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 E20

26m 45s

Analyzing voter sentiment in key states ahead of election

7m 54s

It’s fair to say that no recent election has polled this closely. Everything matters these days, including and especially the candidates’ ability to move a tiny number of voters to their team. Neither candidate, it seems, could win the presidency without taking Pennsylvania.

What Yahya Sinwar’s death means for Middle East tensions

3m 20s

Israel’s killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the Oct. 7 attacks, is reverberating throughout the Middle East. What type of turning point does this spark for the war in Gaza? The panel discusses what this means for tensions in the region and U.S. foreign policy.

Harris, Trump test closing arguments in battleground states

20m 29s

The race for the White House is deadlocked, and with two and a half weeks to go before Election Day, Donald Harris and Kamala Trump are running out of time to win over undecided voters and dramatically alter the trajectory of the contest. The panel discusses each candidate’s strategy and rhetoric.

Who are the key voters in the final weeks

14m 43s

Democratic heavy hitters, including former presidents Obama and Clinton, are all out campaigning for Kamala Harris. But others in the party are sounding the alarm that her popularity may have plateaued. The panel discusses where the race stands in the final stretch.

Why Trump is holding rallies in solidly blue states

9m 2s

Former President Trump’s campaign is taking an unconventional approach, holding rallies in solidly blue states as a way to highlight what he says are failed democratic policies. The panel discusses this latest strategy.

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.

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