PBS News Hour - Politics

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock is a two-term Democrat in a conservative state that President Trump won by more than 20 points in 2016. He's also running for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, and a gun owner who has changed his mind about expanded background checks. Bullock sits down with Judy Woodruff to discuss recent mass shootings, campaign finance and what it means to be a progressive.

Deadly shootings in El Paso and Dayton prompted immediate outcry among candidates for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. Several of the contenders denounced President Trump for rhetoric they said foments violence and hatred. One of them, Rep. Tim Ryan, represents Ohio in Congress. He joins Judy Woodruff to discuss "weapons of war" and whether there is hope for gun reform in Congress.

After mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton, we examine the threat of domestic terrorism and the nation's gun policy debate. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, one of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the El Paso and Dayton tragedies, the "horrible reality" of the white supremacist movement and why he thinks strict gun laws have decreased homicides in New York.

NPR's Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report join Judy Woodruff to discuss the latest political news, including reaction from Congress and President Trump after another series of mass shootings, how Democratic and Republican views on gun control policy have evolved since the 1990s and potential implications for the 2020 presidential race.

Another presidential nominee for a high-ranking administration role has dropped out. Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, withdrew from consideration for director of national intelligence after opponents criticized his level of experience and the way he represented his legacy as a federal prosecutor. Judy Woodruff speaks with The Washington Post's Greg Miller about the White House vetting process.

President Trump prompted more controversy this week by insulting a lawmaker of color, Rep. Elijah Cummings, and his Maryland district. Trump called Baltimore "filthy" and "infested," terms he has used before to refer to urban areas with majority black populations. Ahead of Trump's rally in southwestern Ohio, Yamiche Alcindor asked voters there what they think of the president's rhetoric on race.

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week's political news, including President Trump's personal attacks on Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland and other lawmakers of color, the significance of a wave of Republican congressional retirements and how the 2020 Democrats fared in the two-night debate in Detroit.

Night two of the Detroit Democratic debate may have opened with a handshake between former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris, but there was no shortage of attacks on either of them during the course of the evening. Judy Woodruff talks to Stuart Rothenberg of Inside Elections, Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report and Karine Jean-Pierre of MoveOn.org for highlights and analysis.

The first African slaves arrived in North America 400 years ago this month, landing at Jamestown in what's now Virginia. Recently, the idea of paying reparations for the atrocity of slavery has been earning new attention, even making its way into 2020 presidential debates. Economics correspondent Paul Solman examines the question of whether a debt might be owed to generations of slave descendants.