Stay Tuned with Preet

Democrats Done Playing Nice (with Susan Rice)

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice joins Preet Bharara for a candid conversation about leadership, decision-making, and what most concerns her about the Trump administration. Rice warns of “the abrogation of the rule of law” and a drift toward “a lawless society,” pointing to the speed with which the administration has pursued its agenda and the limited resistance it has faced. Drawing on her experience serving three presidents, Rice offers an inside look at how White House decisions are made—and why strong leaders welcome dissent. She and Preet also discuss immigration reform, including what a workable framework would require and why the real challenge is political will. In the bonus for Insiders, Ambassador Rice turns the tables on Preet, asking how to respond to what she calls the “rapid evaporation” of democratic guardrails.  Show notes and a transcript of the episode are available on our website.  You can now watch this episode! Head to CAFE’s Youtube channel and subscribe. Shop Stay Tuned merch and featured books by our guests in our Amazon storefront. Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on BlueSky, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at staytuned@cafe.com, or call 833-997-7338 to leave a voicemail.Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oversight v. Overreach at DOJ

In an excerpt from this week’s Insider podcast episode, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance discuss Attorney General Pam Bondi’s testimony before the House Judiciary Committee about DOJ’s handling of the Epstein files. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce discuss: – The Justice Department’s failure to secure an indictment of a group of Democratic members of Congress over a video reminding military service members of their duty to refuse illegal orders; – The Trump administration’s announcement that it is ending stepped-up ICE operations in Minnesota; and – The unsealing of an affidavit used to justify the FBI’s search of an election office in Fulton County, Georgia, as part of the Trump administration’s investigation into debunked allegations of election fraud in the county. CAFE Insiders click HERE to listen to the full analysis.  Not an Insider? Join a community of reasoned voices in unreasonable times. Insiders get access to full episodes of the Insider podcast and other exclusive content. Head to cafe.com/insider or staytuned.substack.com/subscribe.  Subscribe to our YouTube channel. This podcast is brought to you by CAFE and Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Has Trump Peaked? (with Douglas Brinkley)

What does it mean that we're living in the era of "peak presidential power"—and did Minneapolis finally reveal its limits? This week, presidential historian, Rice University professor, and CNN contributor Douglas Brinkley joins Preet Bharara to discuss the long arc of executive authority from Washington to Trump, why Minneapolis may have been Trump's "Rubicon," and why Trump is, in Brinkley's words, "the only truly unthoughtful president we've had." Plus, Brinkley—who sits on the board of the Bruce Springsteen Archives—talks Springsteen's new protest song 'Streets of Minneapolis,' and what it means to see the Boss in resistance mode. Then, Preet speaks about the news that DOJ has failed to indict six Democratic members of Congress over a video reminding military service members to refuse illegal orders, and he answers your questions about why assistant U.S. attorneys are quitting in droves, and whether the president has the right to sue other people. In the bonus for Insiders, Doug and Preet discuss the "pendulum swing" in American politics—how Trump pieced together his unlikely coalition, and why the next Democrat president will have to pass what Brinkley calls an "authenticity test." Join the CAFE Insider community to stay informed without hysteria, fear-mongering, or rage-baiting. Head to cafe.com/insider to sign up. Thank you for supporting our work. Show notes and a transcript of the episode are available on our website.  You can now watch this episode! Head to CAFE’s Youtube channel and subscribe. Shop Stay Tuned merch and featured books by our guests in our Amazon storefront. Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on BlueSky, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at staytuned@cafe.com, or call 833-997-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

DOJ in Crisis

How might justice, public safety, and the rule of law suffer as the Justice Department struggles to retain and recruit prosecutors? In an excerpt from this week’s Insider episode, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance discuss the mounting strain on DOJ. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce discuss: – Ghislaine Maxwell’s request that President Trump grant her clemency in exchange for testimony that could clear him and Bill Clinton from any wrongdoing related to Jeffrey Epstein’s trafficking network; – Recent judicial opinions on ICE actions in Minnesota and Oregon; and – The Supreme Court’s ruling allowing California’s new congressional map to stand. CAFE Insiders click HERE to listen to the full analysis.  Not an Insider? Now more than ever, it’s critical to stay tuned. To join a community of reasoned voices in unreasonable times, become an Insider today. You’ll get access to full episodes of the podcast and other exclusive content. Head to cafe.com/insider or staytuned.substack.com/subscribe.  Subscribe to our YouTube channel. This podcast is brought to you by CAFE and Vox Media Podcast Network.  Executive Producer: Tamara Sepper; Supervising Producer: Jake Kaplan; Associate Producer: Claudia Hernández; Senior Audio Producer: Matthew Billy; CAFE Team: Celine Rohr, Nat Weiner, Jennifer Indig, and Liana Greenway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trump's Radical Reign (with Anne Applebaum)

What do the ICE operations in Minneapolis reveal about a broader shift in the exercise of state power? This week, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian, The Atlantic staff writer, and Autocracy in America podcast host Anne Applebaum joins Preet Bharara to discuss why Minneapolis has galvanized people in a way few events have in the Trump era, and why our closest allies now say the word for this moment is “rupture.” Plus, Applebaum explains why she believes the better comparison for the second Trump administration isn’t conservatism—it’s Bolshevism. Then, Preet answers your questions about the FBI’s seizure of election ballots in Fulton County, Georgia, and the risks of refusing to pay taxes as a political protest. In the bonus for Insiders, Anne and Preet take a trip around the globe—from the war in Ukraine to Trump’s Greenland fixation to the uncertain future of Venezuela after Maduro. Join the CAFE Insider community to stay informed without hysteria, fear-mongering, or rage-baiting. Head to cafe.com/insider to sign up. Thank you for supporting our work. Show notes and a transcript of the episode are available on our website.  You can now watch this episode! Head to CAFE’s Youtube channel and subscribe. Shop Stay Tuned merch and featured books by our guests in our Amazon storefront. Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on BlueSky, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at staytuned@cafe.com, or call 833-997-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices