The Dishcast with Andrew Sullivan

Claire Berlinski On Trump's Global Wreckage

Jan 9, 2026
Claire Berlinski, an American novelist and journalist based in Paris, dives into her family's history of fleeing Nazi Germany and her deep love for Margaret Thatcher. They dissect the implications of U.S. policy in Venezuela and the growing isolationism among Americans. Claire candidly reflects on her past errors regarding the Iraq War and shares concerns about Donald Trump's mental fitness affecting foreign policy. The duo also examines the current threats to Europe, NATO's role, and the shifting dynamics of American global engagements.
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ANECDOTE

Family Fleeing Nazi Germany

  • Claire Berlinski recounts her grandparents fleeing Nazi Germany and rebuilding life in France and then New York.
  • Her grandfather joined the French Foreign Legion and escaped to America while her grandmother arrived pregnant, shaping the family's American story.
ANECDOTE

Mother Was A Concert Cellist

  • Claire Berlinski describes her mother as a world-class cellist who won major competitions and met her philosopher father through cello lessons.
  • They moved to Stanford where Claire was born in California in 1968, a formative and opportunity-rich childhood.
INSIGHT

Thatcher's Strategic Use Of Femininity

  • Margaret Thatcher wielded multiple personas—diva, matron, housewife, shrew—to exert political influence effectively.
  • Claire argues Thatcher used femininity strategically as a moral and political tool rather than a liability.
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