic governors begin lifting mask mandates. How long will President Biden hold out while facing pressure from his own party? And what accounts for the discrepancy between state governments and CDC guidance?

New details emerged about former president Trump's actions in the aftermath of the 2020 election. Plus, he made some new claims about the electoral process. How might the week's news affect a potential 2024 run and the cracks in American democracy?

What’s likely to happen next with this intensifying U.S.-Russia conflict? How is Biden’s approach with Ukraine different than past presidents? And why does Ukraine seem to come up over and over again in modern American politics?

After one year in office — with the country still facing several historic crises, simultaneously — Washington Post reporters set out to answer this question: What has Biden done about the four crises he pledged to address?

President Biden once said the filibuster was an important part of the legislative process. Now, he's urging changes to get legislation passed. How far will his words go in convincing Senate Democrats? Can he change the future of our election laws?

On Jan. 5, 2021, Rep. Jamie Raskin buried his only son. The next day he witnessed firsthand the attack on the Capitol. As we mark a year since the insurrection, we look at how Raskin dealt with his son’s death while serving on democracy’s front lines.

Where things stand one year after the Jan. 6 attacks on the Capitol? How much has Biden’s administration done to understand what led to the events of that day? And how far has it gone to prevent another major attack on our democracy?

In the last episode of our series from October about President Biden and the War in Afghanistan, he takes the reins as commander-in-chief and withdraws U.S. forces. Biden rethinks his stance on military intervention and America’s role in the world.

In the second episode of our October series about President Biden and the War in Afghanistan, we look at the years after the Sept. 11 attacks when Biden called for a major nation-building effort. Over time, though, he begins to doubt his own instincts.

In this series that originally aired on the 20th anniversary of the first U.S. strikes on Afghanistan, we explore President Biden’s career as it intertwines with the war. He ultimately chose to end the ‘forever war.’ What role did he have in starting it?

Where did Congress succeed this year and where did our governing body fall short? What does party extremism in the Capitol mean for gridlock? And is the existing American system still the best means to govern our country?

President Biden pledged to unify the country, and to do it amid tense racial and cultural division. How far has Biden come on that promise? Will he move toward more aggressively tackling social issues in year 2?

President Biden ran on the promise of returning the nation back to"normal." How far has Biden come? Washington Post White House reporters Ashley Parker, Annie Linskey and Sean Sullivan chat about where things stand nearly a year into Biden's presidency.

A close look at the state of Donald Trump post-presidency — his businesses, his finances, the ongoing criminal investigations into his actions and how all of those things could affect a potential political comeback.

What levers do presidents have to slow inflation? How much of our current economic situation can be attributed to President Biden’s policies and what can he really do to change the course of the American economy in the months ahead?

Now that the Biden administration has released rules for vaccine and testing mandates, court battles are starting to heat up. The Post’s labor reporter, and a legal expert, weigh in on what the future might hold for Biden’s vaccine workforce rules.

In a major upset for Democrats Tuesday, Republican Glenn Youngkin eked out a victory in Virginia’s gubernatorial race. Today, we look at the results of that election, and others, to understand the nation one year after the divisive 2020 elections.

McCarthy says he can recapture the House, but navigating an unpredictable former President Trump and keeping donors happy at the same time is sizable challenge. McCarthy wants to win in 2022 and unify the Republican party. Can he do that?

In the last episode of our series about President Biden and the War in Afghanistan, he takes the reins as commander-in-chief and withdraws U.S. forces. Ultimately, Biden rethinks his stance on military intervention and America’s role in the world.

In the second episode of our series about President Biden and the War in Afghanistan, we look at the years after the Sept. 11 attacks when Biden called for a major nation-building effort. Over time, though, he begins to doubt his own instincts.

On the 20th anniversary of the first U.S. strikes on Afghanistan, this three-part series explores President Biden's career as it intertwines with the war there. He ultimately chose to end the ‘forever war.’ But what role did he have in starting it?

Journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa uncovered details about the tumultuous transition of power from President Trump to President Biden in their new book, "Peril." They reveal how close we came to constitutional and international crises.

In this episode, as President Biden address the U.N. for the first time since taking office, we revisit a conversation from August about the climate’s "unprecedented" state and Biden’s big goals toward repairing it. Can his agenda succeed?

How can vaccine mandates effectively be enforced across the country? What precedent is there in history and law? And how do Americans and business owners feel about President Biden's executive orders mandating immunization?

After 9/11, NYPD police officer Daniel Rodriguez comforted the nation by performing “God Bless America.” It felt like a timeless moment. Instead, it proved fleeting. In this series, we explore how he and the country have tried to heal after tragedy.

After 9/11, NYPD police officer Daniel Rodriguez comforted the nation by performing “God Bless America.” It felt like a timeless moment. Instead, it proved fleeting. In this series, we explore how he and the country have tried to heal after tragedy.

How much power should the president have to act unilaterally on drone strikes? And how will that question define a new era of U.S. warfare? Plus, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) weighs in on the balance between the president and Congress on war powers.

The Biden administration faces a big challenge as they try to resettle Afghanistan refugees, and while also ensuring each person arriving to the U.S. undergoes significant security checks. The political debate around what happens next has started to heat up.

Biden sold himself as the experienced leader to undo Trump’s foreign policy missteps. But his push to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan and the ensuing chaos has called that claim into question. Is this moment a test for Biden? And is he passing?

Climate legislation moves forward as a U.N. report warns that humans have pushed the climate into "unprecedented" territory unless greenhouse gas pollution falls dramatically. President Biden has big goals to cut that pollution. Will his agenda succeed?

The 2022 midterm elections are still more than a year away. But the battle to win those races has already begun in the form of redrawing legislative and congressional districts. What can we learn about which party will emerge with the greatest advantage?

The ongoing probe may have implications for the 2022 midterm race and for President Biden’s promise to tackle white supremacist violence. What might findings reveal about where the U.S. is headed? And what can the hearings tell us about what’s to come?

The delta variant raises new challenges for the Biden administration: Will they change their approach to masking? What steps can they take to combat vaccine disinformation and get more Americans vaccinated? And is the economy at risk of another meltdown?

How does NASA fit in when billionaires fly to space? What are Biden’s plans for the space agency and how much of Trump’s initiatives does he plan to continue? And, ultimately, why should the government still invest in space exploration at all?

On this episode, Post Reports host Martine Powers talks to two Post reporters who reported on chaos in the early days of the pandemic including details about how sick President Trump was and his proposal to send infected Americans to Guantánamo.

As Americans celebrates the country's founding, we examine the presidency. How is a president’s leadership measured over time, and how do cultural moments change our historical perception? We offer insight from C-SPAN's Presidential Historians Survey.

The Biden administration is supporting a bill that would end the sentencing disparity in crack and powder cocaine offenses. But that disparity exists largely because of bills President Biden spearheaded in 80s and 90s. How much has Biden evolved?

President Biden promised a government where “public servants serve all Americans, not themselves or narrow special interests.” But one set of brothers pose a challenge to Biden's efforts to return to transparency and accountability in government.

Can Biden rally the world’s democracies to meet today's challenges? And what might this trip reveal about the Biden foreign policy doctrine? On this episode, White House reporter Anne Gearan weighs in from Europe, as she travels with President Biden.

What are the geopolitical implications of the intelligence community "redoubling its efforts" to identify the pandemic's origins? And what are the political challenges for President Biden in acknowledging a theory once touted by the Trump administration?

Discrimination is built into the American housing crisis. We examine the limits of President Biden's power to fix it, in this second episode in our occasional series about the policy challenges that President Biden faces during his first year in office.

Are the divisions within the Republican party causing real problems for Biden’s goals? And if he’s forced to move his agenda forward with only the help of his own party, how might Democratic factions and party discord make that more difficult?

As the president lays out a new vaccine strategy at home, how much can Biden also do to help curb the spread of coronavirus around the world? And what do the challenges with U.S. vaccine hesitancy mean for supply here -- and abroad?

One hundred days into the Biden administration, how far has the president come on his campaign pledges? Biden promised a new way of governing, so has much changed? Reporter Matt Viser unpacks President Biden's progress and what's next on his agenda.

Will the Biden administration be able to strike a balance between politics and public health to regulate menthol cigarettes? And what are the implications if it does? We explain the pending decision and unravel the history of menthol marketing.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, an economist, and a student all weigh in on what to do — or not — about student debt, in this first episode in our occasional series about the policy challenges that President Biden might face during his first year in office.

Since Georgia passed its new voting law, corporations, Congress and consumers have responded in ways that introduce big questions. Among them: How will the GOP grapple with its fraying relationship with corporate America over social and cultural issues?

How did Biden become a president with an ambitious agenda for major government expansion? Where will his proposals position him in history? And is he likely to accomplish much of what he’s put forth? The Post’s Dan Balz weighs in.

After tragedies in Colorado and Georgia, Biden has pledged to tighten gun laws. But the country has been here before, in the aftermath of mass shootings. Regardless of which party is in power, little reform has happened. Will this time be different

We examine why transgender rights have risen to the forefront of our politics, and what the history of the modern Republican party reveals about how social issue battles work as a political tool, with reporter Samantha Schmidt and professor Brian Conley.

Will low income Americans feel their lives change in tangible ways? On the other hand, might a fast-growing economy cause big problems? Plus, how might Biden make sure Americans know the government is responsible for some of economic changes they see?

A new report draws a line from today’s civics crises to a long-standing failure to effectively teach American government and history in our public schools. On this episode, we explain what the potential outcomes for civic engagement.

Can Attorney General nominee Merrick Garland rebuild confidence in the DOJ's independence? How might his efforts on Biden policies like combating far-right extremism and curbing police violence make the perception of an independent DOJ harder?

Can President Biden come through on this promise of reopening most schools within his first 100 days? How much can the president influence when and how schools welcome students back into the classroom? And what are the political consequences?

Some of the arguments in Trump's second impeachment trial get at the core of presidential responsibilities. We examine two of them to clarify the duties of a president during crisis and to understand how free speech applies to the commander in chief.

Families are still separated years after President Trump's policy ended. Latin America correspondent Kevin Sieff on the experiences of some migrant families. Plus, immigration policy expert Ali Noorani explains what it would take to reunite families.

How much power does Biden have to affect vaccine distribution and where is his power limited? What role should the federal government play in the process? Plus, officials on the ground explain what it's like to work to get vaccines to their communities.

President Biden campaigned on a promise to fix what’s broken, to repair divisions, to pull the country out of sickness, and to restore norms and institutions that were pillars of the Washington in which he built his career. Can he do that?

President Trump's businesses are taking a hit, he's been impeached a second time and he might face legal challenges after he leaves office. Reporter David Fahrenthold answers questions about what’s next for Trump.

Why impeach a president who is on his way out? When would a Senate trial start? Can President Trump be convicted after he leaves office? What does this mean for the GOP? Author of The Post’s Power Up newsletter, Jacqueline Alemany, answers key questions.

The breach of the U.S. Capitol was a remarkable moment in American history. Professor Sarah Binder explains how the usually uneventful vote was expected to unfold, and reporter Philip Bump lays out the challenges a divided GOP faces in the aftermath.

Over the holiday break, we're bringing back an old episode that has resonance today. What happens to the public's perceived independence of the Supreme Court when confirmation processes devolve into partisan battles? Original air date: October 5, 2018

We’re looking back at an episode that sheds light on President Trump’s actions as his term ends. Reporter Toluse Olorunippa explores the principles and controversy around presidential pardons after Trump’s clemencies. Original air date: February 20, 2020.

The final episode in the reprisal of our series on President Trump’s legacy focuses on uneven gains in the Trump era. The stock market and the wealthiest Americans have done better, but at the cost of growing inequality. Original air date: Oct. 29, 2020.

We're revisiting our series on the legacy of Trump's administration. Through weakening agencies and shuttering scientific programs, the administration has increased divisions in our trust of science-based guidance. Original air date: Oct. 28, 2020.

Over the holiday break, we're bringing back our series on President Trump's legacy. Trump has been surrounded by race-related controversies. Some hoped he would moderate his tone, but instead, he has inflamed tensions. Original air date: Oct. 27, 2020

President Trump only has one last way to challenge the results of the election -- and he'll need Congress. How long can he hold onto his influence on GOP leaders and voters in his base? And how might his influence affect Georgia's Senate races?

How much did Trump’s efforts effect vaccine development? Has Operation Warp Speed done more to help than our government’s pre-existing pandemic response system? Dr. Nicole Lurie of The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations answers questions.

President Trump is reportedly considering pardoning himself and his family for potential future Justice Department charges. Can he do that? And where does recent news of a “bribery-for-pardon” scheme fit into a president's limitations on pardon power?

Are Trump's major moves during a lame-duck period unprecedented? Professor Jeremi Suri offers an example from history with lessons for today. Plus, reporter Yasmeen Abutaleb on the implications of Trump's approach to the virus for Biden's incoming team.

Experts are concerned that the president's unwillingness to start a transition threatens our country’s safety by denying President-elect Joe Biden resources and intelligence. Shane Harris explains the risks when a president blocks a smooth transition.

The Trump campaign’s legal team has launched a legal blitz. What do these moves do? Will the suits stop vote counting or overturn results? Election law expert Edward Foley explains how the Trump team's fight in the courts could shape the final outcome.

As a businessman candidate Donald Trump said that he was the only one who could deliver major gains for U.S. workers. The stock market and the wealthiest Americans have seen gains during his administration but at a cost — ever-growing wealth inequalities.

Through his administration’s efforts to weaken agencies, control the flow of information coming out of government and shutter scientific programs, we explore how President Trump has increased divisions in our willingness to accept science-based guidance.