The Opinions Was 2025 the End of ‘Teflon Trump’?
46 snips
Dec 20, 2025 
Join David French, a law and politics columnist from New York Times Opinion, and Jamelle Bouie, a progressive politics analyst, as they dissect the tumultuous year under Trump. They call out the falsehoods from Trump's speeches, discuss the implications of his administration's policies, and analyze the damage done to civil service and healthcare. Amidst the chaos, they spot silver linings like changing voter sentiments and Republican defiance. Tune in for a mix of serious analysis and lighter cultural reflections!
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Performance Over Policy
- Trump's 18-minute address read like a desperate performance rather than a factual policy briefing.
- Jamelle Bouie and David French both describe it as a torrent of falsehoods and theatrical demagoguery.
Unchecked Deputies Running The Show
- The administration shows signs of a checked-out president with powerful, autonomous deputies exercising real authority.
- David French warns that this concentrated, unaccountable power allows ideological actors to pursue narrow goals using presidential authority.
Turning Problems Into Pretexts For Hate
- Trump seizes real problems and amplifies them into broad waves of hatred against groups like Somali-Americans.
- Jamelle Bouie cautions this tactic converts isolated issues into sustained campaigns of demagoguery.