PBS News Hour - Politics

The arrest of Julian Assange renewed attention on the long-running U.S. attempt to prosecute the controversial WikiLeaks founder. Amna Nawaz talks to Jesselyn Radack of the whistleblower and source protection group ExposeFacts, former federal prosecutor Amy Jeffress and Jamil Jaffer, former senior counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, about the specific computer fraud charge Assange faces.

In our news wrap Wednesday, Attorney General William Barr revealed during congressional testimony that he believes U.S. intelligence agencies spied on President Trump’s 2016 campaign. He also said he’s reviewing how the counterintelligence investigation into Russian collusion began. Meanwhile, the president again insisted that he can’t release his tax returns, saying he is under audit by the IRS.

Attorney General William Barr appeared on Capitol Hill Tuesday to discuss his agency budget. With prompting from House Democrats, he also talked about when Congress and the public will see the Mueller report and how much of it Barr will have redacted. Lisa Desjardins joins Judy Woodruff with that update, plus fallout from the departure of DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and immigration policy.

On Sunday, President Trump announced the resignation of Homeland Security Sec. Kirstjen Nielsen, who reportedly was forced to step down amid Trump’s growing frustration with the growing number of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. Amna Nawaz reports and joins Judy Woodruff with Yamiche Alcindor to discuss why Nielsen fell out of favor with Trump and what the shakeup means for immigration policy.

The tenure of outgoing Homeland Security Sec. Kirstjen Nielsen was rife with controversy, from the separation of migrant children and parents to the attempt to keep asylum seekers in Mexico while their cases are processed. Judy Woodruff talks to Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, about her departure and President Trump’s outlook on immigration law.

The Trump administration designated Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps a foreign terrorist organization Monday, with the goal of rendering the IRGC “radioactive” to other countries and organizations. The unprecedented move represents one more step in the administration's ongoing “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, but what does it mean for future attempts at diplomacy? Nick Schifrin reports.

In a growing 2020 Democratic field, candidates are crisscrossing the nation to pitch themselves as capable of defeating President Trump. The resignation of Homeland Security Sec. Kirstjen Nielsen and Trump’s fiery rhetoric on asylum seekers gave them plenty to talk about in recent days. Lisa Desjardins reports on Democratic reactions, plus campaign updates from Tim Ryan and Pete Buttigieg.

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week in politics, including Pete Buttigieg’s headline-making remarks on his religion and homosexuality, "revolution" vs. "restoration" within the 2020 field, the ouster of Homeland Security Sec. Kirstjen Nielsen and how President Trump’s desire to get even tougher on immigration might play with voters.

As the 2020 presidential campaigns get underway, the debate over the Electoral College system is starting again. In 2016, when Hillary Clinton lost the election despite winning the popular vote, there were new calls to abolish the electoral college. NPR reporter Miles Parks joins Hari Sreenivasan to discuss whether the constitutionally mandated system can be changed.

As President Trump pressures Mexico to do more to stop the flow of migrants heading to the U.S., some of his threats, including sealing the U.S.-Mexico border, are affecting local business there. Meanwhile, the Mexican government is meeting some of the president's demands. Michel Marizco, senior editor for public radio station KJZZ’s Fronteras desk joins Hari Sreenivasan from Tucson, Arizona with more.