The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart Trump’s Domination Politics, at Home and Abroad with Fareed Zakaria
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Jan 14, 2026 
In this engaging discussion, journalist Fareed Zakaria dives into the concept of 'illiberal democracy' and its implications for U.S. politics. He argues that Trump's actions have exposed institutional weaknesses and highlights the dangers of party loyalty undermining checks and balances. Zakaria critiques Trump's transactional foreign policy versus a relationship-based approach and reflects on the consequences of abandoning the postwar rules-based order. With a mix of data and insightful analysis, he offers a thought-provoking look at America's current political landscape.
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Norms Can’t Replace Legal Constraints
- The U.S. constitutional system relied heavily on post-Watergate norms to constrain executives rather than strict legal fences.
- Fareed Zakaria warns those norms have been broken, revealing a need for stronger statutory limits on presidential power.
Deliberate Legal Violations As Strategy
- The current administration deliberately violates laws and procedures to assert executive primacy and signal permanence.
- Zakaria argues this is ideological: they view constraints as illegitimate and aim to normalize executive overreach.
Post‑1945 Order Reduced Great Power Conquest
- The post‑1945 rules-based international order sharply reduced wars of conquest and annexation.
- Zakaria credits U.S.-led institutions and open economies for creating incentives for peace and prosperity.
