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

Questions linger over McConnell's future after freeze-up

7m 45s

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

12m 31s

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

11m 3s

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

8m 4s

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

15m 15s

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

12m 45s

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

10m 45s

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

11m 35s

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

12m 12s

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

8m 42s

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?

12m 32s

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

15m 25s

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

8m 7s

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

15m 33s

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

8m 3s

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

14m 38s

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

8m 42s

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.

Debt ceiling debate goes on as spending deadline looms

13m 29s

Two top leaders in Washington are in a standoff over raising the U.S. debt ceiling and each has potential problems within their parties. Speaker McCarthy said he would raise the debt ceiling into next year in exchange for major spending cuts. President Biden immediately rejected the opening bid calling it "The MAGA economic agenda."

How Democrats and Republicans are framing abortion messaging

9m 41s

The Supreme Court goes right up to its deadline and finally weighs in on the widely used abortion pill mifepristone. The court ruling preserves access to the drug and declines restrictions on its use as the lawsuit over its FDA approval continues. The panel discusses how this case and the overall debate over abortion rights will play in the 2024 campaign.

Supreme Court once again wades into abortion rights battle

13m 14s

It’s been a week of legal whiplash in the high-stakes battle over access to mifepristone, the most common form of abortion in the country. The Supreme Court is now involved and temporarily restored access to the drug, giving the high court more time to consider an emergency appeal filed by the Biden administration and the drug’s manufacturer.

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