PBS News Hour - Politics

President Trump visited the U.S.-Mexico border in California Friday. While downplaying his previous threats to cut off cross-border traffic entirely and praising Mexico for “terrific” apprehension levels in recent days, the president also said during an appearance with border officials that “the system is full.” Amna Nawaz reports on Trump’s rhetoric and the prolonged delays at ports of entry.

The U.S. economy has created jobs for over 100 consecutive months, and unemployment is near a 50-year low. Still, President Donald Trump is vocal about his belief that the Federal Reserve is holding the economy back from stronger growth. William Brangham talks to David Wessel the Brookings Institution about March jobs numbers, indications economic growth is slowing and Trump's view of the Fed.

Attorney General William Barr says he will release a redacted version of Robert Mueller’s report on Russian election interference and possible ties to Trump’s campaign this month. But the House Judiciary Committee wants the entire document and all supporting evidence, and is prepared to use a subpoena “very shortly” to get it, committee chair and Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., told Judy Woodruff.

The border crossing near San Diego is the country’s busiest land port of entry. More than 100,000 people cross the border daily through San Diego and Tijuana, and the cities exchange more than $4 billion a year. As special correspondent Jean Guerrero of KPBS reports, residents and the economy would face a profound change if President Trump followed through on his threats to close the border.

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week in politics, including President Trump’s reversal on closing the U.S.-Mexico border, Attorney General William Barr’s handling of the Mueller report and controversy over former Vice President Joe Biden’s interactions with women.

Members of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigative team are reportedly frustrated by Attorney General William Barr's conclusions from the nearly 400-page report. The Washington Post’s Rosalind Helderman and Lisa Desjardins join Judy Woodruff to discuss that story, questions about certain White House officials' security clearances and the effort to force release of the president's taxes.

Democrat Lori Lightfoot was elected mayor of Chicago Tuesday, in a landslide victory that represented several historic milestones. Lightfoot, who is openly gay, will be the first black woman to lead the city. A relative outsider to Chicago’s political scene, she interprets her triumph as a "mandate for change" from its people. Lisa Desjardins talks to the mayor-elect about what comes next.

The past behavior of former Vice President Joe Biden toward women has sparked conversation around the boundaries governing physical contact and consent. Biden has said that norms have evolved since he entered the public sphere. To discuss how that may be true, Judy Woodruff turns to New York magazine’s Rebecca Traister, The Washington Post’s Karen Tumulty and Harvard University's Frank Dobbin.

The Senate is considering changing the confirmation process for some nominees to federal courts and administration roles. Republicans want to limit debate time to speed up approvals, while Democrats argue that would compromise senators’ ability to vet nominees. Judy Woodruff talks to Kristine Lucius of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and the Heritage Foundation's Tom Jipping.

A wide-ranging disaster relief bill failed in the Senate Monday due to a disagreement about federal aid for Puerto Rico. Meanwhile, the island territory is struggling to recover from Hurricane Maria's damaging blow a year and a half ago. Lisa Desjardins reports on the stalled legislation, and John Yang talks to Associated Press reporter Danica Coto about what’s at stake for Puerto Rico's people.