PBS News Hour - Politics

President Biden issued a full and unconditional pardon of his son, Hunter, who was just days away from a possible prison sentence in two federal felony cases against him. It raises new questions about Biden's legacy as he closes out his final chapters in the White House. Geoff Bennett discussed the precedent this pardon could set with Margaret Love. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

NPR's Tamara Keith and Leigh Ann Caldwell of The Washington Post join Amna Nawaz to discuss the latest political news, including President Biden's decision to pardon his son, Hunter, and President-elect Trump names more of his Cabinet picks. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

As he continues stocking his new administration with staunch loyalists, President-elect Trump on Saturday nominated Kash Patel to be FBI director. Patel claims that the FBI is part of what he calls the "deep state" conspiracy against Trump and his allies. NBC News reporter Ryan Reilly, who authored the book "Sedition Hunters: How January 6th Broke the Justice System," joins John Yang to discuss. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

With the dismissal of the two federal cases against him, President-elect Donald Trump has bypassed some of the most serious legal jeopardy he faced. He's now assembling a Cabinet to carry out his agenda. New York Times columnist David Brooks and Jonathan Capehart, associate editor for The Washington Post, discuss that and other matters shaping the transition to a second Trump term. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President-elect Trump selected a critic of COVID-19 lockdowns and mandates to lead the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya is known for co-authoring the Great Barrington Declaration, a 2020 manifesto that advocated allowing COVID to spread in order to achieve herd immunity. It was widely criticized by top health officials. William Brangham discussed more with Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President-elect Trump ran much of his campaign based on retribution and absolute loyalty. As he prepares for a second term in office, what might that mean for the future of U.S. democracy? Laura Barrón-López discussed more with Jason Stanley, a Yale philosophy professor and author of "Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future." PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Just a few weeks after a divisive presidential election, millions of Americans are preparing to sit down with their families for Thanksgiving. According to some experts, the keys to moving forward lie not in politics, but in psychology. Judy Woodruff discussed political identity with social psychologist Keith Payne as part of her ongoing series, America at a Crossroads. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In the final weeks of this Congress, Democrats are making a push to confirm a number of President Joe Biden's judicial nominees. White House Correspondent Laura Barrón-López reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President-elect Trump continues to round out his Cabinet, including some key economic appointments. He's chosen billionaire hedge fund manager Scott Bessent for treasury secretary and for commerce, he's chosen Howard Lutnick, the CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald and a big backer of tariffs. William Brangham discussed what these choices mean for Trump's agenda with David Wessel. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

For the director of the Office of Management and Budget, President-elect Trump named Russell Vought as his pick. Vought previously led that office for part of Trump's first term. He is also a co-author of Project 2025, the controversial Heritage Foundation blueprint for a second Trump term. Laura Barrón-López reports on what the pick may signal. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

This year, President-elect Trump made gains across almost every demographic since the 2020 election. But one of the most notable was among young men, who shifted roughly 15 points to the right. Laura Barrón-López examines how Trump was able to court young men online by reaching out to them in spaces far beyond mainstream media outlets. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

NPR's Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter join William Brangham to discuss the latest political news, including the major federal felony cases against President-elect Trump are dropped, Trump's success with young men and the electoral gender divide. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President-elect Donald Trump's new pick to lead his administration's Department of Justice is receiving a much warmer reception on Capitol Hill and within his party. Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi's nomination came just hours after his first choice - scandal-plagued former Congressman Matt Gaetz - withdrew his name from consideration. Laura Barron Lopez has more on Bondi's background. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Among President-elect Trump's promises for his second term is a pledge to slash federal spending. He appointed Elon Musk, the world's richest man, and Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech company founder, to run an advisory commission. This week, the pair said they're aiming to cut $500 million in annual spending, but there are big questions about that. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Maya MacGuineas. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join Amna Nawaz to discuss the week in politics, including President-elect Trump's initial pick to serve as attorney general backs out of consideration and other controversies surrounding Trump's potential Cabinet. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz has withdrawn from the running as Donald Trump's pick for attorney general. Sexual misconduct allegations against Gaetz fueled intense scrutiny, threatening his chances of being confirmed. Laura Barrón-López reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

With Republicans winning the White House and both chambers of Congress, there's been much discussion within the Democratic Party about what went wrong and what it should do to win back voters. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio is one of the incumbents who came up short this year and has argued the party needs to do more to champion the issues of the working class. He joined Amna Nawaz to discuss more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

As President-elect Trump prepares for a return to the White House, the aides and allies running his transition team have avoided many of the rules guiding the process. So far, the transition has not collaborated with the General Services Administration, the government agency tasked with handing power from one administration to the next. Laura Barrón-López discussed more with Max Stier. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President elect-Trump's controversial pick for attorney general, former Congressman Matt Gaetz, met with Republican senators on Capitol Hill Wednesday. The meetings come amid mounting pressure on the House Ethics Committee to release a report looking into several allegations against Gaetz, including sexual misconduct. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Claudia Grisales of NPR. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The House Ethics Committee largely operates in secret. Democrats and Republicans are equally represented on the panel regardless of which party is in power. They conduct investigations behind closed doors and generally avoid sharing details outside of finalized reports. The probe of former Rep. Gaetz is straining those norms. Amna Nawaz discussed more with committee member Rep. Mark DeSaulnier. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President-elect Trump's pick of Linda McMahon as Secretary of Education is already raising alarm bells among critics who feel the role should go to someone with more experience in education. But it has also been met with praise by supporters of parental rights and school choice. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Jon Valant of the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President-elect Trump has named two more people to his administration: investment banker Howard Lutnick as commerce secretary and Dr. Mehmet Oz to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The noted TV personality and heart surgeon will oversee programs that provide health care coverage to about half of all Americans. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Lev Fasher of STAT News. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President-elect Trump has vowed to make wide-scale changes to the federal workforce by cutting jobs, replacing career civil servants with federal appointees and relocating government offices. We hear from federal government employees across the U.S. and Laura Barrón-López reports on this key part of Trump's policy proposals. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Two weeks ago, many parts of the country saw dramatic political shifts to the right. Even places that were once considered democratic strongholds flipped red. Special correspondent Christopher Booker reports from one such area in Texas near the southern border. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In her new collection of columns from The Wall Street Journal, Pulitzer Prize-winner Peggy Noonan takes readers on a journey through the essence of our nation's character. With her trademark blend of storytelling, historical insight and journalistic rigor, Noonan explores what unites us as a people even in divisive times. She sat down with Geoff Bennett to discuss "A Certain Idea of America." PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders