Trump’s politics of division—friends vs. enemies—has now turned on the First Amendment itself. Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang expose how Pam Bondi distorts the law on “hate speech,” why Jimmy Kimmel's forced silence under political pressure is a textbook abuse of power, and how Stephen Miller’s authoritarian funeral speech reveals the danger of Trump’s movement. Satire, dissent, and free expression are on the line.

Corey Brettschneider and his cohost John Fugelsang examine how Donald Trump is exploiting the tragedy of Charlie Kirk’s killing—turning grief into a retribution narrative—and the danger that poses to American democracy. Corey places this moment in historical perspective, tracing how Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, and Lyndon B. Johnson responded to political violence and constitutional crisis, and what their choices teach us today. From there, the hosts turn to the present: the real-world consequences of incendiary rhetoric for civil liberties, the erosion of democratic guardrails, and the widening split between two information universes. Corey also connects these threads to Nixon’s abuses of executive power and what recent court battles reveal about the pressure on judicial independence. They close the episode by taking audience questions, bringing the discussion directly into today’s constitutional debates.

The Supreme Court just gave Trump a dangerous win—greenlighting ICE racial profiling raids. Justice Kavanaugh claims it’s about “geography,” but Justice Sotomayor warns the Constitution is being shredded. At the same time, Chief Justice Roberts clears the path for Trump to purge Biden appointees and dismantle independent agencies. And Trump is openly threatening to send troops into Chicago—an authoritarian power grab Judge Breyer’s ruling may block.

PLUS: Corey Brettschneider sits down with John Fugelsang to discuss his new book "Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person's Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds" — why the founders rejected religious imposition, how Christian values can defend feminism, and why the Bible doesn’t justify anti-gay politics.

A jam-packed episode on Trump, the Court, and the fight for democracy and freedom.

https://www.amazon.com/Separation-Church-Hate-Fundamentalists-Flock-Fleecing/dp/1668066890

Judge Breyer rules Trump’s military deployment is unconstitutional under the Posse Comitatus Act. We unpack the history, the structural reasoning, and what it means for presidential power. Plus: tariffs struck down, asylum fights, CDC chaos, Giuliani’s medal from Trump, and a tease of John’s new book:
Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person's Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Separation-of-Church-and-Hate/John-Fugelsang/9781668066898

Donald Trump just issued an unconstitutional order against flag burning. He’s trying to oust a Federal Reserve governor—and he declared, “A lot of people are saying maybe we’d like a dictator.” Professor Corey Brettschneider and comedian John Fugelsang show what's at stake in these attacks—free speech, checks and balances, and the survival of our democracy. They also examine California’s redistricting plan, which—despite controversy—may be one of the few defenses of democracy left in today’s political landscape.

Donald Trump is attacking the Smithsonian and trying to whitewash the story of slavery. On The Oath and The Office, Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang explain why this is more than politics—it’s a constitutional fight over truth in American history. We also break down Trump’s unconstitutional order to abolish mail-in ballots, Congress’s role in election law, and Newsom v. Trump, where Judge Charles Breyer is weighing the Posse Comitatus Act and the Tenth Amendment.

Corey and John open with a personal note: The Presidents and The People has just won the American Bar Association’s Silver Gavel Award for its defense of the rule of law—a mission now more urgent than ever. Trump’s tactics are shifting from a “soft coup” to a “hard coup,” with hallmarks of a violent takeover: using the military to control local police, deploying the FBI for political ends, and undermining judicial independence. In California, Governor Newsom is fighting back in federal court, standing in the tradition of state resistance; in Washington, D.C., Trump’s sweeping powers underscore the urgent need for D.C. statehood. Corey exposes Pam Bondi’s retaliatory push to investigate Judge James E. Boasberg, the politicization of economic data with a loyalist now leading the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and a brewing Supreme Court challenge that could end the constitutional right to same-sex marriage. A clear-eyed look at the opening moves of a hard coup—and what it will take to stop it.

Donald Trump didn’t like the latest economic data, so he fired the nation’s top labor statistician. It’s not just about one job: it’s a dangerous move toward rigging reality itself. When a leader punishes truth-tellers, democracy hangs by a thread. At the same time, Texas Republicans are threatening an extreme new wave of gerrymandering designed to silence Democratic voters and entrench Republican power. But blue states aren’t taking it lying down—California and New York are pushing back, drawing lines to protect fair representation and democracy itself. Also this week:

• Listener question: What exactly is the Supreme Court’s “shadow docket,” and why is Brett Kavanaugh defending it? Corey and John unpack the secretive tool reshaping American law behind closed doors.
• The Ten Commandments return to public schools. Is the Supreme Court about to open the door to religious coercion in classrooms?

 Hosted by Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang
 Real stories. Real stakes. Democracy depends on it. Subscribe, download, and share this episode of The Oath and The Office if you believe in defending truth, fairness, and voting rights.

South Park just aired one of its sharpest episodes ever—a brutal, brilliant, and hilarious take-down of Trump and Paramount, its own parent company  This after Paramount bowed to Trump's groundless lawsuit over a 60 Minutes story and then refused to renew Stephen Colbert’s contract. Coincidence?

Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang break it down:
– Why satire matters now more than ever
– The fight between corporate media and political dissent
– The terrifying implications of a possible Maxwell pardon
– Trump's tariffs are back in court—can the law hold?
– A big win for sanctuary cities and local resistance to MAGA

Subscribe for fierce, funny, and unflinching analysis every week.

Veteran legal journalist Mike Sacks has reported from countless courtrooms, from Fox 5 to the National Law Journal. Now he’s seeking the Democratic nomination in New York’s 17th congressional district, aiming to unseat MAGA aligned Mike Lawler. Mike joins Corey and John to share why he’s entering politics, his vision for a sweeping omnibus recovery bill to repair American democracy, and his nuanced strategy for approaching impeachment with media savvy. He emphasizes his run as part of a larger effort to restore Congress’s dignity and reclaim its essential oversight powers. Mike also confronts the harsh reality of our broken campaign finance system and argues it may require structural changes to the Supreme Court itself. Plus, Corey and John break down Trump’s latest disinformation attacks against Obama, the erosion of free speech rights for noncitizens critical of Israel, and the DOJ’s troubling loss in the Harvard funding case.