The plan to taken down Venezuelan leader, Nicolas Maduro, was months in the making. And yet, when it did finally happen, it not only took Caracas by surprise but even Washington was stunned by the speed of the incursion.

What does the operation in Venezuela tell us about how Trump might be planning to take over other territories? Why has he got his eyes on oil tanks, and is he prepared to go battle with Putin? We speak to The Crisis Room's Marc Polymeropoulos.

Later, Tim Walz has ended his campaign to run for Minnesota governor after ongoing fraud accusations became the focus of Republicans. Are fraud claims a new effective weapon for MAGA to attack the Democrats?

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Trump's inner circle may be wondering this week why they gave Vanity Fair exclusive access and close up photos for the magazine. The portrait is unflattering to say the least. And highly revelatory. Will it change how Trump sees those around him? And why is the MAGA aesthetic so central to the brand?

Also - Trump speaks to the nation about the economy. Why’s he had to make up all his figures?

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Affordability is the word that Zohran Mamdani made the centre of his New York mayoral campaign after watching the Democrats lose so badly in 2024. But now it’s the Republicans and President Trump that have to convince voters the economy is going in the right direction. And 70 percent of them no longer trust Trump to get it right. What does this mean for the midterms?

Later, why the Supreme Court could be about to hand Trump the power he craves to fire whoever he fancies. We talk to Slate' s Mark Joseph Stern.

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The story of the affair between journalist Olivia Nuzzi and Health Secretary RFK Junior has been called the least important and most important story of our times. What does it tell us about MAGA culture, journalistic ethics and the power of click bait versus deep dive investigation? Why is America so obsessed with her story?

Later, has a leaked recording of Pete Hegseth, Secretary of WAR, opened him up to accusations of war crimes? And what happens to those who speak out against Trump's extra judicial killings?

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The former FBI director James Comey has walked free after his indictment was thrown out by a judge who decided the presiding attorney was actually invalid. It’s a tricky moment for Donald Trump, who had pursued his enemies in the hope of putting behind bars people who he called “bad” - and led to accusations of “vindictive prosecution“ by the President.

But already, the administration's ire has turned to its next victims - former astronaut and Arizona senator Mark Kelly. A decorated, highly respected military man who finds himself facing a possible court martial for sedition after Pete Hegseth's latest outburst.

What effect are these arrests and investigations having on America's institutions? And after the resignation of outspoken congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, is Trump starting to lose his grip on his own base? We talk to the New York Times journalist Mark Landler.

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Last night both houses of Congress overwhelmingly voted to force the justice department to release the Epstein files. We could see the contents made public within days. But the vote itself, long resisted by Trump, has left the President looking weaker and more friendless amongst the MAGA base than he’s ever been. Is he starting to look like a lame duck President? And are Republicans imagining a MAGA world that comes after Trump? Or will they quickly revert to fealty?

Later, the college professor in exile from America after being targeted by death threats for his academic work on Antifa.

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Donald Trump has told Fox News he has an "obligation" to sue the BBC - claiming the broadcaster "defrauded the public" in the way a Panorama episode misleadingly edited a clip of his January 6th speech.

The dispute has made it on to Joe Rogan's podcast, and the BBC is being hauled into the 'fake news' category by MAGA commentators.

How serious is President Trump in his threats? And could he bankrupt the BBC?

Jon and Emily speak to Andrew Weissmann, law professor and former FBI general counsel.

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After a year in the wilderness for the Democrats, last nights electoral victories have given many a taste of winning again. Races in Democratic strongholds like New York, California, New Jersey and Virginia may not have been a shock - but the scale of the victories and the size of the turnouts has put a spring back into the step of those who’d given up hope.

Today we discuss what Zohran Mamdani Gavin Newsom, Abigail Spanberger and others are getting right. And whether it’s a useful predictor for what happens next?

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