Seasons & episodes

Polls predict the differing outcomes; both campaigns make a case in "far-fetched battlegrounds"; to most, the race is either up for grabs or already decided.

In a special hour-long episode of the real-time documentary series, Mark Halperin, John Heilemann and Mark McKinnon go behind the scenes of both campaigns in the lead up to Election Day - and the fallout that followed.

S2 · E1Shocking But Not Surprising 2017-03-19 · 29 min＋

Mark Halperin takes a ride on Airforce One with President Donald Trump. We look at the debate surrounding the healthcare bill and hear from both sides, including Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Rand Paul and the White House.

S2 · E2Checking and Balancing 2017-03-26 · 29 min＋

Mark Halperin talks with Senator Patrick Leahy about Neil Gorsuch’s Supreme Court nomination, Congressman Adam Schiff weighs in on Trump’s alleged ties to Russia and Joe Biden enters the fray surrounding the healthcare bill.

S2 · E3How's He Doing? 2017-04-02 · 29 min＋

What do people outside the Beltway really think about President Trump? Mark Halperin takes a trip through America to find the answers. Then he heads to New Orleans to discuss his surprising findings with Mary Matalin.

S2 · E4The Whole World is Watching 2017-04-09 · 29 min＋

What in the world is going on? This week is all about foreign policy: President Trump's military response to the use of chemical weapons in Syria and its impact on his ongoing delicate dance with Russia.

S2 · E5Recess Reset 2017-04-16 · 29 min＋

Congress may be in recess but Mark Halperin is on the job, covering the White House and the Syria fallout. John Heilemann and Mark McKinnon hit the road to see what Americans think about how President Trump is handling the situation.

S2 · E6The Resistance 2017-04-23 · 29 min＋

How are the Democrats resisting Trump? Mark Halperin talks to Elizabeth Warren about standing strong. Bernie Sanders tells John Heilemann about taking his message to the people. Americans talk about what resistance means to them.

S2 · E7Learning Curve 2017-04-30 · 29 min＋

What has President Trump learned from his first 100 days in office? As Congress reconvenes, Mark McKinnon and John Heilemann head to Capitol Hill to find out. Mark Halperin is in New York City to get Wall Street’s perspective.

S2 · E8Looking Back and Moving On 2017-05-07 · 29 min＋

Washington insiders join John Heilemann, Mark Halperin and Mark McKinnon for a look at some of the thrilling, amazing and logic defying acts performed during President Trump's first 100 days. Season finale.

S3 · E1The Looking Glass War 2018-04-15 · 29 min＋

The United States and Russia are locked in a dangerous new standoff. From Facebook and meddling in the 2016 election, to alleged poisoning attacks, to the war in Syria, Russia is the dominant force in our news cycle. John Heilemann, Mark McKinnon and new host Alex Wagner examine America's new Cold War with Russia and where it's leading.

S3 · E2Too Many Lawyers 2018-04-22 · 29 min＋

An ever-growing swirl of legal entanglements continues to surround President Trump. From the ongoing Mueller investigation to the Michael Cohen raid and subsequent hearing, and James Comey's inflammatory book, the Trump presidency is under siege. John Heillman interviews Michael Avenatti, Stormy Daniels' lawyer, John and Alex Wagner have a colorful dialog with legal heavyweight and Trump supporter Alan Dershowitz, and Mark McKinnon sits down with former Acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates.

S3 · E3Man of the World 2018-04-29 · 29 min＋

State visits by the heads of France and Germany command the administration's attention; John Heilemann and Mark McKinnon talk with Wendy Sherman, architect of the Iran deal; Alex Wagner interviews the imam behind the travel-ban challenge.

S3 · E4Trump Country 2018-05-06 · 29 min＋

Taking the nation's temperature on the president's performance, midterm elections and gun control; featuring interviews with Mitt Romney, Randy "Iron Stache" Bryce and Beto O'Rourke

S3 · E5War and Peace 2018-05-13 · 29 min＋

The gloves are off as Donald Trump fights a 360-degree battle to keep the presidency; he is taking shots at those who stand to threaten it and is at war against the deep state of the FBI, CIA, and the Department of Justice.

S3 · E6Their Brand is Crisis 2018-05-20 · 29 min＋

The Trump administration has had to contend with an unprecedented number of crises, and spinning them is an ongoing preoccupation. In this era of splintered news media, how do you get the right message to the right people, and still stay on course? Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie discusses trying to govern during a PR crisis, Steve Brill hosts an Axios event on combating fake news, and Steve Schmidt and Mark Fabiani, Bill Clinton's advisor during the Whitewater scandal, both weigh in on how this White House is managing crises.

S3 · E7The Gathering Storm 2018-09-16 · 29 min＋

With the looming midterm elections, the Trump presidency under relentless siege, and Hurricane Florence bearing down on the Carolina coast, Washington has a lot on its collective plate. Mark McKinnon and Alex Wagner visit the democratic and republican war rooms respectively, and learn what each camp is doing to secure the majority in the House. John Heilemann interviews Steve Bannon and takes a tour of Breitbart, all in advance of the release of Bannon's inflammatory new documentary.

As Republicans and Democrats play a dramatic game of chess in the wake of the assault allegations from Christine Blasey Ford, all eyes are on the Senate Judiciary Committee and the confirmation process of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Parallels are drawn between the current showdown and the Anita Hill hearing in 1991, and recurring contributor Steve Schmidt gives context to the Trump administration's response, given his experience working to confirm Supreme Court nominees for previous Republican administrations.

The focus remains tightly on the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court; for much of the week, John Heilemann is embedded with attorney Michael Avenatti, who may just have the most explosive revelations of all.

The emphasis remains squarely on the Judge Brett Kavanaugh confirmation saga; as the midterm elections draw nearer, the hosts delve into the ramifications of the confirmation's outcome on various U.S. Senate races around the country.

The Circus travels to California to gauge the resistance to the Trump administration; with almost a dozen Republican-held house seats in serious contention, any potential blue wave in the midterm elections will begin here.

As the battle for the Senate heats up with polls forecasting a Republican resurgence, "The Circus" travels the country charting the shifting dynamics in three of the closest races: Arizona, Nevada and North Dakota.

As undertones of racial politics make news, "The Circus" travels to Florida and Georgia, following two historic gubernatorial races with African-American candidates.

With the midterm elections only days away, The Circus travels to rallies and campaign stops around the country to find out how both sides are pulling out all the stops to win these all-important races.