Ezra Klein

Watching his cabinet arrange itself to give him this dear leader-like encomiums, watching Doug Burgum prostrate himself before Donald Trump, watching Donald Trump's FCC nominee walk around with a golden pin of Trump's head, watching members of Congress... put forward bills to make it possible for Trump to have a third term or be on Mount Rushmore.

Watching his cabinet arrange itself to give him this dear leader-like encomiums, watching Doug Burgum prostrate himself before Donald Trump, watching Donald Trump's FCC nominee walk around with a golden pin of Trump's head, watching members of Congress... put forward bills to make it possible for Trump to have a third term or be on Mount Rushmore.

Watching Marco Rubio defend what is happening with Bukele is, aside from being horrific, very telling. Rubio is completely, at this point, clearly compromised or has chosen to be. The address to the joint session of Congress...

Watching Marco Rubio defend what is happening with Bukele is, aside from being horrific, very telling. Rubio is completely, at this point, clearly compromised or has chosen to be. The address to the joint session of Congress...

where Trump singled out Rubio for this public mocking, this public humiliation, where it was clear that Rubio was on thin ice in a way that other members of the administration weren't, was a very adroit play, a very adroit signal to everybody that Rubio was either going to get on board fast or he was going to get off boarded fast.

where Trump singled out Rubio for this public mocking, this public humiliation, where it was clear that Rubio was on thin ice in a way that other members of the administration weren't, was a very adroit play, a very adroit signal to everybody that Rubio was either going to get on board fast or he was going to get off boarded fast.

So I think they have chosen to ride this as hard as they can under the assumption it'll work out for them. I don't think they have a lot of points of vulnerability until someone else holds actual power.

So I think they have chosen to ride this as hard as they can under the assumption it'll work out for them. I don't think they have a lot of points of vulnerability until someone else holds actual power.

I would like to be wrong.

I would like to be wrong.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

This I agree with. The thing I was saying that I don't think they're that vulnerable to now is public opinion. What I think they're vulnerable to is power. And there are lots of parts of society that hold power. Donald Trump does not have absolute power. It was essential that Harvard did what it did. And now the other universities behind them are going to start doing that too.

This I agree with. The thing I was saying that I don't think they're that vulnerable to now is public opinion. What I think they're vulnerable to is power. And there are lots of parts of society that hold power. Donald Trump does not have absolute power. It was essential that Harvard did what it did. And now the other universities behind them are going to start doing that too.

Because you don't want to go down in history as a university that didn't do what Harvard did. This is starting to become true for the law firms. The first set of them fell. And now I think you're seeing a number behind them realize what this moment is. And stop and say no. Business leaders, I think, have power.

Because you don't want to go down in history as a university that didn't do what Harvard did. This is starting to become true for the law firms. The first set of them fell. And now I think you're seeing a number behind them realize what this moment is. And stop and say no. Business leaders, I think, have power.

I think there's a lot of power that the Trump administration understands is held elsewhere. And at the moment, that's why I was saying that I think it's very important the Democrats win power in the midterms, because I think what the Trump administration respects ultimately is. Is power.

I think there's a lot of power that the Trump administration understands is held elsewhere. And at the moment, that's why I was saying that I think it's very important the Democrats win power in the midterms, because I think what the Trump administration respects ultimately is. Is power.

You can already see with the tariff exceptions and carve outs that there are companies he does not want to be on the wrong side of. I do believe protests are important. I just think it's I expect we will actually get there. I just think that when we get there, it's going to be a very dangerous moment. For sure.

You can already see with the tariff exceptions and carve outs that there are companies he does not want to be on the wrong side of. I do believe protests are important. I just think it's I expect we will actually get there. I just think that when we get there, it's going to be a very dangerous moment. For sure.