Washington Week with The Atlantic
2017
201752 episodes
Episode 1
Trump briefed on report blaming Putin for election meddling
Jan 6, 201723m
U.S. intelligence agencies tell the president-elect Russia was behind election-related cyberattacks.
Episode 2
Trump answers questions about ties to Russia
Jan 13, 201723m
President-elect Trump's praise of Putin has cast a cloud over his transition.
Episode 3
The Inauguration of President Donald Trump
Jan 20, 201723m
Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president, laying out a dark vision for America.
Episode 4
Donald Trump's first week as president
Jan 27, 201723m
What does Trump's first week in office say about his leadership style and America's place on the global stage?
Episode 5
Donald Trump’s worldview & how the world views the president
Feb 3, 201723m
The panel reports on the new world order of the Trump administration and the influencers jockeying for power inside the White House.
Episode 6
Trump administration considers next steps for travel ban
Feb 10, 201723m
The 9th Circuit rejects Trump bid to reinstate travel ban.
Episode 7
President Trump defends administration from Russia concerns
Feb 17, 201723m
The president held his first solo news conference.
Episode 8
Is President Trump redefining the Republican Party?
Feb 24, 201723m
President Trump riled up conservative voters in a fiery speech at CPAC Friday where he took on his favorite foil -- the press. After one month in the Oval Office, is Trump changing the core of the Republican Party? All week long Republican lawmakers have seen voter frustration up close in boisterous town hall meetings across the country as voters upset about the Affordable Care Act confront Congress directly. From immigration to transgender bathroom rights to rising anti-Semitism, the culture wars are heating up in America's heartland.
Episode 9
AG Sessions under fire amid new questions about Russia
Mar 3, 201723m
Sessions recuses himself from investigations into Russia's meddling in the election.
Episode 10
President Trump tries to sell wary Republicans on health care replacement and WikiLeaks details CIA spying tactics
Mar 10, 201723m
House Republicans unveiled their long-promised plan to replace the Affordable Care Act, but the bill faces growing opposition from Democrats and Republicans as well as health care stakeholders. President Trump placed his weight fully behind the bill and tried to convince wary Republicans to support their campaign promise. Meanwhile, Trump accused his predecessor of wiretapping his campaign, and WikiLeaks released thousands of CIA documents that revealed secrets about the agency’s ability to spy on personal information through phones, computers and televisions.
Episode 11
Defiant Trump defends unsubstantiated claims of wiretapping and proposes "American first" budget
Mar 17, 201723m
Trump doubles down on claims Obama wiretapped Trump Tower despite no evidence found by Congress.
Episode 12
Health care reform indefinitely on hold and wiretapping investigations raise questions of Trump’s credibility
Mar 24, 201723m
Republicans cancel planned vote on health care after failing to get the votes to pass it.
Episode 13
Mike Flynn seeks immunity as Russia investigations continue to stall Trump agenda
Mar 31, 201723m
Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn is willing to testify about the Trump campaign’s connection to Russia in exchange for immunity. So far there are no takers, but the Senate Intelligence Committee held its first public hearing about Russian meddling in the U.S. election. The House investigation is stalled after new questions about the source of information for the Republican chairman. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is trying to recover from the failure of the Republican health care bill, and the president is threatening to “fight” the Freedom Caucus.
Episode 14
Do U.S. missile strikes in Syria mark a change in Trump’s national security priorities?
Apr 7, 201723m
The U.S. military fired 69 cruise missiles at targets in Syria.
Episode 15
Dramatic shifts in the Trump Doctrine
Apr 14, 201723m
President Trump changes his tune on Russia, China and NATO.
Episode 16
President Trump's domestic agenda as 100-day mark approaches
Apr 21, 201723m
President Trump is nearing the 100-day mark of his presidency and Congress is set to return from a two-week recess.
Episode 17
Donald Trump's first 100 days
Apr 28, 201723m
President Trump is reaching the end of his first 100 days in office. The president is learning on the job that governing isn't as easy as he thought it would be. The White House spent the week scrambling for last-minute executive action on trade and tax reform, but Congress is continuing to debate the future of health care. Plus, the one story that has dominated Trump's time in office took a new turn this week as ousted National Security Adviser Michael Flynn faced a new investigation about foreign money he accepted.
Episode 18
Republicans revive health care reform and Congress compromises on government spending
May 5, 201723m
This was the week Congress got busy. Republicans in the House performed life-saving measures to revive their long-promised plan to replace Obamacare weeks after their original replacement bill fell short. The recrafted measure does not require people to have health insurance, rolls back state-by-state expansions of Medicaid, and includes $8 billion to help cover people with pre-existing conditions. Health care industry groups including the American Medical Association and the American Cancer Society oppose the bill and its likely to encounter hurdles when it is debated by the Senate. The health care win came just days after Congress reached a bipartisan budget deal to fund the government through the end of September. The $1.1 trillion spending bill increases defense and border security funding but does not include money to pay for President Trump’s border wall. Despite the compromise, Trump suggested the need for a “good ‘shutdown’ in September” to get more Republican spending priorities. Robert Costa goes behind-the-scenes in the halls of Congress and the White House to understand the negotiations and impact of this consequential week with: Ed O’Keefe of The Washington Post Erica Werner of AP Peter Baker of The New York Times Molly Ball of The Atlantic
Episode 19
The fallout from President Trump firing the FBI director
May 12, 201723m
Two words that have been central to President Trump's persona for more than a decade sent shockwaves through Washington this week: "You're fired." Lawmakers are grappling with the consequences of the abrupt removal of FBI Director James Comey and what it may mean for the continuing investigations into Russia's meddling in last year's presidential election. Democratic senators are calling for a special prosecutor to investigate ties between Trump's campaign and Russian officials. The acting FBI director told the Senate Intelligence Committee that the bureau's probe will continue and that the White House has not tried to impede the inquiry. Robert Costa will explore the fallout of Trump’s decision to fire the FBI director with: Pete Williams of NBC News Margaret Brennan of CBS News Erica Werner of the Associated Press Dan Balz of The Washington Post
Episode 20
Special counsel will oversee Russia investigations
May 19, 201723m
Donald Trump is facing the harsh reality of being president just 118 days into his administration. The plume of scandals emanating from the White House grew larger each day this week as Trump continues to push back against investigations into Russia's meddling in the U.S. presidential election and possible ties to his campaign. The uproar that started with the firing of FBI Director James Comey last week intensified with the revelation of memos Comey wrote that said Trump asked him to end the inquiry into former national security adviser Michael Flynn. By Thursday, the president used Twitter (link is external) to call the appointment of a special prosecutor to oversee the Russia investigations a "witch hunt." Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill are publicly committed to continue their own investigations. While more Democrats openly discuss impeaching the president, Republicans are starting to distance themselves from the Trump administration. Robert Costa will make sense of another busy week in Washington with: Julie Hirschfeld Davis of The New York Times Alexis Simendinger of Real Clear Politics Michael Scherer of TIME Magazine Manu Raju of CNN
Episode 21
Russia investigation reaches Trump’s inner circle
May 26, 201723m
The federal investigation into Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential election reached President Trump’s innermost circle Thursday. The Washington Post reported that the president’s senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner is a focus of investigations and officials believe he has information relevant to their ongoing probe into potential ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. Kushner has not been accused of wrongdoing, but he is now the only current White House official considered key to the investigation. The FBI is still interested in former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Congressional inquiries continue to move ahead as well. Fired FBI Director James Comey is set to testify next week. Earlier this week, former CIA Director John Brennan testified about interactions between the Trump campaign and Russia – but stopped short of calling it collusion. All this is unfolding as the president is wrapping up his first foreign trip. At the NATO summit, Trump was forced to mend fences with British Prime Minister Theresa May after the UK stopped sharing intelligence about the recent terror attack with the United States. Robert Costa will get an update on stories from Washington to Italy with: Peter Baker of The New York Times Vivian Salama of the Associated Press Erica Werner of the Associated Press
Episode 22
President Trump says U.S. will withdraw from Paris climate change agreement
Jun 2, 201723m
resident Trump announced that the U.S. would withdraw from the Paris climate accord, the historic 2015 agreement that commits nations to cut greenhouse gas emissions, and seek to renegotiate a new deal that's "fair" for the American people. The United States, the world’s second-largest greenhouse gas emitter, will join just two other nations – Nicaragua and Syria – to reject the climate change deal. Thursday's announcement is a campaign promise kept for the president who called climate change a "hoax." Global leaders urged him to reconsider during his overseas trip last week, and Trump's decision will raise questions about the U.S. role on the world stage. With the United States signaling its intention to withdraw and renegotiate, will other nations follow? Inside the White House, the decision pitted White House staffers against each other. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and adviser Stephen Bannon argued urged Trump to abandon the Paris agreement because it led to job losses. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and daughter Ivanka Trump joined environmental groups and corporate executives who believed the president should keep the U.S. commitment. Robert Costa will discuss President Trump's decision to exit the Paris Accord and the global ramifications with: Michael Scherer of TIME Magazine Indira Lakshmanan of The Boston Globe Jonathan Swan of Axios
Episode 23
War of Words: Trump and Comey accuse each other of lying
Jun 9, 201723m
Fired FBI Director James Comey accused President Trump of telling “lies, plain and simple” during testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee. Trump responded by calling Comey a “leaker” and denied any collusion between his campaign and Russia. The president said he would “100 percent” talk to special counsel Robert Mueller under oath. How did the relationship devolve to this point?
Episode 24
Calls for unity in the aftermath of Congressional shooting
Jun 16, 201723m
Every once in a while, one moment makes Washington pause. Partisanship melts away, if only for that brief moment. This week it was a charity baseball game, an annual tradition that pits Republicans and Democrats against each other for a good-natured competition and America’s favorite pastime. Everything changed early Wednesday morning when a gunman opened fire on the Republican team practicing on a suburban field. Rep. Steve Scalise, the number three Republican in the House of Representatives, was critically injured along with four others. As the game goes on and Washington returns to its usual squabbles, the investigation into Russian meddling in the presidential election has expanded to include President Trump. Special counsel Robert Mueller is reportedly looking into whether Mr. Trump obstructed justice in the Russia case after firing FBI Director James Comey. Just one day after the shooting when Trump praised all the public servants working in government, the president took to Twitter to bemoan the “very bad and conflicted people” investigating him. On Wednesday the Senate voted 97-2 to restrict the president’s ability to roll back sanctions to punish Russia for interfering in the 2016 election. What does this unusual week tell us about civility, credibility and trust in Washington? Robert Costa will discuss with: Alexis Simendinger of Real Clear Politics Jeff Zeleny of CNN Erica Werner of the Associated Press Geoff Bennett of NPR Adam Entous of The Washington Post
Episode 25
Senate Republicans unveil Obamacare repeal bill
Jun 23, 201723m
After weeks of behind-the-scenes discussions, Senate Republicans unveiled their plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. The Better Care Reconciliation Act authored largely by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell rolls back many requirements included under President Obama's signature healthcare plan. The Senate plan would: - Phase out the Medicaid expansion to low-income Americans - Provide smaller subsidies for insurance plans that offer less coverage - Repeal the individual mandate requiring Americans to buy insurance - Allow states to opt out of requiring certain essential health benefits like maternity care and mental health treatment In addition to Democrats, who are in lock-step opposition to the GOP Senate health care bill, four conservative Republican senators have rejected the plan calling it "Obamacare light." Sens. Rand Paul (KY), Ron Johnson (WI), Ted Cruz (TX) and Mike Lee (UT) released a joint statement saying they're "not ready to vote for this bill." The Senate plan is similar to the American Health Care Act passed by the House last month. President Trump touted its passage in a Rose Garden ceremony but recently has called it "mean" and "cold-hearted." Trump tweeted his support for the Senate bill late Thursday. All of the debate is racing towards a vote next week before the July 4th Congressional recess. McConnell’s schedule leaves little time for public debate or amendments. The Congressional Budget Office will release its score of the bill next week. Robert Costa will explore the details of the Republican prescription for health care and the real-world impact with: Sarah Kliff of Vox Susan Davis of NPR Philip Rucker of The Washington Post Kelly O'Donnell of NBC News
Episode 26
Health care policy, politics and consequences
Jun 30, 201723m
As Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell struggles to find 50 Republican 'yes' votes for health care reform, he has delayed a vote on his plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act until after the July 4 recess. McConnell will unveil an updated bill on Friday that he hopes will appease both conservative and moderate members of his caucus. How does the revised Senate bill compare to the status quo under Obamacare? And how will people across the country be impacted by any proposed reforms? Robert Costa will discuss the policy and consequences of health care reform with: Sarah Kliff of Vox Nancy Cordes of CBS News Michael Scherer of TIME Magazine Yamiche Alcindor of The New York Times
Episode 27
Trump and Putin have first face-to-face meeting
Jul 7, 201723m
President Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the G20 Summit in Germany. Trump pressed Putin about Russia's role in meddling in the U.S. presidential election which Putin denied doing. How is Trump reshaping American foreign policy six months after taking office? And how does the global community view the new president?
Episode 28
White House in crisis mode after Donald Trump Jr.'s emails with Russian lawyer
Jul 14, 201723m
President Trump's son Donald Trump Jr. released emails detailing a June 2016 meeting with a Russian attorney, and the White House entered crisis mode to contain the fallout. While the president publicly defended his son, Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill were critical of the response and continue investigations into possible collusion. Plus, Senate Republicans unveiled their revised plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, but Majority Leader Mitch McConnell already faces pushback from his own party.
Episode 29
President Trump tries to rein in the Russia investigation as staff shakeups hit the White House
Jul 21, 201723m
Staff shakeups hit the White House Friday. Press secretary Sean Spicer resigned, and Anthony Scaramucci was introduced as President Trump's new communications director. The roundtable also looked back on the first six months of the administration, highlighting the achievements and setbacks.
Episode 30
July 28, 2017
Jul 28, 201723m
Episode 31
August 4, 2017
Aug 4, 201723m
Episode 32
August 11, 2017
Aug 11, 201723m
Episode 33
August 18, 2017
Aug 18, 201723m
Episode 34
August 25, 2017
Aug 25, 201723m
Episode 35
September 1, 2017
Sep 1, 201723m
Episode 36
September 8, 2017
Sep 8, 201723m
Episode 37
September 15, 2017
Sep 15, 201723m
Episode 38
September 22, 2017
Sep 22, 201723m
Episode 39
September 29, 2017
Sep 29, 201723m
Episode 40
October 6, 2017
Oct 6, 201723m
Episode 41
October 13, 2017
Oct 13, 201723m
Episode 42
October 20, 2017
Oct 20, 201723m
Episode 43
October 27, 2017
Oct 27, 201723m
Episode 44
November 3, 2017
Nov 3, 201723m
Episode 45
November 10, 2017
Nov 10, 201723m
Episode 46
November 17, 2017
Nov 17, 201723m
Episode 47
November 24, 2017
Nov 24, 201723m
Episode 48
December 1, 2017
Dec 1, 201723m
Episode 49
December 8, 2017
Dec 8, 201723m
Episode 50
December 15, 2017
Dec 15, 201723m
Episode 51
December 22, 2017
Dec 22, 201723m
Episode 52
December 29, 2017
Dec 29, 201723m