The episode centers on the fallout from Donald Trump Jr.’s released emails about a Russia-related meeting, using the moment to argue that claims of “fake news” are harder to sustain as details become public. Colbert riffs on the White House’s reported paralysis and internal anxiety, contrasting public defenses of Trump Jr. with the optics of a scandal disrupting the administration’s agenda. It also highlights Trump Jr.’s Fox News explanations and the president’s insistence via tweets that everything is “functioning perfectly,” framing both as evasive or unconvincing responses to mounting scrutiny.

The episode riffs on Jared Kushner’s closed-door interview with the Senate Intelligence Committee about the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting and his claim that he didn’t fully read the email thread describing Russian “dirt” on Hillary Clinton. It then shifts to Donald Trump and his legal team discussing the scope of presidential pardon power, including the possibility of pardoning associates or even himself, and Trump’s tweet framing the investigation as “fake news” and insisting the only crime is leaks. Overall, it uses satire to underline the perceived implausibility of key explanations and the legal and political stakes of the Russia investigation.

The episode riffs on Donald Trump’s frustration with Attorney General Jeff Sessions for recusing himself from the Russia investigation and explores reports that Trump has discussed replacing Sessions, potentially via a recess appointment to sidestep Senate oversight. It highlights bipartisan pushback from senators like Dick Durbin, Lindsey Graham, and Chuck Grassley, who warn against firing Sessions or interfering with Special Counsel Robert Mueller and suggest the Senate could block any new attorney general confirmation. Through satire, the segment underscores the political stakes and the mounting tension between the White House and congressional Republicans over the Justice Department’s independence.

Stephen Colbert riffs on developments in Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation, focusing on the FBI’s pre-dawn no-knock raid of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort’s home and what it could signal about potential money laundering and foreign-account reporting violations. He also discusses reports that President Trump privately exchanged friendly messages with Mueller despite publicly denouncing the probe as a “witch hunt,” using the contrast to highlight perceived hypocrisy and tension around the investigation.

The episode takes stock of the early Trump presidency, focusing on how a norm-breaking president tests the resilience of American institutions and the Republican Party. Legal scholar Jack Goldsmith argues that courts, the press, the bureaucracy, and civil society have so far constrained some of Trump’s most extreme impulses, while warning that Trump’s real long-term damage may come from provoking other institutions into abandoning their own norms. The conversation then shifts to the GOP’s internal struggle between establishment leaders and a Trump-aligned base, with Mindy Finn describing how Trump has reshaped party incentives, primary politics, and attitudes on issues like Russia and identity. Finn and the hosts discuss what, if anything, Trump has clarified for Republicans about economic...

The episode examines Jared Kushner’s rise through the lens of his family, including reporting on how major charitable donations by his father, Charles Kushner, coincided with Jared’s admissions to elite universities and reflected a broader pattern of wealth shaping access and influence. It traces the Kushners’ roots from Rae and Joseph Kushner’s Holocaust survival and refugee journey to their building of a New Jersey real estate empire, then follows Charles Kushner’s political giving, federal prosecution, and conviction for witness retaliation and financial crimes. The reporting then shifts to the family’s high-stakes bet on 666 Fifth Avenue, their struggle under massive debt, and how Jared Kushner’s White House role complicated efforts to secure foreign financing and raised conflict-of-in...

Juli Briskman, a 50-year-old cyclist photographed giving the middle finger to President Donald Trump’s motorcade near a Virginia golf resort, says she was fired from her communications job at government contractor Akima LLC after posting the viral image on social media. She contends the gesture occurred off work hours and that she did not reference her employer, but was told the photo was considered lewd or obscene and violated company social media policies. Briskman also alleges unequal treatment, saying a male colleague kept his job after deleting an offensive post, and questions why she was dismissed immediately. While protests and obscene gestures toward presidential motorcades are common, she says she does not regret the act and viewed it as a way to express her political anger.