Politics with Amy Walter: Mueller’s Testimony Underscores a Crisis of Faith in Democracy

The Takeaway

Much of the coverage of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s congressional testimony this week focused on optics, with pundits on both sides framing the hearings as either beneficial or damaging to a particular political narrative.

But where the hearings may have lacked in made-for-TV soundbites, Mueller’s comments reiterated the fact that the United States remains under attack from a foreign adversary, one that seeks to undermine our faith in the foundational principles of democracy.

We hear from cybersecurity experts about how this problem goes far deeper than just election meddling, and what needs to be done to address the continuing threat.

Plus, we take a look at the growing amount of student debt owed in the US, which passed a staggering $1.5 trillion in 2018. With more and more students struggling to pay for a college education, what are political leaders, and 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, doing to address this crisis?

Guests:

Suzanne Spaulding, former Under Secretary for cyber and infrastructure protection at the US Department of Homeland Security.

Lisa Kaplan,founder of the Alethea Group.

M.H. Miller,editoratThe New York Times, and author of a forthcoming book about his experience with student debt.

Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, a reporter covering the economics of education forThe Washington Post.

Will you support The World with a monthly donation?

Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you. We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.

Make a gift today, and you’ll help us unlock a matching gift of $67,000!