The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth

2016
3.3
10 reviews
TV-MA
Rating
Eligible
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Season 8 episodes (12)

1 The Year of Living Dangerously
2/26/23
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. Season premiere.
2 Off to the Races
3/5/23
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.
3 Kevin's House
3/12/23
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.
4 Fake News?
3/19/23
The Circus examines the $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems against Fox News. John Heilemann speaks with legendary First Amendment attorney Floyd Abrams, Mark McKinnon with prominent journalists, and Jennifer Palmieri with Trump voters about the case.
5 Wheels of Justice
3/26/23
This week The Circus examines the multiple investigations facing Donald Trump that could lead to the first indictment of a U.S. president. Jennifer Palmieri speaks with former Justice Department prosecutor Andrew Weissmann about the hush-money probe. Mark McKinnon charts Michael Cohen's journey from Trump fixer to star witness with Vanity Fair reporter Emily Jane Fox. John Heilemann talks with New York Times reporters Michael Bender and Katie Benner about the myriad investigations and their political fallout.
6 Nothing but the Truth
4/2/23
This week The Circus examines the historic indictment of Donald Trump, the nation's first former president to face criminal charges, and tracks the legal and political fallout from the bombshell development. In addition, John Heilemann and guest host Andrew Weissmann discuss the two special counsel probes focused on Trump, Mark McKinnon speaks with Mike Pence after the former VP was ordered to testify in one of those inquiries, and Jennifer Palmieri looks at the investigation into Trump's election interference in Georgia.
7 Exhaustion, Depression and Dread...Oy Vey
10/8/23
The Circus returns amid an historic week in politics. Hosts Jennifer Palmieri, John Heilemann and Mark McKinnon are on Capitol Hill for the unprecedented vote to remove a House speaker by members of his own party, in New York City where former president Donald Trump is in court lashing out against the prosecution of his business empire and on the campaign trail in Iowa as the presidential primary race heats up. Mid-season premiere.
8 Piercing the Bubble
10/15/23
In the wake of the shocking terrorist attack in Israel, The Circus tracks the political fallout as Republican presidential hopefuls respond to the ongoing crisis. John Heilemann, Jennifer Palmieri, Mark McKinnon and guest host Tim Miller travel to Iowa, Washington, DC and New Hampshire to hear from GOP candidates about how they would lead America in an increasingly dangerous world.
9 The Crucible
10/22/23
The Circus examines President Biden's high profile wartime trip to Israel, a nation reeling in the wake of the terrorist attack by Hamas. Meanwhile, House Republicans struggle to elect a new speaker, two weeks after ousting Kevin McCarthy. John Heilemann, Jennifer Palmieri, Mark McKinnon and guest host Errin Haines track the dramatic developments throughout the week, speaking with Vice President Kamala Harris and Ron Klain, President Biden's former chief of staff.
10 This Thing of His
10/29/23
The Circus explores the mounting legal threats facing Donald Trump. Guest host Andrew Weissmann, a former lead prosecutor on Robert Mueller's team, joins Jennifer Palmieri, John Heilmann and Mark McKinnon amid news that several Trump allies have flipped and begun cooperating with prosecutors in cases against him. Meanwhile in New York City, the former president comes face-to-face in court with his former fixer and now antagonist, Michael Cohen.
11 The A.I. Election
11/5/23
The Circus examines the impact of AI on the 2024 election and democracy itself. Jennifer Palmieri travels to the U.K. for the first global AI Safety Summit and sits down with Mustafa Suleyman, a world leader in AI technology. John Heilemann and guest host Jordan Klepper talk with former Google tech ethicist Tristan Harris about the threat of AI-enabled disinformation and deep fakes. And Mark McKinnon discusses how campaigns can prepare with Jiore Craig, a strategist in countering disinformation.
12 Life During Wartime
11/12/23
The Circus confronts the central story defining American politics since the show premiered eight seasons ago: the rise of Donald Trump and the Democratic resistance. Hosts John Heilemann, Jennifer Palmieri and Mark McKinnon, joined by guest hosts Tim Miller and Errin Haines, explore this era of bitter division and uncertainty – in a week that features Trump taking the witness stand in New York, a surprising election night, and a shocking new battleground poll. Series finale.

About this show

Come one, come all to THE CIRCUS, the groundbreaking docu-series that pulls back the curtain on American politics. Hosts John Heilemann, Mark McKinnon, Alex Wagner and Jenn Palmieri go behind the scenes of the greatest political show on earth each week for an unbiased, inside look at the stories beyond the headlines.

Ratings and reviews

3.3
10 reviews
Jimmy Bean
February 19, 2020
Love the total bs angle that this was literally a circus in the sense that none of these fools know what they are doing let alone what they are talking about. Every candidate is a joke for multiple reasons and anyone with half a brain realizes that trump is the only option that wont completely trash the country, but the rich elite of Hollywood and DC wont stop peddling garbage like this.
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Cam B
July 30, 2018
That's right america is a circus today full of bullcrap and more of it and trump is doing a good job of it. Right wingers can suck it yall are crazy like him too hes destroying america and yall are ok with that and yall were born here not patriotic at all. Trump isn't patriotic but a dictator. Hes gonna take all ur rights too right wingers especially civilian right wingers yall dumb and crazy for defending trump and really ask urself what as he done for america nothing at all
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TAB
April 27, 2020
Silly dems and libs are more or less guaranteeing President Trump a 2nd easy win.
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