Episodios

  • Bad Vibes & Broken Oaths: Leah Litman on a Lawless Supreme Court

    Bad Vibes & Broken Oaths: Leah Litman on a Lawless Supreme Court
    May 7 2025
    Law professor Leah Litman (University of Michigan) – co-host of Strict Scrutiny – joins co-hosts Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang on The Oath and The Office for an urgent, witty deep-dive into the chaos at the heart of American law and democracy. Litman discusses her new book Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes, shredding the myth of a neutral Court.Litman compares today’s conservative-dominated Supreme Court to Patrick Bateman in American Psycho – outwardly polished but fueled by disturbing impulses. With principled passion and humor, she unpacks the so-called “Kensurrection” and reflects on the toxic legacy of Citizens United. It’s a candid conversation that exposes the Court’s bad vibes and asks: Who will uphold our Constitution when those entrusted to protect it go lawless?But first, Corey and John break down this week’s legal news highlights:
    • Trump’s Oath Controversy – Former President Donald Trump makes a jaw-dropping assertion that the presidential oath might not obligate him to uphold the Constitution – even though those 35 words clearly bind him to “preserve, protect, and defend” it.
    • Executive Order Smackdown – A federal court pushes back on Trump’s latest executive order aimed at punishing his political opponents (and their law firms), ruling that even a president can’t weaponize the law to settle scores.
    • DOGE Under Fire – A flurry of over 30 lawsuits challenges the constitutionality of Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), raising alarm bells over separation of powers. Can Elon Musk really run roughshod over the administrative state without Senate confirmation?
    • Justice Jackson Claps Back – In a rare move, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issues a public rebuke of Trump’s attacks on the judiciary – an unprecedented show of internal judicial solidarity against political intimidation.
    Mixing sharp wit with serious constitutional insight, this episode delivers hard-hitting analysis with heart. It’s a fearless, principled discussion that balances outrage and optimism—guaranteed to resonate with Strict Scrutiny fans and anyone worried about democracy’s future. Subscribe to The Oath and The Office on Apple Podcasts or Spotify for your weekly guide to law, power, and the fight to defend the Constitution.
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    58 m
  • 100 Days of Democratic Destruction: Trump, Executive Orders, and Constitutional Crisis

    100 Days of Democratic Destruction: Trump, Executive Orders, and Constitutional Crisis
    Apr 30 2025
    In this essential episode of The Oath and The Office, hosts Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang dissect Trump’s first 100 days, highlighting dangerous executive orders that threaten constitutional democracy. They examine two alarming categories: orders so clearly unconstitutional that courts may swiftly block them, and subtler actions rooted in the “unitary executive theory” paving the road toward autocracy. Despite this grim landscape, Trump’s poll numbers reveal a weakening presidency—are historical democratic norms finally rallying public resistance? Corey and John also provide a deep investigative look into the Supreme Court’s temporary halt on Trump’s controversial deportations to El Salvador, exposing the flawed, punitive point system used against vulnerable migrants. Plus, they delve into the troubling arrest of a Wisconsin judge, drawing powerful historical parallels to the state’s legacy of judicial resistance against slavery. Ending with optimism, they cover a federal judge’s ruling protecting Voice of America from Trump’s political interference, underscoring the ongoing fight for judicial independence and free press.
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    50 m
  • Lady Justice vs. Trump 2.0: Dahlia Lithwick on Saving Democracy

    Lady Justice vs. Trump 2.0: Dahlia Lithwick on Saving Democracy
    Apr 23 2025
    Legal journalist Dahlia Lithwick joins The Oath and The Office to explore why Trump’s second presidency is even more dangerous than the first—and how courageous lawyers, many of them women, are once again stepping up to defend the rule of law. Drawing on her bestselling book Lady Justice, Lithwick shares powerful stories of resistance, from the travel ban to Charlottesville to the fight for reproductive rights.But first, Corey and John break down this week’s legal flashpoints:
    • SCOTUS Shadow Docket: The Supreme Court quietly halts deportations to Venezuela in an emergency ruling—what does this signal about immigration and executive power?
    • Contempt Showdown on Hold: Judge Boasberg planned contempt proceedings after Trump defied a federal court order, but an appeals court has paused them—for now. Could criminal charges still be in play?
    • NYT v. Sullivan Revisited: Sarah Palin’s libel case reignites debate over press freedom and the future of New York Times v. Sullivan.
    • Papal Politics: Pope Francis is increasingly at odds with the far-right as he champions democracy, justice, and global dignity.
    This episode is a call to courage in the face of rising authoritarianism—and a powerful reminder that the law can be a tool of resistance. Subscribe to The Oath and The Office on Apple or Spotify for your weekly guide to law, power, and democracy.
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    56 m
  • Trump’s Coup Continues: Supreme Court Defiance and the Ivy League Showdown

    Trump’s Coup Continues: Supreme Court Defiance and the Ivy League Showdown
    Apr 16 2025
    This week on The Oath and The Office, Trump openly defies a Supreme Court order to return a non-citizen to El Salvador—then calls it a “win.” Stephen Miller gloats. El Salvador’s president joins in mocking the rule of law. Is this the tipping point of a slow-motion coup?

    Then we turn to Harvard, where the Trump movement’s push for “viewpoint diversity” is really a cover for ideological quotas—and Chris Rufo admits it’s all about destroying elite institutions. We unpack how this connects to attempts to defund universities under the Civil Rights Act.

    Finally, we pull back: What makes Trump different from past threats to democracy? From John Adams to Woodrow Wilson, we’ve seen nationalism and authoritarianism before—but never like this. And yet, there’s hope. Resistance has worked in the past. Can it again? Learn more with Corey's new book, The Presidents and the People: Five Leaders Who Threatened Democracy and the Citizens Who Fought to Defend It: https://www.amazon.com/Presidents-People-Threatened-Democracy-Citizens/dp/1324006277

    Please write a note or send feedback to corey.brettschneider@gmail.com or ‪@democracyprof.bsky.social‬
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    44 m
  • Skadden Folds. The Court Wavers. Trump Advances

    Skadden Folds. The Court Wavers. Trump Advances
    Apr 10 2025
    Professor Corey Brettschneider and political comedian John Fugelsang this week discuss the Supreme Court's recent ruling on immigration and the capitulation of law firms to Trump's bullying. They also chat about Trump's illegal freeze of university funding and the roller coaster ride of his tariff trade war.
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    52 m
  • Who Can We Trust to Uphold the Constitution?

    Who Can We Trust to Uphold the Constitution?
    Apr 3 2025
    John Fugelsang and Professor Corey Brettschneider talk about the deliberate attempt by Trump to curtail free speech at universities by denying them funds. They also discuss the Trump Administration's admission that it mistakenly deported a Maryland resident to El Salvador. Then they welcome former prosecutor and former Army JAG officer Glenn Kirschner to share his insight on the Republican-appointed judges saying "NO" to Trump in multiple cases; the Supreme Court ruling against Trump in his quest to eliminate judges he doesn't like; and the dismissal with prejudice of New York Mayor Eric Adams' corruption case.
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    1 h
  • Capitulation or Courage: The ACLU's Fight for Non-Citizens' Rights

    Capitulation or Courage: The ACLU's Fight for Non-Citizens' Rights
    Mar 27 2025
    John Fugelsang and Professor Corey Brettschneider this time hightlight the many judges that are ruling against Trump's illegal orders and policies. They also talk about the president of Columbia University and the law firm Paul, Weiss capitulatng to Trump's extortion and failing the people who depend on them. Plus, they chat about the finger pointing blame-game by the GOP over the leaked Yemeni attack plan on their Signal group chat. Then, they welcome the National Director of Policy and Government at the ACLU - Mike Zamore. They ask him about cases they are working on including Trump revoking birthright citizenship, the illegal detention of Mahmoud Kahlil, and the draconian kidnapping of Venezuelans and exiling them to El Salvador. Zamore highlights the "Hands Off" March in D.C. Sat. April 5th at the Washington Monument.
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    1 h y 1 m
  • Trump's War on Courts Heats Up

    Trump's War on Courts Heats Up
    Mar 20 2025
    This time - John and Corey take a deep dive into Trump's escalating defiance of court orders, attacks on judges, and controversial deportations. They also discuss the injustice of the nearly 250 Venezuelans alleged by the White House to be gang members that have been deported to a supermax prison in El Salvador, even as a US judge blocked the removals. Plus, Justice John Robert's rebuking Trump's call to impeach federal judges who rule against him and the illegal arrest and detention of activist Mahmoud Khalil as well as the continued assaults on universities for DEI practices and the defiant push back from Princeton President Christopher Eisgruber writing an op-ed
    in The Atlanic titled "The Cost of the Government's Attack on Columbia". https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/03/columbia-academic-freedom/682088/
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    43 m
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