The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell Podcast By The Bulwark cover art

The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell

The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell

By: The Bulwark
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“The Illegal News” is where law meets politics. Each week, Bulwark publisher Sarah Longwell (not a lawyer) sits down with a legal expert to unpack how the latest court filings, rulings, and procedural twists and turns of the Trump era are shaping American democracy. These are conversations about justice without the jargon, giving you context for the biggest developments and surfacing the legal (and illegal) moves not getting enough attention.

If you're looking for "George Conway Explains It All to Sarah Longwell," George is off on a new adventure, but Sarah will keep you covered.Bulwark Media
Political Science Politics & Government Social Sciences
Episodes
  • S2 Ep155: Judge Tosses Trump’s WSJ Lawsuit Over Epstein Birthday Card (w/ Elliot Williams)
    Apr 15 2026

    Sarah Longwell and Elliot Williams explain why courts keep rejecting Trump's defamation claims, what “actual malice” really means, and how his wave of lawsuits is really meant to pressure the media.

    Plus: the bizarre Trump-as-Jesus post, the growing use of the justice system for retribution, and why targeting witnesses like Cassidy Hutchinson should set off alarms.

    Get 15% off OneSkin with the code ILLEGALNEWS at https://www.oneskin.co/ILLEGALNEWS #oneskinpod

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    48 mins
  • S2 Ep154: Sorry, The 25th Amendment Can't Save Us From Trump (w/ Andrew Weissmann)
    Apr 8 2026

    Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann explain the legality of Trump’s unhinged Iran threats, the legal reality behind “war crimes” warnings, and the global fallout of a strategy with no clear objective. They also discuss Trump’s push to control elections, why it’s likely unconstitutional—and why losing in court may actually be part of the plan. Plus, the Steve Bannon case and what it says about a system where accountability depends on loyalty to the president.

    Right now, Betterwild is offering up to 40% off your order at https://betterwild.com/ILLEGALNEWS.

    Buy Liar’s Kingdom, by Andrew Weissmann: https://linktr.ee/BulwarkLiarsKingdom

    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

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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • S2 Ep153: Reporters Now Need ESCORTS to Do Their Jobs at the Pentagon (w/ Elliot Williams)
    Apr 1 2026

    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.

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    1 hr and 1 min
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