The Weekend

April 5, 2026; 9am: President Trump continues to threaten Iran with “hell” if they don't agree to a deal or reopen the Strait of Hormuz. In his most recent post on Truth Social, the president dropped the f-bomb and pledged to attack power plants and bridges on Tuesday. This week, more than 100 international law experts wrote an open letter warning that U.S. strikes on Iran violate the UN charter and may be war crimes. Retired Lieutenant Colonel Dan Maurer and Retired Four-Star General Barry McCaffrey join “The Weekend” to discuss. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnbc.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnbc TikTok: @theweekendmsnbc To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

April, 5 2026, 8 AM; Vice President JD Vance is heading to Hungary next week in what appears to be a show of support for prime Minister Viktor Orbán -- just days before the country's election. Hungary's leader of 16 years could be in real trouble, with polling showing that center-right candidate Peter Magyar is currently leading. President Trump has already endorsed Orbán, who has faced condemnation for his authoritarian actions. Anne Applebaum joins The Weekend to discuss what Vice President JD Vance's upcoming trip to Hungary, just days before its key election, has to do with voters back here in the United States. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

April 5, 2026; 7am: Details are emerging after a U.S. servicemember was found after ejecting from a fighter jet on Friday. According to the president and new reporting, the rescue mission involved hundreds of special forces, dozens of aircrafts, and various intelligence capabilities. President Trump reacted on Truth Social and shared the servicemember “sustained injuries, but he will be just fine.” MS NOW Senior National Security Reporter David Rohde, MS NOW Contributor Inzamam Rashid, and MS NOW National Security and Intelligence Analysts Christopher O'Leary, and Marc Polymeropoulos join “The Weekend” to discuss the latest. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

April, 4 2026, 9 AM; We're learning new details on what this will mean for both the future of the Department of Justice and the White House. Bondi was a loyal foot soldier and fierce defender of Trump, but clearly, that was not enough. Sources say her failed prosecutions of Trump’s political opponents and the fallout from the Epstein files, played a big part in why she was ousted. The Atlantic reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick joins The Weekend to discuss what it means for the next candidate who will spearhead the DOJ and the possible purge of other Trump Administration officials. Democratic Congressional Candidate for Georgia's 14th District, Shawn Harris, also joins The Weekend to discuss the special election for the seat previously held by Marjorie Taylor Greene. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

April, 4 2026, 8 AM; The lawsuit comes in addition to a separate legal challenge filed by Democratic Party leadership, which also argues the President has no such authority to order his sweeping change to elections. It’s the opening salvo in what could become a major legal fight after the President doubled-down this week on false claims about mail-in voting, his favorite excuse for why he lost the 2020 election. Founder for the "Fair Fight" voting rights group and former Georgia gubernatorial candidate, Stacey Abrams joins The Weekend to discuss the president's latest attacks on voting. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

April 4, 2026; 7am: The search for an American service member inside Iran enters a second day today. That missing service member is one of two crew members aboard a U.S. F-15 fighter jet shot down over southern Iran early yesterday. Iran is believed to have shot down a second plane yesterday. A U.S official told MS NOW American forces safely rescued the plane’s pilot after the aircraft went down near the Strait of Hormuz. As the U.S. continues its search for the missing service member, President Trump says this incident will not affect negotiations with Iran “at all.” MS NOW Reporter David Noriega joins “The Weekend” from Israel to share the latest. Then, Mark Mazzetti and former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy Mara Karlin join to discuss conflicting messages from the White House. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

March 29, 2026; 9am: As the U.S.-Israel war against Iran enters its fifth week, The Washington Post reports the Pentagon is preparing for weeks of ground operations. While President Trump has yet to approve the plans, it comes as the U.S. Central Command said more than 3,500 U.S. forces arrived in the Middle East on Friday. Nancy Youssef, Staff Writer at The Atlantic and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, Retired Commander of U.S. Army Europe, join "The Weekend" to discuss. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

March, 29 2026, 8 AM; With Iran continuing to block the key Strait of Hormuz the price at the pump continues to climb closer to $4 a gallon. In fact the war has raised the price of everything from flights to fertilizer and food prices and even balloons for your kid's birthday party. Jared Bernstein joins The Weekend to discuss the financial burden the war is taking on Americans. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

March 29, 2026; 7am: Yesterday, massive “No Kings” protests swept across the nation, and organizers say at least 8 million people attended more than 3,300 demonstrations, with nearly half of them held in battleground states. What does this mean for the midterms? Former Congressman Joe Walsh and the President of Media Matters, Angelo Carusone, join “The Weekend” to discuss. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Organizers said the purpose is to stand up against President Donald Trump, his administration and his increasingly authoritarian policies. This will be the third “No Kings” protest of Trump’s second administration. While protests are set to begin in the U.S. Later this morning, protests overseas have already begun. Maine Gov. Janet Mills and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison joins The Weekend to discuss the latest on the protest. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

March, 28 2026, 8 AM; The Trump administration is once again seeking a DOJ probe into one of Trump’s most vocal critics, New York Attorney General Letitia James, after the administration had already failed to prosecute her multiple times. In the same week the DOJ settled a lawsuit from trump ally Michael Flynn for a reported $1.2 million, despite the fact that Flynn pleaded guilty to misleading the FBI during its investigation. Former Federal Prosecutor Brendan Ballou joins The Weekend to discuss Trump's escalated retribution campaign. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

March 28, 2026; 7am: Last night, the House of Representatives passed a short-term Republican proposal to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security after rejecting a deal passed unanimously by the Senate that would have funded most of DHS, except ICE. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says the House GOP bill is dead on arrival, and amid the standoff, President Trump signed an executive order to pay TSA workers as soon as Monday. MS NOW Senior Contributing Editor Michele Norris and former DHS Chief of Staff Miles Taylor join “The Weekend” to discuss. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

March, 22 2026, 9 AM; Democratic candidate for New York's 12th Congressional District Jack Schlossberg joins The Weekend in an exclusive interview to discuss his presentation that Profile in Courage award to Minneapolis residents. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

March 22, 2026; 8am: Organizers predict next week’s “No Kings” protests will be the largest in American history. One of the issues fueling the protests is Trump’s draconian immigration crackdown. Chief Political and Advocacy Officer for the ACLU, one of the organizations planning “No Kings” events this upcoming Saturday, Deirdre Schifeling, and Democratic strategist and senior advisor to the Harris-Walz campaign, Adrienne Elrod, join “The Weekend” to discuss. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

March 22, 2026; 7am: The Senate has been working through the weekend to come up with a plan to fund the Department of Homeland Security. In an attempt to speed up that process, President Trump threatened to replace TSA officers with ICE agents as soon as Monday. Eli Stokols and Eugene Robinson join “The Weekend” to discuss. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

March, 21 2026, 9 AM; Meanwhile – questions remain if U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi will comply with the committee's subpoena to answer questions about the investigation. House Democrats stormed out of a last-minute closed-door briefing with Bondi this week. They say they were enraged by her refusal to commit to testifying under oath. Democrats also pressed Chairman James Comer on whether he’d compel Bondi’s testimony or seek to hold her in contempt, but Comer does not seem interested in that. Sen. Jeff Merkley joins The Weekend to discuss the latest on the Epstein investigation. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

March 21, 2026; 8am: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard contradicts Trump’s claims about the war with Iran, including on whether Iran’s nuclear program posed an imminent threat, even as the White House used that as justification. At two separate hearings this week, she said it’s not her job to assess threats. John Brennan, Former Director of the CIA and MS Now Senior National Security and Intelligence Analyst, joins “The Weekend” to discuss. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

March 21, 2026; 7am: Overnight, Iran says its nuclear facility – the country’s largest enrichment site – has been hit in an airstrike. On Friday, President Trump said he was considering winding down military presence in the region. However, MS NOW reports the administration has doubled the number of United States troops deployed to the region. Josh Lederman, fellow at the Center for International Security Studies, and Alan Eyre, Former Senior U.S. Diplomat, join “The Weekend” to discuss. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

March 15, 2026; 9am: This weekend, the U.S. has intensified airstrikes on Iran’s most important oil export terminal, Karg Island. Investors warn that additional action could plunge global oil markets into further chaos as the island exports roughly 90 percent of Iran’s crude oil. U.S. Amos Hochstein, former United States Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources under President Biden, joins "The Weekend" to discuss. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

March, 15 2026, 8 AM; A recent NBC poll shows that the war has not fractured the MAGA base all that much, with 90% of MAGA-aligned republicans approving of the strikes on Iran. However, some prominent MAGA and conservative media figures are among those crying foul the loudest over the war. When it comes to republicans who don’t align with MAGA that number falls to 54 % in support of the attacks on Iran. David Drucker and Adam Serwer join The Weekend to discuss why some elected officials in the G.O.P are getting increasingly nervous about the iran war's impact on their election prospects in November. Makena Kelly also joins The Weekend to discuss the whistleblower report revealing how social security data may have been taken by a former doge employee to his new job. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.