Shows / The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
“The Illegal News” is where law meets politics. Each week, Bulwark publisher Sarah Longwell (not a lawyer) sits down with a legal expert to unpack how the latest court filings, rulings, and procedural twists and turns of the Trump era are shaping American democracy. These are conversations about justice without the jargon, giving you context for the biggest developments and surfacing the legal (and illegal) moves not getting enough attention.
If you're looking for "George Conway Explains It All…
Episodes
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep183: Trump Keeps Trying to Jail His Enemies. Grand Juries Keep Saying NO (w/ Andrew Weissmann) | Illegal News
Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann discuss Trump’s desperate (and failing) attempts to punish his political enemies, from a grand jury’s refusal to indict…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep182: Trump’s $10 Billion BBC Lawsuit Just Backfired (w/ Andrew Weissmann) | Illegal News
Why is Trump’s own Justice Department investigating Corey Lewandowski, and is the corruption probe for real? Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann examine the…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep181: DHS Raids Ilhan Omar’s Home. Weissmann Smells a Rat. | Illegal News
Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann discuss the FBI raid on Ilhan Omar, Trump’s latest overtures to Putin, and the courts’ efforts to stop his taxpayer-funded…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep180: Andrew Weissmann Sees BIG Trouble for Trump in Deportation Showdown
Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann explain the explosive Kimberly Guilfoyle corruption allegations, including the $100,000 Amex payment, incriminating text…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep179: Trump’s “Grand Conspiracy” Investigation Is Falling Apart From the Inside | Illegal News
Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann discuss Jack Smith’s latest Senate testimony, including the questions Republicans didn’t ask about the actual cases against…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep178: Andrew Weissmann: Trump’s White House Press Ban Is Going to Lose in Court
Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann cover Trump’s escalating war with the press, from his White House ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico to the growing…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep177: Alex Wagner NUKES Alito’s Defense of the Trump Election Power Grab
JVL is joined by Alex Wagner to trace how four conservative power brokers built the legal machine that would reshape the Supreme Court decades later, and how…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep176: Sarah Longwell's Message for Everyone Who Thinks We’re Doomed (w/ Andrew Weissmann)
Andrew Weissmann turns the tables on Sarah Longwell for a conversation about her new book, How to Eat an Elephant: One Voter at a Time—and what a post-Trump…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep175: Whistleblower Exposes Trump’s Election Chaos Machine (w/ George Conway)
Sarah Longwell and George Conway discuss Trump’s attempt to overhaul mail-in voting before the midterms—and why Conway thinks the administration’s chaotic new…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep174: Trump Is Racing to Build His Ballroom Before the Courts Stop Him (w/ Andrew Weissmann)
Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann discuss a pair of Supreme Court moves benefiting Trump, including John Roberts allowing construction on the White House…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep173: Trump Just Ordered the Government to Delete the Receipts (w/ Andrew Weissmann)
Andrew Weissmann joins Sarah Longwell to discuss the Trump administration’s move to erase corporate ownership records, the latest developments in the Fauci…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep172: Career Prosecutors Wanted NO PART of What Trump’s DOJ Was Doing (w/ Andrew Weissmann)
Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann discuss the escalating campaign against Anthony Fauci, why his lawyers may see the congressional investigation as a perjury…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep171: Trump’s Reflecting Pool Case Collapsed in SPECTACULAR Fashion (w/ Andrew Weissmann) | Illegal News
Sam Stein and Andrew Weissmann discuss the Justice Department’s dismissal of charges over damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, potential recourse…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep170: George Conway: Trump Showed Up to the Trial and Lost $83 Million
Sam Stein and George Conway discuss James Comey’s challenge to the “8647” prosecution, Donald Trump’s Supreme Court bid to overturn E. Jean Carroll’s $83…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep169: George Conway Is Back—and Trump Gave Him PLENTY to Work With
Sarah Longwell welcomes George Conway back to The Illegal News to discuss Trump Media’s plan to sell Wall Street firms early access to Trump’s market-moving…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep168: Senators Never Asked Blanche the Most Obvious Epstein Question
Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann discuss on a week that tested both of them: Todd Blanche's confirmation hearing, and Trump's prime-time speech on election…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep167: Trump's Own Judge Torched DOJ's Insane Election Subpoena (w/ Andrew Weissmann)
Andrew Weissmann joins Sarah Longwell to discuss a big week in legal news: DOJ's stunning concession in a reporter's lawsuit over the Epstein files, the…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep166: MAGA is Furious at Amy Coney Barrett (w/ Steve Vladeck)
Sarah Longwell and Georgetown University Law Center's Steve Vladek discuss the Supreme Court's final day of the term—a narrow 5-4 ruling upholding birthright…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep165: The Reflecting Pool is a Symbol of Trump’s Failure (w/ Andrew Weissmann)
Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann talk about the Iran nuclear deal—why the "win" Trump is selling actually leaves America with less leverage, fewer allies…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep164: Stephen Miller and JD Vance Wanted to Suspend Habeas Corpus (w/ Leah Litman)
Sarah Longwell is joined by law professor and Strict Scrutiny co-host Leah Litman to discuss the White House’s plan to suspend habeas corpus, JD Vance’s push…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep163: Trump’s Pick for Attorney General Is Even WORSE Than You Think
Trump's AG nominee Todd Blanche lost Trump's own criminal trial, built an illegal slush fund, and lied on Fox News—and Republicans are confirming him anyway…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep162: Trump’s AG Pick May Not Have the Votes to Get Confirmed
Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann return to disuss Todd Blanche’s growing Senate confirmation problems, Trump’s $1.7 billion “weaponization fund” scheme, why…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep161: Judge Nukes Trump DOJ’s “Vindictive” Prosecution (w/ Mary McCord) | Illegal News
Sarah Longwell welcomes Mary McCord—former DOJ prosecutor and co-host of the Main Justice podcast—to discuss a series of jaw-dropping legal scandals…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep160: Andrew Weissmann: Trump's Slush Fund Isn't Just Corrupt—It's a Crime
Andrew Weissmann joins Sarah Longwell on launch day for his book 'Liar's Kingdom'—but first they discuss why Weissmann calls Trump's $1.776 billion…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep159: Trump Built a System That Pays People to Break the Law (w/ Ben Wittes)
Sarah Longwell and Ben Wittes discuss the Supreme Court mifepristone fight and why it could reshape abortion politics for years to come, then dig into Trump’s…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep158: Jerome Powell is Fueled by Pure Righteous Anger—And We LOVE IT (w/ Andrew Weissmann)
Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann discuss the Supreme Court’s voting rights decision, the rush to redraw congressional maps before the midterms, Trump allies…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep157: SCOTUS Profoundly Changed Elections—Mid-Vote! (w/ Kate Shaw)
Kate Shaw—ABC News contributor and co-host of the podcast 'Strict Scrutiny'—joins Sarah Longwell to explain a major Supreme Court ruling that American…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep156: Kash Patel's Lawsuit Could Backfire—BIG TIME (w/ Andrew Weissmann)
Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann discuss a series of major legal developments—from a questionable DOJ indictment targeting the Southern Poverty Law Center…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep155: Judge Tosses Trump’s WSJ Lawsuit Over Epstein Birthday Card (w/ Elliot Williams)
Sarah Longwell and Elliot Williams explain why courts keep rejecting Trump's defamation claims, what “actual malice” really means, and how his wave of lawsuits…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep154: Sorry, The 25th Amendment Can't Save Us From Trump (w/ Andrew Weissmann)
Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann explain the legality of Trump’s unhinged Iran threats, the legal reality behind “war crimes” warnings, and the global…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep153: Reporters Now Need ESCORTS to Do Their Jobs at the Pentagon (w/ Elliot Williams)
Sarah Longwell and Elliot Williams explain a series of legal fights that go to the core of how the country operates—from whether birthright citizenship could…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep152: Todd Blanche’s Jaw-Dropping Ethics Violation (w/ Andrew Weissmann)
JVL (filling in for Sarah Longwell) joins Andrew Weissmann for a wide-ranging breakdown of a system under strain. They discuss the DOJ’s $1.25M payout to…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep151: Trump’s Half-Baked Border Plan Collides With Legal Reality (w/ Andrew Weissmann)
Andrew Weissmann joins Sarah Longwell to explain Trump’s failed attempt to target Fed Chair Jerome Powell—and why a judge shut it down as harassment. They also…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep150: Trump's DOJ Just Proposed a Stunning Ethics Loophole (w/ Andrew Weissmann)
Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann discuss a chaotic week for the rule of law, from the DOJ bizarrely flip-flopping on defending Trump’s executive orders…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep149: Andrew Weissmann: This is Why America’s Institutions Are Failing
Sarah Longwell talks with former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann about his new book: "Liar’s Kingdom" They discuss how Donald Trump exposed weaknesses in…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep148: Is This War Legal? (w/ Tess Bridgeman)
Sarah Longwell talks with Just Security’s Tess Bridgeman about whether the Iran war is legal under the Constitution, the War Powers Resolution, and…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep147: Trump’s Face on DOJ Is a Big Deal—Here’s Why (w/ Elliot Williams)
Sarah Longwell is joined by CNN legal analyst Elliot Williams to break down Trump’s latest legal battles—from the Supreme Court limiting his tariff plan to a…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep146: Supreme Court Slams Door on Trump’s Tariff Power Grab (w/ Andrew Weissmann) | Illegal News
The Supreme Court struck down Trump’s sweeping tariffs in a 6–3 decision—including votes from two of his own appointees. Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
They Don’t Want Borders. They Want Your Ballot (w/ Andrew Weissmann)
Andrew Weissmann explains to Sarah Longwell the new filing from officials in Georgia’s Fulton County election office attacking the FBI's search of the county's…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep145: In the Epstein Releases, Victims Came LAST (w/ Andrew Weissmann)
Andrew Weissmann explains to Sarah Longwell why Pam Bondi’s bizarre hearing indicates deep problems at the Justice Department. From the DOJ’s handling of the…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep144: Trump Is Treating Elections Like Crimes (w/ Elliot Williams)
Sarah Longwell and CNN legal analyst Elliott Williams walk through a stunning week of norm-breaking: the arrest of journalists after a Minnesota protest, Trump…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep143: Secret ICE Memo Says They Can Enter Homes Without Warrants (w/ Elliot Williams)
Sarah Longwell is joined by former ICE attorney and CNN legal analyst Elliot Williams to discuss the growing clash between ICE, the Justice Department, and the…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep142: The Epstein Files Are Being Buried by DOJ (w/ Asha Rangappa)
Asha Rangappa joins Sarah to discuss the ICE raids in Minnesota, a federal court injunction limiting certain actions against protesters, DOJ retaliation, the…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep141: Jack Smith Says He Had Trump Dead to Rights (w/ Asha Rangappa)
Sarah Longwell sits down with Asha Rangappa—a lecturer at Yale Law School and co-host of the “It’s Complicated” legal podcast—to discuss Venezuela, Jack…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep140: Trump’s Government is Treating Courts Like a Joke (w/ Andrew Weissmann)
Sarah Longwell sits down with Andrew Weissmann to break down a fatal ICE shooting in Minnesota, shocking detention conditions exposed by a federal judge, and a…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep139: Andrew Weissmann: Epstein Release Looks Like a DOJ Cover-Up
Sarah is off this week so Andrew Weissmann joins Sam Stein to explain why the Epstein files rollout has become a legal and political disaster—from blown…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep138: Yes, George Had to Leave. But We’re Still Here.
George Conway is stepping away to run for Congress — but the show isn’t ending! Sarah Longwell explains what’s changing, what isn’t, and why The Bulwark is…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep137: George Conway Has an Announcement
George Conway and Sarah Longwell close out the year—and this chapter of the show—with a conversation on the legal chaos of the Trump era. They discuss Trump’s…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep136: Running the Same Dead Case Back to Another Grand Jury? That’s Desperation.
George explains to Sarah the Supreme Court’s newest fights, Trump’s push to control independent agencies, the mess inside his DOJ, the failed effort to indict…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep135: Sarah and George Answer YOUR Questions!
Sarah Longwell and George Conway answer listener questions in a special mailbag episode, taking on the Supreme Court’s “shadow docket,” DOJ and court reform…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep134: George Conway: How Trump Plans to Bury the Epstein Files
Note: This episode was recorded on Thursday, November 20. Sarah Longwell and George Conway reflect on Dick Cheney’s funeral and contrast his final defense of…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep133: How the DOJ Turned Its Easiest Case Into Trump’s Escape Hatch
George Conway is joined by Carol Leonnig and Aaron Davis to discuss their new book ‘Injustice’, exploring how the DOJ handled Trump-related investigations from…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep132: Trump’s DOJ Lost to a Hoagie (w/ Sam Stein & Steve Vladeck)
George Conway explains to Sam Stein (sitting in for Sarah Longwell) the “sandwich man” acquittal, and why tossing a wrapped hoagie at a Kevlar-clad officer…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep131: Trump’s White House Fired Prosecutors for Telling the Truth!
George Conway explains to Sarah Longwell Trump’s Orwellian purge of DOJ prosecutors over January 6th, and the legal contortions fueling his push for…
The Illegal News with Sarah LongwellS2 Ep129: Conway Explains: Trump Picked the Least Qualified Person He Could Find
George Conway explains to Sarah another week of legal chaos, with prosecutor Lindsey Halligan’s bizarre texts, the illegal U.S. boat strikes in the Caribbean…
The Illegal News with Sarah LongwellS2 Ep128: John Bolton's Own Book Might Destroy Him
George Conway explains to Sarah Longwell how the indictment of John Bolton fits into Donald Trump’s broader pattern of targeting critics — but also why…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep127: Is This The DUMBEST Scandal in History?
Sarah Longwell and George Conway discuss Trump’s fake prosecutions of Comey and Letitia James, the “Truth Social DM” fiasco, and his escalating use of the…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep126: Trump’s Corruption Is as Stupid as It Gets
George Conway joins Sarah Longwell to talk the illegal news as Trump’s authoritarian playbook ramps up with attacks on free speech, politicizing the military…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep125: Trump Went Too Far? Comey & Kimmel Could Galvanize Americans (w/ Andrew Weissmann)
Donald Trump’s DOJ just indicted James Comey—but is the case already falling apart? Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann (filling in for George Conway) get into…
- The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
S2 Ep124: Conway DESTROYS Trump’s Pathetic “RICO for Protests”
JVL (sitting in for Sarah) is joined by George Conway to talk the administration’s “mob government” vibes, torching Todd Blanche’s RICO spin, the FCC squeeze…