Why the Iran War Is Tearing MAGA Apart

Why the Iran War Is Tearing MAGA Apart

From Plain English with Derek Thompson by The Ringer

April 28, 2026 · 58 min

About this episode

Derek Thompson and Ross Douthat discuss the complexities of the Trump movement and the potential impact of the Iran War on its cohesion.

For nearly a decade, critics have predicted that this would be the moment Trumpism finally fractures - January 6, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, endless internal feuds, even Trump’s online beef with Pope Leo. And yet the movement endures. Derek is joined by Ross Douthat to unpack the contradictory coalition Trump has built: Christian conservatives who overlook increasingly pagan behavior, anti-establishment populists who embrace strongman bullying, MAHA health obsessives that ignore their leader's diet of exclusively processed food … What holds this movement together and could the Iran War finally tear it apart? Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@PlainEnglishwithDerekThompson If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com. Host: Derek Thompson Guest: Ross Douthat Producer: Devon Baroldi Additional Production Support: Ben Glicksman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Derek Thompson

Guest: Ross Douthat

Topics covered

  • Trumpism
  • Iran War
  • MAGA movement
  • political coalition
  • Christian conservatives
  • anti-establishment populism

Keywords

  • Trumpism
  • Iran War
  • MAGA
  • politics
  • Christian conservatives
  • populism
  • Derek Thompson
  • Ross Douthat

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Ringer

Places: Iran

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