Politics War Room with James Carville & Al Hunt

How has the Republican party fallen so far from grace? Is the rise of Trumpism the cause of this rapid decline, or a symptom of the party leadership's disconnection from its base? What does the future hold for a political organization that has sold it soul for victory? These are just some of the questions Charlie Sykes, editor-in-chief, and Tim Miller, and contributor for the Never-Trump, conservative news site The Bulwark, try to answer. Historian Ron Chernow ("Alexander Hamilton") sets the record straight about Ulysses S. Grant's military prowess, presidential record and alcoholism. Plus Al and James give a rundown on the Senate seats up for grabs in November. 

To many Americans, the economy is mystery. Normal market trends and fiscal policy aside, though, the coronavirus pandemic presents an unprecedented challenge for understanding how the country might weather the storm of soaring unemployment and a near total halt to business as usual. That's where David Wessel,  director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal & Monetary Policy at the Brookings Institution, steps in, providing unique insight into what extremely low interest rates and climbing national debt mean for investors and individuals of all stripes. Plus, James presents an outline for how Joe Biden's campaign can springboard off of an existing network of talented creatives rather than build an entire movement from the ground up. 

Balanced, accurate and informative journalism is possibly more important now than it ever has been. Yet with financial limitations and logistical nightmares a plenty, publishing the most important stories in an rapidly changing world is no easy task. Los Angeles Times executive editor Norman Pearlstine expounds on the precautions his newspaper has taken, as well as the need to shift focus away from from Europe and North America. In that same vein, Brookings Institute senior fellow and former CIA analyst Jung H. Pak explains how the often maligned and misunderstood dictator of North Korea poses a greater threat to global peace than many anticipate, as laid out in her book “Becoming Kim Jong Un: A Former CIA Officer’s Insights into North Korea’s Enigmatic Young Dictator."

While facing the global pandemic on your own might seem frightening and difficult, going through this one-of-a-kind crisis with a partner does still present its own challenges. How does one keep themselves and their significant other healthy, safe and entertained enough in quarantine to not be at each others' throats? Well actress Marlo Thomas and her husband, American media personality Phil Donahue, have 40 years of successful marriage to pull from in that regard, in addition to the cumulative knowledge gathered for their forthcoming book "What Makes a Marriage Last — 40 Celebrated Couples Share with Us the Secrets to a Happy Life." Plus, Al and James discuss the moral and intellectual incompetence of the Trump administration's coronavirus response.

The grim toll of the coronavirus pandemic is a reality many Americans have come face-to-face with in recent months. And with the number of COVID-19 related deaths rising daily, it can be difficult for those who have yet to experience loss from it firsthand to understand the scope of this terrible disease. There is historical precedent, however, for how the country has dealt with this sort of tragedy, author and former Harvard president Drew Faust (The Republic of Suffering) notes. How the U.S. handled its hundreds of thousands of Civil War dead revealed a great deal about the country, she says, as does the current crisis. And while many of us might seek reprieve from our harrowing circumstances in the world of basketball, baseball or football, sports writer John Feinstein (The First Major) paints an unfortunately complex and nuanced picture of what it might take for athletes to get back to their respective games.

If the title of president of the Brookings Institution isn't impressive. enough, John R. Allen has plenty on his resume to raise your eyebrows at. Retired four-star Marine Corps general. Former commander of the NATO International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces in Afghanistan. Department of State Distinguished Honor Award winner. So when he suggests that America's adversaries are taking advantage of the global pandemic, it's time to pay attention. But when he says that the country's military has never been more ready to take on these looming threats, it should offer some solace. Plus, Al and James talk out the pros and cons of Klobuchar, Harris and other possibilities for Biden's VP spot.

From Secretary of State to Ambassador to the United Nations, Madeleine Albright has been a major player on the world stage in many different capacities, and therefore has spent a decades-long career embracing the bigger picture and seeking solutions to humanity's problems on a global scale. So there are few people better equipped to step back and evaluate the magnitude of America's involvement in geopolitics and the need for its leadership in an ongoing crisis like the coronavirus. She also acknowledges that the next step our government should take is to look within and try to heal the partisan fracturing in order to better deal with the larger issues at play. In that vein, Al and James offer praise to governors on the other side of the aisle who have taken it upon themselves to go against the White House and their party leadership in addressing the pandemic.

Associated Press Deputy Bureau Chief for all White House, Congressional and political coverage Michael Tackett has seen a lot in his career, and never backed down from a challenge. He discusses how covering controversial basketball coach Bobby Knight in college trained him to deal with Trump, and explains how he stays focused on the issues at hand, even when the president makes things personal. Meanwhile, journalist Joanne Lipman (USA Today, Wall Street Journal) shares details of one the most important stories surrounding the coronavirus pandemic: its impact on a variety of medical treatments and procedures, many of which are lifesaving. And to top things off, Bernie Sander's surprise announcement creates clarity for November.

As a dual citizen of the United States and Canada, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Shribman (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/Boston Globe) has had keen insight into how the two countries have been operating since coronavirus first reached North America. On the one hand, he notes, Canada has taken decisive action directed by a head of government who exemplifies the seriousness and gravitas needed for these extreme circumstances. On the other, he points out that the U.S. has been directionless and far from uniform in its approach, and the difference shows. Al and James also hold their breath in the hopes that things don't get any more outrageous before November.

Author Deborah Fallows and journalist James Fallows spent years traveling to small cities and towns outside America's major population centers in order to research their national bestseller "Our Towns A 100,000-Mile Journey Into the Heart of America." In following up with those communities recently, they are able to share how individual leaders and local groups have stepped up to deal with the growing coronavirus outbreak in spite of the lack of guidance from higher levels of government. Al and James also ponder what a candidate like Joe Biden can do in a situation as dire as this.