PBS News Hour - Politics

In our news wrap Friday, former President Jimmy Carter said he thinks President Trump would have lost the 2016 election if not for Russian interference. He was responding to historian Jon Meacham's question about whether Trump's presidency is "illegitimate." Also, a federal judge sentenced an avowed neo-Nazi supporter to life in prison for killing a protester at a white nationalist rally in 2017.

The Thursday debate among a second group of 10 Democratic presidential candidates featured participants scrambling to talk over each other and several heated exchanges. Tense moments included Sen. Kamala Harris confronting former Vice President Joe Biden over his record on race and Rep. Eric Swalwell challenging Pete Buttigieg's response to a police shooting in his city. Lisa Desjardins reports.

A second group of 10 Democratic presidential candidates took the stage to debate in Miami Thursday night. This time, participants included current poll leader former Vice President Joe Biden, whom several other candidates, including Sen. Kamala Harris and Rep. Eric Swalwell, targeted with both personal and political attacks. Lisa Desjardins and Yamiche Alcindor join Judy Woodruff to discuss.

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week's political news, including the first debates for 2020 Democratic candidates, whether that party has shifted too far to the left to be viable and Supreme Court decisions on partisan gerrymandering and including a citizenship question on the 2020 census.

The Supreme Court ended its term with two major rulings that could have long-running implications for fundamental U.S. political processes. It blocked a census citizenship question, at least for now, and declared federal courts have no role in policing partisan gerrymandering. NPR's Hansi Lo Wang and Stu Rothenberg of "Inside Elections" join Jeffrey Brown and National Law Journal's Marcia Coyle.

Ten candidates for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination faced off Wednesday night in the campaign's first debate. With the crowded stage, participants battled for speaking time on issues like the economy, health care, immigration, foreign policy and gun control. They agreed on many principles but clashed on policy solutions. Lisa Desjardins reports on the debate and how voters reacted.

The race for the 2020 Democratic presidential campaign kicked into a new gear Wednesday with the first candidate debate. A second group of 10 candidates takes the stage Thursday night. Stu Rothenberg of "Inside Elections" and Lisa Desjardins join Judy Woodruff to discuss who helped themselves the most, a battle for the party's soul and future and the potential for "more fireworks" on Thursday.

Although the presidency of Donald Trump has been marked by several scandals, they so far have not appeared to jeopardize his support with his enthusiastic base. Will that change with new details about an allegation he raped writer E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s, or with major controversy over the care of detained immigrant children in U.S. custody? Yamiche Alcindor joins Judy Woodruff to discuss.

The plight of migrant children held in U.S. detention centers continues to generate controversy. As Congress battles over emergency funding for care and resources at the border, medical professionals warn that even brief exposure to the current conditions could be damaging to children's health. William Brangham reports and talks to pediatrician Julie Linton, who has visited some of the facilities.

In Miami, a crowded stage is set for the first debate of the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries. With Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts the only participant polling in double digits, many candidates see the event as a public debut to Democratic voters, 84% of whom haven't yet chosen a candidate, according to polls. Lisa Desjardins and Stu Rothenberg of Inside Elections join Judy Woodruff.