What does it mean that we’re living in the era of “peak presidential power”—and did Minneapolis finally reveal its limits? This week, presidential historian, Rice University professor, and CNN contributor Douglas Brinkley joins Preet Bharara to discuss the long arc of executive authority from Washington to Trump, why Minneapolis may have been Trump’s “Rubicon,” and why Trump is, in Brinkley’s words, “the only truly unthoughtful president we’ve had.”

Plus, Brinkley—who sits on the board of the Bruce Springsteen Archives—talks Springsteen’s new protest song ‘Streets of Minneapolis,’ and what it means to see the Boss in resistance mode.

Then, Preet speaks about the news that DOJ has failed to indict six Democratic members of Congress over a video reminding military service members to refuse illegal orders, and he answers your questions about why assistant U.S. attorneys are quitting in droves, and whether the president has the right to sue other people.

In the bonus for Insiders, Doug and Preet discuss the “pendulum swing” in American politics—how Trump pieced together his unlikely coalition, and why the next Democrat president will have to pass what Brinkley calls an “authenticity test.” Join the CAFE Insider community to stay informed without the hysteria, fear-mongering, or rage-baiting. Head to cafe.com/insider to sign up. Thank you for supporting our work.

Shop Stay Tuned merch and featured books by our guests in our Amazon storefront.

Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on BlueSky or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at staytuned@cafe.com, or call 833-997-7338 to leave a voicemail. 

You can now watch this episode! Head to our Youtube channel and subscribe.

Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. 

REFERENCES & SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS:

• Douglas Brinkley, “Silent Spring Revolution: John F. Kennedy, Rachel Carson, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, and the Great Environmental Awakening,” Harper Perennial, 12/3/24
• “Historian Douglas Brinkley on Presidential Executive Orders,” C-Span, 10/9/25
• Executive Order: “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” White House, 3/27/25
• Robert Caro, “The Years of Lyndon Johnson,” Vintage