The Circus

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In the season premiere, The Circus lives up to its name as the impeachment trial of President Donald J. Trump begins in earnest, and the all-important Iowa caucuses are less than two weeks away. With three of the top five presidential candidates locked in the Senate chamber hearing testimony, the Iowa race is too close to predict. Biden and Buttigieg have the state to themselves—and they're taking advantage of it—while Senators Sanders, Warren and Klobuchar must rely on surrogates at campaign events and off-hour interviews from DC.

In the last full week before the caucuses, the focus is on Iowa and the closing pitch all of the Democratic candidates are making to voters. Campaign leaders for the major candidates weigh in on their final sprints, what they're excited about, and what is keeping them up at night. And even as his impeachment trial is underway in Washington, President Trump makes an appearance at an Iowa rally and The Circus is there to cover it.

In one of the wildest political weeks in memory, the fumbled tallies at the Democratic Iowa caucus prevented the typical winnowing of candidates and essential momentum builds for the victors. With the stakes of the New Hampshire Democratic primary dramatically raised, all eyes go to the Friday night debate stage. Meanwhile, President Trump has the wind at his back, with a completed State of the Union address and an acquittal on both articles of impeachment from the Senate.

In an extended season premiere, The Circus attempts to make sense of a country reeling from the grave implications of a Capitol siege.

At the brink of an historic second impeachment, The Circus delves into the last week in office of a furious, de-platformed President Trump. With last week’s Capitol violence ever relevant, the question remains: will this be a decisive moment for our nation?

As a new administration takes center stage committed to national unity, The Circus captures the magnitude of an era that has until recently been engulfed in divisiveness. With Joe Biden officially sworn in as 46th President of the United States, the hosts break down the most prominent moments as the country undergoes a transition of power.

The Circus returns with the world on edge following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. John Heilemann reports from on the ground in neighboring Poland with U.S. Ambassador Mark Brzezinski. Jennifer Palmieri is at the White House with Press Secretary Jen Psaki immediately following President Biden’s first State of the Union address. Plus, Alex Wagner examines the escalating standoff between Presidents Biden and Putin and Mark McKinnon looks at the political tensions on Capitol Hill amidst the evolving crisis.

With the situation on the ground in Ukraine growing increasingly dire, The Circus explores what more the U.S. and its allies can do. As Secretary of State Antony Blinken travels to Estonia, John Heilemann speaks with Prime Minister Kaja Kallas about fears Putin could strike a NATO nation next. Plus, Mark McKinnon explores President Biden’s response with Senator Mitt Romney; Alex Wagner interviews Ukrainian parliament member Oleksandra Ustinova; and Jennifer Palmieri speaks with officials about the threat Putin now poses to the world.

As Russia escalates its assault, Ukraine’s President delivers an impassioned address to Congress. Jennifer Palmieri and Mark McKinnon are on Capitol Hill speaking with lawmakers immediately after Zelinsky’s emotional plea to “close the sky” over Ukraine. Plus, Alex Wagner and John Heilemann examine the information war, including the sophisticated Russian disinformation campaign infiltrating American media and Putin’s draconian crackdown on dissent and free speech inside Russia.

The Circus is in Poland tracking President Biden as he stuns the world with a visit to the embattled capital of Ukraine to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion. Host John Heilemann talks with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan about the covert trip to Kyiv and the monumental challenges of confronting a nuclear armed Russia. Back in the U.S., Mark McKinnon speaks with Bush White House veteran Nicole Wallace, while Jennifer Palmieri sits down with former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Admiral James Stavridis.

The Circus is on the ground in Florida, South Carolina, Maryland and New Hampshire to mark the unofficial kick-off of the Republican Party's presidential nominating contest. The week begins as a leading potential candidate, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, launches his book tour and ends with CPAC, the annual conservative gathering that’s friendly territory for former President Donald Trump, who’s already in the race. John Heilemann, Jennifer Palmieri, Mark McKinnon and guest host Tim Miller examine the fault lines already emerging in the party.

The Circus heads to Capitol Hill to cover the new Republican-controlled House of Representatives. John Heilemann, Mark McKinnon, and Jennifer Palmieri follow two freshman members of Congress, Republican Mike Lawler of New York and Democrat Maxwell Frost of Florida, as they navigate a week dominated by Tucker Carlson's coverage of January 6th, hearings on the Biden Administration, and a fight that threatens to tip America over a fiscal cliff.