Main Justice

MS NOW
MS NOW
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Politics

Main Justice is the next era of legal analysis from Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord, the veteran lawyers behind the hit podcast Prosecuting Donald Trump. As the Trump administration wields its power, Andrew and Mary draw on their extensive experience working within the Department of Justice to break down what’s happening inside Trump’s DOJ. Each week, they use their platform on Main Justice to safeguard against assaults on our laws, our Constitution, and our democracy.

MS NOW PREMIUM

Ad-free listening + bonus content.

US$3.99/month or US$34.99/year

  1. 3 days ago

    "...But There's More!": Harassment, Intimidation and Coercion

    Mary and Andrew begin this week by addressing the Department of Justice dropping the subpoenas they ordered against New York Times journalists who reported on security concerns regarding President Trump’s new Qatari-government-gifted Air Force One jet, noting that the attempt to subpoena the writers speaks to a failed effort of “chilling and intimidating” other reporters. But still, there were even more subpoenas: last week, the DOJ filed subpoenas for 14 major law firms as part of an ongoing lawsuit between the American Bar Association (ABA) and the Executive Office of the President, which Mary and Andrew believe is an effort by the government to try and “get the law firms to pressure the ABA to drop this lawsuit.” They also touch on an update to journalist Katie Phang’s lawsuit against the federal government over Epstein files redactions and address Jack Smith’s criminal referral by House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan. Plus, two immigration-related cases: a judge’s decision to throw out a DOJ lawsuit challenging Minnesota immigration laws and an appeal court’s decision to reverse a lower court decision releasing Pro-Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi. A Note to Listeners: As the 2026 midterm elections heat up, MS NOW is headed to the Lone Star State. Join more than a dozen of your favorite hosts - including Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Jen Psaki, Michael Steele, Ali Velshi and more - in Arlington, Texas on September 26 for a day of community and conversation about the issues that matter most to you. Get your tickets at ms.now/together. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    "...But There's More!": Harassment, Intimidation and Coercion

  2. 20 Jul

    Misleading and Evasive: Blanche’s Hearing and Trump’s Speech

    Last week, all eyes were on Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s confirmation hearing to lead the Justice Department. Mary and Andrew begin with their takeaways: from Blanche’s “evasive, hyper-technical non-responses” to why his close relationship with Donald Trump is problematic, noting a moment where Blanche referred to himself as “his lawyer” and then quickly corrected himself — which Mary called a Freudian slip. They then turn to Trump’s Thursday night address, where he claimed that U.S. elections have been compromised for years. Separating fact from fiction, the co-hosts look at how Trump’s undermining of public confidence may affect the upcoming midterms. Mary and Andrew also highlight reporting from the New York Times indicating a slew of cases brought by ICE against protesters and immigrants are failing the sniff test in court. Plus, an update on former Columbia graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, who recently filed a lawsuit alleging the government and others were part of an effort to suppress criticism of Israel from pro-Palestinian demonstrators. Note to Listeners: As the 2026 midterm elections heat up, MS NOW is headed to the Lone Star State. Join more than a dozen of your favorite hosts - including Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Jen Psaki, Michael Steele, Ali Velshi and more - in Arlington, Texas on September 26 for a day of community and conversation about the issues that matter most to you. Get your tickets at ms.now/together. Further Reading:  This is the New York Times’ reporting on ICE cases falling apart: They Were Charged With Assaulting ICE Agents. The Cases Are Crumbling. And here is their reporting on ICE related shootings: At Least 23 People Have Been Shot at by Federal Immigration Agents Since Last Year Andrew and Mary also wanted to note this new Compendium from Just Security: “Zero Evidence”: How Judges and Grand Juries Have Rejected the Trump Administration Efforts to Investigate and Prosecute Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Misleading and Evasive: Blanche’s Hearing and Trump’s Speech

  3. 30 Jun

    The Supreme Court Is a Mess

    As Andrew puts it, Chief Justice John Roberts is “cherry-picking.” He’s flying solo in this short edition of Main Justice (more to come with Mary in the next episode). Andrew gives a quick briefing on several of the Supreme Court’s most consequential end-of-term rulings, starting with the decision not to hear an appeal in the E. Jean Carroll case. Andrew also touches on the Court’s decision to uphold a Mississippi law to allow mail-in ballots that are sent by Election Day to be counted but saves his deepest analysis for two similar cases with opposing decisions: the firings of Lisa Cook and Rebecca Slaughter. While the Court ruled that the Trump administration must have cause to dismiss Cook from the Federal Reserve, it allowed the government to fire Slaughter from the Federal Trade Commission, a decision which Andrew calls deeply flawed showing the conservative majority’s support for a “unitary executive.”  And finally, Andrew breaks down the Court’s narrow decision to uphold birthright citizenship, and why the tight 5-4 split is the story. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    The Supreme Court Is a Mess

  4. 23 Jun

    The Imperial Presidency is in Court, the Iran Deal is in Motion

    There’s a lot on the docket today. To pull apart the Iran “deal” framework, Mary and Andrew are joined by Tess Bridgeman, an international law expert who served as a legal advisor in the Obama administration through the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. Tess lays out how President Trump’s 14-point memorandum of understanding differs from what was brokered in 2015, and what to watch for as negotiations continue. Before she joins, the co-hosts begin by analyzing several examples of what Mary calls the Trump Justice Department’s "consistent effort” to avoid judicial review: their refusal to put into a sworn declaration that they won’t move forward with the “Anti-Weaponization” fund and a motion to dismiss a Clean Air Act violation lawsuit against Elon Musk’s xAI data center in Mississippi. They also tackle a few instances where, contrastingly, the government has positioned itself “on the offense” this week, including an indictment of 15 protesters on a conspiracy charge against ICE and the DHS’ intent to build a border wall through a holy landmark atop Mount Cristo Rey in New Mexico. Further reading: Here is the New York Times piece, Mary referred to about the Las Cruces case: A Diocese Tries to Protect Its 29-Foot Jesus From Trump’s Border Wall Here is the Just Security tracker that Mary and Andrew mentioned: Immigration Habeas Tracker: Government Obstruction, Judicial Trust, and Accountability Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    The Imperial Presidency is in Court, the Iran Deal is in Motion

  5. 8 Jun

    Moving Fast and Breaking Things

    Decisions are happening fast — and the consequences are showing. Last week, Trump announced he would nominate Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to the top post at the Justice Department, after Blanche nixed the $1.776 “Anti-Weaponization” fund while keeping the controversial release that shields Trump and his family from any liability. Mary and Andrew highlight the myriad of issues Blanche will need to answer for when a confirmation hearing comes, before moving to the Supreme Court ruling that allows Alabama to adopt a Republican-drawn congressional map eliminating one of only two majority-Black districts in the state. This nullifies a lower court's decision that the map was, in fact, intentionally discriminatory. Next up, the co-hosts review a Rhode Island judge’s ruling that invalidated several of Trump’s immigration policies, including one that placed a hold on asylum claims globally, causing chaos and uncertainty for many legally trying to obtain asylum claims and green card status.And lastly, a beat on a new executive order stripping job protections from thousands of federal workers, plus continuing litigation over Trump’s ballroom. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Moving Fast and Breaking Things

  6. 2 Jun

    You Can’t Always Get What You Want

    As judges continue to weigh in, President Trump is finding that despite his litigious efforts, he can’t always get what he wants. Mary and Andrew begin this week with the latest fallout from his $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, which is now under judicial review after a group of federal judges filed a motion arguing that the original lawsuit that prompted the fund was “itself a fraud on the court.” This prompted the news, first reported by Axios, that the Trump administration would abandon the fund altogether. Mary and Andrew tie this into another instance in which the administration is losing in the courts, with Judge Mehta’s decision refusing to dismiss the indictment of Oath Keepers’ leader Stewart Rhodes, among others whose sentences were commuted. They then move to a ruling ordering the removal of Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center facade, a setback in his attempt to reshape the renowned preforming arts center. And after an update on the criminal case against the Southern Poverty Law Center, Andrew shares some insight into his recent New York Times op-ed which offers a path to stop vindictive prosecutions altogether. Further Reading: Here is Andrew’s recent New York Times op ed: This Is How to Stop Trump’s Vindictive Prosecutions Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    You Can’t Always Get What You Want

  7. 26 May

    Prosecutorial Misconduct with Consequences

    Mary and Andrew begin this week by tackling a decision by a U.S. District Judge to dismiss criminal charges against Kilmar Ábrego García, calling the administration’s case against García a vindictive prosecution for challenging his illegal deportation last year. Mary and Andrew couple this topic with a conversation about the “Broadview Six” case, involving a group of Chicago ICE protesters whose criminal case was dropped, similarly, due to misconduct by the DOJ. Then, Mary and Andrew continue a discussion from last week about Trump’s $1.776 billion settlement with the IRS — specifically about an addendum to the settlement which grants Trump and "affiliated individuals" extremely broad protections from future prosecutions. They then talk about Carmen Lineberger, a former federal prosecutor indicted for sending unreleased files from the Jack Smith report to her personal email account. Plus, a conversation about a decision by a federal judge who has ordered the White House to comply with the Presidential Records Act, undermining the DOJ’s ability to give the administration a legal way to destroy White House records from the second Trump term. This podcast is also available on YouTube at ms.now/mainjustice.  Further reading: HERE is the 'Broadway Six' case transcript    Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Prosecutorial Misconduct with Consequences

  8. 19 May

    Liar’s Kingdom: A $1.776 Billion Theft with No Disciplinary Consequences?

    There’s a pattern to Andrew and Mary’s focus this week: lies, lies and more lies. They gather in-person to tackle a host of issues and to celebrate the release of Andrew’s new book, “Liar’s Kingdom.” After digging into the book’s thesis, they hone in on the biggest news of the week: the $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” created by the Justice Department as part of a settlement agreement which, according to the Attorney General, would provide a non-partisan “systematic process to hear and redress claims of others who suffered weaponization and lawfare.” But as Mary and Andrew note, the real goal is to compensate Trump allies who claim they were wrongfully prosecuted by the former administration. They then shift to the DOJ’s lawsuit against the DC Bar to block punishments for Trump officials, including Jeffrey Clark, the former Acting Assistant Attorney General in the final months of Trump’s first term. Next, the co-hosts touch on last week’s oral arguments in the government’s appeal of the ruling against Trump’s attempt to blacklist four law firms, before moving to the ongoing litigation in Judge Boasberg’s attempt to hold contempt proceedings.   This podcast is also available on YouTube at ms.now/mainjustice. Be sure to check it out: this week features video of Mary and Andrew in-person together. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Liar’s Kingdom: A $1.776 Billion Theft with No Disciplinary Consequences?
See All (242)

Shows with Subscription Benefits

MS NOW PREMIUM

Ad-free listening + bonus content.

US$3.99/month or US$34.99/year

View Subscription FAQs

Hosts & Guests

About

Main Justice is the next era of legal analysis from Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord, the veteran lawyers behind the hit podcast Prosecuting Donald Trump. As the Trump administration wields its power, Andrew and Mary draw on their extensive experience working within the Department of Justice to break down what’s happening inside Trump’s DOJ. Each week, they use their platform on Main Justice to safeguard against assaults on our laws, our Constitution, and our democracy.

Information

  • Channel
    MS NOW
  • Creator
    MS NOW, Andrew Weissmann, Mary McCord
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    242
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © MS NOW
  • Show Website
    Main Justice
  • Provider
    Versant Media, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company

More From MS NOW

You Might Also Like