Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

Democrats are stumbling — badly. While the Trump administration redefines the limits of executive overreach, the Democratic party remains at odds over how to — even whether to — respond. But Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut has a plan for beating Republicans in 2026, and it involves taking a cue from President Trump. He shares it with Ross Douthat on this episode of Interesting Times.  * 02:07 - The First 100 Days for Trump and the Democrats * 04:06 - The Threat to Democracy Wasn’t Enough Then or Now. * 06:49 - How Dems Fight Trump * 13:41 - Where Chris Murphy Can Agree With the Populist Right * 16:38 - Is Connecticut a Model of What is Wrong with Democrats? * 25:54 - The Spiritual Crisis in American Life * 27:56 - The Problem with Big Tech * 33:45 - How Do Democrats (And Murphy) Talk About Religion? Should They? * 45:35 - Is Trump Really Running An Oligarchy? * 50:34 - Does the Democratic Party Need a Bigger Tent? * 53:54 - A Need for a National Consensus on Immigration * 57:09 - “A Democracy Dies Without a High Stakes Confrontation” (A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.)  Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com. > 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.

The Trump era is ushering in a new age of right wing counterculture, one defined by masculinity and transgression. In this episode of Interesting Times, Ross speaks with Jonathan Keeperman, the founder of Passage Press, about the influence of an edgy, reactionary, right-wing “vibe shift” on American politics and culture. * 2:09 - Jonathan Keeperman’s Lomez days * 5:25 - 2014: An inflection point in American culture? * 7:40 - The emergence of a “conservative counter elite” * 9:41 - The creation of a right wing counterweight to the dominant left * 12:32 - What makes something “conservative art”? * 15:18 - Are David Lynch films right wing art? Is Girls? * 18:11 - Is there such a thing as good left wing art? * 19:32 - Right wing counterculture’s obsession with “vitalism” * 22:56 - Longhouse culture: Is the “over feminization” of society making America weaker? * 27:55 - Is the longhouse argument just a “long male whine”? * 30:41 - Is right wing counterculture anti-Christian? * 35:48 - Trump as mythic hero * 43:31 - What is the function of racism in right wing counterculture? * 53:50 - Are racist means transgressive or just racist? * 1:05:43 - Will the rightward vibe shift show up in pop culture? * 1:07:37 - Why every high school senior should read “Moby Dick” and watch “No Country for Old Men” (A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.)  Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com. > 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.

On this episode of “Interesting Times,” Ross Douthat is joined by the Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest and an editor of America Magazine, to reflect on the legacy of Pope Francis and the challenges facing the next papacy. * 02:20 The First Jesuit Pope * 05:23 Google Translate and Exchanging Emails  * 06:05 The Visual Element of Francis’s Legacy * 07:48 The Concrete Changes Made * 16:19 Christian Sexual Ethics * 25:22 The Church in the Modern World * 27:14 What Kind of Leader Will the Next Pope Be? * 31:57 The Latin Mass Controversy * 34:54 What Draws People to Christianity? * 39:21 What Holds Such a Diverse Church Together? * 43:09 The Influence of the Pope and the Hierarchy  * 46:41 A Renewed Interest in Religion  * 48:30 The Church as a Field Hospital  * 49:13 What Father Martin Hopes to See in the Next Pope  * 49:59 Where Should the New Pope Go?  * 52:27 Who Will Be the Next Pope? (A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.)  Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com. > 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.

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 and permanently expand the executive branch — for better or worse. * 00:02:03 Donald Trump’s “moonshot on executive power” * 00:04:16 What has surprised Goldsmith the most * 00:06:57 Are we in a constitutional crisis? * 00:08:59 Alien Enemies Act * 00:14:02 The case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia * 00:25:23 Godel’s loophole and Supreme Court enforcement * 30:10 Trump’s firings of federal employees and restructuring of U.S.A.I.D. * 36:11 Trump’s power over congressionally appropriated funding * 41:29 Obama v. Trump’s discretion on enforcing laws passed by Congress * 43:03 The TikTok case * 45:46 Lawsuit over Trump’s tariffs * 51:57 How the Supreme Court (maybe) thinks about picking its battles * 54:24 Worst case scenarios * 56:59 What the Supreme Court can do if the Trump administration does not comply * 01:01:32 What a Trump executive power revolution could look like in 2028 and beyond * 01:04:39 If Democrats win in 2028, what happens? (A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.)  Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com. > 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.

Is the short-term economic pain of President Trump’s unpredictable approach to tariffs a reasonable price to pay for a more resilient America? Mr. Trump appears to think so, and so does Oren Cass — sort of. On the first episode of “Interesting Times,” the founder and chief economist of the think tank American Compass joins Ross Douthat to discuss and debate the Trump administration’s drastic trade war. (A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.)  Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com. > 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.