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Alex Wagner Tonight

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03/01/2024

Enabling Trump, distorting the Supreme Court define McConnell legacy as he exits leadership - Alex Wagner looks at Mitch McConnell's role in distorting the Supreme Court and indulging Donald Trump's lawlessness by enabling his evasion of accountability, likely cementing his legacy as he announces his departure from his Senate leadership position.

03/01/2024

'Republicans in robes': Supreme Court critics see politics behind action on Trump immunity case -
For critics of the current Supreme Court, assembled by Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell for the purpose of fulfilling a Republican political agenda, the decision to take up Donald Trump's presidential immunity appeal after an inexplicable delay confirms their cynicism about the court's political motivations. Mark Joseph Stern, senior writer for Slate, and Elie Mystal, justice correspondent for The Nation, discuss with Alex Wagner.

02/01/2024

Bad timing for Trump as court-appointed monitor flags accounting of tens of millions of dollars -
A court-appointed monitor of Donald Trump's company has flagged some sketchy accounting, including questions about a $48 million loan. With Judge Arthur Engoron considering how much to penalize Trump for fraudulent business practices, news of ongoing dubious practices at the company are particularly inopportune. Kristy Greenberg, former federal prosecutor, and Devlin Barrett, Justice Department reporter for The Washington Post, discuss with Alex Wagner.

02/01/2024

GOP invents Taylor Swift conspiracy theory instead of facing reality about unpopular policies -
Alex Wagner points out the ridiculousness of the latest Republican conspiracy theory, an extension of Donald Trump's Big Lie that imagines a deep state plot involving Taylor Swift and the Super Bowl, and explains why Republicans should be more worried about the deep unpopularity of the policies they support.

01/26/2024

'Vital piece of information': Holder encourages courts to process Trump trials quickly for voters -
Former Attorney General Eric Holder talks with Alex Wagner about the number of American voters who have said that their support for Donald Trump would change if he were convicted of a felony, and why the judicial system needs to work quickly to make sure voters are fully informed by the time they cast their votes in November.

01/25/2024

Alex has a great chat with Seth Meyers last night. If you missed it, you can find it on their YouTube (YouTube.com/latenightseth) or follow the link we posted in our Threads.

01/18/2024

'A certain kind of religion': Trump's MAGA movement hijacks evangelicalism; leaves gospel behind -
Not only does polling show that white evangelical support for Donald Trump has grown significantly since he ran for president in 2016, but what it means to be evangelical appears to have shift as well to include a faithful allegiance to Trump more than any particular religious tenets. Tim Alberta, author of "The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory," discusses with Alex Wagner.

01/16/2024

Dictionaries a casualty of right-wing book ban panic -
Alex Wagner reports on how vague book ban laws and threatening enforcement has succeeded in forcing the removal of books from classrooms and library shelves, with even dictionaries that contain the definition of "s*x" being "pulled for further review" in one Florida county.

01/15/2024

Trump mainstreams political violence with normalizing repetition -
Alex Wagner looks at how Donald Trump's regular use of violent rhetoric has desensitized the public as the legal and political atmosphere surrounding Trump becomes increasingly threatening to anyone seen as being disloyal.

01/15/2024

Evangelical leaders lose influence as followers find new savior in Trump -
As MAGA devotion to Donald Trump grows within the evangelical community, once politically powerful religious leaders are losing sway over followers who have convinced themselves that Trump is the new savior. Michelle Goldberg, columnist for The New York Times, and Tess Owens, senior reporter covering extremism for Vice News, talk with Alex Wagner about the twisted new religion forming around Donald Trump.

01/12/2024

Why the judge in Trump's fraud trial may have a heavy penalty in mind -
Susanne Craig, investigative reporter for The New York Times, lays out how New York Attorney General Letitia James arrived at the request of $370 million in penalties for the fraud Donald Trump has already been found liable for, and explains why Judge Engoron's final question leads her to think the final number will "come in on the higher end."

01/11/2024

2024's also-rans find campaign trail is a rocky road -
Alex Wagner looks at 2024 presidential candidates at the low end of the polling range, like Dean Phillips, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Asa Hutchinson suffering the cold indignities of the campaign trail.

01/11/2024

New report cites Trump aides' testimony on damning new details about Trump on Jan. 6 -
New reporting from ABC News offers new insight into testimony from Donald Trump aides Dan Scavino and Nick Luna and the details they can provide prosecutors about Donald Trump's behavior on January 6 while his supporters were attacking the U.S. capitol. Michael Schmidt, Washington correspondent for The New York Times, discusses with Alex Wagner.

01/10/2024

Donald Trump's impeachment defense already blew up his immunity argument -
As Donald Trump's criminal lawyers try to argue that Trump can't be prosecuted for things he did while president, he is haunted by the words of his impeachment lawyers who suggested that impeachment was inappropriate versus criminal prosecution after leaving office. Chuck Rosenberg, former U.S. attorney, and Dan Pfeiffer, former senior advisor to President Obama, discuss with Alex Wagner.

01/05/2024

Conservatives broaden attacks on U.S. institutions to weaken resistance to right-wing overhaul -
Ali Velshi looks at the broader conservative project to undermine trusted U.S. institutions in order to weaken defenses against right-wing propaganda that would roll back social progress going back to the civil rights era.

01/05/2024

U.S. reliability on global stage imperiled as GOP plays politics with Ukraine aid -
Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, former director for European affairs for the U.S. National Security Council, and Ben Rhodes, former deputy national security advisor under President Obama, talk with Ali Velshi about global standing of the United States as a defender of democracy and other American ideals and why the stakes of Russia's war on Ukraine extend beyond that single conflict.

01/05/2024

Trump, GOP threat to democracy seen extending beyond U.S. borders -
Ali Velshi points out that while Donald Trump's threat to democracy in the United States has become a theme of the 2024 election, many Americans overlook the potential fallout of Republican neglect of literally embattled U.S. ally and fellow democracy, Ukraine.

01/04/2024

'Dog and pony show politics': GOP border theatrics gives Democrats opportunity for contrast -
Caitlin Dickerson, staff writer for The Atlantic, and Julián Castro, former secretary of Housing and Urban Development, talk with Ali Velshi about the fixable components of the "border crisis" and how Democrats can take control of the issue while Republicans resort to stunts and scare mongering.

01/04/2024

Trump brings battered arguments to ask Supreme Court to put him back on Colorado ballot -
Barbara McQuade, former U.S. attorney, talks with Ali Velshi about Donald Trump's appeal to the Supreme Court to reject Colorado's application of the 14th Amendment to his candidacy and put him back on the ballot, and the counter-arguments that have already been presented in anticipation of Trump's defense.

01/04/2024

Right-wing culture warriors develop formula to manipulate soft targets in high education -
Ali Velshi looks at the tactics used by right-wing activist Christopher Rufo to attack diversity, equity and inclusion programs and equity philosophy generally in higher education, and the weakness he is able to exploit in mainstream media organizations and university boards to manufacture political pressure.

01/04/2024

Pro-Trump media bubble, supporters' delusions flummox GOP primary opponents -
Isaac Arnsdorf, national political reporter for The Washington Post, talks with Ali Velshi about the as-yet impenetrable lead Donald Trump has secured over his Republican primary opponents, due in large part to supporters who concoct excuses for his failures and celebrate his disgraces.

01/03/2024

'More than a century too late': Raskin schools Republicans over 14th Amendment complaints -
Rep. Jamie Raskin, constitutional law professor and former member of the January 6 Committee, talks with Ali Velshi about Republican complaints about Donald Trump disqualifying himself from holding office by virtue of the 14th Amendment and the tools of democracy available to the GOP if they want to undo provisions in the constitution, designed to protect U.S. democracy, that are more than 150 years old.

12/28/2023

How to understand the Supreme Court's denial of a quick decision on presidential immunity -
Despite Special Counsel Jack Smith imploring the Supreme Court to jump in and make a final decision on whether Donald Trump has presidential immunity from prosecution on a number of matters on which he is currently facing prosecution, the court decided to take a back seat to the circuit court taking a crack at it first. At issue now is what this does to the timing of Trump's trials, particularly the federal election interference case scheduled for March. Joyce Vance, former U.S. attorney, and Josh Gerstein, senior legal affairs writer for Politico, talk with Alex Wagner about where things stand.

12/27/2023

'Too many lives have been upended': Biden expands ma*****na pardons, absolving thousands -
President Joe Biden expanded on his previous pardon of low-level federal ma*****na offenders to include thousands of people convicted of use and simple possession of ma*****na on federal land. Alex Wagner notes that the pardons come in the context of a profound shift in the treatment of recreational ma*****na use in the U.S.

12/22/2023

Why recent polling is not the thing that worries the Biden camp -
The team strategizing the reelection of Joe Biden is not caught up in the frenzy over long-range polling, but there are other things that make them anxious. Gabriel Debenedetti, national correspondent for New York Magazine, talks with Alex Wagner about his reporting on the 2024 election from the perspective of the Biden camp right now.

12/22/2023

Colorado 14th Amendment case puts Supreme Court conservatives in a bind -
The Colorado Supreme Court's ruling on the application of the 14th Amendment to Donald Trump's reelection candidacy will almost certainly go to the Supreme Court where conservative justices' professed principles (originalism, textualism, states' rights) will be pitted against their observed Republican partisan bias. George Conway, contributor to the Atlantic, and Mark Joseph Stern, senior writers at Slate, discuss with Alex Wagner.

12/21/2023

New polling finds cracks in Trump's base; criminal cases making an impression -
New polling from The New York Times and Siena College shows an increase in Donald Trump supporters who believe Trump has committed serious federal crimes, with many saying that a conviction should disqualify Trump from being the party nominee and even that a conviction should result in jail time. Ruth Igielnik, staff editor for news surveys at The New York Times, discusses the latest findings with Alex Wagner.

12/21/2023

Original records leave no question that the 14th Amendment applies to Trump -
Alex Wagner looks at an exchange from 1866, highlighted in the ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court, between Senators Reverdy Johnson and Lot Morrill about whether the 14th Amendment they were drafting would apply to presidents and vice presidents. In sum, yes it does.

12/21/2023

'Airtight' Colorado Trump case will be a test of Supreme Court's originalist principles -
Sherrilyn Ifill, founder of the 14th Amendment Center for Law and Democracy at Howard Law School, talks with Alex Wagner about what Congress was thinking when it added the 14th Amendment during Reconstruction and why that's bad news for Donald Trump if the Supreme Court conservatives are faithful to their claim of being originalists.

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Videos

Enabling Trump, distorting the Supreme Court define McConnell legacy as he exits leadership

'Republicans in robes': Supreme Court critics see politics behind action on Trump immunity case

'Republicans in robes': Supreme Court critics see politics behind action on Trump immunity case - For critics of the current Supreme Court, assembled by Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell for the purpose of fulfilling a Republican political agenda, the decision to take up Donald Trump's presidential immunity appeal after an inexplicable delay confirms their cynicism about the court's political motivations. Mark Joseph Stern, senior writer for Slate, and Elie Mystal, justice correspondent for The Nation, discuss with Alex Wagner.

“They’re trying to walk it back now so that they don’t look publicly accountable, but I want to be very clear that this was intentional and that this is exactly what Republicans have been going for.” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is not letting the GOP hide from accountability for the fallout from their anti-reproductive rights agenda.

Rep. Dan Goldman explains to Alex Wagner how Republicans could be criminally exposed if they continue using what they now know is Russian disinformation meant to interfere in the election.

Every congressional election now has national significance. That’s how close the margin of the majority is right now.

The broad sense that the Supreme Court could balance the politics of ruling for Donald Trump in the 14th Amendment case, and against Trump in the immunity case does not help convince anyone that these justices are guided purely by the law and not by outward influences.

“Presidential temperament” was a frequently discussed idea during the 2016 election when Donald Trump’s impulsive behavior became apparent to most Americans. In 2024, Trump’s failure to restrain himself seems to be more a consideration of courts of law than the court of public opinion.

Bad timing for Trump as court-appointed monitor flags accounting of tens of millions of dollars

Bad timing for Trump as court-appointed monitor flags accounting of tens of millions of dollars - A court-appointed monitor of Donald Trump's company has flagged some sketchy accounting, including questions about a $48 million loan. With Judge Arthur Engoron considering how much to penalize Trump for fraudulent business practices, news of ongoing dubious practices at the company are particularly inopportune. Kristy Greenberg, former federal prosecutor, and Devlin Barrett, Justice Department reporter for The Washington Post, discuss with Alex Wagner.

GOP invents Taylor Swift conspiracy theory instead of facing reality about unpopular policies

GOP invents Taylor Swift conspiracy theory instead of facing reality about unpopular policies - Alex Wagner points out the ridiculousness of the latest Republican conspiracy theory, an extension of Donald Trump's Big Lie that imagines a deep state plot involving Taylor Swift and the Super Bowl, and explains why Republicans should be more worried about the deep unpopularity of the policies they support.

GOP invents Taylor Swift conspiracy theory instead of facing reality about unpopular policies- Alex Wagner points out the ridiculousness of the latest Republican conspiracy theory, an extension of Donald Trump’s Big Lie that imagines a deep state plot involving Taylor Swift and the Super Bowl, and explains why Republicans should be more worried about the deep unpopularity of the policies they support.

“He is damaged goods.” Newsom doubts Trump’s appeal outside the right-wing bubble. Watch more of Alex’s interview with Gavin Newsom at MSNBC.com/Alex

“They don’t want to solve this problem. They want to use it as a political issue.” Gavin Newsom has harsh words for Republicans following Donald Trump’s orders to abandon work on immigration legislation.

'Vital piece of information': Holder encourages courts to process Trump trials quickly for voters

'Vital piece of information': Holder encourages courts to process Trump trials quickly for voters - Former Attorney General Eric Holder talks with Alex Wagner about the number of American voters who have said that their support for Donald Trump would change if he were convicted of a felony, and why the judicial system needs to work quickly to make sure voters are fully informed by the time they cast their votes in November.

Full video: Donald Trump is changing what it means to be evangelical in the United States. Or perhaps accelerating an ongoing change?

In order to beat Donald Trump, Nikki Haley probably has to run against Donald Trump.

'A certain kind of religion': Trump's MAGA movement hijacks evangelicalism; leaves gospel behind

'A certain kind of religion': Trump's MAGA movement hijacks evangelicalism; leaves gospel behind - Not only does polling show that white evangelical support for Donald Trump has grown significantly since he ran for president in 2016, but what it means to be evangelical appears to have shift as well to include a faithful allegiance to Trump more than any particular religious tenets. Tim Alberta, author of "The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory," discusses with Alex Wagner.

Dictionaries a casualty of right-wing book ban panic

Dictionaries a casualty of right-wing book ban panic - Alex Wagner reports on how vague book ban laws and threatening enforcement has succeeded in forcing the removal of books from classrooms and library shelves, with even dictionaries that contain the definition of "sex" being "pulled for further review" in one Florida county.

Trump mainstreams political violence with normalizing repetition

Trump mainstreams political violence with normalizing repetition - Alex Wagner looks at how Donald Trump's regular use of violent rhetoric has desensitized the public as the legal and political atmosphere surrounding Trump becomes increasingly threatening to anyone seen as being disloyal.

Evangelical leaders lose influence as followers find new savior in Trump

Evangelical leaders lose influence as followers find new savior in Trump - As MAGA devotion to Donald Trump grows within the evangelical community, once politically powerful religious leaders are losing sway over followers who have convinced themselves that Trump is the new savior. Michelle Goldberg, columnist for The New York Times, and Tess Owens, senior reporter covering extremism for Vice News, talk with Alex Wagner about the twisted new religion forming around Donald Trump.

Why the judge in Trump's fraud trial may have a heavy penalty in mind

Why the judge in Trump's fraud trial may have a heavy penalty in mind - Susanne Craig, investigative reporter for The New York Times, lays out how New York Attorney General Letitia James arrived at the request of $370 million in penalties for the fraud Donald Trump has already been found liable for, and explains why Judge Engoron's final question leads her to think the final number will "come in on the higher end."