Can He Do That?

By The Washington Post

What's Can He Do That? about?

Donald Trump’s historic presidency will look unlike any other that’s come before it. From his outsider status in Washington to his family’s continued residence in New York to his complicated business empire, each episode of this podcast will focus on one aspect of Trump’s time in the White House that defies conventions and ask the question, “Can he do that?”

Hosted by Allison Michaels and co-hosted each week by a different Post reporter, “Can He Do That?” features original reporting that will illuminate the ways Donald Trump can reshape the presidency and explain what that means for people in the United States and the rest of the world.

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LAST EPISODE

The Exit

10.21.2021

In the last episode of our series about President Biden and the War in Afghanistan, he takes the reins as commander-in-chief and withdraws U.S. forces. Ultimately, Biden rethinks his stance on military intervention and America’s role in the world.

Can He Do That? episodes:

10.21.2021 The Exit In the last episode of our series about President Biden and the War in Afghanistan, he takes the reins as commander-in-chief and withdraws U.S. forces. Ultimately, Biden rethinks his stance on military intervention and America’s role in the world.
10.14.2021 The War In the second episode of our series about President Biden and the War in Afghanistan, we look at the years after the Sept. 11 attacks when Biden called for a major nation-building effort. Over time, though, he begins to doubt ...
10.07.2021 The Senator On the 20th anniversary of the first U.S. strikes on Afghanistan, this three-part series explores President Biden's career as it intertwines with the war there. He ultimately chose to end the ‘forever war.’ But what role did he have in ...
09.30.2021 American democracy in ‘Peril’ Journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa uncovered details about the tumultuous transition of power from President Trump to President Biden in their new book, "Peril." They reveal how close we came to constitutional and international crises.
09.23.2021 Biden’s climate agenda is bold. Is it enough? In this episode, as President Biden address the U.N. for the first time since taking office, we revisit a conversation from August about the climate’s "unprecedented" state and Biden’s big goals toward repairing it. Can his agenda succeed?
09.16.2021 Biden mandates vaccines for millions. Can he do that? How can vaccine mandates effectively be enforced across the country? What precedent is there in history and law? And how do Americans and business owners feel about President Biden's executive orders mandating immunization?
09.10.2021 America’s Song, Part 2 After 9/11, NYPD police officer Daniel Rodriguez comforted the nation by performing “God Bless America.” It felt like a timeless moment. Instead, it proved fleeting. In this series, we explore how he and the country have tried to heal after ...
09.09.2021 America’s Song, Part 1 After 9/11, NYPD police officer Daniel Rodriguez comforted the nation by performing “God Bless America.” It felt like a timeless moment. Instead, it proved fleeting. In this series, we explore how he and the country have tried to heal after ...
09.02.2021 The presidential power to strike How much power should the president have to act unilaterally on drone strikes? And how will that question define a new era of U.S. warfare? Plus, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) weighs in on the balance between the president and Congress ...
08.26.2021 Thousands have been evacuated from Afghanistan. Where will they go? The Biden administration faces a big challenge as they try to resettle Afghanistan refugees, and while also ensuring each person arriving to the U.S. undergoes significant security checks. The political debate around what happens next has started to heat up.
08.19.2021 Biden vowed a smooth exit from Afghanistan. Now what? Biden sold himself as the experienced leader to undo Trump’s foreign policy missteps. But his push to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan and the ensuing chaos has called that claim into question. Is this moment a test for Biden? And ...
08.12.2021 Biden’s climate agenda is bold. Is it enough? Climate legislation moves forward as a U.N. report warns that humans have pushed the climate into "unprecedented" territory unless greenhouse gas pollution falls dramatically. President Biden has big goals to cut that pollution. Will his agenda succeed?
08.05.2021 One big threat to Biden’s agenda: The map The 2022 midterm elections are still more than a year away. But the battle to win those races has already begun in the form of redrawing legislative and congressional districts. What can we learn about which party will emerge with ...
07.29.2021 The future of the Jan. 6 commission The ongoing probe may have implications for the 2022 midterm race and for President Biden’s promise to tackle white supremacist violence. What might findings reveal about where the U.S. is headed? And what can the hearings tell us about what’s ...
07.22.2021 Biden vs. the delta variant The delta variant raises new challenges for the Biden administration: Will they change their approach to masking? What steps can they take to combat vaccine disinformation and get more Americans vaccinated? And is the economy at risk of another meltdown?
07.15.2021 Should the U.S. government still invest in space? How does NASA fit in when billionaires fly to space? What are Biden’s plans for the space agency and how much of Trump’s initiatives does he plan to continue? And, ultimately, why should the government still invest in space exploration ...
07.08.2021 Inside the Trump White House during the pandemic response On this episode, Post Reports host Martine Powers talks to two Post reporters who reported on chaos in the early days of the pandemic including details about how sick President Trump was and his proposal to send infected Americans to ...
07.01.2021 What makes a president a good (or bad) leader? As Americans celebrates the country's founding, we examine the presidency. How is a president’s leadership measured over time, and how do cultural moments change our historical perception? We offer insight from C-SPAN's Presidential Historians Survey.
06.24.2021 Biden’s evolution on criminal justice The Biden administration is supporting a bill that would end the sentencing disparity in crack and powder cocaine offenses. But that disparity exists largely because of bills President Biden spearheaded in 80s and 90s. How much has Biden evolved?
06.17.2021 Washington’s revolving door hits Biden on the way in President Biden promised a government where “public servants serve all Americans, not themselves or narrow special interests.” But one set of brothers pose a challenge to Biden's efforts to return to transparency and accountability in government.
06.10.2021 Biden says ‘America is back’ on the world stage. Is it? Can Biden rally the world’s democracies to meet today's challenges? And what might this trip reveal about the Biden foreign policy doctrine? On this episode, White House reporter Anne Gearan weighs in from Europe, as she travels with President Biden.
06.03.2021 The mystery of the pandemic’s origins (and what it means for Biden) What are the geopolitical implications of the intelligence community "redoubling its efforts" to identify the pandemic's origins? And what are the political challenges for President Biden in acknowledging a theory once touted by the Trump administration?
05.20.2021 Biden wants to end housing discrimination. Can he do that? Discrimination is built into the American housing crisis. We examine the limits of President Biden's power to fix it, in this second episode in our occasional series about the policy challenges that President Biden faces during his first year in ...
05.13.2021 Not the 'normal' Washington Biden promised Are the divisions within the Republican party causing real problems for Biden’s goals? And if he’s forced to move his agenda forward with only the help of his own party, how might Democratic factions and party discord make that more ...
05.06.2021 Vaccine hesitancy at home, desperation abroad As the president lays out a new vaccine strategy at home, how much can Biden also do to help curb the spread of coronavirus around the world? And what do the challenges with U.S. vaccine hesitancy mean for supply here ...
04.29.2021 Promises made. Promises kept? One hundred days into the Biden administration, how far has the president come on his campaign pledges? Biden promised a new way of governing, so has much changed? Reporter Matt Viser unpacks President Biden's progress and what's next on his ...
04.22.2021 Menthol cigarettes kill more Black Americans. Should Biden ban them? Will the Biden administration be able to strike a balance between politics and public health to regulate menthol cigarettes? And what are the implications if it does? We explain the pending decision and unravel the history of menthol marketing.
04.15.2021 Will the president cancel student debt? Sen. Elizabeth Warren, an economist, and a student all weigh in on what to do — or not — about student debt, in this first episode in our occasional series about the policy challenges that President Biden might face during ...
04.08.2021 How a voting law ignited a culture war Since Georgia passed its new voting law, corporations, Congress and consumers have responded in ways that introduce big questions. Among them: How will the GOP grapple with its fraying relationship with corporate America over social and cultural issues?
04.01.2021 Biden’s big bet on big government How did Biden become a president with an ambitious agenda for major government expansion? Where will his proposals position him in history? And is he likely to accomplish much of what he’s put forth? The Post’s Dan Balz weighs in.
03.25.2021 Do presidents have the power to stop mass shootings? After tragedies in Colorado and Georgia, Biden has pledged to tighten gun laws. But the country has been here before, in the aftermath of mass shootings. Regardless of which party is in power, little reform has happened. Will this time ...
03.18.2021 The political power of culture wars We examine why transgender rights have risen to the forefront of our politics, and what the history of the modern Republican party reveals about how social issue battles work as a political tool, with reporter Samantha Schmidt and professor Brian ...
03.11.2021 Biden signed a $1.9 trillion bill. How much relief will Americans feel? Will low income Americans feel their lives change in tangible ways? On the other hand, might a fast-growing economy cause big problems? Plus, how might Biden make sure Americans know the government is responsible for some of economic changes they ...
03.04.2021 How to fix our democracy? Start in Kindergarten. A new report draws a line from today’s civics crises to a long-standing failure to effectively teach American government and history in our public schools. On this episode, we explain what the potential outcomes for civic engagement.
02.26.2021 Reshaping the role of the Justice Department Can Attorney General nominee Merrick Garland rebuild confidence in the DOJ's independence? How might his efforts on Biden policies like combating far-right extremism and curbing police violence make the perception of an independent DOJ harder?
02.18.2021 Biden’s shifting benchmarks for reopening schools Can President Biden come through on this promise of reopening most schools within his first 100 days? How much can the president influence when and how schools welcome students back into the classroom? And what are the political consequences?
02.12.2021 The duty of a president during crisis Some of the arguments in Trump's second impeachment trial get at the core of presidential responsibilities. We examine two of them to clarify the duties of a president during crisis and to understand how free speech applies to the commander ...
02.04.2021 Biden says he wants to reunite migrant families. It won’t be easy. Families are still separated years after President Trump's policy ended. Latin America correspondent Kevin Sieff on the experiences of some migrant families. Plus, immigration policy expert Ali Noorani explains what it would take to reunite families.
01.29.2021 Will Biden get you a vaccine? How much power does Biden have to affect vaccine distribution and where is his power limited? What role should the federal government play in the process? Plus, officials on the ground explain what it's like to work to get vaccines ...
01.21.2021 The Biden era begins President Biden campaigned on a promise to fix what’s broken, to repair divisions, to pull the country out of sickness, and to restore norms and institutions that were pillars of the Washington in which he built his career. Can he ...
01.14.2021 What’s next for Trump? President Trump's businesses are taking a hit, he's been impeached a second time and he might face legal challenges after he leaves office. Reporter David Fahrenthold answers questions about what’s next for Trump.
01.12.2021 One impeachment is rare. Two is unprecedented. Why impeach a president who is on his way out? When would a Senate trial start? Can President Trump be convicted after he leaves office? What does this mean for the GOP? Author of The Post’s Power Up newsletter, Jacqueline ...
01.07.2021 Trump incited a mob. American Democracy suffered. The breach of the U.S. Capitol was a remarkable moment in American history. Professor Sarah Binder explains how the usually uneventful vote was expected to unfold, and reporter Philip Bump lays out the challenges a divided GOP faces in the ...
12.29.2020 How can the Supreme Court maintain impartiality in America's modern political climate? Over the holiday break, we're bringing back an old episode that has resonance today. What happens to the public's perceived independence of the Supreme Court when confirmation processes devolve into partisan battles? Original air date: October 5, 2018
12.28.2020 The problems with pardon power We’re looking back at an episode that sheds light on President Trump’s actions as his term ends. Reporter Toluse Olorunippa explores the principles and controversy around presidential pardons after Trump’s clemencies. Original air date: February 20, 2020.
12.23.2020 Trump and the economy: The administration’s biggest victories also exacerbated our divides The final episode in the reprisal of our series on President Trump’s legacy focuses on uneven gains in the Trump era. The stock market and the wealthiest Americans have done better, but at the cost of growing inequality. Original air ...
12.22.2020 Trump and science: An erosion of our institutions, in public and behind the scenes We're revisiting our series on the legacy of Trump's administration. Through weakening agencies and shuttering scientific programs, the administration has increased divisions in our trust of science-based guidance. Original air date: Oct. 28, 2020.
12.21.2020 Trump and race: How the president’s rhetoric and policies divided us Over the holiday break, we're bringing back our series on President Trump's legacy. Trump has been surrounded by race-related controversies. Some hoped he would moderate his tone, but instead, he has inflamed tensions. Original air date: Oct. 27, 2020
12.17.2020 Trump’s last chance President Trump only has one last way to challenge the results of the election -- and he'll need Congress. How long can he hold onto his influence on GOP leaders and voters in his base? And how might his influence ...
12.10.2020 Trump takes credit for the vaccine. Does he deserve it? How much did Trump’s efforts effect vaccine development? Has Operation Warp Speed done more to help than our government’s pre-existing pandemic response system? Dr. Nicole Lurie of The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations answers questions.

Older episodes

Can He Do That?

What's Can He Do That? about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Can He Do That? episodes:

The Exit

The War

The Senator

American democracy in ‘Peril’

Biden’s climate agenda is bold. Is it enough?

Biden mandates vaccines for millions. Can he do that?

America’s Song, Part 2

America’s Song, Part 1

The presidential power to strike

Thousands have been evacuated from Afghanistan. Where will they go?

Biden vowed a smooth exit from Afghanistan. Now what?

Biden’s climate agenda is bold. Is it enough?

One big threat to Biden’s agenda: The map

The future of the Jan. 6 commission

Biden vs. the delta variant

Should the U.S. government still invest in space?

Inside the Trump White House during the pandemic response

What makes a president a good (or bad) leader?

Biden’s evolution on criminal justice

Washington’s revolving door hits Biden on the way in

Biden says ‘America is back’ on the world stage. Is it?

The mystery of the pandemic’s origins (and what it means for Biden)

Biden wants to end housing discrimination. Can he do that?

Not the 'normal' Washington Biden promised

Vaccine hesitancy at home, desperation abroad

Promises made. Promises kept?

Menthol cigarettes kill more Black Americans. Should Biden ban them?

Will the president cancel student debt?

How a voting law ignited a culture war

Biden’s big bet on big government

Do presidents have the power to stop mass shootings?

The political power of culture wars

Biden signed a $1.9 trillion bill. How much relief will Americans feel?

How to fix our democracy? Start in Kindergarten.

Reshaping the role of the Justice Department

Biden’s shifting benchmarks for reopening schools

The duty of a president during crisis

Biden says he wants to reunite migrant families. It won’t be easy.

Will Biden get you a vaccine?

The Biden era begins

What’s next for Trump?

One impeachment is rare. Two is unprecedented.

Trump incited a mob. American Democracy suffered.

How can the Supreme Court maintain impartiality in America's modern political climate?

The problems with pardon power

Trump and the economy: The administration’s biggest victories also exacerbated our divides

Trump and science: An erosion of our institutions, in public and behind the scenes

Trump and race: How the president’s rhetoric and policies divided us

Trump’s last chance

Trump takes credit for the vaccine. Does he deserve it?

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