Washington Today

In this weekend's episode, three segments from this past week's Washington Journal. First, President Trump marked his 100th day in office earlier this week – but ever wonder where that benchmark came from? We'll find out with presidential historian Lindsay Chervinsky. Then, Cook Political Report's David Wasserman discusses his analysis of the electorate and shifts in political polarization. It's actually getting better . Finally, a brand new poll shows young Americans losing faith in government institutions and in leaders of BOTH parties. We'll dig into the results with Jordan Schwartz - student chair of the Harvard Youth Poll. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

April jobs report; USA Today's Bart Jansen on President's FY'26 budget proposal with spending cuts (5); President Trump calls for the defunding of PBS and NPR; Reuters' David Ljunggren on Canadian Prime Minister's Mark Carney's preview of next week's meeting with President Trump to discuss trade and tariffs. (32) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald announces National Security Adviser Mike Waltz will leave that position and be nominated as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will take on the second job of National Security Adviser; General Motors estimates tariffs will cause a $5 billion loss in profits; President Trump speaks at a National Day of Prayer observance in the White House Rose Garden, taking time, as well, for an update on the tax cut, spending cut, border security "budget reconciliation bill" being finalized by the Republican Congress; former Vice President Kamala Harris criticizes the Trump Administration's first 100 days in a speech in San Francisco. On tariffs, she says the president is “clearly inviting a recession"; Senate Democrats plan to force a vote to require a human rights report on El Salvador, latest move in their effort to have Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported to an El Salvadorian prison, returned to the U.S.; Transportation Sec Sean Duffy outlined steps to increase the number of air traffic controllers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Commerce Depart says the United States economy as measured by the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) shrank in the first quarter of the year by 0.3%, first time in three years. There was a surge in imports as companies tried to stock up before the President Donald Trump's high tariffs take effect. We get reaction from President Trump at a Cabinet meeting at the White House and from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY); Senate is expected to pass a resolution to disapprove of the national emergency declaration the president is using as the legal basis for the global tariffs; U.S. Customs & Border Protection Commissioner nominee Rodney Scott testifies before the Senate Finance Committee, asked about allegations he helped cover-up the death of an immigrant in Border Patrol Custody in 2010; Supreme Court hears oral argument in a case from Oklahoma about the constitutionality of states supporting religious charter schools. We talk with Washington Post Education Reporter Laura Meckler. (40) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump marks his First 100 days in office with a trip to Michigan; White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Treasury Sec Scott Bessent talk to reporters about the economy and trade; White House is very critical of Amazon after reports the company may list the cost of tariffs next to products sold online. Amazon says it was never considering it; Budget Reconciliation committee markups begin in the House with Homeland Security committee dealing with increased spending on border security and Education & Workforce Committee with cutting spending on college student aid; Supreme Court hears a case over whether a family whose home was mistakenly raided by the FBI can sue; A move in the U.S. House to block an investigation of Def Sec Hegseth's use of the Signal App for unsecured chats about attacks on the Houthis; Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney celebrates his Liberal Party's come from behind victory in Monday's elections based on a campaign of opposition to President Trump's tariffs and call to mark Canada the 51st state. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

White House focuses on border security at start of week marking President Trump's first 100 days in office; Congress is back in session after a two-week recess, with committees writing their portions of the budget reconciliation bill; House votes on a bill requiring websites remove 'revenge porn'; DC Mayor Bowser announces deal to build a new stadium for the NFL Washington Commanders in DC; President Trump welcomes 2025 Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles to the White House; NASA's oldest active astronaut, Don Pettit, just back from the ISS, talks about flying into space at 70 years old. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this weekend's episode, three segments from this past week's Washington Journal. First, author and filmmaker Chris Whipple discusses his book "Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History." Then, University of Pennsylvania Economics professor Jesús Fernández-Villaverde -- discusses declining fertility rates in the U-S – and the economic impact. Plus, a conversation with Bill Doherty, co-founder of the non-profit group Braver Angels – about efforts to reduce political polarization in America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The FBI arrests a judge in Milwaukee, accusing her of helping an Undocumented immigrant evade immigration authorities. She faces two felony counts. We will hear from Attorney General Pam Bondi and Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump fly to Italy for the funeral of Pope Francis. Reports that China has exempted from retaliatory tariffs some semiconductors made in the United States, even as they publicly take a hardline stance against President Trump's tariffs. Interior Sec Doug Burgum is asked about reports the Trump Administration wants to reduce the size of a half dozen national monuments, opening land for energy development. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is joined by from the foreign ministers of Congo and Rwanda at the State Dept in Washington to sign a peace and economic development agreement. Former Rep. George Santos (R-NY) is sentenced to more than seven years in prison for stealing from political donors and lying about campaign fundraising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump criticizes Russian President Putin for launching a deadly air attack on Ukraine, writing on Truth Social, "Vladimir, STOP!” and “I am not happy with the Russian strikes on Kyiv", but the President while meeting the visiting Norwegian Prime Minister at the White House, expresses confidence that a long-sought peace agreement can be reached; China says President Trump's claim that the U.S. and China are actively negotiating on trade to resolve the current standoff over tariffs is false; IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva responds to accusations from Treasury Sec Scott Bessent that the United Nations agency has engaged in mission creep, concerned more about climate change and social justice issues; Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin says he will seek to change DNC rules to require DNC officers stay neutral when it comes to Democratic primaries, a move to prevent DNC Vice Chair David Hogg from following through on his plan to support challengers to some long-serving Democratic incumbents; President Trump has signed an Executive Order to change how colleges and universities are accredited, with billions of dollars in student aid on the line. We will talk about it The Hill's Education reporter Lexi Lonas. (41) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says there is an opportunity for a "big deal" between the U.S. and China to "rebalance" on trade and make China less dependent on manufacturing exports; Treasury Secretary also calling for the International Monetary Fund to focus on its core missions of economic stability and development and less on things like climate change; Supreme Court hears a case about whether fuel producers can sue the EPA over its letting California impose more stringent vehicle emission standards than federal standards to transition from gas to electric car; President Trump accuses Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of 'inflammatory statements' that 'would do nothing but prolong' the war with Russia, after Zelensky said his country cannot recognize Russian control of Crimea; Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick at the annual Holocaust Days of Remembrance ceremony in Washington says the President will always stand by Israel and the Jewish people; Vice President JD Vance speaks about being one of the final public officials to meet with Pope Francis before he died; Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Minority Whip, says he will not run for reelection in 2026, retiring after 44 years of service in the U.S. House and Senate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Supreme Court hears a case on whether parents can object on freedom of religion grounds to their children having to be part of a public school curriculum that includes with LGBTQ+ characters; Education Secretary Linda McMahon responds to Harvard University's lawsuit against the Trump Administration, which has withheld billions of dollars in grants; International Monetary Fund cuts economic growth projections for the U.S., China and most of the world in the face of trade disputes launched by President Trump's tariffs; Vice President JD Vance in India says progress is being made on a U.S.-India trade deal to avoid tariffs; Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announces the intent to ban petroleum-based food dyes; Earth Day messages from EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump and others on death of Pope Francis; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth calls the New York Times story claiming he shared sensitive military attack information in a second unsecure chat on the Signal App 'anonymous smears'; four House Democrats travel to El Salvador to call for the release and return to the U.S. deported accused gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia; Supreme Court hears a case challenging a task force in the Health & Human Services Dept that decided want preventive health services must be covered by private insurance under the Affordable Care Act; Stocks fall again over concerns about tariffs and President Trump today demanding the Federal Reserve cut interest rates immediately, calling Fed Chair Jerome Powell a 'loser; former President Clinton at a ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the deadly Oklahoma City terrorist bombing calls for national unity that follows the 'Oklahoma Standard'. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First: a conversation with Axios Senior Political reporter Alex Isenstadt about his new book "Revenge: The Inside Story of Trump’s Return to Power." Then we speak with Lingling Wei, chief China correspondent for the Wall Street Journal -- about the brewing trade war between the U.S. and China and the impact of retaliatory tariffs. Plus: with TAX DAY earlier this week – a discussion about tax fairness and future of the Trump tax cuts with Pete Sepp of the National Taxpayers Union and David Kass of Americans for Tax Fairness Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) returns to the U.S. after meeting Kilmar Abrego Garcia in a El Salvadorian prison, as President Trump again calls Garcia a violent gang member who deserved to be deported; Dr. Mehmet Oz is sworn in as CMS Administrator, pledging to deliver great care to the American people, but warning that involves facing some truths, including healthcare spending is growing faster than the economy and that is unsustainable; Secretary of State Marco Rubio says U.S. may be ready to "move on" from efforts to reach a Russia-Ukraine war peace deal if there is not progress in the coming days; Vice President JD Vance is in Rome meeting with the Italian PM and attending Good Friday services at The Vatican. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mass shooting at Florida State University in Tallahassee; President Donald Trump meets Italian PM Georgia Meloni at the White House to discuss trade and tariffs;President Trump is asked about his social media post that Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell's "termination cannot come fast enough", after the Fed Chair said that larger than expected tariffs may cause difficult economic conditions that do not warrant interest rate cuts; President Trump's tariffs are dominating the Canadian national elections debate. We will talk about the state of that race with Reuters Canadian Correspondent David Ljunggren (27); Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) says he tried to visit Kilmar Abrego Garcia in the El Salvador prison he was deported to from the U.S., but was denied; Supreme Court says it will hear oral argument next month in a case challenging President Trump’s executive order to end 14th Amendment birthright citizenship for the children of people in the U.S. illegally; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attends Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Myer's reenlistment into the U.S. Marines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell says President Donald Trump's tariff increases are larger "significantly larger than anticipated" and "same is likely to be true of the economic effects, which will include higher inflation and slower growth"; Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) announces the first lawsuit against the Trump Administration over tariffs, challenging the President's use of emergency declarations as the legal basis; Attorney General Pam Bondi announces a federal lawsuit against the state of Maine for not complying with the President's Executive Order banning transgender athletes in girl's and women's sports; Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said the increase in autism rates in children is evidence of an epidemic, contradicting the finding of a CDC study that pointed to increased awareness and better diagnosis; federal judge James Boasberg finds “probable cause exists” to hold Trump administration officials in criminal contempt for violating his orders to stop the use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members; Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) travels to El Salvador to try to free Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported there, accused of being a gang member; President Trump has ordered the military into a new, enhanced role on border security, turning a narrow strip of land running along the U.S.-Mexico border into a de facto military base. we will talk about it with Military-dot-com reporter Thomas Novelly. (38) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump suggests Harvard Univ lose its tax-exempt status after the school refuses to comply with Administration's demands, as the Trump Administration freeze frozen over $2 billion in grants and contracts to Harvard; On this Tax Day, House and Senate members talk about the future of federal tax cuts and spending cuts, and IRS budget and staff; interview with The Verge reporter Lauren Finer on the FTC's antitrust trial alleging Meta killed its competition when it bought Instagram and WhatsApp (21); another court hearing in the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man deported to a prison in El Salvador; President Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff talks about his recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to reach a peace agreement to end the Russia-Ukraine war. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump and El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele met at the White House today….Both made clear that they have no plans to bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia--the Maryland man who was wrongly deported to El Salvador--back to the US…Their words come despite a Supreme Court ruling that the Trump administration must “facilitate” Abrego Garcia's return…President Trump also talked about tariffs, Russia's deadly attack on Ukraine yesterday, and the state of talks with Iran…We'll hear what he had to say about all of it and get reactions from two members of Maryland's congressional delegation coming up… With Congress in its Easter and Passover recess, Democrats continue to criss-cross the country speaking out on Trump administration policies…California congressman Ro Khanna was in Ohio today…and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker was in Arizona today…Both of them talked economic issues and possible cuts to Medicaid and other services in the Republican's budget…. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this weekend's episode, three segments from this past week's Washington Journal. First, we speak with Rahna Epting – executive director of the progressive group MOVE ON. We'll talk about what the so-called "resistance" movement looks like in the second Trump presidency. Then, a conversation with Erec Smith – a research fellow at the Cato Institute – and co-founder of the online platform "Free Black Thought." We'll talk about why he SUPPORTS Trump administration efforts to dismantle DEI programs. Plus, a deep dive into President Trump's executive order related to how federal elections are run. David Becker from the Center for Election Innovation and Research joins us for THAT discussion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump has its annual physical exam at Walter Reed Medical Center, the first such exam of his second term; China raises tariffs against the United States to match the latest tariff increase against their goods from President Trump, who is still saying he expects this standoff to be resolved through negotiation; Consumer confidence falls in April, according to a new survey; We will talk about the markets and the economy one week into the imposition of tariffs with Gregg Robb, senior reporter with MarketWatch; federal judge orders the Justice Dept to give daily updates on efforts to return to the U.S. Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongly deported to El Salvador; National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy talks about the investigation into Thursday helicopter crash into the Hudson River in New York City, killing all six people on board; U.S. Senate confirms Gen. Dan 'Razin' Caine to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in an overnight vote; Ukraine Defense Contact Group meets at NATO HQ in Brussels, led to Germany and the United Kingdom, with U.S. Def Sec Pete Hegseth participating virtually; congratulations from Members of Congress who represent the universities whose men's and women's basketball teams won this year's NCAA March Madness tournaments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices