In a stunning rebuke of the elected commander in chief, several generals – from James Mattis to John Kelly – have taken a stance against the president's handling of this crisis. But it was retired Admiral Mike Mullen, former chair of the joint chiefs of staff, who started this public conversation with an article titled “I Cannot Remain Silent.” He tells Walter why he felt compelled to speak out.

Republican Congressman Mike Johnson is joining the chorus of debate on the overhaul of policing and other American institutions -- while still remaining a firm supporter of President Trump. He speaks with Walter Isaacson about racial tensions in America, as well as his own personal story of adopting an African American child 20 years ago.

Waves of protest have crossed the oceans to the UK and beyond, forcing a reckoning with each country’s specific history of racism. In the English city of Bristol, protesters toppled the statue of a 17th century slave trader, seen by many as a symbol of institutional racism. To discuss this and racial inequality in their own countries, Christiane speaks with authors from the UK and South Africa.

Where will the current powerful moral reckoning lead? Bill Moyers is a journalist and former White House press secretary to President Lyndon Johnson in the 1960s. He joins the program to give the long view on this historic moment.

With America in crisis, change will be needed not just in police departments but in education, health and economic policy; in boardrooms, and in executive suites. Deval Patrick has sat at many of these tables: He was the first African American Governor of Massachusetts and previously served as U.S. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. He joins the show from his home state.

Now that George Floyd has been laid to rest, the moral reckoning is underway and the real work begins. Today, Philonise Floyd – brother of George – testified to Congress about the violence that ended his sibling’s life, all over a $20 charge. To unpack this moment, Christiane speaks with veteran civil rights activist and academic Mary Frances Berry.

As the federal government continues its militaristic response to the ongoing protests, many of America’s allies around the world are looking on aghast--a perspective reflected in the Financial Times’s recent editorial, “America’s Battered Moral Standing.” Roula Khalaf, the newspaper’s first female editor, reflects on the changing perception of the U.S. in the international community.

Will Republicans will get on board with police reform? They were not present when Democrats developed the proposed legislation, and it looks unlikely they will support it in any significant way. Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger has just returned from a deployment with the National Guard in Wisconsin, and joins the show from D.C.

The Minneapolis City Council is pledging to dismantle its police department, promising a shift towards community-based strategies instead. However, not everyone agrees with this approach – including the city’s mayor. As protests continue over George Floyd’s death, and as Congress proposes sweeping new legislation aimed at eliminating police brutality, is defunding the police really the answer?

Vanita Gupta is a civil rights lawyer who was acting assistant attorney general under President Obama, during which time she led the investigation into the Ferguson, MO police department after the fatal shooting of Michael Brown in 2014. Today she heads the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, with a mission to protect the rights of all Americans – as she explains to Hari Sreenivasan.

When riot police routed peaceful protesters outside the White House, very few Republican lawmakers condemned the incident, leading many to question how the Party came to this. In a new article for The Atlantic, “History Will Judge the Complicit,” Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Anne Applebaum looks at enablers and collaborators all the way back to WWII and Soviet communism.

The job of making the case against the officers charged in George Floyd’s death falls to Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. He is no strange to controversy: as America’s first Muslim congressman, he was a prime target of the right wing smear machine. Now he faces an unprecedented challenge, winning a conviction in a justice system that traditionally favors the police.

For protests that turned violent, President Trump blames the far left, and saying he wants to designate Antifa – short for ‘Anti-Fascists’ – as a terrorist organization. But activist and Occupy Wall Street organizer Mark Bray hits back in a piece for the Washington Post. Bray joins Michel Martin to explain why he believes Trump’s bluster is a diversionary tactic.

Today is a day to mourn George Floyd’s killing and to celebrate his life, as a memorial service in Minneapolis takes place – the first of many to come. But while people call for accountability, President Trump continues his tough-talk response to the outrage. This has prompted backlash from former military officials. Retired Rear Admiral John Kirby joins the program to discuss.

General John Allen led NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan and headed up the international anti-ISIS campaign. He now leads the Brookings Institution, and joins the show to react to President Trump’s military threats this week.

The most famous conflict resolution to emerge out of institutionalized racism came from South Africa. White supremacy was legally sanctioned under apartheid in the country until 1990, when Nelson Mandela led the majority black nation in a peaceful transition to democracy. Paul van Zyl and Vincent Warren discuss what lessons the U.S. can learn from South Africa.

"The Breakfast Club” radio show has become a must-stop for Democratic presidential contenders. But last month, it sent shockwaves through the VP Joe Biden's campaign when he said in an interview with co-host Charlamagne tha God that if voters choose Trump, they aren’t Black. questions were raised about whether the Democratic Party is taking the support of African American voters for granted.

The Minnesota Department of Human Rights has launched an investigation into the practices of the Minneapolis Police Department over the past ten years. Is this enough -- or is there a need for more radical solutions to purge systemic racism from the nation’s police departments? Cedric Alexander is a former police officer who served on President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing.

President Trump’s threats to involve the military continue to provoke unease – most notably at the Pentagon, where Defense Secretary Mark Esper publicly broke with his commander-in-chief over the issue. Jim Clyburn grew up under segregation and rose to become the senior African American member of Congress.

President Trump is facing increasing criticism from his traditional supporters. What is his strategy -- and how will it play out come November, when Americans are called upon to choose their next president? Marc Lotter is strategic director for the president’s 2020 re-election campaign.