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 E23

24m 10s

Will Biden's shift to attacking Trump help in the midterms?

14m 59s

With just two months of campaigning left until the midterm election, President Biden sharpens his attacks on former President Trump and Republican election deniers as the GOP punches back.

Exploring Trump's legal vulnerability after the FBI raid

8m 8s

We're learning more about former President Trump’s legal challenges and the Justice Department’s investigation into classified documents found at his estate. A photo from the FBI shows five yellow folders marked “top secret” and another red folder labeled “secret” at Mar-a-Lago.

Redacted affidavit FBI used for Mar-a-Lago search unsealed

11m 56s

A redacted version of the affidavit used to secure the search warrant for former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago home was publicly released on Friday. It's the latest development in the ongoing legal battle between the Justice Department and Trump over government documents he failed to return to the National Archives when he left office.

Biden address student debt, ramps up criticism of GOP

11m 3s

As the midterms get closer, President Biden and the White House are turning up the heat on their criticisms of the GOP. The president accused Republicans allied with Trump of turning toward "semi-fascism" and being a threat to democracy. This comes as Republicans and some Democrats criticized Biden's plan to cancel up to $20,000 of federal student loans for millions of Americans.

'Electable' explores why a woman hasn't won the White House

9m 52s

The 2020 Democratic presidential primary saw a historic number of women vie for the nomination, yet none made it across the finish line. But why hasn’t the U.S. elected a woman president and what factors are at play in this country? NBC correspondent Ali Vitali's new book, “Electable: Why America Hasn't Put a Woman in the White House . . . Yet,” delves into these questions.

Trump's impact on the midterms, the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago

17m 50s

Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming lost her primary race in a landslide to Harriet Hageman, who is backed by former President Trump. Cheney became the eighth GOP House member who voted to impeach Trump to lose a primary or retire. Also, the fallout continues over the FBI's seizure of classified documents from Trump's Mar-a Lago home as a judge considers releasing parts of the affidavit used in the search.

Biden racks up legislative wins despite low approval ratings

2m 47s

President Biden took a victory lap this week as he signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law, capping off a summer of legislative achievements that included a core portion of his domestic agenda. Still, despite this and his other recent victories Democrats remain concerned about his low approval ratings.

The consequences of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan

12m 23s

One year ago this week, Taliban forces entered Afghanistan's capital of Kabul, causing the U.S. to scramble to evacuate thousands of Americans and many more Afghans, who for decades supported U.S. war efforts. But the frantic and deadly withdrawal set off widespread criticisms of President Biden, while the Taliban takeover of the country led to one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

Trump faces legal challenges on multiple fronts

15m 55s

It has been an extraordinary week of legal challenges for former President Trump. The FBI executed a search warrant of his Mar-a-Lago estate that was unsealed Friday, indicating he is under investigation for possibly violating the Espionage Act. Plus, Trump also pleaded the fifth in a separate probe on his real estate dealings as he weighs another run for the presidency.

How separating kids became part of Trump immigration policy

4m 53s

An 18-month investigation into the Trump administration’s traumatizing policy of family separation at the U.S. border has been published in The Atlantic. Reporter Caitlin Dickerson, who covered the story, joins Yamiche Alcindor to discuss.

Investigation highlights impact of family separation policy

10m 11s

We're taking a deeper look at The Atlantic's investigation into the Trump administration's policy of separating migrant children from their families. Reporter Caitlin Dickerson spent 18 months reporting on the issue and found that separating children was not just a side effect of the policy, but the intent. She joins Yamiche Alcindor to discuss.

Democrats close in on tax, climate and health bill

9m 58s

It’s been a successful week for President Biden after a U.S. drone strike killed al-Qaida's top leader, and with celebrations on the CHIPS and PACT acts and job numbers exceeding expectations and calming recession fears. But he is also one step closer to reaching a landmark achievement on a bill tackling climate, health care and taxes -- legislation Republicans oppose but have no path to block.

Lessons learned from this week’s primaries

13m 17s

Primary elections this week held vast implications for November. Voters in conservative Kansas overwhelmingly chose to protect abortion access in the state's constitution. And in the battleground states of Michigan and Arizona, multiple Republican primary candidates were victorious after amplifying former President Trump's false claims that the 2020 presidential election was illegitimate.

Democrats strike deal on climate change and health care

13m 49s

The range of President Biden’s political fortunes this week was on full display. While the president dealt with grim economic reports that showed a slowing economy for a second straight quarter, he was also handed key legislative victories that included a reversal by West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who backed a $739 billion deal to tackle climate change, health care costs and other initiatives.

Justice Department investigates former President Trump

9m 18s

The Jan. 6 committee's public hearings may be on hiatus but new details about their investigation continue to emerge. On Monday, video of unseen testimony from former President Trump's inner circle revealed more about his actions in the days around the Capitol attack. This came as Trump continued perpetuating the lie that the 2020 election was stolen amid a Justice Department probe.

‘The Big Lie' explores Trump's denial of election results

10m 19s

There were several notable developments this week related to the Jan. 6 investigation and former President Trump’s lies about the 2020 election. Jonathan Lemire, POLITICO's White House bureau chief and host of MSNBC's "Way Too Early," takes a look into those topics in his new book, “The Big Lie." He joins Yamiche Alcindor for our Washington Week Extra.

Jan. 6 panel focuses on Trump's inaction amid Capitol attack

16m 31s

The Jan. 6 panel centered much of Thursday's public hearing on the 187 minutes it took former President Trump to tell his supporters to go home after a violent mob broke into the Capitol. According to the committee, Trump chose not to act as part of a deliberate plan to delay certifying the vote and only told the rioters to leave after it was clear to him that they failed to stop the proceedings.

Biden tests positive for COVID as his approval rating drops

6m 13s

President Biden this week tested positive for COVID-19, but he is experiencing mild symptoms and is working in quarantine from his residence. At age 79, the president is at a high risk for severe illness though he is vaccinated and twice boosted. This comes as the latest PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll shows his approval rating at the lowest point in his presidency.

The mystery of the Secret Service's missing text messages

12m 26s

This week, as the Jan. 6 committee held its eighth public hearing on the investigation into the Capitol insurrection, there were new revelations about the panel's search for missing text messages sent by the U.S. Secret Service members in the days surrounding the attack. Also, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon was convicted Friday on two counts of contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas.

Biden visits the Middle East as domestic agenda takes a hit

12m

A high-stakes dance on the world stage is underway as President Biden meets with Saudi Arabia’s controversial Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who reportedly approved the brutal murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Meanwhile, Biden's domestic agenda on climate change and taxing the wealthy is shut down by West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin as the U.S. sees historic inflation.

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