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The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth
EpisodesSeason 4 Episode Guide
16 Episodes 2019 - 2019
Season 4 of the documentary series centers around the shifting power dynamics on Capitol Hill as Democrats take control of the House of Representatives.
Episode 1
New World Disorder
Sun, Jan 27, 2019 30 mins
Season 4 premiere. A Democratic majority in the House puts a check on the Trump presidency as the second half of his term begins with total gridlock, a government shutdown and federal workers lining up for free hot meals.
Episode 2
Circling Vultures
Sun, Feb 3, 2019 30 mins
President Trump's increasing vulnerability leads to a bumper crop of potential 2020 challengers, all of whom are hoping to be the one to unseat him. The Mueller investigation continues and the Democrats are unrelenting in their attacks.
Episode 3
The State of Our Union Is...
Sun, Feb 10, 2019 30 mins
President Trump weighs declaring a state of emergency at the border, and the House Intelligence Committee ramps up investigations of Trump on multiple fronts while collaborating with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team.
Episode 4
2020 Is Here
Sun, Feb 17, 2019 30 mins
The 2020 election is looming large in the capital. Campaign season is here early and more and more candidates are jumping in each week. THE CIRCUS follows declared and potential candidates Amy Klobuchar and Beto O'Rourke at the top of the week, and tracks ongoing news of the potential government shutdown, the border wall battle, and the Green New Deal back in D.C.
Episode 5
States of Emergency
Sun, Feb 24, 2019 30 mins
What exactly constitutes a national emergency? For President Trump, it is clearly securing the U.S. southern border. But others have very different ideas, including gun violence, the opioid crisis and climate change, to name a few. This week THE CIRCUS compares and contrasts various perceived national emergencies and covers people on the front lines of each one.
Episode 6
The Big Split
Sun, Mar 3, 2019 30 mins
It's an action-packed week for President Trump on two fronts, creating a split-screen effect for the American people. On one hand, the President travels to Vietnam to meet with Kim Jong-un of North Korea, and have a big moment on the world stage. On the other hand, the President's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, testifies before Congress about potential presidential dirt he may have.
Episode 7
To the Left
Sun, Mar 10, 2019 30 mins
A deep dive into the Democratic party. There is a movement to tack left towards more progressive policies, a strategy that proved effective in 2018 elections, but many feel that the best way to convert Trump voters in 2020 is to move towards the center.
Episode 8
What the F*** Happens Next?
Sun, Mar 17, 2019 30 mins
Donald Trump is currently engaged in a three-front war over the future of his presidency: one with Congress over his border wall, another with his potential Democratic challengers in 2020, and a third on the legal front.
Episode 9
The People on That Stage
Sun, Sep 22, 2019 30 mins
The Circus returns with an update on where things stand in the 2020 presidential race. On the Democratic side, the three leading candidates—Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren—are crisscrossing the country trying to get their message across, while the party as a whole is debating what it will take to beat Trump. Meanwhile, the President has an unprecedented number of Republican primary challengers to contend with, which could have an impact on his election strategy.
Episode 10
Across the Rubicon
Sun, Sep 29, 2019 30 mins
"The Circus" tackles the launch of an official impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump. As news roils the capital and the entire nation, the hosts track down Democratic congressional leaders, members of the House Intelligence Committee and prominent Republicans in a momentous week for both sides of the political aisle.
Episode 11
Impeachmentland
Sun, Oct 6, 2019 30 mins
"The Circus" fans out across the country to cover the rapidly evolving impeachment story through the lens of 2020 presidential campaigns. Meanwhile, in the capital, the hosts track breaking news developments as the White House and others react to the impeachment inquiry and findings thus far. And as members of Congress return to their districts for the fall recess, "The Circus" attends their town hall meetings with constituents to capture voter reactions.
Episode 12
Desperate Times, Desperate Measures
Sun, Oct 13, 2019 30 mins
Exploring how key players are responding to these desperate times. The Circus examines the President, the whistleblowers, the 2020 candidates and more. Jennifer Palmieri, a veteran of the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Bill Clinton White House, joins the hosts.
Episode 13
The Widening Gyre
Sun, Oct 20, 2019 30 mins
Tensions are high in Washington, D.C., as Democrats pursue the impeachment inquiry at an aggressive pace, while the President and his Republican supporters defend his actions on Ukraine and Syria. Also: a recap of the fourth debate for the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates.
Episode 14
The Deep State
Sun, Oct 27, 2019 30 mins
An examination of longtime federal government agencies and bureaucrats involved in Congress' ongoing impeachment inquiry, otherwise dubbed by President Trump as the "deep state."
Episode 15
Field of Dreams
Sun, Nov 3, 2019 30 mins
A report from Iowa's Liberty and Justice Celebration, aka the Jefferson-Jackson dinner, an annual event hosted by state Democrats that plays an important role in caucus campaigns.
Episode 16
Here Be Dragons
Sun, Nov 10, 2019 30 mins
The Season 4 finale analyzes potential outcomes of the impeachment inquiry by taking the pulse of Congress members, presidential campaigns and Trump loyalists who are all set to be impacted by public testimony.