Andrew Weissmann Thinks Donald Trump Can Be Held to Account

Andrew Weissmann Thinks Donald Trump Can Be Held to Account

Author: The New Yorker August 8, 2026 Duration: 44:31
The Washington Roundtable’s Jane Mayer interviews Andrew Weissmann, a former prosecutor for the Department of Justice who served as a lead member of the Mueller investigation, about what meaningful legal accountability in the Trump Administration looks like. He points to a fix that would raise the bar for federal grand-jury indictments, and explains why he believes that Donald Trump’s disputed I.R.S. settlement may not survive legal scrutiny. He also makes the case, drawn from his new book, “Liar’s Kingdom: How to Stop Trump’s Deceit and Save America,” for treating political lying itself as a problem that the law can address. “We have to be thinking about big, bold ideas,” Weissmann says. This week’s reading: “The Future, Made in China,” by Evan Osnos “How Roy Cohn Taught Donald Trump Everything,” by Kai Bird and Susan Goldmark “Why Donald Trump Talks So Much About Foreign Election Interference,” by David D. Kirkpatrick “The Electability of Abdul El-Sayed,” by Jason Zengerle Tune in to The Political Scene ⁠wherever you get your podcasts⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

The Political Scene | The New Yorker
Podcast Episodes
The Shifting Meaning of “Moderate” [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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The New Yorker contributing writer Jon Allsop joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss the shifting meaning of the word “moderate” in the 2026 election season. They talk about recent primary results in Michigan and Wisconsin, and…
Bernie Sanders and Erin Brockovich Take on Data Centers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:02
1. The data centers that power artificial intelligence are being built at a rampant pace, and are spurring resistance all over the country. Apart from public concerns about A.I.’s impact on jobs, privacy, and other aspec…
Gina Raimondo on Reclaiming the American Dream in the Age of A.I. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:05
The Washington Roundtable’s Evan Osnos interviews the former Commerce Secretary and Rhode Island governor Gina Raimondo about a problem she’s been working on since she left the Biden Administration: how to make sure that…
What Is Ibogaine and Why Is Trump Talking About It? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:55
The journalist Michelle Lhooq joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss her reporting on ibogaine, a psychedelic that has recently been embraced by the right—including President Donald Trump. They talk about the movement to promote…
How Socialist Is the D.S.A.? Megan Romer Explains [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:09
One of the biggest stories of this election cycle is the emergence, for the first time in a long time, of socialism as a force on the national stage. Inspired perhaps by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Zohran Mamdani, D.S.A…
Obsession-Worthy Stories: A Washington Summer Roundtable [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:58
The Washington Roundtable reflects on the stories they’ve been following this summer, touching on the “power mourners” at Lindsey Graham’s funeral, Anthony Fauci’s diaries and Senate hearing, and China’s usurping of the…
The Woman Who Took On the N.R.A. After Two Gun Suicides [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:58
The New Yorker contributor Mike Spies joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss the story of a woman who lost two partners to suicide by firearm and then spent years in a legal battle with the National Rifle Association over her la…
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Duration: 53:30
In 2025, as ICE was struggling to meet an impossible goal of three thousand immigration arrests per day, the agency took an unprecedented step: picking people up when they arrived at immigration court. These were immigra…
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Duration: 50:45
The Washington Roundtable is joined by Carl Hulse, the New York Times’ chief Washington correspondent, to discuss Congress’s dwindling role in the American political system. Why are Congress members passing fewer bills t…