The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell

Sarah Longwell and Elliot Williams explain a series of legal fights that go to the core of how the country operates—from whether birthright citizenship could actually be undone, to a new immigration detention policy that could keep people locked up for years.
They also discuss the Pentagon’s escalating clash with the press and what it means for the First Amendment and the surreal push to rewrite the January 6th attack on the Capitol.
Correction (March 31, 2026, 9:20 p.m. EDT): Elliot Williams mistakenly mentioned San Antonio, Texas as the location of a court conducting legal proceedings involving abortion pills; in fact, the court is in Amarillo, Texas.

JVL (filling in for Sarah Longwell) joins Andrew Weissmann for a wide-ranging breakdown of a system under strain. They discuss the DOJ’s $1.25M payout to Michael Flynn, a surprising leak tied to the Trump investigations, and the backlash that followed—including a top official calling prosecutor Jack Smith a “proven liar.”
Buy "Liar's Kingdom”: https://linktr.ee/BulwarkLiarsKingdom

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Andrew Weissmann joins Sarah Longwell to explain Trump’s failed attempt to target Fed Chair Jerome Powell—and why a judge shut it down as harassment. They also discuss the Trump admin's bizarre border strategy that’s collapsing in court, as DOJ lawyers admit they’re being forced to bring cases they can’t prove. Plus: a major Supreme Court fight over immigrant protections, and new warning signs around Trump’s broader legal strategy heading into 2026.
Review of State Bar Complaints and Allegations Against Department of Justice Attorneys: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/03/05/2026-04390/review-of-state-bar-complaints-and-allegations-against-department-of-justice-attorneys

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Pre-order Andrew's new book, "Liar's Kingdom":
- Chatham Bookstore signed copies: https://bit.ly/4aXHu4R
- Politics & Prose signed copies: https://bit.ly/4aALp8Q
- Amazon: https://amzn.to/3MHQ8MR
- Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/402H2xc
- Bookshop.org: Bookshop.org: https://bit.ly/3N5hVa3
Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-to-eat-an-elephant-sarah-longwell/1149619381?ean=9781250464170

Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann discuss a chaotic week for the rule of law, from the DOJ bizarrely flip-flopping on defending Trump’s executive orders targeting law firms, to a Trump-appointed judge finding evidence of racial profiling in ICE stops in Minnesota, and a new DOJ proposal that could shield government lawyers from ethics investigations.
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Sarah Longwell talks with former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann about his new book: "Liar’s Kingdom"
They discuss how Donald Trump exposed weaknesses in American institutions, why misinformation has become so central to modern politics, and what that means for the future of democracy.
Weissmann explains why simply winning elections won’t fix the problem, explores how other democracies handle threats to the rule of law, and lays out reforms that could strengthen guardrails without rewriting the Constitution.
Buy "Liar's Kingdom":
- Chatham Bookstore signed copies: https://bit.ly/4aXHu4R
- Politics & Prose signed copies: https://bit.ly/4aALp8Q
- Amazon: https://amzn.to/3MHQ8MR
- Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/402H2xc
- Bookshop.org: Bookshop.org: https://bit.ly/3N5hVa3
Get 15% off OneSkin with the code ILLEGALNEWS at https://www.oneskin.co/ILLEGALNEWS #oneskinpod