
The Circus (2016)
← Back to main
Evan Wise — Editor
Episodes 65
The Outsiders
The campaigns of three "outsiders" - Ted Cruz, Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump - are given behind-the-scenes attention on the road to the Iowa caucus. Series premiere.
Read MorePrisoner's Dilemma
The second episode follows Sen. Marco Rubio, Gov. Chris Christie, former Gov. Jeb Bush and Gov. John Kasich as they prepare for the all-important, first-in-the-nation primary in New Hampshire.
Read MoreTension City
This episode follows the angst and drama leading up to the Iowa caucuses, with a showdown brewing between Democrats Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton and the GOP's first real test of outsider candidates versus the establishment.
Read MoreThe Big Mo
The fourth episode goes inside the Iowa fallout and the momentum leading into New Hampshire's primary. Who¿s got it? Who doesn't? And how can the Clinton and Trump campaigns pick up the pace to beat back the surge of Sanders and Cruz?
Read MoreThe Winnowing
From the electric jolt of New Hampshire to the hard truths coming up in South Carolina and Nevada. Trump tastes victory, Kasich picks up momentum - and Bush faces the prospect of an impending do-or-die reality.
Read MoreFear and Loathing
As the campaigns head towards the final stretch leading to Nevada and South Carolina, there's growing anxiety among both frontrunners and stragglers about just how high the stakes are - and the significance of falling behind.
Read MoreConfidence Game
With the field narrowed down to The Big Five, the campaigns spread their game across the country and play to their strengths - with eyes squarely focused on the all-important upcoming prize: Super Tuesday.
Read MoreThe Reckoning
With big wins for the frontrunners on Super Tuesday the rest of candidates are reckoning with the results. But the biggest story of all might be one both Democratic and Republican establishments can agree on: how do they stop Trump?
Read MoreDead or Alive
It's make or break time for Rubio, Kasich and Sanders. As the candidates pin their hopes on Florida and Ohio, can they gather enough momentum to force a brokered convention - or will their campaigns finally run out of steam?
Read MoreHigh Hopes
While Rubio gets trumped in Florida, the rest of the candidates remain cautiously optimistic. But are high hopes what they need to pull off a win and secure the nomination - or are they just delusional?
Read MoreHome And Abroad
Foreign policy comes to the fore as the political climate grows fiery in the wake of the attacks in Brussels. As Trump and Clinton prepare to square off, can either of them prove their presidential mettle in handling the heat?
Read MoreOn Wisconsin
Ahead of a Wisconsin showdown the candidates crisscross the state in pursuit of competing agendas. Can Kasich, Cruz or Sanders secure their position as spoilers - or will Clinton and Trump finally be crowned their party's Big Cheese?
Read MoreCircus Recap
From the early primary battles to the Super Tuesday showdown and beyond, pull back the curtain on the 2016 presidential race with Mark Halperin, John Heilemann and Mark McKinnon - and catch up on the electrifying first twelve weeks.
Read MoreVeepstakes
No president is complete without a veep. As Trump auditions Chris Christie, Mike Pence and Newt Gingrich and Clinton considers Tim Kaine, can the candidates find the right-hand man for the job who will make, not break, their campaign?
Read MoreThe Trump Show
The political circus goes into overdrive as Trump is crowned the Republican nominee - and Melania, controversially, speaks! Capitalizing on his children to help humanize his image, can Trump plus Pence finally rally a unified party?
Read MoreIn the Arena
The jeers and boos of Sanders diehards ring out in Philadelphia, before the Democrats at last make Hillary a historic nominee. But is shattering a glass ceiling enough for Clinton and Kaine to unite the party into a winning coalition?
Read MoreClosing the Gap
With ten weeks to go until the election the Trump campaign finds itself running from behind. As members of his party start to publicly jump ship, can Trump find a way to close the gap with Clinton or will he just fall further behind?
Read MoreFit to Serve
As Clinton's pneumonia and scrutiny about Trump's medical records comes to the forefront, their fitness to lead is questioned.
Read MoreBattleground
As Clinton and Trump prepare for their first debate, their campaigns target the swing states with an eye on Florida.
Read MoreThe Newsrooms
Preparations for the debate; the candidates cede the spotlight to those who cover the political news.
Read MoreTale of the Tape
The fallout from the second debate and the current scandal surrounding a recently publicized audio tape.
Read MoreFrom Russia With Love
Clinton faces the scandal of her highly sensitive, private emails being made public on WikiLeaks, amid claims of foreign hacking and intervention and international espionage of the 2016 election.
Read MoreHis Word as Biden
With only two weeks until election day, Clinton bets on the one man who has the potential to swing those states still up for grabs: Joe Biden.
Read MoreNobody F... Knows
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.
Read MorePresident Trump
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.
Read MoreShocking But Not Surprising
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.
Read MoreChecking and Balancing
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.
Read MoreHow's He Doing?
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.
Read MoreThe Whole World is Watching
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.
Read MoreRecess Reset
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.
Read MoreThe Resistance
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.
Read MoreLearning Curve
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.
Read MoreLooking Back and Moving On
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.
Read MoreThe Looking Glass War
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.
Read MoreToo Many Lawyers
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.
Read MoreMan of the World
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.
Read MoreTrump Country
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
Read MoreWar and Peace
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.
Read MoreTheir Brand is Crisis
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.
Read MoreThe Gathering Storm
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.
Read MoreBurden of Proof
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.
Read MoreJudgment Day
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.
Read MoreThe Verdict
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.
Read MoreCalifornia Dreaming
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.
Read MoreSenatorial Combat
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.
Read MoreBlack and White
As undertones of racial politics make news, "The Circus" travels to Florida and Georgia, following two historic gubernatorial races with African-American candidates.
Read MoreA Place Called Fear
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.
Read MoreMother(f***er) of All Midterms
This special one-hour season finale is all about the midterms: before, during and after. In the run-up to election day, The Circus visits some of the high-profile campaigns to catch their final pushes.
Read MoreNew World Disorder
It's a new world order in Washington as a Democratic majority in the House puts a check on the Trump presidency. The second half of his term has begun with total gridlock, a government shutdown, and federal workers lining up for free hot meals. Is this the new normal? Meanwhile, freshmen representatives are putting a new face on Congress—and introducing a new reality, and the investigation of Trump takes a surprising turn in the wake of Michael Cohen postponing his congressional testimony.
Read MoreCircling Vultures
The list of former allies who are turning on Donald Trump grows daily, the Mueller investigation continues to circle him and the Democrats have been unrelenting in their attacks. The President’s increasing vulnerability has led to a bumper crop of potential 2020 challengers, all of whom are hoping to be the one to unseat him.
Read MoreThe State of Our Union Is…
As President Trump toys with declaring a state of emergency in order to be able to begin construction of his border wall, his administration is in the spotlight. The House Intelligence Committee is ramping up investigations of Trump on multiple fronts, and is collaborating with Robert Mueller's team.
Read More2020 Is Here
The 2020 election is looming large in the capital. Campaign season is here early and more and more candidates are jumping in each week. THE CIRCUS follows declared and potential candidates Amy Klobuchar and Beto O’Rourke at the top of the week, and tracks ongoing news of the potential government shutdown, the border wall battle, and the Green New Deal back in D.C.
Read MoreStates of Emergency
What exactly constitutes a national emergency? For President Trump, it is clearly securing the U.S. southern border. But others have very different ideas, including gun violence, the opioid crisis and climate change, to name a few. This week THE CIRCUS compares and contrasts various perceived national emergencies and covers people on the front lines of each one.
Read MoreThe Big Split
It's an action-packed week for President Trump on two fronts, creating a split-screen effect for the American people. On one hand, the President travels to Vietnam to meet with Kim Jong Un of North Korea, and have a big moment on the world stage. On the other hand, the President's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, testifies before Congress about potential presidential dirt he may have. Emily Jane Fox, a reporter for Vanity Fair who has been following Cohen, joins the hosts this week to help cover the hearings.
Read MoreTo the Left
A deep dive into the Democratic party. There is a reckoning going on about the party's future. On one hand, there is a movement to tack left towards more progressive policies, a strategy that proved effective in 2018 elections. On the other, many feel that the best way to convert Trump voters in 2020 is to move towards the center. That was Bill Clinton's winning strategy in 1992, after the Democrats had failed to win the presidency repeatedly with more progressive candidates. The question is, are we in a new world now, or not?
Read MoreWhat the F... Happens Next?
Donald Trump is currently engaged in a three-front war over the future of his presidency. The first battle is with Congress, where he is facing a rebuke from both sides of the aisle over his national emergency declaration. The second focusses on the 2020 election, as two potential game-changing Democratic challengers—Joe Biden and Beto O'Rourke—weigh Presidential bids. Trump's final battle on the legal front anticipates the release of the Mueller report, just as his known associates Paul Manafort and Roger Stone face lengthy prison time.
Read MoreThe People on That Stage
The Circus returns with an update on where things stand in the 2020 presidential race. On the Democratic side, the three leading candidates — Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren — are crisscrossing the country trying to get their message across, while the party as a whole is debating what it will take to beat Trump. Meanwhile, the President has an unprecedented number of Republican primary challengers to contend with, which could have an impact on his election strategy.
Read MoreAcross the Rubicon
The Circus tackles the launch of an official impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump. As news roils the capital and the entire nation, the hosts track down Democratic congressional leaders, members of the House Intelligence Committee, and prominent Republicans in a momentous week for both sides of the political aisle.
Read MoreImpeachmentland
The Circus fans out across the country to cover the rapidly-evolving impeachment story through the lens of 2020 presidential campaigns. Meanwhile, in the capital, the hosts track breaking news developments as the White House and others react to the impeachment inquiry and findings thus far. And as members of Congress return to their districts for the fall recess, The Circus attends their town hall meetings with constituents to capture voter reactions.
Read MoreDesperate Times, Desperate Measures
How are key players responding to these desperate times? The President seems to have crafted his defense of the impeachment inquiry, and he's pushing it forcefully. The whistleblowers risked their careers to come forward, can they be protected? And the lower-tier 2020 Democratic candidates must fight even harder to be heard over the tidal wave of impeachment news, while Joe Biden faces a critical test of his candidacy. Special guest Jennifer Palmieri, a veteran of the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Bill Clinton White House, joins the hosts.
Read MoreThe Widening Gyre
With Congress back in session after a two-week recess, everyone in the capital seems to be in fighting mode. Democrats are pursuing the impeachment inquiry at an aggressive pace, and members of Congress from both parties weigh in about the closed-door hearings. The President and his Republican supporters loudly defend his actions in both Ukraine and Syria. And the Democratic 2020 contenders participated in a heated debate in which everyone tried hard to differentiate themselves and be heard above the fray.
Read MoreThe Deep State
The Circus does a deep dive into the longtime federal government agencies and bureaucrats involved in Congress’ ongoing impeachment inquiry, otherwise dubbed by President Trump as the "deep state.”
Read MoreField of Dreams
The Circus is in Iowa for the all-important Liberty and Justice Celebration, aka Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, where past Presidential winners like Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter have broken out from tight races. The hosts go behind the scenes of 2020 Democratic candidates’ campaigns to evaluate their infrastructure and strategy for the event. Will there be a breakout star this time around?
Read MoreHere Be Dragons
The impeachment inquiry is on the brink of a new, uncharted phase with the onset of public hearings. The Circus analyzes potential outcomes of the impeachment inquiry by taking the pulse of Congress members, Presidential campaigns, and Trump loyalists who are all set to be impacted by public testimony.
Read More