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 Latest: S2024 E45

26m 46s

Searching for the Paris Attackers, Big Democratic Donors

6m 31s

On the Webcast Extra, David Sanger reports on the search for the Paris attackers that has led to border closings and increased military response in France as authorities try to determine if this was a centralized plan or a local group. In Election 2016, big money Democratic donors have yet to open their wallets to leading candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

Obama Rejects Keystone Pipeline, 271K Jobs Added in October

24m 11s

After seven years of debate, the Obama administration rejected the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. Obama said the project, which would extend from Canada to Texas, served "no national interest." The New York Times' Coral Davenport explains what's behind the decision. Also on Friday, the October jobs report was released showing over 270,000 jobs added and an unemployment rate down to 5%.

Wall Street Reaction to Jobs Report & UN Climate Talks

10m 33s

On this Webcast Extra, Eamon Javers of CNBC reports on how Wall Street is reacting to the jobs report and speculation the Federal Reserve will hike interest rates in December. Coral Davenport of The New York Times discusses upcoming climate talks in Paris and how these talks may succeed where previous talks failed because the U.S. is bringing new EPA regulations to the table.

Republicans Debate the Economy, Paul Ryan Elected Speaker

25m 15s

Republican presidential candidates debated economic issues in their third matchup of the 2016 election. In Congress, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, despite his initial hesitation, was elected the 54th Speaker of the House this week. Ryan called for unity and renewal within the GOP party, the week that outgoing Speaker John Boehner helped pass a bipartisan budget deal.

John Boehner's Legacy and the GOP Undercard Debate

8m 8s

Ohio Republican John Boehner served nearly five years as House Speaker before passing the torch to Paul Ryan, and he retires this week after 25 years in Congress. Doyle McManus of The Los Angeles Times says that his career as Speaker may not have been what he wanted it to be and that he may have been better suited to serve as Speaker 20 years ago.

Hillary Clinton Testifies About Benghazi

25m 15s

Hillary Clinton faced another congressional committee this week concerning the 2012 Benghazi attacks that killed four Americans. Despite the 11 hour hearing and sometimes pointed exchanges between committee members.

Lincoln Chafee's Brief & Unspectacular Campaign

9m 36s

Lincoln Chafee ended his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, and The Atlantic's Molly Ball discusses the short-lived campaign of Chafee, the "most pointless" candidate.

Democrats Spar in 1st Debate, Obama Slows Afghan Withdrawal

25m 16s

The five Democratic White House hopefuls squared off in their Party's first debate of the 2016 Election with issues ranging from gun control, foreign policy and Hillary Clinton’s State Department emails. President Obama announced this week his decision to delay the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan which will push American occupation within the country well into 2016.

House Republicans Scramble to Find New Speaker.

25m 16s

Chaos erupted in the House Republican conference this week after Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy decided to end his bid to replace outgoing Speaker John Boehner. The vote was postponed at the GOP looked for a candidate who could garner support from the establishment and the Party's right flank.

Hillary Clinton Preps for Possible Biden Campaign

11m 38s

Hillary Clinton asserted this week that her team is not digging up information on Vice President Joe Biden if he were to run, but Anne Gearan of The Washington Post believes Clinton’s team is not sitting idly by waiting for Biden's decision.

Oregon Shooting Renews Push For Gun Laws

25m 16s

After a gunman opened fire at a community college in Oregon killing nine people, President Obama made an impassioned appeal for stronger gun control policy. Despite Obama's plea, Alexis Simendinger of Real Clear Politics says there seems to be no appetite to bring up new gun legislation on Capitol Hill and if any change occurs it’ll be a project for the next president.

Obama Addresses Critics of Syria Policy

9m 21s

At a White House press conference, President Obama addressed critics of U.S. policy in Syria -- including his former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Original Obama administration Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced his plans to step down at the end of the year. Alexis Simendinger of Real Clear Politics discusses his legacy.

Boehner Resigns, Pope Francis’ US Tour & Obama hosts Jinping

25m 16s

After being under strong pressure from conservatives in Congress to push for tighter government spending, House Speaker John Boehner announced his resignation this week. As he continued his tour around the U.S., Pope Francis came to Washington to address Congress on controversial issues including immigration and climate change.

Republicans Take Aim at Donald Trump in Second Debate

25m 9s

The top 11 Republican presidential contenders assembled at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library for the second debate on Wednesday night. Karen Tumulty of The Washington Post explains how a combination of attacks from challengers and specific policy discussion left frontrunner Donald Trump silent for part of the debate. Plus, Carly Fiorina's strong debate performance and Democratic concerns.

GOP Undercard Debate & O’Malley Calls for more Debates

8m 13s

Sen. Lindsey Graham took advantage of being on the smaller stage at The Reagan Presidential Library to firmly detail his foreign policy agenda and add humor to the discussion.Meanwhile, Democratic candidate Martin O’Malley wants the DNC to consider scheduling more debates for the Democrats to allow more exposure for all candidates.

Clinton's Email Probe Continues & Trump Pledges GOP Support

25m 16s

The State Department released another batch of Hillary Clinton’s emails and 150 were classified after the fact. After a meeting with RNC chairman Reince Priebus, Donald Trump signed an agreement pledging allegiance to the Republican party and seemingly forgoing a potential independent run. President Obama received the necessary votes to assure the Iran agreement survives GOP opposition

Biden Weighs White House Run, Trump Spars With Media

25m 16s

The declared Democratic presidential candidates spoke to party leaders in Minneapolis this week. As frontrunner Hillary Clinton takes on the Republican field, Bernie Sanders pushes his populist appeal, and Martin O'Malley pushes back at the DNC's debate plan. But speculation in Democratic circles continues to surround Joe Biden who is openly considering jumping into the race for the White House.

Politics of Mockery & Hair, Biden's Role Selling Iran Deal

7m 40s

As the slow build to Election Day 2015 continues, the Summer campaign swings have turned to hair. Republican candidate Donald Trump pulled a stranger up on stage during a campaign appearance this week to prove to the audience that his famous hair is not in fact a toupee. And Democrat Hillary Clinton, who has spent decades in the national spotlight, can relate to the hair scrutiny.

Donald Trump Shapes the Policy Debate

25m 16s

With Donald Trump still polling high, fellow Republican candidates work to differentiate themselves by rolling out their policy platforms. Marco Rubio and Scott Walker would repeal Obamacare, Jeb Bush wants to improve education and veterans affairs, while Trump would end birthright citizenship to illegal immigrants.

2016 Candidates Flock to Iowa

22m 40s

The Iowa State Fair kicked off this week with hopeful 2016 candidates hoping to win the support of party faithful in the nation's first caucus state. Meanwhile, email troubles continue to plague Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. The Washington Post’s Karen Tumulty and CNBC’s John Harwood explain which candidates had a good week and which have seen better.

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