logo
episode-header-image
Aug 29
8m 58s

President Trump, entertainer-in-chief

NPR
About this episode

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 term, unlike the first, Trump has taken aim at cultural institutions.

He initiated a takeover of the Kennedy Center, has declared that Smithsonian exhibits must submit to White House scrutiny, and he’s successfully sued – and won settlements from – multiple broadcasting giants.

Throughout Trump’s second term, he’s dramatically expanded the authority of the executive branch. Now, he’s using his power to reshape American culture. 

For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

This episode was produced by Kai McNamee.

It was edited by Courtney Dorning and Justine Kenin.

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Up next
Yesterday
A week into the shutdown, federal workers are stuck in limbo
It's been a week since a federal shutdown ground work at numerous government agencies to a halt. There's no indication that an agreement could come soon, as Republicans and Democrats in congress trade continue blame. Meanwhile, federal workers are stuck in limbo, and its unclear ... Show More
7m 50s
Oct 7
The National Guard arrives in Chicago. What now?
The clock is ticking for Chicago and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.President Trump has deployed the National Guard to the country’s third largest city, and he says they’ll begin operations no later than Wednesday.Pritzker, a democrat, and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson are fightin ... Show More
9m 20s
Oct 6
Trump calls cartels terrorists. Is that enough to go to war?
Nearly a quarter century after the September 11th attacks, the Trump administration is using the language of terrorism to target a new enemy: Latin American drug cartels.The president says we’re in armed conflict with drug cartels.We talk to a Bush-era lawyer who says the powers ... Show More
9m 35s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2025
What if There’s No Way to Stop Trump’s Approach to Power?
President Trump may forever reshape the boundaries of executive power. This week on “Interesting Times,” Ross and Jack Goldsmith, who was the head of the White House’s Office of Legal Counsel under President George W. Bush, discuss which cases are most likely to win in the courts ... Show More
1h 5m
Feb 2025
Don’t Be Fooled, ‘Trump Is a Weak President’
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 Con ... Show More
45m 11s
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
Nov 2024
Trump returns, stronger than ever
Guest: The Toronto Star’s Richard Warnica, reporting from Washington, DC In this episode, This Matters returns from hiatus with a special episode on the U.S. Election. Knowing all that they know about Donald Trump — after the court convictions and the insurrection and the threats ... Show More
34m 17s
Sep 18
KIRK DIED BECAUSE OF TRUMP'S RHETORIC; KIMMEL CANCELLED AS DISNEY FOLDS - 9.18.25
SEASON 4 EPISODE 15: COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN A-Block (2:30) SPECIAL COMMENT: Charlie Kirk died because he lived amid the violent madness of Donald Trump's America. Now that we can say with some certainty that if Tyler Robinson indeed shot Charlie Kirk, he shot him for pers ... Show More
1h 2m
Oct 2024
Trump 2.0: A Presidency Driven by Revenge
In a special series, “The Daily” examines what a second Trump presidency would look like, and how it would challenge democratic norms.This episode focuses on former President Donald J. Trump’s growing plans for revenge, which his allies and supporters often dismiss as mere bluste ... Show More
37m 40s
Apr 2023
Bunker USA – Donald Trump is going down (in history)
Trump has been indicted and his arrest looms – what the hell is going on? Will this be his downfall or a boost to the former president? Brian Klaas, Washington Post columnist and associate professor at UCL, joins Alex Andreou to discuss what we know now, the fallout and how this ... Show More
28m 49s
Nov 2024
What Will Foreign Policy Look Like Under Trump? Feat Clay Travis
The day of Donald Trump’s inauguration is crawling ever closer, and with each passing day the American people, and the world at large, gets an ever-widening glimpse into what the second term of President Trump will bring. On top of some surprising selections that have already bee ... Show More
52m 2s
Nov 2024
Donald Trump’s America
As the fallout from the election settles, Americans are beginning to absorb, celebrate and mourn the coming of a second Trump presidency.Nate Cohn, chief political analyst for The Times, and Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent, discuss the voting blocks that Trump conque ... Show More
30m 57s