Ezra Klein

like the corrupt Democratic mayor of New York City, not because they have a deep ideological alliance, but because then Donald Trump would have power over New York City and its policy that he wouldn't otherwise have. The thing that connects Trump, Trump is a very old school politician. He's very relational. He's very 19th century. He's looking for the angle. He's very zero sum.

like the corrupt Democratic mayor of New York City, not because they have a deep ideological alliance, but because then Donald Trump would have power over New York City and its policy that he wouldn't otherwise have. The thing that connects Trump, Trump is a very old school politician. He's very relational. He's very 19th century. He's looking for the angle. He's very zero sum.

He's looking for things to give him power. Doge is a way of getting power over the bureaucracy. Tariffs are a way of getting power over the international financial system and foreign policy and breaking sort of traditional alliances. Maybe in his mind, even getting Canada to become the 51st state, maybe getting Mexico to change its immigration policy.

He's looking for things to give him power. Doge is a way of getting power over the bureaucracy. Tariffs are a way of getting power over the international financial system and foreign policy and breaking sort of traditional alliances. Maybe in his mind, even getting Canada to become the 51st state, maybe getting Mexico to change its immigration policy.

He's looking for things to give him power. Doge is a way of getting power over the bureaucracy. Tariffs are a way of getting power over the international financial system and foreign policy and breaking sort of traditional alliances. Maybe in his mind, even getting Canada to become the 51st state, maybe getting Mexico to change its immigration policy.

Trying to weaponize the Justice Department against Derek Adams is a way of getting power over a Democratic mayor. Some of what they're doing with grants and money is a way of getting power over sort of other institutions in American life. Again, you could think it's bad or you could think it's good, but it is coherent, right? I think it's bad, but it is coherent.

Trying to weaponize the Justice Department against Derek Adams is a way of getting power over a Democratic mayor. Some of what they're doing with grants and money is a way of getting power over sort of other institutions in American life. Again, you could think it's bad or you could think it's good, but it is coherent, right? I think it's bad, but it is coherent.

Trying to weaponize the Justice Department against Derek Adams is a way of getting power over a Democratic mayor. Some of what they're doing with grants and money is a way of getting power over sort of other institutions in American life. Again, you could think it's bad or you could think it's good, but it is coherent, right? I think it's bad, but it is coherent.

And the people who think it's good think it's good for Trump to have power. Again, with the Eric Adams thing, they were very explicit about this, right? They said that it is worthwhile for the president to negotiate over his policy objectives and to trade things to get his policy objectives more fully carried out. And so Eric Adams went from saying New York City would be a sanctuary city.

And the people who think it's good think it's good for Trump to have power. Again, with the Eric Adams thing, they were very explicit about this, right? They said that it is worthwhile for the president to negotiate over his policy objectives and to trade things to get his policy objectives more fully carried out. And so Eric Adams went from saying New York City would be a sanctuary city.

And the people who think it's good think it's good for Trump to have power. Again, with the Eric Adams thing, they were very explicit about this, right? They said that it is worthwhile for the president to negotiate over his policy objectives and to trade things to get his policy objectives more fully carried out. And so Eric Adams went from saying New York City would be a sanctuary city.

They'd aggressively carry out deportations. You can think that kind of transactionalism is fine. I think in this case, given that it's about corruption, it wasn't. But the idea, Trump's idea, that the problem is that the president doesn't wield enough power here the way he does in Russia, the way he might in India, the way he might in China.

They'd aggressively carry out deportations. You can think that kind of transactionalism is fine. I think in this case, given that it's about corruption, it wasn't. But the idea, Trump's idea, that the problem is that the president doesn't wield enough power here the way he does in Russia, the way he might in India, the way he might in China.

They'd aggressively carry out deportations. You can think that kind of transactionalism is fine. I think in this case, given that it's about corruption, it wasn't. But the idea, Trump's idea, that the problem is that the president doesn't wield enough power here the way he does in Russia, the way he might in India, the way he might in China.

Trump has spoken very openly of envying some of the powers these other people have. I think it's a consistent governing philosophy that needs to be taken as that, right? I think sometimes you describe one of the difficulties Trump poses is sometimes if you just describe what he's doing, I think quite neutrally, people say, oh, you're criticizing him. You're anti-Trump. But I...

Trump has spoken very openly of envying some of the powers these other people have. I think it's a consistent governing philosophy that needs to be taken as that, right? I think sometimes you describe one of the difficulties Trump poses is sometimes if you just describe what he's doing, I think quite neutrally, people say, oh, you're criticizing him. You're anti-Trump. But I...

Trump has spoken very openly of envying some of the powers these other people have. I think it's a consistent governing philosophy that needs to be taken as that, right? I think sometimes you describe one of the difficulties Trump poses is sometimes if you just describe what he's doing, I think quite neutrally, people say, oh, you're criticizing him. You're anti-Trump. But I...

I'm just describing what he's doing. You can think it's good or it's bad, but like the fact that he wants to irrigate power and find points of leverage and tariffs are one, what he's doing through Doge is another, what he did with the DOJ is another. It's all very consistent. The question is really then just whether or not you have, what your normative view is on Trump having that much power.

I'm just describing what he's doing. You can think it's good or it's bad, but like the fact that he wants to irrigate power and find points of leverage and tariffs are one, what he's doing through Doge is another, what he did with the DOJ is another. It's all very consistent. The question is really then just whether or not you have, what your normative view is on Trump having that much power.

I'm just describing what he's doing. You can think it's good or it's bad, but like the fact that he wants to irrigate power and find points of leverage and tariffs are one, what he's doing through Doge is another, what he did with the DOJ is another. It's all very consistent. The question is really then just whether or not you have, what your normative view is on Trump having that much power.