Skullduggery

We all knew it was coming once the Trump Administration was replaced with that of Biden's. Book after book after book would start hitting shelves unleashing insider details that pulled back the curtain on what happened behind the scenes during Trump's four years in office. First up, Michael C. Bender, senior White House reporter for the Wall Street Journal, releases Frankly, We Did Win This Election: The Inside Story of How Trump Lost. Bender has been reporting on the former President since his time on the campaign trail. On the podcast he talks about that time he was left alone in the Oval Office for thirty minutes before an interview, his time spent on Air Force One, and what it what he learned being embedded into the reoccurring group of people found in the front row of over dozens of MAGA rallies. GUEST: - Michael C. Bender (@MichaelCBender), senior White House reporter for the Wall Street Journal HOSTS: - Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News - Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News - Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host)   RESOURCES: - Bender's new book - Here. - Bender's Wall Street Journal Profile/Work - Here.   Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPod Listen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Email us with feedback, questions or tips: SkullduggeryPod@yahoo.com.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's been six months since the attack on the Capitol and we're still searching for answers. Now that the House has approved a new select committee to investigate the January 6th riot, will we get said answers? With Liz Cheney defying the GOP by joining the investigation, what will be House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's next move? Will he appoint members of his liking to join or choose the path of selecting no one and call it partisan ploy? Congressman Swalwell joins to discuss his recent Capitol siege lawsuit against Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Rudy Giuliani, and Congressman Mo Brooks. GUEST: - Congressman Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell), member of the House Judiciary and Intel Committees HOSTS: - Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News - Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News - Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host)   RESOURCES: - Congressman Swalwell's lawsuit - Here. - Congressman Swalwell's recent book, "Endgame: Inside the Impeachments of Donald J. Trump" updated with four new chapters - Here.   Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPod Listen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Email us with feedback, questions or tips: SkullduggeryPod@yahoo.com.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's the end of the term for the Supreme Court. And with that comes a number of decisions. Some more closely watched than others, specifically the case in regards to Arizona and its voting restrictions. Some may argue that the current court is a 6-3 majority in favor of the conservatives. Those same conservatives might argue it's a 3-3-3 court in favor of no one based on past decisions. How are Trump's two recent nominees shaping the future of our country? And what will this mean moving forward with high profile cases already on the horizon including Mississippi's abortion law. Our hosts also react to the news coming out of the New York DA's office about the Trump Organization and whether or not it's another dead end to pin past accusations on the former President. GUESTS: - Michael Zeldin (@MichaelZeldin), Fmr. DOJ attorney & Resident Fellow IOP Harvard Kennedy School - Jackie Calmes (@jackiekcalmes), Editor, LATimes and author of the new book "Dissent: The Radicalization of the Republican Party & Its Capture of the Court" - Jess Bravin (@JessBravin), Supreme Court correspondent for The Wall Street Journal HOSTS: - Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News - Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News - Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host)   RESOURCES: - Pick up Jackie Calmes new book - Here. - Read all of the Supreme Court rulings discussed from this episode - Here. - Everything you need to know about the charges brought forth against the Trump Organization - Here.   Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPod Listen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Email us with feedback, questions or tips: SkullduggeryPod@yahoo.com.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Rudy Giuliani's Law License in the State of New York has just been suspended for citing election lies. Once referred to as "America's Mayor" after 9/11, has now become anything but. He now faces possible disbarment for attempting to help Trump overturn the 2020 election results by abusing his power and the courts. Well, the courts just punched back. Christine Chung, one of the lawyers and former Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York - who drafted the original complaint against Giuliani, joins the show to discuss what this all mean for Giuliani, Trump, and the future of American Democracy. GUEST: - Christine Chung (@chrischunglaw), New York City-based trial and appellate attorney, fmr. Federal Prosecutor in the Southern District of New York   HOSTS: - Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News - Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News - Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host)   RESOURCES: - Text of the decision to suspend Rudy Giuliani - Here. - Original Letter that Christine Chung co-wrote - Here.   Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPod Listen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Email us with feedback, questions or tips: SkullduggeryPod@yahoo.com.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of the enslaved peoples in America in the wake of the end of the Civil War. Over 160 years after it was first celebrated, President Biden signed legislation this week making it a federal holiday. On this occasion, the Brennan Center's Ted Johnson joins hosts Michael Isikoff and Victoria Bassetti to discuss the holiday's legacy, and his new book When the Stars Begin to Fall: Overcoming Racism and Renewing the Promise of America. GUEST: - Ted Johnson (@DrTedJ), Author; director, Fellows Program, Brennan Center for Justice   HOSTS: - Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News - Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host)   RESOURCES: - "McConnell shoots down Manchin's voting compromise" by Jordain Carney (June 17; The Hill) - When the Stars Begin to Fall: Overcoming Racism and Renewing the Promise of America by Theodore J. Johnson (2021; Penguin Random House)   Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPod Listen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Email us with feedback, questions or tips: SkullduggeryPod@yahoo.com.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What is the cause of the nationwide rise in personal, violent crime? Veteran police commissioner Bill Bratton joins hosts Michael Isikoff, Daniel Klaidman and Victoria Bassetti to discuss the rise in crime, and to comment on the national conversation about the role of police. Bratton shares his thoughts on what reforms are needed, which ones he’s against, and to talk about the role of the “Defund the Police” movement on officer morale. He also has some things to say about his former boss, Rudy Giuliani. Plus, we hear from DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas about the threat of domestic extremists, and get to hear some of the early responses to the new season of the critically-acclaimed podcast Conspiracyland, The Secret Lives and Brutal Death of Jamal Khashoggi, which is available now. GUEST: - Bill Bratton (@CommissBratton), Executive Chairman, Teneo Risk; fmr. police commissioner, NYC (1994-1996; 2014-2016), Boston (1993-1994); fmr. police chief, L.A. (2002-2009)   HOSTS: - Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News - Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News - Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host)   RESOURCES: - “Conspiracyland” Season 3: The Secret Lives and Brutal Death of Jamal Khashoggi - “‘The most significant terrorism-related threat’: DHS secretary says domestic extremists now more a danger to U.S. than foreign terrorist groups” by Michael Isikoff (June 15, Yahoo News) - White House Fact Sheet: National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism (June 15) - The Profession: A Memoir of Community, Race, and the Arc of Policing in America by Bill Bratton and Peter Knobler (2021; Penguin Random House) - “As a longtime police chief, I believe we have to reestablish trust” by William J. Bratton (June 4, Washington Post) - “Making New York less safe: Bills in Albany would make it harder to protect law-abiding” by William J. Bratton (June 10; New York Daily News)   Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPod Listen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Email us with feedback, questions or tips: SkullduggeryPod@yahoo.com.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The ultrarich have ways of avoiding paying income tax that regular people simply don’t have access to. This unfair balance-tipping is the subject of new reporting by ProPublica investigators, whose sources furnished them with a trove of data revealing the secrets of the megawealthy. ProPublica editor in chief Stephen Engelberg joins Michael Isikoff, Daniel Klaidman and Victoria Bassetti to discuss their reporting. Plus, get a sneak peek of the new season of the critically-acclaimed podcast Conspiracyland. Season 3: The Secret Lives and Brutal Death of Jamal Khashoggi debuts on Monday, June 14th. GUEST: - Stephen Engelberg (@SteveEngelberg), editor in chief, ProPublica HOSTS: - Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News - Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News - Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host)   RESOURCES: - “Conspiracyland Season 3: The Secret Lives and Brutal Death of Jamal Khashoggi - “The Secret IRS Files: Trove of Never-Before-Seen Records Reveal How the Wealthiest Avoid Income Tax” by Jesse Eisinger, Jeff Ernsthausen, and Paul Kiel (June 8; ProPublica) - “Why We Are Publishing the Tax Secrets of the .001%” by Stephen Engelberg and Richard Tofel (June 8; ProPublica) - “An Exposé Has Congress Rethinking How to Tax the Superrich” by Jonathan Weisman and Alan Rappeport (June 9; New York Times) - “ProPublica’s Jesse Eisinger on his reporting about ultra-wealthy tax avoidance” (June 9; CNBC)   Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPod Listen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Email us with feedback, questions or tips: SkullduggeryPod@yahoo.com.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Len Downie’s career at the Washington Post lasted over 40 years, and culminated with a stint as Executive Editor that ended in 2008. In light of the shocking news that Trump’s DOJ pursued the acquisition of email data from several New York Times reporters, and a gag order on Times leadership, Downie joins Michael Isikoff and Daniel Klaidman on this episode to discuss role of the free press, the evolving nature and technology of the media, the Trump administration’s antagonistic relationship with the media, and to look back on some of the highlights from his storied career. Plus, our hosts are joined by Yahoo News’s Jon Ward to discuss Trump’s return to rallies, ahead of his anticipated appearance at the North Carolina GOP convention. GUESTS: - Jon Ward (@jonward11), Chief National Correspondent, Yahoo News - Len Downie, author, former Executive Editor of the Washington Post (1991-2008) HOSTS: - Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News - Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News   RESOURCES: - “As Trump restarts rallies, GOP strategists hope against all odds that he won’t rehash 2020 election” by Jon Ward (June 4, Yahoo News) - “White House Disavows Knowledge of Gag Order on Times Leaders in Leak Inquiry” by Charlie Savage and Katie Benner (June 5, New York Times) - All About the Story: News, Power, Politics, and the Washington Post by Len Downie (2020; PublicAffairs) - Report: The Trump Administration and The Media (Committee to Protect Journalists, Apr. 16) - “AP explains why it fired Emily Wilder for pro-Palestinian tweets” by David Goldman (May 30, CNN Business) - “Intelligence officials weigh possibility coronavirus escaped from a Chinese lab” by Jenna McLaughlin (Apr. 14, 2020, Yahoo News)   Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPod Listen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Email us with feedback, questions or tips: SkullduggeryPod@yahoo.com.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Chris Matthews surprised his audience one evening in March of 2020 by suddenly stepping down from hosting “Hardball” on MSNBC, the political roundtable show he’d helmed for over 20 years. Matthews, whose new book This Country: My Life in Politics and History comes out this week, joins Michael Isikoff, Daniel Klaidman and Victoria Bassetti on this episode to discuss the role of the media in politics, how the polarization of today compares to the era of Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neill, and to talk about the moment Matthews stepped away from his program. Plus, our hosts respond to a troubling tweet from Maggie Haberman of the New York Times about Trump’s plans to return to the White House — quicker than seems possible, under a sober reading of the U.S. Constitution. GUEST: - Chris Matthews (@HardballChris), Author; journalist; former host of MSNBC’s “Hardball” HOSTS: - Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News - Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News - Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host)   RESOURCES: - This Country: My Life in Politics and History by Chris Matthews (2021; Simon & Schuster) - “Chris Matthews retires from MSNBC after string of recent controversies” by Brian Stelter (CNN, March 3, 2020) - “Chris Matthews Tells Joy Reid ‘Nobody Needs to Defend Me, I Did Something Wrong” by Daniel Villarreal (Newsweek, June 1)   Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPod Listen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Email us with feedback, questions or tips: SkullduggeryPod@yahoo.com.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How do we rescue American democracy from the corrupt grip of an extremist party, determined to undermine democratic norms and cement minority rule by authoritarian means? This is the problem before us as laid out by Ben Rhodes, the former deputy national security advisor to Barack Obama, co-host of the Pod Save the World podcast, and author of the new book After the Fall. Rhodes joins Michael Isikoff, Daniel Klaidman and Victoria Bassetti on this episode to discuss many aspects of domestic and foreign policy, including the conflict between Israel and Palestinians, the global influence of Xi and Putin, and several of the sweeping legislative proposals before Congress today. All of this comes on the heels of the failure in the Senate to form an independent commission to investigate the January 6th insurrection on the Capitol, for which 19 more Senators voted in favor, but failed to meet the 60-vote threshold to invoke cloture. GUEST: - Ben Rhodes (@brhodes), Fmr. deputy national security advisor to Barack Obama; author HOSTS: - Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News - Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News - Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host)   RESOURCES: - “Senate Republicans Filibuster Jan. 6 Inquiry Bill, Blocking an Investigation” by Nicholas Fandos (May 28; New York Times) - “Ex-Speaker Ryan to GOP: Reject Trump, ‘2nd-rate imitations’” by Steve Peoples (May 28; Associated Press) - After the Fall: Being American in the World We’ve Made by Ben Rhodes (2021; Penguin Random House) - “American Demons: Ben Rhodes’ ‘After the Fall’ Excerpt” (May 26; The Atlantic) - “Teshuvah: A Jewish Case for Palestinian Refugee Return” by Peter Beinart (May 11; Jewish Currents) - “U.S. to reimpose sanctions on Belarus after forced diversion of Ryanair flight” by Amy B Wang (May 28; Washington Post) - “France Suspects Russian Role in Campaign to Discredit Pfizer Vaccine” by Matthew Dalton (May 25; Wall Street Journal)   Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPod Listen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Email us with feedback, questions or tips: SkullduggeryPod@yahoo.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Given the lack of any successfully carried out assassination attempt on a President in the past 40 years, the Secret Service seems, at a first glance, to be an efficient and effective law enforcement agency. But author and Washington Post reporter Carol Leonnig has spent years talking to individuals inside the agency, and her new book Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service paints a very different picture. Leonnig joins Michael Isikoff, Daniel Klaidman and Victoria Bassetti on this episode to discuss the agency. She takes us through some of their recent newsmaking scandals, the unique relationship between the Secret Service and the Trump administration, as well as what she identifies as a toxic and confused culture, both among the leadership as well as the rank and file. Plus, an update on the scandal at the Post Office, and some real world effects from Yahoo News' reporting. GUEST: - Carol Leonnig (@CarolLeonnig), Reporter, Washington Post; author HOSTS: - Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News - Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News - Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host)   RESOURCES: - “Kevin McCarthy Leads House GOP In Blasting Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Holocaust Remarks” by Barbara Spunt (May 25, NPR) - Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service (Random House, May 2021)  Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPod Listen and subscribe to “Skullduggery” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Email us with feedback, questions or tips: SkullduggeryPod@yahoo.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Based on the dogged reporting of investigative journalist and Yahoo News contributor Jana Winter, Americans have recently learned about the covert internet surveillance operation being inexplicably run out of the U.S. Postal Service. The operation, charmingly dubbed “iCop,” targets citizens’ social media posts, and both the exact ends of this invasive effort, and the legal authority under which it exists, are unknown. Winter joins Michael Isikoff, Daniel Klaidman and Victoria Bassetti on this episode to discuss the fruits of her reporting, the implications of her findings, and to ask why Democrats have not risen to the occasion to protect their constituents. Plus, author Brad Stone joins to talk about his new book Amazon Unbound: Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire. They discuss some of Amazon’s unlikely successes (like Alexa), and notorious failures (like the Fire phone), as well as the scandalous episode where some of Bezos’s intimate text messages were leaked to the public. GUESTS: - Jana Winter (@janawinter), Investigative journalist; contributor, Yahoo News - Brad Stone (@BradStone), Author; head, Global Technology coverage, Bloomberg HOSTS: - Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News - Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News - Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host)   RESOURCES: - “House Votes to Create Capitol Riot Commission” by Nicholas Fandos (May 19, New York Times) - “Facial recognition, fake identities and digital surveillance tools: Inside the post office’s covert internet operations program” by Jana Winter (May 18, Yahoo News) - “Chief postal inspector tells lawmakers that social media monitoring began after George Floyd protests” by Jana Winter (Apr. 30, Yahoo News) - “The postal service is running a ‘covert operations program’ that monitors Americans’ social media posts” by Jana Winter (Apr. 21, Yahoo News) - Amazon Unbound: Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire by Brad Stone (Simon & Schuster, 2021) - The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon by Brad Stone (Little, Brown, 2013) Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPod Listen and subscribe to “Skullduggery” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Email us with feedback, questions or tips: SkullduggeryPod@yahoo.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With a vote taking place on Friday morning, the Republican party officially ousted Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) and elected 36-year-old Elise Stefanik (R-NY) to be its new Conference chair. The dramatic leadership change reveals fault lines in a party where a significant — and evidently predominant — portion of its elected federal officials places fealty to Donald Trump above all else. Former Congresswoman Barbara Comstock (R-VA) joins Michael Isikoff, Daniel Klaidman and Victoria Bassetti on this episode to discuss this internecine struggle in the GOP, as well as to give her take on the ostracization of Cheney and coronation of Stefanik, based on her personal relationships with both women. She details her vision for a reformed, policy-driven post-Trump Republican party. But is that what Republican voters want? GUEST: - Barbara Comstock (@BarbaraComstock), former Congresswoman (R-VA) HOSTS: - Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News - Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News - Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host)   RESOURCES: - “Elise Stefanik speaks to the press after replacing Liz Cheney on House GOP leadership” (The Hill, May 14) - “New Yahoo/YouGov poll: Cheney has few supporters in GOP” by Jon Ward (Yahoo News, May 14) - “Influential Republicans detail call to reform party, threaten to form new one” by Tal Axelrod (The Hill, May 13) Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPod Listen and subscribe to “Skullduggery” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Email us with feedback, questions or tips: SkullduggeryPod@yahoo.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The 2019 trial of Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher gripped the nation due to the heinousness of the crimes of which Gallagher, a SEAL team captain, was accused. And though he was charged with the 2017 murder of an Iraqi detainee, he was acquitted of all charges but one — posing in a photo with the young dead Iraqi man. But, over the course of the six episodes of the new podcast “The Line,” written and produced by Dan Taberski, the story of how that man died becomes much, much more complicated. Taberski joins Michael Isikoff, Daniel Klaidman and Victoria Bassetti on this episode to discuss his podcast and its shocking new revelations, as well as the culture of the military’s elite special operators that Taberski spent so much time learning about firsthand, through the community of SEALs he spoke with for the show. What are the true costs of a twenty-year war on the psyches of the men and women who fight it? And, what responsibility do we, the American people, have for how they draw the line between what is acceptable and what is forbidden in war? GUEST: - Dan Taberski (@dtaberski), writer and executive producer of “The Line” podcast  HOSTS: - Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News - Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News - Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host)   RESOURCES: - “The Line” podcast (Jigsaw Productions & Apple Originals), available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify - “Eddie Gallagher’s shocking claim that SEALs intended for detainee to die” by Luis Martinez (ABC News, May 5) Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPod Listen and subscribe to “Skullduggery” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Email us with feedback, questions or tips: SkullduggeryPod@yahoo.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Presidential historian, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and former Newsweek editor Jon Meacham has a new podcast called “Fate of Fact,” in which he investigates how it is that American politics — particularly in the Republican Party, as Meacham says — became detached not only from our constitutional system of checks and balances but from reality itself. Meacham joins Michael Isikoff, Daniel Klaidman and Victoria Bassetti on this episode, which contains a deep and important conversation about history, our tumultuous present moment and where the country might go from here.  GUEST: - Jon Meacham (@jmeacham), Pulitzer Prize-winning author; presidential historian HOSTS: - Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News - Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News - Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host)   RESOURCES: - “The GOP is at a turning point. History is watching us.” by Liz Cheney (Washington Post, May 5) - “Jon Meacham to explore the spread of disinformation in ‘Fate of Fact’” by Jacquie Cadorette (Audacy, Apr. 26) - The “Fate of Fact” podcast, from Shining City Audio, C13 Originals, and Jon Meacham, on Apple Podcasts and Spotify Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPod Listen and subscribe to “Skullduggery” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Email us with feedback, questions or tips: SkullduggeryPod@yahoo.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.