Home Podcasts The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell

The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell

The Bulwark 115 Episodes Aug 20, 2026

The Illegal News is a podcast where law meets politics. Each week, host Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark, talks with a legal expert to break down the latest court filings, rulings, and procedural developments of the Trump era. The show aims to explain how these legal moves shape American democracy, without the jargon. It provides context for major news and highlights legal and illegal actions that may be overlooked.

Episodes

S2 Ep173: Trump Just Ordered the Government to Delete the Receipts (w/ Andrew Weissmann)
S2 Ep173: Trump Just Ordered the Government to Delete the Receipts (w/ Andrew Weissmann) Aug 20, 2026 4574 Andrew Weissmann joins Sarah Longwell to discuss the Trump administration’s move to erase corporate ownership records, the latest developments in the Fauci investigation, how a bizarre election controversy in Alaska led to a DOJ investigation, and what Democrats still need to learn about persuasion in the Trump era.Ready to reach your weight-loss goals? Visit https://www.forhers.com/illegalnews t
S2 Ep172: Career Prosecutors Wanted NO PART of What Trump’s DOJ Was Doing (w/ Andrew Weissmann)
S2 Ep172: Career Prosecutors Wanted NO PART of What Trump’s DOJ Was Doing (w/ Andrew Weissmann) Aug 12, 2026 4019 Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann discuss the escalating campaign against Anthony Fauci, why his lawyers may see the congressional investigation as a perjury trap, and what happens now that his contempt referral is headed to Trump’s DOJ. They also take on Bill Cassidy’s vote to confirm Todd Blanche, Trump and RFK Jr.’s attacks on vaccines, and a stunning foreign bribery case involving a $10 bil
S2 Ep171: Trump’s Reflecting Pool Case Collapsed in SPECTACULAR Fashion (w/ Andrew Weissmann) | Illegal News
S2 Ep171: Trump’s Reflecting Pool Case Collapsed in SPECTACULAR Fashion (w/ Andrew Weissmann) | Illegal News Aug 5, 2026 3430 Sam Stein and Andrew Weissmann discuss the Justice Department’s dismissal of charges over damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, potential recourse for Olympian David Hearn, and Trump’s response. They also examine Todd Blanche’s Senate confirmation prospects, the proposed “anti-weaponization” fund and tax-immunity agreement, Capital One’s anti-money-laundering claims involving Trump Orga
S2 Ep170: George Conway: Trump Showed Up to the Trial and Lost $83 Million
S2 Ep170: George Conway: Trump Showed Up to the Trial and Lost $83 Million Jul 31, 2026 3950 Sam Stein and George Conway discuss James Comey’s challenge to the “8647” prosecution, Donald Trump’s Supreme Court bid to overturn E. Jean Carroll’s $83 million defamation judgment, and the administration’s push for new restrictions on mail-in voting. They also cover the withdrawal of subpoenas targeting New York Times reporters and the delayed Paramount-Warner Bros. merger.Get 15% off OneSkin w
S2 Ep169: George Conway Is Back—and Trump Gave Him PLENTY to Work With
S2 Ep169: George Conway Is Back—and Trump Gave Him PLENTY to Work With Jul 22, 2026 3120 Sarah Longwell welcomes George Conway back to The Illegal News to discuss Trump Media’s plan to sell Wall Street firms early access to Trump’s market-moving Truth Social posts. They also talk about DOJ subpoenas targeting New York Times reporters and their families, Trump’s Qatar jet, the newly activated Alien Terrorist Removal Court, and the Paramount–Warner merger.Make laundry day the best day
S2 Ep168: Senators Never Asked Blanche the Most Obvious Epstein Question
S2 Ep168: Senators Never Asked Blanche the Most Obvious Epstein Question Jul 18, 2026 3593 Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann discuss on a week that tested both of them: Todd Blanche's confirmation hearing, and Trump's prime-time speech on election interference. Andrew walks through the cross-examination Senate Democrats didn't run—the statements that went unchallenged, the follow-ups nobody asked, and the one question about the withheld Epstein files that Blanche has still never answ
S2 Ep167: Trump's Own Judge Torched DOJ's Insane Election Subpoena (w/ Andrew Weissmann)
S2 Ep167: Trump's Own Judge Torched DOJ's Insane Election Subpoena (w/ Andrew Weissmann) Jul 9, 2026 3945 Andrew Weissmann joins Sarah Longwell to discuss a big week in legal news: DOJ's stunning concession in a reporter's lawsuit over the Epstein files, the questions senators must make Todd Blanche answer at his confirmation hearing, and the Trump-appointed judge who torched DOJ's demand for the names of every 2020 election worker in Fulton County. Plus: the DOJ letter that signals a plan to challen
S2 Ep166: MAGA is Furious at Amy Coney Barrett (w/ Steve Vladeck)
S2 Ep166: MAGA is Furious at Amy Coney Barrett (w/ Steve Vladeck) Jul 1, 2026 3521 Sarah Longwell and Georgetown University Law Center's Steve Vladek discuss the Supreme Court's final day of the term—a narrow 5-4 ruling upholding birthright citizenship, the court gutting independent agency protections (while carving out a suspicious exception for the Fed), and a rapid-fire tour through rulings on mail-in ballots, trans athletes, campaign finance, TPS for Haitians, and asylum se
S2 Ep165: The Reflecting Pool is a Symbol of Trump’s Failure (w/ Andrew Weissmann)
S2 Ep165: The Reflecting Pool is a Symbol of Trump’s Failure (w/ Andrew Weissmann) Jun 25, 2026 4082 Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann talk about the Iran nuclear deal—why the "win" Trump is selling actually leaves America with less leverage, fewer allies, and zero nuclear resolution than where we started. Plus: what Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman's book reveals about JD Vance's behind-the-scenes opposition to the war, Trump's habit of comparing himself to history's worst tyrants, and the n
S2 Ep164: Stephen Miller and JD Vance Wanted to Suspend Habeas Corpus (w/ Leah Litman)
S2 Ep164: Stephen Miller and JD Vance Wanted to Suspend Habeas Corpus (w/ Leah Litman) Jun 17, 2026 2772 Sarah Longwell is joined by law professor and Strict Scrutiny co-host Leah Litman to discuss the White House’s plan to suspend habeas corpus, JD Vance’s push to invoke the Insurrection Act, the Gavin Newsom investigation, and the 19 Supreme Court decisions that could reshape American democracy before the midterms.Make laundry day the best day of the week! Get 20% off your entire order @LaundrySau
S2 Ep163: Trump’s Pick for Attorney General Is Even WORSE Than You Think
S2 Ep163: Trump’s Pick for Attorney General Is Even WORSE Than You Think Jun 10, 2026 3471 Trump's AG nominee Todd Blanche lost Trump's own criminal trial, built an illegal slush fund, and lied on Fox News—and Republicans are confirming him anyway. Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann discuss what Democrats can actually do at the hearing, why Trump is screaming election fraud while gutting the unit that investigates it, and why his DOJ now holding the only copy of the Fulton County ball
S2 Ep162: Trump’s AG Pick May Not Have the Votes to Get Confirmed
S2 Ep162: Trump’s AG Pick May Not Have the Votes to Get Confirmed Jun 6, 2026 3436 Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann return to disuss Todd Blanche’s growing Senate confirmation problems, Trump’s $1.7 billion “weaponization fund” scheme, why the judge isn’t letting the case die, the DOJ’s targeting of Congress members and critics, potential Ghislaine Maxwell fallout, and the reason Weissmann thinks the case against John Bolton is different than other "revenge" prosecutions.Sig

Recommended