Washington Week with The Atlantic full episode, 9/12/25

The assassination Charlie Kirk, conservative activist and close ally of President Donald Trump, has raised new questions about escalating political violence in the country. Join moderator Jeffrey Goldberg, Peter Baker of The New York Times, Laura Barrón-López of MSNBC, Susan Glasser of The New Yorker and Tom Nichols of The Atlantic to discuss this and more.

RFK Jr. was bludgeoned in the Senate for his management of the CDC and for his views on vaccines. And halfway around the world, America’s adversaries gathered in Beijing in a show of force. Join moderator Jeffrey Goldberg, Elisabeth Bumiller of The New York Times, Leigh Ann Caldwell of Puck, Stephen Hayes of The Dispatch and Vivian Salama of The Atlantic to discuss this and more.

He has been described as “the last of a generation of gold-standard political reporters.” On a special edition of Washington Week with The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg speaks with The Washington Post’s Dan Balz, who is stepping down as a full-time political correspondent with the paper after 47 years on the job.

Despite the red carpet, B-2 flyovers, the burst of diplomatic activity, and President Trump’s large promises, there’s actually been no progress in ending Russia’s war against Ukraine. Join moderator Jeffrey Goldberg, Laura Barrón-López of MSNBC, Jonathan Karl of ABC News, Michael Scherer of The Atlantic and Matt Viser of The Washington Post to discuss this and more.

It may be President Trump’s biggest gamble yet: an Alaska summit with Vladimir Putin, intended to end the war in Ukraine that Putin himself started. Join moderator Jeffrey Goldberg, David Ignatius of The Washington Post, Zolan Kannan-Youngs of The New York Times, Scott Macfarlane of CBS News and Vivian Salama of The Atlantic to discuss this and more.

President Trump will slap tariffs on any country, at any time, for any reason. It’s a dramatic and destabilizing way to manage America’s economy and our relationships with other countries. Join moderator Jeffrey Goldberg, Jonathan Karl of ABC News, Tyler Pager of The New York Times and Jonathan Lemire and Vivian Salama of The Atlantic to discuss this and more.

As the humanitarian crisis worsens in Gaza, Israel finds itself under enormous pressure. Plus, President Trump fires the messenger after a weak jobs report. Join guest moderator Franklin Foer of The Atlantic, Leigh Ann Caldwell of Puck, Andrea Mitchell of NBC News, Alexander Ward of The Wall Street Journal and Nancy Youssef of The Atlantic to discuss this and more.

Epstein, Epstein, Epstein. Six months into President Trump’s second term, lingering questions about his relationship with the sex trafficker are consuming his White House and paralyzing Congress. Join guest moderator Franklin Foer of The Atlantic, Peter Baker of The New York Times, Eugene Daniels of MSNBC, Susan Glasser of The New Yorker and Jonathan Karl of ABC News to discuss this and more.

A president who rose to prominence trafficking in conspiracy theories now confronts one of his own as some of Trump's most enthusiastic supporters are wondering if he is involved in a Jeffrey Epstein cover-up. Join moderator Jeffrey Goldberg, Leigh Ann Caldwell of Puck, Stephen Hayes of The Dispatch, Meridith McGraw of The Wall Street Journal and Michael Scherer of The Atlantic to discuss this and more.

A national tragedy and a defiant Putin are threatening President Trump’s agenda and exposing growing tensions with his base. Join guest moderators Ashley Parker, Peter Baker and Zolan Kanno-Youngs of The New York Times, Tarini Parti of The Wall Street Journal and Nancy Youssef of The Atlantic to discuss this and more.