The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg ‘Push Back the Keyboard and Go for a Walk’ | Ruminant
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Jan 24, 2026 A wide-ranging take on presidential staff responsibility and why leaders need internal restraint. A critique of empty political threats, campus protest culture, and permissive policing. A candid look at contemporary antisemitic tropes and how they warp debate. Pop culture detours into Star Trek, sitcom neighbors, and TV recommendations sprinkled throughout.
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Impulsive Threats Undermine Political Capital
- Jonah Goldberg argues Trump's impulsive threats (Greenland, Iran) harm U.S. credibility and political capital.
- He says advisers should restrain him to protect both policy and the president's interests.
Chiefs Should Help Presidents Help Themselves
- Goldberg frames a chief of staff's role as helping the president help himself, not defying him.
- He defends pushback that prevents harmful decisions while preserving the president's authority.
Encouraging Uprisings Carries Moral Risk
- Encouraging foreign protesters without means to follow through can be morally dangerous and deadly.
- Goldberg criticizes Trump's Iran rhetoric for raising false expectations and then failing to act.
