meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
The Oath and The Office

100 Days of Democratic Destruction: Trump, Executive Orders, and Constitutional Crisis

The Oath and The Office

Corey Brettschneider

Government, News, Politics

4.9 • 591 Ratings

🗓️ 30 April 2025

⏱️ 50 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this essential episode of The Oath and The Office, hosts Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang dissect Trump’s first 100 days, highlighting dangerous executive orders that threaten constitutional democracy. They examine two alarming categories: orders so clearly unconstitutional that courts may swiftly block them, and subtler actions rooted in the “unitary executive theory” paving the road toward autocracy. Despite this grim landscape, Trump’s poll numbers reveal a weakening presidency—are historical democratic norms finally rallying public resistance? Corey and John also provide a deep investigative look into the Supreme Court’s temporary halt on Trump’s controversial deportations to El Salvador, exposing the flawed, punitive point system used against vulnerable migrants. Plus,  they delve into the troubling arrest of a Wisconsin judge, drawing powerful historical parallels to the state’s legacy of judicial resistance against slavery. Ending with optimism, they cover a federal judge’s ruling protecting Voice of America from Trump’s political interference, underscoring the ongoing fight for judicial independence and free press.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Welcome to another edition of The Oath and the Office featuring Professor Corey Breshnyder.

0:14.0

He is, of course, the professor from the Political Science Department at Brown University.

0:18.0

You've read him on CNN. You've read him in MSNBC and Time and Politico.

0:22.5

And you have bought his book, The Oath in the Office, a guide to the Constitution for future presidents now.

0:27.7

Try the podcast version. Professor Corey Brechtner, along with myself, John Fuglesang.

0:32.7

Hi, Corey. It's good to see you. Thanks, John. Great to see you as we go through this constitutional crisis.

0:38.5

I can't imagine anyone I'd rather do it with, you know, the seriousness and the combination of taking what's happening seriously with the needed, absolutely needed humor, as I hear from listeners.

0:50.7

You know, it's a perfect combination.

0:52.3

And I'm honored to be doing this with you as we just surpass

0:57.0

Trump's 100 days. And our podcast has existed a little less than that. But a frightening moment

1:02.4

for America and democracy, but also one that has been inspiring working with you. And I want to

1:07.7

remind everyone to please, you know, subscribe to our podcast and give us a good review. And if you get us on Amazon, of course, Jeff Bezos is going to start listing a price

1:15.5

about how much more this podcast is expensive because of the tariffs. Unless he backs down and

1:20.9

decides not to do that. I don't know. How funny was that? Bezos won't let his newspaper endorse

1:26.2

Kamala Harris and he won't let the op-ed

1:28.3

page criticize Trump, and he gave Trump millions for the inaugural, and he gave Melani a 30 million

1:33.2

to be in a documentary, but I might have to list the tariff costs on Amazon, so you won't think

1:38.8

any of this is my fault. Oh, Jeff, you're so brave. Corey, you said it. We're 100 days into this, and I hope you're doing well, Professor.

1:47.3

You have written extensively about presidential power and constitutional limits, and if you look at these first 100 days, congratulations to everyone for making it through.

1:56.2

But we have really entered an executive order blitz.

2:00.1

And I'd like to start by asking, let's start broad,

2:04.1

in terms of the executive orders, Professor,

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Corey Brettschneider, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Corey Brettschneider and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.