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As Omar Little of The Wire famously quipped, “When you come at the king, you best not miss.” It’s a very true saying—and an apt title for the third book by prosecutor turned bestselling author Elie Honig, When You Come at the King: Inside DOJ’s Pursuit of the President, from Nixon to Trump.

Special counsel Jack Smith investigated and prosecuted Donald Trump. But before either of Smith’s two cases could go to trial, Trump was reelected. Now Jack Smith finds himself under investigation—by the administration of a president who declared that Smith should be “considered mentally deranged” and “thrown out of the country.”

In the meantime, what will happen to the institution of the special counsel, during the administration of a president who is clearly not a fan? That’s one of many topics I tackled in my conversation with Elie Honig. We also discussed his journey for prosecution to punditry, highlights from his time as an assistant U.S. attorney, and how today’s Supreme Court might rule if asked to review the constitutionality of the Justice Department regulations that made Jack Smith’s investigation possible.

Thanks to Elie for joining me—and congratulations to him on his latest book.

Show Notes:

* Elie Honig bio, Wikipedia

* When You Come at the King: Inside DOJ’s Pursuit of the President, from Nixon to Trump, Amazon

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