Donald Trump

How Must We Respond to MAGA Threats of Political Violence?

by Tom Nichols

"Finally, there’s nothing wrong with some dismissive scorn among sensible voters. These people are not 10 feet tall. They are, in fact, small and ridiculous."

Comparing the Trump – DeSantis Race to the Republicans' 1912 Debacle is a Stretch... Right?

by Adam Burns

The whiplash of Ron DeSantis's rise and fall against Trump in the polls could be nothing in comparison to the political shockwave that would result if the Florida governor succeeds in taking the GOP nomination, but Trump doesn't go quietly—the falling-out between Roosevelt and Taft shows how it might go. 

James Comey is Deluded About Trump's Influence on Republicans

by Julian Zelizer

The former FBI director blamed Trump for the growing Republican hostility toward the FBI, among other government institutions. But the belief that major institutions are compromised by un-American elements has a long and deep history on the right that won't be eliminated whenever Trump happens to leave the political stage. 

Trump and DeSantis Two Peas in a White Nationalist Pod

by Clarence Lusane

Any Republican candidate will need to lean in to the politics of white Christian nationalism ascendant on the right; Trump has needed the MAGA movement as much as it's needed him. 

Proud Boys' Convictions for Seditious Conspiracy Won't End the Far Right Threat

by Tom Mockaitis

Despite the conviction of leading organizers of the January 6 attack on the Capitol (which aimed at overturning Joe Biden's election), the extreme right will remain a threat, partly because of the flourishing of online channels for hate and partly because the Republican Party has framed the insurrection as legitimate political expression. 

We Pay the Price for Failing to Treat Ex-Presidents as Ordinary Citizens

by James D. Robenalt

Deferential treatment given to Richard Nixon after his resignation, including not only his pardon but also lenient treatment by the Watergate grand jury, set precedents for impunity that the nation suffers from today. 

Legal Historian Jed Shugerman: Yes, Trump's NY Indictment is a Legal Embarrasment

Isaac Chotiner interviews the law professor and digs deeper into his skepticism of the state charges against Donald Trump. 

The January 6 Committee's Report Shows it's up to Politics, not History, to Judge

by Matthew Sitman

The committee's report will never be able to create or sustain closure on the Trump era or the hard right turn of conservatism; only voters and political organizers can do that. 

Legal Historian: Trump Indictment is an Embarrassment

by Jed Handelsman Shugerman

The appropriate response to Trump's disregard of the rule of law isn't to replicate it in "34 half indictments," a filing that fails in terms of law and politics. 

It's Not Clear if Winning in 2024 Could Shield Trump from a Conviction

by Olivia B. Waxman

The lack of clear precedent about the relationship between the federal and state law enforcement systems and the timing of Trump's indictment and potential trial mean that the election will be ensnared in a potential constitutional crisis. 

From Trump to Putin: How People Came to Look to Timothy Snyder for Predictions

Although some had dismissed his warnings of an autocratic seizure of power as "doomerism," the events of January 6 and the Russian invasion have made the historian a widely-read public intellectual. 

Douglas Brinkley on a Presidential First: Indictment

NPR's A Martinez talks to presidential historian Douglas Brinkley about the historical significance of the indictment of former President Donald Trump.

How Will Trump Try to Spin an Indictment to His Advantage?

by Julian Zelizer

Trump's familiarity with commanding attention—even, or particularly, negative attention—and penchant for grievances mean that being indicted in any of the cases against him would put him in a comfortable role on the campaign stage. 

Trump's Choice of Waco is Waving the Bloody Shirt to the Far Right

by Nicole Hemmer

By rallying in Waco at the 30th anniversary of the Branch Davidian siege and killings, Trump has signaled to the far right and the militia movement that he's their candidate. 

Fox's Handling of the "Big Lie" was Cowardly, but Not Unusual

by Kathryn J. McGarr

News organizations' standards of objectivity have long allowed public figures and politicians to proclaim lies without pushback, leaving the public to be arbiters of truth and falsity. 

Trump's Apocalyptic CPAC Speech Aimed Squarely at Southern Evangelicals

by Thomas Lecaque

In the past, Evangelicals and other apocalypse-minded constituencies have projected their views onto Donald Trump. Now, Trump seems to be fully embracing the bit, suggesting that violence above and beyond politics will usher in the Kingdom. 

Fox News Texts Show Long History of Ideological Media

The revelation that Fox hosts promoted what they knew were lies about the 2020 election reflects what Nicole Hemmer calls a 70-year effort by the right to sow distrust in mainstream media. 

Face It: CPAC Was a Mussolini Moment

by Will Bunch

After Trump's CPAC speech promised that he'd be an instrument of retribution against his followers' enemies, it's time to stop tiptoeing around the historic parallels, writes columnist Will Bunch. 

Edsall: Is Trump Trapping the GOP in Conspiratorial Madness?

Ron DeSantis can bolster his standing with the right by governing. Donald Trump, still the leader of the party, must invoke conspiracies and cartoonishly evil enemies. Historian Jeffrey Herf helps Thomas Edsall understand if there's an off-ramp. 

Can Republicans Rally Around DeSantis as an "Electable" Choice?

by Robert Fleegler

In the wake of disastrous overreach by House Republicans in impeaching Bill Clinton, the party cohered around George W. Bush as a candidate without Beltway baggage. If the party can't do the same thing in 2024, they risk being dragged down by Donald Trump.