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

Washington Week Extra - Milwaukee Edition

26m 45s

Gwen Ifill and the panel talk to voters of the Badger State less than 24 hours after the PBS Newshour Democratic Presidential Debate between HIllary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders. Voters asked the panel about the tone of the 2016 campaign, a lack of substance from the candidates and a potential Bernie Sanders-Donald Trump-Michael Bloomberg match-up in the general election.

2016 race turns to New Hampshire; Clinton, Sanders debate

24m 13s

Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders met in their first one-on-one debate where they clashed over Wall Street, foreign policy and what it means to be a progressive. Days before the New Hampshire primary, Sanders leads Clinton by 20 points in the Granite State. On the Republican side, Donald Trump’s second-place finish in Iowa has shaken up the race for the GOP nomination.

Four candidates exit 2016 race, Fiorina fights to debate

6m 45s

After disappointing finishes in the Iowa caucuses, four presidential candidates left the 2016 race including Republicans Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum and Rand Paul and Democrat Martin O'Malley. Reid Wilson and Doyle McManus discuss why these candidates struggled to gain traction. Plus, Carly Fiorina is being left off the next Republican debate stage.

Obama on the Supreme Court? Sanders sits down with POTUS

6m 17s

One the Webcast, as President Obama finishes his final year in office, a town hall question posed to Democrat Hillary Clinton fueled speculation about a possible Supreme Court appointment. Clinton called it a "great idea." The administration brushed off speculation about the president's post-White House ambitions. Meanwhile, the president sat down for a private meeting with Bernie Sanders.

Political Storm with One Week to Iowa, SCOTUS & Immigration

24m 13s

With one week until the Iowa caucuses, polls show outsider candidates Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders are gaining momentum. Trump, who is fighting off a conservative challenge from Ted Cruz, gained the endorsement of 2008 GOP VP nominee Sarah Palin. While in the Democratic race, Sanders' surge in polling has Hillary Clinton's campaign questioning his electability.

Conservative Backlash on Trump, Politics at the Court

7m 23s

On the Webcast Extra, the 2016 election at one point focused largely on economic issues, but with terrorism at home and abroad, the candidates have focused more on foreign policy. POLITICO's Michael Crowley explains the debate. Plus, conservatives are fighting back against a potential Donald Trump nomination with the National Review publishing a front-page headline "Against Trump."

Trump, Cruz dominate GOP debate; Democratic race tightens

24m 13s

In the first Republican presidential debate of 2016, frontrunners Donald Trump and Ted Cruz traded jabs over Cruz's eligibility for the nation's top job because of his Canadian birth and what Cruz means by "New York values." On the Democratic side, with two weeks until the Iowa caucuses, the race between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders has tightened in critical first states.

Bill Clinton: Asset or liability? And Nikki Haley: GOP star

8m 54s

On the Webcast Extra: Bill Clinton has been hitting the campaign trail on behalf of his wife Hillary Clinton, but Republicans and Democrats have used his past indiscretions against him. Is he helping or hurting Hillary's second campaign for the White House? And South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley delivered the Republican response to the State of the Union address. Is the GOP rising star a potential

Executive Action on Guns, North Korean Nuclear Threat

24m 12s

President Obama announced new executive actions to curb gun violence including expanding background checks and mental health screenings. North Korea claimed this week to have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb. On the 2016 campaign trail, Republican frontrunner Donald Trump is questioning his GOP rival Ted Cruz's eligibility to run because he was born in Canada.

State of the Union Preview & Building a Left-Wing Tea Party

8m 37s

On the Webcast Extra, a week after announcing new executive action on guns, President Obama is set to deliver his final State of the Union address on Tuesday where he will lay out the agenda for his final year in office. On the campaign trail, the Democrats hoping to succeed Obama are preparing for their next debate, and Martin O'Malley is fighting to get on the stage.

Obama Year-End Wrap Up, Sanders Campaign Sues DNC

24m 13s

As President Obama heads to Hawaii for vacation and looks ahead to his final year in office, Peter Baker of The New York Times reports on what the president has left on his agenda including criminal justice reform. In the 2016 race for the White House, the Bernie Sanders campaign is in hot water with the DNC after a Sanders staffer exploited a security flaw to access Clinton voter records.

Widespread Backlash to Donald Trump's Proposed Muslim Ban

24m 17s

Republican frontrunner Donald Trump drove the 2016 presidential debate this week after proposing to ban all Muslims from entering the U.S. A poll released this week showed 57 percent of Americans oppose the plan, and many of his Republican and Democratic opponents have announced their opposition. But Trump's support among Republican voters is only growing as voters appear to like his tough talk.

Trump vs. The Eagle, Debate Expectations, Millennial Voters

8m 28s

Donald Trump may not be TIME's Person of the Year, but behind the scenes video from his photo shoot shows a feisty eagle taking on the GOP frontrunner. Despite some ruffled feathers and Trump's ruffled hair, Trump's campaign loved the shoot and even said of any upcoming photo shoots, "Can we get an elephant?" Meanwhile, the Republican candidates are preparing for their next debate.

California Shooters Linked to ISIS, Combat opens to Women

21m 36s

The FBI is investigating the mass shooting in San Bernarndino, California, that left 14 people dead as "an act of terror" after one of the suspects declared her allegiance to ISIS in an online post. NBC News' Pete Williams updates us on where the investigation stands. Plus, the shooting has revived political conversations about enhancing gun laws in America.

U.S. Expands Footprint in Iraq, Assad Stays in Syria for Now

7m 28s

As U.S. forces continues the fight against ISIS, the Pentagon announced plans to send more special operations forces to Iraq. In neighboring Syria, Bashar al Assad is likely to stay in power for the foreseeable future because, as Michael Crowley reports, the U.S. sees him as "an enemy we can work with."

Fighting ISIS, Clinton's Campaign Tightrope & Reading List

6m 59s

On the Webcast Extra, Peter Baker explains who is behind the 65-member coalition fighting ISIS. On the 2016 campaign trail, Hillary Clinton's campaign team has determined there is "no strategic advantage" to distance Clinton from Obama. And our annual Washington Week Winter Reading List is out! Our panelists share their must-read books to give you some inspiration for holiday giving.

Measuring the Mood of America

21m 35s

As you dig in to your Thanksgiving leftover, we dive deep into the American mood. Concerns about terrorism, distrust of political leaders and a spirited debate about who's best to lead our country are topics of conversation around the country. Gwen Ifill discusses this all with The New York Times' Peter Baker, The Washington Post's Dan Balz and BBC's Kim Ghattas.

How has the Paris attack shifted the fight against ISIS?

24m 37s

One week after the terror attacks in Paris left 130 people dead, the United States and global community have intensified the resolve to defeat ISIS and prevent future attacks. In state houses across the country and in the U.S. House of Representatives, the conversation has shifted to refugee policy and preventing all Syrian refugees from entering the country until security measures can be stepped

Terror Attacks in Paris & Trump Sharpens His Criticisms

24m 15s

Terrorists struck multiple locations across Paris leaving over 100 people dead in attacks including multiple shootings and a bombing at a soccer stadium. The New York Times' David Sanger reports on the reverberations beyond the French capital. On the 2016 campaign trail, Donald Trump took aim at his Republican rivals this week, comparing his co-frontrunner Ben Carson to a child molester.

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