Velshi

President Trump is escalating his threats to deploy unwanted and unwelcome troops to the streets of American cities; plus what we are learning from the lawsuit filed against the FBI by three former senior FBI officials alleging a campaign of retribution against those deemed insufficiently loyal to Trump; and how a Republican maneuver will further limit the power of the Democratic minority in the Senate.

A lesson from the other side of the equator about how to hold a would-be dictator accountable; plus Nicholas Kristoff on bearing witness to the deadly consequences of USAID cuts; and Project 2025 has gone from blueprint to reality in the first months of Trump's second term - but there's more to come.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) discusses dangers to democracy as President Trump threatens to deploy unwanted and unwelcome troops to the streets of more American cities; plus what's inside the explosive new lawsuit filed against the FBI by three former senior FBI officials; and why experts are warning that a coming spike in healthcare costs warns of a broader crisis.

The history, consequences, and current state of political violence in America; Tennessee State Rep. Justin J. Pearson discusses his plans to fight back against the Trump Administration's plans to send national guard troops to Memphis; ‘The 1619 Project: Born on the Water' is the subject of this week's Velshi Banned Book Club

The story behind a Supreme Court ruling that has gone under-the-radar, and why it's a full-fledged assault on the 4th Amendment; Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) discusses the new tensions stemming from Russia's drone incursion over Poland and the ongoing fallout from the U.S. strike on an alleged Venezuelan drug boat; what we know about the profile developing of the suspect in the killing of Charlie Kirk

The latest on the investigation into the killing of Charlie Kirk and the dangers of the rise of political violence in America; as Missouri is the latest to redraw its congressional map in order to give Republicans more House seats ahead of next year's midterm elections, Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS) discusses how she beat back a gerrymander map and won re-election; two of America's most prominent scientists discuss the assault on science's role in public life, and offer a blueprint to avert disaster

What it means when officials at the highest levels of government say that they and the U.S. military are above the law, as long as whatever they are doing is in the service of Donald Trump; Sen. Alex Padilla discusses his call for RFK, Jr. to resign; what Democrats need to do to fight Trump's war on America's cities; and what's behind an alarming rise in unemployment among Black women.

Thousands of protesters took to the streets of DC this weekend to stand against Trump's troop deployment in the city as new NBC News polling shows how deeply unpopular the President's policies really are; Sen. Mark Warner discusses the administration's strike on a boat in the Caribbean and Trump's social media post threatening to wage war on Chicago; inside Trump's scheme to influence the NYC Mayoral election

From international waters to the streets of America, in just a matter of days, we have seen open disregard for the rule of law from the highest levels of the Trump administration, in rhetoric and in action; a Maine oyster farmer discusses his bid to unseat Senator Susan Collins; one GOP Senator's public admission and reimagining of America lays bare the mainstreaming of extremism in America.

President Trump may get the lower interest rates he's demanded for months from the Federal Reserve, but it could hit Americans' wallets hard in other ways; Rep. LaMonica McIver discusses defeating the censure move against her in the House; and literary titan Stephen King joins the Velshi Banned Book Club!

How President Trump's fight against American cities is not about fighting crime, but something much more nefarious; why the two significant shows of force this week by the world's leading superpowers exemplify the unraveling of America's global leadership; and a call for a real Presidential fitness test.

Why the latest jobs numbers are bad, the revised jobs numbers are even worse, and Trump's desired fix could make inflation worse; Rep. LaMonica McIver discusses being targeted by Trump's DOJ and defeating a Republican House censure move against her; plus, the dangers of Trump and RFK Jr. 's anti-vax agenda; Gov. Bob Ferguson discusses how states are working around the collapsing federal public health system.

President Tump's goals for the Fed are 'very dangerous,' warns Fmr. Fed Chair & Treasury Sec. Janet Yellen. The financial system is “like the plumbing in your house,” says Yellen. “You don't think about it most of the time. It's important that it works,” but you're very “aware of it when it's broken.”

We look at the small and big and crucial ways Americans are fighting for democracy. Plus, there is a strategy behind Donald Trump's attacks on science, research, and institutions of higher learning. We talk about the consequences of these attacks and what the President might have to gain from the anti-intellectual environment he's creating. And President Trump's failed attempts at securing a ceasefire in Ukraine will have major consequences for that country and beyond.

A number of Democrats are distinguishing themselves as they fight back against Donald Trump's power grab. From Govs. JB Pritzker and Gavin Newsom, to Sen. Chris Murphy and more - these Democrats' roles in battling Trumpism may also double as auditions to lead their party out of the wilderness; Chinese President Xi Jinping is hosting this year's Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit. The focus of the talks will be President Trump's trade war, that now seems to be driving some American allies closer to our foes; and President Trump has threatened more federal deployments into America's cities under the guise of fighting crime, but governors and mayors have a message for him: "An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us."

The tightening of Donald Trump's authoritarian grip on power is in evidence this week in a series of legally dubious firings of top officials. We'll talk about the state of these standoffs and the one guardrail that will be hardest for Trump to break past; Dr Jennifer Layden, one of the top officials that resigned in protest from the CDC this week, speaks out about how the recent chaos at the agency will endanger public health; and this week's Velshi Banned Book Club meeting features “Rebecca” by Daphne du Maurier.

With the Republican Party simply being a vessel for Trump and his authoritarian inclinations, it's more important now than ever that the Democratic Party rise up and defend our democracy. But whether its national leadership is unwilling, or simply unable, to do so, they are largely not meeting this moment; the chaos unfolding at the CDC is a flashing red warning about the politicization of public health in America. But there is a critical lesson we can learn from recent history; and as the war in Gaza reaches day 694, Israel has now begun the initial stages of its operation to take control of Gaza City and more than 500,000 Palestinians are experiencing famine.

The tightening of Donald Trump's authoritarian grip on power is in evidence this week in a series of legally dubious firings of top officials. We'll talk about the state of these standoffs and the one guardrail that will be hardest for Trump to break past; Dr Jennifer Layden, one of the top officials that resigned in protest from the CDC this week, speaks out about how the recent chaos at the agency will endanger public health; we'll look at President Trump's record on violent crime as he threatens to deploy National Guard troops to the streets of an unwilling Chicago.

Tea Party Republican turned Never-Trumper turned Democrat Joe Walsh on his plan to shape his new party into an opposition party capable of stopping Donald Trump's authoritarian rise; former British Foreign Secretary David Miliband on finding the political will in the Western world to fight unfolding famines in Gaza and Sudan, and Jared Bernstein on what could happen if the Trump administration brings "alternative facts” to economic data collection.

What it'll take for the Democratic Party to effectively challenge Donald Trump's authoritarian rise, Lydia Polgreen on why Gaza has become the deadliest war for journalists in modern history, and the story of the ready-made indoctrination program the Trump administration is eyeing after defunding PBS.

A crucial survey of how far down the authoritarian slide Trump has already taken the country, the real takeaway from the Ghislaine Maxwell interview tapes, and lessons in standing up for your neighbors against ICE.

How the FBI's search of John Bolton's home fits into the context of a President who promised retribution; Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California discusses Democrats' redistricting strategy in California; the myth of trickle down economics and how the American economy is working against working people

Democratic Representatives Pete Aguilar of California and Lloyd Doggett of Texas discuss Democrats redistricting plans in the face of the GOP's extreme partisan gerrymandering efforts; how President Trump is not a peacemaker, despite his insistence he has ended at least 7 wars; Aiden Thomas' “Cemetery Boys” is the subject of this week's Velshi Banned Book Club

How the FBI's search of John Bolton's home fits into the context of a President who promised retribution; member of the House Oversight Committee Rep. Summer Lee discusses what we have learned, and what we didn't, from the government's release of the transcripts from Ghislane Maxwell's interview with the DOJ; how Trump's new review of the Smithsonian and comments about slavery are more than a whitewash of America's original sin…it's a hallmark of an authoritarian regime

Former President of Estonia weighs in on how Monday's meeting between President Trump and President Zelenskyy has grown in size and stakes; Bishop William Barber describes exactly why Trump's criminalization of the homeless is so heartless, and so dangerous; Michael M. Grynbaum dishes on the changing landscape of modern media in America.

Bill Browder and Vladimir Kara-Murza weigh in on the risks of negotiating with Russian president Vladimir Putin; a deep dive into how Donald Trump and his family are personally profiting from the presidency; RFK Jr. has canceled $500M in grants that go toward mRNA vaccines research, despite its importance in developing a vaccine for COVID-19.

Multiple European leaders now say they will take part in the important White House meeting between President Trump and President Zelenskyy; former Metro D.C. police officer Michael Fanone, who was attacked at the Capitol on January 6th, reacts to Trump's attempt to take over local law enforcement in DC; Bishop William Barber describes exactly why Trump's criminalization of the homeless is so heartless, and dangerous.

Just hours after the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirms he's heading to White House for a meeting with Trump; how President Trump's DC takeover has reignited the debate over DC statehood; and Velshi Banned Book club veteran, author Angie Thomas, discusses the importance of a rare legal win against the book banning epidemic in America.

President Trump's take over of DC's law enforcement is an experiment to see how far he can push American cities with federal intimidation; amid Trump's trade war, newly released data shows wholesale inflation is on the rise, which means consumers could soon see higher prices in stores; some Democrats are resorting to fighting “fire with fire” as Republicans move ahead with their extreme gerrymandering plot ahead of next year's midterm elections

Russian pro-democracy leader Garry Kasparov reacts to Trump and Putin's summit in Alaska and news that Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy is now set to visit the White House on Monday; President Trump's DC takeover has reignited the debate over Washington, DC statehood. Ali digs into the history of that debate and what it would mean if it came true; and renowned presidential historian Jon Meacham weighs in on the Trump Administration's new war on the Smithsonian and its threat to remove any content that doesn't align with the president's vision of America.

Former Executive VP of the Trump Organization explains why it's so dangerous to shrug off Trump's recent peculiar behavior; State Rep. Rafael Anchia (D-TX) discusses the high stakes of the redistricting fight in Texas; and longtime activist and Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream co-founder, Ben Cohen, digs into why the U.S. government should invest more in its citizens and less in weapons and war.

The erosion of the Justice Department's independence from the White House is on full display, after VP Vance met with DOJ brass to strategize about the Epstein files. Not only is this not normal, it's dangerous for America; Trump's latest round of Tariffs took effect on August 1, but how exactly will they affect everyday consumers? Defense Attorney Abbe Lowell weighs in on the DOJ's probe of his newest client, New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Why Americans should be concerned with President Trump's ongoing unusual behavior; Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) digs into the growing shift within the Democratic Party on selling weapons to Israel; Pulitzer-prize winners Anne Applebaum & Lynsey Addario discuss their new, important highlighting the evolving catastrophe in Sudan.

As Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton vows to punish the state's Democratic lawmakers for fleeing the state, Congressmen Lloyd Doggett, Jasmine Crockett, and State Rep. Ann Johnson discuss the threats to democracy posed by the Texas gerrymandering push; former Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes discusses Trump's upcoming in-person meeting with Vladimir Putin and the consequences of the war in Ukraine; and ‘The House on Mango Street' by Sandra Cisneros is the subject of this week's Velshi Banned Book Club.

On the campaign trail Trump promised his supporters he would be their retribution, and now he is following through; the president of a key Jewish-American lobbying group is now speaking out about Israel's conduct in Gaza; and on the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Ali has an important conversation about how America's use of atom bombs changed the course of history, and why the world is now much closer to nuclear warfare than we've been in decades

Texas State Representatives Gene Wu and Ana-María Rodríguez Ramos address the Texas Attorney General's pledge to punish Democrats who fled the state in protest of Trump's redistricting push; Ben Rhodes weighs in on Trump's announcement that he will host Vladimir Putin in Alaska next week; the Trump Administration is building its own police state in America as it ramps up recruitment for ICE employees.

Could a new resistance change the course of Trump's battle with Harvard University and higher education? Plus: signs that Democrats are moving toward jumping into a political arms race with Republicans over Trump's gerrymandering plan; and an official with a prominent Israeli rights group explains why they are now calling Israel's conduct in Gaza a genocide.

What's behind a complicated but crucial piece of Trump's strategy for reshaping the judiciary; Nobel-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz explains why Trump firing the BLS head is ‘like driving a car with no odometer'; and how Trump's targeting of immigrants, science, health, and universities is causing a brain-drain that history tells us could have generational impacts on American progress.

Donald Trump is turning his antipathy toward American cities into action - but his war on cities is bad for all of America; plus new moves by Democrats point to a political arms race over the president's gerrymandering plan; and an official with a prominent Israeli rights group explains why they are now calling Israel's conduct in Gaza a genocide.

The former Commissioner of Bureau Statistics weighs in on the absurdity that is Trump's decision to fire her successor following a weak jobs report; why a high-ranking U.S. official's trip to Gaza may be a substitute for action and not a call to it; and Abdi Nazemian's young-adult novel “Like A Love Story” is the subject of this week's “Velshi Banned Book Club.”

Donald Trump has a long history with conspiracies and those who consume them, but those same people are now turning on him. But Trump is trying to reel them back in with a new conspiracy theory; former Gov. Jay Inslee (D-WA) weighs in on the Trump administration's push to revoke a landmark rule that has been critical in fighting climate change; Trump's Texas gerrymandering scheme is a dangerous escalation of an anti-democratic tactic that both major parties have used historically. But above all, it's an expression of fear.

How Trump's firing of the Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner hours after a weak jobs report is a dangerous escalation in America's slide into authoritarianism; why a high-ranking U.S. official's trip to Gaza may be a substitute for action, and not a call to it; and the family of a Jeffrey Epstein victim speaks out against Ghislaine Maxwell's transfer to a minimum-security federal prison in Texas.