Donald Trump has officially ended one of the most important parts of the American experiment by demanding that an independent Department of Justice go easy on one of his buddies. By taking on the judicial powers of convicting and sentencing, Trump has turned our “system of laws, not men“ on its head. This is the sort of thing you see in Erdogan’s Turkey, but never in an advanced democracy. Bill Barr and Donald Trump have committed a complete repudiation of one of the most important of the values and structures that made this country a democratic republic. Four brave federal prosecutors have stood up to this and resigned, but if there is not an overwhelming and systematic response to Trump’s subversion of the American justice system, our republic is at an end. November may be too late.

And why aren't Democrats prepared to raise hell over this?

Other topics include.. nominating Alexander Vindman for the JFK Profiles in Courage award... Could Bill the Cat's hairballs beat Donald Trump?.. Will many at MSNBC continue to attack Bernie if he gets the nomination?.. And why we can't keep up the circular firing squad.

Plus Thom reads from the new book 'The Triumph of the Homewreckers' by Aaron Glantz and from 'Rendezvous with Oblivion' by Thomas Frank.