In the wake of this week’s sweeping midterm rebuke of Donald Trump, Protect Democracy co-founder Ian Bassin joins Dahlia Lithwick to discuss how voters pushed back against authoritarianism—and how the country can turn that victory into lasting change. Bassin argues that congressional investigators must do more than expose corruption: They should preserve the evidence a future attorney general would need to recoup taxpayers’ money. As he explains, Trump’s pardons can’t shield ill-gotten gains.
Later, the conversation turns to the Supreme Court’s response to election interference, the case for term limits for justices, and why repairing the Justice Department cannot mean turning a blind eye to abuses of power. Drawing on other countries’ struggles with authoritarianism, Dahlia and Ian consider whether this moment will usher in a revival of “small-d” democracy—and why the answer still depends on what the people do next.
Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.
","author_name":"Slate Podcasts"}