The Beat with Ari Melber

June 1, 2026; 6pm; MS NOW reports that the Trump administration is planning to abandon its highly controversial $1.8 billion “slush fund.” MS NOW’s Melissa Murray reports and is joined by former SDNY civil prosecutor Maya Wiley and The New York Times’ Molly Jong-Fast. Plus, Murray reports on growing questions about Donald Trump's Wall Street trades. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and Trump biographer David Cay Johnston joins.

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BONUS: In this podcast extra, Ari Melber reports on President Trump's slush fund and speaks with Andrew Weissmann about legal ways to stop the unprecedented plot, plus some lighter conversation on law, vocabulary, and his new book. Maya Wiley joins for a separate conversation on Democracy and the significance of “No Kings” protests These new interviews are a Beat bonus from our podcast series “The B-Side.” Real talk and Ari’s extended conversations off air.

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May 28, 2026; 6pm; The Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation related to writer E. Jean Carroll, who accused Trump of sexual abuse and won her civil case. MS NOW’s Ari Melber reports and is joined by civil rights attorney Nancy Erika Smith and former Trump administration official Sarah Matthews. Melber also reports on new revelations involving potential corruption tied to the Trump family and the federal government. ProPublica’s Robert Faturechi joins.

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May 27, 2026; 6pm; Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. MS NOW’s Ari Melber reports on how his victory is fueling GOP fears within the party. Rev. Al Sharpton and longtime Texas-based political strategist Mark McKinnon join. Plus, acclaimed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson joins to discuss aliens, the universe, and his new book, “Take Me to Your Reader: Perspectives on Your First Alien Encounter.”

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May 26, 2026; 6pm; President Trump faces rising prices and plummeting approval ratings. The New York Times’ Molly Jong-Fast and Michelle Goldberg join MS NOW’s Ari Melber to break down the political and cultural fallout, including Stephen Colbert’s final show.

Plus, media mogul Tom Freston joins to reflect on launching MTV, the evolution of media consolidation and free speech, and Colbert’s legacy as his late-night era comes to a close.

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