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PODCAST

The Oath and The Office

Two Squared Media Productions

Mixing sharp wit and serious political fire, The Oath and The Office is where hard-hitting constitutional analysis meets razor-sharp comedy. Distinguished political science professor Corey Brettschneider teams up with comedian John Fugelsang to break down the most powerful 35 words in American democracy—the presidential oath of office. Every president swears to “preserve, protect, and defend” the Constitution, but what happens when one openly attacks democracy and the rule of law itself? Each

government politics

All Episodes

44:52

Trump vs. the Pope

The Oath and The Office ·

2026/04/16

Trump says the pope should stay out of politics. But when Trump posts himself as Jesus, attacks independent moral authority, and demands loyalty from every institution, the real goal is not religious neutrality. It is control.In this episode of The Oath and The Office, Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang begin with Trump’s clash with the pope and what it reveals about the authoritarian impulse: not keeping religion out of politics, but bending religion to serve power.Then they turn to Hungary,

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61:58

Is Trump Committing War Crimes? Lawrence Douglas on...

The Oath and The Office ·

2026/04/09

Can a president commit war crimes? Can a defense secretary? And what would it take to hold either one accountable?Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang open with the Supreme Court showdown over Trump’s attack on birthright citizenship. After Trump became the first sitting president to attend oral arguments at the Court, Solicitor General D. John Sauer faced tough questioning from several justices, including Chief Justice John Roberts, who delivered the line of the day: “It’s a new world. It’s the

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65:01

Before Project 2025: How the Right Built Trump’s...

The Oath and The Office ·

2026/04/02

Trump’s attack on birthright citizenship is only part of the story. The bigger danger is a decades-long effort to free the presidency from constitutional limits.Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang begin by breaking down Trump’s latest argument against birthright citizenship, why it misreads the Constitution, and what is really at stake in the legal fight.Then David Sirota joins to trace the deeper roots of Trump’s power grab: the conservative blueprints that helped lay the groundwork for Project

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45:13

Mueller Warned Congress. Trump Celebrated His Death.

The Oath and The Office ·

2026/03/26

Trump’s reaction to Robert Mueller’s death was grotesque. But the deeper question is what Congress failed to do when Mueller was alive: why didn’t it impeach Trump based on the Mueller report? Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang revisit Mueller’s findings, the Nixon parallel, and the constitutional failure that still shapes Trump’s presidency.Then: a major Supreme Court voting-rights case out of Mississippi, ICE at airports as a new front in Trump’s immigration crackdown, and a federal judge’s

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69:34

Stacey Abrams on the SAVE Act: The New Voter...

The Oath and The Office ·

2026/03/19

Is the SAVE Act really about election security — or is it a new blueprint for voter suppression?On this episode of The Oath and The Office, Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang break down the latest fight over the SAVE Act, why its proof-of-citizenship requirement could make it harder for millions of eligible Americans to register and vote, and what this battle reveals about the future of democracy.Then Stacey Abrams joins the show to explain what the bill would do, why it is so dangerous, and

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54:22

Trump’s War and the Imperial Presidency

The Oath and The Office ·

2026/03/12

Trump’s shifting war aims are a warning sign of the imperial presidency. We examine how changing justifications for war weaken democratic accountability, whether Congress can still use the power of the purse to stop an illegal war, how the Anthropic story reflects resistance to expanding executive power, why the growing influence of billionaires in American elections is making constitutional democracy even more fragile, and why Kristi Noem’s exit at Homeland Security was a rare reminder of how

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51:45

Can Congress Stop Trump’s War?

The Oath and The Office ·

2026/03/05

As the prospect of a U.S. military clash with Iran returns to the headlines, Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang break down the constitutional stakes: who actually controls the power to start—and stop—a war?They explain the War Powers Resolution of 1973, why Congress passed it after Vietnam, how the 60-day clock is supposed to work, and why the law was weakened in the 1980s—leaving presidents with wide room to maneuver. What can Congress realistically do today if Trump escalates conflict?They

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58:43

Trump Loses in Court — But Pressure Remains on the...

The Oath and The Office ·

2026/02/26

Trump just suffered a major Supreme Court defeat. A significant tariffs ruling limits presidential power and reasserts Congress’s authority — applying a doctrine once confined to agencies directly to a president. But don’t mistake this for resolution. A reauthorization attempt could trigger a new wave of litigation and deepen the constitutional fight.Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang also examine how Judge Cannon stalled Jack Smith at a pivotal moment — and what the prosecution of a former

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64:03

Title Trump’s FCC Pressures Late Night — Even as...

The Oath and The Office ·

2026/02/19

Trump’s FCC is pressuring late-night TV — and CBS is hesitating. What happens when regulators don’t censor speech outright, but make networks afraid to air it?In Minnesota, democratic guardrails held. A far-right witness was exposed in a Senate hearing and a judge blocked cuts to critical public health funding. Proof that pushback can succeed.Then the counter-move. Under the Trump administration, the Federal Communications Commission has signaled it will enforce the equal-time rule against

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57:45

DOJ Payback Politics (with Preet Bharara)

The Oath and The Office ·

2026/02/12

Trump is turning DOJ into payback politics—and this week shows the playbook in action: pressure around the Gateway tunnel, a reporter’s home searched, the Clinton subpoena spectacle, and a growing recruiting crisis inside the department.Then Preet Bharara on the warning we missed: Trump forcing the showdown that got Preet fired—an early preview of today’s collapse of prosecutorial independence. We break down political prosecutions (Comey, James), the hard edge cases where “law enforcement” gets

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72:35

Trump vs. the Rule of Law: A 5-Year-Old Detained +...

The Oath and The Office ·

2026/02/05

A federal judge warns that Trump is violating the principles of law and the Declaration of Independence—and this week’s events show exactly what that means in practice.We break down the detention of a five-year-old and the collapse of due process, Trump’s threat against Trevor Noah and the future of free speech, and the raid on a Georgia election center. We also examine the authoritarian “tell” behind Trump’s call to “nationalize the voting”.Plus: Trump’s reported Fed Chair pick Kevin Warsh and the

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75:05

Jan. 6 Then & Now: The Insurrection Blueprint (with...

The Oath and The Office ·

2026/01/29

Jan. 6 wasn’t just a riot—it was a blueprint. This week, we connect Jan. 6 then to now and ask the core question of self-government: what happens when federal power starts acting as if the rules don’t apply?Hosts Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang are joined by Tom Joscelyn—senior House Judiciary staff and a principal author of the House January 6 Committee’s final report—for a deep dive into the pressure campaign on Mike Pence, the false-electors plot, and why white supremacy and Christian

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71:15

DOJ vs. Trump: The Indictment That Never Came (with...

The Oath and The Office ·

2026/01/22

The indictment that never came is still shaping DOJ’s ongoing battle with Trump.In the first half, Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang break down this week’s accountability flashpoints:The push to impeach DHS Secretary Kristi Noem — what impeaching a cabinet official actually means and why it matters nowThe Supreme Court fight tied to the FTC with huge stakes for independent agencies and the question of whether a president can threaten the Federal ReserveThe looming tariff decision — and how

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65:32

ICE Kills Renée Good: Can Minnesota Charge? + Trump...

The Oath and The Office ·

2026/01/15

An ICE agent killed Renée Nicole Good in Minneapolis—so can Minnesota bring charges, even if federal officials try to block accountability? We break down what local prosecutors can do, what legal shields federal agents may claim, and why this case is turning into a major constitutional showdown over law enforcement power and democratic control.Then: Trump “unmasks” himself with rhetoric that escalates racial conflict—reviving the “reverse discrimination” frame and claiming white Americans have been

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51:02

Trump's Illegal Attack on Venezuela: Congress Must...

The Oath and The Office ·

2026/01/08

In this episode of The Oath and The Office, Corey Brettschneider (Brown University Professor and author) and John Fugelsang dive into Trump’s illegal military action in Venezuela, exposing how it violates Congress' constitutional power to declare war. We discuss why this unilateral attack is unlawful and the steps Congress must take to push back, including retroactively condemning the invasion and revoking future military authorizations. Plus, we break down key takeaways from Jack Smith’s testimony

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66:22

Supreme Court Checks Trump — 2025 Year in Review

The Oath and The Office ·

2026/01/01

As 2026 begins, host Corey Brettschneider (Brown University professor) and co-host John Fugelsang look back at 2025’s biggest constitutional stress-tests—and what to watch in 2026.We start with the Supreme Court checking Trump on using the National Guard—why it matters, and whether the Insurrection Act is the next risk. That ruling is our doorway into a 2025 Year in Review: we revisit Trump’s most dangerous attacks on the Constitution, and the guardrails that barely held.Next, we break down Judge

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59:36

Brown Shooting Fallout: Lies on X — Epstein Redactions

The Oath and The Office ·

2025/12/24

This week, host Corey Brettschneider, a Brown University professor, and co-host John Fugelsang begin with the latest confirmed developments in the Brown University shooting—and the parallel storm of disinformation on X that spread during the investigation: false accusations against a transgender student and a manufactured narrative about motive. We break down how these claims circulated, why they’re dangerous, and how to separate verified reporting from rumor—without naming private individuals or

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63:07

A Brown Professor on the Shooting—and Gun Laws

The Oath and The Office ·

2025/12/18

This week’s episode is personal. Host Corey Brettschneider, a Brown University professor, and cohost John Fugelsang speak directly to what our community is living through after the deadly campus shooting—and what it means for universities, public safety, and the country.We also address the national response—and the bigger question it can obscure: America’s gun violence crisis, and why reforms have reduced mass shootings elsewhere, including lessons from Australia after major national action.Plus: a

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51:43

Trump’s Supreme Court Power Grab (with Leah Litman)

The Oath and The Office ·

2025/12/11

Leah Litman — University of Michigan law professor and constitutional law expert — joins Corey Brettschneider and cohost John Fugelsang to explain how the Supreme Court may be clearing the way for Donald Trump to fire independent regulators at will. She breaks down the Court’s turn toward the unitary executive, what that means for Trump’s control over the executive branch, what’s at stake in the coming fight over birthright citizenship, and where she still sees possibilities for court reform.Corey

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72:34

MAGA Is Blaming the Judges — with Sen. Sheldon...

The Oath and The Office ·

2025/12/04

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse joins us for one of our most important conversations yet. We examine MAGA’s escalating effort to blame and target judges who uphold the rule of law — from GOP attacks on Judge Boasberg to the broader push to weaponize impeachment. Senator Whitehouse lays out what Congress can still do now, and the reforms needed to protect democracy in the long term.But first: John and Corey break down Trump’s shocking pardon of the convicted former Honduran president — and the disturbing

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63 results

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