PBS News Hour - Politics

President Trump has long acknowledged top-rated Fox News as his favorite media outlet, and the network relishes its role as a conservative voice. But its increasingly close relationship with the administration is drawing criticism. William Brangham talks to the New Yorker's Jane Mayer about an unprecedented “feedback loop” and whether the president has made policy decisions to help Fox succeed.

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report sit down with William Brangham to discuss the week in politics, including why early 2020 Democratic presidential candidates are appealing to voters of color, what’s next for investigations into the president, President Trump’s remarks at CPAC and how climate change is a “very polarizing issue.”

Yet another Democrat has entered the 2020 race for president: John Hickenlooper, former governor of Colorado. The current field of candidates spreads across much of the political spectrum, representing a broad range of policies on taxes, health care, climate change and more. Based on his CPAC remarks, President Trump appears eager to take on any of the potential rivals. Lisa Desjardins reports.

President Trump gave his longest speech ever on Saturday at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, held in Maryland. Touting his 2016 victory, he said he will win 2020 presidential bid by an even a wider margin. He also railed against special counsel Mueller’s investigation and attacked Democrats as socialists. New Yorker reporter Osita Nwanevu joins Hari Sreenivasan.

President Trump is again facing questions about the security clearance of son-in-law Jared Kushner. Multiple news outlets reported this week that the president ordered John Kelly, then his chief of staff, to grant Kushner’s clearance despite concerns from intelligence officials about his financial dealings and foreign contacts. Judy Woodruff talks to Bloomberg’s Caleb Melby for the details.

Although a candidate just entered the 2020 presidential race with a platform centered on climate change, some experts say Americans aren’t fully aware of the scope and seriousness of global warming. Among them is David Wallace-Wells, who argues in a new book that the severity of the climate crisis has not yet been acknowledged, let alone addressed. He sits down with William Brangham to discuss.

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to analyze the week in politics, including reverberations from Michael Cohen’s appearance before the House Oversight Committee and conclusions from the Trump-Kim summit in Hanoi.

During a public hearing before the House Oversight Committee, former Trump attorney Michael Cohen discussed the president’s personal, political and financial affairs. William Brangham talks to The Washington Post’s David Fahrenthold and Andrea Bernstein, co-host of the podcast "Trump, Inc.," about "startling" details of Trump's business and why Congress might want to talk to Allen Weisselberg.

Israel’s attorney general has recommended indictment for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over allegations of corruption. But Netanyahu is denying the accusations and characterizing the move as a political tactic timed to diminish his prospects in an upcoming election, which could grant him a fourth term. John Yang reports.

The House has passed its first major gun control legislation in decades, as the Democratic majority sends two bills related to background checks for gun buyers on to the Senate. A Republican majority there is unlikely to approve either measure, but their progress to date reflects how Democrats are pushing for gun change in the wake of more mass shootings. Judy Woodruff talks to Lisa Desjardins.