‘Democracy on Trial’ Director on the Roots of Federal Charges Against Trump

The FRONTLINE Dispatch

GBH

News

4.6 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 9 February 2024

⏱️ 20 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Democracy on Trial is a 2.5-hour documentary special from FRONTLINE that examines the roots and implications of the unprecedented charges against former president Donald Trump in connection with the efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Drawing on interviews with elected officials, former government lawyers, House Select Committee witnesses and former committee staffers, authors and journalists, the documentary — which is being released in audio form via The FRONTLINE Dispatch podcast in the coming weeks — shows how the work of the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack forms a blueprint for the federal indictment brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith.

Director Michael Kirk, a longtime FRONTLINE filmmaker, joins host Raney Aronson-Rath, editor-in-chief and executive producer of FRONTLINE, to talk about the case against Trump; the defense strategy of the former president, who has pleaded not guilty; and reporting this story in a deeply divided country.

As this unusual election year unfolds, watch Democracy on Trial in full on FRONTLINE’s website, YouTube or the PBS App, and listen to the multi-part audio version of the documentary starting today on The FRONTLINE Dispatch.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	An historic day here in Washington.
0:06.0	For the first time in American history, a former president has been charged with committing crimes well in office. Mr. Trump is charged with
0:14.0	three counts of conspiracy and one count of obstruction.
0:18.0	With criminal proceedings looming and the
0:19.8	2024 presidential election underway, a new film from Frontline examines the evidence.
0:27.0	What's behind the charges against former President Donald Trump and his associates, and
0:31.6	what does it mean for our democracy?
0:34.0	Too much is at stake.
0:36.0	American democracy very much is on the table.
0:39.0	Democracy on trial is a new documentary from Frontline.
0:42.0	Over the next few weeks we'll be sharing an audio is a new documentary from Frontline.
0:42.6	Over the next few weeks, we'll be sharing an audio version of the film
0:46.0	here on the dispatch.
0:47.8	Today, veteran frontline filmmaker Michael Kirk
0:50.5	shares his thoughts with me about the film and this historic moment.
0:54.0	The potential for a trial, if it happens, it will be the most amazing thing that's
1:00.0	happened at an American presidential election, ever, ever, ever.
1:04.0	I'm Rain Erenson Roth, editor-in-chief, and executive producer of Frontline, and this is
1:09.4	the Frontline Dispatch.
1:17.0	The Frontline Dispatch is made possible by the Abrams Foundation, committed to excellence in journalism,
1:23.0	and by the Frontline Journalism Fund,
1:25.2	with major support from John and Joanne Hagler.
	...

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