Deadline: White House – "For Once, We Agree with Kash Patel"

Date: November 18, 2025
Host: Nicolle Wallace, MS NOW

Overview

This episode addresses profound concerns about the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI under the Trump administration, following a rare federal court ruling that exposes investigative misconduct in the prosecution of former FBI Director James Comey. Using breaking news, in-depth reporting, and expert analysis, host Nicolle Wallace—joined by a panel of legal and national security experts—explores what these developments mean for the rule of law, public safety, and the fundamental tenets of American democracy. The episode also features a powerful conversation with documentarian Ken Burns about the enduring significance of the American Revolution, drawing parallels between founding ideals and today’s political crises.

Key Topics & Insights

1. Federal Judge’s Rebuke of DOJ’s Prosecution of Comey

Segment: 00:49–04:51

• Main Event: A federal judge in Virginia orders the Trump Justice Department to relinquish grand jury materials, including audio, to the defense in the criminal case against former FBI Director James Comey.
• Why It Matters: The judge identifies "genuine issues of misconduct" and "a disturbing pattern of profound investigative missteps" that could lead to the dismissal of charges against Comey.
• Key Insight: The proceedings question the regularity and integrity of the DOJ’s actions, suggesting they were overridden by inexperienced, politically connected officials.
• Memorable Quote:

  "The record points to a disturbing pattern of profound investigative missteps, missteps that led an FBI agent and a prosecutor to potentially undermine the integrity of the grand jury proceeding." — Host, quoting Judge Fitzpatrick [03:05]

• Contextual Reporting: Recent New York Times investigative reporting paints the DOJ as Trump’s "personal law firm," with career lawyers marginalized by unqualified political appointees.

  "I wouldn't even call it the Justice Department anymore. It has become Donald Trump's personal law firm. I think Americans should be enraged." — Former Civil Rights Division Lawyer, quoted by host [03:37]

2. Expert Legal Analysis: DOJ’s “Rookie Mistakes” and Constitutional Violations

Segment: 04:51–09:53

• Andrew Weissman (Legal Analyst):
  • Critiques the “Keystone Cops” dysfunction of the grand jury proceedings.
  • Asserts that rookie mistakes by inexperienced Trump appointee Lindsey Halligan rise to the level of constitutional and attorney-client privilege violations.
  • Raises the likelihood that the indictment will be dismissed and evidence suppressed for Fourth Amendment violations.

  "Here we have Lindsey Halligan and the FBI seemingly just trampling on the Fourth Amendment rights and potentially the Fifth Amendment rights of James Comey." — Andrew Weissman [13:38]

• Michael Feinberg (Former FBI):
  • Calls the judge’s opinion a “complete evisceration” of both the FBI’s investigation and DOJ’s handling of evidence.
  • Warns that the forced exodus of career officials has created dangerous incompetence within federal law enforcement.

  “We’re going to see more of this... there’s a real loss of state capacity, a real loss of people who know what they’re doing. And that’s why we find ourselves in situations like the one we’re discussing about Lindsey Halligan.” — Michael Feinberg [11:45]

3. The Broader Impact: Erosion of Rule of Law and Public Trust

Segment: 09:53–16:08

• Systemic Consequences:
  • The episode’s guests caution that the loss of experienced personnel affects not only politicized cases but everyday federal law enforcement, from terrorism to drug cases.
  • Judges are now acting as guardians of basic rights because prosecutors can’t be trusted with the fundamentals—likened to “grading middle school essays.”

  “The opinions are starting to read like a teacher grading middle school essays. Mistake here, mistake there—except the mistakes are violations of a person’s constitutional rights.” — Host [12:21]

• Why Americans Should Care:
  • Even those not directly impacted may see their safety and rights erode as the agencies charged with protection suffer institutional rot.

  “You do not have competent people doing terrorism cases, corruption cases, drug cases... It is that, as Michael knows, that is something that takes years to develop that kind of skill set. And you want for those kinds of crimes, you want the very best people.” — Andrew Weissman [14:20]

• Redirection of Resources:
  • Mass reassignment of FBI agents to immigration leads to gaps in counterterrorism and other core duties.

  “By definition, just as a matter of math, if they're moving these people to immigration ... those things aren’t getting worked.” — Michael Feinberg [17:32]

4. Immigration Crackdown: "Charlotte’s Web" and Civil Liberties

Segment: 21:15–29:22

• News from Charlotte, NC:
  • Federal authorities lead a massive immigration raid, “Charlotte’s Web,” resulting in 140+ arrests. The operation’s name and tactics spark outrage.
  • A U.S. citizen, Willie Assaytuna, recounts being detained twice, with agents shattering his truck window and forcibly removing him.

  “...Border Patrol don’t respect if you are citizens or no citizens. In this case, I try to give my information but don’t hear nothing about this… probably because my truck is exactly target for Latinos on my face.” — Willie Assaytuna [22:23]

• Community Response:
  • Local residents organize as “ICE verifiers,” monitoring and attempting to protect their neighbors.

  “Being an ICE verifier just means being a member of a community right now with eyes… just trying to protect our city and protect people that we love.” — Miriam, Charlotte resident [24:43]

• Legal Flimflam:
  • DHS cites dubious legal justification for Border Patrol operations more than 1,600 miles from any border. Even on-the-ground attorneys question the legality.

  “To call that a border is… pushing it.” — Tim Emery, criminal defense attorney [27:41]

• Community Preparedness:
  • Organizers have readied for such crackdowns since 2017, with standing-room-only “Know Your Rights” trainings and coordinated mutual aid.

5. Ken Burns on “The American Revolution”: History, Democracy, and Today’s Lessons

Segment: 31:26–44:25

• New Documentary Series:
  • Ken Burns discusses his new project examining the American Revolution as the nation’s “origin story” and its continuing relevance.

  “This is as important a subject as we'll touch because it's our origin story… there’s actually something new under the sun here. It's really important. I think it's the most important thing since the birth of Christ.” — Ken Burns [33:02]

• Parallel to Current Crises:
  • Burns draws hope from history, arguing that our founding ideals remain “a table around which we can all agree to cohere” even amidst division.

  “This story is a table around which we can all agree to cohere. This is our story. I did not make it for one group of people. I’ve made it for everybody.” — Ken Burns [33:25]

• On Flawed Heroes:
  • The series doesn’t sanitize history, foregrounding both the ideals and contradictions of the founders (e.g., slavery).

  “Annette Gordon Reed ... gets to the place where we could get to as a country... she’s reminding us that in this world in which we're willing to cancel people left, right and center for not being perfect, what is left? No one is left in that regard.” — Ken Burns [42:28]

• On Virtue and Civic Responsibility:

  “If you're virtuous, then you begin to earn the right of being a citizen, which is an extraordinary thing.” — Ken Burns [38:34]

• Memorable Moment:
  • Burns reminds listeners of the complexity and humanity of the Revolution, advocating for unsanitized history as a guide for present challenges.

  “Nobody wants a sanitized story. Nobody. Left, right, center… Autocrats need people... to be uneducated, to be distracted by conspiracies. What our founders felt... was not the acquisition of stuff in a marketplace of things. It’s lifelong learning in a marketplace of ideas.” — Ken Burns [38:31–38:34]

Noteworthy Quotes & Timestamps

• "It has become Donald Trump's personal law firm. I think Americans should be enraged."
  — Former Civil Rights Division lawyer, quoted by host [03:37]
• "Rookie mistakes that this judge says have all of the look and feel of violating the Constitution and the attorney-client privilege of James Comey."
  — Andrew Weissman [06:27]
• "There’s a real loss of state capacity, a real loss of people who know what they’re doing."
  — Michael Feinberg [11:45]
• "The opinions are starting to read like a teacher grading middle school essays… except the mistakes are violations of a person’s constitutional rights."
  — Host [12:21]
• "If you have incompetent people and people with a lack of experience at the Department of Justice and the FBI, there is a reason to care… Not only rights will be violated, but we are not going to be safer."
  — Andrew Weissman [13:51]
• "We're just shooting ourselves in the foot in every way possible."
  — Michael Feinberg, on FBI priorities [18:36]
• "America, in 2025, an American citizen can say 'my truck or my face got me targeted'."
  — Host, on civil rights abuses [22:59]
• "To call that a border is a bit… pushing it."
  — Tim Emery, criminal defense attorney, on DHS justification [27:41]
• "This is as important a subject as we’ll touch because it’s our origin story… there’s actually something new under the sun here."
  — Ken Burns [33:16]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:49 — Breaking news on judge’s ruling in the Comey case
• 04:51 — Legal analyst Andrew Weissman explains the ruling’s significance
• 08:45 — Michael Feinberg details DOJ/FBI systemic problems
• 12:21 — Host: Judges forced into correcting government incompetence
• 16:34 — Broader effects of loss of expertise at DOJ/FBI
• 21:15 — Immigration raids in Charlotte; civil liberties in crisis
• 24:43 — Organizers, “ICE verifiers,” describe community response
• 26:08 — Legality of Border Patrol’s operations in Charlotte questioned
• 28:26 — How communities prepared for federal raids
• 31:26 — Feature conversation with Ken Burns on “The American Revolution”
• 42:28 — Ken Burns on confronting historical contradiction and virtue

Concluding Themes

• Erosion of Rule of Law: The Trump administration’s politicization of the DOJ and FBI has led to profound investigative failures with constitutional ramifications.
• Impact Across Government: Loss of expertise and institutional capacity is undermining essential crime-fighting and national security.
• Civil Liberties at Risk: Immigration crackdowns illustrate the on-the-ground human impact of federal overreach and the challenge of defending rights.
• History as a Guide: Ken Burns reminds listeners of the importance of confronting flaws in America’s story—past and present—in order to reclaim democratic possibility.

This summary captures the substance, mood, and key takeaways of the episode, offering a detailed guide for listeners and non-listeners alike.