Politics

Republicans’ Cynical Excuses for Trump’s Power Grab

Five ways they’re defending his fake “national emergency.”

Feb. 19 2019 5:50 AMBut His EmailsWhat’s with the heinous graphic design of the Trump campaign’s messages to supporters?Ruth Graham

Feb. 18 2019 10:52 AMI Can’t Stop Analyzing Trump’s Friday Rose Garden SpeechThe president took it to a new level when announcing his national emergency.Dahlia Lithwick

Feb. 13 2019 6:16 PMThe Democratic Primary Is About to Get a Center LaneBut where it goes, no one knows.Josh Voorhees

Feb. 12 2019 7:39 PMRepublicans Really Need to Sell Trump on This Border DealHere’s how that’s going.Jim Newell

Feb. 8 2019 8:03 PMThe Least Pro-Life President EverFrom war crimes to executions to murdering dissidents, Trump treats human life with contempt.William Saletan

Feb. 6 2019 4:47 PMIn the 1980s, Guys Like Ralph Northam Gambled That They Wouldn’t Pay for Blackface. In 2019, They Lost.Lili Loofbourow

Feb. 6 2019 11:41 AMThe Alarming Message in Trump’s State of the UnionThe president’s speech wasn’t dull. It was dangerous.William Saletan

Feb. 6 2019 1:23 AMAt Least He RhymedThis was the State of the Union address of a man who’s got nothing left to say.Jim Newell

Feb. 1 2019 6:55 PMThe Filibuster Isn’t Going AnywhereWhy the “nuclear option” remains a progressive pipe dream.Jim Newell

Feb. 1 2019 5:56 PMIt’s Both Difficult and Incredibly Important to Make the Case for Third-Trimester AbortionsChristina Cauterucci

Jan. 31 2019 6:10 PMMockery, Backlash, or CourtTrump is looking at three terrible options in his endless, pointless battle for a border wall.Jim Newell

Jan. 28 2019 7:15 PMThe Last Shutdown?The 35-day government grounding may have been enough to convince Congress to stop shutdowns for good.Jim Newell

Jan. 25 2019 6:34 PMThe Pelosi MethodAs Trump prepared to cave on the shutdown, Pelosi revealed how she stands up to an obstinate president.Jim Newell

Jan. 25 2019 3:43 PMEd Case Shows How Not to Reach Out to Your Nonwhite ConstituentsWhat an ill-considered joke about being “an Asian trapped in a white body” tells us about the difficulties facing white candidates in majority-minority districts.

Jan. 24 2019 5:27 PMThe MAGA Teen News Cycle and Our Toxic Era of “Event Politics”Lili Loofbourow

Feb. 18 2019 7:00 PMWhat Is “Dirt” in 2019?How the jobs of opposition researchers have changed in the era of Northam, Kavanaugh, and Trump.Ruth Graham

Feb. 13 2019 6:20 PMIn 2020, Voters Should Abandon Their Obsession With “Authenticity”It’s a uniquely American pathology, and it’s part of what gave us Trump.Dahlia Lithwick

Feb. 13 2019 11:04 AMThe Lesson Democrats Should Take From the Ilhan Omar ControversyIt’s finally OK to criticize Israel.

Feb. 12 2019 7:10 PMTrump’s Followers Believe His Lies About the WallNo evidence—not even from Fox News—can shake their faith.William Saletan

Feb. 6 2019 6:19 PMNancy Pelosi Has Gained Enough Power to Be Flattened Into a MemeA win for women everywhere?Christina Cauterucci

Feb. 6 2019 1:54 PMDemocrats Should Not Think Twice About Canceling Racist, Sexist PoliticiansThe temporary losses don’t matter nearly as much as the revolutionary gains we are witnessing within the party.Christina Cauterucci

Feb. 6 2019 1:27 AMStacey Abrams Showed Democrats How to Win the Fight for Abortion RightsChristina Cauterucci

Feb. 2 2019 10:46 PMRalph Northam Is LyingEven if he’s not in that racist picture, he’s telling stories that don’t add up.William Saletan

Feb. 1 2019 6:21 PMTrump Keeps Bluffing About Americans Wanting a WallWe looked at the numbers. He’s wrong.William Saletan

Jan. 31 2019 7:02 PMThe Ghosts of 2015A bizarre moment from four years ago suggests a smarter way to watch the early phase of the 2020 presidential race.Josh Voorhees

Jan. 29 2019 6:52 PMRepublicans Are Ditching the WallBut the GOP may struggle to sell its base—and its boss—on slats and sensors.William Saletan

Jan. 28 2019 7:03 PMHoward Schultz’s Appearance on Gwyneth Paltrow’s Podcast Should Tank His Presidential CandidacyChristina Cauterucci

Jan. 25 2019 6:29 PMThe Nonsense Trump Spewed During the Shutdown Wasn’t Oblivious. It Was Tactical.A Paul Ryan narrative came back into play this week.Dahlia Lithwick

Jan. 24 2019 6:15 PMA Horrifying Ethical DilemmaWhat’s the most humane way to treat a pregnant rape victim who’s in a vegetative state?Christina Cauterucci

Jan. 24 2019 4:55 PMRevisiting Trump’s Inauguration Speech on the Shutdown’s 34th DayLet’s look at the America he promised and the America we got.Dahlia Lithwick