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 E17

26m 46s

What's behind Trump's pivot toward Putin

19m 48s

There was a time when America could be counted on to support the goals of the NATO alliance. And that time was last week. The panel looks at Trump’s stunning pivot toward Putin and what it means for America’s role in the world.

What the Trump administration is signaling about Ukraine

6m 2s

Ukraine was front and center this week in the international community, with members of the Trump administration sending mixed messages at a NATO meeting in Brussels and a security summit in Munich, while President Trump had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The panel discusses what it all means.

Musk’s influence over mass firings in the federal government

17m 56s

President Trump’s decision to order mass firings in the federal workforce indicates not only his loyalty to billionaire Elon Musk, but to a revolutionary idea about the role of government itself. The panel discusses the relationship between Trump and Musk and the ideology driving many of Trump’s policy decisions.

Regional consequences of Trump's Gaza redevelopment ideas

9m 18s

America is unlikely to follow through on President Trump's idea of occupying the Gaza Strip and turning it into the "Riviera of the Middle East," but just floating the concept could have an impact in the region.

What's next from Trump's federal purge after USAID's closure

14m 49s

President Trump and Elon Musk are carrying out plans to purge thousands of employees from the federal government. Musk says USAID was fed “into the woodchipper," and the Trump administration has launched an attempt to neuter both the Federal Election Commission and the National Archives.

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.

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