Washington Week with the Atlantic Season 2020 Episodes

Episode 1

01-10-2020

Fri, Jan 10, 2020 27 mins

Topics include President Trump's decision making on Iran, the fallout with Congress, the impact on the region and American allies, and the impeachment.

Episode 2

01-17-2020

Fri, Jan 17, 2020 27 mins

Democratic House managers walked the articles of impeachment against the president from the House to the Senate Wednesday. The impeachment now moves to the Senate trial. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is facing pressure to call witnesses. At the same moment impeachment formally moved to the Senate, President Trump signed phase one of a China trade deal and the next day the United States Mexico Canada Agreement passed the Senate with bipartisan support.

Episode 3

01-24-2020

Fri, Jan 24, 2020 27 mins

Washington is consumed this week with the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump. It began in earnest Tuesday with almost 13 hours of debate over trial rules and a late-night admonishment from Chief Justice John Roberts to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler and two of President Trump's lawyers, Pat Cipollone and Jay Sekulow, after a contentious exchange on the Senate floor.

Episode 4

01-31-2020

Fri, Jan 31, 2020 27 mins

A follow-up on the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump in Washington D.C.

Episode 5

02-07-2020

Fri, Feb 7, 2020 27 mins

The week started with an electoral fiasco in Iowa, the first of the 2020 contests, as caucus results couldn't be announced in a timely manner. On Tuesday night President Trump took a victory lap in his State of the Union address ahead of a final vote in his Senate impeachment trial and hammered home his campaign talking points. Republican Senator Mitt Romney of Utah became the first senator in American history to vote to convict a president of his own party.

Episode 6

02-14-2020

Fri, Feb 14, 2020 27 mins

New Hampshire and Iowa are in the rear-view mirror for Democratic presidential candidates but have provided very little clarity about who the nominee will be as the field heads toward Nevada and South Carolina. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg are leading the delegate count, with Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar and former Vice President Joe Biden vying for third, but there are more questions than answers.

Episode 7

02-21-2020

Fri, Feb 21, 2020 27 mins

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg made his 2020 Democratic debate debut last night but found himself under attack and intense scrutiny from his fellow contenders. The gloves were off across the board as the six candidates on stage sparred in advance of Saturday's Nevada caucuses. Back in Washington, President Donald Trump declared himself "the chief law enforcement officer of the country."

Episode 8

02-28-2020

Fri, Feb 28, 2020 27 mins

Super Tuesday and the South Carolina primary preview, featuring live reports from journalists around the country. In addition to addressing the news of the day, such as the recent downturn in the markets and the spread of the coronavirus, the special will explore the issues and candidates – and look ahead to the road to the White House in this extraordinary moment, as Democrats and Republicans seek to address the most urgent concerns of the American people.

Episode 9

02-28-2020

Fri, Feb 28, 2020 27 mins

Super Tuesday and the South Carolina primary preview, featuring live reports from journalists around the country. The special also looks ahead to the road to the White House, as Democrats and Republicans seek to address the most urgent concerns of the American people.

Episode 10

03-06-2020

Fri, Mar 6, 2020 27 mins

A look at the next Democratic primaries in the battleground state of Michigan and five other states.

Episode 11

03-13-2020

Fri, Mar 13, 2020 27 mins

From the White House, to Congress, to the campaign trail, to Wall Street to main street – the rapid spread of the coronavirus is putting the Trump administration's leadership to the test. An examination of how Washington is handling this health crisis and economic fallout and how will it affect the 2020 presidential campaign.

Episode 12

03-20-2020

Sat, Mar 7, 2020 27 mins

President Donald Trump is facing a coronavirus crisis with two fronts - how to shape the federal response to an exploding health crisis and what steps to take to stabilize the economy.​ President Trump has been in the White House briefing room daily flanked by the Coronavirus ​task force, facing tough questions from the press about the administration's handling of the overall situation.

Episode 13

03-27-2020

Sat, Mar 14, 2020 27 mins

The Senate passes a bipartisan rescue bill as the death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic rises.

Episode 14

04-03-2020

Fri, Apr 3, 2020 27 mins

The impact of the coronavirus health crisis is felt across the nation this week as the numbers of cases continues to rise. In Washington, President Trump reversed earlier statements about the virus, saying "It's not the flu. This is vicious," and cited projections that show the death toll in the United States could range from 100,000 to more than 200,000.The president also extended the national timeline for social distancing closures to the end of April.

Episode 15

04-10-2020

Fri, Apr 10, 2020 27 mins

Much of the country is at a standstill as the federal government and states struggle to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. In Washington, President Donald Trump is eager to reopen the country but may be at odds with his own scientists about the timing. Congress girds for a showdown as the Trump administration presses for speedy approval of $250 billion in additional funds for small businesses, while Democrats push for more relief for hospitals and additional money for food stamps.

Episode 16

04-17-2020

Fri, Apr 17, 2020 27 mins

Episode 17

04-24-2020

Fri, Apr 24, 2020 27 mins

Over 26 million Americans have filed for jobless benefits in the last month, and with much of the country still under stay-at-home orders, President Trump is eager to see the economy open up again. After some states like Georgia announced plans to re-open this week, the president gave contradictory statements about whether or not the time is right. Trump signed an executive order Wednesday limiting immigration for the next 60 days.

Episode 18

05-01-2020

Fri, May 1, 2020 27 mins

The top news and stories of the week include: economic and political pressures as the number of Coronavirus cases in the U.S. raise; and how the tensions build between the White House and governors as some states are beginning to re-open.

Episode 19

05-08-2020

Fri, May 8, 2020 27 mins

President Trump and White House officials turned their attention this week to the American economy, which has been rattled by the coronavirus pandemic, with his reelection campaign hovering over their efforts. Trump started the week off with a visit to the battleground state of Arizona to tour a mask factory, as many governors are still struggling with securing supplies.

Episode 20

05-15-2020

Fri, May 15, 2020 27 mins

The government approaches a showdown to provide relief to states who are struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Episode 21

05-22-2020

Wed, May 20, 2020 27 mins

Over 90,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 so far, and that number could rise to 100,000 deaths by June 1. Another 2.4 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits, bringing that number up to almost 40 million total Americans out of work since the beginning of this health crisis.

Episode 22

05-29-2020

Thu, May 28, 2020 27 mins

The nation marked bleak milestones this week as the number of dead Americans from the pandemic surpassed 100,000 and over 40 million Americans are now out of work.These crises are testing national leaders and are at the heart of the presidential campaign, and provided a split-screen of images for Americans. While President Trump extended his "heartfelt sympathy & love for everything that these great people stood for & represent" in a tweet, he also focused in recent days.

Episode 23

06-05-2020

Fri, Jun 5, 2020 27 mins

As Americans across the country protest George Floyd's death and call for solutions to systemic racism and police misconduct, President Trump has used force against protesters. Following the president's guidance Monday, Attorney General William Barr ordered federal law enforcement authorities to remove protesters from a park near the White House. And the president's call to invoke the Insurrection Act led current Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to say he would not support that decision.

Episode 24

06-12-2020

Fri, May 29, 2020 27 mins

The killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man in police custody, has sparked a worldwide uproar over race and policing in America, with President Trump at the epicenter of new debates over reform. The president also faces challenges within his own administration. The Pentagon's top general, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, apologized on Thursday for joining Trump last week as he walked through Lafayette Square. Meanwhile, Congress is making moves to rename military bases.

Episode 25

06-19-2020

Fri, Jun 5, 2020 27 mins

Former National Security Advisor John Bolton's new book rocks Washington with new revelations about President Donald Trump. As Bolton speaks out, the president is pushing back against the memoir and the Department of Justice is seeking to block its publication. And as protests continue across the country calling for police reform in the wake of the killing of unarmed Black American George Floyd, the president issues an executive order laying out suggested reforms.

Episode 26

06-26-2020

Fri, Jun 12, 2020 27 mins

Amid a flurry of polls that show his support slipping, President Donald Trump is rallying his core voters and urging them to stand by him. Facing both a sluggish economy and spiking coronavirus cases nationwide, he held two large gatherings in the last week and sounded defiant despite his challenges. And as the Black Lives Matter movement gains steam and monuments marking America's racist past fall throughout the country, congressional efforts on police reform hit a snag in the Senate.

Episode 27

07-03-2020

Fri, Jul 3, 2020 27 mins

As Americans head into the July 4th holiday weekend, celebrations are canceled across the country as coronavirus cases surge with record new daily numbers being recorded. While the economy is showing some signs of recovery, a new Monmouth University poll reveals that 74% of Americans believe the country is on the wrong track. Meanwhile, President Trump told a reporter this week that he believes the virus will disappear.

Episode 28

07-10-2020

Fri, Jul 10, 2020 27 mins

The coronavirus pandemic continues to see a surge in cases across the country, and it is now hitting red states hard with new hotspots in Arizona, Florida and Texas. As the number of Americans infected with COVID-19 surpassed 3 million this week, leaders in Washington are at a crossroads. For now, tensions are evident. White House Coronavirus Task Force member Dr. Anthony Fauci told an interviewer this week, "We are still knee-deep in the first wave of this ..."

Episode 29

07-17-2020

Fri, Jul 17, 2020 27 mins

President Trump's reelection campaign is at a summer crossroads as his poll numbers dip and the coronavirus pandemic shows no signs of abating. And this week, in an effort to shake things up, the president shuffled his political operation, replacing campaign manager Brad Parscale with longtime political adviser Bill Stepien. But the challenges facing Parscale will still face Stepien, including a scaled back Republican National Convention next month in Florida.

Episode 30

07-24-2020

Fri, Jul 24, 2020 27 mins

This week, President Trump is asserting himself as he faces sliding poll numbers and the unrelenting coronavirus pandemic — and using federal power in ways that have alarmed local officials and some constitutional scholars. Under the direction of Trump and his Cabinet, hundreds of federal agents are now heading into cities. Trump claims that Democratic mayors are not doing enough to address crime.

Episode 31

07-31-2020

Tue, Jul 28, 2020 27 mins

Episode 32

08-07-2020

Fri, Aug 7, 2020 27 mins

As the election nears, President Trump is eager to project optimism as the nation struggles with the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. But the heath and economic data continues to be bleak, just days before many schools are scheduled to reopen. Before voters make their final judgment on the president's handling of the crisis, Trump is facing tough questions from reporters.

Episode 33

08-14-2020

Fri, Aug 14, 2020 27 mins

Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) made history this week, becoming the first Black woman and first Asian-American on a major party presidential ticket. Weekly unemployment numbers dropped below 1 million for first time in five months, but Congress is making little headway on another round of economic stimulus. President Trump took unilateral action over the weekend to send $300 per week in supplemental weekly unemployment benefits to Americans.

Episode 34

08-21-2020

Fri, Aug 21, 2020 27 mins

The first virtual Democratic National Convention captures how the battle is just 75 days to the election.

Episode 35

08-28-2020

Fri, Aug 28, 2020 27 mins

Episode 36

09-04-2020

Fri, Sep 4, 2020 27 mins

Episode 37

09/11/2020

Fri, Sep 11, 2020 27 mins

Episode 38

09-18-2020

Fri, Sep 18, 2020 27 mins

Episode 39

09-25-2020

Fri, Sep 25, 2020 27 mins

Episode 40

10-02-2020

Fri, Oct 2, 2020 27 mins

Robert Costa is joined by Peter Baker, Stephanie Ruhle, and Rachel Scott to provide insight and analysis on the first presidential debate.

Episode 41

10-09-202

Fri, Oct 9, 2020 27 mins

The Commission on Presidential Debates has announced that the town-hall debate scheduled for next week will be virtual "to protect the health and safety of all involved." But the president told Fox Business Thursday "I'm not going to waste my time on a virtual debate." Now both campaigns are in a standoff over how to proceed. Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris sparred over the pandemic at Wednesday night's vice presidential debate.

Episode 42

10-16-2020

Fri, Oct 16, 2020 27 mins

President Trump returned to the campaign trail this week, just over 10 days after being diagnosed with COVID-19. On Capitol Hill, confirmation hearings rolled forward toward Republicans' goal of filling late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's seat before the election as Democrats tried to delay the confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett. The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled its vote on Barrett's nomination for October 22.

Episode 43

10-23-2020

Fri, Oct 23, 2020 27 mins

Just 12 days before Election Day, President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden will take the stage on Thursday for the final presidential debate. Both candidates are traveling to battleground states. The president continues to hold large rallies, while Biden is being boosted by a key surrogate – former President Barack Obama – on the campaign trail. On Capitol Hill, the battle for the Senate majority is being influenced by ongoing debates.

Episode 44

10-30-2020

Fri, Oct 30, 2020 27 mins

This week, Washington Week will air its hour-long election special, with the first half hour covering the breaking news from the campaign trail and the second half hour putting a spotlight on one of the key swing states in the 2020 contest. This week's discussion comes at a critical time as both nominees are barnstorming the country, bringing their closing arguments to battlegrounds as the clock counts down to November 3rd.

Episode 45

11-06-2020

Fri, Nov 6, 2020 27 mins

Days after President Biden warned of potential terror threats, explosions outside of Kabul

Episode 46

11-13-2020

Fri, Nov 13, 2020 27 mins

Episode 47

11-20-2020

Fri, Nov 20, 2020 27 mins

President Donald Trump continues to sow doubts about President-Elect Joe Biden's victory with baseless claims, aided by his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and outside allies, such as controversial former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon. These efforts, including phone calls to local GOP officials in charge of certifying elections in key states, are testing American democracy, all as the nation reels from a raging pandemic.

Episode 48

11-27-2020

Fri, Nov 27, 2020 27 mins

The United States hit another dark milestone this week with the highest one-day number of deaths recorded since May. COVID-19 cases are exploding again across the country just at the moment when many families would normally be gathering to celebrate Thanksgiving. While multiple vaccines are on the horizon, challenges abound when it comes to distribution, and the timeframe to return the United States and the world to a new normal is uncertain.

Episode 49

12-04-2020

Fri, Dec 4, 2020 27 mins

Thursday marked exactly one month since Election Day. But President Trump is still refusing to concede, even as President-elect Joe Biden's victories in Arizona and Wisconsin, two key battleground states, were certified this week. But this crisis moment in American politics continues as the president and his advisers, such as Rudy Giuliani, keep trying to undo the 2020 presidential election results, or at least erode public confidence in the truth.

Episode 50

12-11-2020

Fri, Dec 11, 2020 27 mins

With the inauguration 41 days away, the Trump campaign is making desperate attempts to stay in office. The Supreme Court this week denied hearing a case on the subject, and multiple lawsuits and recounts have failed to produce any result other than Joe Biden will be the next President of the United States of America. Regardless, President Trump is pressuring Republicans on the state and national level to help in the effort. Few in the GOP are willing to publicly admit Biden won the election.

Episode 51

12-18-2020

Fri, Dec 18, 2020 27 mins

It was a historic week on two fronts. First, the Electoral College certified President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election. While Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell congratulated Biden, President Trump continued to rage against the results and many in the Republican Party remain muted. The other historic moment was the roll out of a COVID-19 vaccine. As Americans began to receive a shot in the arm, hope is on the horizon but fears of a dark winter remain.

Episode 52

12-25-2020

Fri, Dec 25, 2020 27 mins

The United States endured a difficult year. The wounding effects from the COVID-19 pandemic are almost unimaginable, with over 18 million confirmed cases, as well as more than 300,000 deaths in the U.S. The social and economic devastation has been significant. After undergoing a surge in cases earlier in the year, the country watched as the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery sparked outrage.