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.
122episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Slaughterhouse-Six
Jul 600:58:51Summary readyIt’s our annual Supreme Court term wrap-up. To break down a term marked by juggernaut victories for the conservative legal movement—as well as a few key losses for Trump—Harry is joined by Amy Howe, Dahlia Lithwick, and Steve Vladeck. They break down the biggest cases and spotlight several overlooked decisions with enormous long-term consequences for executive power, immigration, and the structure of the American government itself. Finally, the trio looks ahead to the next term and posits ways to restrain a runaway court. Mentioned in this episode:Amy’s reporting: https://www.scotusblog.com/author/amy-howe/Dahlia’s reporting: https://slate.com/author/dahlia-lithwickSteve’s Substack: https://www.stevevladeck.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SummaryDavid Brooks on Trump, AI, and Fixing America
Jul 200:32:29Summary readyHarry talks with David Brooks about how we can redeem the society that produced an epidemic of loneliness, a shallow public life, and of course, Donald Trump. The two discuss Brooks’s stubborn optimism and the solutions he thinks could turn the tide toward a stronger, more communal America. Brooks lays out his hopes and fears for AI, warning of a society riven not just by income inequality but “cognitive inequality.” And he describes the kind of leader he’d like to see funnel the widespread demands for change that continue to roil American politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SummaryKick Out Your Tired and Poor
Jun 2900:54:18Summary readyOur latest Contrarian episode comes with the end of the SCOTUS term looming, primaries shaking the Democratic party, and a key court ruling threatening Trump’s slush fund. A pair of Contrarian stalwarts—Maria Cardona and Norm Eisen—join Harry to break it all down. Has the Supreme Court just further broken our immigration system? And what will its final rulings of the term bring? Have mainstream Democrats lost their mojo? And could a new avenue of judicial scrutiny doom Trump’s ugliest self-deal? Mentioned in this episode: The Contrarian: https://www.contrariannews.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SummaryChris Murphy on Fighting Trump and Pursuing Happiness
Jun 2500:35:55Summary 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?
Jun 2201:02:31Summary 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?”
Jun 1800:29:43Summary 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
Jun 1500:52:40Summary 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
Jun 1100:45:05Summary 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?
Jun 800:57:12Summary 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
Jun 400:33:58Summary 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
Summary