The End of Trumpism

Recorded the morning after the 2026 midterm elections, this episode featured Ezra Klein being interviewed by his editor Aaron Retica about Democrats' sweeping wins in the House, Senate and governorships, including victories in Kansas, Texas, Iowa and South Carolina. Klein framed the lesson as "the big tent is real and the political map is fake," arguing that Donald Trump betrayed his mandate by raising costs through tariffs and war and creating disorder on immigration, while Democrats succeeded by recruiting candidates who fit their states, such as James Talarico, Adam Hamilton and Josh Turek.

The two debated what lessons to draw about left-wing candidates. Klein argued that more progressive Senate candidates in Michigan, Minnesota and Florida underperformed the environment and that the party should protect moderates such as Jared Golden, while Retica defended the value of progressive ideas and Howard Dean's 50-state strategy. They discussed large swings among young, male and Hispanic voters, the collapse of the 2024 realignment, historical midterm precedents, the rise of Jon Ossoff as a potential presidential figure, and the many identity "firsts" among winners.

Looking ahead, Klein outlined three tasks for a Democratic Congress: resistance and investigation, legislative compromise, and agenda-setting for 2028, recommending that investigations "follow the money" around the Trump family. He warned of risks from an AI investment boom, the Iran war and Trump's health. The pair criticized Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign, Elon Musk's Texas spending, and argued there was never a coherent Trumpism beyond Trump himself. They closed on Retica's satisfaction at Susan Collins's defeat and Klein's optimism about a revived religious and moral left.