The Oath and The Office

Mixing sharp wit and serious political fire, The Oath and The Office is where hard-hitting constitutional analysis meets razor-sharp comedy. Distinguished political science professor Corey Brettschneider teams up with comedian John Fugelsang to break down the most powerful 35 words in American democracy—the presidential oath of office. Every president swears to “preserve, protect, and defend” the Constitution, but what happens when one openly attacks democracy and the rule of law itself? Each week, Corey and John pull no punches, exposing the latest threats to the rule of law and demanding accountability. Smart, fearless, and wickedly funny—this is the civics lesson you can’t afford to miss.

The Oath and The Office is a news podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 80 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts The Oath and The Office, a news show with 80 episodes published.

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  The Oath and The Office

  Trump vs. the Supreme Court. Again.

  Aug 13, 202651 min

  Trump already lost on birthright citizenship. Now he is testing the limits of constitutional law with two narrower executive orders. We explain the high-stakes game of chicken underway: can a president just keep pushing after the courts and the Constitution say no? Plus, a rapid-fire breakdown of this week’s legal chaos: Vanity Plates: A bizarre but critical free speech fight. DOJ Takeover: Todd Blanche officially steps in as Attorney General after a bruising confirmation fight over Trump, DOJ independence, and a $1.8 billion slush fund. The $400 Million Ballroom: A court abruptly blocks Trump’s massive White House construction plan. Targeting Fauci: Senate Republicans vote to hold Anthony Fauci in contempt. Timestamps: 2:41 - Trump Renews Attack on Birthright Citizenship 10:25 - Profanity, License Plates, and Free Speech 21:56 - Senate Confirms Todd Blanche as Attorney General 35:25 - Court Temporarily Halts Construction on Trump's Ballroom 41:26 - Senate Committee Holds Dr. Anthony Fauci in Contempt of Congress

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  The Oath and The Office

  Blanche’s Confirmation Deal: Trump’s Weaponization Fund Could Return

  Aug 6, 20261 hour

  Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche appears to have secured the committee votes needed to advance his nomination. He cleared the path by agreeing to rescind Donald Trump’s controversial $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund and narrow sweeping IRS audit protections for Trump and his family. But does the deal truly kill the fund—or merely clear a political hurdle while leaving the door open for its return? Corey and John argue that walking back these dangerous policies does not erase Blanche’s complicity in advancing them, nor does it prove him fit to lead the Justice Department. They also break down a consequential week for executive power and the nation’s democratic guardrails: Elections : Trump’s escalating attempt to expand federal control over mail voting. Press Freedom : Withdrawn Justice Department subpoenas that sought testimony and phone records from New York Times journalists. Media Pressure : The FCC’s continuing pressure campaign against ABC. Surveillance : Allegations that the Secret Service illegally tracked James Comey and his wife. Intelligence : The Senate’s party-line confirmation of Jay Clayton to lead the intelligence community. The checks on executive power are being tested in real time. Some are holding. Others may prove temporary. Timestamps: 1:20 – Todd Blanche Confirmation Proceedings 18:03 – Trump Cheating in the Midterms 28:03 – Federal Agencies Aren’t Sticking to Their Purpose 28:56 – Jawboning and Media Censorship 47:39 – Why Everyone Should See “The Odyssey” 51:08 – Trump is a Threat to Democracy; the Courts Can Help 54:26 – Trump is Suffering in the Polls

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  The Oath and The Office

  What Trump and the New Right Really Believe | David French

  Jul 30, 20261h 16m

  What does Trump actually believe, and how does his worldview connect to the New Right? Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang look beyond the latest outrages to the ideology linking them. Then New York Times columnist David French joins Corey to discuss the forces reshaping the American right. Inside the episode: David French on birthright citizenship, the postliberal right, and whether there is a path out of America’s democratic crisis. The attack on the Smithsonian and the fight over who counts as truly American. Trump’s ties to the manosphere and the grievance politics driving the New Right. The pressure on New York Times journalists, the disappearance of a Whitney Cummings joke, and the fight to stop Penn Station from being renamed for Trump. Timestamps: 02:06 – White House Correspondents' Dinner 09:34 – Tate Brothers Arrested 16:22 – Trump, the Smithsonian, and American History 22:28 – Attacks on Free Speech: NYT & Kennedy Center 31:43 – Interview: David French Joins 41:20 – The New Right and Vichy France 52:56 – The Future of MAGA After Trump

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  The Oath and The Office

  Trump’s Media Threats & Todd Blanche’s $1.8B Slush Fund (with Skye Perryman)

  Jul 23, 20261h 14m

  Threatening the broadcast licenses of news networks is a direct assault on the free press. Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang tear down Trump’s extraordinary primetime speech and explain why standard media fact-checking is no longer enough to protect democracy. They also break down Todd Blanche’s attorney general confirmation hearing and a judge’s condemnation of Trump’s IRS self-dealing. Then, Democracy Forward President and CEO Skye Perryman joins Corey to expose the administration’s hidden $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund. Blanche told senators the fund was dead, but Perryman explains why the receipts say otherwise—and why this controversy could derail his confirmation. What we cover in this episode: • Media Extortion: The legal reality behind threats to network broadcast licenses. • The $1.8 Billion Loophole: Why the admin's secret fund might still be alive. • IRS Self-Dealing: A federal judge’s blistering condemnation of administrative overreach. • ICE Misconduct: Why state prosecutors must step in when the feds refuse to act. Timestamps: 1:54 – Trump’s Election Interference Speech 16:53 – Todd Blanche Confirmation Proceedings 22:05 – Federal Judge on the Trump–IRS Agreement 31:51 – FBI to Stop Investigating Confrontations Involving ICE 38:48 – Interview with Skye Perryman

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  The Oath and The Office

  Trump Targets the Press—and Spies on Americans (with Sen. Ron Wyden)

  Jul 16, 20261h 6m

  Trump’s Justice Department subpoenaed New York Times reporters after they exposed security problems with the Qatari jet Trump accepted for use as Air Force One. The prosecutor who issued those subpoenas, Jay Clayton, is now Trump’s nominee to lead the nation’s intelligence agencies. Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang trace the line from the “bribe plane” to a broader attack on democratic accountability, including another fatal ICE shooting in Maine and the White House pressure campaign against the Smithsonian. Then Senator Ron Wyden joins the show to explain how Section 702 allows the FBI to search Americans’ private communications without a warrant, why putting those searches in the hands of political operatives such as Dan Bongino is so dangerous, and how the bipartisan JAWBONE Act would let those targeted by government coercion fight back in court. The interview was recorded as the Senate Intelligence Committee, on which Wyden serves, prepared to begin Clayton’s confirmation hearing. Wyden and Corey discuss whether Clayton’s decision to subpoena journalists should disqualify him from overseeing the nation’s intelligence agencies. The through line is unchecked executive power: targeting journalists, coercing speech, and searching Americans without a warrant.

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