Daily operations at the Department of Defense have been described as “total chaos” by a former department spokesperson. In a Politico op-ed,  recently fired John Ullyot questioned  Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s leadership and capability. President Trump defended Hegseth, but reports say the White House might be replacing him.  Several of Trump’s cabinet leaders have come under fire for focusing on the more forward-facing aspects of their jobs. Should the day-to-day management of key departments be a concern right now?

Leaders worldwide are expected to gather in Rome this weekend for the funeral of Pope Francis. His leadership of the Catholic Church was regarded as a progressive shift from several of his predecessors, especially around the acceptance of LGBTQ worshippers and the treatment of migrants. He had recently clashed with Vice President JD Vance over Vance’s use of Catholic theology to defend the Trump administration’s immigration policy. KCRW discusses the political legacy of Francis and how the next pope could impact American politics.

How much does the language we use around issues like immigration influence policy? Plus, we answer a listener question on viewpoint diversity.

Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents wrongfully deported Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador last month. Abrego Garcia currently sits in a maximum security prison there, despite holding legal immigration status and no criminal record. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ruled that the Trump administration should facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return, but the White House says it’s Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele’s responsibility instead. Neither Trump nor Bukele expressed interest in returning Abrego Garcia to the U.S. What does this Trump-court showdown mean for the balance of power in our government?

Outside of immigration, the White House’s administrative crackdowns continue on college campuses. Federal officials sent Harvard University a letter demanding it end its DEI programs and enforce stricter rules on campus antisemitism. The school refused. Lawyers for the university claimed the government’s demands violate Harvard’s First Amendment rights. In retaliation, the Trump administration threatened to cut $2 billion in federal funding. Can the White House continue to threaten private universities if they don’t do their bidding? Are there ulterior motives behind the administration’s focus on antisemitism?

March Madness may have ended, but Market Madness went into effect shortly after Trump announced “reciprocal tariffs” — some over 100% — on imported goods from dozens of countries. Stocks plummeted. Republican figureheads like Ted Cruz spoke out against the sweeping plan. According to Trump, his move became a success once global leaders started offering new trade deals. Then, just hours after the tariffs went into effect, Trump declared a 90-day pause on most of them, excluding China. While the market is still on shaky ground, Trump says it bounced back due to his “master negotiations.” Is the everyday American feeling the relief he claims? 

Meanwhile, prices are still rising. Voters yearn for the days when households could survive on a single income and eggs didn’t cost an arm and a leg. Even with an unfavorable economy, Trump framed his initial tariff plan as a path back to the old American Dream. Is that still possible? Or are we blinded by nostalgia? 

However, it makes sense for voters to cling to the past when facing the political and economic uncertainty of the future. But how should we go about it? America’s got a complicated past. According to the culture wars, the right believes the “greatness” of the past focuses on economic prosperity, and the left says the “greatness” of the past came at the cost of certain minority groups. Do we need to resolve a definition of American greatness?

Democrats have been struggling with low favorability since last November, but recent special elections in Wisconsin and Florida might suggest things are looking up. Liberal judge Susan Crawford won a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court this week, despite Elon Musk investing $25 million towards conservative Brad Schimel’s campaign. Two House seats went up for grabs in Florida. Both went to Republicans, but Democrats lost by smaller margins than previous polls suggested they would. Can Democrats spin these results as a win? 

Over at the White House, President Trump declared April 2 as “Liberation Day.” He introduced steep tariffs on countries across the world, promising to “make America wealthy again.” While Trump promises an American manufacturing boom, economists predict the tariffs could slow the U.S.’ financial growth. Some on the left and the right argue that might be a good thing. “De-growth,” the idea that reducing growth could create a more sustainable economy, has been gaining traction across the aisle. Are these tariffs what people want? 

Trump continued to stir the pot this week when he used an NBC News appearance to float the idea of running for a third term. Despite the two-term limit outlined in the 22nd Amendment, Trump told NBC’s Kristen Welker that “there are methods” around it. How legitimate are these “methods?” Should voters be concerned about a third Trump term? 

Earlier this week, The Atlantic Editor-In-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg revealed that top-level White House officials accidentally added him to a group chat about upcoming war plans. While some administration staffers initially denied the existence of the group chat, Trump and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pivoted to denouncing Goldberg and his publication instead. Is this blunder big enough to send the administration into crisis? Or will Trump’s high favorability polling shield the controversy? 

America’s neighbor to the north also faces political leadership shakeups. It’s election season in Canada, and the race for the next prime minister seems to hinge on how the potential PM would engage with U.S. President Donald Trump. This year’s Canadian election partially mirrors last year’s American election: a conservative populist candidate versus a liberal who came in after the previous leader stepped down. Conservative candidate Pierre Poilevre had initially polled well, but recent Canadian polls show a strong aversion to Trump and Trump-lite policies. Is this enough to change the tides of the Canadian election?

The Canadian-American conflict continues with Trump’s intensive tariff plans. Trump previously asserted that strict tariffs against Canada would snuff the fentanyl trade. Is there even enough fentanyl coming from Canada to back that up? While the White House sees tariffs as a method to increase U.S. manufacturing, economists say these moves might hurt American consumers instead. How effective are Trump’s promises to revive the American economy? 

The Trump administration caught some judiciary backlash last weekend after sending two deportation flights of Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador. While the administration defends the flights under the “Alien Enemies Act,” federal Judge James Boasberg ruled them as unconstitutional. The flights took off anyway, leading to major questions about whether the Trump administration defied court orders to deport immigrants. What precedent does that set if true? Since then, President Trump has called for the impeachment of Judge Boasberg. Will the president impeach judges who rule against him?

Similar leadership struggles are plaguing Congress, with many Democratic lawmakers questioning the fitness of Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Last week, Schumer sent a GOP-backed spending bill to a vote instead of blocking it like he’d originally promised. The bill slashes billions in non-defense spending, and according to some Democrats, gives Trump major discretionary powers over the budget. Still, Schumer defends the decision as the only choice to avoid a government shutdown. With party infighting and historically low favorability polling, can the Democrats unite to fight effectively against Trump’s agenda?

President Trump’s discretionary powers also seem to have spread to the arts. Earlier this week, he made his first visit to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts since their recent changes to the board. Trump had previously named himself chairman of The Kennedy Center after ousting a historically bipartisan board of trustees. During his visit, he likened the state of the Kennedy Center to “open borders and men playing in women’s sports” and promised to change its “radical left” programming. Is Trump spending too much time on the culture wars? 

Last week, federal ICE officers detained a Columbia University student over last year’s Israel-Palestine campus protests. The Trump administration revoked grad student Mahmoud Khalil’s green card, with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accusing Khalil of “siding with terrorists.” Is the administration infringing on First Amendment rights? 

Federal attention on Columbia University extended beyond the arrest of Khalil. The White House also announced a plan to cancel over $400 million in federal funding for the university over insufficient protections for Jewish students on campus. Education Secretary Linda McMahon claimed that Columbia had abandoned its anti-discriminatory obligation to protect Jewish students on campus. Is the federal government overdoing its oversight on college campuses? 

Both Democrats and Republicans have supported expanding the child tax credit, but you’d never know from how they talk about it. Do politicians still value compromise? Or is it all about the glory?

Earlier this week, Donald Trump took to the U.S. Capitol for this term’s first joint address to Congress. He showed off his executive order accomplishments and chided opponents. The joint address was just short of a victory lap for his and the GOP’s political dominance. Do Democrats have a plan to build a stronger opposition party? 

Trump also carved out speech time to acknowledge his tiff with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Zelenskyy recently gathered in the White House to discuss plans for peace in Ukraine. Things soured, and the Trump administration paused military aid and intelligence sharing for Ukraine. E.U. leaders made plans to support Ukraine in the U.S.’ stead. Does pulling back America’s influence in the conflict make the country look weaker on the world stage?

Trump may have crafted an all-powerful image, but how accurate is that? In the article “MAGA as Master Morality”, author Jeremiah Johnson posits that Trump’s bravado may resonate with voters more than his actions. KCRW also takes a listener question on whether Trump’s presidential powers include changing the price of eggs. 

Donald Trump’s return to office has inspired constant breaking news headlines. This week: The administration faces scrutiny after the Elon Musk-led DOGE team instructed all federal workers to justify their employment via email. Should government workers take the threats seriously? 

Differentiating what’s worth worrying about might be difficult when words like “oligarchy” and “autocracy” get thrown around. Trump may be a polarizing figure, but is he definitionally an oligarch? KCRW examines how messaging affects the national conversation about the presidency. 

Later, the Left, Right, and Center panel takes a listener question about the merits of American bicameral politics over parliamentary systems. Does our current government enable this kind of disconnect between executives and the electorate? Could a parliamentary shift fix our problems?

Before his re-election, Donald Trump promised to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. Earlier this week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio initiated talks between Russia and the U.S. without Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump then took to social media to call Zelensky a dictator who “better move fast.” Is U.S. foreign policy shifting to blending the lines between allies and adversaries?

On American soil, the Department of Justice is facing a massive shakeup. Last week, the DOJ proposed dismissing the corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Adams appeared to change his tune on Trump’s mass immigration crackdowns not long after. As a result, over eight DOJ prosecutors resigned instead of signing off on the dismissal motion. Manhattan U.S. attorney Danielle Sassoon accused the DOJ of a quid pro quo deal in exchange for Adams’ cooperation with the Trump administration. Is the deal unlawful, unethical, or both?

When it comes to getting presidents elected, do political rallies matter anymore? They’re extravagant, in-person information events in a world where most people get their news online.