What separates President Trump’s behavior from that of the average autocrat? Masha Gessen is a Russian-American journalist who has been writing about authoritarianism for decades. Their latest book, "Surviving Autocracy," makes the case that Trump’s presidency has endangered American democracy and the world’s faith in it. Gessen speaks with Michel Martin about all this--and about the road ahead.

President Trump is still refusing to concede and attempting to delegitimize the election. Additionally, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said today from the State Department that “there will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration.” Few understand the severity of this moment better than Madeleine Albright, the first female Secretary of State. She joins the program to discuss.

Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) helped change the course of history by endorsing Biden and bringing out the Black vote in his state at a critical moment. This made possible Biden's big win in South Carolina, propelling him to secure the nomination – and the presidency. Clyburn joins Christiane to react to Biden's presidential win.

Early data shows that a COVID-19 vaccine developed by pharmaceutical company Pfizer is more than 90% effective. Although still in trials, Pfizer believes as many as 50 million doses could be made available this year. Rep. Pramila Jayapal just won her third term in Congress, and healthcare was one of the main focuses of her platform. She joins Christiane to discuss this and react to the election.

President Trump refuses to concede the election and is trying his best to leverage lawsuits and muster media support. Barry Richard was a lawyer for George W. Bush during his infamous recount battle with Vice President Al Gore--a case that made it all the way to the Supreme Court. Richard joins Christiane to offer his perspective on Trump's legal battles.

After a month-long spike, there are now over 10 million coronavirus cases in the U.S. and over 50 million globally. Despite these statistics, news of a promising vaccine is being greeted with cautious optimism. Christiane discusses the latest with Hugh Montgomery, chair of the National Emergency COVID Critical Care Committee.

For the most part, elected Republicans are rallying around President Trump’s refusal to admit defeat, with only a handful condemning Trump’s actions or congratulating President-elect Biden. Newsmax Media is also refusing to accept the reality of the election outcome. Christiane speaks with Chris Ruddy, the organization’s CEO and a close confidant of Trump.

In her first TV address since the election, German Chancellor Angela Merkel congratulated Biden and Harris. Celebrating the end of Trump's "America first and only" doctrine, Merkel called on the U.S. and the EU to stand together to "master the major challenges of our time." Joining Christiane to discuss this is former EU foreign policy chief and former Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini.

The media played a vital role during the Trump presidency. During this election, watchers around the world were intently following the vote count. How has President Trump changed the media landscape? Ben Smith is media columnist for The New York Times. He tells Walter Isaacson about the current state of traditional media outlets, and the impact on newsrooms of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Predictions told us that Pennsylvania could be decisive in the U.S. presidential election, and indeed it is proving to be. Christiane is joined by a friend of Joe Biden's, Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey, who knows the state inside and out. He joins the show from Scranton -- Biden's hometown -- to discuss what's happening as the ballot count continues.

The uncertainty and unpredictability of this election cycle have sent stress levels rocketing skyward. The psychology of waiting is an actual field of study, with its own recommended strategies for the safeguard of mental health.

Despite the handwriting on the wall, President Trump and his team are waging legal warfare, citing baseless claims of fraud in Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. Trevor Potter is one of America's foremost election law experts. The former head of the Federal Election Commission, he now serves as president of Campaign Legal Center. He joins Christiane from Marshall, Virginia.

The youth vote is proving crucial in this year's election, as America's young people lead a new wave of political activism. A new documentary by Kim A. Snyder, "Us Kids," tells the story of the young activists behind the March for Our Lives Movement, which advocates for legislation to prevent gun violence. Activists David Hogg and Alex King join the program to discuss.

Good news for anyone interested in the health of American democracy: There was an unprecedented level of turnout and voter engagement this year – but this also revealed the bad news, with a dramatically disunited country laid bare. Christiane discusses what the election results so far can tell us with former Republican Governor Christine Todd Whitman and former Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu.

This year has seen support for the Black Lives Matter movement surge after police killings of unarmed African Americans such as George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. One man is at the heart of all those cases is civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who frequently works as the lawyer for families seeking justice. He speaks with Michel Martin about what lies ahead.

As the world’s oldest continuous democracy, the U.S. holds itself up as the global gold standard and frequently holds other countries accountable for undermining their elections. Former editor of the Financial Times Lionel Barber has had his finger on the global pulse for years and he’s out today with a new book, "The Powerful and the Damned: Private Diaries in Turbulent Times."

The day after Election Day, and we don’t have a final result just yet. What is clear, though, is that the country saw record turnout. Ohio awarded an early win to President Trump, as predicted by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine. He joins the show from his state to assess what this means for the GOP.

Despite President Trump’s handling of the pandemic -- and other controversial policies -- his core support has remained steadfast and actually has grown in many constituencies. To look at why this is occurring, Hari Sreenivasan speaks with two experts about identity politics and the possibility of restoring faith in democratic values.

Early this morning, President Trump declared he’d be going to the Supreme Court -- though for what purpose, and under what authority, was less clear. To assess legal avenues available to help resolve any questions over election results, Christiane speaks with constitutional expert Noah Feldman.

How is the international community processing the presidential election in the United States? European ambassadors are discussing the election at a meeting today -- at a moment when the transatlantic alliance between America and Europe is under particular strain. Norbert Röttgen, a close ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, joins the show from Berlin to discuss.