Word Crimes (with John McWhorter)

What happens if the Trump administration defies court orders? Dahlia Lithwick, a Supreme Court expert and host of Amicus, joins Preet to discuss the fragility of the American legal system, and, from the Abrego Garcia case to Harvard, what to do when executive power gets out of control. Plus, Preet answers questions about why the Trump administration is listing living people as deceased, whether Harvard should revoke degrees from graduates who served in Trump's White House, and, of course, grammar.   Join the CAFE Insider community to stay informed without hysteria, fear-mongering, or rage-baiting. Head to cafe.com/insider to sign up. Thank you for supporting our work. Show notes and a transcript of the episode are available on our website.  You can now watch this episode! Head to CAFE’s Youtube channel and subscribe. Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on BlueSky, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at [email protected], or call 833-997-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who gets due process? Did the Trump administration deny Kilmar Abrego Garcia due process by deporting him to El Salvador despite an immigration judge’s prior order blocking his removal? Listen to an excerpt from the Insider podcast with Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance.   In the full episode, Preet and Joyce further discuss the Abrego Garcia case, including a recent circuit court opinion, authored by a conservative judge, strongly rebuking the Trump administration’s resistance to court orders compelling officials to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return to the United States. Also on the Insider docket: – The Supreme Court’s emergency order blocking the Trump administration from using the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members; – A federal judge’s indication that he will launch contempt proceedings against the Trump administration for seemingly violating his order blocking some deportations; and – The latest developments in the “Signal-gate” controversy, after reporting revealed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared sensitive information in a group chat with his wife, brother, and lawyer. CAFE Insiders click HERE to listen to the full analysis. Not an Insider? Now more than ever, it’s critical to stay tuned. To hear from reasoned voices in unreasonable times, become an Insider today. You’ll get access to full episodes of the podcast and other exclusive content. Head to cafe.com/insider. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. This podcast is brought to you by CAFE and Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s been almost three months since Trump’s inauguration. Political scientist Ian Bremmer joins Preet to discuss the profound and chaotic changes to America and the world, from tariffs, to federal cuts, to deportations—and how foreign and domestic entities, like China and Harvard University, are fighting back.  Plus, Preet answers questions about Trump’s alleged insider trading, and how to get money out of our politics. Join the CAFE Insider community to stay informed without hysteria, fear-mongering, or rage-baiting. Head to cafe.com/insider to sign up. Thank you for supporting our work. Show notes and a transcript of the episode are available on our website.  You can now watch this episode! Head to CAFE’s Youtube channel and subscribe. Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on BlueSky, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at [email protected], or call 833-997-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Will the Trump administration facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the United States after officials admitted he was erroneously deported to El Salvador, or will it defy the Supreme Court’s order? Listen to an excerpt from the Insider podcast with Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance.   In the full episode, Preet and Joyce further discuss Abrego Garcia’s case, including the uncertainty over whether the SCOTUS ruling was unanimous, and the separation-of-powers implications of a court order related to the executive branch’s authority in international affairs.  They also analyze President Trump’s executive memoranda targeting two members of his first administration who criticized him: former Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Chris Krebs and former Department of Homeland Security chief of staff Miles Taylor. CAFE Insiders click HERE to listen to the full analysis. Not an Insider? Now more than ever, it’s critical to stay tuned. If you want to hear from reasoned voices in unreasonable times, become an Insider today. You’ll get access to full episodes of the podcast and other exclusive content. Head to cafe.com/insider. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. This podcast is brought to you by CAFE and Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is Trump’s tariff rollout a three-dimensional chess game or an economic house fire? Economist Justin Wolfers breaks down the stock market crashing chaos, the erosion of global trust, the 125% tariffs on China, and what it all means for your wallet and America.  You can now watch portions of our episodes on YouTube! Head to CAFE’s Youtube channel and subscribe.  For a transcript of the episode, visit our website.  Stay Tuned in Brief is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Please write to us with your thoughts and questions at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at 833-997-7338. Join the CAFE Insider community to stay informed without hysteria, fear-mongering, or rage-baiting. Head to cafe.com/insider to sign up. Thank you for supporting our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer joins Preet to discuss his book Reading the Constitution: Why I Chose Pragmatism Not Textualism. They talk about judicial integrity and political pressure, how the Court deliberates and decides cases, and Justice Breyer’s response to calls to impeach judges based on their rulings. The conversation was recorded before a live audience at The Cooper Union on April 4, 2025. Plus, president Trump’s deals with law firms and the confirmation prospects for  Ed Martin as the U.S. Attorney in D.C. Show notes and a transcript of the episode are available on our website.  You can now watch this episode! Head to CAFE’s Youtube channel and subscribe. Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on BlueSky, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at [email protected], or call 833-997-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What’s the correct legal path—and the proper venue—for someone facing deportation to challenge their removal in court?  On this week’s Insider episode, Joyce Vance is joined by former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Barb McQuade and Lawfare editor-in-chief Ben Wittes, while Preet is out. In an excerpt from the show, they break down the Supreme Court order vacating a lower court decision that froze the Trump administration’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador.   In the full episode, Joyce, Barb, and Ben discuss:  – The legal arguments that might support President Donald Trump’s claim that he could serve a third term as president; and – Other legal challenges stemming from the Trump administration’s deportations, including one case where officials admit they erroneously deported a Maryland man. CAFE Insiders click HERE to listen to the full analysis. To become a member of CAFE Insider head to cafe.com/insider. You’ll get access to full episodes of the podcast and other exclusive content. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. This podcast is brought to you by CAFE and Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why is changing pronouns so controversial? That’s the question at the heart of Pronoun Trouble, the latest book from linguist and author John McWhorter. In this week’s episode, McWhorter joins Preet to unpack the surprisingly fraught world of English grammar—from the history of words like “thou” and “y’all” to the modern debate over the singular “they.” Later in the episode, constitutional law scholar Max Stearns joins the show to explore what the American system might learn from parliamentary democracies around the world. For show notes and a transcript of the episode head to: https://cafe.com/stay-tuned/word-crimes-with-john-mcwhorter/ You can now watch this episode! Head to CAFE’s Youtube channel and subscribe. Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on BlueSky, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at [email protected], or call 833-997-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Could Donald Trump serve a third term as president? In an excerpt from the Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance break down President Trump’s suggestion of an extra four years, which would violate the 22nd Amendment.   In the full episode, Preet and Joyce discuss:  – Trump’s latest executive order targeting a prestigious law firm; – The Trump administration’s admission that a Maryland resident was erroneously deported to El Salvador; – The fallout after senior Trump officials accidentally included a journalist in a group chat discussing imminent war plans; – Trump’s executive order taking aim at voting procedures in federal elections. CAFE Insiders click HERE to listen to the full analysis. To become a member of CAFE Insider head to cafe.com/insider. You’ll get access to full episodes of the podcast and other exclusive content. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. This podcast is brought to you by CAFE and Vox Media Podcast Network.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Scott Galloway is an entrepreneur, author, professor of marketing at NYU, and host of the Vox Media podcasts “The Prof G Pod” and “Pivot” with Kara Swisher. Scott joins Preet to discuss gutting the government, undermining alliances with Europe, masculinity and togetherness, and why Democrats need to be the party of ideas.  You can now watch portions of our episodes on YouTube! Head to CAFE’s Youtube channel and subscribe.  Stay Tuned in Brief is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Please write to us with your thoughts and questions at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at 833-997-7338. For analysis of recent legal news, join the CAFE Insider community. Head to cafe.com/insider to join for just $1 for the first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices