Trump Watch

Bernie has already won--the ideas primary: That’s what Bob Borosage argues. Bernie sets the agenda for the race and the other candidates define themselves in relations to his positions. Also: pundits have declared that Elizabeth Warren is finished, but we’re not so sure. While Warren came in third in Iowa and fourth in New Hampshire and Nevada, only a hundred delegates have been selected—while more than 1,900 delegates are necessary to win. Eventually, progressives and moderates in the party will have to come together--Could Warren be the unity candidate? Joan Walsh takes up that question. Plus: John Sayles has directed two dozen films, including Matewan and Lone Star. Here he talks about his new novel, 'Yellow Earth'—it’s about what happens when shale oil is discovered underneath an Indian reservation in the North Dakota badlands—and outsiders descend.

Democrats can win in rural America: Jane Kleeb talks about strategies for fighting Trump in red states. She’s a grassroots organizer based in Hastings, Nebraska, and she put together the coalition of ranchers, farmers, Native Americans, and environmentalists that stopped the Keystone XL Pipeline. She’s chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party, and her new book is 'Harvest the Vote.' Also: another episode of The Children’s Hour: stories about Ivanka, Jared, Don Junior, and little Eric. Today: Don Junior writes a best-seller! Just like his father, his mother, and his sister: a family of literati. Amy Wilentz reports.

Bernie emerged from the New Hampshire primary as the Democratic frontrunner; Harold Meyerson says that, as more of the "moderates" drop out, Bernie needs to get some of their supporters--starting with Biden's. Also: Democrats are full of anxiety about the November election. Whoever they support, they wake up anxious that somehow Donald Trump will not be defeated on Nov. 3. There are many ways that the voting process could be sabotaged, starting with a cyberattack on the power grid on Election Day. That’s what Rick Hasen says. His hew book is “Election Meltdown: Dirty Tricks, Distrust, and the Threat to American Democracy.”

It's been a big week in American politics: Monday: the long awaited Iowa Democratic caucuses failed to give results; Tuesday: Trump gave his State of the Union address; Wednesday: the Senate Republican majority voted NOT to convict Trump of high crimes and misdemeanors or to remove him from office; and today Trump gave a 63-minute victory speech -- Harold Meyerson comments. Next up: February is Black History month -- we talk with Taylor Branch about Martin Luther King Jr. from 1965 and the Selma campaign to 1968 and the Memphis sanitation strike.

As Trump's impeachment trial in the Senate continues, the Democrats continue to come out ahead politically. also, the latest on Bernie on the campaign trail -- Harold Meyerson of the American Prospect comments. Also The W.H.O. declared the coronavirus outbreak that originated in Wuhan, China a global health emergency today -- we talk with historian of modern China about China's handling of the crisis with Jeff Wasserstrom. Plus: Toxic masculinity -- on the football field and in the White House -- Robert Lipsyte talks about the Super Bowl and Trump.

The Senate impeachment trial shows the "ism" the Republicns fear more than socialism or liberalism is empiricism, says Harold Meyerson -- as the Democrats move toward concluding their presentation, and the Republicans refuse to admit evidence or hear witnesses. Also: A Report from Haiti: It’s been ten years since Haiti was devastated by the earthquake that killed more than a hundred thousand people. Amy Wilentz, who has been reporting on Haiti for three decades, returned to the island and found the country oddly calm, despite deepening poverty, violence, and corruption. She also found “little sprouts of possibility everywhere.”

Harold Meyerson talks about how to get past the fight between Bernie and Elizabeth Warren-- and about the upcoming trial in the Senate. Next up -- a report from Hong Kong: historian Jeff Wasserstrom talks about the months of demonstrations there and what they mean for the future. Plus: Tom Lutz, founding editor of the LA Review of Books, has a novel out: "Born Slippy" from Repeater Books.

The House votes on the war powers resolution and we are NOT at war with Iran today -- for comment and analysis we turn to John Nichols. Next up, progressive politics in the red, purple and blue districts of Orange County -- Gustavo Arellano reports. Plus: Fires continue to devastate Australia; Lizzie O'Shea reports from Melbourne. Also, we talk about her new book, 'Future Histories: What Ada Lovelace, Tom Paine, and the Paris Commune Can Teach Us About Digital Technology'.

Historically, a booming economy means the incumbent will be re-elected -- but NOT in 2020, says Harold Meyerson of the American Prospect: 'Trump Trjumps the Economy," and will not be reelected in 2020. Next up, we talk with Bill McKibben about the Green New Deal and his new book "FALTER: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?" Plus: Rick Perlstein on impeachment -- Nixon's and Trump's.

The 2020 election will liberate us from Donald Trump and Republican hegemony. A sweeping Democratic victory will make it possible at last for us to address our most serious problems. That’s what Stan Greenberg says – he’s a longtime pollster and adviser to Democratic presidents from Clinton to Obama. He’s also a bestselling author, with a new book out – it has the wonderful title R.I.P. G.O.P.: how the New America is Dooming the Republicans. Plus: Stacey Abrams probably would be governor of Georgia right now if the vote count had been fair and the vote suppression stopped – she’s a remarkable person and a fighter for the right to vote. Her new book is “Lead from the Outside”--it was Number Three on the New York Times bestseller list. Also: We look back at some of the big events of 2019, and some of our favorite interviews, starting with the terrorist attacks by white nationalists, in El Paso and elsewhere. Historian Kathleen Belew says they are NOT isolated events carried out by loners; in fact they

Wednesday was the worst day of Trump's life. But does impeachment help the Democratic candidates? Harold Meyerson doesn't think so -- he's editor at large of the American Prospect. Also, our segment that has nothing to do with Trump: Thousands of Muslim women left their homes in the US and Europe to travel to Syria to join ISIS, the Islamic State, especially after it declared a Caliphate in 2013. Many of them were educated and successful – Why did they do it? Azadeh Moaveni wanted to find out—she spent years interviewing former ISIS women in camps in Turkey and Kurdistan. Her book is "“Guest House for Young Widows: Among the Women of ISIS.”

Last month, Virginia became the first Southern state in the post-civil rights movement era to entirely flip back to Democratic control. How did they do it? And can the Democrats do the same thing in other states in 2020? Joan Walsh comments. Also: what Trump is doing about war criminals: maybe you heard that he’s pardoning them--and firing Pentagon officials who object. Jeet Heer has a report, and a political analysis. Plus: More workers went on strike in America last year than at any time since 1986, more than 20 years ago. There’s something happening here--we have comment from Bryce Covert.

Bernie’s back in second place – he spoke recently with John Nichols of The Nation, and we have highlights—“It can’t all be Bernie Sanders,” he says to John, emphasizing that a movement is necessary to change America. Also: Martin Scorcese’s new film “The Irishman” is playing now on Netflix; it claims to tell the true story of the murder of Jimmy Hoffa, the head of the Teamsters Union, who disappeared in 1974. But nobody who’s studied that history thinks the movie is right about what happened to Hoffa. Does that fact change our judgement about the film? John Powers comments; he’s critic at large for Fresh Air with Terry Gross.

The Trump impeachment proceedings have one big difference from Nixon's--the Republicans are not participating in drafting articles of impeachment. Rick Perlstein argues that, as a result, the Democrats should include all of Trump's high crimes--not just those that might win a few Republican votes. And we’ll also talk about one of our favorite writers, John le Carré – he has a new book out: 'Agent Running in the Field'--they're calling it his "Brexit book." It’s number five on the best seller list. He’s now 88 years old, he’s written twenty-six books, mostly about loyalty and betrayal, mostly during the Cold War – they’ve been published in over 50 countries and 40 languages. John Powers will comment-–he’s Critic-at-Large on “Fresh Air” with Terry Gross.

This week's impeachment hearings--esp. Gordon Sondland and Fiona Hill--leave the Republicans with no good arguments. Harold Meyerson comments, and takes up the question, why are they focusing exclusively on Ukraine when Trump has committed so many other crimes? Next up, Senator Sherrod Brown was reelected in Ohio by 7 points, a state Hillary lost by 8. We ask him: what are the lessons for 2020? Plus: Against Biden -- D.D. Guttenplan explains The Nation's "anti-endorsement" of the former vice-president.

Impeachment proceedings began yesterday--John Nichols comments; he has some doubts about "bribery" as a charge. Also: it’s an unhappy annversary: 100 years since the Palmer Raids. Adam Hochshild talks about deportations of people the government considered "undesirable" – in 1919--and also today. Also, Howard Rodman on his novel "The Great Eastern." Ricky Jay called it "A splendid and notable achievement."

This week we are one year away from the election where Donald Trump will be seeking four more years in power. He’ll be the first incumbent running for reelection after having been impeached –unless the Senate votes to remove him from office. Elie Mystal analyzes what it would take for that to happen. Also: Joe Biden may be the frontrunner, but he’s slipping, and big donors are pulling away from him. But do the so-called “moderates” in the party–-the Wall Street Democrats--have a Plan B? Jeet Heer will evaluate the possibilities—there are a lot of them, but none are very promising. Plus: Left politics can win in New York City and L.A. and San Francisco but what about Iowa and Ohio? Mike Lux says ‘Left Politics Can Win All Over the Country’ –he’s a longtime strategist for the progressive movement and Democratic candidates. And finally: Amy Wilentz reports on the recent street protests in Haiti, one of those countries about which Trump has made those disparaging remarks.

Christopher Leonard explains why the Koch Brothers did not want Trump to get the nomination - and how they got to be as wealthy, and politically active, as they are. His new book is "Kochland." Also: We all know Trump got famous on TV with The Apprentice – but how many of us ever watched The Apprentice? Reality TV was a key force in making Trump president. Tom Carson talks about “Audience of One” by James Poniewozik. Tom, a longtime writer on pop culture and politics, won two National Magazine Awards during his time as Esquire‘s “Screen” columnist; now he writes for BookForum. Pls: Ilhan Omar has endorsed Bernie for president – how does she deal with Trump’s vicious attacks? David Perry has spent the last few months with her in her Minneapolis district—he says he’s never seen a politician talk as little about themselves as she does in her town halls.

Trump says his favorite Supreme Court justice is Clarence Thomas – but Thomas is not a conventional right-wing thinker, Corey Robin says—he’s a conservative black nationalist. Corey’s new book is “The Enigma of Clarence Thomas.” Plus: The political promise of the abortion pill: Despite the fact that more than 75% of Americans favor Roe v. Wade, abortion rights face increasing jeopardy at the Supreme Court, and the right finally succeed at defunding Planned Parenthood. But there’s one immensely promising factor at work: abortion drugs, especially misoprostol, which is easily obtained on the Internet, despite the FDA’s attempts to prevent online pharmacies from selling them. Katha Pollitt will explain. Also: Our increasingly desperate president: even Fox News has become an inconsistent and unreliable defender of Trump’s actions. Sasha Abramsky will separate Trump’s efforts at distraction from the political reality he now faces.

Twelve Democrats debated for 3 hours on TV Tuesday night -- John Nichols says Bernie looked great--and Biden didn't. Also: The Supreme Court term began its fall term this week--and even though Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed at the start of last year’s court term, this year the Supremes’ decisions will be worse – a lot worse. Elie Mystal explains why—he’s the executive editor of Above the Law and a contributing writer for The Nation. Plus: a new episode of ‘The Children’s Hour’--stories about Ivanka, Jared, Don Junior, and little Eric. This week: who’s helping Dad fight impeachment? Amy Wilentz has our story.