The United States Senate is at a precarious moment. From tariffs to agency funding to foreign affairs, the Senate’s check on the executive branch is arguably weaker than ever, with some critics, and some senators, warning that the body is abandoning its constitutionally prescribed role. With that in mind, “The Interview” host Lulu Garcia-Navarro invited three politicians, all of whom decided to leave the Senate at some point during the Trump era, to discuss the problems they see. Joining her are: Tina Smith, a Democratic senator from Minnesota who is not running for re-election; Jeff Flake, a former Republican senator from Arizona; and Joe Manchin, a former senator from West Virginia, who was a Democrat and later a registered independent. “Congress has abdicated its responsibility,” Flake says. Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/13/magazine/senators-manchin-flake-smith-interview.html “The Interview” features conversations with the world’s most fascinating people. Each week, co-hosts David Marchese and Lulu Garcia-Navarro talk to compelling, influential figures in culture, politics, business, sports and beyond — illuminating who they are, why they do what they do and how they impact the rest of us. Subscribe to “The Interview”: https://www.youtube.com/@theinterviewpodcast Subscribe to New York Times audio: https://bit.ly/3Qz3GZu Download the New York Times app: https://bit.ly/4gZdoip #theinterview