The Political Scene | The New Yorker

The Washington Roundtable discusses President Donald Trump’s health and the signs of his age-related decline: a noticeably reduced work schedule, fewer public appearances, and more rambling, profanity-laden outbursts. The panel examines how this undermines Trump’s self-styled image of strength and vigor, what lessons about aging Presidents can be drawn from the Biden and Reagan Administrations, and why America may be facing what scholars refer to as the “Bad Emperor” problem in Chinese history. “When strongmen get weak, watch out,” the staff writer Jane Mayer says.  This week’s reading: “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-trumps-washington/war-is-peace-the-dozing-don-edition">War Is Peace, the Dozing Don Edition</a>,” by Susan B. Glasser “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-dishonorable-strikes-on-venezuelan-boats">The Dishonorable Strikes on Venezuelan Boats</a>,” by Ruth Marcus “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/mikie-sherrill-intends-to-move-fast">Mikie Sherrill Intends to Move Fast</a>,” by Gabriel Debenedetti “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/12/08/the-undermining-of-the-cdc">The Undermining of the C.D.C.</a>,” by Dhruv Khullar “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/the-legal-consequences-of-pete-hegseths-kill-them-all-order">The Legal Consequences of Pete Hegseth’s ‘Kill Them All’ Order</a>,” by Isaac Chotiner “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/12/08/in-the-line-of-fire">In the Line of Fire</a>,” by Benjamin Wallace-Wells “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-financial-page/what-can-economists-agree-on-these-days">What Can Economists Agree on These Days?</a> ” by John Cassidy  The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week.  Tune in <a href="https://link.chtbl.com/p7tKbZe1">wherever you get your podcasts</a>.

The New Yorker staff writer Jon Lee Anderson joins Tyler Foggatt to talk about the Trump Administration’s military strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug boats in the Caribbean. They discuss the questionable intelligence and rationale behind the operation, the legal concerns raised by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s alleged order to leave no survivors in a September strike, and whether the attacks feels more performative than strategic. They also explore how Trump’s framing of the issue as a drug war intersects with his broader ambitions—from pressuring the Venezuelan President, Nicolás Maduro, to reasserting American dominance in the hemisphere—and how other Latin American countries may respond to further military action in the region. This week’s reading: “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/12/01/can-trumps-peace-initiative-stop-the-congos-thirty-year-war">Can Trump’s Peace Initiative Stop the Congo’s Thirty-Year War?</a>,” by Jon Lee Anderson “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-dishonorable-strikes-on-venezuelan-boats">The Dishonorable Strikes on Venezuelan Boats</a>,” by Ruth Marcus “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/the-legal-consequences-of-pete-hegseths-kill-them-all-order">The Legal Consequences of Pete Hegseth’s ‘Kill Them All’ Order</a>,” by Isaac Chotiner “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/12/08/the-undermining-of-the-cdc">The Undermining of the C.D.C.</a>,” by Dhruv Khullar “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/12/08/in-the-line-of-fire">In the Line of Fire</a>,” by Benjamin Wallace-Wells  The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week. Tune in to The Political Scene<a href="http://swap.fm/l/tny-tps-extref"> wherever you get your podcasts</a>.

The New Yorker contributing writer Anna Russell joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss the rise of family estrangement in mainstream culture. Recent studies have found that more than a quarter of all Americans are currently estranged from a relative. They talk about how the idea of going “no contact” has gained traction in mainstream culture, the personal and generational shifts that can lead people to distance themselves from relatives, and why family bonds feel less inviolable than they once did. They also look at the political disagreements that can lead to decisions to cut off contact, whether close family relationships can survive deep ideological divides, and what therapists and researchers say about the prospects for reconciliation following estrangement.  This week’s reading: “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/annals-of-inquiry/why-so-many-people-are-going-no-contact-with-their-parents">Why So Many People Are Going ‘No Contact’ with Their Parents</a>,” by Anna Russell “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/11/24/the-meaning-of-trumps-presidential-pardons">The Meaning of Trump’s Presidential Pardons</a>,” by Benjamin Wallace-Wells “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/fault-lines/nick-fuentes-is-not-just-another-alt-right-boogeyman">Nick Fuentes Is Not Just Another Alt-Right Boogeyman</a>,” by Jay Caspian Kang “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-darkest-thread-in-the-epstein-e-mails">The Darkest Thread in the Epstein E-mails</a>,” by Jessica Winter “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/11/24/kash-patels-acts-of-service">Kash Patel’s Acts of Service</a>,” by Marc Fisher  Tune in to The Political Scene<a href="http://swap.fm/l/tny-tps-extref"> wherever you get your podcasts</a>. Please help us improve New Yorker podcasts by filling out our listener survey: <a href="https://panel2058.na2.panelpulse.com/c/a/661hs4tSRdw2yB2dvjFyyw">https://panel2058.na2.panelpulse.com/c/a/661hs4tSRdw2yB2dvjFyyw</a>

When President <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/tag/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> began his tariff rollout, the business world predicted that his unprecedented attempt to reshape the economy would lead to a major recession, if Trump went through with it all. But the markets stabilized and, in recent months, have continued to surge. That has some people worried about an even bigger threat: that overinvestment in artificial intelligence is creating a <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-financial-page/is-the-ai-boom-turning-into-an-ai-bubble">bubble</a>. Andrew Ross Sorkin, one of today’s preëminent financial journalists, is well versed in what’s happening; his début book, “<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/305559/too-big-to-fail-by-andrew-ross-sorkin/">Too Big to Fail</a>,” was an account of the 2008 financial crash, and this year he released “<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/665634/1929-by-andrew-ross-sorkin/">1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History—and How It Shattered a Nation</a>.” He tells David Remnick that <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-financial-page/the-ai-boom-and-the-spectre-of-1929">the concern</a> lies in the massive borrowing to build the infrastructure for a future A.I. economy, without the sufficient revenue, currently, to pay off the loans. “If I learned anything from covering 1929, [and] covering 2008, it is leverage,” Sorkin says, “people borrowing to make all of this happen. And right now we are beginning to see a remarkable period of borrowing to make the economics of A.I. work.” Sorkin is the co-anchor of “Squawk Box” on CNBC, and he also founded the New York Times’ business section, DealBook.  Please help us improve New Yorker podcasts by filling out our listener survey: <a href="https://panel2058.na2.panelpulse.com/c/a/661hs4tSRdw2yB2dvjFyyw">https://panel2058.na2.panelpulse.com/c/a/661hs4tSRdw2yB2dvjFyyw</a>

The Washington Roundtable discusses the trove of Jeffrey Epstein correspondence released by Congress this week, the fractures it has caused in the Republican Party, and the potential political ramifications for President Trump. Their guest is the investigative reporter Michael Isikoff, who has spent decades reporting on major scandals in American politics, including the affair between President Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky, and Russian interference in the 2016 election. The panel considers the factors that made other scandals in the past, such as Watergate, break through the public consciousness and change the course of Presidencies.  This week’s reading: “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-trumps-washington/the-epstein-scandal-is-now-a-chronic-disease-of-the-trump-presidency">The Epstein Scandal Is Now a Chronic Disease of the Trump Presidency</a>,” by Susan B. Glasser “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/did-democrats-win-the-shutdown-after-all">Did Democrats Win the Shutdown After All?</a>,” by Jon Allsop “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-financial-page/socialism-but-make-it-trump">Socialism, But Make It Trump</a>,” by John Cassidy “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/governments-and-billionaires-retreat-ahead-of-cop30-climate-talks">Governments and Billionaires Retreat Ahead of COP30 Climate Talks</a>,” by Elizabeth Kolbert “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/11/17/laura-loomers-endless-payback">Laura Loomer’s Endless Payback</a>,” by Antonia Hitchens “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour/what-resistance-means-to-governor-j-b-pritzker">J. B. Pritzker Sounds the Alarm</a>,” by Peter Slevin  Tune in <a href="https://link.chtbl.com/p7tKbZe1">wherever you get your podcasts</a>. Please help us improve New Yorker podcasts by filling out our listener survey: <a href="https://panel2058.na2.panelpulse.com/c/a/661hs4tSRdw2yB2dvjFyyw">https://panel2058.na2.panelpulse.com/c/a/661hs4tSRdw2yB2dvjFyyw</a>

The New Yorker staff writer Eric Lach joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York City mayoral race, and what his time in office might look like. They talk about some of his early appointments to his administration and how his ambitious agenda may be at odds with other wings of the Democratic Party. They also look at how members of both parties are interpreting Mamdani’s win, and how the new mayor might respond to President Donald Trump’s threats to withhold federal funds from the city.  This week’s reading: “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-local-correspondents/the-mamdani-era-begins">The Mamdani Era Begins</a>,” by Eric Lach “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/did-democrats-win-the-shutdown-after-all">Did Democrats Win the Shutdown After All?</a>,” by Jon Allsop “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/11/17/laura-loomers-endless-payback">Laura Loomer’s Endless Payback</a>,” by Antonia Hitchens “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/as-told-to/the-war-in-gaza-has-paused-but-home-is-still-gone">In Gaza, Home Is Just a Memory</a>,” by Mohammed R. Mhawish “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-the-uk/the-mess-at-the-bbc-will-never-end">The Mess at the BBC Will Never End</a>,” by Sam Knight Tune in to The Political Scene<a href="http://swap.fm/l/tny-tps-extref"> wherever you get your podcasts</a>.

Few Democratic officials have been more outspoken in opposition to the Trump Administration than J. B. Pritzker, the governor of Illinois. He seems almost to relish antagonizing Trump, who has suggested Pritzker should be in jail. Meanwhile, ICE and Border Patrol have targeted Chicago, and elsewhere in Illinois, with immigration sweeps more aggressive than what Los Angeles experienced earlier this year; they refused to pause the raids even on Halloween. The President has called Chicago a “hell hole,” but, in Pritzker’s view, immigration sweeps do nothing to reduce crime. “He’s literally taking F.B.I., D.E.A., and A.T.F.—which we work with all the time—he’s taking them out of their departments and moving them over to ICE, and they’re not . . .  helping us catch bad guys,” Pritzker says in an interview with the reporter <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/peter-slevin">Peter Slevin</a>. “He’s creating mayhem on the ground because you know what he wants? He wants troops on the ground in American cities, and the only way he can get that done is by proving that there’s some sort of insurrection or revolution or rebellion.” And yet, as Slevin tells David Remnick, a governor’s power to resist the federal government depends largely on the courts. Thus far, “the district courts have acted quite favorably toward the plaintiffs in various lawsuits against these actions by the federal government.”  New episodes of The New Yorker Radio Hour drop every Tuesday and Friday. Join host David Remnick as he discusses the latest in politics, news, and current events in conversation with political leaders, newsmakers, innovators, New Yorker staff writers, authors, actors, and musicians.  Please help us improve New Yorker podcasts by filling out our listener survey: <a href="https://panel2058.na2.panelpulse.com/c/a/661hs4tSRdw2yB2dvjFyyw">https://panel2058.na2.panelpulse.com/c/a/661hs4tSRdw2yB2dvjFyyw</a>

The New Yorker contributing writer Ruth Marcus joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss Donald Trump’s “revenge tour”—his effort to use the levers of government to settle personal and political scores. They talk about the indictment of the former F.B.I. director James Comey, why legal experts see the case against Comey as alarmingly weak, and how Trump’s campaign of retribution has expanded to include prosecutors, lawmakers, and even the families of his critics. They also consider how Trump’s quest for vengeance is testing the limits of American law, and whether the country can avoid a permanent cycle of political retaliation and lawfare. This week’s reading: “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-flimsy-dangerous-indictment-of-james-comey">The Flimsy, Dangerous Indictment of James Comey</a>,” by Ruth Marcus “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/what-will-bari-weiss-do-to-cbs-news">What Will Bari Weiss Do to CBS News?</a>,” by Jon Allsop “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/who-can-lead-the-democrats">Who Can Lead the Democrats?</a>,” by Amy Davidson Sorkin “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-volunteers-tracking-ice-in-los-angeles">The Volunteers Tracking ICE in Los Angeles</a>,” by Oren Peleg “<a href="http://newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/why-israel-and-hamas-might-finally-have-a-deal">Why Israel and Hamas Might Finally Have a Deal</a>,” by Isaac Chotiner Tune in to The Political Scene<a href="http://swap.fm/l/tny-tps-extref"> wherever you get your podcasts</a>.

Robert P. George is not a passive observer of the proverbial culture wars; he’s been a very active participant. As a Catholic legal scholar and philosopher at Princeton University, he was an influential opponent of Roe v. Wade and same-sex marriage, receiving a Presidential medal from President George W. Bush. George decries the “decadence” of secular culture, and, in 2016, he co-wrote an op-ed declaring <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/tag/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> “manifestly unfit” to serve as President. Although George disagrees with the Administration’s tactics to change universities’ policies by punishment, he agrees with its contention that campuses have become hotbeds of leftism that stifle debate. He regards this not as a particular evil of the left but as “human nature”: “If conservatives had the kind of monopoly that liberals had,” George tells David Remnick, “I suspect we’d have the same situation, but just in reverse.” His recent book, “<a href="https://www.encounterbooks.com/books/seeking-truth-speaking-truth/?srsltid=AfmBOoodSrFsclPKrsK7_MDf4HHaao4zz-NzkoqcTbekAqAC7e_bh-kA">Seeking Truth and Speaking Truth: Law and Morality in Our Cultural Moment</a>,” tries to chart a course back toward civil, functioning debate in a polarized society. “I encourage my students to take courses from people who disagree with me, like Cornel West and Peter Singer,” the latter of whom is a controversial philosopher of ethics. “Cornel and I teach together for this same reason. Peter invites his students to take my courses. That’s the way it should be.”