logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2025
45m 11s

Don’t Be Fooled, ‘Trump Is a Weak Presid...

NEW YORK TIMES OPINION
About this episode

ow much is President Trump testing the Constitution? And what are the other branches of government doing about it? This week, David French and Jamelle Bouie join Carlos and Michelle to discuss how the courts and Congress could respond to Trump’s latest actions and whether the Constitution is strong enough to withstand the challenges.

Plus, the best-dressed Opinion columnist makes the case for his latest fashion obsession.

(A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.) 

Thoughts about the show? Email us at matterofopinion@nytimes.com or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Up next
Oct 2
Hasan Piker Is Flirting With the Revolution
The Twitch and YouTube star Hasan Piker understands what pushes people to commit acts of political violence. But does that understanding tip over into appreciation? In this episode of “Interesting Times,” Ross Douthat and Piker debate why Piker’s post-liberal rhetoric attracts cr ... Show More
1h 13m
Sep 25
The Grand Strategy Behind Trump’s Crackdown on Academia
What is wrong with higher education in America? According to many on the right, a lot. This week, Ross Douthat talks to May Mailman, the lawyer behind President Trump’s battles with Harvard and Columbia, about the administration’s assault on the Ivy League and why “a glorificatio ... Show More
59m 1s
Sep 18
Ezra Klein Is Worried — but Not About a Radicalized Left
Ezra Klein argues that the left desperately needs a unifying project — for its own survival and for the sake of the country. In this episode of Ross Douthat’s “Interesting Times,” Ross and Ezra assess the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination and debate whether the left has t ... Show More
47m 53s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 21
How Trump Lost Control of the Epstein Narrative
For the past two weeks, President Trump has been trying and failing to get his supporters to stop talking about Jeffrey Epstein.David Enrich, a deputy investigations editor for The New York Times, and Shawn McCreesh, a Times White House correspondent, explain why MAGA won’t let g ... Show More
28m 35s
Jan 2025
Trump 2.0 Arrives in Force
Since his inauguration, President Trump has exercised a level of power that has directly challenged the checks and balances that, on paper, define the U.S. government.The Times journalists Michael Barbaro, Maggie Haberman, Jonathan Swan and Charlie Savage discuss Mr. Trump’s plan ... Show More
27m 5s
Mar 2025
Trump 2.0: Group Chats and a New Spat
What does the continuing fallout from the Signal text security breach tell us about President Trump’s cabinet’s approach to blame and accountability?The Times journalists Michael Barbaro, Eric Schmitt, Julian E. Barnes and Maggie Haberman sit down to make sense of the latest week ... Show More
31m 43s
Feb 2025
Trump 2.0: The Art of the Deal
This week, President Trump proposed two deals that would require allies to put his needs ahead of their own.Times’ Journalists Michael Barbaro, Catie Edmonson, Maggie Haberman, and Zolan Kanno-Youngs discuss how, in both cases, Trump got what he wanted.Guest: Catie Edmondson, a c ... Show More
29m 21s
Apr 2025
Americans to Trump: You’ve Gone Too Far
Warning: This episode contains strong language.One question that has hung over the first 100 days of President Trump’s second term: Is his aggressive approach to everything from deportations to tariffs what most Americans want — or has he simply gone too far?In a major new nation ... Show More
29m 53s
Apr 2025
100 Days of Trump (Part 5)… Has He Redefined What It Means To Be President?
This is a special Americast mini series, looking at five ways Donald Trump has changed America in his first 100 days back, as President of the United States. “…in the USA we do no have kings, we do not have dictators we have a constitution, and the rule of law, and we’re going to ... Show More
13m 51s
Aug 29
President Trump, entertainer-in-chief
Before he entered politics, most Americans knew Donald Trump as an entertainer. As the host of the hit show “The Apprentice” he was catapulted to a new level of fame. That persona has carried over to Trump’s political life as he embraces his role as entertainer-in-chief. In this ... Show More
8m 58s
Mar 2025
Partisan Taunts and Defiant Protests: Trump’s First Speech to Congress
In his first address to Congress on Tuesday night, President Trump took a highly partisan victory lap as Democratic lawmakers openly protested against him.Maggie Haberman, a White House correspondent for The Times, walks us through the speech, including the reactions to it in the ... Show More
29m 18s
Sep 8
President Trump Asks Supreme Court To Uphold Tariffs
President Trump has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold his authority to issue tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. We discuss the implications of a possible ruling — if the court strikes down his tariffs and if it says Trump’s tariffs are legal.This ... Show More
15m 42s
Feb 2025
The Breaking of the Constitutional Order
There are two pieces to this episode. First, a tour of what Donald Trump has done — and what he has backed down from doing — over the last few days. There’s a lesson there. Perhaps Democrats are starting to learn it.Then I wanted to hear the view of Trump’s first weeks back in of ... Show More
1h 19m