Interesting Times with Ross Douthat Jamelle Bouie and I Debate Trump’s Failing Grade
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Jan 25, 2026 
Kathleen Kingsbury, Opinion editor at The New York Times, moderates the live discussion. Jamelle Bouie, opinion columnist and political historian, analyzes Trump’s personnel, immigration stance, and foreign-policy posture. They debate unilateral executive power, deportation logistics, Republican Congressional choices, and how these moves shape the midterms and global politics.
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Unilateral Executive Power Stretching The Presidency
- Ross Douthat argues Trump's second term centers on a unilateralist executive style that expands de facto presidential power.
- That approach risks being either a lasting Caesarist shift or a brittle set of acts reversible by a subsequent president.
Delegation Undermines Presidential Political Control
- Jamelle Bouie says Trump has largely abdicated personnel and political decision-making to deputies like Stephen Miller.
- That delegation undermines the president's ability to respond nimbly to political shifts and creates political problems.
Greenland Push Is Personal And Disruptive
- Ross traces Trump's Greenland push to a long-standing personal interest and a faction on the right favoring territorial expansion.
- He sees Greenland as inconsistent with prior Trump-era foreign policy continuity and as potentially destructive.