Meshuganah! Press Bans, Vanity Projects, and the Midterms

Mary and Andrew begin by addressing President Trump banning CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO from White House grounds. Andrew calls the move “blatantly unconstitutional,” making an allusion to Nazi Germany and noting that the control of the free press is “the tool of autocrats”: “‘You will believe what I tell you and you will see only what I want you to see,’” he summarizes. Then, the co-hosts move to Trump’s “vanity projects,” beginning with what they call the “Arc de Trumph” — a proposed 250-foot arch in Washington DC that Trump says will serve as a military complex. Then, more on the Kennedy Center drama: a federal judge has blocked Trump’s name from being added to the building, after which Trump stated that the building will stay closed and without necessary renovations until that decision is reversed. Plus, several organizations file two lawsuits aimed at preemptively keeping federal agents from polling locations. Further Reading: Read the civil rights coalition lawsuit here: https://cdn.sanity.io/files/iroghafc/production/4aa15ae3e51d5acca66ae163c2fafd25ced778e7.pdf Read the LULAC-led lawsuit here: https://democracyforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/LULAC-v-DHS.pdf   A Note to Listeners: As the 2026 midterm elections heat up, MS NOW is headed to the Lone Star State. Join more than a dozen of your favorite hosts - including Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Jen Psaki, Michael Steele, Ali Velshi and more - in Arlington, Texas on September 26 for a day of community and conversation about the issues that matter most to you. Get your tickets at ms.now/together.  Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The mail-in ballot saga has come to an end — for now. Mary and Andrew detail yesterday’s Supreme Court decision rejecting President Trump’s restrictions on mail-in voting, which they call “good news” in the fight against election interference. “Knock it off,” Andrew says to paraphrase the Supreme Court: “we are not engaging in this.” Then, the co-hosts delve into two more examples of what they consider attempts by government bodies to meddle in the midterms, the first being Missouri’s failed redistricting effort as the Supreme Court rejects the state’s new Trump-backed congressional district map. The second: the Solicitor General’s emergency motion to stay an injunction on the Trump administration’s SAVE database, urging the court to restore the immigration verification system that was blocked by a lower court. Plus, the prosecutor who led the “grand conspiracy” investigation into Trump’s political enemies earlier this year has left the probe. And former CIA Director John Brennan preemptively goes to court ahead of the government’s likely prosecution against him. A Note to Listeners: As the 2026 midterm elections heat up, MS NOW is headed to the Lone Star State. Join more than a dozen of your favorite hosts - including Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Jen Psaki, Michael Steele, Ali Velshi and more - in Arlington, Texas on September 26 for a day of community and conversation about the issues that matter most to you. Get your tickets at ms.now/together. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The updates just keep coming. On Sunday, the Trump administration returned to the Supreme Court to ask for more control over mail-in ballots, coming two days after U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani’s order blocking the government from implementing parts of the new Postal Service rule. Mary and Andrew analyze the case’s implications as states begin sending out their ballots ahead of the midterms before turning to another update: a preliminary injunction issued in the CASA Inc. v. Trump case on birthright citizenship. Then, the co-hosts turn to the ICE agent involved in the shooting of a Venezuelan man during Trump’s “Operation Metro Surge” in Minneapolis, who is now being federally charged with making false statements to the FBI about the event. They call this “good news” — an instance of the federal government choosing to intervene in an “outrageous” case instead of leaving it up to the states’ discretion. Plus, the Supreme Court allows the construction of Trump’s White House ballroom to continue.A Note to Listeners: As the 2026 midterm elections heat up, MS NOW is headed to the Lone Star State. Join more than a dozen of your favorite hosts - including Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Jen Psaki, Michael Steele, Ali Velshi and more - in Arlington, Texas on September 26 for a day of community and conversation about the issues that matter most to you. Get your tickets at ms.now/together.  Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A lot can happen in a week. Mary and Andrew begin with the most recent movement in the court battle against President Trump’s three-tiered mail-in voting executive order. Last week, Judge Talwani issued a fresh injunction blocking one provision of the EO centered around the Postal Service, two days after the Supreme Court lifted a block from the same judge, saying the provisions in the EO could not be applied to November’s midterms. The co-hosts affirm that this fight is far from over before moving to two more updates from cases they talked about last week: a motion brought by Mary’s ICAP team alongside others challenging the 2026 birthright citizenship EO and a decision on Minnesota’s effort to extradite an ICE agent from Texas, after he was charged with shooting Julio Sosa-Celis through the door of a Minnesota home. Next, a win for Anthropic after a federal judge ruled against the Pentagon, saying it acted illegally in labeling the AI company a “supply chain risk.” Plus: a moving video from an active-duty Marine Colonel pleading for an Afghan national to return to the US after he was deported- despite his asylum status after his family helped the US military in Afghanistan.  A video edition of this episode is available on YouTube now.  Further Watching:  Here is the full video that Andrew mentioned about Khalil from Active-duty Marine Colonel Zach Schmidt, via Ryan Goodman’s Bluesky post: https://bsky.app/profile/rgoodlaw.bsky.social/post/3muagjmc35k23  A Note to Listeners: As the 2026 midterm elections heat up, MS NOW is headed to the Lone Star State. Join more than a dozen of your favorite hosts - including Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Jen Psaki, Michael Steele, Ali Velshi and more - in Arlington, Texas on September 26 for a day of community and conversation about the issues that matter most to you. Get your tickets at ms.now/together.  Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

According to Mary and Andrew, recent moves by President Trump’s administration have been following a pattern: “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” The co-hosts begin by breaking down the flurry of news surrounding mail voting, starting with Monday afternoon’s decision by the Supreme Court to allow President Trump’s executive order curtailing mail voting to proceed, though not issuing a decision on the merits of the order. They discuss that decision in conjunction with the Postal Service’s announcement on Friday for a final rule that would comply with the executive order, a move that Andrew calls a proxy for the government to “have the Postal Service act in a way that has a clearly disproportionate impact on certain voters.” Then, a conversation about birthright citizenship after a motion was filed yesterday rejecting Trump’s executive orders that attempt to limit the legal principle. Plus, an analysis of the Second and Ninth Circuit Court’s rulings disqualifying U.S. Attorneys that were improperly appointed by Trump and a quick nod to Minnesota suing the governor of Texas for not extraditing an ICE agent accused of shooting a man in Minneapolis.  Tune in next week as we switch to Wednesday morning releases — and catch video editions of Main Justice on YouTube the same day. A Note to Listeners: As the 2026 midterm elections heat up, MS NOW is headed to the Lone Star State. Join more than a dozen of your favorite hosts - including Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Jen Psaki, Michael Steele, Ali Velshi and more - in Arlington, Texas on September 26 for a day of community and conversation about the issues that matter most to you. Get your tickets at ms.now/together.  Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mary and Andrew begin this week by addressing Todd Blanche’s “Meet the Press” interview with Kristen Welker, where, among other things, the newly appointed Attorney General proclaimed that “no attorney general should ever pledge” to act independently of the White House, despite decades of post-Watergate reforms. Keeping in the Blanche vicinity, the co-hosts detail a complaint filed by former Michigan AUSA Sunita Doddamani, who alleged she was fired without cause simply for doing her job prosecuting FACE Act violations. Then, a dive into revelations of undercover agents targeting Minnesota nonprofit organizations as part of an investigation that led to indictments of protestors that, in Mary’s view, included “a whole lot of First Amendment protected activity.” Plus, Trump changes a Treasury Department rule making it harder to find fraud and illegal activity and asks the Supreme Court to let him keep building the ballroom while they appeal a lower court block. Last up, an unsatisfying end to litigation against the administration over their use of the Alien Enemies Act after the 5th Circuit en banc panel dismissed the case. Further Reading:  Here is the filing in the case Sunita Doddamani brought to challenge her firing. Doddamani v Blanche Here is the Main Justice episode that Sunita Doddamani appeared on earlier this year. Friends and Foes: The Fate of Prosecutors and Proud Boys Here is the chart Mary and Andrew referenced around the Minnesota grand jury “Association” conspiracy: HOMELAND SECURITY INVESTIGATIONS The Conspiracy A Note to Listeners: As the 2026 midterm elections heat up, MS NOW is headed to the Lone Star State. Join more than a dozen of your favorite hosts - including Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Jen Psaki, Michael Steele, Ali Velshi and more - in Arlington, Texas on September 26 for a day of community and conversation about the issues that matter most to you. Get your tickets at ms.now/together. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Will Rosenzwieg was an Assistant US Attorney in Florida working on a significant Medicare fraud case when he was summarily fired by then AG Pam Bondi, citing Article II. He’s now suing AG Todd Blanche and the Justice Department. His attorney, Margaret Donovan, joins this episode to share how a years-old blog Rosenzwieg had written criticizing Trump—before he was ever a federal employee—led to his dismissal, hours after it surfaced on social media via a right-wing influencer. “It's remarkable that the government wouldn't recognize what is so flagrantly a First Amendment violation,” Donovan says. After detailing the complaint, Mary and Andrew move to Todd Blanche’s confirmation, before examining a ruling by an Alabama judge rejecting a motion to dismiss the case against the Southern Poverty Law Center on vindictive grounds. Next, they look at the latest in Trump’s White House ballroom case after an appeals court upheld the block on its construction last Friday. Plus: a nod to his two new executive orders targeting birthright citizenship. Further Reading:  Here is the Will Rosenzweig complaint: https://www.justsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Rosenzweig-v.-Blanche-Complaint-Aug.-7-2026.pdf Here is the White House Ballroom Appeals Court decision: https://media.cadc.uscourts.gov/opinions/docs/2026/08/26-5123-2187096.pdf After wrapping this episode, the group representing Barbara in the “Barbara v. Trump” birthright citizenship case filed a Motion to Clarify the Preliminary Injunction. That motion is here: https://www.aclu.org/cases/barbara-v-donald-j-trump?document=Motion-to-Clarify-PI#legal-documents A Note to Listeners: As the 2026 midterm elections heat up, MS NOW is headed to the Lone Star State. Join more than a dozen of your favorite hosts - including Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Jen Psaki, Michael Steele, Ali Velshi and more - in Arlington, Texas on September 26 for a day of community and conversation about the issues that matter most to you. Get your tickets at ms.now/together. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The first ticket on Mary and Andrew’s agenda: the latest on Todd Blanche’s confirmation. After prodding from two Republican Senators, Blanche released a Sunday night statement allegedly rescinding the $1.776 “Anti-Weaponization Fund” to pacify their concerns. And by all measures, it worked. But in Andrew’s estimation, the statement was “the world’s smallest fig leaf,” with both hosts noting that the “settlement agreement” can only be changed in writing if signed by both parties. Mary calls it “basically a press statement” rather than a legal order. Then, they turn to former FBI Director James Comey’s filing of multiple motions to dismiss his “Seashell” indictment, including one on the grounds of vindictive and selective prosecution. They detail court filings that show an array of issues with the case, including surveillance of him and his wife by the Secret Service. Next, Andrew and Mary detail why Jeanine Pirro’s Reflecting Pool case against Olympian David Hearn fell apart, after a disastrous rush to charge before the facts were in. And last up: Trump asks the Supreme Court to hear an appeal over E. Jean Caroll’s $83.3 million defamation verdict. A Note to Listeners: As the 2026 midterm elections heat up, MS NOW is headed to the Lone Star State. Join more than a dozen of your favorite hosts - including Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Jen Psaki, Michael Steele, Ali Velshi and more - in Arlington, Texas on September 26 for a day of community and conversation about the issues that matter most to you. Get your tickets at ms.now/together. Further Reading:  Here is the affidavit of James Comey's attorney, Pat Fitzgerald: AFFIDAVIT OF PATRICK J. FITZGERALD IN SUPPORT OF MOTION TO DISMISS FOR VINDICTIVE AND SELECTIVE PROSECUTION, MOTION TO SUPPRESS AND FOR FRANKS HEARING, AND MOTION FOR DISCLOSURE OF GRAND JURY PROCEEDINGS Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mary and Andrew begin this week by addressing the Department of Justice dropping the subpoenas they ordered against New York Times journalists who reported on security concerns regarding President Trump’s new Qatari-government-gifted Air Force One jet, noting that the attempt to subpoena the writers speaks to a failed effort of “chilling and intimidating” other reporters. But still, there were even more subpoenas: last week, the DOJ filed subpoenas for 14 major law firms as part of an ongoing lawsuit between the American Bar Association (ABA) and the Executive Office of the President, which Mary and Andrew believe is an effort by the government to try and “get the law firms to pressure the ABA to drop this lawsuit.” They also touch on an update to journalist Katie Phang’s lawsuit against the federal government over Epstein files redactions and address Jack Smith’s criminal referral by House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan. Plus, two immigration-related cases: a judge’s decision to throw out a DOJ lawsuit challenging Minnesota immigration laws and an appeal court’s decision to reverse a lower court decision releasing Pro-Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi. A Note to Listeners: As the 2026 midterm elections heat up, MS NOW is headed to the Lone Star State. Join more than a dozen of your favorite hosts - including Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Jen Psaki, Michael Steele, Ali Velshi and more - in Arlington, Texas on September 26 for a day of community and conversation about the issues that matter most to you. Get your tickets at ms.now/together. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Last week, all eyes were on Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s confirmation hearing to lead the Justice Department. Mary and Andrew begin with their takeaways: from Blanche’s “evasive, hyper-technical non-responses” to why his close relationship with Donald Trump is problematic, noting a moment where Blanche referred to himself as “his lawyer” and then quickly corrected himself — which Mary called a Freudian slip. They then turn to Trump’s Thursday night address, where he claimed that U.S. elections have been compromised for years. Separating fact from fiction, the co-hosts look at how Trump’s undermining of public confidence may affect the upcoming midterms. Mary and Andrew also highlight reporting from the New York Times indicating a slew of cases brought by ICE against protesters and immigrants are failing the sniff test in court. Plus, an update on former Columbia graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, who recently filed a lawsuit alleging the government and others were part of an effort to suppress criticism of Israel from pro-Palestinian demonstrators. Note to Listeners: As the 2026 midterm elections heat up, MS NOW is headed to the Lone Star State. Join more than a dozen of your favorite hosts - including Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Jen Psaki, Michael Steele, Ali Velshi and more - in Arlington, Texas on September 26 for a day of community and conversation about the issues that matter most to you. Get your tickets at ms.now/together. Further Reading:  This is the New York Times’ reporting on ICE cases falling apart: They Were Charged With Assaulting ICE Agents. The Cases Are Crumbling. And here is their reporting on ICE related shootings: At Least 23 People Have Been Shot at by Federal Immigration Agents Since Last Year Andrew and Mary also wanted to note this new Compendium from Just Security: “Zero Evidence”: How Judges and Grand Juries Have Rejected the Trump Administration Efforts to Investigate and Prosecute Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.