Welcome to Beg to Beg to Differ, the Bullworks weekly roundtable discussion featuring civil conversation across the

political spectrum from center left to center right.

I'm Mona Charon, indicated columnists and policy editor at the Bullwork and I'm Mona Charon, Cinicated Columnists and Policy Editor at the Bullwork, and I'm joined by our regulars.

Phil Galston, the Brookings Institution in the Wall Street Journal, Damon Linker of the Week,

and Linda Chavez of the Niskanin Center. Our special guest this week is

Benjamin Wittis also of the Brookings Institution and the editor of Law Fair.

Welcome one and all. Since we discussed the possible topics for this

week there's been news we've seen the Congress authorize a new federal holiday for Juneteenth

we've seen a number of Supreme Court cases we've seen Mitch McConnell say that

he would not hold a hearing for a Supreme Court nominee if a vacancy happens in

2024 and the Republicans take control or possibly even not even in 2023. But all of that is just going to have to wait for another program

because today we are scheduled to discuss the revelations about the Trump White House's attempts to pressure the Department of Justice on a number of fronts both regarding the election and challenging the election and

also with league investigations that may have pulled in, well, we know it pulled in

multiple journalists, congressional Democrats, and even Don McGann, the

President's own Council.

So I'd like to begin with you Ben Wittis.

And by the way, if any listeners are not listening to the fantastic podcast about the French village that

Ben Wittis does with our colleague Sarah Longwell. You are missing out so I

would recommend that. Thank you.

But in the here and now, Ben, what do you make of this, of these stories, you that the that the Trump administration for example was

sicking the FBI on their own White House Council.

Well so the stories are quite different from one another, though they do have this question in common, which is, you know, to what extent were we seeing political abuse of the Justice Department.

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