Podcast
Talking Feds
Hosted by Harry Litman · EN
Talking Feds is a roundtable discussion that brings together prominent former government officials, journalists, and special guests for a dynamic and in-depth analysis of the most pressing questions in law and politics.
107episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Chris Murphy on Fighting Trump and Pursuing Happiness
Yesterday00:35:55Summary ready“The fight,” Senator Chris Murphy tells Harry, “shouldn’t just be to get rid of Trump. The fight should be to create a different economy and a different culture.” That’s the message of the senator’s new book—Crisis of the Common Good—which offers a host of provocative ideas for fixing the cracks in our society through which Trump crawled his way to power. After the two look at some of the latest Trump-induced crises, like Iran and the slush fund, Harry digs into the book’s many big ideas. He closes by asking the senator about the steps any American can take toward a happier life and a healthier democracy. Mentioned in this episode: Senator Murphy's book: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374621117/crisisofthecommongood/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SummaryWill the FBI Stand Up to Trump?
4d ago01:02:31Summary readyThree veterans of the FBI—Michael Feinberg, Andrew McCabe, and Asha Rangappa—join Harry for a special deep-dive on the Bureau. The panel explores the dangerous, erratic leadership of Kash Patel, whose blunders keep embarrassing his agents and harming their mission. They dig into the costs of Patel’s relentless purge of old personnel, of which Michael was an early victim. Finally, the trio zeroes in on the crucial leaders within the Bureau whom they urge to stand up to Patel—as their oath requires—or watch him turn the FBI into a corrupt and politicized tool of Trump. Mentioned in this episode: Andrew’s podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unjustified/id1317481380 Michael’s analysis: https://www.lawfaremedia.org/contributors/mfeinberg Asha’s Substack: https://asharangappa.substack.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SummaryMolly Mashup: “Who’s Not Mad at Trump Right Now?”
1w ago00:29:43Summary readyIn 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: https://fastpoliticspod.com/Molly's Substack: https://mollyjongfast.substack.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SummaryTrump's Birthday Bummer
2w ago00:52:40Summary readyTalking 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: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dsrs-words-matter/id1420216970 Tara's Substack: https://tarasetmayer.substack.com/ The New York Times' new reporting about Epstein: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/10/magazine/trump-epstein-files-white-house-vance-doj.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SummaryInside the DOJ’s Downward Spiral
2w ago00:45:05Summary readyVeteran 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 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. Devlin's book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Department-of-Revenge/Devlin-Barrett/9781668065129 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SummaryThe Start of Trump’s Long Slide?
3w ago00:57:12Summary readyHarry 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: https://www.nytimes.com/by/glenn-thrush#latest Charlie’s Substack: https://charliesykes.substack.com/ Glenn’s inside look at how the Trump v. IRS settlement deal came together: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/30/us/politics/trump-irs-lawsuit-deal.html The New York Times’ Graham Platner story: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/04/us/politics/platner-maine-senate-girlfriends-relationships.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SummaryDavid Frum’s Unified Thesis of Trump’s Failings
3w ago00:33:58Summary readyThe 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: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/david-frum/ David's piece "Why Trump Lost": https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/05/why-trump-lost-iran/687291/ David's podcast: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDamP-pfOskNgMNI1eg0pajQfRu-q3NUO Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SummaryPurges, Payoffs, and Paxton
4w ago01:00:15Summary readyAs 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: https://oldgoats.substack.com/David’s reporting: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/david-a-graham/Harry’s latest column: https://harrylitman.substack.com/p/not-too-shabbyHarry’s conversation with Congressman Jamie Raskin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7rpqMubPEQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SummaryPatrick Radden Keefe’s “London Falling” and Death in the Time of Oligarchs
4w ago00:40:59Summary readyA 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: London Falling: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/704979/london-falling-by-patrick-radden-keefe/ Patrick's reporting: https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/patrick-radden-keefe Patrick's story about Trump, Mark Burnett, and the Apprentice: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/01/07/how-mark-burnett-resurrected-donald-trump-as-an-icon-of-american-success Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SummaryOrange Slush (Special DOJ Episode)
May 2501:04:41Summary readyFor 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: https://www.ms.now/author/ken-dilanian-2 Glenn's Substack: https://glennkirschner.substack.com/ Glenn's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GlennKirschner2 Mimi's piece about the slush fund: https://www.contrariannews.org/p/doj-facilitates-a-heist Harry's latest column about the slush fund: https://harrylitman.substack.com/p/a-metastasizing-scandal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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