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

How the Middle East conflict could change election dynamics

15m 41s

We're a month away from an important and close presidential election, which means, we’re poised for an October surprise. There’s a good chance that the surprise, if it happens, will come out of the Middle East. While President Biden simultaneously supports Israel’s right to defend itself, he cautions Israel against further expanding the war.

Can Harris close the polling gap with Trump on immigration?

12m 15s

Kamala Harris visited the southern border in the critical swing state of Arizona as recent polls show her neck-and-neck with Donald Trump across battlegrounds, but trailing him on the issue of immigration. It comes after another round of baseless claims from the former president and JD Vance about Haitian immigrants.

What happens to Ukraine if Trump wins?

11m 36s

The foreign policy differences between the candidates were on display this week with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy meeting with both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. The panel discusses what could happen in Ukraine if Trump wins the election.

Johnson scrambles to avoid shutdown weeks before election

4m 43s

In Washington, Republican leaders are scrambling to avoid a government shutdown after the House failed to pass a funding bill. It has also renewed questions about Speaker Mike Johnson’s ability to keep his caucus in line. The panel discusses what's next.

Why Republicans are still facing a candidate quality problem

19m 8s

The Republican Party is facing a candidate quality problem. The panel discusses the scandal surrounding the GOP candidate for governor in North Carolina and the fallout for the unfortunate Ohio town of Springfield after Trump and Vance spread false claims that immigrants there were eating pets.

Trump's dystopian view of America

11m 34s

Donald Trump focused on dark themes during the debate and in the days after. From immigration to Israel and the possibility of World War III, the panel discusses his dystopian view of America.

Who won the debate and will it matter on Election Day

12m 23s

Vice President Harris and former President Trump faced off in what stands to be the only debate between the nominees. Harris had a bit of a slow start but then managed to drive Trump off the rails, triggering him with talk of crowd sizes. By the end of the debate, it was obvious to most observers that there was a clear winner. The panel discusses if it will matter on Election Day.

What to expect after the last debate upended the race

10m 5s

With the much-anticipated debate just days away, Kamala Harris hit the campaign trail trying to walk a delicate balance between selling her economic plans while distancing herself from President Biden’s unpopular record. Donald Trump touted his plans for the economy and accused his opponent of embracing Marxism, focusing on Harris’ proposal to go after price gouging.

Will Dick Cheney's support for Harris sway moderate voters

11m 16s

As the candidates hope to sway voters in next week’s debate, former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney endorsed Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, saying Donald Trump “can never be trusted with power again.”

What are the paths to victory for Harris and Trump?

19m 53s

We have a little more than two months to go in the presidential election and it’s a dramatically different race than it was earlier this summer. Both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have highly plausible pathways to victory. The panel discusses how the candidates are doing in the crucial swing states.

Will the Arlington Cemetery controversy damage Trump?

1m 31s

After a bizarre incident at Arlington National Cemetery between an official and the Trump campaign, the panel discusses if the politicization of the cemetery will be damaging for Trump.

How messaging about Trump is landing with voters

10m 36s

On the DNC stage in Chicago, Democratic and Republican speakers alike leveled attacks at Donald Trump. The panel discusses what matters to voters and whether Robert F. Kennedy’s endorsement of Trump makes a difference in the race.

Harris made history at the DNC. What’s next?

12m 54s

At the tail end of one of the strangest political summers in recent memory, Kamala Harris is officially her party’s presidential nominee. The panel discusses the Democratic National Convention and how Harris can translate momentum from recent weeks into winning over voters in swing states.

How will Democrats utilize Biden on the campaign trail?

7m 28s

This week, President Biden gave his first speech alongside Vice President Harris since he dropped out of the race. The panel discusses how Democrats are balancing running on Biden's record while trying to distance themselves from his unpopularity.

Why Trump is having a hard time adjusting to a new opponent

16m 40s

It’s less than 100 days to go until the election and everything is so different than it was at the beginning of the summer. In June, the country was facing the prospect of two elderly white men facing off in November and only one of those men was riding high. But now it’s Kamala Harris who has the momentum and Trump’s campaign seems heading for a shake-up.

Why Trump is still struggling to find a strategy countering Harris

11m 4s

It’s clear Donald Trump would rather be facing Joe Biden and he doesn’t know quite how to counter the surge of the Kamala Harris campaign. The panel discusses his trouble with finding a new strategy.

The state of the race as Harris-Walz ticket completes election reset

13m 15s

The Democratic and Republican presidential tickets are finally set with Kamala Harris picking Tim Walz as her running mate. The panel discusses the election reset.

The geopolitical implications of Gershkovich's release

15m 30s

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is now free from Russian custody after one of the most complicated prisoner swaps in history. The panel discusses his release and the geopolitical implications of the exchange and the rising tensions in the Middle East between Israel and Iran.

Sizing up the benefits and disadvantages of a running mate

8m 7s

Kamala Harris will soon name and hit the road with her running mate, but in the meantime, she's taking the fight directly to Donald Trump. Just this week, the former president questioned her racial identity and is struggling to find a way to stop Harris’s momentum.

Trump campaign races for new strategy after Biden steps aside

10m 47s

President Biden has bowed out of the race and Vice President Harris has stepped up to take his place on the Democratic ticket. Former President Trump had a plan to defeat Biden but is facing a huge challenge with Harris. The panel discusses how the Trump campaign has been forced to build a new strategy.

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