The Atlantic

Not long ago, I ran into an old friend, a well-regarded Democratic intellectual who recently has moved to my right, but who still holds liberal values and is not a Donald Trump supporter. After we commiserated about the excesses of the far left, I mentioned offhandedly that Trump’s … Twenty-Four Hours of AuthoritarianismRead more

Sign up for Trump’s Return, a newsletter featuring coverage of the second Trump presidency. In their heedless rush to enact a deficit-exploding tax bill so massive that they barely understand it, Senate Republicans call to mind a scene in The Sopranos. A group of young aspiring gangsters decides … They Didn’t Have to Do ThisRead more

Weeks before he ended his first term, in December 2020, President Donald Trump was outraged that leaders in Tehran had announced plans to accelerate its nuclear program. He had a simple question: Why don’t we just bomb Iran? His advisers walked him through the options but cautioned that … The One-and-Done DoctrineRead more

Donald Trump’s least favorite House Republican, Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, likes to do an exaggerated impression of the president. As he recounted a long-ago phone call from Trump before a crowd of supporters in his district, Massie dropped the register of his voice to an octave resembling … The Red State Where Republicans Aren’t Afraid of TrumpRead more

Yesterday marked one year since Joe Biden’s debate meltdown against Donald Trump. Happy anniversary to those who observe such things, or are triggered by such things. Please celebrate responsibly. For Democrats, the debacle was a harsh awakening and the start of an ongoing spiral. Prior to that night, … The Anniversary That Democrats Would Be Wise to ForgetRead more

Hours before launching B-2 bombers at Iran, President Donald Trump stood on a secured airport tarmac 40 miles west of Manhattan, under the watchful guard of the U.S. Secret Service and a militarized counterassault team. When a reporter asked about the risk of terror attacks on U.S. targets … How Trump Lives With the Threat of Iranian AssassinationRead more

Coming up with nondefamatory ways to attack Zohran Mamdani is not exactly an insurmountable task. The 33-year-old Democratic nominee for New York City mayor is an avowed socialist from a privileged background, has defended inflammatory rhetoric such as “Globalize the intifada,” and has a back catalog of hyper-woke … What the Islamophobic Attacks on Mamdani RevealRead more

The Trump administration’s long, belabored campaign to prove that Kilmar Abrego Garcia is a gang leader, a terrorist, and an all-around bad guy—not a wrongfully deported Maryland man—has produced some extraordinary legal maneuvers. The administration fought Abrego Garcia’s return from El Salvador all the way to the Supreme … Trump’s Running Tab in the Abrego Garcia CaseRead more

This article was featured in the One Story to Read Today newsletter. Sign up for it here. On October 27, 1962, the 12th day of the Cuban missile crisis, a bellicose and rattled Fidel Castro asked Nikita Khrushchev, his patron, to destroy America. “I believe that the imperialists’ … Humanity Is Playing Nuclear RouletteRead more

Photo-illustrations by Mike McQuade In the summer of 1974, Richard Nixon was under great strain and drinking too much. During a White House meeting with two members of Congress, he argued that impeaching a president because of “a little burglary” at the Democrats’ campaign headquarters was ridiculous. “I … The President’s WeaponRead more

Tulsi Gabbard believed she had found her people. The Trump White House would be a place where “America First” isolationism ruled. No one would make the hurtful suggestion that her talking points sounded suspiciously like Kremlin talking points. And her decision to meet with Syria’s now-deposed dictator as … Tulsi Gabbard Chooses Loyalty to TrumpRead more

After its demoralizing defeat in November, the Democratic Party has undertaken an agonizing, months-long self-autopsy to determine how it lost some of its core voters and how to move past an entrenched, older generation of leaders. Zohran Mamdani, the presumptive winner of yesterday’s New York City mayoral primary, … The Democratic Party Looks to New York for AnswersRead more

The other night, while watching a baseball game, I saw my first ad for self-deportation. One minute Shohei Ohtani was at the plate and then suddenly there was Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland Security secretary, looking stern and urging immigrants to self-deport using the administration’s new app, … The Self-Deportation PsyopRead more

At 1:08 a.m Eastern daylight time, President Donald Trump proclaimed on social media that a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was “NOW IN EFFECT,” potentially ending an intense 12 days of violence and allowing all sides to step back from a wider, more destructive regional war. “PLEASE DO … Thank You for Your Attention to This Matter!Read more

The unincorporated town of Saxapahaw, North Carolina, is a 300-mile drive from Washington, D.C. It’s about twice as far from Connecticut, the state that Chris Murphy represents in the United States Senate. So what was he doing hosting a town hall there, of all places, one evening this … What Chris Murphy Learned From the New RightRead more

By his own account, the military operation that Donald Trump mounted against Iran over the weekend was an unqualified success. Saturday’s covert raid, in which U.S. bombers dropped a series of massive, tailor-made bombs onto fortified Iranian sites, left Tehran’s nuclear capability “completely and totally obliterated,” the president … The True Impact of Trump’s Strike on IranRead more

Whenever Donald Trump has contemplated confrontation with Iran, his decisions have been guided less by the consensus of the U.S. intelligence community than by his own calculation of risk and reward. At times he has pulled the trigger. At times he has backed down. All the while, the … Trump Changed. The Intelligence Didn’t.Read more

By carrying out air strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites last night, Donald Trump showed the fundamental error of American political ornithology: There have never been Iran hawks and Iran doves. There have been only doves. Every prior U.S. president, including Trump himself, has refrained from attacking Iranian … The Only Iran Hawk Is TrumpRead more

Well, he did it. He actually did it. President Donald Trump had insisted for months that he wanted the ultimate deal with Iran, one that would put a definitive end to the country’s ability to produce a nuclear weapon. As late as Thursday, he’d suggested that Iran’s leaders … Trump’s Two-Week Window for Diplomacy Was a Smoke ScreenRead more

President Donald Trump has done what he swore he would not do: involve the United States in a war in the Middle East. His supporters will tie themselves in knots (as Vice President J. D. Vance did last week) trying to jam the square peg of Trump’s promises … The United States Bombed Iran. Now What?Read more

In some ways, last night’s Sammie awards—also known as the Oscars for federal employees—proceeded just as they do every year. In a packed auditorium a few blocks from the White House, government luminaries handed out medals to some of the nation’s most talented civil servants, recognizing groundbreaking research, … The New Danger in Trump’s Washington: Honoring Federal EmployeesRead more

News of the tragedy unfolded in the group chat: Two Minnesota state lawmakers and their spouses had been shot in their homes overnight by a man allegedly impersonating a police officer. One of those lawmakers was the former House Speaker Melissa Hortman, someone everyone in the group chat … The Fear Coursing Through State CapitolsRead more

The MAGA movement usually displays remarkable unity in attacking the left. But Israel’s military assault on Iran has splintered President Donald Trump’s coalition, as rival factions fight over the true meaning of an “America First” foreign policy. Right-wing figures have descended into vicious debate over whether the White … The MAGA Coalition Has Turned on ItselfRead more

America’s most famous escalator is a bit of a tourist trap these days. Exactly a decade ago, the gold-rimmed conveyor carried Donald Trump into the basement of his eponymous New York tower and down into the bowels of American politics. His seconds-long descent has lingered in the national … America’s Most Famous Escalator, a Decade LaterRead more

Yesterday, the American public witnessed one of the most extravagant and unusual displays of patriotic pageantry in recent memory: an Army festival and military parade in the nation’s capital. Nearly 7,000 soldiers, 28 Abrams tanks, 50 helicopters, 34 horses, two mules, and a single dog marched through a … Photos: A Military Parade in D.C.Read more

Early this morning, a gunman apparently impersonating a police officer targeted two Democratic Minnesota state lawmakers in their homes. First, he shot State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, who were seriously wounded. Law-enforcement officials believe the same gunman then shot Melissa Hortman, who served as Minnesota’s speaker … In Minnesota, America’s Luck Ran OutRead more

This is the week that Gavin Newsom stopped thinking so much. The governor of California has found himself in a hot swirl of events: Federal authorities are patrolling streets, ICE agents are raiding Home Depots, and protests (most of them peaceful) are spreading across the state. President Donald … The Week That Changed Everything for Gavin NewsomRead more

When I caught Donald Trump by phone this morning, the president wanted to make one thing clear: “America First” means whatever he says it does.  “Well, considering that I’m the one that developed ‘America First,’ and considering that the term wasn’t used until I came along, I think … Trump Says He Decides What ‘America First’ MeansRead more

Today—250 years since the Continental Army officially formed to fight for the independence of the American colonies against the British monarchy—marks a milestone in President Donald Trump’s effort to politicize the U.S. military. Though they are rare, military parades have happened before in Washington, D.C. For the most … The Shame of Trump’s ParadeRead more

To pull off the most ambitious and sophisticated attack in the long history of antagonism between the Middle East’s preeminent powers, covert Israeli agents set up a drone base deep inside Iranian territory. They recruited disaffected Iranians to aid their cause. They smuggled weapons systems across enemy lines. … How Israel Executed Its Surprise Assault on IranRead more