
Corey Brettschneider
Professor of political science at Brown University. Author of The Oath and the Office.


New episode · October 29, 2026
Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, the subject and hero of the new film The Social Reckoning, joins Corey Brettschneider and John Fugelsang for an in-depth conversation about Facebook’s responsibility for January 6. How did its systems help fuel the attack? Could the company have prevented it? And how did that day shape her decision to blow the whistle? Corey also shares his reaction to the film and a story about Hillary Clinton at Brown University that raises questions about political belonging and why she lost to Trump.
From the episode
You know, things had gotten bad enough that, for example, the most outlier individual on Facebook, one person invited 300,000 people to Stop the Steal groups. Like that’s not supposed to be possible within the geometry of Facebook.
Frances Haugen, on Could Facebook Have Stopped January 6? With Frances Haugen
The show
The Oath and the Office is a weekly politics podcast unpacking presidential power, the U.S. Constitution, and the rule of law—with serious constitutional analysis and biting comedy.
Brown University political science professor Corey Brettschneider teams up with comedian John Fugelsang to tackle the week’s biggest stories and what they mean for American democracy—from the Supreme Court and elections to free speech and abuses of presidential power.
Every president swears to “preserve, protect, and defend” the Constitution, but what happens when one openly attacks it? Corey and John pull no punches, exposing threats to democracy, demanding accountability, and talking with the people fighting back.
Mixing sharp wit and serious political fire, this is the civics lesson you can’t afford to miss. New episodes every Thursday.

Professor of political science at Brown University. Author of The Oath and the Office.

Host of The John Fugelsang Show on SiriusXM Progress 127. Author of Separation of Church and Hate.
The new book
Five Leaders Who Threatened Democracy and the Citizens Who Fought to Defend It
Winner, American Bar Association Silver Gavel Award, 2025
American presidents have often pushed the boundaries established for them by the Constitution; this is the inspirational history of the people who pushed back.
Buy the book
"[A]n essential survey… [The Presidents and the People] is an invaluable breakdown of present-day concerns in an illuminating historical context."