Why the Iran War Is Tearing MAGA Apart
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
More episodes of Plain English with Derek Thompson
- The Triple Crisis That’s Breaking Hollywood—and Changing the Future of Movies
- The Most Powerful and Dangerous AI Model Yet
- The Whole World Is Fighting About Energy
- ‘The Job Market for Young People Is Brutal’
- America's Religious Revival Is a Mirage
- Is China the Winner of the Iran War?
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Plain English with Derek Thompson podcast page.