The Weekend

President Trump's DOJ continues to take unprecedented actions in handling the Jeffrey Epstein case. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche met with Epstein's convicted co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, but little is known about what was discussed between the two. Former Attorney General Eric Holder joins The Weekend to share his thoughts on the two-day meeting. Plus, Holder weighs in on Republican-led efforts to redraw congressional districts and how Democrats are pushing back.

President Trump unleashed a retribution campaign inside the Department of Justice on those involved in either investigating him or those who dealt with the January 6 cases. Former Senior Trial Counsel Mike Gordon was among the group who were terminated without warning in June. He joins The Weekend to share his story and discuss how he is now suing the Trump administration over the firing. Plus, Trump is playing politics with disaster aid. After approving disaster relief for several Republican states, the president denied FEMA aid to Maryland after devastating floods swept through the state. Maryland Governor Wes Moore joins The Weekend to discuss.

President Trump took a weekend trip to Scotland to promote his latest golf course, with taxpayers footing the bill. However, this trip was met with protestors showing opposition to the administration's immigration policies, the war in Gaza, and his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Eugene Robinson and Brendan Buck join The Weekend to discuss the optics of this trip as the country demands answers about Epstein. Plus, fired federal workers are spending the summer on Capitol Hill with their kids, forcing lawmakers to see the true cost of their cuts to government. Former USAID worker Kathleen Borgueta joins The Weekend to explain. 

Deputy Attorney General and former defense attorney to Donald Trump, Todd Blanche, spent two days in Florida interviewing Epstein's longtime accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. New reports say the DOJ granted Maxwell limited immunity during these meetings. Legal experts Andrew Weissmann and George Conway join The Weekend to dissect these rare actions. Then, Representative Maxwell Frost explains what Democrats are doing to push for answers on Trump and Epstein. Plus, a look at the pushback federal judges are giving the Trump administration on its deportation tactics.

In this hour, Teresa Helm, a Jeffrey Epstein survivor, joins The Weekend to describe the anguish survivors are dealing with and why it is important to release the Epstein files. Plus, Texas State Representative James Talarico joins The Weekend to discuss his newfound popularity and how he's getting Lone Star Democrats fired up for the next big election. Then, former Capitol police officer Michael Fanone shares his thoughts on House Republicans' new January 6th subcommittee. 

President Donald Trump tries to deflect from the Jeffrey Epstein controversy amid calls for transparency. Former Congressman Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania and Republican strategist Annalyse Keller join The Weekend to discuss Epstein's accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, meeting for two days with a top DOJ official and the DOJ's decision to offer her limited immunity. Plus, in an effort to distract Americans from the Epstein case, the Trump administration is now trying to accuse President Barack Obama of treason. Administration officials claim he manufactured a false assessment that Russia meddled in the 2016 elections. This has been widely debunked.

New reporting details the Justice Department's plot to obtain voter rolls and election data from multiple states. These unprecedented steps are raising concerns among election officials ahead of the 2026 midterms. Colorado's Attorney General Phil Weiser and Executive Director of the Colorado County Clerks Association Matt Crane join The Weekend to discuss. Plus, Gretchen Carlson talks about her former Fox News boss Rupert Murdoch and his very complicated relationship with Donald Trump, who now has a $10B libel suit against Murdoch and his company over the latest Wall Street Journal reporting about Jeffrey Epstein.

All eyes are on Texas as the state's legislature is set to convene for a special session that will likely be dominated by one agenda item: President Trump's demand to redraw the state's congressional maps. Former Texas congressman Colin Allred joins The Weekend to discuss the implications this could have on the midterms. And, as extreme flooding hits many parts of the nation, the Trump administration shut down a federal website that presented congressionally mandated reports and research on climate change. Representative Eric Sorensen, the only meteorologist in the U.S. Congress, joins The Weekend to explain how these budget cuts could make it more difficult to predict storms. Plus, Emmy-winning actor Jim Parsons joins The Weekend to discuss “Reclaim The Flag,” a new documentary which unpacks the LGBTQ+ community's relationship with the American flag and examines how it can be reclaimed as a symbol of unity for all Americans. 

Former Biden White House Deputy Cabinet Secretary Daniel Koh and former Federal Prosecutor Paul Butler join The Weekend to discuss the tangled saga President Trump has gotten himself into over Jeffrey Epstein. Plus, new reporting reveals Trump is getting annoyed with Attorney General Pam Bondi's handling of the Epstein files. And, Tennessee State Rep. Justin Jones, who you may remember from the “Tennessee Three,” joins The Weekend to share what happened to him after being barred from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's press conference, an event that was held in his own district. She was there to promote a “self-deportation” plan that would offer migrants $1,000 and a one-way ticket out of the country.

It's been a dramatic week after Republicans took a hatchet to public media that could devastate access to news in rural areas. Former president and CEO of National Public Radio Vivian Schiller joins The Weekend to discuss Congress' deep cuts to public broadcasting including PBS and NPR. Plus, Elon Musk might be out of Washington, but Republicans are still moving forward on DOGE cuts. Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico joins The Weekend to discuss. And, Donald Trump loves to promote conspiracies. He is leading his administration into spending taxpayer dollars to investigate these easily disproven assertions.

President Donald Trump can't get his MAGA-base to stop obsessing over the Epstein files. But after new reporting from the Wall Street Journal, some MAGA loyalists are coming to the president's defense. MSNBC contributor Jeremy Peters joins The Weekend to discuss. Plus, new polls reveal most Americans, including Republican voters, disapprove of the way the Trump administration is handling the Epstein case.

Amid the frustration growing over the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, new reporting from The Wall Street Journal alleges President Trump hand-drew a lewd photo of a woman for Epstein's 50th birthday. In response, Trump filed a libel lawsuit, seeking at least $10 billion in damages against the parent company of the newspaper, News Corp, its publisher, Dow Jones; two reporters for the newspaper, News Corp's chief executive, Robert Thomas, and its owner, Rupert Murdoch. Vaughn Hillyard, Kristy Greenberg, and Tara Setmayer join The Weekend to discuss.

Attorney General Pam Bondi reportedly fired more than 20 employees from the Department of Justice who worked on cases involving January 6 and President Donald Trump's classified documents case. The DOJ confirmed it opened criminal investigations into two of Trump's repeated targets, former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey. Former DHS Chief of Staff, Miles Taylor and Former Assistant Special Agent in Charge at the FBI, Michael Feinberg join The Weekend to discuss the Trump administration's attempt at going after those who are at odds with the president. Plus, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a press conference Saturday announcing that five other states are in talks to develop similar facilities modeled after Florida's new immigration detention center dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz." Ofirah Yheskel and Brendan Buck join The Weekend to discuss how the DHS is looking to ramp up its immigration policy.

President Donald Trump continues to say his cabinet officials are doing great jobs despite all the havoc they've created. Virginia Rep. Eugene Vindman joins The Weekend to discuss the chaos within the cabinet. Plus, Elon Musk's really bad week. X, formerly known as Twitter, has continued to decline under his leadership after its AI chatbot, Grok, made antisemitic comments. X issued an apology for the posts and an updated version of Grok rolled out a day after the controversy.

As ICE raids continue to surge across the country, new reporting details the infighting inside the department, with one former official describing the morale as “in the crapper.” Another longtime official attributes the lack of detained convicted criminals to Stephen Miller's fixation on arrest numbers. Coincidentally, a new poll shows President Trump's immigration policy is unfavorable among Independents and Democrats. Then, Representative Debbie Dingell joins The Weekend to discuss Trump's health care cuts and how they could impact the midterms. 

Within the walls of the DOJ, there appears to be major unrest as NBC News has learned that Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino is considering leaving his job after a heated confrontation with Attorney General Pam Bondi over his frustration with how the Justice Department has handled the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Rep. Jamie Raskin joins The Weekend to talk about that and how the increased politicization of the Justice Department will impact the nation.Plus, Mahmoud Khalil also joins the Weekend to discuss his decision to file a claim against the Trump Administration after alleging he was falsely imprisoned, maliciously prosecuted and smeared as an antisemite as the government sought to deport him because of his role in campus protests. Then Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin tell The Weekend how they've helped bring crime down in their respective cities to the lowest they've seen in decades.

A week after Texas' deadly flooding, questions are mounting on why an emergency alert was not sent to everyone in the affected area. Texas State Senator Roland Gutierrez and former FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell join The Weekend to discuss FEMA's response as recovery efforts continue. Plus, Trump combats his “TACO” reputation as he extends the tariff deadline again. Delaware governor Matt Meyer joins The Weekend to discuss how the tariffs are impacting his state.

The Department of Justice's recent Jeffrey Epstein report has left some in the MAGA crowd with more questions than answers. FBI deputy director Dan Bongino is considering leaving his job following a heated confrontation with Attorney General Pam Bondi over how the Justice Department handled files on the convicted sex offender. Mary McCord and Joe Walsh join The Weekend to discuss the fight roiling the MAGA faithful.

While the spending bill aims to cut healthcare and food aid services, ICE is set to receive a historic boost in funding. Representative Robert Garcia joins The Weekend to warn how this increase can turn ICE into President Trump's “federal police force.” Plus, after weeks of condemning the bill, Elon Musk defies MAGA and announces a third political party.

President Donald Trump's tariff pause is set to expire in three days. Not only is the administration far from reaching its 90 deal target, but it has yet to finalize a single trade agreement. Rhode Island Rep. Gabe Amo and Jared Bernstein join The Weekend to discuss the impact President Trump's tariffs will have on the economy. Liz Shuler, President of the AFL-CIO, also joins The Weekend to discuss the organization's cross-country bus tour, aimed at opposing White House priorities that they believe will hurt working Americans. And presidential historian Douglas Brinkley joins to discuss Trump's divisive rhetoric over this July 4th week and the state of our democracy.

Democrats slam President Trump's “One Big Beautiful Bill” and focus on a path forward to win back voters before the midterms. Former Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison joins The Weekend to discuss. Plus, the chilling effects of the Trump administration's military ban on transgender service members. U.S. Major Erica Vandal, one of the plaintiffs who challenged the executive order, joins The Weekend to talk about the impact of the ban.

Congress passed President Trump's budget bill despite weeks of concern raised by Republicans over the debt limit. A closer look suggests the megabill will add $3.3 trillion to the debt while cutting key services. "The Weekend" takes a deeper look at how that will impact low-income Americans. Then, Jodi Grant discusses the Trump administration's decision to withhold nearly $7 billion in school grants.

Critics are calling President Donald Trump's approach to immigration cruel after a new court filing by Kilmar Abrego Garcia's attorneys argued that during Garcia's time at the notorious CECOT prison in El Salvador he suffered psychological and physical torture. Also the first detainees have arrived at the Florida detention center dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz." Florida State Senator Shevrin Jones and Immigration Attorney Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg join The Weekend to discuss President Trump's immigration policy.

Some Republicans denounced President Trump's massive tax and spending bill, but eventually caved in and passed it. And now, Democrats are preparing to make this bill a key focus for the 2026 midterms. Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig, Arshi Siddiqui, and Eugene Craig join The Weekend to discuss.

President Donald Trump is feeling emboldened as he comes off a seismic win from this week's Supreme Court hearings and Congress moving forward with his One Big Beautiful Bill. So the question is, how do Democrats fight back as checks and balances on this president wither and die? Plus, Trump's effort to erode deportation due process. Rep. Pramila Jayapal joins The Weekend to share her thoughts on how the courts are enabling Trump's worst instincts on immigration.

Yesterday, President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris attended the funeral of Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, following a targeted political attack. Political violence has been steadily rising across the country and party lines, with several incidents occurring in just the past two weeks. Joyce Vance and George Conway join The Weekend to examine this troubling pattern and explore what—and who—is missing from the national conversation. Later, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear weighs in on how proposed Medicaid cuts in the GOP's "Big Beautiful Bill," backed by President Trump, could affect hospitals across his state.

The U.S. Senate passed the first procedural vote on President Donald Trump's Big Beautiful Bill in a dramatic late-night vote. The vote was 51-49, with all Democrats voting no. Brendan Buck, Molly Jong-Fast, and Nicholas Wu join The Weekend to discuss what's next for the bill and what it means for Americans across the country. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam of Virginia also joins The Weekend to discuss President Trump's insistence that U.S. strikes completely "obliterated," Iran's nuclear program despite widespread disputes over that claim.

Senate Republicans are scrambling to get their version of President Trump's “Big Beautiful Bill” ahead of the July 4th deadline. Former Senator Sherrod Brown joins The Weekend to share his take on the bill. Plus, Trump promised he'd deport the worst of the worst but new ICE data obtained by NBC shows almost half of undocumented immigrants in ICE custody lack criminal records.

Democratic New Yorkers went to the polls this week amid a heat wave and chose 33-year-old Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani as their mayoral candidate. The win has spawned meltdowns from both sides of the political aisle, but it raises an important question for Democrats. What does this upset mean for the future of the party? Then, Emergency Medicine Physician Dr. Dana Kass joins The Weekend to discuss Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s plan to walk back vaccine recommendations.

The U.S. Supreme Court handed  President Donald Trump a major victory, curbing court injunctions that halted his plans to end automatic birthright citizenship.  Michele Goodwin, Mark Joseph Stern, and NJ Attorney General Matt Platkin join The Weekend to discuss the SCOTUS ruling fallout. David Corn also joins The Weekend to discuss Senate Republicans' effort to get President Trump's massive agenda passed and get the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," to his desk by a self-imposed July 4th deadline. 

Vice President JD Vance attacked California's top Democrats during a visit to Los Angeles on Friday, accusing them of encouraging violent protesters, and even misnaming California Sen. Alex Padilla, calling him “Jose." made a whirlwind visit and left behind a political firestorm. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass joins The Weekend to discuss the impact of the military's presence and the ICE raids being conducted throughout the city. California Congressman Ro Khanna also joins The Weekend to talk about how lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are working to limit Trump's authority to unilaterally involve the U.S. in the Middle-East conflict between Iran and Israel.

As the Trump Administration's immigration crackdown ramps up across the country, two of the Democratic officials ICE has targeted join "The Weekend." California Senator Alex Padilla reacts to the Vice President referring to him as "Jose' Padilla" – and NYC mayoral candidate Brad Lander recounts his recent arrest during an oversight visit at a New York City immigration court.

As the Middle-East conflict continues to escalate with missile strikes between Israel and Iran, President Donald Trump weighs U.S. military action against Iran, giving himself a timeline of two weeks to come to a decision. April Ryan and Alex Ward join The Weekend to discuss factors that may weigh in to the president's final decision. Ankush Khardori also joins The Weekend to discuss a federal judge's decision to release Pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil from federal custody.

It has been 10 years since Donald Trump announced his candidacy for President, but how do Americans feel today? Brand new NBC News Decision Desk polling gives insight into his current approval rating and the policies Americans care about the most. Plus, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries joins The Weekend to share his thoughts on the targeted political attacks in Minnesota, President Trump's policy agenda,  and the massive turnout for the nationwide “No Kings” protests.

A massive manhunt is underway in Minnesota for a murder suspect who targeted two Democratic state lawmakers and their spouses, killing two. New reports reveal the suspect had a kill list that included prominent pro-choice individuals and legislators. Minnesota Congresswoman Kelly Morrison, who was on that list, joins The Weekend to remember her friends and colleagues who were impacted by yesterday's horrible shooting.

President Donald Trump hosted a military parade on the Army's 250th anniversary, which happened to coincide with Trump's birthday, as massive crowds took to the streets to march against the Trump administration and to declare that America is no place for kings. The dramatic day also included a deadly shooting that claimed the life of a Minnesota state lawmaker and seriously injured another. Law enforcement called the shootings politically motivated. Reuters White House Correspondent Jeff Mason,  Retired U.S. Army Brigadier General Steve Anderson, Retired FBI agent Rob D'Amico, former CIA director John Brennan and former U.S. Attorney in Michigan, Barbara McQuade join The Weekend to discuss the dramatic events of the last 24 hours.

Critics are accusing President Donald Trump of assaulting America's democracy after he commandeered the National Guard and deployed Marines to California amid mostly peaceful protests against immigration raids. Democratic Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from a cabinet member's press conference in his state of California and handcuffed after trying to ask a question. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Professor of History at New York University, joins The Weekend to discuss how similar actions played out in autocratic regimes throughout history.

Among the backdrop of Trump's military parade, thousands of "No Kings" protests are expected today -- two of the protest organizers slam Trump's threat of heavy force against protesters. Plus, there's growing concerns about the politicization of the U.S. military after uniformed soldiers cheered and booed in reaction to the President's political statements at a speech at Fort Bragg. Retired Army Lieutenant General Steff Twitty, Retired Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Rob D'Amico, and the WSJ's Nancy Youssef join The Weekend.

After a week of military escalation in Los Angeles, President Donald Trump prepares to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the U.S Army with a parade in Washington, D.C. Americans across the nation plan to counter this celebration with a “No Kings” protest. However, Trump warns that protesters in Washington “will be met with very heavy force”.  Representative Jamie Raskin joins The Weekend to discuss the importance of the nearly 2,000 protests that are scheduled today.

Preparations are underway for Donald Trump's military parade next week. It's billed as a celebration for the army's 250th anniversary, but as the tanks roll towards the nation's capital, thousands of veterans and their families rally in protest. Plus, Elon Musk joins Trump's ever-growing list of loyal friends turned foe. Trump's former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, joins The Weekend to share his take on the fallout.

President Donald Trump applied a rarely used law to deploy the National Guard as ICE protests erupted in Los Angeles. How was he able to bypass the governor, and how can this conflict escalate? Former Trump DHS official, Miles Taylor, breaks it down. Plus, Representative LaMonica McIver joins The Weekend ahead of her court appearance for charges of allegedly assaulting an officer during an ICE oversight visit in New Jersey.

President Donald Trump ordered 2,000 California National Guard troops to Los Angeles after clashes between protestors and immigration agents. California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the move saying "it will only escalate tensions. Max Boot and Anthony Coley join The Weekend to discuss the protests and the administration's response.