The Bench Press

Bobby, Jess and Ryan discuss the Supreme Court's oral arguments in Trump v. United States, where the Court will decide whether President Trump is immune from certain criminal charges brought in connection with the effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election. How will the justices rule? Is the public overreacting? All that and more.

Bobby and guest host Ryan discuss the Arizona Supreme Court enforcing an 1864 abortion law and why MAGA and Trump are responsible. Then a rundown of recent Trump trials details (the start of the first criminal trial, questions about Trump’s bond, and Judge Cannon’s reckless rulings).

Bobby and Jess are joined by guest host Ryan Wildsmith (don't worry, not another lawyer)! Why is Congress banning TikTok? Is it a good idea? And is it even allowed under the First Amendment?

What will the Supreme Court do with former President Trump's immunity claim? Is Judge Cannon intentionally slow-walking the classified documents case? Did Fani Willis blow her opportunity to hold Trump accountable for election interference? How in the world is Trump going to pay the half billion dollars he owes to New York State?With the collision course between Donald Trump and U.S. courts hitting yet another gear, Bobby and Jess take you through every criminal and civil case facing the former President, and try to make sense of where we're headed and why it matters for our legal system and the looming presidential race.

Happy New Year! We are back with a preview of the year ahead for the courts, our politics, and the trajectory of democracy, and of course that means a slew of hugely impactful Trump-related cases headed for the Supreme Court. How will SCOTUS rule on the efforts to disqualify Trump from running under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment? Will SCOTUS interfere with Trump's criminal trial in DC? All that and more on this week's episode of The Bench Press.

Four defendants in the Georgia election interference criminal case plead guilty. What does it say about the trajectory of Fani Willis' case, as well as the other criminal cases pending against Former President Donald Trump. And the House Republicans (finally) elect a Speaker. Who the heck is Congressman Mike Johnson, and what does his election to the Speaker's chair say about the modern Republican Party?

Following Hamas' brutal terrorist attacks on Israel, the discourse in the United States has been anything but productive. Bobby and Jess discuss their own reactions, and what it all says about our political culture and the modern media environment. Also, a discussion of the simultaneous political crisis in the United States created by the Republicans' abject failure to run the House of Representatives.

Can a president pardon him or herself? It's question that has puzzled legal minds for decades, but has never been settled, or even directly addressed by a federal judge. With President Trump facing two federal indictments, and teasing the possibility that he would use the pardon power to insulate himself from criminal liability if elected president, the question has reentered the public sphere with a vengeance. But what does the law actually say? What are the arguments for and against allowing self pardons? And what does the debate say about how political leaders should approach this delicate moment in history? Jess and Bobby discuss all of these questions and more with Brian Kalt, a leading constitutional scholar and professor of law at Michigan State University.

We're back! This episode, Bobby and Jess are joined by Matt Ford, a staff writer for The New Republic covering law and the courts, to discuss the increasingly salient question of whether Former President Donald Trump can be disqualified from running for president again under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.  How does this even work? How likely is it to succeed? And why should we take it seriously? Follow The Bench Presshttp://twitter.com/benchpresspodhttp://instagram.com/benchpresspodhttp://tiktok.com/benchpresspodFollow Bobby and Jesshttp://twitter.com/robertjdenaulthttp://twitter.com/jesskcoleman

With Fulton County DA Fani Willis on the verge of delivering Donald Trump's fourth criminal indictment, Bobby and Jess discuss what to expect, what to look out for, and why this may be the most significant indictment of all. Also, two prominent conservatives make the case that Trump is ineligible to run for president, and a battle between Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Elena Kagan heats up.Follow The Bench Presshttp://twitter.com/benchpresspodhttp://instagram.com/benchpresspodhttp://tiktok.com/benchpresspodFollow Bobby and Jesshttp://twitter.com/robertjdenaulthttp://twitter.com/jesskcoleman

Former President Donald J. Trump is indicted - again - this time for his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Bobby and Jess cover all angles of the indictment: What do you need to know about it? What is the public getting wrong about it? And how should Democrats approach talking (or not talking) about it?Follow The Bench Presshttp://twitter.com/benchpresspodhttp://instagram.com/benchpresspodhttp://tiktok.com/benchpresspodFollow Bobby and Jesshttp://twitter.com/robertjdenaulthttp://twitter.com/jesskcoleman

Overwhelmed by the tidal wave of cases decided by the Supreme Court? Why should you care? This week, Bobby and Jess cut through the noise and break down the most important decisions of the term, with an eye towards the political landscape and where we're headed next as a country. Follow The Bench Presshttp://twitter.com/benchpresspodhttp://instagram.com/benchpresspodhttp://tiktok.com/benchpresspodFollow Bobby and Jesshttp://twitter.com/robertjdenaulthttp://twitter.com/jesskcoleman

This week, NYU Law Professor Christopher Sprigman joins The Bench Press to discuss an innovative way to confront the increasing power and radicalism of the Supreme Court: jurisdiction stripping. Can Congress take away the Supreme Court's ability to review hot-button issues entirely? And how would such a major move fit in to our constitutional design?Follow The Bench Presshttp://twitter.com/benchpresspodhttp://instagram.com/benchpresspodhttp://tiktok.com/benchpresspodFollow Bobby and Jesshttp://twitter.com/robertjdenaulthttp://twitter.com/jesskcoleman

On this special edition of The Bench Press, Jess and Bobby cover all angles of the Trump indictment: the most damning revelations in the 50-page indictment, the political reaction from Democrats and Republicans, the effect of Judge Cannon's assignment to the case, and much more.Follow The Bench Presshttp://twitter.com/benchpresspodhttp://instagram.com/benchpresspodhttp://tiktok.com/benchpresspodFollow Bobby and Jesshttp://twitter.com/robertjdenaulthttp://twitter.com/jesskcoleman

The crackdown against "Cop City" protestors in Georgia reaching a shocking level, with serious implications for First Amendment rights all across the country. Chief Justice John Roberts does himself, and the Supreme Court, no favors with his dismissive comments at the American Law Institute. And Special Prosecutor Jack Smith narrows in on Former President Donald Trump's mishandling of classified records. Follow The Bench Presshttp://twitter.com/benchpresspodhttp://instagram.com/benchpresspodhttp://tiktok.com/benchpresspodFollow Bobby and Jesshttp://twitter.com/robertjdenaulthttp://twitter.com/jesskcoleman

An update on Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigation into former President Donald Trump. Is he on the verge of filing new explosive charges? Florida Governor Ron DeSantis enters the fray of the 2024 presidential race, and his announcement was... interesting. What does his clumsy entrance into the race say about his candidacy?Finally, Bobby and Jess give a close look at the Supreme Court's recent opinion, EPA v. Sackett, and analyze what it says about the myth of conservative jurisprudence.Follow The Bench Presshttp://twitter.com/benchpresspodhttp://instagram.com/benchpresspodhttp://tiktok.com/benchpresspodFollow Bobby and Jesshttp://twitter.com/robertjdenaulthttp://twitter.com/jesskcoleman

We are off for Memorial Day! Our regular programming will resume on Friday, but in the meantime, Bobby and Jess give a brief update on the debt ceiling.

The U.S. is teetering on the edge of an unprecedented default on its debt. Has President Biden fumbled the political strategy, and is there still an opening to blow up the debt ceiling by invoking the 14th Amendment? Fulton County DA Fani Willis makes another surprise announcement that hints at some potential bombshells in the Trump-related criminal investigations.Finally, Bobby and Jess take a step back and survey how we have arrived at our current, tragic status quo on gun policy, and make the case that there is reason for optimism - if our political leaders step up.Follow The Bench Presshttp://twitter.com/benchpresspodhttp://instagram.com/benchpresspodhttp://tiktok.com/benchpresspodFollow Bobby and Jesshttp://twitter.com/robertjdenaulthttp://twitter.com/jesskcoleman

Four leaders of the Proud Boys were convicted of seditious conspiracy. What does it say about our government's response to the increasing threat of far-right militia groups? A shocking new report from the Washington Post sheds new light on the brazen corruption of the Supreme Court. Finally, Bobby and Jess go into depth on whether President Biden can declare the debt ceiling unconstitutional, and how that move could play out in the courts.Follow The Bench Presshttp://twitter.com/benchpresspodhttp://instagram.com/benchpresspodhttp://tiktok.com/benchpresspodFollow Bobby and Jesshttp://twitter.com/robertjdenaulthttp://twitter.com/jesskcoleman

Tucker Carlson is out at Fox News. What does it say, if anything, about the trajectory of right wing media? Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis makes a curious announcement related to the case involving Former President Donald J. Trump. And Bobby and Jess go into depth on shocking statements from Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito, and what it says about the separation of powers, judicial independence, and the Supreme Court's public image.Follow The Bench Presshttp://twitter.com/benchpresspodhttp://instagram.com/benchpresspodhttp://tiktok.com/benchpresspodFollow Bobby and Jesshttp://twitter.com/robertjdenaulthttp://twitter.com/jesskcoleman