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BackStory at Montpelier

How much power does the Constitution give the president? BackStory’s Ed Ayers, Brian Balogh and Peter Onuf unpack a timely question of executive power during this 90 minute President’s Day weekend program.

Brian Balogh

Barbershop: Trump's Attacks On The Media

Columnist Mary Kate Cary, former Obama communications aide Corey Ealons, and NPR Political correspondent, Mara Liasson, discuss President Trump's attacks on the media and whether they serve a purpose.

Mary Kate Cary

Trump Isn't The First President To Challenge The Judiciary

Historians Brian Balogh (@historyfellow) and Nathan Connolly (@ndbconnolly) say the apparent spat between the executive and judicial branches is not the first, with examples going back to the landmark Supreme Court case Marbury v. Madison, which in 1803 established the basis for judicial review.

Brian Balogh

Is Donald Trump’s Presidency Stillborn?

Less than a month since Trump took the oath of office, the White House is facing a full-blown crisis, arguably one of the most gaping self-inflicted wounds ever suffered by a new administration. Presidential historian Russell Riley of The Miller Center at the University of Virginia could think of just a few of Trump’s predecessors who struggled so mightily soon after taking office.

Russell Riley

Director of UVA’s Miller Center Says Every President Has First Year Security Crisis; Trump’s Came Early

“Every president has a national security crisis in the first year. What makes the first year so likely for the crisis to come, and so vulnerable for the nation, is that you have a new team in place, and they know it and the world knows it."

William Antholis

White House roundup: new Labor Secretary nom; leaks, leaks and leaks

It’s likely that the whistleblower(s) seek to undermine the administration at an early stage, but how do the latest leaks compare to those under our former presidents? Does leaking classified information constitute as felony? Is this a common concern for the White House? What are some of the legal framework in place to protect whistleblowers?

Russell Riley