Washington Week with The Atlantic

News and Public Affairs Series / 23 Seasons

Washington Week with The Atlantic is the longest-running primetime news and public affairs program on television. The show features a group of journalists participating in a roundtable discussion of major news events and can be found at 8pm ET on most local PBS stations.

Watch Latest: S2025 E5

26m 45s

Trump quick to attack after the Washington airline tragedy

14m 10s

It was a tragedy when an Army helicopter collided with a passenger jet Wednesday night over the Potomac. It has traditionally been the role of a president to publicly mourn the dead, promise a full and transparent investigation and withhold judgment about the cause of the accident all while calming the public. President Trump, of course, reads from a different playbook.

Will Trump's Jan. 6 pardons embolden extremist groups?

14m 54s

President Trump's most dramatic move of the week took even his allies by surprise, the wholesale pardon of Jan. 6 rioters, including men convicted of felony assaults of police officers and leaders and members of two far-right militias utterly devoted to Trump. The panel discusses the tumultuous first week of Trump’s second term.

Breaking down Trump's first week of 'shock and awe'

9m 22s

So much has happened since President Trump's inauguration on Monday that it’s hard to keep up. The issues range from DEI to immigration. The panel unpacks the first week.

The politics of the TikTok ban

10m 21s

The Supreme Court cleared the way for the U.S. government to shut down the popular social media app TikTok as soon as Sunday. But President-elect Trump has signaled he's willing to undo the ban. The panel discusses the politics surrounding the issue.

If Trump can't deliver, what will the reaction be?

15m 39s

President-elect Trump has made many promises about how the government will work once he takes office for his second term. The panel discusses if he will be able to deliver, and how supporters and political opponents could react if he can't produce pledged results.

Trump’s threats give new meaning to 'America First'

8m 24s

Confirmation hearings will begin next week for some of Trump’s nominees. It comes just as Trump has threatened allies and friends from Denmark to Panama, giving new meaning to “America First.” The panel discusses why he's making these comments and if the nominees will face easy confirmations.

How Johnson kept his speakership despite some GOP resistance

11m 49s

Speaker Mike Johnson was able to keep the gavel after Donald Trump convinced some House Republican holdouts to switch their vote. The panel discusses how the party will govern in Trump's second term.

How Arizona went from McCain Republicanism to Trumpism

15m 48s

Ten years ago, John McCain was the dominant political figure in Arizona. Jeffrey Goldberg and George Packer discuss how quickly the state shifted from McCain Republicanism to Trumpian Republicanism.

How did Musk become the most powerful man in Washington?

18m 12s

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, is also the most powerful man in Washington right now. The panel discusses how this came to be and if President-elect Trump will wear thin of Musk.

Trump runs into GOP divides over his ambitious agenda

7m 24s

President-elect Trump and Republicans on Capitol Hill are unified on the big picture ahead, eagerly backing the Trump agenda on key issues like the border, taxes and energy. But that’s the easy part. The hard part is a split that has emerged among GOP leaders over how and when to turn Trump’s legislative wishlist into law.

Trump's backpedaling on promises to lower prices

15m 56s

After making inflation and the cost of groceries part of his campaign, President-elect Trump is starting to walk back some of his promises to lower prices. The panel discusses what's behind that change and Trump's other potentially extreme actions on immigration.

Mitt Romney's failed attempt to 'save' the Republican Party

5m 43s

A former Republican standard-bearer said goodbye to Washington this week. Mitt Romney joined the Senate in the early years of Trump's first term and had a strong belief that he could steer the Republican Party away from what he considered the toxic elements of Trumpism. He's leaving with the GOP fully controlled by Trump.

Trump sticking with Hegseth after a week of revelations

15m 41s

The Fox morning host chosen by President-elect Trump to lead the world’s most powerful military is still in the game after a week of stunning revelations about his private life and personal demons. The drama around Pete Hegseth has diverted attention from Trump’s choice to run the FBI who appears ready to use his power to prosecute Trump’s enemies.

How foreign policy, health care may change under Trump

6m 29s

This week, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he was going to impose massive tariffs against the U.S.'s big trading partners like Canada and Mexico. But how will tariffs impact foreign policy? The panel discusses the issue and also breaks down what lies ahead for the future of health care in America.

What to expect from Trump's planned federal overhaul

15m 7s

President-elect Donald Trump has major changes planned for several federal agencies, and has nominated loyalists to key Cabinet positions to further his agenda. But can Trump and his allies actually bring radical change to the executive branch? The panel dissects his plans and their potential consequences.

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