Barbara McQuade and Daniel Richman on Trump’s Politicization of the DOJ (Al Franken podcast)

In his second term, Donald Trump has upended many American institutions, but perhaps none more than the Department of Justice. He’s filled the DOJ with lackeys, like AG Pam Bondi, who are corrupting our system of justice in ways never seen before.

We’re joined by two veterans of the DOJ: Barbara McQuade, professor at University of Michigan Law School, and Daniel Richman, professor at Columbia Law School. We discuss the disturbing tendencies of Trump’s Justice Department: from emphasizing immigration enforcement, to investigating Trump’s political rivals, to firing agents en masse for prosecuting the Jan 6th cases, and so on. The damage being done will take years, if not decades, to undo.

Plus, the Epstein Files continue to impact Trump’s presidency. Why is Ghislane Maxwell being treated so well? It’s almost as if Trump hopes she’ll exonerate him in exchange for a sweetheart deal. 

• READ Barbara’s book “Attack from Within: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America”: https://www.sevenstories.com/books/4577-attack-from-within 
• READ Daniel’s recent opinion piece in NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/29/opinion/trump-is-discovering-the-downside-of-a-justice-department-with-no-credibility.html

Interview: 

https://www.alfranken.com/listen/barbaramcquadedanielrichman250824