On Tuesday, June 2, truth, accountability, and the future of American democracy took center stage in BigTentUSA’s conversation with Andrew Weissmann–MS NOW legal analyst and veteran federal prosecutor. Moderated by Reed Galen of The Union, Weissmann discussed themes from his new book Liar’s Kingdom: How to Stop Trump’s Deceit and Save America, arguing that the growing normalization of political lies poses a serious threat to democratic institutions. He highlighted a key contradiction in American law: while lies in business, courtrooms, and congressional testimony can carry legal consequences, political lies often do not.
Weissmann emphasized that restoring trust requires more than defending old norms. He called for stronger legal safeguards, reforms to prevent the weaponization of government power, and greater transparency from institutions such as the Department of Justice. He also argued that future leaders must be willing to confront past abuses rather than simply “look forward,” warning that accountability is essential to preserving the rule of law.
The conversation ended with a clear challenge: democracy is not self-executing, and protecting it requires public engagement, institutional reform, and a refusal to accept corruption or dishonesty as normal.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:
Andrew Weissmann is an NYU Law School professor and widely respected legal analyst on MS NOW. He was a lead prosecutor in Robert S. Mueller’s Special Counsel’s Office, Chief of the Fraud Section in the Department of Justice, General Counsel of the Federal Bureau of Investigation under Director Mueller, a leader of the Enron Task Force, and started out as an organized crime prosecutor in Brooklyn. He is a co-host of MS NOW‘s award-winning podcast Main Justice and, before that, Prosecuting Donald Trump. He has written two New York Times bestsellers, Where Law Ends: Inside the Mueller Investigation, and, as co-author, The Trump Indictments: The Historic Charging Documents With Commentary, and also writes the Substack newsletter Behind the Headlines. He holds degrees from Princeton and Columbia Law School, was a Fulbright scholar, and teaches at NYU School of Law. He is a New Yorker through and through.
Reed Galen is an independent political strategist, co-founder of The Lincoln Project, and currently serves as the President of The Union, a nationwide coalition working to rebuild American democracy from the ground up. The Union brings together volunteers, organizers, and local leaders to support decent, competent candidates at every level of government. Under Reed’s leadership, The Union is building the infrastructure needed to show up in all 50 states and strengthen civic engagement nationwide.
