Latest episode

Will the president cancel student debt?

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, an economist, and a student all weigh in on what to do — or not — about student debt, in this first episode in our occasional series about the policy challenges that President Biden might face during his first year in office.

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About Can He Do That?
“Can He Do That?” is The Washington Post’s politics podcast, exploring presidential power in the face of weakened institutions, a divided electorate and changing political norms. Led by host Allison Michaels, each episode asks a new question about this extraordinary moment in American history and answers with insight into how our government works, how to understand ongoing events, and the implications when so much about the current state of American life and the country’s politics is unlike anything we’ve seen before. 

Norms of the presidency have eroded, institutions have been weakened, the country is more divided than ever, the ways we measure and understand political sentiment are flawed, and misinformation has become a powerful piece of the national discourse.

President Biden campaigned on a promise to fix what’s broken, to repair divisions, and to restore some of the norms and institutions that were pillars of the Washington in which he built his career. But can he do that? Does he have the power, ability or even the will to set the country on the path he envisions? Biden said the 2020 election was a battle for the soul of the nation — so who’s really winning?
About us
Host: Allison Michaels

Produced by: Arjun Singh
  • Latest episode

    Will the president cancel student debt?

    Sen. Elizabeth Warren, an economist, and a student all weigh in on what to do — or not — about student debt, in this first episode in our occasional series about the policy challenges that President Biden might face during his first year in office.

  • More Episodes

    How a voting law ignited a culture war

    Since Georgia passed its new voting law, corporations, Congress and consumers have responded in ways that introduce big questions. Among them: How will the GOP grapple with its fraying relationship with corporate America over social and cultural issues?

  • Biden’s big bet on big government

    How did Biden become a president with an ambitious agenda for major government expansion? Where will his proposals position him in history? And is he likely to accomplish much of what he’s put forth? The Post’s Dan Balz weighs in.

  • Do presidents have the power to stop mass shootings?

    After tragedies in Colorado and Georgia, Biden has pledged to tighten gun laws. But the country has been here before, in the aftermath of mass shootings. Regardless of which party is in power, little reform has happened. Will this time be different

  • The political power of culture wars

    We examine why transgender rights have risen to the forefront of our politics, and what the history of the modern Republican party reveals about how social issue battles work as a political tool, with reporter Samantha Schmidt and professor Brian Conley.

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