Washington Week with The Atlantic

News and Public Affairs Series / 22 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: S2024 E46

26m 45s

The Supreme Court's polarization and political implications

9m 18s

The Supreme Court wrapped up its term this week after a series of significant and contentious rulings. The panel discusses the dynamics of the court and the political implications of the polarization between the conservative supermajority and liberal dissenting voices.

Presidential immunity and the future of American democracy

14m 31s

It’s been a tumultuous and unsettling time in the nation's capital. A week after what could be one of the most important debates in American presidential history, the Supreme Court ruled that Donald Trump is substantially immune to charges that he tried to overturn the last election. The panel discusses what it means for the 2024 presidential race and for the future of our democracy.

Trump's debate lies escape spotlight amid fallout over Biden's performance

3m 34s

We just saw one of the most unusual debates in the history of American politics. One candidate, a convicted felon, made up stories, claimed achievements that aren’t his to claim, leveled insults and blustered his way past legitimate questions about his role in Jan. 6. And then there’s the guy who lost the debate. The sitting president seemed pale, tentative, befuddled, and at times incoherent.

Who has more to prove in the first 2024 debate between Biden and Trump

13m 18s

President Biden and the man he defeated in 2020, Donald Trump, will make their respective cases to the American people in a debate next week. Both are unpopular, they are more or less tied in recent polls, and both men are older than our previous oldest president. Only one is a convicted felon, yet the pressure is on Biden to prove that he has what it takes to continue in office.

How Biden's debate style changed over the years

10m 32s

Zolan Kanno-Youngs went back and watched all of President Biden's appearances in presidential and vice presidential debates since 1987. The panel discusses how his style has evolved over the years.

How the campaigns plan to attract battleground state voters

12m 49s

Former President Trump returned to Capitol Hill and met with Republican lawmakers who are fully embracing him as the leader of the party. The panel discusses Trump's desire to expand the electoral map and how Democrats are trying to counter him and other Republicans.

The rift between GOP, Democrats around the justice system

11m 19s

Former President Trump and Republicans continue to rail against the Justice Department after his conviction on 34 felony counts in New York. Meanwhile, President Biden vows he won’t interfere after his son was found guilty on federal gun charges. The panel discusses the different ways Republicans and Democrats view the American justice system and how it could affect the election.

Will Trump's guilty verdict matter to voters?

14m 40s

A New York jury has spoken, finding Donald Trump guilty of engaging in a financial scheme to keep the adult film actress Stormy Daniels quiet. The reaction of Republican leaders was to rally around Trump. Evangelical leaders also doubled-down on their support. The panel discusses if any of it will matter to voters.

What Trump is looking for in his running mate

7m 31s

The panel takes a look at what Republicans interested in becoming Donald Trump’s running mate are saying in interviews and what the former president could be looking for in a VP.

How the outcome of Trump's hush money trial is likely to play on the campaign trail

12m 50s

Polls show Donald Trump has a very credible chance of becoming the 47th president. But with his hush money case days away from going to the jury, he could soon become a convicted felon. The panel discusses how this could affect his campaign to return to the White House.

House hearing erupts in chaos after personal comments

6m 3s

A House committee hearing erupted in chaos this week after lawmakers traded personal attacks. The panel discusses how the incident is another sign of the dysfunction in Congress.

What Michael Cohen's testimony means for Trump's trial

16m 24s

Donald Trump’s allies took turns showing their love for the presumptive Republican nominee outside a Manhattan courthouse where he’s on trial. The visits came just as Michael Cohen, Trump’s former fixer and the prosecution’s star witness, took the stand. The panel discusses Cohen’s testimony and what it means for the prosecution and defense.

Will Biden's move to hold back weapons from Israel open a permanent rift

6m 8s

President Biden's move to hold back a shipment of weapons to Israel was a significant change in the way he has been handling the war in Gaza. The panel discusses if this is a permanent rupture between the administration and the Israeli government.

Where Trump's veepstakes stands after Noem reveals she killed a dog

4m 34s

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem abruptly ended her book tour following a series of bruising interviews surrounding questions about the killing of her 14-month-old dog and her claim that she met North Korean Dictator Kim Jong Un. The fallout has also opened the race for Republicans hoping to be Trump's running mate.

Biden, Trump look to turn campus unrest to their advantage

8m 40s

It is a confirmable truth that most presidents want to pivot to Asia. And it’s a confirmable truth that the Middle East won’t let them. It’s President Biden's turn now. The panel discusses how he’s navigating the overlapping domestic and global challenges created by the Israel-Hamas war and how it is affecting his campaign to keep the presidency.

Gaza war impacts Israel's normalization with Saudi Arabia

7m 25s

President Biden has been forced to address the fallout from the war in Gaza on two fronts. In the United States, pro-Palestinian protests spread across college campuses this week. And abroad, the war remains central to the conversations surrounding what could be a historic security pact involving Saudi Arabia.

How protests against Israel and war in Gaza could hurt Biden in November

11m 45s

College campuses across the country have erupted in demonstrations against the war in Gaza. The panel discusses how President Bidens's Israel policy could hurt his standing among young voters this November.

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