Michael Froman served in the Obama cabinet as United States Trade Representative. He is now president of the Council on Foreign Relations. He tells Jim Zirin that some tariffs are necessary for national security or to curb unfair trade practices, but others are needlessly inflationary, disrupting foreign relations by punishing small nations or others which we would want to be our friends and allies.

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Trump ran in 2024 with more negatives than any candidate in American history. Yet, he won the election over Kamala Harris who should have easily beaten him. Where did she go wrong? Could she have won? Best-selling author Chris Whipple with insider access concludes those around Biden ignored his cognitive decline, and tells Jim Zirin Harris never succeeded in separating herself from Biden.

Mark Pomerantz is a premier lawyer with blue ribbon credentials. He was a law clerk to conservative Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart. He served as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York. Later, he became a partner in Paul Weiss. Trump vindictively singled him out for criticism in his March 14 speech at the Department of Justice. He tells Jim of how Trump’s attacks on lawyers and judges have undermined the rule of law.

Nothing so far has worked to solve the vexing Israel Palestinian issue. Trump proposes to relocate the two million Palestinians in Gaza and create a “Gaza Riviera.” But will it work? Elliott Abrams of the Council on Foreign Relations, an old Mideast hand, weighs the imponderables and tells us how peace can be achieved even if Trump's plan is unworkable.

Author Jean Strouse tells Jim about the extraordinary relationship between a wealthy British art dealer Asher Wertheimer, his large family, and John Singer Sargent, the iconic portraitist of the 19th and 20th centuries. Her book is entitled Family Romance, and with great skill Jean paints a Sargent-worthy portrait of the Gilded Age featuring the opulence of a decadent aristocracy and shining a light on the dark corners of virulent antisemitism.

Jonathan Alter, best-selling author of four books on American presidents, has interviewed nine of the last 10 presidents. The trial of Donald Trump in Manhattan Supreme Court was undoubtedly the trial of the 21st century with a jury verdict of guilty on 34 crimes, Alter attended every day of the 23-day trial for the New York Times and the Washington Monthly, Then, he wrote a terrifically important book about it entitled “American Reckoning." He talks about justice and Donald Trump.

The polls say it is too close to call, but Doug Schoen, our resident political analyst, never fears to step up to the plate. Doug reads the tea leaves, and comes up with the answer. He has been right in eight out of the last nine elections.

Political lawyer Bob Bauer, who prepared Biden for his debate with Trump, pleads for ethics in a political climate where incivility, lawfare, and outright misrepresentations have become the order of the day.

Biden cedes the contest against Trump to Vice President Kamala Harris who instantly captured the lead in the polls. Will it last? Veteran Washington journalist Matt Cooper gives Jim Zirin his take on the volcanic changes in the race.

Courts have found Donald Trump inspired an insurrection, sexually abused a woman in a department store dressing room, engaged in a scheme to defraud for which he was fined $500 million, and was guilty of 34 felony offenses involving a hush money payment to a porn star. Amazingly, he is the GOP nominee for president. Journalist Nina Burleigh, author of the newsletter “American Freakshow,” tells whether Trump's political absurdity can carry the day.