President Trump appears to be thumbing his nose at the Supreme Court by defying its rulings on deportation. And he escalated the issue this week during a visit from El Salvador’s president, when both leaders refused to try to return a Maryland father mistakenly deported to a notorious prison. Columnists Dana Milbank, León Krauze and Jason Willick discuss whether defying the rule of law could finally catch up to Trump —and if he'll take a hit on one of his most popular issues. Additional reading ...
Apr 15, 2025•21 min
Global travel has boomed in recent years, sometimes to the point of annoying locals. But with all that’s happening with U.S. foreign policy, might we soon be begging for tourists to return? Post Opinions’ Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and Catherine Rampell discuss the impact of Trump’s policies on travel, and how local economies and tourists are often bound to each other, whether people like it or not. Subscribe to The Washington Post here ....
Apr 11, 2025•22 min
Additional reading by our columnists: Dana Milbank: The economy. The Constitution. Is there anything Trump won’t destroy? Philip Bump: What America could look like a decade from now Heather Long: Something worse could be coming for the economy than a recession Subscribe to The Washington Post here ....
Apr 08, 2025•20 min
Is nothing safe from the culture wars? President Trump has found a new battleground: the nation’s museums. He’s demanded that art and stories that he says divide people based on race be removed from the Smithsonian's dozens of institutions. The Post’s Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and Monica Hesse discuss what’s at stake when our history is papered over, and how art can make us uncomfortable or overwhelmed, but sometimes that’s the point. Additional reading by our columnists: Monica Hesse: Wha...
Apr 04, 2025•21 min
President Trump keeps losing in court. A few Republican senators have started to criticize his administration’s actions, albeit mildly. And consumer confidence and the stock market are plunging with news of more and more tariffs. Are we starting to see some cracks in the MAGA unity that’s held strong since Trump’s victory in November? Columnists Dana Milbank, Karen Tumulty and Jason Willick discuss whether there’s a line Trump can’t cross, and what the special elections this week could reveal ab...
Apr 01, 2025•20 min
A fitness influencer posted a video of his over-the-top morning routine that’s racked up nearly a billion views. What does the video’s popularity tell us about our culture’s obsession with so-called wellness? Are people just searching for meaning in a world that can feel out of control? Columnists Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and Ted Johnson talk about our culture’s endless appetite for wellness fixes. Here’s the video referenced in the show. Subscribe to The Washington Post here ....
Mar 28, 2025•25 min
Since Republicans took over government in January, Democrats haven’t been able to find a unified message or opposition strategy. While Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tour the country speaking to massive crowds about fighting billionaires, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is taking heat for supporting a Republican-led budget plan. How can the Democrats get out of the wilderness? Columnists Dana Milbank, Shadi Hamid and Matt Bai discuss the need for a fresh philosophy an...
Mar 25, 2025•26 min
Why are so many people talking about two escapist, engrossing TV dramas that let us slip away from our reality for an hour each week? Is it just that this kind of complex, big-budget television show is so rare these days? Columnists Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and Monica Hesse talk about the valley on the other side of “peak tv” — and how sometimes you just need shows you can watch while folding laundry. Additional reading: Monica Hesse: ‘The Apprentice’ is now on Amazon. Don’t do what I did...
Mar 21, 2025•21 min
The Trump administration is taking its immigration attacks beyond the border. Federal officials have detained green card holder and Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil, and have picked up other legal immigrants returning from travel abroad. What does all of this mean for the legal immigration system? Columnists Dana Milbank, Eduardo Porter and Shadi Hamid discuss the chilling effects of this “hinge moment” in Trump’s presidency. Subscribe to The Washington Post here ....
Mar 18, 2025•23 min
You think you’ve heard all you need to about daylight saving time, but we promise you haven’t heard it quite like this. Most people hate changing the clocks back and forth each fall and spring, but they can’t seem to agree on how we could do it better. In this episode, Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and David Von Drehle take us on a journey of DST through history and around the world. They also pitch some wild ideas for how we can better optimize the sunlight, which is what we're guessing everybody r...
Mar 14, 2025•20 min
As President Trump stays bullish on tariffs, sending markets spiraling and personal anxieties soaring, the Republican-led Congress is trying to pass a budget. Do Democrats have any levers to pull, or should they just let Republicans own whatever happens next? Dana Milbank, Heather Long and James Hohmann talk through the negotiations in Washington this week and how Trump’s unclear messaging could hurt business. Additional reading: Heather Long: A Trump recession has become a real possibility Subs...
Mar 11, 2025•22 min
When a few dozen women in pink suits strode into the House for the joint address to Congress last week, something felt a little, well, off. Partly, it seemed taken from a tired old playbook. Partly, it sent a garbled message. But mostly it pointed to the fact that many liberal women don’t know what to do in this post-resistance era. Columnists Molly Roberts and Monica Hesse speak with contributor Carolina A. Miranda about the backlash to “girl boss” culture, how women on the MAGA right are findi...
Mar 07, 2025•20 min
President Trump’s address to Congress was historically long and unusual in its style. Some Democrats booed and heckled him, and Trump did his own trolling of Democrats too. What does this address tell us about our politics and the future of Trump 2.0? Columnists Ruth Marcus, Dana Milbank and Ramesh Ponnuru get into it. Dana Milbank: In just five days, Trump has set the country back nearly 100 years Subscribe to The Washington Post here ....
Mar 05, 2025•22 min
This year’s top Oscar-nominated films are an eclectic mix, but share some common themes. Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and Alyssa Rosenberg discuss the not-so-straightforward heroes and villains in this year’s top movies, the limits of trying to transform oneself and what all of this says about the current moment. Subscribe to The Washington Post here ....
Feb 28, 2025•21 min
President Trump has elevated a podcaster who’s bragged about “owning the libs” to a top position at the FBI, after firing six top generals at the Pentagon last week. Meanwhile, Elon Musk continues to make confusing demands of federal employees. Columnists Ruth Marcus, Dana Milbank and Philip Bump discuss whether this is all about loyalty and subservience to the president, or if there’s perhaps a bigger grand plan. Additional reading by our columnists: Philip Bump: The right-wing media machine is...
Feb 25, 2025•24 min
Names are important symbols, and President Trump is trying to change, or change back, quite a few. There’s the “Gulf of America” of course, but also the reversion of a military base from Fort Liberty to Fort Bragg, and efforts by his administration to erase the “T” in LGBT on government websites. Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and Theodore Johnson discuss what names say about our cultural values, and whether renaming places again and again misses the point. Additional reading from the Washington Post...
Feb 21, 2025•23 min
President Trump is trying to make good on his campaign promises to end wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and he has brought his shock-and-awe strategy to the world stage. Ruth Marcus talks to David Ignatius about the chaotic past week in Europe, whether Trump will sell out the Ukrainians in a deal with Russia, and how Trump is refusing (for now) to join Israel in bombing a weakened Iran. Additional reading by David Ignatius: At Munich, Trump’s chaotic approach has allies rattled Trump w...
Feb 18, 2025•30 min
The penny costs more to make than it’s worth, but why is it so difficult to stop making them? Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and Megan McArdle talk about whether there’s a case for continuing to make pennies — and if we should ditch some other coins weighing down our pockets while we’re at it. In fact, how much life is left for cash at all?
Feb 14, 2025•20 min
As the Trump administration challenges Congress’s “power of the purse” and grumbles at court orders slowing down its deluge of executive actions, it seems like a showdown among the three branches of government is brewing. But is this panic warranted, or will President Trump and his allies do what the courts say? Columnists Ruth Marcus, James Hohmann and Jason Willick get into it. Additional reading by our columnists: Ruth Marcus: Can the courts — can anyone — stop Trump? Jason Willick: Sav...
Feb 11, 2025•30 min
Many U.S. office workers have gotten used to hybrid or remote work in the past few years. These arrangements changed where people live and added flexibility to their schedules. But now, the trend seems to be reversing – some companies are wanting people back in the office five days a week, and President Trump said federal employees need to end remote work, too. Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and Heather Long discuss how the balance of power between employers and their workers is shifting, and whether...
Feb 07, 2025•25 min
Elon Musk, the unelected billionaire tasked by President Trump with finding government efficiencies, is in many ways treating the federal bureaucracy as if it’s a private company he just bought. Columnists Ruth Marcus, Dana Milbank and Matt Bai talk about Musk and Trump’s strategy to demoralize those they can’t fire, whether they’re actually saving any money with his actions and what sort of legal hiccups they are running into along the way.
Feb 04, 2025•28 min
One thing we can control is how we spend our money. So should the places where we shop align with our values, or is the politicization of corporate America just one more way the country is fracturing? Post Opinions’s Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and Heather Long discuss boycotts on both sides of the aisle, from Chick-fil-A to Budweiser, and whether voting with your dollars can change anything. Additional Reading: Target’s DEI cuts have Black entrepreneurs saying ‘clear the shelves’ Subscribe to The...
Jan 31, 2025•22 min
President Trump wants to take over Greenland and “clean out” Gaza and is threatening both friends and foes of the United States. Is Trump's shock-and-awe approach a smart tactic, or is he weakening America by alienating our allies? Columnists Dana Milbank, Catherine Rampell and Max Boot discuss the pitfalls of Trump bringing his real estate developer instincts back to the world stage. Read more from our columnists: Max Boot: Why McKinley makes an alarming Trump presidential role model Eduardo Po...
Jan 28, 2025•21 min
Social media is in flux. X has become Elon Musk’s megaphone, Meta just ended its fact-checking program, and TikTok’s future is up in the air. Some on the left are flocking to Bluesky as other platforms shift right. As these online spaces become as divided as our politics, are they still serving us? Assistant editor Drew Goins talks with columnists Molly Roberts and Philip Bump about the good, the bad and the ugly of today’s social media scene.
Jan 24, 2025•23 min
The first day of Donald Trump’s presidency featured a fire hose of execution orders, pardons for the Jan. 6 defendants and lots of long speeches. Columnists Ruth Marcus, Dana Milbank and Jim Geraghty discuss what stood out to them among the barrage of actions, what might not pass legal muster and how presidential pardons are getting out of hand. Additional Reading: Ruth Marcus: Big Tech’s power surge Jim Geraghty: Trump’s inauguration vow to uphold the law clashes with his TikTok stance Subscrib...
Jan 21, 2025•20 min
It’s “Dry January,” non-alcoholic drink sales are soaring and the surgeon general is warning people about the links between alcohol and cancer. But is it really so bad to have a few drinks at a weekly happy hour? Opinions editor Drew Goins chats with contributing columnist and physician Leana Wen and columnist Molly Roberts about the hierarchy of cancer risks and how to weigh the pleasures and perils of drinking. Additional Reading: Leana Wen: The right lesson to draw from the surgeon general’s ...
Jan 14, 2025•23 min
There’s a housing crisis in America: high interest rates, not enough homes, and regulations that seem to favor building massive “McMansions” instead of more diverse housing stock. How did we get here, and can we find our way out? Post columnist Heather Long talks to the Atlantic’s Jerusalem Demsas, who’s written a book on the housing crisis, and Bryan DeHenau, a Michigan roofer who sees the struggles in the building industry on the ground every day. Additional Reading: Heather Long and Amanda Sh...
Jan 07, 2025•28 min
When we look back on 2024, it’s easy for the campaign and the election to drown out everything else that happened. But there was so much more! The Post’s Alexandra Petri, Molly Roberts and Drew Goins talk about this chaotic year and the stories that stuck with them.
Dec 24, 2024•25 min
The killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson captivated America, as it played out in an almost cinematic fashion. But there are disturbing issues underneath this crime – the simmering anger over health-care costs and the growing normalization of violence in the United States. The Post’s David Von Drehle talks with columnists Molly Roberts and Matt Bai about what it means when citizens try to take justice into their own hands. Read the Washington Post column by Catherine Rampell referenced ...
Dec 17, 2024•23 min
America has lost faith in experts, and it’s certainly showing in some of Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks. Beyond a lack of qualifications, there are concerns over character problems with several nominees too. But do either really matter in American politics anymore? Deputy Opinions Editor David Von Drehle talks with columnists Ruth Marcus and Dana Milbank about what, if anything, can sink a nominee in today’s political culture.
Dec 10, 2024•27 min
