The episode centers on newly released January 6 committee text messages suggesting Sean Hannity had unusually close, advisory communications with Trump’s White House before, during, and after the Capitol attack, raising questions about what he knew of the plan and how Fox hosts privately reacted versus what they promoted publicly. It then widens to a one-year-later look at Trump’s broader effort to overturn the 2020 election, including pressure on state officials and election workers, coordinated legal and political maneuvers in swing states, and the local guardrails that helped prevent subversion. Finally, it explores the American right’s admiration for Hungary’s Viktor Orbán—highlighting Tucker Carlson’s coverage and Trump’s endorsement—as a case study in “illiberal” governance and what ...

The episode examines warning signs that the U.S. is moving closer to political violence, beginning with January 6 and reports of forged electoral certificates, and then broadening into political scientist Barbara Walter’s research on how modern civil wars start. Walter argues that the biggest risk factors are a weakening “partial democracy” and politics organized around racial or other identity factions, with elections, elite disinformation, and government overreaction potentially serving as triggers that turn sporadic extremism into sustained insurgency-style conflict rather than a traditional battlefield war. The conversation also explores what might reduce the risk, emphasizing reforms that strengthen democratic institutions, regulation of social media amplification systems, and more ag...

The episode focuses on newly obtained January 6 committee documents, including a draft Trump executive order that would have directed the Defense Department to seize voting machines and appoint a special counsel, raising alarms about how close the White House came to triggering a constitutional crisis based on election-fraud conspiracies. Chris Hayes and guests discuss what the documents reveal about internal efforts to restrain Trump, his refusal to deliver prepared “national healing” remarks after the Capitol attack, and broader concerns about democratic guardrails and Republican leadership’s response. The second major thread examines the coordinated plan to assemble and submit fake slates of pro-Trump electors in multiple states—reportedly organized by Rudy Giuliani—and how that effort ...

The episode examines Donald Trump’s recent statements admitting he tried to “overturn” the 2020 election, his threats of mass protests if prosecutors charge him, and his floated pardons for January 6 defendants as evidence of intent and a continued willingness to use intimidation and violence-adjacent pressure. Chris Hayes, George Conway, and Joyce Vance discuss how these remarks could factor into ongoing investigations, including concerns raised by Georgia’s Fulton County DA about security, and how Trump-aligned candidates and party leaders are pushing election-control tactics and conspiracy narratives down the ballot. A central theme is the fragility of democratic systems that depend on good-faith actors, and the limits of legal reforms if a major party embraces anti-democratic strategie...

The episode focuses on the January 6 investigation as President Biden waives executive privilege to speed release of Trump White House visitor logs, alongside newly revealed Mark Meadows texts that show a wide network of lawmakers, media figures, and activists lobbying the White House in the run-up to the attack and during the violence, with Rep. Elaine Luria explaining how these real-time communications help map influence and decision-making. It then shifts to Trump’s financial and legal exposure after accounting firm Mazars disavowed years of his financial statements, sparking alarm inside Trump’s circle and raising the stakes in New York’s investigations. Chris Hayes and guests argue Trump’s public response may have worsened his position by contradicting his legal filings and making adm...

Using the biblical story of Babel as a metaphor, the article argues that America in the 2010s experienced a sudden social and epistemic fragmentation in which people increasingly could not share a common language, set of facts, or sense of belonging. It traces a shift from early internet optimism about larger-scale cooperation to a turning point after 2009–2013, when “like,” “share,” and “retweet” features and engagement-driven algorithms reshaped how information spreads. These systems rewarded viral, emotional content—especially anger—pushing users toward performative self-presentation, dishonesty, and mob dynamics rather than deeper relationships. The result, the author contends, is weakened social capital, eroded institutions, and fractured shared stories not only between left and right...

The hosts open with a lighter discussion of John Fetterman’s trolling-style campaign tactics, then pivot to major political news that Donald Trump is signaling an imminent 2024 announcement and what that could mean for media attention and potential legal jeopardy. Most of the episode focuses on the January 6 committee hearings, emphasizing evidence that the Capitol attack was planned as part of a broader, step-by-step effort driven by Trump rather than a protest that “got out of hand.” They unpack standout testimony and messages from Trump-world figures, the chaotic internal White House dynamics (including the Sidney Powell/Flynn meeting), and the moral failings of “adults in the room” who didn’t resign or fully cooperate, with particular scrutiny of Mike Pence and Pat Cipollone. The conve...