A federal judge warns that Trump is violating the principles of law and the Declaration of Independence—and this week’s events show exactly what that means in practice.

We break down the detention of a five-year-old and the collapse of due process, Trump’s threat against Trevor Noah and the future of free speech, and the raid on a Georgia election center. We also examine the authoritarian “tell” behind Trump’s call to “nationalize the voting”.

Plus: Trump’s reported Fed Chair pick Kevin Warsh and the Epstein-files connection—and a brief turn to Bruce Springsteen on moral imagination and democracy.

The Oath and The Office — weekly analysis of constitutional democracy under pressure.

Jan. 6 wasn’t just a riot—it was a blueprint. This week, we connect Jan. 6 then to now and ask the core question of self-government: what happens when federal power starts acting as if the rules don’t apply?

Hosts Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang are joined by Tom Joscelyn—senior House Judiciary staff and a principal author of the House January 6 Committee’s final report—for a deep dive into the pressure campaign on Mike Pence, the false-electors plot, and why white supremacy and Christian nationalism were central to the attempt to overturn the election. Most importantly: how that same playbook is reappearing right now—and what it means for the rule of law.

Before Tom joins, Corey and John break down the week’s accountability flashpoints:

• The killing of a Minnesota nurse—and the competing public narratives and misinformation surrounding it
• The growing wave of court pushback and legal scrutiny aimed at ICE tactics in Minnesota
• Where the politics stand on defunding ICE—and what real oversight would require
• DOJ’s move to file criminal complaints tied to the St. Paul church protest, plus the magistrate judge’s refusal to approve a warrant prosecutors sought (including an attempt involving Don Lemon)
• A reported memo directing ICE agents to proceed with operations—including entry onto private property—regardless of warrants or legal standing, and what that means for constitutional rights

The indictment that never came is still shaping DOJ’s ongoing battle with Trump.

In the first half, Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang break down this week’s accountability flashpoints:

• The push to impeach DHS Secretary Kristi Noem — what impeaching a cabinet official actually means and why it matters now
• The Supreme Court fight tied to the FTC with huge stakes for independent agencies and the question of whether a president can threaten the Federal Reserve
• The looming tariff decision — and how tariffs are being used as political leverage, including in Trump’s pressure campaign involving Greenland

Then Corey and John are joined by Glenn Kirschner (former federal prosecutor) for a blunt, inside-the-system conversation about:

• What went wrong with Robert Mueller
• The decision not to indict Trump — and the precedent it set
• How DOJ “corruption” happens in real life: pressure, incentives, normalization
• The hardest moral call for public servants: stay and fight, or resign and warn the country

If the law won’t check power, what will?

An ICE agent killed Renée Nicole Good in Minneapolis—so can Minnesota bring charges, even if federal officials try to block accountability? We break down what local prosecutors can do, what legal shields federal agents may claim, and why this case is turning into a major constitutional showdown over law enforcement power and democratic control.

Then: Trump “unmasks” himself with rhetoric that escalates racial conflict—reviving the “reverse discrimination” frame and claiming white Americans have been “badly treated.” We unpack what that message is designed to do politically, and what it signals about the future of civil-rights enforcement.

Finally: a warning on Greenland—military planning and the use of force without Congress isn’t “strong”—it’s illegal. We explain the constitutional limits, what counts as an unlawful order, and what service members are (and aren’t) required to follow.

In this episode:
• Minneapolis: the legal path to state charges after Good’s killing
• Trump’s racial grievance politics—and why it matters right now
• Greenland: Congress, war powers, and the legality of military orders

In this episode of The Oath and The Office, Corey Brettschneider (Brown University Professor and author) and John Fugelsang dive into Trump’s illegal military action in Venezuela, exposing how it violates Congress' constitutional power to declare war. We discuss why this unilateral attack is unlawful and the steps Congress must take to push back, including retroactively condemning the invasion and revoking future military authorizations. Plus, we break down key takeaways from Jack Smith’s testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, shedding light on the ongoing investigations into Trump. Tune in for a critical constitutional analysis of executive overreach and the legal challenges ahead, only on The Oath and The Office.

As 2026 begins, host Corey Brettschneider (Brown University professor) and co-host John Fugelsang look back at 2025’s biggest constitutional stress-tests—and what to watch in 2026.

We start with the Supreme Court checking Trump on using the National Guard—why it matters, and whether the Insurrection Act is the next risk. That ruling is our doorway into a 2025 Year in Review: we revisit Trump’s most dangerous attacks on the Constitution, and the guardrails that barely held.

Next, we break down Judge James Boasberg’s escalating confrontation with the administration over deportations tied to the 1798 Alien Enemies Act. Can the government claim people sent to Venezuela have no due process rights? And can courts be told it’s “too late” once they’re out of the country? We explain what the Constitution requires and what’s at stake for the rule of law.

Finally, we turn to Florida, where Ron DeSantis’s remake of New College offers a blueprint for a broader war on education—replacing what they label “woke” with enforced ideology, down to symbolic culture-war moves like honoring Charlie Kirk.

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This week, host Corey Brettschneider, a Brown University professor, and co-host John Fugelsang begin with the latest confirmed developments in the Brown University shooting—and the parallel storm of disinformation on X that spread during the investigation: false accusations against a transgender student and a manufactured narrative about motive. We break down how these claims circulated, why they’re dangerous, and how to separate verified reporting from rumor—without naming private individuals or repeating unverified allegations.

Next: Congress votes to release more Epstein-related files, but the initial disclosures arrived heavily redacted from Attorney General Pam Bondi. What was released, what may still be withheld, and what Congress can realistically compel next. Plus: controversy around 60 Minutes after reports that a segment involving El Salvador’s CECOT prison was delayed amid accusations of political pressure. We close with an end-of-year rundown—key lessons from our Trump deep dives in 2025 and what we’re watching in 2026.

Release note: We’re sharing this episode a day early due to the Christmas holiday.

Listener note: This episode includes discussion of gun violence.

This week’s episode is personal. Host Corey Brettschneider, a Brown University professor, and cohost John Fugelsang speak directly to what our community is living through after the deadly campus shooting—and what it means for universities, public safety, and the country.

We also address the national response—and the bigger question it can obscure: America’s gun violence crisis, and why reforms have reduced mass shootings elsewhere, including lessons from Australia after major national action.

Plus: a major legal fight over religious charter schools, a pending Supreme Court case involving racial discrimination in jury selection, and what Susie Wiles’ candid comments reveal about Trump.

Listener note: This episode includes discussion of a campus shooting and gun violence.

Leah Litman — University of Michigan law professor and constitutional law expert — joins Corey Brettschneider and cohost John Fugelsang to explain how the Supreme Court may be clearing the way for Donald Trump to fire independent regulators at will. She breaks down the Court’s turn toward the unitary executive, what that means for Trump’s control over the executive branch, what’s at stake in the coming fight over birthright citizenship, and where she still sees possibilities for court reform.

Corey and John open the episode by unpacking the stakes of a recently heard case on independent agencies, its impact on watchdogs like the FTC and the Federal Reserve, and how it might further concentrate presidential power. They then connect the dots to concrete examples from government and the courts — including Pete Hegseth and war crimes allegations and Judge Boasberg’s handling of the administration’s defiance of a court order — before their in-depth conversation with Leah about whether any institutions will be able to hold President Trump to account.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse joins us for one of our most important conversations yet. We examine MAGA’s escalating effort to blame and target judges who uphold the rule of law — from GOP attacks on Judge Boasberg to the broader push to weaponize impeachment. Senator Whitehouse lays out what Congress can still do now, and the reforms needed to protect democracy in the long term.
But first: John and Corey break down Trump’s shocking pardon of the convicted former Honduran president — and the disturbing reports of potentially unlawful military orders in the Caribbean.