The Political Scene | The New Yorker

In a new recurring series on The Political Scene, the staff writer Andrew Marantz joins Tyler Foggatt to assess the status of American democracy. How does one distinguish—in the blizzard of federal workforce cuts, deportations, and executive orders that have defined the first hundred days of Donald Trump’s second term—actions that are offensive to some, but fundamentally within the power of the executive, from moves which threaten the integrity of our system of government? Marantz applies the lens of Viktor Orbán’s Hungary to analyze where we may be in a potential slide toward autocracy, exploring ways in which Trump has even gone beyond the “Orbán playbook.” Marantz and Foggatt also discuss what it would take to reverse democratic backsliding.This week’s reading: “Is It Happening Here?,” by Andrew Marantz  “One Hundred Days of Ineptitude,” by David Remnick “The Bureaucratic Nightmares of Being Trans Under Trump,” by Grace Byron To discover more podcasts from The New Yorker, visit newyorker.com/podcasts. To send feedback on this episode, write to themail@newyorker.com. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Cory Booker, the Senator from New Jersey known for his activism on poverty and justice, delivers a powerful message about America’s need for moral leadership. He details his record-breaking Senate speech aimed at resisting authoritarianism, urging both parties to prioritize accountability over partisanship. Booker dives into the current immigration crisis and the struggles faced by communities, advocating for bipartisan compassion. He emphasizes the importance of empathy and the role of emerging leaders in shaping a just future.

The Washington Roundtable discusses the first hundred days of President Trump’s second Administration, and the fear, pain, and outrage reverberating through U.S. politics. The clinical psychologist and longtime Department of Justice official Alix McLearen is helping distressed government workers connect with service providers during this time. She joins the roundtable to discuss how a politics of fear is shaping the lives of federal employees and ordinary citizens alike, and strategies for coping when psychological forces like fear and trauma become governing principles. This week’s reading: “Waiting for Trump’s Big, Beautiful Deals,” by Susan B. Glasser “The Conservative Lawyer Defending a Firm from Donald Trump,” by Ruth Marcus “The Immigrant Families Jailed in Texas,” by Jack Herrera “The Cost of Defunding Harvard,” by Atul Gawande “Donald Trump’s Deportation Obsession,” by Jonathan Blitzer “The Guerrilla Marketing Campaign Against Elon Musk,” by Anna Russell “The Supreme Court Finally Takes On Trump,” by Ruth Marcus To discover more podcasts from The New Yorker, visit newyorker.com/podcasts. To send in feedback on this episode, write to themail@newyorker.com with “The Political Scene” in the subject line. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Paul Elie, a writer for The New Yorker and author of 'The Last Supper,' dives into Pope Francis's impactful legacy and his complex relationships with traditionalists and right-wing leaders. Elie highlights the unique leadership style of Francis, emphasizing humility and vulnerability. The conversation also explores the impending papal conclave, the deepening divide between traditionalist and progressive views, and the future dynamics of the papacy shaped by diverse cardinal electorates.

Elon Musk, who’s taking his chainsaw to the federal government, is not merely a chaos agent, as he is sometimes described. Jill Lepore, the best-selling author of “These Truths” and other books, says that Musk is animated by obsessions and a sense of mission he acquired through reading, and misreading, science fiction. “When he keeps saying, you know, ‘We’re at a fork in the road. The future of human civilization depends on this election,’ he means SpaceX,” she tells David Remnick. “He means . . . ‘I need to take these rockets to colonize Mars and that’s only going to happen through Trump.’ ” The massive-scale reduction in social services he is enacting through DOGE, Lepore thinks, is tied to this objective. “Although there may be billions of [people] suffering here on planet Earth today, those are miniscule compared to the calculation of the needs of the billions of humans that will one day ever live if we can gain escape velocity from planet Earth. . . . That is, in fact, the math that lies behind DOGE.”  Lepore’s BBC radio series on the SpaceX C.E.O. is called “X-Man: The Elon Musk Origin Story.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Ruth Marcus, a columnist for The New Yorker and author of *Supreme Ambition*, dives deep into the turbulent relationship between Trump and the judiciary. She discusses how Trump's legal strategies seem to be backfiring in lower courts while the Supreme Court exhibits surprising deference to presidential power. Marcus highlights crucial immigration cases and the implications of recent rulings, questioning the Court's checks on Trump. With a conservative majority, she explores what this may mean for the balance of power moving forward.

Mark Blyth, a Professor of International Economics and Public Affairs at Brown University, joins the discussion to unpack the recent bond market shifts and their influence on Donald Trump's trade policies. He highlights the power dynamic between the U.S. and China, noting that the latter can endure economic pain better than Trump’s administration anticipates. Blyth critiques the reliance on tariffs as a solution, advocating for deeper, more comprehensive policies to address America’s industrial challenges and global economic engagement.

Sherrod Brown, former U.S. Senator from Ohio, passionately advocates for the working class and leads The Dignity of Work Institute. He discusses the chaotic impact of Trump's tariffs on the global economy and emphasizes the need for progressives to propose viable alternatives rather than simply opposing the current policies. Brown critiques traditional trade strategies, highlighting their disconnect from the realities faced by American workers and urging a focus on enhancing labor rights and dignity in economic policies. He calls for a renewed protectionist approach that prioritizes job security.

Stephen Witt, a tech journalist and author of "The Thinking Machine," discusses Nvidia's monumental role in the AI revolution, highlighting how it shifted from gaming to a titan in microchip production under CEO Jensen Huang. Witt explains Nvidia's edge in parallel processors crucial for AI and the implications for global power dynamics, especially amid U.S.-China tensions. He argues that the traditional labor advantages may diminish with increasing automation, reshaping tech's geopolitical landscape and urging public engagement in AI's future.

The discussion delves into Trump's sweeping tariffs and their global economic fallout. It highlights historical parallels with authoritarian regimes using economic control. The Roundtable examines the repercussions on farmers, showcasing the disconnect between policy decisions and real-world impacts. There's also talk of Trump's potential military aspirations, like Greenland, and how these maneuvers reflect a shift in Republican ideologies and highlight concerns for democratic checks and balances. It's a deep dive into the intersection of economics and political power.