PBS News Hour - Politics

During the first night of the Democratic debates in Detroit, the ideological rift within the crowded field was on full display. Moderates challenged progressives as being unrealistic, while the more liberal candidates said the party should embrace "big ideas." Amna Nawaz talks to Stuart Rothenberg of Inside Elections, Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report and Karine Jean-Pierre of MoveOn.org.

Earlier this year, Gen. John Hyten was nominated by President Trump to become the next vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. But he's been accused of sexual assault by one of his former assistants, Col. Kathryn Spletstoser, who reiterated her allegations Tuesday after some members of the Senate Armed Services Committee had dismissed them. Judy Woodruff sits down with Spletstoser to discuss.

Ten candidates will launch the next round of 2020 Democratic presidential debates in Detroit Tuesday. In the leadup, contenders have released a flurry of policy proposals, on issues from health care and education to climate change and criminal justice. For lesser-known candidates, the debate may offer the last chance to make an impression on voters before the field narrows. Judy Woodruff reports.

President Trump has long had a contentious relationship with the nation's intelligence community, publicly disagreeing over threats to U.S. national security such as Russia, Iran and North Korea. With Dan Coats stepping down as director of national intelligence, Trump is seeking a replacement who aligns more closely with his own views. William Brangham talks to The Washington Post's Shane Harris.

In rural Virginia, 150 miles from the White House, sits one of the more than 200 counties in the U.S. that voted for President Obama twice and then President Trump in 2016. As the 2020 presidential campaign heats up, Amna Nawaz talks to Lisa Bogan and Jimmy Clowry, a politically divided couple living in a politically divided county, about how they manage their opposing perspectives on Trump.

NPR's Tamara Keith and Kimberly Atkins of WBUR radio join Judy Woodruff to discuss the latest political news, including another series of controversial tweets from President Trump, the different language he uses to refer to urban and rural geographies, a new health care proposal from Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and the second round of debates for 2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls.

The House of Representatives began a six-week recess Friday, as questions swirl about whether Democrats will try to impeach President Trump. The issue arose again as former special counsel Robert Mueller testified before Congress on the Russia investigation. Lisa Desjardins joins Judy Woodruff to discuss why the official launch of an impeachment investigation is both "different and significant."

Election security was in the news this week, as former special counsel Robert Mueller testified before Congress about the level to which Russia interfered in the 2016 election -- and plans to do it again. Now the Senate Intelligence Committee is releasing its own report on the problem. John Yang talks to the Democracy Fund's Tammy Patrick about whether U.S. election authorities are prepared.

Issues of criminal justice reform and systemic racism dominated the 2020 Democratic campaign conversation over the past week. Candidates appeared at the NAACP convention in Detroit to pitch related policy proposals -- and several demonstrated an increasing willingness to go after each other's political records. But they were united in criticizing President Trump. Lisa Desjardins reports.

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week's political news, including the aftermath of Robert Mueller's congressional testimony, the current legislative landscape around election security, changing dynamics within the 2020 presidential race and the fiscal significance of the bipartisan budget deal.