Trump's trial and its impact on the Republican primary
A Georgia judge set former President Trump’s trial date for the day before Super Tuesday. But it’s unclear if a conviction in any of his criminal cases will influence GOP voters.
Jeffrey Goldberg moderates Washington Week with The Atlantic
The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg welcomes viewers as he takes over as moderator of Washington Week with The Atlantic.
New charges against Trump allege cover-up attempt
While the country suffers through a relentless heat wave, a flurry of legal developments has dialed up the temperature on former President Trump. His lawyers met with special counsel Jack Smith’s team, hoping to prevent a federal indictment related to Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn his loss in the 2020 election. And for President Biden, his son’s legal issues aren’t going away as hoped.
Questions linger over McConnell's future after freeze-up
This week, all of Washington was alarmed when Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell seemed to freeze up mid-sentence. After nearly 20 seconds, he was helped away from the podium by his colleagues. The 81-year-old later came back, said he was fine, and has continued his work. But questions now linger over the future of one of the most influential Republicans in the Capitol.
GOP amendments could spell trouble defense bill passage
The House Freedom Caucus picked up a win after they pressured Speaker McCarthy to add controversial amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act. That includes bans on racial diversity programs and the military paying for gender-affirming care or covering travel for service members seeking an abortion. But what McCarthy gained with the right could jeopardize the bill’s ultimate passage.
What the NATO summit accomplished for Biden's campaign
President Biden is back in the U.S. after a historic trip to Europe. He recorded some potentially legacy-building wins, including the expansion of NATO with Finland and Sweden. But Biden left Ukraine wanting by refusing to push for NATO membership for now but reaffirming a pledge it will eventually be invited to join the alliance.
Biden touts economic policies as Trump, DeSantis feud again
Before leaving for his trip abroad, President Biden visited South Carolina, an early Democratic primary state, touting his economic policies and infrastructure investments. Elsewhere on the 2024 campaign trail, the feud between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former President Trump flared up again, this time after the DeSantis campaign attacked Trump for his previous support of some LGBTQ+ rights.
U.S. approves controversial cluster munitions for Ukraine
Just as President Biden is set to meet with top European leaders, he announced the U.S. is providing more aid to Ukraine in the form of cluster munitions. The controversial weapons, banned by some 100 countries, are meant to boost Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russia. But the move is sure to upset members of Biden’s own party as he begins a critical five days on the world stage.
Consequences of Supreme Court's affirmative action ruling
The Supreme Court released a series of historic rulings this week with far-reaching consequences for race, education, and elections in America. For the second year in a row, the Roberts court overturned years of legal precedent and ruled against widespread practice conservatives have long sought to end. This year it was affirmative action.
How Supreme Court decisions could impact 2024 election
The Supreme Court ended the week with conservative victories on religious rights and the president's student loan forgiveness plan. But a ruling earlier in the week against the controversial independent state legislature theory rejected a Republican-led attempt to have more power over federal elections. The panel discusses the potential impact heading into the 2024 election.
U.S. and China tensions flare up after diplomatic visit
President Biden hosted the controversial prime minister of India looking to counter China’s global influence. It came as tensions between the U.S. and Beijing flared up when Biden referred to President Xi Jinping as a dictator. That was just a day after Antony Blinken's delicate diplomatic visit to China, the first visit by a U.S. secretary of state in five years.
GOP vows more investigations after Hunter Biden plea deal
The president's son, Hunter Biden, is expected to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and will admit to illegally owning a gun. If a judge accepts the terms, he will likely avoid prison time. Outraged House Republicans blasted the agreement and vowed to continue investigating the president and his family.
How the debt ceiling debate will impact future negotiations
After weeks of brinkmanship, posturing, and intense negotiation, President Biden will soon sign into law a bipartisan bill that lifts the country’s debt limit and averts what could have been an economic disaster. The panel recaps the battle and discusses how it could influence future debt negotiations.
Can any Republican beat Trump for the 2024 nomination?
The race for the Republican presidential nomination stepped up this week with former President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis attacking each other on the campaign trail and two former Trump allies preparing to announce their own presidential bids. It all comes as the former president faces new developments in the investigation of his handling of classified documents.
What both sides want out of the debt ceiling negotiations
Talks on raising the debt ceiling took an unscheduled break Friday as Republican negotiators abruptly walked away from the bargaining table. They said they paused the talks because the White House hadn't moved far enough in the Republican direction on spending cuts. Talks resumed Friday night and the House Speaker says a framework must be in place by Sunday to give Congress time to pass it.
Trump, DeSantis trade barbs ahead of campaign announcement
The field vying for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination is growing. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott filed election paperwork and said his announcement is coming Monday, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to say he’s running on Wednesday. It comes as DeSantis and the current frontrunner, former President Donald Trump, have been exchanging increasingly pointed barbs.
Debt deadlock continues as potential border crisis looms
In Washington, it’s crunch time for President Biden and Congressional leaders to reach an agreement on raising the country’s borrowing limit. With less than three weeks to go before the U.S. is expected to run out of money, a second round of talks has been postponed until next week. Plus, there's another potential crisis looming at the border as the pandemic-era deportation policy has expired.
CNN draws criticism after controversial town hall with Trump
CNN courted controversy and fierce debate after former President Trump headlined its latest prime-time town hall. Despite moderator Kaitlan Collins’ best efforts to fact-check Trump in real-time, he used questions from her and an audience of Republican New Hampshire voters to repeat many of his familiar false claims.
Senate Democrats declare GOP debt ceiling bill DOA
In his first major test as Speaker, Kevin McCarthy secured a notable win by successfully passing his debt limit and spending cuts package in the House. But Democrats reject the bill and the path forward in the high-stakes stalemate over the nation’s debt ceiling is unclear.
Biden launches 2024 bid, setting stage for Trump rematch
President Biden made it official this week, announcing his 2024 reelection bid and setting the stage for a possible 2024 rematch against his predecessor. Former President Trump, the current front-runner for the Republican nomination, immediately went on the attack.
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